10 Promises To My Dog

So last night I happened to switch places with my girlfriend (she was watching some dramas on the PS3 and I was gaming in our PC) and I sit down and kind of look around the site she was at. I jumped over to the Japanese movies section and I played the first thing that caught my eye.

How can you ignore a pup with a face like that right?

It was a very good movie, though it is a sad tale, it is also very touching all the way through. And it struck very close to home for me and as the movie progressed, I could relate to Akari (who grows up through the course of the movie) in that she began to neglect her pup as she grew up. Life changes, interests changes and things just don't stay the way they were.

Hell I felt guilty maybe as much as the character did at the end!

Akari brings Socks to visit her mother for the first time.

My own relationship with my dog is somewhat similar to Akari's with Socks. I had got Brindy just as my Grandma was diagnosed with cancer and she had just returned from being here on Oahu for more then a year due to her condition. She passed away shortly after returning home. But she got to meet Brindy, if only for a brief moment in time.

And Brindy was around for just a little over 10 years (about 12 really) and we sure did grow up together. I remember the first day she was brought home. I never experienced having a dog before, so I was more then a little timid. And she had an attitude. She'd growl and snap at me and I just didn't like her at all. What a bitch!

But as time went on, we got along better and better. My folks would yell at her and she'd run away to her house. I'd try to scold her and she'd just jump up on my side and wag her tail like she was the happiest dog around.

I remember times when my step dad would scream and yell at me and I'd walk out to get away. I'd go and sit next to Brindy and she'd just happily sit next to me and be her happy self. Whenever I'd try to leave, she'd bolt up and jump up on my side, as if trying to get me to stay longer.

How I miss those days...

I may not have made the 10 promises to her, but a lot of what was said surely were true no less.

What could make me relate to Akari so much was when the character grows up and leaves home. I can't say for sure if I grew up (matured) myself, but I did leave home at 18 and I never really made it back to visit my folks that much and so I never really saw Brindy that often either. I felt bad about not being able to go home, more so when I began to hear about how time and illness was getting to her.

Akari and Socks, years later.

All of these memories stirred up during the course of this movie and I couldn't help myself as tears worked themselves up in my eyes. It made me feel so bad for not visiting my old friend, but it also reminded me of all the good things about that crazy old dog of mine. I am glad to have stumbled onto this movie and I'd recommend anyone who loves dogs to go and make it a point to see this one. 

Back To Business

Now I've been reading about the rumors about the possible near future release of Final Fantasy IX on PSN. Lo and behold, it seems that is no longer a rumor and it has become fact that FFIX is on its way to PSN or at least for the Japanese PSN. But it would be right to assume that it'll arrive here in the States too, right? I mean they've already gone through with FF VII and FFVIII, so why not FFIX too?! I will continue on in life under the assumption that the game is coming! It must! Of all the Final Fantasy games on the original Playstation, this one holds a unique spot for me.

Why?

Because this is the one Final Fantasy that I never was able to finish. During this time, I spent a great deal of time being grounded back in high school, so gaming was practically nonexistent for me or at least as far as my parents knew of. It absolutely sucks having to try and play a RPG in secret, because the hours that I was able to play were usually after midnight and that was a drag to be sure.

So this is kind of like redemption for me, to finally be able to get closure on a Final Fantasy that I liked in some ways, and disliked in others.

And I said I would write about Ponyo, which I only got to watch recently and so here that one goes now. My quick thoughts about it? I liked it, I enjoyed it almost as much as I did Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away. But what got to me about this was the supposed challenges that was to test Sosuke's love for Ponyo.

Where and what were these tests supposed to be? I didn't see anything all that trying, but maybe I was expecting too much?

Regardless of that, as I said, I did enjoy Ponyo as it was every bit as imaginative as any of Hayao Miyazaki's films. It was a cute story and dare I say I enjoyed it more then I did the Little Mermaid (which it was supposed to have been based on)? Okay, maybe that isn't a fair comparison.

Anyway, recap! Yes I enjoyed Ponyo and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who has a heart for animated movies and especially to people who've enjoyed Hayao Miyazaki's previous movies. It is good!

Cyborg Girl

Quick little post here...

So carrying on from my last post, yes I was feeling like crap to say the least. And that feeling dragged with me through both jobs, which would have likely left me in a heap.

BUT.

There was a movie that had caught my attention and I've actually been wanting to watch this since the first time I saw this around (probably about a half a year ago?).

It's called "Cyborg Girl" or "Cyborg She."

I would like to go into details about it and rant and rave about how much I enjoyed it. Let me just say this: The movie is cute, funny, strange and downright sad when it all comes down to it. It is very, very, VERY touching!

I won't lie and I'm man enough to admit, yes, yes... I, like many who've watched this movie, had shed a tear or two during the duration. It is damn near impossible not to, especially as everything begins to come together. Both Haruka Ayase (the cyborg girl) and Keiseke Koide (Jiro, the main actor character guy) play their characters superbly and goddamn it, they make you care.

What I liked even more was the ending, which is absolutely a twist I never expected. All in all, it was a very nice and much needed change of pace. Hell, after watching that movie I certainly feel a whole lot happier, lighter and just better then I was earlier yesterday.

Anyway, never you mind reading this posting any further! YouTube this movie! Watch it! Watch it now! I compel you!

HAPPY ENDING! I NEED SLEEP!