Each day technology is entering the school system. Better computers, smartboards, projector units, software for core subjects and let’s not forget the technology that is used each day in terms of students and even teachers to communicate. The “21th centery” school has begun. With that being said, what should this school include? Should the technology be used only for the benefit of students and the educational process or should the use of technology be extended to the monitoring, or dare I say policing?

This fundamental question arrises because a school district within Connecticut has decided to place RFID chips within the I.D Cards of the students and staff of their schools. They have also decided to include the chips within a number of educational items within the school. Items that this would include would be T.V units, Projectors and Laptops.  For clarification, I shall do into a lengthy discussion of the article, before I begin looking at the possible pros and cons of such a system. I will also sprinkle in my own personal opinion as we continue on.  RFID chips are chips that send out radio signals which is specific to each chip. That way each signal would be specific to each child or educational item.  The chip then could be tracked down to the location of the chip holder.  The idea was purposed by SecureRF Corporation, a company specializing in secure RFID software, which then got a grant of $100,000, from the National Science Foundation. What the purpose of the whole science experiment of the RFID chips is to do a number of scientific experiments, which could help with budgeting, such as one that was suggested, to tracking how many students actually ride the bus. To date, there is still a wait for getting a green light for this project, yet it is suggested by the article, that this will indeed go ahead.

First, let’s discuss the cons of a system like this. There is one con that bring up huge red flags. The first is privacy in general. I say in general because I want to look at the rights of the teacher as well as the hotly debated rights of the child.

So what about privacy? Where are the child’s rights? Are we not invading their individual rights are a human being?

When I read the original article, the comments where all directed towards the rights of the child.   Since there has been such a huge push for the rights of children, and young adults in terms of privacy within the school environment, this flies completely in the face of what child advocates have been working towards.

And, what about the teachers? No where in the article comments was there a discussion about the rights of the monitoring of a teacher or in this case, whole schools of teachers. If it is ok to monitor teachers, then wouldn’t it be ok to monitor children, who should be treated like adults,  if an actual adult is being monitored? I do understand that I am playing Devil’s Avacate, and I know that many people will say, “A child can not speak up for themselves.” Well, if you have never taught in a grade 8 English class, then you know, they can very well speak up for themselves, as well as have their parents ringing the same prospective as their child.

So, let’s look at the pros.  The two red flags in this area are security and financial.

Security within a school, no matter what the size, population, or social-economic area has become a highened issue. With so many school shootings, abduction of children, bomb threats, bullying and fighting; children need to feel safe when they enter a school. One of the first things I learned while finishing my B.Ed was that if a child does not feel safe in the school or classroom they can not, or will not, learn. So, would the chip system detour bullies? When I posed this question to a academic English class, they believed that it could. They thought that if the system existed within their school, teachers would be able to see who was being bullied and who the bully was. At the same time, if charges were ever filed that way there is a documentation of time and occurrence.

The second of the  pro for a system like this is financial. According to the article, the school wishes to take the money that they would save from the replacement of stolen items such as a laptops, and reroute the funding into areas of the school that have been suffering, the one that is being discussed is the arts programs. For those of you that do not know,  the arts programs, be it music, visual or theatre arts is normally the programs that suffer the most when it comes to the school budget. So, if you are able to track down that missing laptop, projector unit, or science equipment, That was a personal favourite of my generation for stealing, then next year, you would not have to factor in that new laptop into the budget to buy. That money can be placed into art supplies for at least the first term. So, the school, and hopefully students would benefit from having more programs, and opportunities to offer the students.

What do you fine readers think? Are is the school system steeping across the line in terms of the rights of the students? Is this movement of the new 21st century school too Big Brother? Or are we all over reacting?

KIRENJI GIRLS COMBAT SCHOOL is available as of the 9th of February, and is a live-action film. Here’s a rundown of the film:

Kirenji is so definitely NOT your typical Japanese girls’ school. For example, while the word “hot” might describe an attractive girl at other places of higher education, at Kirenji it’s more likely to mean “hot blooded,” “hot tempered” and “ready for red hot action” (as in physical combat, that is)! So when 17 year old Maki enrolls, thinking she’s the baddest bad girl of them all, she quickly learns the hard way that at Kirenji she’ll have to punch her way to the top of the pulchritudinous power pyramid… and it’s just too bad that the equally intimidating Natsumu is standing in her path!

