Diabolik Lovers: Episode 6 (Spoilers)

Yui & Subaru (Diabolik Lovers)

Well, my previous hope from here was slightly diminished. In the sixth episode, Yui was given a chance to leave by Subaru and guess what? She didn't take it.




One thing I did like seeing was that Yui was about to take this chance Subaru offered. He mentioned that current night was the time to escape. No one would follow her. She attempted to do so, packing her bag and what not.

Then she saw her father's diary, compelling her to stay in the mansion to find out the 'truth'. Okay, reasonable reason to stay and I don't feel the need to completely criticize her choice since again, there was an attempt to leave.

This showed she wasn't happy living there and not enjoying the attention she was receiving. This is a significant change in comparison to some other animanga although I do wish she would've just left completely, having the boys regret their attitudes towards her.

I was too hopeful.

This episode was slightly better than the previous one. Clearly, Kanato has the most serious problem as he attempted to choke her in the room of waxed figures of past brides?

At the end of the day, every single one of boys has mommy issues and Yui is obviously connected to that.

So far, Subaru has maintained his composure and gave Yui the knife which can kill vampires. She kept it and hopefully, uses it if one of the boys attempts anything non-consensual.

Well done, Subaru, I truly hope you don't become like the rest of your brothers.

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Reverse Harem: Favourite Bishonen

In the anime-adaption of otome games or novels, I'm usually not fond of the focused male character.

Instead, I find the second or third competing character fascinating. Here's a compilation of my favourite bishonen~

Natsume & Suburu from Brothers Conflict

Ukyo from Amnesia

Eisen & Yosuaki from Harukanaru Toki no Nake de

Jolly & Luca from La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia

Brothers Conflict is my current favourite - it really pushes the usual hints in other reverse harem anime. 

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Diabolik Lovers: An Opinion of the Showcased Abuse (Spoilers)

A particular genre of Japanese media became popular in recent years and it's known as reverse harem. Visual novels generate substantial revenue and their popularity prompted an increased production rate. Only a sliver of them get adapted into anime, though, and that's become a favourite pastime of mine.

The most recent show to make my list is Diabolik Lovers from Idea Factory. Boy, was I in for a disturbing surprise.
When I initially watched it, I had no idea the premise of the series were vampires. I don't like vampires as romantic interests because it defeats their purpose. Twilight also ruined a lot of things for me. Even though I hate vampires, I continued watching the series because it was the first  I picked up after a hiatus from anime.

Honestly, the recent episodes are of concern. Episode 4 contained a metaphor for rape. Let's go into why I believe so.

The plot centred around Komori Yui, a supposedly, normal high school student who moved into a mansion occupied by six sadistic vampire brothers. They take interest - a word that apparently has more contextual uses that I thought, as this series taught me - in her due to her blood. Obvious, I suppose, but bam, she's connected to their past somehow.

Komori Yui

Don't be deceived by the picture! Yui hasn't smiled in the anime yet. In contrast, her personality in the game adjusts depending on the route chosen. Maybe if I played the game, I wouldn't have been so disturbed by the anime.

Yui reminded me of a sweet yet naive woman about to become involved in an abusive relationship. All of the brothers are indeed sadistic. They are attracted to her blood, meaning they want her around, and they treat her terribly. She attempted to fight but there was absolutely no one to assist her in this situation, making it much more difficult to achieve freedom.

As I mentioned earlier, episode 4 was horrendous. Raito, who nicknamed her 'Bitch-chan', really pushed boundaries when he forced himself on her in a church. Although there wasn't any vaginal sex, it was rape. He sucked her blood while she protested.

It was awful.

Contextually, her faith in God, church and religion was the only positive aspect of this episode. I say this because it showed her resilience against Raito's attempt of breaking her. He told her she was a sacrifice to the family the church offered.  

Yui's belief held her back from becoming an abused partner. She placed her faith in God and refused to submit to the brothers. 

All of this was a reminder of my friend who was once in an abusive relationship. Despite what the man said or did to her, she returned to him time after time because she was conditioned to. She thought there was no other man for her and did not listen to what her friends, who cared for her, had to say.

I hope this scenerio does not become the finale of the anime - where Yui is completely dominated by one of the brothers. It would not be romantic in any way whatsoever although I am quite aware of those in the world who have such fantasies.

