Riches, Bankruptcy and avoiding being Ace

Just a quick one.

Had an awesome gaming afternoon and evening yesterday. You know it's going well when everyone's having a laugh and 8 hours flies by.

Just a smaller bunch of us this time - Mhairi, Robin, Tim , Peter and me.

This time the focus was off AMGSC, as I've stepped down from this, and I am now running purely social gaming sessions with no club-link. Just me in my house with friends; as it should be.

We played a mixture of games from dominoes, Bootleggers, Cluedo, Go For Broke and Chase the Ace. It's really good to mix simple, less brain-draining games with those bulky, intense games.

Bootleggers was the central game and took the most time (although Go For Broke went on for far too long as we seemed to accumulate way too much wealth).

Bootleggers is an awesome game which I covered in another blog here

I didn't even take any photos because it was so mad busy and fun. We had a quick break to eat curry - nyum nyum and had plenty of biscuits (v.important) to fill in any gaps XD

I STILL need to play Plunder, Puerto Rico and Reef Encounter with them...

I'm on the scout for more board games to buy and I've still got games I want to try out with larger groups.

I already know about Boardgame Geek which is a fantastic site packed full of info, help and resources but if anyone has any suggestions on good boardgames, I'd be interested to hear.

Thanks.

Who Started the Fire?

I've been mulling this one over - not in terms of what to write (that happened immediately, as always) but whether I could be bothered to type it. This blog has been a bit 'come and go' with me at the moment and I really need to find a more regular stride. It's patchy. I like that. But I need more posts.

Anyway, back to the point (or semblance of one).

Yesterday, I caught a post by Philip DeFranco (very funny chap) on an advertising poster for Humo Magazine (Belgian Satirical Magazine) LINK OF PICTURE AND PHILLY D's TOPIC HERE

Now my issue isn't with the topic or the advert. The topic is opening it up to 'discussion' and the advert is, whether you find it funny or not, in poor taste. Some people find poor taste jokes funny because it's 'you can't say that!' and likewise some people find it not funny because 'you can't say that'.

Pathetic Apathy?

Granted, there are those who just don't care. I looked at it and went, 'well that's there to get a cheap and dark laugh whilst intended to piss enough people off to generate some publicity. I must admit to finding it neither particularly funny nor un-funny... I just didn't really care.

What I found interesting were the comments made and the general ranting, poorly constructed arguments whilst flying the flag of assimilated propaganda, and threatening attitudes.

I could have posted there but felt it was neither my really place nor did I want to be responded to - hell, I suppose it's part cowardice to not get involved with nutters, part wanting more space to moan about it, part wanting to sound off in my own area, and part realising my argument was just as pointless as everyone else's. What good does it do trying to discuss things you're not really involved in (or care deeply about) with people who live, sleep and breathe their conflicting convictions? I found the thing interesting but not enough to try and fruitlessly persuade someone their point was incorrect (IMHO ;-p)

We have standards, you know

I mean, the advert is either going to fail or be published based around the advertising standards of Belgium and any other nations that receive the magazine. That's assuming the picture is real and not made up. But the topics weren't following this or the picture but, as is norms for threads like this, goes off topic and becomes something else.

*I want to make it quite clear my issue is with the governments. I've been to the States many times and have friends there and have always felt welcome and enjoyed my trips. Sadly, people are not their countries (although if it were true democracy they would be). I won't lie and say I respect all Americans. There are many I find scarily ill-informed and quite dangerous just like is true for any country including my own. But my fight and anger is not with them but the governments that dupe, lie and cajole their populace into supporting and being complicit toward immoral and inhuman acts of war and torture.

I shook my head in disbelief as people argued over the 'War on Terror' in Iraq and Afghanistan, comparing it to the Tsunami in Asia, and even the Holocaust - and so on - as they all tried to "Top Trump" each other with the next over-egged comment.

A 'Terror'ible mistake?