The film is Unrated (but contains Violence, Adult Situations, and Nudity), has Japanese audio with English Subtitles, and costs $19.98US.

If you’re interested in buying it, you can buy it online here at our RightStuf store!

This is the story of one such boy. A senior high school student with poor grades and no real post-secondary plan, Kotaro Mochizuki (Miura Haruma, Gokusen 3 and 14sai no Haha) finds himself given a history assignment during one of his escapades in math class. After sleep-talking in class about samurai, his sensei tells him to write a report. Kotaro visits a strange library where the woman historian hands him a book about a samurai general from over 400 years ago. Kotaro is the same age and shares the same name as the general in the book, and has a sort of flashback. Kotaro’s father mentions that they could be descendants of the general in that book.

When Tsuyoshi (Shirota Yu, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e), one of Kotaro’s classmates, is being bullied into stealing by a group of kogals, Kotaro tries to approach them but is too afraid. Suddenly, his samurai ancestor takes over his body, fighting off the girls’ henchmen, talking of justice. Tsuyoshi soon becomes one of Kotaro’s closest friends, along with Ai Nagasawa (model and actress Anne), his childhood friend the one thing that can transform Kotaro back to his normal self.

Little by little, Kotaro’s outlook on life changes as the samurai helps him become a better person. He slowly becomes a bit more serious about his plans after he graduates, confidence in standing up to those who had little faith in him and showing compassion for others he may have passed over before.

However, Kotaro cannot control when the samurai appears and he does not know how to get rid of him. He must keep the truth behind his sudden bursts of confidence and his strange samurai way of speaking a secret unless the samurai disappears before completing his task, taking Kotaro with him.

Original Air Dates: Oct 17 to Dec 12, 2009
Number of Episodes: 9 episodes
Genre: High School Comedy
Broadcast Network: NTV

The manga in question is named “Natsume’s Book of Friends” and is by Yuki Midorikawa. The manga was first published in a magazine called LaLa DX, and was also a finalist in the first Manga Taisho Awards (2008).

Here’s a synopsis for you:

Takashi Natsume can see spirits and demons that hide from the rest of humanity. He has always been set apart from other people because of his gift, drifting from relative to relative, never fitting in. Now he’s a troubled high school student who has come to live in a small town where his grandmother, Reiko, grew up. And there he discovers that he has inherited more than just the power of Sight from the mysterious Reiko. When Reiko was Takashi’s age, she bound the names of demons and spirits in her Book of Friends, enslaving them to her every capricious whim. Now Takashi is the owner of the book, and the creatures will do anything to get their names back.

“Natsume’s Book of Friends” comes out on January 5th. You will find it under VIZ’s Shojo Beat imprint, rated ‘T’ for Teens, and is expected to cost $9.99US or $12.99CAN.

Leyla Aker, Editorial Manager, VIZ Media:

“NATSUME’S BOOK OF FRIENDS is a great series for readers who are looking for something different than the typical shojo manga. Yuki Midorikawa skillfully deploys her delicate and almost serene artwork to tell a story that balances dark adventure with light comedy, the supernatural with real life. This remarkably beautiful work is truly unlike any other shojo series out there.”

For more information on this title, check out the VIZ website or go directly to this page to buy it. Volume 2 is expected out in April 2010.

Our friends at VIZ have let us know about some of the cool Anime and Japanese films you will have the opportunity to see from now until the beginning of February! They’re calling the whole event “Hit Me With Music, Volume 2“, taking inspiration from the way in which music can shape the ways of our lives. So what can we see, and when?

Starting off, we have “Shindo“. This film has been screening since December 26th 2009, and finishes up on January 7th 2010.

Shindo is based on a manga series created by Akira Sasou. Wao is a high school graduate wanting to go to music school and he meets Uta, a 13-year-old child prodigy pianist. Uta often skips lessons behind her mother’s back but she takes a liking to Wao, who is completely devoted to the piano. Uta soon begins to regularly visit Wao’s family vegetable shop and although they are not lovers or siblings, their relationship grows close through the pair’s shared love of music. Actor Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note) gives an excellent performance as the young man, Wao, while Uta is played by Riko Narumi, a talented up and coming actress. This is her first starring role in a feature film.

