Manga Review : Full Moon o Sagashite

Full Moon is a manga (and also anime) with themes like singing, love and shinigami. The main character, Mitsuki Koyama has a throat tumor, yet she has a dream about being a famous singer. Back when Mitsuki was in the orphanage, she promised Eichi Sakurai that she would someday become a singer. She eventually lost contact with him and thought singing was the only way for her to become closer to finding him. Doctors predict that she will die in a year unless if she does a surgery which will affect her vocal cords. Mitsuki refuses to do the surgery and runs away. The story then goes on to how the two shinigami, Meroko and Takuto helped her to acheive her dream.
This was definitely one of my favourite mangas. The art is AMAZING and cute! The storyline was, in my opinion, fun to read. The story was bittersweet with some sadness. I have also watched the anime and found that the anime was way more lighthearted and funny. I would recommend it for people who like reading romance as it is a typical shoujo manga.

Review by Irene C.

MTAC XMAS Party on December 17th!

Hey MTACkers!

We'll finally be celebrating MTAC's TWO-Year anniversary (along with the Christmas holidays and an MTAC member's birthday!) on Friday, December 17th! We'll have the Wii and PS3 set-up on the projector, pizza, and other treats! If you have never been to an MTAC meeting before or haven't been to a meeting for a long while, this is a great time to meet others from the club or hang out with your old friends.

The MTAC holiday party will be held on the second floor of the Central Library in room CL3 (the big room) at 3:30PM!

See you guys there!

-Jason

Speed Drawing Challenges - Nov 20th meeting

In the spirit of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, our speed drawing challenges were all HP-themed.

Nov-Dec Meetings!

November 19 - Something we haven't done for a while is Speed Drawing Challenges like here and here. We'll come up with some wacky and twisted themes for each challenge ie. Manga Santa and Rudolph. Also, we'll bust out a game of Otaku Cranium!
Meeting starts at 3:30PM in the Central Library, second floor, room CL3!

December 3rd - Anime Screening of Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood! Show starts at 4PM and ends at 6PM, in the Central Library, Noel Ryan Auditorium.

What it's about:

Two brothers search for a way to make their bodies whole again after alchemy experiment goes wrong. This search pits these young alchemists against the magic-wielding military, mystic vigilantes and a group of beings created and named for the seven deadly sins. The brothers must fight for their lives and seek out the truth if they are to ever regain what they have lost.


December 17th - MTAC Holiday Celebration! We'll have the Wii and PS3 game systems set up (one will be on the projector!), pizza, and other snacks! If you have never been to an MTAC meeting before or haven't been to a meeting for a long while, this is a great time to meet others from the club or hang out with old acquintances. Plus, it's Olivia's birthday, another good excuse to come and celebrate! Celebration starts at 3:30PM in the Central Library, second floor, room CL3!

Photos from the MissLitFest 2010!

Check out some of the pics from the MissLitFest on the Facebook MTAC Group page!

Haunted House in the Children's Department!

At our October 22nd meeting, we will be meeting up at the Children's Department in the lower level of the Central Library to transform our Craft Room into a walkthrough Haunted House! Supplies will be provided to turn the colourful, cheerful room into something dark and bone-chilling. Set-up starts at 3pm and ends at 5.

We also need volunteers to help operate the haunted house on October 23rd and October 30th from 9:30am-2pm. This will help go towards your volunteer hours for school. Come in costume! Zombies, Vampires, and other ghouls are welcomed. Please contact me at jason.loo@mississauga.ca if you are able to help out.

Sept and Oct Meetings

Hey MTACkers!

During our September meetings, we’ll be heavily focused on the Mississauga Literary Festival. Not only will we be promoting the club at the event, our club has been assigned to design a book truck for the book truck parade. Last year was so much fun, our club really brought up a lot of energy to the festival. Please contact me ASAP if you are able to volunteer this year (and if you’ll be coming in costume).
Mississauga Literary Festival happens on Sept 19th, 11-3pm.

Sept. 3rd –The Friday after Fan Expo. We’ll have some Fan Expo discussions where you can show off your findings/treasures. We’ll also brainstorm on a design for the book truck. This truck will represent Children’s Services, so think of titles we can incorporate on the truck (even Manga/graphic novel titles from the Junior section). If you are planning on cosplaying for the festival, here’s your chance to also work on your costumes.

Sept. 10th – The following week, we’ll have another work session on the book truck and/or cosplay costumes.

