Just because that the To Aru Majutsu No Index spin-off, To Aru Kagaku No Railgun (日本名:とある科学の超電磁砲), ended does not mean you missed the fun-filled adventures of Mikoto (Biri-Biri, Onee-sama, Level 5 Electromaster) Misaka, Kuroko Shirai, Kazari Uiharu, and Ruiko Saten.
With the OVA special coming this fall, Geneon Universal welcomes them back in To Aru Kagaku No Railgun Archives, a drama-music CD that features a two-part audio drama with elements never before told from the anime and two character songs for the high-voltage excitement Railgun fans will love. I'm sure they will listen to Archives after watching the entire Kagaku No Railgun story, and these CDs pack more Biri-Biri in the ears of otakus.
Archives One features a two-part mini-drama plus a song from Biri-Biri (CV: Rina Satou) and the Judgment member, Kuroko (CV: Satomi Arai). (Availability: March 2010, the date when Kagaku No Railgun anime ended)
Archives Two features another two-part audio drama with songs from Uiharu (CV: Aki Toyosaki) and Saten (CV: Kanae Ito). (Availability: April 2010)
Archives Three features the final two-part audio drama and two duet songs. First song features Mikoto and Kuroko while the last song features Uiharu and Saten. (Availability: July 2010)
In Japan, most cars that are Japan-branded but built in other countries such as the U.S., Thailand, or U.K., they do not enjoy much success as true Japanese-built cars, like for instance the Toyota Avalon/Pronard, Honda Fit Aria (the JDM Honda City), Mitsubishi Triton (known by Filipinos as the Strada) and the Toyota Avensis. Today, the latest Nissan March (known in other countries as the Micra) is another one of the Japanese cars built from other countries, and this latest-generation was built in Thailand, much like the Japanese cars in the Philippines that were built in Thailand where success is inevitable. Would this Thai-built Japanese compact car become a major success or a major flop in the eyes of Japanese female buyers? It is time to find out how the new March shares a mixture of Japan's Miso soup and Thailand's Tom Yum soup.
The new March sports a cute exterior face that resembles more from the previous generation model, but this new generation model's cute look is not the kind of March you expect because this is plainer than the JDM Suzuki Alto. This plain characteristic also applies to the interior as well, meaning the comfort is rather unquestionable to seat. If I would choose between the new March's interior and the new Toyota Passo +Hana's interior, I would rather pick the +Hana's interior because it is stylish than the cheap interior of the new March.
With the Toyota Passo comes with the 1.0L and the 1.3L engine types, the Thai-built March only comes with the HR12DE engine which has 79PS of power output that is greater than the Passo's 1.0L engine's 69PS power output. The base engine's fuel economy of 24.0km/L is sure enough to obliterate the sweet little Toyota Passo. Combine the new March's HR12DE engine with Nissan's Pure Drive (which is like Mazda's i-Stop) idling stop system and you will have the most fuel-efficient engine combined with XTRONIC CVT. This fuel-efficient combo is sure enough to be as fuel efficient as Japanese kei cars, even when the Nissan March is not classified as a kei car.
There is also an Autech-modified version of the March made to be somewhat retro. It is called the March Bolero, now made even better.
My thoughts about the March:
I guess I can take it all back about what I said about Japanese cars built from other countries. This Thai-built Japanese compact is the most fuel-efficient compact car engineered thanks to the combo of the HR12DE engine, CVT, and Nissan's Pure Drive idling stop system. There were some Japanese cars built from other countries enjoyed their JDM success such as the Honda Civic Type R Euro and the Suzuki Splash. I guess this latest generation model will have its true potential of becoming the most fuel-efficient vehicle ever made. Because we, Filipinos, enjoyed playing with Japanese cars built from ASEAN countries, I am assuming that this new March will have a probability of reaching our shores soon. Now what we need is a sporty SR variant or the super turbo, but scrap it away folks, because this car will always be targeted by women.
Surprisingly, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee brings the meaning "made in U.S.A" to the next level and this new model features more features than the previous Grand Cherokee before the Chrysler brand sold by the Italians via Fiat. Despite the American brand now under Italian control, a brief metaphor when German and Japanese cars take control of American land, in an Axis Powers kind of way, the artisanship of the new Grand Cherokee is simply American. This is the only way this SUV shows its blood only portrayed in the eyes of an American car consumer who are spending their American dream everywhere. It is not only Americans who take part of the Grand Cherokee revolution, but also the Europeans, the off-roaders from the Middle East, and Asians as well, if I do say so myself.