Next we have “Midnight Sun” (pictured) which starts on the 8th of January 2010, and finishes on January 21st. If you have a chance I would personally recommend you see this movie… not that I’ve ever watched it online or anything… oops!

Kaoru is a talented young teenager who sings and plays guitar. But she also suffers from a rare skin disease called Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), which prevents her body from repairing the cell damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) light. This means that she must avoid sunlight completely. She has never attended school and is incapable of doing many things most teenagers take for granted. When she falls in love with a boy named Kouji, however, she once again begins to challenge herself as she tries things she had given up because of illness and slowly regains her inner sunshine.

You may have heard of “Sword of the Stranger” (which is out on DVD in Australia now), and it is going to be showing on January 19th and 20th for ANIME WEEKNIGHT PEOPLE.

Famed animation studio BONES (Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa) pulls out all the stops in this feature-length samurai anime action movie. No Name is a ronin who abandoned his name in troubled times and vowed to never unsheathe his sword again. Luo-Lang is a blond-haired, blue-eyed Western assassin working for the Ming Dynasty. The two strangers are destined to clash, as the only thing they believe in is their swordsmanship. They kill – and kill some more – in this blazing display of Japanese sword action!

On January 26th, for ONE NIGHT ONLY, there will be a screening of the documentary film “Daido Moriyama: Stray Dog Of Tokyo“, which will also include the launch of the films DVD.

Daido Moriyama has been a major force in artistic photography since the late 60’s, but his true persona has been hidden behind a veil of mystery, until now. This documentary follows the charismatic Moriyama as he takes his first digital photos and displays his trademark photographic technique of taking quick snapshots without looking in the viewfinder. Often shot in black and white, out of focus and dramatically cropped or tilted, the themes of Moriyama’s images have been said to convey a sense of the disordered human condition and the conflicting realities of modern urban life.

“Oh! My Buddha”  is running from January 22nd to February 4th. And it doesn’t appear to be a take on the “Ah! My Goddess!” anime – in case you were wondering!

Jun is a boy who just started his first year at a private Buddhist school and is obsessed with his guitar and Bob Dylan. Despite his love for rock and roll, his life is like a mundane routine just passing him by. One day, his friend invites him to go to an island over summer break and stay at a youth hostel with other boys and girls who practice “free love.” Jun’s journey into adulthood begins. This film refreshingly and often comically depicts the awkward stages of adolescent life. Daichi Watanabe from the popular band Kuroneko Chelsey makes his debut in this film.

If you would like to go and see one of these “eiga” (film) sessions, go to the VIZ Pictures or the VIZ Cinema website for screening times and information. To find the complex itself, head to 1746 Post Street in San Francisco and look for the building with a 3-floor transparent glass “façade”.

So, what are you going to see?

This time we have vampires, ghosts, crime drama and teenage angst awaiting us. I won’t hold back – so what’s in store?

VIZ Signature releases include:

Children of the sea, Vol. 1 (available now) and Vol. 2 (available December 15, pictured – top right)

Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens – $14.99 US / $17.50 CAN each

When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora. They were raised by dugongs and hear the same strange calls from the sea as she does. Ruka’s dad and the other adults who work at the aquarium are only distantly aware of what the children are experiencing as they get caught up in the mystery of the worldwide disappearance of the oceans’ fish. CHILDREN OF THE SEA is a surreal and riveting aquatic adventure from Daisuke Igarashi. Igarashi was given the Award of Excellence by the Japan Cartoonists Association in 2009.

GOGO Monster

Rated ‘T’ For Teens – $27.99 US / $36.00 CAN

Third grader Yuki Tachibana lives in two worlds. In one world, he is a loner ridiculed by his classmates and reprimanded by his teachers for telling stories of supernatural beings that only he can see. In the other world, the supernatural beings vie for power with malevolent spirits who bring chaos into the school, the students’ lives, and even nature itself.

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD!, Vols. 1-2

Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens – $12.99 US / $16.00 CAN each

A poignant 2-volume collection of intersecting vignettes depicting twenty-something angst, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD! explores the various ways that modern life can be at once ridiculous and sublime, terrible and precious, wasted and celebrated. In Volume 1, what begins with a college dropout bored of her mediocre routine soon becomes a fantastic series of stories about the unexpected ways that different lives intersect. Filled with magical realism in the face of the cold reality of daily modern life, at their core these stories are about young people discovering something precious amidst the chaos of existence. Volume 2 continues to explore similar themes including the cruelty of childhood, the delusion of adulthood, the endurance of death and how people find a way to remain resolute and laugh in the face of reality.