The 'War on Terror' has always got me and would even be absurd if it wasn't for it's lethal ramifications. 'Terror'? It's so Black and White - somebody is the bad guy and the other is the good guy. War isn't black and white and the Terror is felt by the civilians on all 'sides'.
I know that the Invasion of Iraq has bugger all to do with 9/11 apart from America's ongoing Hegemony in which Britain is too happy to tag a long with for now (until we're not needed anymore).

Twin Towers, a terrible tragedy and murder of people - sure. A reason for War in Iraq and Afghanistan for the next few decades (at least)...no. Oil, anyone? Gas, anyone? Now you're talking. If it was about War on Terror there are plenty of other places more 'suitable' for America to carry out its crusade but without the spoils of war in those places it looks like Iraq and Afghanistan for now. Funny how war is selective like that and government expects us to believe, without question, reasons why one country is okay to bomb and pillage (in our name) and not another.

Peace, man

Please get me clear - I'm against war - I'm a conscientious objector. I don't believe enough in any government to trust them in a time of 'war'. I've just read too much from academics like Noam Chomsky and heard too much from political documentarists & comedians like Michael Moore, Mark Thomas and Rob Newman to ever believe the motivations for invasion were anything other than the quest for the control of resources.

It saddens me when I hear people leap to the defense of their governments saying the War on Terror is just, not realising they have bought into the deception and fail to grasp the real reasons their military families and friends are over there dying. The loss of these young people is unacceptable - there are better ways of dying and better causes to die for...

To be brutally honest, I would have far more respect (but total abhorrence) for someone that acknowledged they were over there to plunder and control oil and gas and were justifying that stance, than the idiots who lap up whatever they are told without questioning it and looking into it themselves. I don't take what I read as canon - I still check it out myself even though, deep down, I believe it to be accurate and what I want to hear. I am human, I know I have weaknesses and strengths and do my best to remind myself of those.

Who's doing the dictating now?

There were some armchair war-mongers online, threatening (as if they had any power) others with how 'America wouldn't help them (another country) next time they needed help' or how 'America should invade Belgium because of this magazine'.

This did make me laugh (far more than the advert was supposed to). I really don't want America's "help". They helped out quite enough in many countries over the decades and their legacy is all too abundant. Oh, and I do admit Britain's legacy of Empire is nothing to be proud of. 9/11 itself, if you take into account the official line of terrorism, can be traced back to the interference of the CIA in other countries and the training and financial support of Bin Laden in Afghanistan by America.

Having the hand bit bit those you fed. What tragic irony. It'd be schadenfreude if it wasn't for the fact than innocent people died instead of the perpetrators.

Have a look at the tension in South Amercia, particularly between Venzuela and America. Colombia's involvement and the uncomfortable feelings the other SA countries are experiencing.

As for invading Belgium - I think the Belgians can breathe easy there. That is unless there's a world shortage in lace ;-P
Then the Yanks will be in there like a shot (or several million) and I'm sure Britain will be closely supporting America in controlling the vital lace trade - well, we do have our Doily Industry to consider ;-P

Just remind yourself of key questions:

Why are our countries really over there?
What could they gain from being there?
How important is the control of oil in Iraq and how does it affect the world?
How important is the control of gas through Afghanistan and how does it affect the world?
Why are they building permanent bases if they are leaving soon?
With the scale and power of combined forces why is is taking so long?
Why haven't they invaded other countries that support terror?
Why haven't they invaded Iran and Pakistan who have elements that are supplying militants in Iraq and Afghanistan with weapons?
Why will they not 'Bring Democracy' (ho ho) to countries with appalling human rights violations such as Saudi Arabia.

Even if you don't agree with the message have a look at the evidence and information posed by opponents of the war. At least you'll have accessed the other side of the argument.