In the Philippines, when the Chrysler brand was under Norkis distribution, the Jeep Grand Cherokee was the prizefighter among wealthy politicians, before the Philippine distribution of Chrysler brands took control by CATS Motors and succeeded by another Jeep vehicle, the Commander. With new full-sized SUVs came, come, or will come to the Philippine soil, including the Toyota Land Cruiser 200, the Nissan Patrol Royale, the Mitsubishi Pajero, the BMW X5, and the MB GL-Class, will the fourth-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee come back to kick some mud on the opponents' faces?
Using the platform from the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, the new Grand Cherokee retains its Spartan style and rugged characteristics, showing off its muscular exterior and always armed to the teeth. Aside from the muscled frame, the interior is built on a high-class level, showing off its premium status perfect enough for the politicians to step in, even when its made to have the sound of silence. The optional CommandView panoramic sunroof adds the Grand Cherokee's premium level by one, giving the perfect tool for stargazing during camping trips with the kids. Beyond that, the seating only allows five people, with enough luggage space to pack up the most for their everyday lifestyles. From golf bags, dozens of Prada bags bought by shopaholics, purchased ammunition, Balikbayan boxes, and other luggage known to people, the new Grand Cherokee does it all. The sure thing that keeps the rear passenger delighted is the reclining rear seats, similar to the Toyota Premio and Allion. These rear seats are delightful for the stressed rich kid after a hard day's work and play.
On the main feature, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee features the new Quadra-Lift air suspension and Selec-Terrain for driving capability no matter which terrain you are tackling with your new Grand Cherokee. The Quadra-Lift air suspension can be easily adjusted with the twist of a knob. It can be selected from Park, Aero, Normal Ride Height, Off-Road 1 and Off-Road 2, depending on your chosen path. The new Selec-Terrain system allows the driver to choose from various conditions depending on the area it chooses. This system determines several vehicle management systems necessary to pull out on its own warpath. There are two available engines available as of its initial launch, ranging from the 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine and the top-of-the-line 5.7L V8 engine with Variable Valve Timing. The 3.6L V6 variant offers a five-speed automatic transmission while the hulking 5.7L V8 variant offers the multi-speed AT added for various circumstances.
A tougher body frame, several airbags for the peace of mind, Blind Spot Monitoring system, Forward Collision Warning, Rear Cross-Path Detection, Electronic Stability Control, Rain Sensing Wipers, Rain Brake Support, anti-theft system, and an array of parking aides. These are all of the safe features offered to the new Grand Cherokee that is built for their peace of mind. These features got them covered in various situations.
My thoughts about the Grand Cherokee:
Adapting the TV Commercial slogan "The things we make, make us" can be a patriotic work of camaraderie for Americans, and the heroism increased tenfold after years of R&D, trial and error, and final testing in various areas. Just think about any area will the new Grand Cherokee conquer where no rivals attempt to do it, from the sand dunes, the snowy path, muddy areas, majestic jungle territories, even the bustling highways of the city. For every Grand Cherokee they bought belongs from the blood, sweat, and tears of hard-working Americans standing up from their challenging times, fighting not for government, not for ideology, but for themselves. This offering would be their creation without borders that does not need to find a reason to create it. Americans created the new Grand Cherokee because they were needed. If CATS Motors brings back the Grand Cherokee, their priority is only in the eyes of politicians, celebrities, PBA players, and the rich kids on the block.
Renault's Romanian arm, Dacia, seems to be a small brand born being a simple car manufacturer, but its determination seems to be huge, even when Dacia was under the ownership of Renault.
As crossover utility vehicles became a top priority to European people, including families, it seems that the Romanian brand of Renault launched their first crossover targeted for the adventurous Europeans with the price that matches the pricing of the Chery Tiggo and the Foton Blizzard. The Dacia Duster is not the kind of a crossover you expect from the others. Despite being new to the public since its launch and began sales since spring, the Duster is quite obviously their kind of crossover partner when they were ready to travel all over the vast landmarks from Europe. The Duster's primary target is the Skoda Yeti because from what I can see, both the Duster and the Yeti are competitive in terms of ruggedness and power. The outer view looks more of a carbon copy of the Renault Koleos, but the looks can be as simple as the Skoda Yeti.
