Finally... 'Dark Adrenaline'

*choir of angels singing as Fangirl gets medicated* I swear it's not toxic!

A new album by a band I love that doesn't suck? About time! Congrats, Lacuna Coil.

Thankfully earlier fears after hearing "Trip the Darkness" and "Kill the Light" were eased very quickly. This album cuts the happy, uplifting alternative rock from Shallow Life and combines the intensity of Karmacode and the atmosphere of Comalies.

But if this was released in 2006 and not Karmacode, this would have been a less radical evolution of the band. Dark Adrenaline feels like a step backwards in this sense - no, more like a patch to fix a game that initially released with glitches. This is not a really bad thing (video games are far more pricey than music after all) but it feels like this album was released as a late apology note for pissing off the fans with Karmacode.

Yet on the other hand, this can also be seen as the band getting back on track. They may have stubbled with their last two albums, but now this is their comeback. However any Lacuna Coil fan sees this, I think both ideas may be true, but I agree with this point more.

 I never hated Karmacode, and I like that Dark Adrenaline takes its aggressive style and improves it (ex: "Against You" and "Upsidedown".) Even some songs remind me of those from Unleashed Memories, In a Reverie, and Comalies, such as "The End of Time" and "My Spirit", due to the dark, sad atmosphere present. The band itself is not known for giving impressive guitar solos or award-winning singing, but everyone has improved significantly. Some songs start off with far more interesting riffs and evolve into far less repetitive noise. Some melodies still feel a bit ripped from songs from Shallow Life such as "Intoxicated" and "Fire", but lyrically they sound far less cheery and cheap. Singer Andrea sounds his best in "The Army Inside", where he practically steals the show with the badass chorus.

Even "Losing my Religion" isn't that bad. I always liked the REM song when I was a child and I thank Lacuna Coil for reminding me of my love for the original. Though the lyrics are arranged differently for some strange reason, this is not a bad cover. I find the original to be quite melancholic and Lacuna Coil captured it very well.

I can probably list every song off the album and can say they all are fantastic. If you were never charmed by Lacuna Coil, give Dark Adrenaline a try. It's a fair compromise for the old and new sounds of Lacuna Coil to create a very fulfilling album. Three months later and it still sounds great.

Various editions of the release have "Soul Inmate" as a bonus track. The iTunes pre-order version had live acoustic tracks, "Soul Inmate", and the "Trip the Darkness" music video. Some editions also had mini short films in what's known as Dark Passengers. Just additional fun facts.

5 out of 5!

'Ef - A Tale of Memories'

(CREDIT: to the creators. duh.)

Rank: 5 out of 5 <-- Guess I'm not a heartless biatch after all. :P

The anime revolves around two protagonists, Hirono Hiro and Asou Renji. On Christmas Eve, Hiro meets a girl named Miyamura Miyako who was chasing a purse snatcher. He later finds out that Miyako also goes to the same school as he does and they start hanging out together, making Hiro's childhood friend Shindou Kei jealous.

Meanwhile, Asou Renji meets a girl named Shindou Chihiro at an abandoned train station. He soon learns that Chihiro suffers from a type of amnesia where her memory span only lasts for 13 hours. He also discovers Chihiro's dream of writing a novel and decides to help her fulfill it due to her condition.

(From Anime New Network.)

The anti-romantic Fangirl has been defeated again. No, more than that. I was stabbed in the heart, beaten to a bloody pulp, and left on the side of the road as a testament to all about what happens when someone disses romanticism. And to that, I apologize to the world... now, you must pay my medical bill. But let me say a few things before I get pummeled again. This show is so sappy, it's almost as bad as Titanic and The Notebook. Something like this should set me off, make me blow up every red heart [the shape - not the organ] on the face of this planet. I should complain about how wimpy the characters (especially the guys) were. BUT I CAN'T.

Ef - A Tale of Memories has pretty much left me almost nothing to say about it other than it was far better than I expected. I was only initially interested because Arkada mentioned the show TWICE in his Glass Reflection videos: once on a list of sad moments in anime and another on 10 anime that should be dubbed. If a guy admits that he enjoyed a romantic drama anime enough that he cried... yeah... a few points given already.

Yes, A Tale of Memories made me freaking cry a few times. It was wonderful to finally watch a show where there is no filler content whatsoever, the characters are likable, and the plot moves quickly, but smoothly. How Ef could tell two storylines in 12 episodes and deliver both of them so beautifully and emotionally is way beyond what my brain can wrap around. There were loads of moments where I should have made fun of the characters for being melodramatic, but those scenes would make my heart heavy instead.

Once I got a sense of where the story was going, everything about the show seemed nearly perfect. The overall soundtrack is very good as well with various opening and ending songs; although, it took a while for the music to grow on me. And the animation. Holy crap. Every scene is gorgeous and is truly an artistic feast, and I felt very content every time. The voice actors were phenomenal because almost every thing they said felt so raw and natural. I could go on and mention the memorable scenes for their music, imagery, and emotion, but I would take too long: A Tale of Memories is THAT good.

Complaints? ... ... ... 12 episodes is way too short. And it NEEDS to be dubbed in English. By professionals. None of that 4Kids quality garbage or else I will take back every nice thing I said about this show.

Because the scenes can be surrealistic and it's a romance drama, Ef - A Tale of Memories might be good to try out for some and not for others. But if romance or drama is up your alley... why the hell haven't you googled this show yet? I can't quite call this show a masterpiece, but if it can ever be distributed on the western hemisphere, I'd probably put this show on my shelf within seconds. I'll go back to watch the show again for sure, but for now, Ef - A Tale of Memories deserves a perfect 5 out of 5.

Are there memories you do not want to forget?

