A manga for Syawal~!

Someone approached me last week.

A form 1 student;; a Miss A and a Miss T.

Sweet little girls they are;; and they suddenly requested for my help.

For what;; I asked;; and they answered; "We wanna make money."

I was feeling gullible at that particular time;; so I was enthusiastic and interested with the prospect of making more money than I have now.

Then Miss A plunged into an explanation about how we're gonna start making the green notes::

"We'll make a comic book."

She was totally serious;; there's not even an air of playfulness that she usually exudes around her.

"So first;; we'll round up the mangakas at this school;; then we'll collaborate to publish a book that groups all these students works. Then we'll send to the publisher or something;; so the money we got from that will be split among the contributors."

She doesn't say whether it will be split equally.

"Okay;; sounds awesome!" I really am enhusiastic!

I mean;; imagine! Being a real mangaka;; that's just....

Me? People buying my story???

That's.... Unbelievable!

I can't wait to do this thing;; though there's the idea part to worry about.

"So what's it about?" I asked;; after they ticked my name on the list.

"Hari Raya Puasa." Ohh.

"So when do I have to submit this thing to you?"

"Like;; before that date? Before raya la!" I blinked at Miss A.

"Before;; like;; any specific date?"

"Just finish it before Raya." Miss T said;; smiling like she was talking something really obvious and I'm really stupid or something.
"Ok then we have a deal."

How Dreams Are Like When They're Abandoned

How dreams are like when they’re abandoned

My one sole dream all of these years is to go to Japan. Yes;; that is the one country that I got really excited about;; no thanks to the vast exposure of animations coming from the Land Of The Rising Sun I got in an early age.

I remembered the series I was ga-ga over;; like Sailormoon. That series is legendary in the world of animation;; it’s very classic. It’s like animation world’s Chanel;; an elegant line that never fails to pull in customers and remain relevant throughout decades (or maybe centuries??? Not sure).

There was also The Three Knights Reyearth. That was how I came to know and love CLAMP’s works. No;; the first ever animation I fall in love with is Cardcaptor Sakura. Any otaku would know that title. It’s also a classic;; a major hit in the past. That was also CLAMP’s ;; but I didn’t know it then. I first heard the name CLAMP when I was 8 years old;; watching Magic Knights Reyearth on tv;; glued to the spot.

I’d even lied of having finished my homework so that I can watch the series. In the end though;; my mom found out and I was forced to finish my homework and missed the animation anyway. I was crying profusely when I was writing down the works in the exercise book.

When I’ve grown up to 11;; I found the Starz magazine in a roadside stall. I still remember vividly;; at the time the cover was of a Ghost In The Shell drawing. It looks so surreal;; so lifeless and glum;; yet the eyes.

The eyes are very captivating.

They burned into you;; they can see past through your façade and into your head;; reading your thoughts. The eyes that seem to make holes into your chest.

I could still feel faintly the excitement I felt at the time. The thumping of the heart;; the fast breathing. I was near ecstasy.

It was because at the time I was still naïve and didn’t know any other magazines yet that appealed to me that much. Starz was my first;; and the first issue I got was the most memorable.

After some begging;; I got my mom to buy it for me. That was my first ever entertainment magazine.

I have been drawing since forever;; I can’t remember when. But I have a strong feeling that I started around the time I was in love with Magic Knights Reyearth;; because I remember grabbing my drawing of the pretty red-haired Hikaru away from a peer that sneaks into my room and decided to laugh at my drawings;; oh these kind of things are hard to forget;; even when you really want to.

Anyway;; my drawings suck BIG TIME in the beginning. Seriously;; really really ugly. Then again;; what do you expect froma socially challenged kid who doesn’t have the courage to show her drawings to anyone else other than me;; myself and I?

Ahaa ;P

But in the past;; I am the kind of person that’s really passionate. I don’t really judge my artworks;; I just love doing it you know? And now;; well;; I’m not sure whether I have that kind of spirit anymore;; but drawing is in my blood! I can say that;; because whenever I’m blue;; I’ll always draw. It’s like a from of cheap escapism;; and no one knows and take notice. It gives me a chance to have a dialogue with myself. And I’m not afraid to admit that I’m very much a dreamer;; even till today.

So I just continue with drawing;; even making myself to believe that mine was the most beautiful in the world. (Now that took a lot of persuading. XD) If I didn’t believe that then;; I might have stopped drawing and might have forgot everything about Japan.

When I was 12;; I met Azza. She’s a sucker for adventure comics;; and she loves martial arts;; especially kung fu. She’s the one who introduced me to Chinese comics;; and make me kinda like them.

Her drawing style;; in many ways;; are influenced by Chinese comics. Chinese comics are very different from their Japanese counterparts;; the style’s really masculine. Japanese art form are always so delicate;; so detailed;; so breezy and have a lot of style;; not to mention that it have a certain elegance that belongs only to them.

Anyway;; her drawings are a mix between the two;; the lines uncertain but thick and strong;; the eyes very dreamy and glassy;; and the body posture’s a little awkward-looking. But her drawings’ have a certain charm to it;; they’re so creative. When you see her works;; there’s no rule.