SHONEN SUNDAY, SHONEN JUMP, SHONEN JUMP ADVANCED and SHONEN JUMP FICTON goodies include:

RIN-NE, Vol. 1

Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens – $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN

RIN-NE is the brand new series from celebrated manga creator Rumiko Takahashi (INUYASHA). As a child Sakura Mamiya mysteriously disappeared in the woods behind her grandma’s home. She returned whole and healthy, but since then she has had the power to see ghosts. Now a teenager, she just wishes the ghosts would leave her alone! At school, the desk next to Sakura’s has been empty since the start of the school year, then one day her always-absent classmate shows up, and he’s far more than what he seems!

INUYASHA (VIZBIG), Vol. 1

Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens – $17.99 US / $24.00 CAN

Rumiko Takahashi’s epic manga adventure INUYASHA is given an omnibus VIZBIG treatment that combines the first three volumes of the smash hit series. Pulled back in time to Japan’s ancient past, Japanese high school girl Kagome finds her destiny linked to a dog-like half-demon named Inuyasha, who remembers Kagome’s previous incarnation as the woman who killed him – and to the Shikon Jewel, or “Jewel of Four Souls,” which can fulfill the greatest dreams of any man or monster. Now Kagome and Inuyasha must work together to search for the scattered shards of the jewel before everyone’s nightmares are given the power they need to come true.

YU-GI-OH! r, Vol. 1 (available now) and Vol. 2 (available December 1)

Rated ‘T’ for Teens – $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN

YU-GI-OH! R is the shocking sequel to Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duelist and the prequel to Yu-Gi-Oh!: Millennium World. When the follower of an old enemy returns to take revenge, Yugi Mutou must duel to save a friend’s life. But can he overcome the power of the three “Jashin,” the terrifying Evil God Cards? Bonus trading card in the first print run.

TEGAMI BACHI: LETTER BEE, Vol. 1

Rated ‘T’ for Teens – $7.99 US / $9.50 CAN

In a land of perpetual night, your heart is your light. In this imaginative steampunk adventure, Amberground is locked in darkness. A man-made star casts only a dim light over the land. The pitch-black wilderness is infested with Gaichuu—colossal insects with metal exoskeletons. The Gaichuu make travel between the cities of Amberground extremely dangerous. But thankfully the Letter Bees, a brave corps of messengers, risk their lives in order to keep the hearts of Amberground connected.

ROSARIO+VAMPIRE, Vol. 10

Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens – $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN

All around teenager Tsukune can’t get accepted to any high school, save one… but on his first day, he finds the rest of the rest of the student body doesn’t appear average in the least. Best of all, the cutest girl on campus can’t wait to fling her arms around his neck! Wait a sec’ – are those her teeth around his neck too? Tsukune’s going to have one heck of a hickey when he gets home from Monster Hugh! But does he have a chance in hell of raising his grades at a school where turf war isn’t between jocks and nerds, but between vampires and werewolves?

DEATH NOTE: L change the WorLd Novel

$19.99 US / $24.00 CAN

DEATH NOTE: L, change the WorLd introduces the unwritten chapter of DEATH NOTE and reveals how the legendary detective “L” (Kenichi Matsuyama) spends the final 23 days of his life. The story begins as L takes on the “Kira” case, in which countless criminals are dying under mysterious circumstances. L successfully solves the case and stops Kira, but only after sacrificing his life, leaving himself with only 23 days left to live. For his final case, L faces down a bio-terrorist group trying to wipe out humanity with a deadly virus ten times more potent than Ebola. As L tries to formulate an antidote with a scientist, he must also save the lives of two children who have no one else to turn to. The DEATH NOTE novel features the same format as the original Japanese printing with a hardcover and clear acetate jacket with metallic ink.

Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, VIZ Media:

“We’re offering up the best of the best just in time for the holidays,” says Gonzalo. “There are new series from manga heavyweights like Taiyo Matsumoto with GOGO Monster, and Rumiko Takahashi with her newest creation, RIN-NE and many more. For new and familiar fans alike, or perhaps for ones who simply love good stories with exquisite art, any of these titles will make an especially unique gift to fit almost any budget this year.”