On the inside view, the Duster seems to be a bit normal, with no other feature you can find but just the plain-looking seats, audio system, climate control, and the capacity to seat five passengers. There is nothing more to describe the Duster's average interior look but what you feel is what you think.
Depending on your adrenaline and your adventure level, the Dacia Duster comes with different Renault-made engines available for your different tastes of adventure, ranging from the 1.6L, 16-valve engine with 105PS of power output and the 1.5L dCi diesel engine. The Dacia Duster's status as a off-road machine is a major task for the owner via the system similar to Nissan's All-Mode 4x4-i found on the X-Trail and soon to be on the Juke. It can be set at AUTO for the recommended setup at various areas and corners, LOCK for power cruising on tough areas, and 4x2 for economical use.
My thoughts about the Duster:
A probability to own a Duster is a good start for the budget-conscious customer, even when the introductory price starts at 12,000 Euros or about a predicted pricing, which matches the pricing level of Chery Tiggo and Foton Blizzard. It might seem to be a European car with the price of a cheap Chinese car, but the Duster is not a good match for this country dominated by Fortuners, Monteros, Alterras, and other successful SUVs, because it is not well-known in the eyes of a Filipino car enthusiast. What I can say is leave it at the Europeans because Europe is where the Romanian arm of Renault enjoyed its fair success.
Imagine you, as Misaki Ayuzawa, a student council president who has a secret identity as a maid at some maid cafe, think you can handle this double task? It is tough being either a student council president or a maid at the maid cafe, but with this soundtrack, from the fresh 2010 anime series, "Kaichou Wa Maid-sama!" (日本名:会長はメイド様!), you can relive the sweet moments not just from the life of times of Misaki Ayuzawa, the student council president/maid, but from the rest of the students and fellow maids surrounding her life. With the TV-sized versions of the anime's opening and closing theme included and some of the anime's BGM handmade by Wataru Maeguchi, this is sure that these tracks will make Maid-sama fans relieve the life and times of the part-seitokaichou, part-maid, all-perfect gal, Misaki Ayuzawa, and the rest.
This night's Bubble Gang turned out to be OK, but aside from the rescue gags, fifth Sabi-Sabi episode, someone who is attracted by something round, shoplifter, more IyoTube madness with Moymoy Palaboy, first aid tutorial gone awkward, and for this episode...
Oily (Michael V) and Greasy (Ogie Alcasid), the "Baklang Grasa", showed up for the second time! In this Baklang Grasa episode, who cleaned up Oily's place?
BTW: The idol-fan tandem appearance from Hole In The Wall Season 2 is complete. What characters will these two hosts be for next week? Could it possibly Oily and Greasy from the Baklang Grasa sketch? Or someone else?
It's darn hilarious! Aside from those haunted gags served, there is round 2 of Lokomoko U-gagged version of Pinoy Henyo, called Pinoy Brainless. That's right, the one with the opening number sounded like Tropang Trumpo's Caronia dance, and hosted by those guys named Christoper (JC De Vera) and Fermin (Rainier Castillo). With 60 seconds of wrong guessing, it leaves me laugh endlessly because of their hilarious guesses! LOL
Later, another round of j3j3m0n koowiz b33h (Jejemon Quiz Bee) hosted by j3j3b4b3 (Tuesday Vargas) and j3j3b3@r (Empoy) is on the way.
Then after the gags, episode 3 of Lokomoko U-gagged version of Face To Face, called Case To Case involving a repairman beaten by, you guessed it, a blind man (3rd time?!) because of the bills from repairing TV.
For the first time, no one's getting hit by a beer bottle due to the anger point, even when the plaintiff (the beaten-up repairman) and the defendant (the blind man apparently been here for the third time) reached their anger point and calmed down to the end.