Hedge your money with Hegemony

I just know this is all part of World Hegemony - a war for commodities and fight for economic survival in which everyone else in the world must be a servant. A bitter pill for democratic citizens to swallow but one that is oh-so-sugar coated by propaganda. Trust them, it's in our best interests...it hurts them far more than it hurts us ;-p Yeah, right...

You have a choice to go with the flow or stand against it. Bear in mind what information they want you to swallow and whether you accept it or not.

They're going around ruling with the sword and trying to put out the fires of conflict with bombs.

If you fight fire with fire then everyone just gets burnt.

Making it Snappy

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Just a quick post. So much on - so much work to do and stuff around the house as well (yeah, so what better way to tackle it than to waste time blogging, hee hee).

I got my first DSLR at the weekend - I used to have an old 35mm SLR but I hadn't used it for ages and had just been getting by with standard digital compacts. I finally splashed out on a basic/starter Pentax K-M kit. I'm really excited as it means I can get back into my photography that I was always so fond of as a teen (I used to do the whole film processing and developing myself in the obligatory dark room and chemical room - fun fun).

I've only had a little play around with the Pentax but am really impressed so far with how far the tech has come on whilst still being glad I can whack it all down to manual and have control over what I want to do with it.

I'm going to start playing more and getting to grips with the tech and my new lenses (I've only got the standard Pentax 18-55 and a Tamron 70-300 so far) and may post up some pics if I'm happier with them.

I will admit right away that I need to start understanding the whole digital processing side of things - I've never used Photoshop (I've dabbled with GIMP but haven't really scraped the surface of even that) and appreciate I will want to to get more out of my photos, particularly because so many people use it now and I want to see what all the fuss is about (I'm really starting to sound 'old' now....).

I'm also looking forward to using the camera at gigs to take some shots and see how they come out as it's been a real chore getting much using the compact.

If anyone has any useful advice on DSLR's, lenses, Photoshop or point me to some good links, I'd really appreciate that. Ta.

P.S. Three of my cats and a flower (not a pet) - my fourth cat flits between being very camera shy, restlessness and lens sniffer so shot difficult at the mo.

Crazy Things.....The Sumo Kings ^^^

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Friday 14th August 2009 - The first time The Sumo Kings were headlining at The Box in Crewe.

What a night it was.

Setting the Mood

First up was supposed to be Jaguar Jones but they were a no-show, from what I can gather was due to an accident so I hope they are all okay. I look forward to catching them another time.

Taking up the next slot were Saskia May, a four-piece indie rock band treading the fringe of American bands like Paramore. The band have only been together a few months and showed some potential but is still early days to make a complete judgement. With better soundchecks, more confidence and experience on the stage they will hopefully develop more energy and dynamism to bring their music further even more. Lots of positives given it's early days.

Following on from them were The Electric Kools, a fairly harder band to classify and maybe they like it that way. The four-piece from Manchester reverb out a deceptive mix of psychedelic trip-blues, shaman-esque chants, phased indie-rock and a good dollop of distorted electronica as the side dish. I enjoyed the different songs but they did feel different each time which made me uncertain if the band were more like a splintered personality than a single entity. Did they have a consistent sound or were they lots of mini-bands fighting for supremacy? With comparable riffs and beats to late Beatles, Kula Shaker, Kasabian, The Smiths but even that isn't definite... where are they wanting to be and does it matter? The Kools have been together for a couple of years now and this showed with a solid performance and confidence from all band members.

Top Drawer

Well here it was at last, The Sumo Kings gig - it had seemed like an age since the secret gig and the wait for the next one had been deceptively long; the sign that a band is going places and cutting fine music when the fans are impatient for more.

The Sumo Kings didn't disappoint although their set didn't play out as planned....but then, I don't turn up to Sumo Kings gigs expecting normality or the humdrum - I know something random and crazy will happen eventually and it'll always be different. It's the best of both worlds, I get great music to begin with the promise of something unique, off-the-wall, to close with. That's how memories are formed and that's how you begin to be caught up in the band and their music.

