Saturday, December 10, 2011

Comic Review: The Way To Your Heart

Summary
Title: The Way To Your Heart
Creator: Emily Muto
Publisher: Self-published Web-Comic
# books in series: 16 tracks (chapters) of the time of this article which you can purchase as an ebook at WOWIO.com
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Status: On-going
Genre: Shoujo/Romance


Plot

(Copied from the TWTYH About Page)
Yumi Takahashi has just transferred to the prestigious St. Othello Academy, a western-style school for the best and brightest of Japan. Aside from being shy and trying to deal with a new environment, she's found herself caught up in the lives of the four gorgeous members of the visual kei band Orochi! The vocalist, Miyabi Otsuki, holds a major grudge and aspires to make Yumi's life miserable. With friends to help her and a budding love interest, Yumi is thrust forward into her exciting new life filled with wild emotions, teenage angst and passion!

Aisa's Thoughts
 
I just heard that it's TWTYH's 9th Anniversary! Congrats to Emi Muto and her wonderful dedication! I've been meaning to write up a review on her comic for awhile and thought why not a better time than now!

Many of you probably know of The Way To Your Heart but just bare with me. It started off as a spin off of Boys Over Flowers by Yoko Kamio (I loved that manga) but Emi began to change the story in a completely different way and I loved it. She infused her love of the visual kei genre into her story and it just took off!

The characters are three dimensional and complex, I love Yumi she's sweet, pretty, and smart. Even the minor characters have a personality. Gotta love Toshio, Miyabi, Akito, and Shuya and the fact they all have love interests. Eizo always cracks me up. Ms. Muto's love triangles are intriguing and I love her fashion sense. Little Mouse's clothes are always fun and the type I would love to wear! Emi Muto knows how to write a story and can keep you wanting more.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Aisazia @ Storenvy

Opened a new online store at aisazia.storenvy.com. Please stop by and check out my store. :) If you feel ever so inclined, feel free to pick up something. If you feel like shipping is too much, don't hesitate to contact me (etherealvoices AT gmail.com) and we can work out the shipping.

I can print anything in my drgnspirit.deviantart.com/gallery so let me know if you have an image you'd like me to print that's not available in my store.

Also please let me know what type of merchandise you'd like to see. So far I I have prints but am looking into keychains, stickers, and buttons. In the distant future, I plan to put up my comics, mini-comics, and sketchbooks. Let me know if you guys have any questions, comments, or concerns! :)

Friday, September 2, 2011

Take the Leap

Many great things indeed have been achieved by those who chose not to leap into the mainstream
-   Joan Mondale

In the last post, I spoke about gauging "risk" but now I'd like to talk about an action associated as a possible result of risk, and that is "leaping." Many people have been held back from their true potential by not trusting their guts or instincts. As an observer, it is a shame to see brilliant talent hidden underneath a shadowed shield of fear. For instance, it is disheartening to see people create popular mainstream work just because it'll "sells" or because the "everyone else is doing it" mentality. It is distressing to see that potential stunted by such anxiety. Who knows, what may seem weird to others at the time can be the next "big thing."

If you have the guts to keep making mistakes, your wisdom and intelligence leap forward with huge momentum.
-   Holly Near

It is the fear of rejection and the lack of confidence that holds most of us back from being our "true-selves" or from reaching our full potential. However, each little mistake can help us tailor our skills and better ourselves. Those little steps help propel us forward to improvement, knowledge, and experience. If you are able to keep track of fixing mistakes, you'll later be able to track your progress and see how you've grown. My sketchbooks are a way of tracking my art progress even though I cringe at the older art. Now if every time you are able to overcome that little fear when you make a mistake or when things don't turn out as you'd hope. Perseverance and determination are your strongest offense and the key to becoming great.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Risk

My Originalities,

Risk to me is a state or feeling that we must all deal with at one time or another in our lives. It is pretty much inevitable. However, with the correct way to handle that state, the results may be worth the risk. I am by no means an expert risk taker, rather I'm fairly a non-risk taker. However, by watching people and observing others, I've learned that I could be holding myself back from what could be great.

Why not go out on a limb?  Isn't that where the fruit is? 
-   Frank Scully

Still hardly the risk taker but I've been learning to try to do something I've never done before. If you never take a risk, then life would be unfulfilling and you'll probably have many regrets. There are some people that rather just let destiny run its course and let their lives dwell on luck. That isn't a completely horrible decision but there are times where you need to take your destiny in your own hands and take action. 

