5 shows that shaped my childhood.

Do you ever wonder how you turned out the way you did? I do. Very often. And I've come to the conclusion that the shows I watched as a kid have greatly influenced my taste in various things later on in life, even my teenage and adult years. Here are five of my fondest, most nostalgic shows, all of which were watched before I turned six:

1. Power Rangers

To be specific, I am referring to Power Rangers of the Mighty Morphin' variety. Having been brought up in Kiwiland, especially having had little interaction with other Asians up till that point, I remember being extremely chuffed when I knew that Yellow Ranger was an Asian girl. Later on I realised with amusement that Black Ranger was an African American guy, Pink Ranger was a pretty, goody-two-shoes cheerleader, and Red Ranger was the footballer. Still, while I was an innocent child, naive to the ways of the world, I was always highly entertained by the eternal struggle of good and evil, terrible special effects, and superfluous explosions.

Nocturne's guide to combating dark circles.

Recently Nocturne updated her blog with a guide to treating and preventing under-eye circles/bags. Since this is a problem we of The Lost Aria often struggle with, and I'm sure many other people do too, I thought I'd share her wisdom with you all.

Click here to go to Nocturne's blog and find out how you, too, may be rid of those annoying dark circles. :D

this is my fangirl face.

Since I became a full-time fangirl at age seven, there have been many occasions where, whilst fangirling over something, I momentarily snap out of my delirium and think to myself "I must look like a complete idiot". Thankfully, these stupid expressions of mine are often made when I'm by myself in front of my laptop, and nobody is present to judge me. In public I try to act cool, calm and collected (doesn't always work but hey).

In a moment of inspiration, I have chronicled a few of these weird faces for your viewing pleasure. Or displeasure, if you will.

(I should also mention that I am, in fact, responsible for these horrid doodles. I am a total failure when it comes to digital drawing. >:P)

1. Content fangirl

This is what I look like by default. Sort of. I've perhaps managed to get my hands on some merchandise, caught up on news concerning whatever fandom, or just hoarded a whole bunch of pretty pictures. You know, that triumphant kind of feeling. Endorphins all round.

retail therapy.

I have many bad habits, one of them being my penchant for buying things for the hell of it, especially when I know I have the money for it.

I suppose I don't really have the money for it, but I spend anyway. What's worse is that although I would like to buy things when they're discounted, if I want it enough, I'll pay the full overly marked-up price. Don't take spending tips from me, boys and girls.

As of late, I've been doing next to nothing aside from going to work, going home, and being a mad fangirl, so I haven't had many chances to show off my new acquisitions. So here we go, I'm going to show the citizens of the internet instead.

First and foremost - I have a blue streak in my hair now. :O

This is one of the only two pics I've taken of it though, and unfortunately there's more face than hair here... But I was rather pleased with how it's turned out. I've never done anything to my hair prior to this, and I was a bit nervous that it may not look very professional, but my boss saw my hair and asked (sincerely) why I didn't dye the rest of my hair blue as well. XD

This was also my first time in a hair salon. I didn't realise how expensive it was going to be. This little streak of blue cost me over $100. D:

Next - since I bought those 5 pairs of Big Bang socks in Odaiba, I have rarely worn any of the other socks I own, and as a result those 5 pairs are getting seriously worn out. To counter this problem, I ordered 5 more pairs of Big Bang socks - this time it's the Alive edition! Can't resist Daesung's blonde and TOP's mint green. 

5 music videos.

In all honesty, I don't watch many music videos. I never really have. The bulk of the videos for songs I listen to mostly involve the group in question dancing/singing/playing instruments, and not much else. It's such a shame because a lot of the time it's just wasted potential. There are so many possibilities but nobody seems to seize these obvious opportunities.

However, here we have music videos/MVs/PVs or whatever you want to call them, that have some sort of story to them, or at least a development of the ideas and motifs used. For this simple trait, they are all flippin' epic.

