Nihon a.k.a Japan

   So I kind of have a mini obsession with Japan right now... Not only do I still love Anime and Manga like I always have but I also absolutely love sushi! There are so many different types and I also find it amazing how the real, authentic sushi is prepared and rolled by hand; this is something that I would really like to try sometime!

   Oh and don't even get me started on all the amazing quality teas that come out of Japan! With my current Teavana craze that I'm in, I'm really looking forward to enjoying some of their Japanese green teas as well as many others. What's kind of funny is how I was basically drawn to a National Gegraphic Japan calendar when looking for my new calendar today at the mall. I was tired of the typical puppy calendars and Simpsons ones (oh and the snowboarding ones as well!), that I've had so many times before! I figured it was time for something different and I had a the 'nature/landscapes' kind of theme in mind as something to look for. There definitely was a whole lot of calendars with nature scenes but when I saw my Japan calendar, I instantly knew that there weren't any better!

                                                      My Japan Calendar

   Sure looking at pictures of Japan and hearing about it is very enjoyable but my dream is to one day be there! Of all the places in the world, Japan would definitely be one that I wish to visit the most. I find the culture and traditions as well as the nature in the countrysides, all to be just so fantastic! I think if I was to go somewhere on my first trip payed for entirely by myself, it would be Japan way before anywhere else! Of course, like so many lovers of Japan who are also adventurists, a goal of mine is to one day climb to the very top of Mt. Fuji. I can just imagine the wonderful view of Japan's countryside that you would be able to take in from so high up in the sky! That would definitely be a highlight of my life and I hope for it to one day become a reality.

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS!

   I just recently saw Rise of the Guardians in theatres with my mother and my sister and let me say, I was pleasantly surprised with the overall quality of this film! From what I had been hearing about this movie, whether that be from people I know who saw it or those otherwise uneducated on this film, I was under the impression that it was another childish Dreamworks movie but it was really so much more!

 

   There were truly so many levels to this movie that make it appealing to every age group, for example: simpler humour for the little ones- things like falling over in a funny manner- and more complex, sometimes dryer humour for the more mature folks. To add to this, there was also a very strong plot line and it was strong quite simply because the background story was built up more solid than some Dreamworks films of the past. As a result of each character having a solid background story, particularly the main character 'Jack Frost' played by big-screen star Chris Pine, each of their characters and personalities are made more believable and relatable than one would expect from an animated character.

                                          
                                        Rise of the Guardians- Official Tralier (2).

  

   In recent years especially, I truly believe that animated films are really rising to the caliber and high standards set by live-action films in the sense that they are more realistic, and sometimes more dramatic, than they have ever been before. Maybe it's partially because of this that with Rise of the Guardians and Up, two films by dreamworks Animation in very recent years (2009 and 2012), I was really captivated by the emotions of the stories that were told and I was actually brought to tears by both of these films. I can say say for sure that if an animated film was real and heartfelt enough to make me cry from sympathizing with the characters; that it was definitely a great animated production!

 

   It was simply an added bonus that this story was brought to life by so many great and talented big-name actors such as Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Isla Fisher and Hugh Jackman to name a few. I don't think that any other set of actors could have done as great a voice acting job as they have done for Rise of the Guardians. I have to mention as well that I am a huge fan of Hugh Jackman and have seen all the X-Men movies multiple times each and he was always my favourite character (even in the video games!), so it was really interesting to see him take on something new; that being voice acting.

                  
                    The Wolverine | Hugh Jackman & James Mangold Livechat (2013) 

  

   I am also quite looking forward to very soon seeing another recent film starring him, 'Les Misérables' and also starring many other great actors like Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter- Anne and Helena being two of my more favourite actors! However, I am mostly quite excited to see Hugh Jackman in this film, as well as in the upcoming 'Wolverine' (26 July 2013) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (18 July 2014)! I can't wait!!!