Sept. 17th – The last Friday before the Festival. Finishing touches on the book truck and your cosplay costumes.

Oct 22nd and 29th– With Halloween not far away from these dates, we’ll be constructing a haunted house in the Craft Room like last year’s big success! And we’ll be planning on opening the Haunted House for two dates. Let me know if you’ll be able to volunteer in working the Haunted House for October 23rd and October 30th.

Hope to hear from you guys soon and see you at Fan Expo!
-Jason
jason.loo@mississauga.ca

Manga Review: Tail of the Moon

Tail of the Moon is a “romantic ninja comedy” that contains some history by Rinko Ueda. It is a about a kunoichi named Usagi who seems very hopeless at being one so her grandfather sends her out to marry a ninja named Hanzo and bear his children. At first he rejects her and doesn’t want to get married, but as Usagi stays by his side, time and events bring them closer together as the story progresses.

I thought I would pick this up because I thought 15 volumes would keep me entertained over the summer but when I started reading I thought it was a pretty good story. There are funny, dramatic and action scenes that mix things up a bit and keep the story interesting. The style of art isn’t my most favourite, but it is pretty. For those who aren’t a fan of shojo-iness, then maybe this isn’t the best choice because at times it does become redundant. Overall, this story is a good read, it’s a relaxed story you can pick up and read when you’re in any type of mood. All 15 volumes are in the Central library if anyone wants to take a look.

Review by Carla V.

Events in July and August!

July 9th - We'll be playing Go courtesy of Golden Key Cultural Centre. They'll be supplying us with multiple boards for everyone to play. Are you new to the game? We'll have an instructional refresher before game time.
3:30-5:30PM Central Library, 2nd floor, room CL3

July 15th - There will be a Build-A-Plushie workshop ran by me, MTAC teen coordinators Celina and Olivia, and Reader's Den. We'll have supplies, but participants are encouraged to bring their own as well. If you're interested in attending this workshop, you'll first need to register at the Reader's Den in the Central Library.
2-4PM Central Library, 2nd floor, room CL3

July 23rd - Anime Screening: We'll be watching Soul Eater!
3-5PM Central Library, Noel Ryan Auditorium



What's it about? Maka is a Meister and Soul is her Weapon. As students at the Grim Reaper’s Death Weapon Meister Academy, their study habits couldn’t be more different. But in battle against the supernatural forces of evil, they’re a freakin’ lethal team.

That’s when Soul transforms – literally – into a razor-sharp scythe, and every defeated wicked soul he sucks down makes him more deadly. That’s when Maka unleashes the merciless slayer within, wielding her partner and dropping monsters. Seriously. Monsters. Like the witches, werewolves, and zombies that lurk in the shadows and feed on the souls of the innocent. Every freakish ghoul Maka and Soul take out strengthens their bond, and fighting alongside their fellow Meister/Weapon classmates, Maka and Soul are the world’s last line of defense against evil.

August 6th - Video Game Jam! We'll be playing DDR and Street Fighter IV tournament on the big screen! So practice your button-mashing skills and your fancy footwork.
3:00-5:00PM Central Library, Noel Ryan Auditorium

August 20th - Video Game Jam! Part II! Plus, just days before Fan Expo, this is also your time to show off your cosplay costumes and plan out your Fan Expo weekend.

Let's make this an awesome summer!!!

-Jason

Meeting on June 25th: Tanabata Festival

From the Wikipedia:
Tanabata (七夕, tanabata?, meaning "Evening of the seventh") is a Japanese star festival, derived from the Chinese star festival, Qi Xi (七夕 "The Night of Sevens")．

It celebrates the meeting of Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair). The Milky Way, a river made from stars that crosses the sky, separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The celebration is held at night, once the stars come out.

Large-scale Tanabata festivals are held in many places in Japan, mainly along shopping malls and streets, which are decorated with large, colorful streamers.


In our June 25th meeting, we'll be constructing a Tanabata tree and filling it with wishful ornaments. The Tanabata tree will then be displayed at the Reader's Den department for the public to add their wishes on the tree. Meeting will start at 3:45pm in room CL2 (second floor of the Central Library).