It is so much for NMPI's tactic when the second-generation X-Trail arrived in the Philippines a few weeks ago. It seems that NMPI only obtained just the pre-facelift model of the second-generation X-Trail. In Japan, the second-generation X-Trail received a minor treatment to made things complicated for Pinoy Nissan fans, except Japanese adventurers looking for more at this blazing hot summer Japanese vacation.
With temperatures in Japan are getting hotter and hotter, the second-generation X-Trail's Second Phase just keeps getting hotter and hotter thanks to its revised headlamp and the grille that looks similar to the upcoming Nissan Patrol Royale (coming soon to the Philippines this year) and the Nissan Juke. What captures in the eye of an off-road cruiser is Nissan's innovative All-Mode 4x4-i system. The All-Mode 4x4-i system can be adjusted from all-wheel drive to front-wheel drive, depending on the type of terrain you are. It also features Vehicle Dynamics Control for enhanced stability of the X-Trail. A Brake LSD (Limited Slip Differential) is equipped on the X-Trail, providing the most out of braking and distribution, depending on various corners.
Three available engines are offered on the X-Trail, such as the MR20DE, QR25DE, and the ecological M9R clean diesel engine. The MR20DE is the entry-level engine because this 2.0L engine can go within 13.2-14.0km/L of fuel economy, while the QR25DE is a high-performance engine that releases 170 PS of power output. The fuel-efficient M9R clean diesel engine is the top-of-the-line engine that is 3 PS more than the QR engine and fuel efficiency rose from 14.2-15.2km/L. It comes with 6AT, 6MT, and CVT as available transmissions offered for the X-Trail.
My thoughts about the X-Trail:
Timing was the worst kept bet for those who obtained the second-generation X-Trail at their nearest Nissan Philippines dealerships because what they obtained is their Phase 1. What in Japan Nissan launched is the Phase Two of Nissan's second-generation X-Trail and this should be at its boiling point. Oh well, it is better to be late than never obtain the new X-Trail. In Japan, the second-generation X-Trail Phase Two comes in regular (20S, 20X, 25X), clean diesel (20GT 6MT and 20GT 6AT), and the special edition "X-tremer X by Autech Japan" suited for the adventurer type.
While we are waiting for the Freed to arrive in the Philippines, the JDM Honda Freed uncovered its "big brother" and this sportier version is the fresh fit for the long Japanese summer getaway, despite the scorching hot weather Japanese families faced.
With temperatures rising from the streets of Tokyo and most Japanese people are heading through the hot springs, beaches, and other famous destinations, Honda has just unveiled the Freed Spike, the newest addition to the multipurpose Freed minivan.
It seems that the naming is quite obviously a "fan service" because the Freed Spike is the main successor of the squarish Honda Mobilio Spike, but the looks remain an oddity. The new Freed Spike sports the same Freed rear side and the front side combines the sporty look of the StepWGN Spada and Zest Spark, resulting into an unique sports MPV for the adventurous Japanese people on the go.
What covers most in the Freed Spike is the unique interior. At its first glance, the interior is most likely the Flex version of the Freed, which means it can only sit five people inside. Despite the capacity, the Freed Spike has a wide array of seating arrangements, with the optional rail and the cargo tray, so you can find out which arrangement is perfect for your next adventure. For those who are looking for some fun at the sun, the Freed Spike is your perfect adventure partner. It can be perfect not just for adventure, but great for small business owners as well. Imagine various possibilities when you are with the Freed Spike, which is hundreds of possibilities you can do with it!
The Freed Spike is equipped with the well-balanced 1.5L SOHC i-VTEC engine that produces 87 PS of power output, the fuel economy of 14-16.4km/L, and it includes two available transmissions such as the 5AT and CVT as well.
My thoughts about the Freed Spike:
Still as plain as the Mobilio Spike it replaces, but the Freed Spike has a wide array of seating arrangements that can be mixed and matched for your adventurous purposes. With these seating arrangements, you can find which suited for your next adventure, like for instance; on a beach trip, a hunting trip, a trip to the hot springs, a rescue mission, a delivery, or various trips you can do for the Freed Spike. We might or we might not be getting the Freed Spike to the Philippines but despite this, the Freed Spike is the good match for the scorching hot summer vacation in Japan.
