Happy Birthday Li Syaoran 2011!

Syaoran's Birthday Omake by ~wishluv on deviantART

I'm pretty sure I've celebrated Syaoran's birthday far more frequently than I have Sakura's at this point, though I've probably missed it quite a few times since I have become a fan of Card Captor Sakura. Syaoran's just luckier that his birthday falls in a less busy time of the year, smack in the middle of summer. 

Shockingly enough, I wrote Syaoran's Birthday Special, "Small Wolf's Most Precious Birthday" a decade ago, and to celebrate its ten year anniversary, I finally edited it and reformatted the funky script that kept appearing on the chapter. I'm sorry it took so long to do that. I didn't realize how bad it was! Anyhow, I could really tell the one-shot was a one-shot, because apparently, I didn't even edit it before publishing it. I kept editing minimal, in spirit of keeping the high schooler Wish-chan's writing alive. I think rereading my own writing, I was impressed at how carefree things were back in the golden era of Arc 2 and also somehow I kept foreshadowing things back then. I wonder if the fifteen year old me knew that I would still be writing the same story ten years later. Probably not. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LI SYAORAN JULY 13, 2011!

Character Spotlight: Daidouji Tomoyo

Cendrillon - Tomoyo and Eriol by ~wishluv on deviantART

Tomoyo versus Eriol. Who would win in a duel of wits? I would say Tomoyo because she has the higher EQ of the two. Daidouji Tomoyo of Card Captor Sakura fame is one of the most beloved shoujo best friends of all time. She is a talented seamstress, budding filmmaker, amazing songstress and beautiful and kindhearted to boot. Not only that but she's the daughter of the president of a huge toy-making company and has six female bodyguards who escorts her all the time and a personal chauffeur. Who came beat her awesomeness?

Writing an older Tomoyo in my fanfiction, the New Trials of Card Captor Sakura was challenging and immensely enjoyable as well. Tomoyo was voted by readers as the number one character they were most similar to. Unsurprisingly, out of the large cast of characters, I would also liken myself to Tomoyo; not in terms of visual or her many hobbies, but because of her personality type as the observer. Of course, it is very difficult to be as selfless and nice as Tomoyo, but I feel like Tomoyo's numerous hobbies and obsession with Sakura in its own way veils a deep insecurity within herself as well. 

There are many Tomoyo+Eriol shippers out there, and while I am not completely convinced about a romantic relationship between the two, I am fascinated by the relationship they do have. The reason why Tomoyo's relationship with Eriol is special is not because of romantic ones but because Eriol is the only character in CCS (and consequently in New Trials) who can probably see through the poise. She is also the only person he seems to recognize as an equal as opposed to his playthings (with the exception of Mizuki Kaho, of course, though we are shown very minimal interaction between the two in the manga). I really enjoy writing scenes between the two because I think they really have a different dynamic than any of the other characters in New Trials. I haven't been able to include much Tomoyo in Arc 4 of New Trials yet, but hopefully Chapter 68 will be time for more Tomoyo awesomeness.  

Today's music spotlight is Kokia. I think if Maaya Sakamoto was not associated with Tomoyo already, Kokia's voice is one I would equate to for and older Tomoyo's singing voice. Kokia is an artist I have liked for years now, and I believe she is rather underrated. She is a talented singer and composer and the clarity and beauty of her voice I think makes her stand out amongst the other J-Pop artists. She was trained in opera as well, and some of her later songs show the true range of her voice. "Ningen tte sonna mono ne" has a long title that is rather difficult to remember, but it roughly translates to "Humans are like that." It's a song that's hard to translate because it doesn't use the personal pronoun, but it's uplifting yet mellow. Something about the timbre of the song reminds me of Tomoyo. 


If you haven't checked out the new Valentine's Day Special, check it out on my website!  4 more days till Syaoran's birthday!

Song: Ningen tte sonna mono ne - "Humans Are Like That, Aren't They?"
Singer: Kokia

Translation: Translated by Wish-chan from Korean with reference to here

Kokia - 人間ってそんなものね

kanpeki na risou ni naritakatta no?
dareka wo maneteta dake deshou?
donna tobikata datte yokatta no yo?
tobitatsu yuuki ga daiji nan deshou?
“mou dame da nante” ittari mo suru kedo

Did you want to become your perfect ideal?