(By the way, the picture above is the best part of the Monster MV :D)

baby, i'm not a monster.

I've been getting into BigBang in a big way recently. At midnight today they released a new song, Monster.

Somehow I expected the song to be really average, since everyone was making such a big fuss about it saying how wonderful it would be etc. As it happens, I was right and the song is not as mindblowing as the hype made it out to be. Don't get me wrong though - it's a nice song. When I showed it to my younger brother, who is the resident kpop expert in our family, he said 'it sounds like 2PM'. And he has a point. It's that average.

All that aside, the MV is wonderful. It's definitely my type of MV. You simply must watch it!

Taeyang's hair made me giggle, but other than that I loved their costumes and the general feel of this video. And T.O.P's hat+scarf ensemble reminded me of Toshiya's costume in Obscure - that's always a plus.

makeup.

I tried a different way of applying eye makeup. :D

Now, I don't consider myself at all good with applying makeup - I haven't even found a foundation that suits my skin colour - but I do like to play around with it. I thought perhaps I'd go for a 'cute' kind of look, because I don't think I've been thought of as 'cute' for a long time. xD 

Of course, the level of cuteness is subjective, but for someone whose makeup skill is 0/10, I think I did okay.

Really I just wanted an excuse to pretty myself up and try on the dress I bought from Bodyline whilst on my travels. Alas my lack of camera/photographer/adequate lighting makes for really crappy shots, but hey, selca can hardly be considered art anyway, right?

That pic up there. ^ I gave it my best shot, I really did.

Sadly cuteness is not something that comes naturally to me. However, looking dorky, creepy or spaced out...do.

Maybe one day when I perfect my technique I can start doing tutorials and things, but until then you can have lots of pics of my ugly mug. :3

Oh, and I did these glasses myself. Got a pair of old 3D glasses I know I'll never use again (call me old-fashioned, but I can't stand 3D movies) and popped the lenses out. Cover with glue and sprinkle a bag of seed beads over it, and voila! A funky new pair of glasses to (maybe) wear (someday).

Maybe I'll try adding other things next time, like bigger beads or other ornaments.

5 BL favourites.

Okay, so this is a guilty pleasure of mine - BL/yaoi/shounen-ai/whateveryouwannacallit. I suppose this stems from the fact that I've never really liked female characters (with only a few exceptions) - they always seem so unnecessary. So when I started getting into the Gundam Wing fandom around the age of 14/15, it dawned upon me, what with all the slashfics out there, that the female characters could simply be taken out of the equation...or at least, be removed from the spotlight. 

After having discovered fanwork with BL themes, I began to branch out into series in which BL was canon. Actually, this only really started a couple of years ago when I found a pic of Kau (Togainu) in a thread on /y/. By the way boys and girls, never go to that place, it's full of unsavoury characters. xD So I guess you could say I'm something of a newb when it comes to BL?

Anyway, here are the few BL-related works I've seen/read/played for myself. No doubt this list will grow in time.

1. Togainu no Chi (Visual novel/manga/anime)

Ah, TnC. I think the reason why I didn't read/watch/play BL stuff for a while was because I thought it was all sappy love stories where the artist could've used a girl instead of the uke, but decided to use the uke because it's that much cooler. Then I played this. It was good - the plot was interesting but not so complex that I couldn't understand anything at all (since I don't understand much Japanese to begin with p:), although I laughed at the predictable 'everything invariably leads to sex' thing. But you know how you can tell if a BL plot is good or not? Take out the buttsex and see how it goes - they've turned it into a manga and anime, and even an alternate game, all without the BL in it, and it's still a good story. :3

Still, no matter what version I play/watch/read, Keisuke always scares the hell out of me.

4 unachievable cosplays.

