ok, am posting thoughts as they occur to me....

More spoilers for Howl's Moving Castle!

1) "His heart is still a little child's" - something I don't think is in the book - although Howl's flightyness and unable to love were obvious, the little wonderland of toys that is Howl's bedroom and the toy-ridden tunnel that Howl hid in after his transformation seems to show a childish aspect of the wizard - a scared Peter Pan in a grown-up's body (which to Peter could be a monster), facing the inevitable future of losing his humanity.

2) Howl's ability to become a bird - a joke at how flighty Howl is in the book?

3) Not being able to change back - reminds me of the old Sinbad movie when the wicked sorceress changed into a bird then didn't have enough potion to drink to return to her original form. She became human but one or both of her feet remained a giant claw.

4) In the movie, Howl decided the type of shop they would run - but in the book, he was trying to please Sophie by letting her decide that the new entrance would be a flower shop, which led to him setting up another entrance at the flowerfield he and Wizard Suliman has created at the edge of the Wastes. But it was wonderfully done in the movie, how Howl's uncle had left him the small house nestled amid the beautiful flower fields. Kinda Harry Potter-ish how Sophie went back in time to witness Howl's contract with Calcifer.

Overall, seems like a huge up in the angst, romance factor, sacrificing some interesting characters and complexity in terms of plot.

Howl's Moving Castle - spoilers!

Watched Howl's Moving Castle with friends yesterday. In some ways, muchly different from the novel but in a way that makes it deliciously unique. In some ways, when it does follow the novel, it's like a dream come true. True, characters and some things (like the John Doone poem, Wales and Miss Angorian) were left out but the warships and Howl's heroism seems quite a nice touch. So is Sophie's age fluctuations - believeable because Suliman had stripped the Witch of her powers. Having Sophie be a kind, filial sort of character is also in line with Miyazaki's characters that I have seen.

Howl is terribly cool and angsty in the movie and the hair tantrum was sooo funny. He and Sophie have this reversible Beauty-and-the Beast thing going back and forth between them, heheh. But it underlined how the Martha and Lettie parts were taken out - can't help but feel that the movie would have made more sense if it stuck to the book more, but then the book is so subtle that audiences would have had trouble staying awake. Michael is actually older too but he's sooo cute as a little kid. The red setter Percival became some shaggy footstool-doggie. Would have been nice to see his transformations.

Am sooo getting the DVD! *fangirly shriek*

Long loooong break from blogging since I realised that each successive entry proved more depressing than the last. Not even huge doses of anime and manga managed to put me back into the wildly effusive moods necessary for blogging.

But I guess the cap gonna come of the bottle eventually so I’m back!

So what’s been on Ade’s plate for the past few months. - SPOILERS! -

1)Anime
o Kyou Kara Maou – always dis-believed Wolfram/Yuuri fangirls. But could finally feel a bit of the chemistry in the latest ep when Wolfram finally catches up with Yuuri in Shimaron (can’t rem if it is the Bigger or Smaller). Kinda funny that Conrad’s upcoming “betrayal” adds more possibility for a Conrad/Yuuri for me.

o Teni-puri – the Oshitari/Davide double match with Shinjo/Shinji has to be the funniest. Followed by the short scene of Sengoku being a lech. ^_^

o Sukiyo – pwah!~ Has to be illegal in some countries…but looks very cute! Especially when Sunao punches Sora into the sky (heh) and Matsuri is briefly stunned but recovers by whipping out his camera. Doesn’t Matsuri remind you slightly of a combi between Shigure and Ayame? Like the schizophrenia (time two!) going on. Can’t stand Ran’s squeaky voice. Make my hair stand. And it seems Sora’s bro, Minato, knows than he is letting on. The chemistry teacher hides a smirky Muraki face from a seemingly oblivious Minato when they pass each other, but Minato is obviously investigating the chemistry teacher (photo in a book he as reading).

o Soukyuu no Fafner – wah! Such a sad end for Shoushi – enough for him that they got rescued him in the end, and with Kazuki temporarily blinded, Kazuki didn't know either that all that's left of his friend is a head and shoulders. Wonder if there’d be a second season. But a pretty good show – must bring for chalet next time. And Kazuki’s mom and dad moment was pretty tragic too. But overall not too unbearable for a sad-ending-phobe like me, heh.

2)Manga
o Yamato Nadesico Shichihenge – busted my guts laughing over this shojou recommended by the lady at Clementi’s CC branch. But wish the storyline could develop faster. Book 11 and Sunako and guy protagonist are still in the “like-but-don’t-know-it-yet” stages….*sigh* Shinjo Mayu would’ve had her characters at third base by the end of the first volume.

o Fruba – recent volumes have been really good. Full of heart-jerking back stories of various characters – like Haru and Rin, Yuki as a kid, and the newly-out volume 16 reveals how Tohru’s mom and dad met and fell in love. Interestingly, less stories on her hooligan days but more on the dysfunction of her family and angst. Hmm…Seem like Kyo stands a better chance after Yuki internally-monologued that he seeks maternal love from Tohru. Argh! Haru at the end of Vol 16 – yes, still hot!

o Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou – Goooo Arima’s dad!!!! Another pretty sad story about Arima’s dad. Can’t wait for the explosion when Yukino announces she pregnant. First thing that occurred to me is how she’s gonna go on her high-flying career?

o Bleach – been following the Chinese scanlations that appear online. Keep hearing about how adorable Hitsugaya is in this issue, and that issue, on lij-s everywhere – but I don’t see him actually in them, argh!!! More Hitsugaya and Momo!!! The cuteness!

o Death Note – finally succumbed in a moment of boredom. I seriously need more hobbies. Quite chim – but dammit, I need to read the damn thing in English to get the chim-ness lah. There are just some concepts I can’t follow with my pathetic vocab. L is my fav ^_^ I just love how he stirs his tea and answers his handphone, heheh. His eyes look a whole lot like Ryuk – more like shinigami’s eyes than Misa’s.

3) Books – returned with relish to Anne MacCaffery’s Dragonriders of Pern series. And read more fics than you can shake a stick at.

4) Impending brainwash of beloved comp - blue screen, black screen, hung and frozen. You name it. Have back-up all but the newest files and eps. *crosses fingers*

5) Yahoo! Graffiti – more hooked than a witch’s nose. Lag sucks.

6) Nora Roberts' newest of the In Death series came out and it was only by supreme effort of will that I didn't by the large paperback of Survivors in Death.

On the real life side - still striving to put it to rights. Have joined a Bean-Painting workshop as it could be a programme item of the event I'm doing. Yes, bean-painting. I will get a life, even it it kill me, hah! ...Oi! Why are you on the floor twitching convulsively? Oi...