-Jason

Manga Review: Suzuka

Suzuka is manga written by Kouji Seo. Moving to a new city, a boy named Yamato seeks a new change in his life. As he crosses by his new high school, he is caught off guard by a girl performing a successful high jump over the height of 1.6 meters. Moving into his new apartment, Yamato finds out that the girl that he saw earlier lives right beside him, and that her name is Suzuka. As he becomes closer and closer to Suzuka, he wishes to become more than a friend. He eventually takes a chance and asks her out to the amusement park... only to get asked out by her instead! Near the end of the date, he puts forth his courage and asks her to be his girlfriend. Being rejected for an unknown reason, Yamato loses all hope. Being lectured by one of his friends, he realizes that he should not give up, and should keep trying. His whole new life starts from here.
After reading all 18 volumes of Suzuka thrice, the series remains in my must-read box. The story starts off immature... but grows much deeper as the plot develops. Throughout the plot, a series of themes can be pointed out, such as never giving up, and to taking that one step forward in the desire for change. The life of Yamato is depicted from the beginning of his high school years, all the way to university within this manga. In such a short time period, he learns much about himself and about the people around him.
Being able to relate to Yamato was what made Suzuka so much fun to read. With his life filled with relationship, romance, and problems, there was never a dull moment throughout the story. The issues that he faces are very common with many teenagers today. I recommend this to anyone who is looking something to change in their lives.

Review by Donald L.

Meeting before Anime North!

May 21st is our last meeting before ANIME NORTH!
It'll take place in the Central Library, second floor, room CL3 AT 3:45PM!

We're going to make plushies again. So bring your sewing kits and any fabrics for your plush! You will also be able to work on your cosplay costumes. Manga Jam pages will also be around...
-Jason

Manga Review: Nana

Nana "Hachi" Komatsu moves to Tokyo in search for for a new life and a clean start. Nana Osaki arrives in Tokyo at the same time, looking to further her career in rock and roll! Nana with her guitar and pack of cigarettes and Hachi with her luggage full of clothes are thrown together by fate while sitting together on the train to Tokyo. One trying to be a singer without the help of her boyfriend while the other is just following her boyfriend out of her spoiled personality, the two Nanas meet each other in the train, make friends, and through a series of fortunate events, end up sharing a flat together. This manga by Ai Yazawa would then develop into a friendship story between the two Nanas, each with a different background, past, lifestyle and attitude, and how they walk the path in pursuing their dreams of love, career, and happiness.
For a shoujo manga, Ai Yazawa uses a very unique style of art (Not like typical shoujo which is full of sparkles, flowers, and bubbles~), incorporating heavily screentoned photographs to serve as backgrounds. Her style is gothic and edgy, and each of her characters have their own unique style and personaility. It has a fun plot that is relevant to our everyday life, and it is easy to relate to the characters.
Definitely not a manga to miss to all those shoujo manga fans :)
(Suitable for people 15+ due to sexual references)

Review by Cianna W.

We are now on Facebook!

MTAC Anime Screening: Tsubasa - April 9th

MLS Teen Anime Club presents

An Anime Screening courtesy of OperationAnime.com

Tsubasa

Mississauga Central Library, Noel Ryan Auditorium

Friday, April 9th 2010

4 p.m. - 6p.m.

Free Admission!

Tsubasa is a PG rated film.

What's it about? "Her Soul. His Sacrifice."

The fates shine upon young archeologist Syaoran and his life-long love, the princess Sakura. As the moon hovers silently above the kingdom a beautiful and otherworldly sound fills the air, drawing the princess to the ancient ruins. Her latent powers stir, awakening an ability to cross dimensions. But the process is interrupted as unseen forces conspire to claim this magic as their own. Sakura’s soul is sent adrift across the universe, each memory a feather dancing through the stars. Syaoran will make heroic sacrifices to track down the remnants of her soul… With fellow travelers Kurogane and Fai, a warrior and a wizard, an epic quest begins.

Video Clip of the Week:

Elite Beat Agents

Video Clip of the Week

The New Super Mario Bros for the Wii is now available at the Mississauga Library System!

MTAC Anime Screening in March: Case Closed!

MLS Teen Anime Club presents

An Anime Screening courtesy of OperationAnime.com

Case Closed : Last Wizard of the Century

Mississauga Central Library, Noel Ryan Auditorium

Friday, March 12th 2010

4 p.m. - 6p.m.

Free Admission!

Case Closed is a PG rated film.