With the new Zettai Karen Children OVA titled "Zettai Karen Children Aitazosei! Ubawareta Mirai? (日本名:絶対可憐チルドレン -愛多憎生!奪われた未来?-) coming out in Japanese stores this July (not far from next week), most fans of this series are going to prepare most before taking a gander of the grand comeback of the crime-fighting heroines known as "The Children", Koichi Minamoto, and the rest of B.A.B.E.L. Oh, and we also forgot to mention Kyosuke Hyobu as well, showing his sinister attitude again.
CASE ONE:
If they said they already watched the entire Zettai Karen Children episodes from the start to finish, then, they're ready to watch the OVA coming this July. For those who are new to the series, best to watch the anime series first before getting your newbie hands on the OVA. I wish I want to see the anime series first before the OVA, any ideas? It's a long show and it is not going to be that easy watching the show from the start to finish.
CASE TWO:
Who listened the entire Zettai Karen Children songs from opening themes, ending themes, and character songs? That's an interesting question. With opening themes like Over the Future, ending themes such as Zettai LoveXLove Sengen, to character songs done by our favorite Zettai Karen Children characters, you might be welcomed more than your sixth sense. Also, a few weeks after the OVA's debut, there will be a powerhouse of Zettai Karen Children CDs to collect such as this:
Considering a limited edition packaging, the "Ultimate Songs" package features these:
The Zettai Karen Children "All the Best" CD contains the entire opening and closing theme songs as heard in the anime, including the OVA's opening theme Seventh Heaven (by Aya Hirano, Ryoko Shiraishi, and Haruka Tomatsu, the voices of Kaoru, Aoi, and Shiho) and ...Out of control... (by Yuichi Nakamura, Kisho Taniyama, and Koji Yusa, the voices from the men of Zettai Karen Children; Koichi, Syuji, and Kyosuke) as well. Also included in the special "Ultimate Songs" packaging is this:
The Starring Collection CD contains every single character song from your favorite characters, including new character songs only available on this CD. Seems to be perfect for a fan to get a quick start.
CASE 3: Do I need to put another case for a fan to be prepared before the anime's OVA debut? Well, there's only one way for this case, enjoy yourselves!
That episode of Bubble Gang turned out to be exciting. There was some courting gags, the motivator, angel and devil at the office, saving the ship from sinking, sleep talking near the wife, more Iyotube fun with Moymoy Palaboy and Roadfill (I wonder what was the title of that song), new rules at the city hall, rehabilitating Jejemons (another jejemon sketch in Philippine gag comedy?), saying good night, and for this episode, the Korean idol sketch!
On that sketch, fans are excited to meet Korean idol Kim Min Yung (played by Ogie Alcasid), then there's Bianca (played by Michael V), the number one fan of Kim Min Yung. As so many fans appealed, the ruffians appeared, trying to mug some to Kim Min Yung, but Bianca fends them off with her, um, some martial arts! Leaving the Korean idol's personal assistant out cold and fired and henceforth making Bianca as the new personal assistant for Kim Min Yung! LOL!
Word from everyone is we can also see the idol-fan tandem on the second season of Hole in the Wall on GMA! Who knows they'll be again on BG for more..
Rewind back to June 17's episode of TV5's Lokomoko U, and when you skip past the gags, and the hilarious Talentadong Family sketch, you might realize that TV5's first talakserye, titled Face To Face, gets gagged by Lokomoko U, and its called Case To Case, their "tagayserye". From this Lokomoko U-gagged version, this case involves there's a blind man accused as the "Peeping Pervert" from the female victim. I've enjoyed that angry "tagay-payo" blasts some hot-headedness to the victim, and later, the blind man appeared and too much hot-headedness throws in Case To Case! LOL
On last night's episode, this case was involved on the woman who was the victim by some massager/pervert, then later, the psychologist (one of the tagay-payo) throws one angry word about massaging, then later, the blind man, apparently the massaging pervert, appeared and hot-headedness flies on Lokomoko U's gagged version of Face To Face! What do you think? Too hot-headed for you?
And if that wasn't enough, Lokomoko U did some version of Eat Bulaga's Pinoy Henyo, called Pinoy Brainless. Hey, the opening number kinda sounds like the Caronia dance from Tropang Trumpo. Still too hot-headed when time's up.
Guess hot-headedness never thought to be hilarious...