For instance, love, if you don't do anything then nothing will happen. If you risk your pride and attempt to share your love, then the love may blossom and be returned in full. Of course there are times when life doesn't always work out the way you planned, but then you would not be living with regrets of what could have been. When you do take action, the reward may be more than worth the risk. It is up to you to decide if the risk is worth the reward.

Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.
-   Thomas Jefferson 

Action will make events happen faster and in the direction you want it to go. Being indecisive or passive will not really get you anywhere. Unfortunately I still battle with these two faults myself. Nevertheless, life is about growing and bettering yourself a little at a time. I want to identify myself and understand myself a little better. I don't want to be held down by me over thinking every little detail or possibility. Each little action helps define who you are and what you will become. Sometimes one has to tell themselves to "Just do it." Be spontaneous! Don't think about it. Otherwise you'll just hold yourself back.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Beyond Logic and Reasoning

My Originiques, 

Today I'd like to discuss the sense of logic and reasoning. Most normal people have grown up using their sense of logic or reasoning to make decisions taught to us by our parents. This isn't bad but there is a point when growing up where I thought I always thought had to choose the right path, make the right decision. Thus, I would cautiously make decisions even on the simplest of things not wanting to regret my choice. Luckily my family has always been patient while I was carefully thinking.

"Many great ideas have been lost because the people who had them could not stand being laughed at."
-   Unknown

There are probably thousands of amazing ideas that have been lost due to its unrealistic nature. The exact amount? We'll most likely never know. There is a boundary and fine line between crazy and unreasonable. I'm not telling you to do anything erratic but to think more outside the norms. Those who are able to achieve that can become historical figures. Then again those who give into the laughter fade in with the norms of their society. Never let someone tell you how to think or what to do. You have a mind of your own that God gave you. Use it and never look back. Always trust your instincts, logic, and reasoning to a certain extent. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and dream.

"True courage is a result of reasoning. A brave mind is always impregnable."
-   Jeremy Collier

Eventually I grew up realizing there is no right path. The choice you make or the ideas you have may not always make sense. Something you might think is the "next-big-thing" could be impossible for others to believe. However, it may mean that they aren't "seeing" it the same way as you or have as big a vision as you do. Or they just may not be ready for it at all. However, it is those who ignore the laughter and persevere for their beliefs that are remembered. As long as you stay strong and courageous, there are others who will eventually recognize your bravery. (Please do note that not EVERY idea is noteworthy, probably 3% of ideas are truly remarkable)

"One way we can enliven the imagination is to push it toward the illogical. We're not scientists. We don't always have to make the logical, reasonable leap."
-   Stella Adler  

Many of you may or may not already know but sometimes you have to act. Just do it. Thinking isn't bad but it does sometimes hold you back from what could have been a great thing. Most of us probably aren't scientists but most, if not all of us are dreamers. We all have a dream within us that our instincts and intuition tell us to follow. It's just the matter of using our imagination to break through to achieve it. Sometimes it doesn't always make sense but life doesn't always make sense, does it? Just as long as you recognize the safety limits should you constantly act upon your dreams.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Be Your Change in the World

To my Creativities, 


"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."
-   Clarence Darrow

I don't examine this quote scientifically but as a standalone sentence I see its value and believe it to be true. If you don't learn to grow and change, you get left behind. If you're alive and reading this, congrats! You've learned to change and adapt. As a child I was super shy, I was always the one running away to hide behind my parents when I first met someone new. I wouldn't even look them straight in the eye. I would never raise my hand in school even though I knew the answer. This went all the way up to high school. I think it was when I went to college where I learned to speak up. I'm still quiet and shy but I've learned to speak my mind and give my opinion.

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
-   Leo Tolstoy

Since I was young I remember people saying they want to change the world. Politicians, doctors, and everyday citizens like you and me. However, in order to change the world, you have to change yourself first. Find your flaws and try to fix them. Embrace and enhance your strengths. These are continuous because you are always growing and changing. Use your unique strengths to influence others. I don't mean throw everything to a person about what they should or should not do. Just little by little positively influence the people you meet. Each person you come in contact with affects you and you influence that person. It depends on your reaction on how it'll affect you and your future.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Comic Review: Devil's Cake

Summary
Title: Devil's Cake
Creator: Angi Mauri
Publisher: Self-published Web-Comic
# books in series: Vol. 1

Status: On-going
Genre: Fantasy/Comedy/Romance


Plot

(Copied from Vol. 1st of DC)
Kea's school daze turns to a nightmare when a demon crashes into her life. The struggle to understand what is illusion and what is reality may just cost her mind. Can Kea find the truth?

