Thursday, November 15, 2007

The Snow Bride

Mosaku and his apprentice Minokichi journeyed to a forest, some little distance from their village. It was a bitterly cold night when they neared their destination, and saw in front of them a cold sweep of water. They desired to cross this river, but the ferryman had gone away, leaving his boat on the other side of the water, and as the weather was too inclement to admit of swimming across the river they were glad to take shelter in the ferryman's little hut.
Mosaku fell asleep almost immediately he entered this humble but welcome shelter. Minokichi, however, lay awake for a long time listening to the cry of the wind and the hiss of the snow as it was blown against the door.
Minokichi at last fell asleep, to be soon awakened by a shower of snow falling across his face. He found that the door had been blown open, and that standing in the room was a fair woman in dazzlingly white garments. For a moment she stood thus; then she bent over Mosaku, her breath coming forth like white smoke. After bending thus over the old man for a minute or two she turned to Minokichi and hovered over him. He tried to cry out, for the breath of this woman was like a freezing blast of wind. She told him that she had intended to treat him as she had done the old man at his side, but forbore on account of his youth and beauty. Threatening Minokichi with instant death if he dared to mention to anyone what he had seen, she suddenly vanished.
Then Minokichi called out to his beloved master, "Mosaku, Mosaku, wake! Something very terrible has happened!" But there was no reply. He touched the hand of his master in the dark, and found it was like a piece of ice. Mosaku was dead!
During the next winter, while Minokichi was returning home, he chanced to meet a pretty girl by the name of Yuki. She informed him that she was going to Yedo, where she desired to find a situation as a servant. Minokichi was charmed with this maiden, and he went so far as to ask if she were betrothed, and hearing that she was not, he took her to his own home, and in due time married her.
Yuki presented her husband with ten fine and handsome children, fairer of skin than average. When Minokichi's mother died, her last words were in praise of Yuki, and her eulogy was echoed by many of the country folk in the district.
One night, while Yuki was sewing, the light of a paper lamp shining upon her face, Minokichi recalled the extraordinary experience he had had in the ferryman's hut.
"Yuki," said he, "you remind me so much of a beautiful white woman I saw when I was eighteen years old. She killed my master with her ice-cold breath. I am sure she was some strange spirit, and yet tonight she seems to resemble you."
Yuki flung down her sewing. There was a horrible smile on her face as she bent close to her husband and shrieked, "It was I, Yuki-Onna, who came to you then, and silently killed your master! Oh, faithless wretch, you have broken your promise to keep the matter secret, and if it were not for our sleeping children I would kill you now! Remember, if they have aught to complain of at your hands I shall hear, I shall know, and on a night when the snow falls I will kill you!"
Then Yuki-Onna, the Lady of the Snow, changed into a white mist, and, shrieking and shuddering, passed through the smoke-hole, never to return again.

Monday, October 29, 2007

New Look On CCR

Just seen
Cardcaptorredeemer.com has a new look.
I like it a lot

Friday, October 19, 2007

Cardcaptor Sakura (manga)


Title: Cardcaptor Sakura


Mangaka: CLAMP


Genre: Shoujo, Fantasy, Romance, Comedy


Status: Complete


Scanlator: Be With You Scans, Maria


Licensed: Yes


Summary: One day, Sakura Kinomoto accidentally opened a book containing dozens of magical cards called Clow Cards, and they scattered around her hometown of Tomoeda. Sakura was chosen to be the master of these cards and has been enlisted by the sun-based guardian Kerberos to use her magic and reclaim these cards before they make any more trouble in town. She is encouraged by her best friend Tomoyo Daidouji, and she meets a rival cardcaptor, Syaoran Li, who is a direct descendant of the creator of the Clow Cards.( Click here to see download )




From




CCS Manga Summary

Story Summary
The manga is incredibly cute and interesting as well. There are at least a couple of story lines running simultaneously, and they are all integrated through Sakura or the cards. Sakura is able to actually get all the cards within a few volumes, but then other mystifying things begin to occur. First she finds a rival in the card collecting department when she meets a relative of Clow Lead named Li Syuoran (7/13, O negative blood). At first he becomes a rival for the cards and for Sakura's love, Yukito (Yukito wears glasses and is a very sensitive person, and eats like a horse without gaining any weight). Later, Li finds himself thinking less and less of Yukito and as he is more and more attracted to Sakura. (Tomoyo happily points this out to him any number of times! :-) )
As Sakura gets better, and Li becomes more of a helper, she begins having dreams of a new mysterious person. Also, she finds out that someone related to the moon is keeping an eye on her and is someone close to her. The cards, once she has them all, and a new threat enters town, begin to change. Wether this is a good change or bad, it is yet to be seen. But as each card gets used to offset the mysteriuous threats, their backing changes.
Add to all this mess the fact that innocent Yukito sometimes seems to know things he shouldn't, that her brother Toya keeps being spoken of by others as someone of power, the mysterious new foreign student and others and you get a big mix of things going towards the vague mentioned disastrous future. Where will it all lead?
As an extra treat, each manga comes with a colorful bookmark made to look on the back like one of the Clow Cards yet holding a picture of one of the varied cast of characters. A definitely fun read with some very nice inventive touches. If you've seen the anime, you still need to read the manga for the TV series deviates heavily from some of the card capturing incidents. Personally, I like the way they do a numbers of these a lot better in the manga. A definite fun read with lost of first love sentiments and realizations. Too cute!

http://home.swbell.net/gioliver/mcardcaptor.html#Summary
This is where I got it from

Cardcaptor Sakura

Title: Card Captor Sakura
Author/Artist: Clamp
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Style: Shojo -- Adventure/Fantasy
# of Books: 10+
Rating: PG
Summary written by: Gloria Oliver

Thursday, October 18, 2007