Title: 君が望む永遠〜凉宮家の決気祝い〜 (Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, Suzumiya's Recovery Celebration)
Original Creator: Age
Vocals: 栗林みな実 (Minami Kuribayashi)
Release Date: 7/23/04
Rating: 4/4

The second bonus concert DVD that came with vol. 6 of Kiminozo. This time, it's only Minami singing. The songs included are the intros to the different variations of Kiminozo including the PS2 version, Dreamcast version, and the re-released DVD version. It also includes an encore where she sings Rumbling Hearts again and a short commercial.

Like with the first concert DVD, I had to listen to her singing live a few times before I could get used to it. Much of Kiminozo vocal music is digitally enhanced, so when she sings it live, it sounds different. Regardless, the songs were top notch. She performs one of my favorites, the PS2 intro, very well. The background music sounded a bit different and I prefer the original, but the vocals were terrific.

The encore version of Rumbling Hearts is how it's supposed to be. The first thing I noticed from the first concert DVD is that the audience was pretty dead when she was singing. Having other concert DVDs, the audience were always on their feet waving their hands and singing along. They finally did that when she sang the encore. I have to say I like the version on the first DVD though, simply because of the outfit. While she looks good in the white dress, the purple school uniform fit the story.

Title: ドラゴンエイジ (Dragon Age) August '04
Issue Date: 8/10/2004
Publisher: Kadokawa (Fujimi Shobo)
Pages: 690

[8/11/04]
I really thought I was going to be able to finish this today, but there's a reason why this is a monthly. I'm only about half way done with the manga in here, I'll put this up for now and continue filling it in later. I've got a schedule to keep after all...

As expected, there's a ton of stories in here that I'm interested in. Since I'm starting in the middle of some stories, I'm going to wait until I read the tanks until I can write a good summary of it.

Bonuses for this month include a card, and more importantly, a sample of the Karin drama CD (this is the reason why I needed to start this subscription this month). The included CD contains two tracks similar to the tracks on the extra disc included with the LE version of the real drama CD. The first track has Karin making lunch for Kenta. What took her 2+ hours to make takes him 5 minutes to finish. The second track has Karin's parents taking her and Kenta on a picnic at midnight in the woods. Karin says that this isn't what a humans call a normal picnic.

While I like many of the stories, there are some that I'm going to refrain from. Right now, the list includes: New Tenchi Muyo! (don't really care, this series has been milked to death), Slayers (CPM's R1 DVD release still leaves a bad aftertaste), and the manga featured on the cover, Variante (too dark for me).

Karin: 恥の１６「かりんの後悔と健太のユウウツ〜Uneasy〜」 (Karin's Regret and Kenta's Gloom): Karin finds herself almost sinking her teeth into Kenta but stops herself at the last moment. Since she wasn't able to, she has a mass nosebleed. The next day, she calls in sick to work, but sneaks near the restuarant to speak to Kenta and to apologize for her actions. Soon after, she realizes that she's forgotten about Fumio, who has just been accosted by Ren.

Tsubame Syndrome: ACT8「守るべき”価値”あるもの」 (The Valuable I Ought to Protect): I'll wait until I get the first volume of the tank to start reading this series, but it seems interesting. From the brief summary, it's about a boy named 倉敷敦河 (Taiga Kurashiki) who several years ago lost his memory and now possess a mysterious item, the Origin Heart. Current chapter has him fighting some monster and getting help from a few girls who I guess are on the journal with him.

Full Metal Panic: Mission 50 居場所のない世界 (Unknown World): By the time I get the next issue, I will have finished all 7 volumes of FMP.

Supa Supa: SPAS-PA 21「託される想い」(Entrusted Feelings): This looks like a cute 1 boy, many girls type manga. Currently has two volumes out with 3rd coming out in September.