Drum It In

Everything started bob-on. Jay thumped away with his blistering drumming - his playing half-animalistic like a furious cro-magnon banging away with bones like in the movie 2001. His drumming is A1 and it's the presence of mind, the persona, he achieves when drumming in that passionate and raw way that provides the spine, the skeleton, of The Sumo Kings.
Jay is a cool customer, a buffer to keep Faz in check as long as possible before the inevitable mayhem, and someone who is in control of the music on the stage and sure of the message he wants people to understand about the Sumo Kings off the stage. Jay's a fantastic bloke, with a very wry, dry and cheeky sense of humour and always happy to have a chat with fans before and after gigs.

Fan Bass


In fact all the Sumo Kings are great with the fans - always happy to stop and check-in to see how everyone are doing, what they thought of previous gigs and to let them know about forthcoming gigs and parties. The effort they make really sets themselves aside and definitely helps them with their fanbase who feel acknowledged and appreciated.


Always Watch the Quiet Ones

Steve and Ad were on form to boot - if one is to carry the anatomical metaphor further - they take up the role of the muscle, the skin, holding the music together; building upon the force that Jay lays down.

Steve always strikes me as the unsung hero; he's clearly a professional whose passion is music but he's always off to one side - except for the awesome, knees-down solos he does - getting the job done. I like that. He provides an alternative side - the Sumo Kings being made of very different personalities that just bind right, balance and synergise into something far greater than their individual parts. This review is becoming more Gestalt theory (Yikes! Better get back to the gig). Steve plays with an almost consummate ease and it'd be misplaced to not fully appreciate what a solid guitarist he is. He's deceptively subtle on stage - always watch the quiet ones!

Ad is on a similar footing at the start of the gigs but as the gig goes on and confidence rises he starts revealing more of his playful side. Ad's bass pounds along and you can clearly see he loves being up there taking opportunities in between songs to chat to the crowd and gesture jokingly to them and Faz. Ad's growing into his role as bassist and you can see, each gig, more of his personality coming to the front - even rivalling Faz on some of the silliness that they partake in.

Lead by Example

Faz. Where do you begin with Faz? He walks around before the gig, totally relaxed as far as I can make out - he chats really enthusiastically, asking me about the secret gig, thanking us for turning up, showing us photos of his black eye, and inviting us to a gig and after show party. It's very surreal to think this is going on just minutes before he's due on stage and he looks like he's just hear to listen. But the Faz on stage is a different Faz - when the lights go down, the music starts and the crowd are waiting - The Faz appears.

Pumping up the crowd he rides the crest of the music generated with the energy and talent of Jay, Steve and Ad and then comes crashing down with his guitar and lyrics, washing us downstream like a Tsunami to where even Faz doesn't know or care.

Faz's energy and presence is second-to-none as he moves around the stage like a man on a mission - or more realistically, a boy up to no good.

I won't rattle on about the songs - I'm way too biased as I love them all and Mhairi has done a more musically complete review elsewhere - so I'll just stick to the characters of Sumo Kings and the events at the gig.


Sumo Kings Unplugged

About half way through the gig, during Sex Machina, Faz leaped down from the stage and onto the dancefloor and bounced around with the crowd - all cracking stuff and well worth the admission alone. He's really got that presence and warmth with his fans that keeps them wanting more and more Sumo (that just sounds wrong...) Back on stage, his guitar had become unplugged so the rest of the band continued without pause as Faz reconnected before letting one of his mates fill in with a bit of Karaoke on stage before continuing - barking mad stuff. It was good to see no one was phased as it's all just part-and-parcel of the Sumo Kings experience.

Boxed In

Nothing really to do with the music but one of the crowd started a bit of heckling. It just wasn't very pleasant. But the show must go on and so it did with another cheeky rendition of Gay Bar (Jay's Bar) by Electric Six.