I frequently see pictures of certain characters and feel the urge to cosplay them. Or I see pics of cosplayers and wish I could be as awesome as them. Sadly, for various reasons, there are certain cosplays I don't think I'd ever be able to pull off, regardless of how much I want to. I suppose it's always healthy for one to realise one's limits. Although there's only four on this list today - everything in moderation. xD

just a thought.

PSC recently posted a message asking people not to distribute any music, PVs or photos of their bands without permission.

I mean....seriously?

I can understand music and PVs...but...photos? Isn't that going too far? I mean, thousands of online fans use pics of these bands as their avatars/in their signatures. It's free advertising for them! The reason I know about Visual Kei at all is because of one photo I happened to find on Google image search (although for the record, it wasn't a pic of a PSC band). Plus, they're depriving the internet (i.e., the world) of a lot of eye candy. Doesn't anyone else think this is wrong? :(

What are they gonna do next? Tell people to stop cosplaying their bands too?

The thing is, with certain bands *coughAliceNinecough*, I have more photos of them than I have their music. Call me shallow, but tbh sometimes they look better than they sound. They're improving though. But with them, I'd rather sample their music via download first, then buy the single/album if I think it's worth it. The same goes with The GazettE, too. If I don't know whether or not I'll like the tracks on a CD, I'm less inclined to buy it. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who do this too.

Of course, this would all be remedied, and the world would be a better place, if PSC would just create a YouTube channel or something so that people could listen to their music without feeling like criminals. But I don't think they have. It would also help if their albums weren't so freaking expensive. I mean, I support VK artists when I can afford to, but it's such a costly habit... ;_;

I'm glad I got the Toxic and Gemini albums when I did though. Might be my last purchase from PSC bands ever, cos I'm stubborn like that. D:

Naww, I didn't mean that.........................................................................

By the way, I used the stunning picture above because it's not an official PSC photo and therefore I'm not getting into any trouble. It fanart of The GazettE by Alzheimer13 on deviantArt.

HIROTO.

Alice Nine is the sort of band that really grows on you. Even their members really grow on you. The one who has grown on me the most is probably Hiroto. He's small, cute, is a bandboy, and he looks hot with blonde hair.

What is it with me and effeminate boys? xD I simply love his eyes and they way they do his eye makeup. He also has nicer eyebrows than I do, which is somewhat upsetting seeing as I'm female and he's...well...not. But I think he's shorter than me, and he even has narrower shoulders... I feel masculine just thinking about it. T_T

Really though, I could probably go on and on about not only Hiroppon, but the other A9 boys too... But let's save that for another post. I'll finish with this pic of his most recent look:

If I was that good-looking, I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off myself either.

instant abs.

I have a reputation for being excessively lazy, especially when it comes to exercise. I hate sports (with the exception of dance), I've set foot in a gym only once in my entire life, and when it comes to jogging... I went a few times but ended up walking 90% of the time anyway. I've never cared much for having a bikini body, since I don't have nearly enough boobage to fill a bikini anyway. But since I became a member of The Lost Aria, it has come to my attention that a lot of the cosplays I want to do will require, at the very least, a toned abdominal region.

Thanks to Lullaby, who provided these links for a fantastic tutorial on open-chest binding and makeup, because really, I don't know the first thing about makeup contrary to popular belief...

5 boys in dresses.

It was one of my favourite things to do; show some unsuspecting person a photo of a Visual Kei boy, wait for the person say "oh I like her dress/makeup/hair", and then reply "yes, he's pretty isn't he?". Ah, when did I get sucked in to such a fandom as Visual Kei? The music can sometimes be so painful to listen to if you chance upon the wrong band...but seeing these beautifully made-up boys is what satisfies me. Sadly, the number of boys in big dresses and big hair and big makeup is declining, so most of these pictures are from 'the good old days'.

Here be five boys that people often mistake for girls, until they hear them speak.

5 accessories.

If you read my first post, you will see that lists are cool. I also like to show off, so here is a list of my current favourite accessories. This was all done on a whim...so no wigs, no makeup, no photoshop, plenty of bad lighting... Enjoy!! xD

blonde.