Kannagi: 柱之二　神宿る玉の契 (2, The Pledge of the Pendant Housed By The Gods): I guess I can start from chapter 2. 神崎深緑 (Shinryoku Kanzaki) looks in the mirror in the school's bathroom at his green glass eye. He doesn't remember much about yesterday, but has a feeling that it has something to do with it. In the hallway, a female friend (?), 七海 (Nanami) tells him that he's wanted in the student lounge. There, he meets 天野功一 (Koichi Amano), 西條寛 (Hiroshi Saijo), and 深沢静香 (Shizuka Fukazawa), and another student, all of who have a glass eye. With the eyes and a pendant they all have, Koichi tells Shinryoku that it's his duty to protect humans from some sort of bugs that feast upon normal people. He refuses and later in the day, he is attacked by some mean looking guy and his pendant turns into a sword. After the battle, he starts crying wishing that people would just leave him alone.

Taisetu na Koto: Step 7 駆ける少年 (Running Boy): Nami and friends are on Watashigo island to watch 光明 (Mitsuaki) compete in the triathalon. It is their last summer in high school and as he's doing the cycling leg of the competition, he remembers back to when he was a freshman. His goal was to be an olympic triathlete and Nami was the only person who supported him. Meanwhile, Nami is preparing to take pictures of him when he suddenly cycles up to her and swerves just in time to miss her. He falls, gets all scuffed up, and the handles on his bike break, but he's fine otherwise. Rieko, Nami's classmate who's also there, implores that Nami use magic to get Mitsukaki back on his feet. Mitsukaki says he'll finish the race and does so, but dead last. That night, Mitsuaki tells Nami that he likes her and Rieko overhears this.

Title: 君が望む永遠 (Kimi ga Nozomu Eien) Vol. 6
Original Creator: Age
Volume: 6/7
Catalog No.: ZMBZ-1768
Release Date: 7/23/04
Rating: 4/4

Manami has no voice in the anime show! Everytime she appears, she just stands there and smiles. Hmm. I wonder why that is.

I'm actually really curious as to what the ending is going to be. I know that the limited edition of the last volume of the DVD has the book that's associated with Mitsuki's ending, but it really seems like Takayuki's going to choose Haruka in the anime. Hmm.

Not much bonuses this time (besides the concert DVD). Just a reversible cover that has Haruka sitting on the beach in the sunset.

11. Haruka is back in a coma after coming to realize that she's been sleeping for 3 years. Akane takes timeout to have a heart to heart talk with Takayuki where she reveals that a bit of her motivation to keep Haruka company is to see Takayuki happy. Meanwhile, Mitsuki isn't doing so well. She's lost all self-esteem, slept with Shinji out of desperation and is pretty much in the dumps. Takayuki overexerts himself looking after Haruka and gets ill. He comes home and slumps on the floor.

12. Mitsuki comes to Takayuki's looking for the bag that he picked up from her office and finds him passed out. Taking care of him rejunivates her, but she still knows he likes Haruka. Haruka slowly wakes up from her coma and Takayuki recovers from his illness. He returns to work and meets Shinji there who gives him a nice beating for neglecting Mitsuki.

Title: 魔法騎士レイアース (Magic Knight Rayearth) Vol. 3
Artist/Author: CLAMP
Book Size/Pages: B-6, 210pp., w/furigana
Volume: 3/3
Original Serialization: Nakayoshi 10/94-2/95
First Printing: 12/17/02
Rating: 4/4

This story is a lot faster than I had expected after knowing what happens in the anime. Having already known what happens at the end, I wasn't too surprised the second time around, but it was still a good adventure to re-live again.

There's just the story in this volume, no essays or anything else.

The three girls meet and acquire the "machines" but not before having to undergo trails to show they are strong-willed enough to handle the power. Umi acquires Seles after defeating Ascot, Fuu acquires Windam after defeating Caldena, and Hikaru defeats Princess Emeraldo's guard, Lafalga who was controlled by Zagato. The three girls defeat Zagato only to find out that Zagato was actually in love with Emeraldo (and vice versa). Their true goal was to kill princess Emeraldo since she no longer has the will to keep praying in Cephilo. The girls were summoned since no one in Cephiro could kill her. After they reunite the two lovebirds in death, they return to Tokyo Tower.