In this ongoing segment, I’ll narcissistically talk about things that I’m currently enjoying or think are cool.  I’ll plan on doing this once a week, rather than random ramblings about Dancing with the Stars or the latest failed attempt at pop music.

Music:

BoA – BoA (self titled)
This is Korean pop singer BoA’s big American debut album…although she’s been singing in English…and Japanese…and of course Korean…for many years now.  For better or worse, unlike Utada Hikaru’s big American debut album, this one doesn’t sound very Asian at all.  In fact, if you tried to pass this off as Britney’s latest work, no one would be none the wiser.  It’s a collection of above average, lightweight, catchy, current dance/”hip-pop” tunes.

Fashion:

Busted t-shirt
I posted this a little while back, but at the time it wasn’t officially a shirt.  However, it’s been approved and available for purchase.  I don’t know what it is, but artsy Pac-Man shirts are able to make me pay more than $12 for mere t-shirts.

TV:

Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers)
The live-action adaptation of the classic manga/anime series.  That being said, I wasn’t familiar with the source material, but somehow I stumbled on a recommendation to check out the TV show, so I gave it a shot.  And it sank its claws into me, causing me to watch mini-marathons each night that prevented me from going to bed before 4am.

In a nutshell, Tsukushi is a poor girl whose family is putting her through the most exclusive, rich-kid high school in Japan.  Her goal was to fly under the radar until graduation, but after defending a friend, she draws the the wrath of the school’s ruling power: the F4, a group of sons of Japan’s ruling elite in commerce, culture, and the “underworld.”  Refusing to back down from the teasing and abuse from the whole school and actually socking a punch to the F4’s leader Tsukasa, she earns F4’s respect and the admiration of their self-centered, young punk leader, much to the dismay of all the rich girls doting on the boys.  Of course Tsukasa has familial obligation to become heir to the throne of Japan’s largest financial dynasty, and his wicked mother won’t stand to have him fall in love with a peasant girl.  The side characters all have interesting side-stories that are reasonably explored, and the Cinderella story is not overly melodramatic or cheesy nor girly or sappy.  However, a certain level of over-the-topness is expected from any Japanese show.  It goes on for 20 episodes between the two seasons, plus a movie.

Books:

Watchmen
I picked up the book after watching and thoroughly enjoying the movie.  I’m about a quarter of the way in, and so far the movie’s been pretty damned spot-on.  Already knowing how things are going to play out (more or less given the tweaks to the ending), I am having lots of fun seeing hidden hints and clues in the crude 1980’s artwork.

Video Games:

House of the Dead: Overkill
It’s a non-stopbloody, funny, funky, dirty-mouthed riot.  Except for those annoying half-second freezes everytime you blow someone up to smithereens…which is quite often.  It’s easy to overlook that technical quirkiness, though when the game is just this much fun thanks to it’s incredible polish.  There’s location sensitive hit-zones that let you blow off individual limbs, grindhouse-style dirtied up image and audio filters, and a genuinely funny script despite the famously frequent f-bombs.

Buy it!  Buy it new, dammit!  Otherwise we’ll still be stuck with endless mini-game collections.  Sega is sticking its neck out by publishing all these “core gamer” titles like HotD: Overkill, MadWorld, and The Conduit.  If they don’t get any love and appreciation (read: money), then the word that’s being sent their way is that it’s not profitable to aim for the “core” gaming crowd.