The Show Must Go On...... and On a Bit Longer...

Towards the 'end' Faz called up members from the crowd to sing along
The gig finished, most of the crowd filtered away, and The Sumo Kings came down and milled around chatting away to us that remained. Stay around for a bit longer, Faz said to me and so I did. About half an hour after the other bands had taken their kit and I'd had a good chat with Steve before he left, got some T-Shirts off Ad and discussed the ups and downs of the gig with Faz; Faz, Ad and Jay went back on stage for an impromptu session (I think Steve had gone elsewhere which was a shame).

Faz, Ad and Jay just started having a great time rattling off some covers like Oasis and Nirvana whilst laughing and playing with the crowd. This was the sort of stuff that makes it for me - the gig should have been finished, we were being told to pack up and move on but Faz and the rest were having none of it and continued to play on for sheer fun and pleasure of it. Jay eventually moved off stage when Ad thumped his bass down and started to hand-hit the cymbals. Faz followed suit with Ad and sat down to play some drums and it looked like Faz was here for the duration. If we hadn't asked him down to say good bye he might have stayed much longer.

Wrapping up the extended gig, the lads were fantastic and really positive and friendly as usual. Faz making sure we would come to future gigs and checking we had had a good night.

How could we not - besides the great music and lively performances, worth the money alone, we always have the priceless bonus of never know how or when the music will end.

I can't wait for the next gigs at The Box on the 25th September and The M Club on the 30th September but they're also playing the WheatSheaf in Sandback today (Sat 15th), Moho Live in Manchester (5th Sept), South Cheshire College (16th Sept) and MMU Crewe (23rd Sept).



This is all getting ready for the launch of Club Sumo (website should be up in a few weeks) at Square One in Crewe on 3rd October. That is going to be something very special ^_^


Check out their sites:

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thesumokings

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Sumo-Kings/29532620526

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sumokings

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Shhhhh! It's a secret! SUMO! SUMO! SUMO!

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Ahhh, the morning after a fantastic Saturday night. My head hurts a little but not sure if that's the booze or the deafeningly-sweet music that picked me up and rejuvenated me last night.

The Sumo Kings, an awesome Crewe band, played an invite-only secret gig at a local barn-studio. After a pleasant, relaxing bike ride with Mhairi and Jules (of Crewe Blog fame) we got to the secret location to see the lads chilling outside with plenty of free beer and lots to talk about.

The Build Up

Whilst we waited for everyone else to arrive, Faz, Steve, Ad and Jay all circled around us chatting away like mates in a pub. It's a credit to them that they are so approachable, down-to-earth and thoroughly interesting blokes. We also got a chance to speak to their adviser, Richard, who is really keen for the band to establish a local roots following before steadily venturing out to bigger and wider audiences. The gig itself was to thank key fans, supporters and bloggers who have been following and covering the Sumo Kings this year.

There was much discussion pre-gig about their recent radio interview on BBC Stoke with their fun cover of Electric Six's Gay bar (Jay's Bar!); their forthcoming EP currently being mixed by Mike Bell - a famous engineer who's worked with bands like Baby Shambles; upcoming gigs at The Box and The M Club; and the eagerly anticipated Club Sumo. Mhairi will be covering these things in more detail together with track listings on her blog so I'll link to it as soon as it's up. And here it is

Worth Waiting For

True to music, the band were ready to go but latecomers delayed the planned start allowing the band to drink a fair few more beers and chat for longer with us - something I really enjoyed as you get to know far more about the musicians and how they feel their work is coming on. Faz and Steve were really keen to point out how much Mike Bell is helping out and how some of their songs are evolving as they develop and discover more of their sound.

The key thing that impresses me most about the Sumo's, besides their music, is their attitude - they are always concerned about their fans, checking they like the music, thanking them for all their support - this is a band who play as much for their fans as they do for themselves. No egos here - pure performers in the truest sense.