If you need more information on any of these items, make a visit to www.Viz.com.

VIZ Media are helping us get there by bringing out plenty of Shojo manga ideas for our bewildered loved ones to choose from. So I hope you have room on your wishlist – this could get ugly otherwise!

If you’re a fan of Arina Tanemura then you’ll probably be after THE ART OF GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † – a collection of lavish drawings and designs from the hit series. There is a new manga title out by the name of BEAST MASTER, as well as the most recent volume of VAMPIRE KNIGHT, and the VIZBIG omnibus editions of FUSHIGI YUGI and HOT GIMMICK.

Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Marketing, VIZ Media:

“Shojo manga fans have much to look forward to during this year’s holiday season, with a variety of selections that make wonderful gift ideas to suit any budget,” says Gonzalo. “Many of these series have dramatically expanded the core Shojo audience, receiving universal renown and acclaim. From VAMPIRE KNIGHT, which has become a national bestseller, to the launch of the wild new manga, BEAST MASTER, and gorgeous new omnibus editions of other shojo favorites, bookstore shelves have never been stocked with so much must-read Shojo manga!!”

Each of the VIZBIG editions are composed of 3 volumes from the original series, and are sized at 5-3/4 x 8-5/8 (as compared to the usual size of 5 x 7-1/2). They are loaded with extra goodies which includes new cover art, bonus colour pages, author interviews, updated text and character art!

Here is your list (with story synopsis for reference):

BEAST Master Vol. 1

Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens – $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN – Available November 3rd

Leo Aoi looks like a crazy animal with wild eyes – and no one at his new high school will go near him! He does seem to have a special connection with animals, which intrigues overzealous animal lover, Yuiko Kubozuka. In reality, Leo isn’t nearly as frightening as he appears, but Yuiko finds out that he goes berserk whenever he sees blood! Will Yuiko be able to get through to Leo during one of these violent fits? Or will his ferocious side eventually devour her? The debut volume also includes a special bonus short story called FLY.

VAMPIRE KNIGHT Vol. 8

Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens – $9.99 US / $12.99 CAN – Available Now!

Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorms, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy’s dark secret – the Night Class is composed of vampires!

In Volume 8, after trying to recall her past, Yuki’s hallucinations become more vivid and she tries to strangle Zero during a fit of temporary madness. Locked in her room, all she can see is a world dyed in blood, but things will become really dangerous when the vampire Kaname comes for her and tells her it’s time to wake up and sinks his fangs into her neck!

THE ART OF GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † (pictured, top right)

$19.99 US / $27.00 CAN – Available November 17th

Renowned manga artist Arina Tanemura exemplifies the shojo style with this collection of highly stylized artwork presented with a swirl of billowing ribbons, romance and heartbreak. The glossy illustrated edition features designs for all the major characters from THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † and includes exclusive art for the North American edition and a full color double-sided, fold-out poster.

HOT GIMMICK VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 3

Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens – $17.99 US / $24.00 CAN – Available December 15th

Miki Aihara turned the manga world upside down with her salacious, outrageous, and funny hit series which concludes in this final VIZBIG omnibus edition. If you think being a teenager in America is hard, wait until you read HOT GIMMICK These Tokyo boys and girls are really messed up!

FUSHIGI YUGI VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 4

Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens – $17.99 US / $24.00 CAN – Available December 15th

Fifteen-year-old Miaka Yuki is transported back to an ancient Chinese kingdom by an old library book called The Universe of the Four Gods. Following the legend of the book, Miaka becomes the Priestess of Suzaku and must find her seven Celestial Warriors before she can save the kingdom and return home. In the latest VIZBIG volume, with one of the Celestial Warriors lost forever, Miaka and her men are more desperate than ever to obtain the two Shentso-Paos in order to summon Suzaku. But once Miaka has one in her grasp, it’s stolen away by the Seiryu Warrior Nakago. Miaka goes to Nakago to get it back, but he assaults her. Believing she is no longer worthy of becoming Tamahome’s bride, Miaka flees on her own, only to be saved by a man whom she initially thought was her enemy. Meanwhile, Tamahome falls under the Seiryu Warrior Tomo’s power of illusions.

