Hello...I'm new to this site but not new to the love of anime, manga, and japanese culture. I look forward to meeting friends here ^.^

SPREAD THE WORD

Hello my lovely readers and writers who read.....I have news for you.

There is a friend of mine who is really passionate about what he does but needs the help of everyone to make this happen for real. He is a author of a manga series that he is trying to get published and to get noticed. He is a serious writer that has a really good concept. His imagination is amazing and the plot is tasteful. He has his artist drawing up the manga and are finishing the toning. Pretty soon he'll have it up and ready to be embraced. I as a friend read the story lines and I am very impressed by how well it is written.

Here is the story's concept:

"Horizon Story Concept

The once great lands are ravaged by two giant serpents who take over the Northern and Southern regions. However, a light has pierced the darkness in the form of a young lady named Kan Miko. With her friends the great cat Enzeru, Nibori the jingo, Junko, her brother Taro and their pet Nana; they battle to retrieve the six Sochi riches that would lead them to the gateway called Horizon.

They first travel through the Southern region ruled by the serpent Nero, where they encounter the mighty Domain, a fallen city, massive caverns and a grand tower. Before they cross over to the Northern side, they must escape from the enormous jingo war. In the Northern region, they pass over the great divide into a different culture and lifestyle. There they must take on the wrath of the other serpent, Grod.

The final leg of the journey leads them to the land of the Unknown. There they are able to retrieve the final two Sochi riches. At last, the location is unveiled to Miko and her friends, but opening it will be met with a strong resistance from the combined armies of the two serpents. However, the assault fails and Horizon is open thus restoring the lands to it once was again.

Horizon is a series that brings hope to those who believe there isn’t much to this world. It shows that it really is darkest before the dawn. Females of all ages will witness Miko as a strong girl who never backs down in the face of adversity. Young men will root for the warrior Nibori and Enzeru as they battle through what seems to be impossible odds. Horizon will inspire and strengthen the resolve of readers everywhere."

Now if your curious about this then rest assure you can take a look at them:

(Horizon 1) http://www.tokyopop.com/horizon/fiction/915876.html
(Horizon 2) http://www.tokyopop.com/horizon/fiction/915901.html
(Horizon 3) http://www.tokyopop.com/horizon/fiction/915913.html
(Horizon 4) http://www.tokyopop.com/horizon/fiction/915919.html

So if you like what you see, Spread the word. If you don't, Spread the word. Have a good read!

Visual Kei

This happens to be my favorite genre of music ever since I first heard of the band Buck Tick. I looked this band up and I was introduced to this genre where the bands all dress up in make-up, elaborate outfits, interesting hair styles and have incrediable music to match it.

It is called, Visual Kei.

Visual Kei is something of a sub-genre to J-rock (Japanese rock) but with it's own style of glam rock, metal, punk and the like. Now, if anyone is a fan of glam rock, especially from England, you will know the leader and revolutionary David Bowie started and led the glam rock era during the late 1960s to early 1970s, in which Ziggy Stardust came from. There were also other personas Daivd Bowie took on but that in itself is another discussion. Visual Kei started in the 1980s with such bands as X Japan becoming the leaders for future bands to form in the 80s, such as Buck Tick and Luna Sea. From then on bands like Malice Mizer formed in the early 1990s and became quite influencial like X Japan. Now if you see a patten in some of the groups, is there style that they present, like Malice Mizer. They have a gothic lolita of a victorian mix that you can't deny is, one word, beautiful. Now do not confuse the members but they are genernally all men dressed up. In my opinion I think that it is awesome that they can pull the amount of make-up and elaborate clothing that shows off the music. It really is a self-explainitory genre.

After a few years of trying to show the world the genre of this incrediable sounding music, it is lead by the now generation of bands like Versailles, who formed in 2007 and have this Amazing style of 18th Century Victorian and the music of Symphonic metal, Power metal, and Neo-Classical metal. Another band to come out of 2007 is Antic Cafe or An Cafe as it's usually said are really cute and very bright with colors that are beyond neon but there sound is really good as well as Alice Nine who are also in the genre. There sound is kind of like a bouncy-punk. Then there is Nightmare. You might remember them from doing the first opening and ending for the anime Death Note. They are somewhat of a gothic-punk that are melodic yet edgy.

For any more information on this genres in terms of what bands to recommand and the genre itself then either ask me or go to wikipedia.com. They have a brief but interesting history on the genre.