The Gig

Their set was to include all of their current songs - they don't play it like this on stage as they have songs that just naturally follow each other, whilst others don't work as well in a sequence - it was exciting to know we would soon be hearing new material and old favourites that have adapted into something greater.

The gig was certainly cosy, a small room in a converted barn - the band squeezed into one side, the crowd packed right up close to the amps. Faz, Steve and Ad lined up in front of some steps with Jay tucked away in the corner but sure to make his presence felt. Jay thrashed away for dear life, attacking his kit through the songs, keeping up a frightening pace as Steve and Ad kept the backbone and substance to the tunes. This left Faz to fire away with his passionate lyrics and animated frontman character. The audience were fired up and made even more enthused by Faz's constant bouncing and gesturing and it wasn't long until the crowd were dancing around with Faz keen to maintain it.

During the break some of the crowd were giving microphones by the band for some impromptu karaoke and Faz even threw a crowd member a tambourine to keep beat during one of their tracks. This lead up to Faz eventually leaving the safety of the amps and getting right in with the crowd. He danced and played, jumping around with the fans and getting drenched in beer before returning to the rest of the band - who were maintaining the heart of the music whilst Faz indulged the crowd with madcap antics.

Head Banging

To finish off, it ended with Faz leaping off the steps and collapsing head first into Jay's drum kit - all very rock & roll as Faz's post-gig shiner proved *ouch* Jay played Faz's guitar whilst Faz lolled and Ad and Steve kept beat. Poor Jay's kit took a beating and one I guess Faz will have to rectify in the coming days but for the effect and the sheer buzz it gave the crowd: one that was certainly worth it.

There aren't many gigs like this, and definitely not many bands that would go to such trouble to organise something so special and intimate for their fans and then worry if everyone enjoyed it, but then; there aren't many bands like The Sumo Kings.

Sumo! ... Sumo! ... Sumo! ...

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Greetings, programs!

My friends, my fellow conscripts, we have scored. I feel so much better.

Tron Legacy - there - I finally got it out. It's been really difficult to start and say anything about this (not good for a blog, I know) as I'm too over-excited like a big kid. Tron. It's back. My childhood favourite film that I still watch is making a return. And it looks frakkin sweet!

It's all in the wrists.

I caught some of the concept art and teaser trailer on the internet following Comic-Con (have friend there who saw the reel and she said it was awesome. V.jealous >_< ) It looks really, really good. Heavy Blade Runner influence in parts but glad it's still keeping it's visceral Tron style.

http://www.flynnlives.com/

http://www.flynnlives.com/media/video/0xendgame.aspx

The light cycles and recongizers look really cool - stylish and dark - and I started to get excited.... then the trailer came on. OMG - I have honestly lost count how many times I've watched it. I cannot remember the last time I got this obssessed over a movie - honest ^_^

Run these guys into your jet walls.

The trailer is something else.... Love the light cycle styling, the raw power and speed. This all bodes well.



Hey, its me, - Flynn!

Yeah, the trailer infers Flynn is in the gameworld and things are not as they seem. The flynnlives site hints at the plot of Flynn disappearing in the late 80's and I believe the premise is that his son enters the game world to find him. On first glance that sounds awful but looking at the dark, brutal trailer and the hints that Bruce Boxleitner will reprise his role as Alan..... TRON!!..... then I'm not going to worry.

You're getting brutal, Sark. Brutal and needlessly sadistic.

I'm curious to find out more - a good sign from a teaser trailer. Why is Flynn there?, why is he lording it up in his palatial pad? (the Dude does not abide), how is he existing there with another, younger, program looking like him and apparently crossing the line in and out of the gamegrid? ( I really haven't a Clu ;-p)

On the other side of the screen, it all looks so easy.

The backgrounds, the styling, the lighting, the motion, the soundeffects and the music; they're all spot on and with news Daft Punk are looking after the tracks fills me with further doses of adrenaline. This has the potential to be a huge hit and if they can get a good plot together - they already have a great cast - then I think I will be a very happy user.