If it isn't obvious, the issue I have with the series is the depiction of a submissive female partner. Being born in a family of three sisters, my parents empowered us to not let a man dictate our lives but to live in harmony with him or on equal basis.

So all in all, the portrayal of the plot in the anime was disappointing. I'm not sure if the game was too different as I feel extremely sorry for Yui. Although it is tempting to halt all interest in this, I will persevere to see whether or not Yui will eventually break free from all of them or if she will continue down the path of abuse.  

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Ocarina of Time: The End of a Journey

Around five or six years ago, I began playing 'Ocarina of Time' again.

I never completely finished the game when I was much younger and my courage had increased since then, making it easier to fight the freaky looking monsters.

In comparison to my childhood, the concept of friendship within the game was stronger. The few scenes in this game made me think of how close to reality these bonds can be. For those of you who haven't played the game or remember it well, here's a brief summary interlaced with my commentary.




In the beginning, the audience becomes acquainted with Saria, a green haired Kokiri child,  who is Link's childhood friend.

These scenes near the beginning of the game allowed us to understand Saria will be a vital character in the near future. In the following scenes, when Link leaves the Forest, we further understand the bond they shared when Link hesitated to leave.

Bittersweet.

Little did Link know that years would pass before he would see his friend once again. After 7 years, he returned to the forest and found that it changed considerably. Upholding his role as the Hero, the now teenage boy went to save his friend...

...only to learn that she is the Sage of the Forest.

Here Saria acknowledged that her childhood days are over and she must take responsibility given to her. It was a little saddening that two very good friends could not be together again.

This wasn't the only scene which touched me - the other was between Navi and Link in the finale.

Navi, the little fairy, had been with Link since the beginning as she was tasked to guide him through the quest. Through thick and thin, she has been with him whether it be giving hints for the area's puzzle or just nagging about moving onto the next area.

Alas, their fate was the same as Saria and Link's - Navi had completed her mission and there wasn't a need to stay with Link anymore.

At the end, Link had matured and had regained his lost time thanks to Zelda, the Sage of Time. Now he knows what awaits him and I am positive he'd make good use of his childhood.

It was at this point I reminisced about my final year in high school - it was filled with childish drama but happy memories overall. There were friends whom I've lost touch with completely but during my teenage years, they were very important to my development as an adult, especially in the transition of high school to university.

Then there are those friends who stay with you until the end. I hope for the ones who are with me now, they stay until the end of my journey.

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Welcome to my personal space~

There's a lot on my minds these days so what better way to organize my thoughts than to blog? The public is always free to leave an opinion ;)

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Getting to Know Your African Grey Parrot

Of all the parrot kinds out there, the African grey parrot is considered as the most intelligent, not just the most beautiful. Due to their superb talking abilities, African grey parrot has excellent communication skills. The two types of African grey are Congo and Timheh wherein the former has light gray color with reddish tail while the latter has dark charcoal gray color with maroon tail.

African grey parrots, further, are medium-sized parrots. An African grey parrot grows up to 14 inches on average. Males are larger than females though it is difficult to distinguish between the two. Female parrots, however, are more dignified and composed. They also have narrower heads as well as more slender necks.

The lifespan of an African grey parrot is 60 years wherein it might longer than its owner. Throughout these years, the owner should commit at understanding the unique needs of this parrot, keeping them stimulated in the process. For one, an African grey parrot is one of the most demanding of all parrot species. They tends to get bored more easily than other parrots thus, the environment should be highly interactive.

Training an African grey parrot requires commitment as well. This would not be that difficult considering the fact that these parrots are fast learners; they are proficient in learning new tricks. Nonetheless, you should use lots of reinforcements and rewards. They will help in teaching your parrot to talk.

When the needs of an African grey parrot are not satisfied, this might result to different behavioral problems like feather picking. Even when there is a slight change on his surrounding, he will turn into a cranky and picky parrot. What's worse, he might self-mutilate. Of course, you do not want this to happen.

An African grey parrot can be very challenging as well. You will eventually observe his non-compliance when being disciplined. He will find difficulties biting and chewing his food as well. These parrots pick up bad habits rather quickly, so as the owner, you should also be on your best behavior. As such, the parrots are most suited for big families especially with kids that will give the parrot lots of attention.