You were only trying to imitate someone, weren't you?
Any way of flying was all right, wasn't it?
The most important thing is the courage to take flight, isn't it?
“It's no use,” we are used to saying, but...

naite waratte nayande okite
kanjiru subete ga jibun ni natteku
ikiru tte jibun de iru tte
atarimae no shiawase ga ureshii 
shinjiru tte ganbaru tte
sono tabi nandomo yarinaoshite
ningen tte sonna mono ne
yurushiaeru tte subarashii

Crying, laughing, worrying, waking up,
Feeling everything, I become who I am
Living, being myself,
Such simple happiness makes me happy
Believing, trying my best,

Each time, being able to start over again and again
Humans are like that, aren’t they?
The way we can forgive each other is wonderful

kakkotsukeru no wa tsukareta desho?
angai daremo ki ni shite nai yo
meiwaku wo kakeru no wa iya da nante
hitori de aruite kita tsumori na no?
ningen tte…

Aren't you tired of trying to look good?
Unexpectedly, nobody really cares

Not wanting to cause others trouble,
Did you make up your mind to walk alone?
Humans are…

tasukeatte kata kashiatte
sukoshi susunde wa tachidomatte
iki wo suite shinkokyuu shite
tama ni wa tameiki tsuitari shinagara
naite waratte nayande okite
kanjiru subete ga jibun ni natteku
ningen tte sonna mono ne
yurushiaeru tte subarashii

Helping each other, lending each other a shoulder,

Advancing a little then taking a stop,
Breathing in, taking a deep breath,
Sometimes sighing as well
Crying, laughing, worrying, waking up
Feeling everything, I become who I am
Humans are like that, aren’t they?
The way we can forgive each other is wonderful

shiawase na toki wa dareka to
wakachiau nara
sorenara kurushii toki ni mo
hitori ja nai
dareka to kyouyuu dekiru yorokobi

If you share the happy times with someone
If that’s the case, even in painful times
you are not alone
That's the joy of being able to share with someone

tasukeatte kata kashiatte
sukoshi susunde wa tachidomatte
iki wo suite shinkokyuu shite
tama ni wa tameiki tsuitari shinagara
naite waratte nayande okite
kanjiru subete ga jibun ni natteku
ningen tte sonna mono ne
yurushiaeru tte subarashii

Helping each other, lending a shoulder to each other
Advancing a little, stopping
Breathing in, taking a deep breath
Sometimes with a sigh attached
Crying, laughing, worrying, getting up
Feeling everything, we become ourselves
Humans are like that, aren’t they?
Sharing with each other is wonderful

tasukeatte kata kashiatte
sukoshi susunde wa tachidomatte
iki wo suite shinkokyuu shite
tama ni wa tameiki tsuitari shinagara
naite waratte nayande okite
kanjiru subete ga jibun ni natteku
ningen tte sonna mono ne
yurushiaeru tte subarashii

Advancing a little then stopping,
Breathing in, taking a deep breath
Sometimes sighing as well
Crying, laughing, worrying, waking up 
Feeling everything, I become who I am
Humans are like that, aren’t they? 
The way we can forgive each other is wonderful

hadaka no watashitachi wa daremo ga
yowasa ya sabishisa no naka ni
atataka na nukumori wo sagashite
dou ni ka susumou to shiteru…

We who are naked,
amid weakness and loneliness
are somehow trying to move forward to search for a little warmth...
 

New Trials Update: Valentine's Day Special - The Ring

Waiter Syaoran and Sakura by ~wishluv on deviantART

I never realized that the downside of having a blog is having a clear reminder of the how long you have been absent. Is it an oxymoron to say didn't realize I have been absent for so long, but at the same time, I was constantly thinking of how long it's been since I have updated? Many apologies for my long absence (work and sickness-induced). Though I would say the sickness was just a three-month long common cold/ bronchitis which resulted in over-the-counter medication hence constant drowsiness in the evenings when I got home from work, since I've been working pretty much 11 hour days for the past four months. I really don't know what is the greater evil: college applications, senior thesis (hundred and fifty pages galore) or work. Or an island without internet connection. All of which I have been at one point before in my decade of fanfiction writing, which consequently induced periods of being MIA.

A longer apology is included with the Valentine's Day Special: The Ring. It's a complete fluff chapter, but it is semi-plot relevant. Nah, not really. I just enjoy writing Nadeshiko and Ryuuren scenes where I can squeeze them in.

Well, it's July 7, so should we officially start the countdown till Syaoran's birthday? Yup, it's only Syaoran's birthday, not even Sakura's, that can draw me out of seclusion. Just kidding. Many apologies for missing Sakura's birthday. It just falls at the horrible time of the year. I think I've missed Sakura's birthday many more times than I have missed Syaoran's. Well, six more days to go!

Update: I just logged into the Yahoo Group after long months of absence, and sorry!!! I am not dead, and luckily, I wasn't in Japan during the time of the earthquake either, though I had originally been planning a Japan-trip around that time of the year before work to precedence over everything. I was simply brain-dead over the past couple months, that's all. Perhaps deprivation of oxygen and phlegmy coughing-induced exhaustion, from wake up, work, eat, stare at TV or computer screen then fall asleep from cold medicine (and I used to be a firm believer of cold medicines being just placebo effects). >.<