She’s completely in her element just drawing and telling her story through those carefully thickened strokes and coordinated lines.

Her characters’ eyes are always sparkling and full of zest and appreciation for life;; not like mine. I like to draw the eyes simple;; and concentrates more on the details like the hair;; the creases in the clothes.

The results;; well;; you can see that my characters always look lifeless;; or;; if not;; angry and angsty.

^.^”

I finally perfected my drawing when I was in Form 2. Even this fact;; I’m not sure of. I think so laa.. Ahaa ;P

Entering Form 3;; that was a weird phase in my life. I don’t know why;; but I get his impression that everyone’s so good at everything! ):O It makes me uneasy.. I mean;; living in this world;; if you really wanna survive;; you’ll have to be really brilliant!

So I started on a journey of trying to prove something to myself;; by entering nearly everything. And 2009 was my lucky year. Well quite. I got a title in my club;; and enter the debate competition at my school. I stumbled;; I mumbled;; and I talk gibberish during my speech;; and thank God my tongue didn’t slip to swearing out of pure nervousness. Somehow;; SOMEHOW;; I passed the audition;; and the judge chose me as the most potential one in my team.

Oh yeah;; I forgot to mention;; the competition was a debate cum audition since;; they’re on the search for a new generation of debaters. And there’s a major competition coming up;; the International Debating Championship 2009 being held at International Islamic University located in Gombak.

I also got a few assignments;; I got a proposal to draw a page of comic for the holy month of Ramadhan. I keep postponing sending the thing;; since I’m quite reluctant and I’m not quite confident of how people will react. You know;; it’s nerve-wrecking! Then when the issue of the little booklet that the school published on a regular basis come out;; I was feeling so giddy and happy that I didn’t stop smiling for a couple of days..! Maybe a week even;; but don’t remember it now..

And I was also busy drawing for the school magazine.. A senior asked me to because at the time there was no single comic submitted to the school magazine committee;; so they’re beginning to get worried.. But they needn’t fret;; you know;; because you should read it!

There’s this one comic that’s really beautifully drawn and very professionally done. The only thing that tells the wondering readers of the identity of the artist is the caption:: “by KIRA” That really leave me fired up;; because his style is actually close to those of Akira Toriyama’s! :O

It really annoys me a whole lot.. Not knowing the real name of the genius behind that short;; two page manga.

The first half of the year;; I also wasted by just playing sports for my house.. (I mean like the Gryffindoor and Hufflepuff in the Harry Potter movies.. You know???)

And I got picked to represent the school in the Malaysian Schools Sports Championship;; in chess. I’m not really that good.. I got picked because I’m average and there’s no one to enter in the under 15 category;; cause all representatives before had became older and had moved into the under 18 category. Get it? Haahha..

So I kinda like stop drawing for a while..

Then school term’s over and suddenly I found myself having nothing to do. Or so I thought. Well;; fate had prepared otherwise.

For the months November and December;; I work as a salesgirl;; and for the first time in my life I got my own money. I feel good;; getting my own money and all.. And I learn a few lessons of life during the two month period;; too.

I also got more confident.. I’m less of a socially-challenged girl now;; I’m proud to state.

And now a new year had begun. 2010 had finally came;; the beginning of a new decade.

I had just drawn a little time ago. Only a few were finished;; others were left;; partially complete. Those made up the huge bundle of wasted papers sitting on my rack for God-knows-how-long. Yeah.

What’s this tugging inside my heart?

This Haunted House;; I like XD

Mihara-sensei;; I love you~~!! XD I just found another great manga by Mihara-sensei;; the title is Haunted house.


So;; here's an idea of what it's basically about::

Sabato Obiga is just a normal high school student;; but surprisingly his family was everything but normal. As Sabato liked to put it;; they were a little bit eccentric. They love anything that have to do with death and suffering;; and even hell;; they found it very interesting and they actually liked it. He always tries to get himself a girlfriend;; but he kept being dumped all the time. His girl would always dump him after they know how his family is;; even though he had already warned. This is a story about him and his family's antics.

:)

Wanna check it out?? Here's the link::

Haunted House

It looks set to be amusing and interesting enough;; I think I'll finish reading this .. Anyway;; Mihara-sensei's works are never boring! (Although I have only ever read two other titles than this by Mihara-sensei! <3.)

Requiem In Phonybrian

By the same mangaka that draws DOLL:IC In A Doll;; I've found another gem hidden among the piles of trash in Mangafox;; Requiem In Phonybrian. Or;; for short;; R.I.P.


The title suits the mood and plot of the story very much. When I first read the title of the story;; I remember an acquaintance saying to me;; "R.I.P means Rest In Peace" when I asked her what does it mean. There are always that three alphabets engraved on someone's tombstone;; and I was curious since it was anywhere and everywhere (that only applies when we're in a graveyard).