Be aware, however, that the black beak of the African grey parrot is hard. He uses it as a secondary hand which means that the kids might get beaten. Make them aware of this. Tell them that the proper way to handle these parrots is through giving them a scratch on their heads occasionally. Cuddle the parrot, but beware because he might attempt at kissing you. This not only hurts, but it will also subject your pet to harmful bacteria from your mouth.

When buying an African grey parrot, you should not be victimized by unscrupulous breeders. This is expected because these parrots are sold for more than $2,000. Since you are no expert to buying an African grey parrot, there are some factors that you should consider.

As already noted, there are just two kinds of these parrots. Ask the breeder what kind of African grey they are selling. Most definitely, the breeder will show you various Congo and Timneh parrots. One way to distinguish between the two is that Congo parrots are bigger than Timneh parrots.

You will know that you are looking at African grey parrots when they fluff up their wings when you approach them. This is their defense habit which they do when they feel threatened. They are also in the habit of chewing whatever they get hold into. If the breeder shows you the parrots, you should notice some twigs and toys inside their cages.

If you do not find all these among the African grey parrots presented to you, chances are, these are not real African greys. You should find yourself a decent breeder who will not swindle you. On the other hand, it is your responsibility to educate yourself on finding the right African grey parrot.

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Some Useful Tips to Keep Flies Away From Your Chicken Coop

When you raise chickens or any other domestic pets, flies are bound to hover around them and their living area. Still, you can take some precautions to reduce their number or even try to eradicate them, so that you can minimize the risks of diseases and infections they carry. Like most insects, flies love moist, warm and odorous surroundings and you would need different approaches or ideas for different flies and hence you will need to employ multi-spiked plan to drive them out! We shall talk about them one by one here.

Sand as floor covering

Use sand for run ground covering if you want the driest coop. Using sand as chicken coop litter - or bedding for that matter, though they will not sleep on the sand - will ensure that sand absorbs all the moisture from chickens' droppings and any water spill. The sand will also suppress the odor quickly and make poop cleaning easier.

Clean the poop

First thing in the morning, remember to remove the overnight chicken droppings collected in the coop overnight. Using a dropping board will make your job of cleaning the smelly poop much easier, as you can scrape it off into your compost pile.

Growing aromatic plants

Growing aromatic pants like basil, mint, rosemary and lavender, will ward off flies as they all are natural fly repellents.

Alternatively, you might think of growing some carnivorous plants that polish off insects!

Add herbs inside the coop

Do not forget to add some fresh or dried herbs inside the coop and on the nest boxes too. This is a good way of dispelling the poop smell and keeping the flies away.

Ensure the place is dry

Pooling or stagnant water around the coop is a strict "no-no". Flies happily breed in moist places. Introduce quick drainage facility wherever needed.

Sprucing it up after snacks

If you give your chickens some sweet snacks - so that they are able to withstand the summer heat -, make sure that there are no tell-tale syrupy signs that will instantly lure the flies. Clean up the area thoroughly and discard the remnants into your compost pile.

Introduce fly predators

They are tiny wasp like insects that do not hurt human beings but eat fly larva and this action prevents hatching and formation of adult flies. All that you have to do is scatter them in all manure areas. You will need only a few minutes but you would have successfully warded off the flies. These fly predators work fine in the case of other pet animals too. Millions of livestock owners have depended heavily on them for decades now.

Vertical manure composting

Do not compost your manure in a wide area. Instead, try composting your manure in a vertical pile so that the temperature inside the compost goes up leading to faster decomposition. BY doing so, you are also curtailing odor-emitting surface. Also, to increase the temperature of the compost further, try covering it with black plastic sheet. Flies prefer it warm and not hot, so they will keep away from your compost. Keep your compost pile away from your coop.

Fans inside the coop

Install fans inside the chicken coop to facilitate air flow. Flies will not be able to fight the air turbulence and will not enter the coop. Many coop owners claim that air fresheners having vanilla fragrance also drive away flies.

Rob is an expert in building chicken coops and looking after chickens. It is highly recommended to check out his professional information on how and where to get the best chicken coop plans .

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