My parents never really liked it when Asians dyed their hair blonde. "They're trying too hard to be like those Westerners!" they would say. They told me not to worry about wanting to be like a Westerner, to be confident being an Asian. I guess... I didn't really have much of a choice but to be confident in being an Asian. It's not like I could force myself not to be Asian, no?

I don't have to worry about dying my hair anyway, since my scalp is sensitive to dyes and stuff (fortunately my natural hair colour is pretty light anyway), but I've come to accept that blonde is a legitimate hair colour for Asians too. In fact, it looks really good on some people. Take all these people for example.

Actually, I suppose blonde became somewhat glamorous. That's why all these jrockers bleach their hair yes? Mind you, some guys pull it off better than others, meanwhile others have been blonde for so long I get used to it...and once they dye their hair dark again it feels off.

Yes, this post was inspired by Lee Hongki. And yes, this is just an excuse for me to spam my blog with pics. I'm a hoarder, so naturally I have a lot of pics saved up for occasions such as this, where I'm required to show off. /nolife

Oh, btw, from top to bottom, it's: Gackt, Hiroto (Alice Nine) and Kamijo (Versailles).

a last minute fangirly moment.

Lee Hongki:

Good hair - check.

Lovely smile - check.

Kind eyes - check.

Looks good in makeup - check.

Beautiful voice...

...check.

미남이시네요 (you're beautiful).

I'm typing as I sit in the library. I originally came here for a study group, but got here too early, and the session ended up being cancelled. So what better way to pass the time than to watch some dramas?

Right now my drug of choice is You're Beautiful (Minamishineyo), starring Jang Geunsuk, CNBlue's Jung Yonghwa, and FT Island's Lee Hongki. Oh, and there's a lead female too...

Before you say that I'm really behind and this drama is really old etc etc, I should put it out there that I'm never interested in something when it's popular - only before they become popular or after they've stopped being popular. What's wrong with me, I wonder?

Anyway. The purpose of this post is to give me a place to vent and be a fangirl in general. As you may already know, I am a total sucker for pretty boys, guys who wear eyeliner, and guys who play instruments. And since this drama has all three things combined, I'm really going crazy with each episode!

As for my favourite character... It's hard for me to choose. When it comes to picking favourites I go with the one with the best character development or backstory. If there are too many characters there's not much room for development, in which case I choose primarily based on looks. Although looks are important either way. *nodnod*

However, in this drama there's only three males in our reverse-harem, so we get lots of chances to see each boy shine. That's why I simply can't decide.

Taekyung (JGS)

I'd have to say that although I like this character, he's the one I currently like the least. Usually I'm a big fan of asshole-type characters, so I thought I'd be head-over-heels for Hwang Taekyung... But he's not a typical drama asshole character, who don't tend to be very asshole-y. He's an obsessive-compulsive, arrogant, self-centred prick who keeps people at a distance because he can't trust anyone. It's a bit extreme for me, but after seeing his backstory, I was pulled in, and he's always had his sweet moments. He's kind of like the Seto Kaiba of You're Beautiful (since he often likes to screw the rules, too).

You can tell from a mile away (right from the first episode) that he's going to be the guy our lead female Park Shinhye is going to end up with, regardless of how cruel he is in the first part of the drama. I can't tell you how much this breaks my heart.

Jeremy (LHK)

Being the youngest character, you can already tell what Jeremy's personality is going to be like. He's bouncy and outspoken and naive...and when he gets up to his childish antics my heart literally goes 'doki-doki'. The best part about him is that he's so naive, he doesn't realise that the new addition to their band is a female posing as a male... So he thinks all his bandmates are turning gay (and often has BL fantasies to accompany his suspicions). Better yet, he's afraid that he's turning gay for the new guy as well. It's hilarious, and so so so adorable! Yes, it's not a new trope for dramas...but it's such a fun one to play around with.