'Mars'

Yes, I am aware of the inconsistency. But believe me: no "star-crossed lover" BS. The cover lies!!

(CREDIT: due to the creator. not mine.)
Rank: 5 out of 5 <-- So much fun in so little volumes T-T

My friends often accuse me of being extremely unromantic. Just because I hate Valentine's Day and find a boy handwriting a Shakespearian sonnet in a special card to be very cheap, that doesn't mean that I'm heartless! My favorite band plays nothing but love songs! I cry when I watch Titanic! I think about getting married sometimes! I have my own "perfect guy" image in my head! I read and watch romantic books, movies, manga, and anime! Is that unnatural and heartless? :P

But really, it takes a little bit to impress me; so how could Mars earn a perfect score from picky Fangirl?

I might have heard of this series while exploring Mangafox, but I never was introduced to it until a few months ago. I have taken private art lessons for a long time, and my teacher and I get to chat a lot when I work. We often talk about movies and TV shows; one she brought up was a live-action Taiwanese series based on this manga and shares the name Mars. Although she did reveal big parts of the plot, I was still very interested in one of the characters she described.

To describe what this series is like, I could call it a blend of Fruits Basket, Dengeki Daisy, and a cousin five times removed of Black Swan. I would use Fruits Basket because of the smooth flow of the story and the beautiful balance between the light and fluffy moments and the dark and eerie ones. Dengeki Daisy had some really sharp turns in mood within two panels that would often make my stomach drop, something Mars has in a less overwhelming way. Black Swan and Mars have one thing in common: ALMOST ALL OF THE CHARACTERS ARE MESSED UP.

Sure, the romance in this story is basic and a bit cliche, but the combination of characters, interactions, and situations made this series extremely impressive. There is A LOT of psychological tension going on throughout the story, and each character has his or her own issues. And believe me, fights, anger, and deaths balance out the cheesy romance. Just to give a hint of how bad some characters are:

There is one character who is a complete sociopath. He not only toys around with Rei when he is overcoming grief and shock, he also manipulates Kira to the point of nearly reenacting Rei's brother's death. That same character has no problem with treating people like they are less than garbage. Hell, he even killed a guy!

However, not to spoil too much, but I think Sei is the most f'ed up character of all.

But if you ask me, throwing characters with psychologically and emotionally traumatic pasts into a 15-volume romance series makes Mars all the more intriging.

Overall, Rei might be my favorite character, even though I dislike guys like him in real life (at least the playboy part of him.) Although the events and characters might not be completely realistic, everything worked well for what they did. I can't say Kira and Rei are the best couple ever, but their relationship was very cute and enjoyable. (And there is no destiny bullshit! WHOOT!)

My only regret is that I read this too quickly: it took me two days to finish. :'(

For a long time, Fruits Basket was one of my favorite manga for the well developed characters, holeless plot, and beautiful storytelling. But now I think Mars will take its place, because it does all of those things better and then some. This series, which I highly recommend to almost anyone, deserves a perfect score.

Now I really need to find that Taiwanese version so bad. My art teacher said it was hilarious...

'Enchant'

(CREDIT: to the obvious folks. not me for sure. ^_^)

My Rank: 5 out of 5 <- a lifesaver

Finally, I get to write a review about one of my favorite musicians of all time so far! (That was oxymoronic, wasn't it? ^_^')

This album saved my life last year. I was taking Honors Chemistry and struggling to get a decent grade on [what seemed to be] simple homework and long lab reports. Most times, I chilled on my bed and wrote out my recitations while Enchant played at top volume from my headphones, lying next to me. Sometimes she played during lab report nights, but frustration told me to blast a few Marilyn Manson tracks (I was experimenting with his stuff back then.) HIM would never cut it because I would get far too distracted by the desire to look up interviews.

Maybe I'm too attached to this album because it helped me so much in the hardest class I had ever taken in my school career up to this point. But this was perfect enough for me to focus on my work and not suffer a massive breakdown.

I can't fully describe what kind of music Emilie Autumn makes. She's crazy enough for a rock fan, upbeat and electronic like today's pop music, but adds a punch with amazing performances with violins, pianos, and harpsichords. Her voice isn't too bad as well. Opheliac clearly has these elements, plus a good overdose of asylum-esque insanity, but Enchant is different. This is a calmer, sweeter Emilie Autumn ("Across the Sky," "Juliet," "Save You") but still having a bit of spunk ("Chambermaid," "Rose Red," "Secondhand Faith").

Like every album, two or so songs aren't so fantastic here, but they never took away the experience of this album. This semi-metalhead willingly and happily accepted this short vacation from headbanging, aggressive screams, and guitar solos. I really can't explain how much this album has captured me. A trip down memory lane, when I used to thought fairy tales were not so embarrassing to dream of ("Juliet" did this to me for sure)? Now that I am no longer in Chemistry, I haven't listened to Enchant in its entirety in a while. Emilie Autumn, thank you for this masterpiece, this lifesaver.

Pandora Internet Radio says that fans of The Birthday Massacre, Evanescence, Within Temptation, and Epica. If you like female singers like Amy Lee, Sharon den Andel, Simone Simons, or other similar chicks in rock and metal, you might like Emilie. The Birthday Massacre is only similar due to slight gothic atmosphere, electronic influence, and their singer Chibi. Otherwise, this can be debated. These comparisons can be useful for Opheliac, but Enchant sounds too "folky."

I highly recommend Emilie Autumn as an artist to give a try. Opheliac and Enchant are brilliant, so it doesn't matter what you go by. But note that this is a rare time I will advise DOWNLOADING the albums. ESPECIALLY Enchant, because physical CDs are out of print. Have fun. :P

You know, why am I sitting and listening to Type O Negative right now?! *grabs iPod to look up Enchant...*