If you would like more information on these (or any other) titles, be sure to visit www.viz.com.

Sentai Filmworks have brought us a brand new Anime in the form of Special A Collection 1 (also known as “S.A,”), which has been on Japanese TV since April 2008. The release contains 12 episodes, and is rated PG. It is also in Japanese with English subtitles, and is expected to cost $39.98US.

Here is a series synopsis:

At age six, Hikari Hanazono was the best at everything, so when she challenged Kei Takishima to a wrestling match, she naturally assumed she would win. Unfortunately, she lost; he won; and the natural order was disrupted. Ever since, Hikari’s entire life has been structured around beating Kei at SOMETHING. Unfortunately, try as she might, Hikari always comes up just short. Now he’s the top student and athlete at their very exclusive high school and she’s right beneath him at number two, (a position that is still, of course, completely unacceptable.) And, just to complicate matters further, even as Hikari dedicates her life to somehow one-upping Kei, she’s completely oblivious to the fact that Kei is actually in love with her!

Switchblade Pictures have brought out a new live-action Japanese Horror flick called Nu-Meri ~ Book Of The New Spawn. This release is unrated, and will cost $19.98US.

Would you like a synopsis?:

There’s something wrong at the Pacific Institute… something wrong and evil. For young Mari, whose family has worked in the fishing industry for generations, her studies in advanced genetics and marine bio-engineering represent not just her own the future, but that of her entire family. But when her friend Nanako is mysteriously discovered dead, Mari’s dreams turn into her worst nightmares! Because not only was Nanako’s body covered with fishbites, she was also growing scales! Now, as a new wave of deaths and tragedies engulf the Pacific team, it becomes all too clear that someone… something… has a new future in mind for all human kind. For centuries man has taken from the ocean, never dreaming what might lurk beneath the waves; now the revelation has begun… and this time, we’re the sushi!

Both of these releases have been made available on the 10^th of November.

Release Date: 20/05/2009
Languages: ENGLISH, JAPANESE
Genre: Action/Adventure, Anime, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Subtitles: ENGLISH subtitles
Number of Discs: 4
Runtime: 650.0 mins
Format: DVD, Region 4 (PAL)
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Original Aspect Ratio

Buy it from RightStuf

Buy it from Amazon

Fushigi Yugi introduces us to 15 year old Miaka Yuki and her best friend Yui Hongo. They are Japanese middle school students who are trying to prepare themselves for entrance exams to enter the same high school together.

One afternoon, Yui has to return a book to the National Library. Much to the surprise of her friend, Miaka volunteers to go with her. While Yui is handing in her book, Miaka has a bit of a look at the vending machines. Just as she pulls out a coin to buy something, a gush of wind rushes past her and a red light is seen going up a flight of stairs.

Miaka follows the light to a reference room and finds a book written in Chinese. Yui finds her, and (as she is studying Chinese and getting good grades) reads the book aloud for Miaka’s sake. They have come across a book titled “The Universe of the Four Gods” which divulges the tale of “The Priestess of Suzaku” and informs them that whoever reads the story to the end receives a wish just like the Priestess does. As they begin the tale, they are drawn into the book by the red light. They find themselves in a desert-like environment, and discovered by a couple of vicious looking men who want to capture the girls for slave-trading.

As Miaka starts to fight them off, a young man comes to their aid and renders the slave-traders unwilling to re-attempt their capture. The girls are grateful to the young man, and while he appears happy to help he is more interested in payment by coin. Miaka tries to search for some as the young man walks off. Yui tries to follow him, but as she does the red light appears again and takes her back to the room in the library. Miaka is still stuck in the story and assumes that Yui has followed the young man to the nearest village, so she heads there in search of them both.

Eventually, Miaka finds someone who says they know the person she is looking for and will take her right to him, unaware that she has been tricked into following someone who is part of a group of men that takes advantage of girls. Luckily the young man who who saved her earlier had overheard other townspeople mention her, and he arrives to save Miaka just in time.

Both of them manage to get themselves arrested and taken to the dungeons of the local palace. Rumours of the arrest make their way to the Emperor, and somehow Miaka and her new friend Tamahome escape. They get lost in the grounds, getting separated in the process. A beautiful young man is sitting in the courtyard as Miaka rushes past, looking for an escape route. He calls out to her and tells her where the nearest exit is. No sooner does she make a motion in that direction, then the guards show up with Tamahome in custody. They go to arrest her as well but the beautiful young man orders them to release the pair. Turns out that pretty boy is the Emperor!