What's it about? A phantom thief is on the loose, and his explosive capers are knocking out lights all over town! His target is a priceless Russian heirloom that people are literally dying to get their hands on. Pint-sized gumshoe Conan Edogawa is on the case, but there's more to this mystery than anyone suspects. The good guys seem bad and the bad guys seem good, and not even the boy detective knows who to trust. Worse yet, a rogue sniper is making sure anyone in the way catches a bullet dead in the eye. Things are heating up, and Conan's gonna need help to uncover the Last Wizard of the Century!

Video Games in the Library!

Coming soon to the Mississauga Library System... video games for Nintendo Wii, XBox 360 and Playstation 3! Check out the library catalogue to see our growing list of titles by searching under "Main Words in Title" and type in one of the aforementioned game consoles.

Manga Review: Rebirth

REBIRTH Summary: In the 17th century the vampire Deshwitat, betrayed by his friend Kalutika, is sealed away in imprisonment until 300 years later when Remi Do accidentally resurrects the revenge thirsty vampire. Deshwitat, accompanied by Remi, Millenear Shephield,and Rett Butler set off on the quest of defeating Kalutika and getting revenge for the death of Deshwitat's love, Lilith.

The manga... or rather manhwa, Rebirth can positively be the best specimen of manga. Although the story seems to be more male oriented, it's actually a romantic story. Within the dramatic moments, heated arguments and strides for truth, lies a more meaningful story.

Woo has a very excellent way of bringing his stories to light. Each character has very distinct qualities that make them each unique rather than the usual shoujo with really peppy characters of the usual shounen with power-trip characters.

All in all I give this manhwa a 7.5 out of ten. The story, beautiful. The artwork, fantastic. Woo is a wonderful mangaka.

Review by Kyosha S.

MTAC Successes of 2009!

2009 was a great year for MLS Teen Anime Club! Here are just some of the amazing things we contributed to the Mississauga Library System:

-More than 25 new graphic novel/manga titles were selected for addition to the Mississauga Library System's collection thanks to the MTAC members! As of right now, S. A., Air Gear, and Hayate the Combat Butler are just a few of the new titles you can find in the Mississauga Library Catalogue thanks to MTAC.

-MTAC members volunteered their time to help build a successful haunted house for the Central Library Children Services' Halloween event.

-MTAC members brought with them a lot of enthusiasm at the Mississauga Book Fair to promote the MLS Teen Anime Club to other teens, as well as entertaining crowds with their dance performances.

-Our growing numbers in the club allowed us to screen new Anime titles at the Central Library's Noel Ryan Auditorium thanks to our friends at Operation Anime of FUNimation Entertainment.

I'd like to thank our very active members (in no particular order): Niki, Olivia, Kasia, Liz Z, Cianna, Carla, Angelie, Reuben, Celina, Daryll, Kyosha, Kaye, Keney, Rycka, Michelle S, "DJ" aka David, and Jessica Ferreira of the Courtney Park Library for making this one awesome Otaku club! Let's make 2010 an even better year!


-Jason Loo
MLS Teen Anime Club Founder and Coordinator

Manga Review: Apothecarius Argentum

Summary
"Argent was fed poison during his youth to turn him into the ultimate assassin with an immunity to poison. The King of Beazol bought the slave boy to be the food tester for his daughter Primula. However, the princess frees Argent and instructs him to flee from the palace. Years later, he reappears as a master chemist and skilled healer and saves Primula from an assassination attempt. As a result, he's promoted to the position of Royal Apothecary. But any potential relationship will have its limits as Argentum's very touch has become poisonous."

Review
If you asked me what kind of manga I read most often, I would reply: "Shoujo", but my manga pet-peeve is weak, useless heroines. That is exactly why I like Apothecarius Argentum. The leading girl is strong, and the other characters are just as entertaining. Another thing that sets this manga apart from other shoujos is that it has a storyline other than the main characters trying to get together. The storyline is very original and unpredictable, and every chapter seemed like something new rather than the same scenarios repeated.

While reading this manga I also learned a lot about different chemicals and poisons that actually exist -at the end of each volume is a guide to the different chemicals that show up in the story. Usually "learn" and "manga" don't belong in the same sentence (I know I'm not a fan of science), but it gives the manga a realistic feel.

The art doesn't seem spectacular at first glance, but as you keep reading it grows on you and you can feel the characters' emotions portrayed very clearly.

My only regret about reading this series: I did not want to know where the red colour in my Fruitopia came from (look up "cochineal" on Wikipedia).

You can find the first 8 volumes at the library, if you're interested in reading it.

Review by Liz Z.