When Kea finds that her bad luck with boys isn't a 'what' but a 'who', will her sanity survive the IN-sanity that ensues?

Aisa's Thoughts
 
As a growing artist, it's fun to watch other artists grow. That's what I think of when I read Devil's Cake, the constant growth and development of the characters. I think DC is somewhat under appreciated. I think it is a fascinating read, because of the ability to learn and piece together the character's past is very interesting. I've been following Angi and DC for awhile and was excited to see there was a published volume and picked it up right away. :) 

There is a subtle fantasy-uniqueness to this comic in terms of location and time period. It's also interestingly fresh compared to what I've read in other web-comics. Her characters are memorable and quirky which is something all good stories should have.

Angi does a wonderful job not falling into the typical stereotypes (in my opinion) where the girl falls in love immediately with the male lead. The female protagonist, Kea, is a bookworm, but for that reason I also relate to her *is a fellow bookworm*. She has great expressions, which are often caused by the male lead. XD I have to admit, I fell in love with both leads but have large amounts of respect with the male lead in terms of his affection. You'll have to read it to understand why. lol The combination of the two together made me laugh constantly. The story is lovely and I'm always looking forward to reading more.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Comic Review: Fungus Grotto

Summary
Title: Fungus Grotto
Creator: Ms,Shatia Hamilton
Publisher: Self-published Web-Comic
# books in series: Vol. 1 (soon-to-be) published. (Only 5 printed chapters of the time of the article which you can purchase at
FG Shop)
Status: On-going
Genre: Fantasy/Comedy (That I know of, maybe a little romance? :D )


Plot

(Copied from the 1st Chapter of FG)
Seventeen year old Vielle wasn't ready to go off to college. After confiding in her mother, she contemplates what to do next. Why is growing up so hard? But that's the least of her worries. After waking up in her back yard, Vielle finds her little problems just reached epic proportions...

Vielle is like any normal 17 year old girl with dreams, goals, and aspirations. On the eve of leaving home to step into her future she finds she's not quite ready to go. Torn between 'out there' and 'comfort' Vielle takes a moment to daydream... Just dream... And she thought going out into the real world would be hard.

Aisa's Thoughts
 
Some of you may already heard of Fungus Grotto, but I just wanted to further share this wonderful original tale. :) The one reason I wanted to feature Ms,Shatia's works is because of her unique style. One thing about comics is the freedom of expression and creativity. Ms,Shatia takes that to heart. She has a beautiful-strong-female protagonist (Who is of a mixed race, perhaps? That, you don't see a lot in comics.), as well as some interesting side characters. As a supporter of diversity, it is great to see different amounts of ethnic characters. Plus, who could resist those enticing eyes?! lol

What one probably notices when you first see her graphic novel is the attractive visuals. Each panel and frame are vivid and detailed (Painstakingly, I'm sure XD). Besides the stunningly beautiful illustrations, Ms,Shatia has a great story-telling voice. I'm not exaggerating. Her characters are vibrant and lively. They all have unique and developed personalities that are fun to watch. All her visuals and dialogue flows beautifully and it is a joy to read if you like fantasy stories. Her pacing and development is fairly good for only 5 chapters. 

Friday, January 28, 2011

Let Your Voice Be Heard

Heh, first post of the year...which is almost over. ^_^;; Sorry about that, been busy. 

“The hardest times for me were not when people challenged what I said, but when I felt my voice was not heard.”
- Carol Gilligan

Anyways, have any of you ever had trouble trying to get your voice heard? Heh, you're not the only ones. I like to think I was born a shy baby but as I grew up I had to break out of my shell. When I was young I'd always be the one hiding behind my parents. lol Actually in middle school I was voted the "most quietest person in class".... High school wasn't much better, still quiet and shy and a loner for the most part. Not something I'm totally proud of but now I'm better. I used to get nervous and would rehearse things I'd say in my head before I actually said them. I also hated being wrong when I was younger but I soon learned that happens more often than one would like in their life. lol

Then came college where I was forced to grow up and get out there. I had to make my voice be heard. My parents no longer was there to help me all the time and kind of threw me out to get things done. Of course they would help me if I needed or asked. Although, it was strange for me because I had a tendency to want to get things done on time and accurately. I ended up missing deadlines or barely making them. lol Now I'm better at prioritizing but I still procrastinate sometimes. Shhh.....

Ah yes, the point of this entry. You all have a unique voice, thoughts, and style of talking or writing. You all just need to express it. Like I am here writing entries in a blog. It can even be expressed through art or music. Everyone has a unique story and it's really up to you whether or not you want your voice to be heard. It is a power that only you possess.