This is not like DOLL;; it's not a compilation of short stories. It's a series;; though a really short one at that. I really wished that it will be longer;; it's kinda okay.


So;; the plotline goes like this::

Virgin Lily and Transylvanian Rose are angels that live in heaven. They were tasked with the job to purify souls so that the souls can go to heaven after they die. Most of the people that die;; their souls are tied to the earth. It's because they are still haunted by unfinished jobs in their past lives. That is why these souls need purifying. One day she heard someone singing;; and that is how she met a guy;; who committed suicide while singing. Out of interest (I think);; she gave the guy one of her wings and made him an angel;; and call him "undertaker". Suicide cases can never be purified;; for it's an eternal sin when you killed yourself. But this "undertaker";; he's the opposite. He can't purify normal souls;; but surprisingly enough;; he can purify suicidal souls. he's the only one that ever can.

Why?

That's basically the synopsis;; I tell you the plot is going smoothly at the moment;; but character-development is somewhat poor compared to DOLL. Oh well;; maybe this is one of Mihara-sensei's early works.

It's a rather weird journey;; but the end is quite satisfying .. I think I'm falling in love with Mihara-sensei's works! <3


It doesn't really makes sense;; the title (at first). But the last chapter explains it all;; but don't try reading only the last chapter out of curiosity! It wouldn't be a great journey if you just skipped;; anyway you wouldn't understand a thing if you would. Read it;; from cover to cover;; and you will appreciate the beauty of love.


XD Haahaa so cliche'~ But it's true;; you know.

Here's the link::

Requiem In Phonybrian

Here's something interesting from the pages of the manga;;

New Love! <3

New favorite manga;; DOLL!! And I love the mangaka's other works too;; so deep and so moving ..


The manga was a collection of a couple of short stories .. That are surprisingly awesome! Just splendid stuff;; makes my heart beat in anticipation and dread when I finally realize what's in store for the characters ..


The characters in the manga are very well-drawn;; and I'll tell you that you will care if the character lives or dies. The plot can sometimes be unpredictable;; but I'll warn you;; there are some uncomfortable and grotesque things ..


And the drawings are enviable! The mangaka can draw expressions on the characters' faces very well!


The issues discussed in the manga are also quite disturbing and mind-prodding;; in short;; this is the kind of manga that will leave you wanting more after it was all over. This was my taste anyway;; I can't really guarantee 100% satisfaction;; as beauty is;; as everyone says;; in the eyes of the beholder.


What I find really interesting and mind-blowing might not be impressive for you;; but nevertheless this manga is absolutely worth checking-out. It's very heart-touching;; and made me cry ;(


Ahaa ;P

So;; this is basically what's it's all about::

There's this company;; they create dolls and sell them. These dolls are made to look like humans;; the company strives for perfection and customer-satisfaction. These dolls are basically robots;; they're strong;; they're emotionless and they're perfect;; in every way;; beautiful and unstained. They have no emotions;; no feelings;; and no desires. Their sole purpose is to serve their masters;; as long as they were needed. There also other parties who pushes the ambiguity between dolls and humans a bit further;; by giving services of to make the dolls more human-like;; you see;; they can actually be modified to bleed when slashed;; to leave a scar when it healed. So;; the compilations of short stories in this manga is basically about the relationship between humans and dolls;; and the reality that these humans were thrust into. All of the stories in this manga;; were about humans and dolls;; and some kinds of other stuffs as well ..

They are very haunting stories;; you'll find yourself getting troubled sometimes ... but they're brilliant!


Ohh;; but;; warning again;; there's some disturbed scenes;; but all in all;; it's a sweet treat!
So;; enough of blabbering! ;)

Haa;; here is the link::




DOLL:IC In A Doll

Adobe Tutorials on Head Shots

I'm feeling really desperate right now. I've finally got my drawings into the computer;; looks kinda okay though not great;; and I want to try to color them;; but the process is so d*** painful!

~O~"" Hoah~!
 
Yeah;; I shouldn't be sighing and should feel thankful at the least;; that I finally got to use Adobe Photoshop at my home using this computer with unlimited time of using it;; but heck;; the BIG question here is HOW to use it???

A question that I would so love to know the answer~~


This is really frustrating;; at Deviantart;; nearly everybody submitted their COLORED works;; not just rough sketches and lines!! And I can see that they got those into the computer via scanner;; that is just enviable! (another reason for me to get angry at everybody)


>////<;; Grr~~!!

Makes me feel really mad and jealous;; why won't someone start teaching me how to use Adobe Photoshop already???! (This is not a threat;; merely a request. I BEG OF YOU!!!) I would really love to learn;; but the problem is I don't know who to ask from;; that kind of thing ...


TT_TT *sob sob*

This is really depressing;; frustrating;; irritating and even heartbreaking~!! Urgh;; someone;; release and a USEFUL Adobe Photoshop Tutorial ALREADY~~

 ...

Ohh;; woww;; my typing rate is really slow;; and I even managed to make a lot of mistakes that even slows me down more .. O_O"

God;; I'm being pathetic!! Grr~~!!