Although I'm only up to ep 6 and there's not much development for Jeremy, I just love him to bits. How could you not love such a cute, stupid character? Also, I think LHK looks fantastic with blonde hair.

Shinwoo (JYH)

Ah, the beta-male. He melts my heart into a puddle of mush. I adore this type of character and I'm always cheering for them even though I know they'll never get the lead female... Basically, the way it goes in dramas is that the nice, quiet guy is never going to get the girl. It's an age-old tradition really.

Butbutbut... Shinwoo. He's the first guy to find out Mi Nam's identity, but he respects her enough to not fluster her by telling her that he knows. And he's always telling her that he's there for her if she needs someone, so that she can come to him of her own free will. And! The stealth date! That was such a wonderful idea! If only his plan wasn't ruined by Taekyung... And! The stalk-date! Another wonderful idea - again ruined by Taekyung. My heart breaks every time his smile falters...I really wish he would just approach her and tell her he knows who she is, and just kiss her or something. Will that happen in the later episodes? Wait -- DON'T SPOIL IT FOR ME!! xO

vocalomania.

I'm spending the weekend in Studentville. The kids at the School of Pharmacy have taken the baton from out of my hands, and are holding the second ever Pharmacy Revue. Wonder if they'll do as good a job as me and my people did?

...なんてね。They'll probably do better than we did. I sure hope so!

Anyway, seizing this opportunity, I'm going to meet with Nocturne, Lullaby and Requiem to shoot some photos!

Probably due to my relative height, I'll be cosplaying Hideki from Chobits, with Nocturne as Chii. I can't wait - she'll make the most adorable Chii! I believe that she's going to make her own ears too, for which I wish her luck...

Afterwards, Lullaby will be my Miku (yes, MY Miku) in what will hopefully be a Melt PV, with screenplay by Requiem! (Co-written with Lullaby, I understand. :3)

I'm actually relieved that these are going to be casual cosplays...since I don't currently have any costumes of my own. orz

I have recently applied for a debit card so I can stop relying on other people to buy stuff online for me...just set up a paypal account and bought a wig for a Kagamine Len cosplay. Hooray for a step forward! (J 'o')J

KyAaaaAAAaaAA can't this weekend come any faster?!?!?!

30 years of awesomeness.

Yesterday was Miyavi's 30th birthday!

He's a truly inspirational person - talented, crazy, caring. And damn, only he would think of tattooing the Heart Sutra onto his back...

I'm not gonna claim to be his biggest fan or anything like that...I'm sure there are lots of fans out there who are more eligible for that title... But he really is someone I admire, not only for his talent, but for the simple fact that he's married with kids. *shrug* Something about that impresses me.

And speaking of talent...this:

Ah, Miyavi. Happy birthday, and don't stop being awesome. =u=

the obligatory awkward first post.

Rhapsody here. Since I joined the Lost Aria crew (like, a whole 2 days ago), I figured I should take this new identity of mine and run with it. And so here I am, starting this blog.

As is the case when I start all blogs, I am having trouble conjuring up something creative for my first post. So here's a quick and easy solution - I'll tell you 10 facts about myself, different to the facts on our official site. Because lists are cool.

01.

Lists are cool.

02.

If you're fine with it, then I'm fine with it too.

03.

At 16 I wanted to be Yoshiki's psychiatrist.

04.

When not being a ditzy fangirl, I'm your friendly neighbourhood pharmacist.

05.

Offer me sweets and I'm yours forever.

06.

I'm a sucker for bishounen - fictional and real.

07.

...Which is perhaps why I like Visual Kei.

08.

Balance is key - I like a bit of everything except sports, really.

09.

I will laugh at anything, and cry at anything.

10.

Daydreaming isn't a habit, but a lifestyle.

And there you go. Let's hope my next post is more interesting!