They are informed that there is a legend of the empire’s guardian Suzaku (a bird) where the Priestess of Suzaku will one day appear and would be known by her strange clothing (might I add that the story seems to be set in a certain ancient period in China’s history, and Miaka is wearing her school uniform!). She is to gather the 7 Suzaku warriors, and once that is completed they can summon the guardian Suzaku who will save the empire of Konan.

The Emperor, whose name is Hotohori, believes that Miaka is the priestess. She obliges, and luckily she has already found 2 of the Suzaku 7. The warriors are distinguished by red glowing Chinese characters found on their bodies. Tamahome has one on his forehead, while Hotohori has one on his neck.

It isn’t long before the 3^rd is also found within the grounds of the palace, although at first you could be forgiven for mistaking him as a woman. Nariko walks, talks and dresses like a girl – and is even a member of the Emperor’s harem. He tries to make Miaka jealous by fawning over Tamahome (whom Miaka has begun to develop feelings for) and has everyone fooled until one day where Nariko gives Miaka a hug. The other 2 find out not long after that.

Miaka and the 3 Suzaku warriors must seek out the remaining 4 and that means a road trip of sorts (and where we find out about Nariko).Of course, it’s not all smooth going and they come across various challenges along the way – the biggest one being to return Miaka to her own world when she becomes ill.

This sees Miaka return home, and Yui (who continued to read the book in Miaka’s absence) goes back into the world of the book. The only problem is Yui ends up in the territory of Konan’s enemy Kutou, and suffers some traumatic events for 3 months of that worlds time. In their own world this is only a few hours.

Realising Yui is possibly in danger when she isn’t anywhere to be found, Miaka gathers some personal belongings (and food too, because it is another one of her weaknesses) and heads back to the library. She had informed her older brother Keisuke of the book on her return home. While he is in doubt of her story, he follows her into the library and watches he disappear into the book.

He continues to read the story in place of Yui, and we find out that Yui is under the impression Miaka knew what was happening to her and didn’t care. She also revealed that she was also in love with Tamahome, although he does not reciprocate much to her disappointment. Jealous and feeling betrayed, Yui decides to take the role of Kutou’s guardian priestess, The Priestess of Seiryu.

With the entire Suzaku 7 to gather, a friend to save and a heart (as well as an epic battle) to win, how will Miaka manage that and passing her exams?

Of course, there are special features to accompany these adventures:

• Interview with Yuu Watase – Written interview with the original creator of the manga from which the anime is derived.
• Interview with director Hajime Kamegaki – Short written interview with the director of the anime series.
• Textless versions of the opening and closing themes
• Trailers for other Madman anime releases

“Fushigi Yugi” is now one of my absolute favourites, and it struck me that the reason could be because of the various similarities I could see between it and my all-time favourite “SailorMoon”.

If you like adventures, courage, magic, love and comedy then you will find it in this series for sure. It might not be one for the boys, but this has certainly become one series I am sure to watch again and again!

Images: (c) 1995 YUU WATASE / SHOGAKUKAN ･ PIERROT

Hey Jude The Beatles

“don’t make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart, Then you can start to make it better.”

Any Beatles fan knows this song. This song has been an anthem for many people going through rough times or people that just enjoy a good slow song once in a while. Across the Universe helped its popularity. Bands have done covers of it.

Including my high school’s marching band. This song has a lot of meaning for me because I played it my Sophomore year in high school (just 4 years ago, okay?) as the senior band students’ song, when we do our good-byes and recognize everything they’ve done.

The year we played that song was my first year as a trombonist. I practiced hard to make sure every line was perfect; I wasn’t playing for myself, I was playing for my section leader, my best friends, and for the rest of the seniors, knowing that in two short years, I’d be in their place, though my graduating class had a less… emotional song in mind. You know, because Class of ’08 loves the Final Countdown.

So, I’m excited to know that Beatles: Rock Band has been released. Even though it’s not on a football field late at night with stadium lights shining down on a 150-piece marching band, many people will get the chance to play and enjoy amazing songs The Beatles made, and someday soon, they, too will be playing Hey Jude.