End of Line

First(s) of Many....

Well I've been really trying to make headway with anime. There's a lot I miss out on and sometimes work takes up way too much time to allow me to get what I want done. I'm sure you feel the same. I'm just doing a post now to say what First Episodes I have been watching to try out 'new' anime for me to get into. I've whacked in a few subtitles/headings and a brief synopsis in case anyone is like me and was unaware of any. Apologies for those anime Otaku who look at me and e-pat me on the head :D


Samurai Pizza Cats

One from my old days in the 90's- childish, I know, but I love the puns.

The show is set in Little Tokyo, a city whose citizens are anthropomorphic cybernetic animals, and it's all cute and colourful.

Emperor Fred is the elected ruler of Little Tokyo but after a wisdom tooth operation he is now insane. As such his daughter, Princess Vi, and a council look after Little Tokyo. Leading the council is Prime Minister Seymour 'Big' Cheese, who is constantly (and covertly) trying to overthrow the government and become Emperor himself.

Al Dente, commander of the Palace Guard, has discovered Big Cheese’s covert plans and is determined to stop him. Without proof he cannot expose Seymour Cheese, so Al Dente endeavours to foil any of Seymour's plans. To aid him, Al Dente recruits three young cat warriors, Speedy Cerviche, Polly Esther, Guido Anchovy; the Samurai Pizza Cats . Each cat has special skills and weapons to protect Little Tokyo from Big Cheese’s plots, which usually take the form of a giant mecha.

Dai Mahō Tōge

A very amusing Japanese anime centering around a young girl named Princess Tanaka Punie of Magical Land. Starting as it means to go on we find out that in order for Punie to become queen, she must become a transfer student in a Japanese high school for at least a year.

As she is heiress ti the throne, she understandably has many enemies that wish to assassinate her. However, Punie is not helpless - she is skilled in martial arts and possesses magic powers - through a candy cane necklace - which she uses to defeat and humiliate her enemies.

The series is clearly a parody of magical princess anime. The opening theme tune is hilarious with the contrast of cute visuals and sadistic lyrics. This marries to the anime itself which juxtaposes cute characters with brutal violence.


Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

I admit to not having seen the original series and understand I should really watch that first but I couldn't help having a few sneaky episodes of this. I must say am really enjoying it.

The story follows Edward and Alphonse Elric, two alchemist brothers, who attempt to bring their mother back to life through taboo alchemy. This, obviously, goes horribly wrong and Edward loses an arm and a leg and Alphonse loses his entire body, his brother Edward (the far stronger alchemist) secures Alphonse's soul to a suit of armour. Their future quest is one of regaining Al's body and to return Edward's limbs - he uses mechanical limbs until that time.

The stories occur in a fictional world where the military rule the land and alchemy is the most advance science. Trained alchemist are hired by the army to fight for them - Edward is given the title Fullmetal Alchemist given his limbs and his tremendous ability. In a good show of humour Al is often mistaken for Edward as Al is a huge suit of armour and no one can quite believe Edward, the smaller boy, is.


Ouran High School Host Club

This comedy series looks at the scholl life of Haruhi Fujioka, a poor scholarship student at the rich, exclusive Ouran High School, and the other members of the popular Host Club. 'His' snobbish peers look down at Haruhi in half fascination and half contempt. That is until Haruhi lands 'himself' in financial debt with the Host Club and is taken on as a Host to pay 'his' dues.

The Host Club boys then proceed to show 'him' the art of Hosting to all the femal clients they have. The comedy revolves around the assumption Haruhi is a male student by the Hosts, when in fact, Haruhi is a dowdy feaml student. Haruhi does not admit this and is attired in the club as a male.

The romantic comedy focuses on the relationships within and without the Club and is a cutting satire of the cliched stereotypes that exist in anime for girls.