Girl got game Manga review

English: Girl Got Game, Power

Synonyms: Girl Got Game, power

Type: Manga

Volumes: 10

Chapters: 36

Status: Finished

Published: 1999 to 2000

Genres: Romance, Shoujo, Sports

Authors: Seino, Shizuru (Story & Art)

Serialization: Bessatsu Friend

At first view i was debating myself if i should watch it or not. The plot line seemed interesting but the basketball part kinda turned me off. But i started reading it as soon as i was finish with the summary. The story was halarious, it kept me laughing from start to finish. Overall i think anyone would enjoy this story.

Girl Got Game rather “funky” English translation for 活力100% aka Katsuryoku 100% aka Power!! Nevertheless, don’t let the title fool you with the assumption that there’s like magic involved or whatever. Not at all. It’s a story over in the sports and school life realm. Additionally, the story is certainly a gender-bender type. A girl ends up dressing up as a guy. Oh no, don’t you go saying “copy –cat of Hana-Kimi or Ouran High School Host Club..!” :P It’s not entirely like that at all. Rather, the reasoning for why she, being the main and central protagonist, cross-dresses for a very different and bizarre reason. But, there’s quite sufficient amount of backing for why she must do so. And like really, what girl doesn’t want to go live with a “harem” of hot guys? No one, right?

Anyway, the story starts off with the central protagonist beginning her new life as a guy. The main motive equals: basketball! She encounters various characters who help her recognize how to deal with phoniness and fakeness and other “ethics.” Naturally, this story being shoujo, romance develops between her and another protagonist… But, leading events make it difficult to discern whether or not to follow through with love at all. Therefore, drama ensues as she becomes confused and lost of what to do. Regardless, throughout the story, intense comical relief comes storming through. For about half of the story, I was dying laughing. And rounding up to the end of the story, some moments seemed rather pleasantly surprising (at least to me) and yet other moments disappointed me. Overall closure is quite well determined, but, it does still stir my interest and desire to see what happens next. Altogether, the story envelops an interesting plot with plenty of comical moments within a rather dramatic, romance high school story.

To the art aspects… I found nothing too “crude” or “unartistic..” And, well, I can be picky at times… but, really I found very few artistic flaws. A few angular sketches were a bit disproportionate, but mostly quite impressive and fine. Movements and sudden change scenes were quite well drawn and organized. Furthermore, the general layout of character and setting were very appropriate. Never too detailed (or difficult to read) nor simplistic (or plain). Nothing truly stands out about the art style, though… It’s quite typical.

The story is not so entangled with more than five or six characters so some of the foil/clown/side characters are never too well-developed but show relatively true personalities. The mangaka apparently made some exaggerations of the character traits of several minor characters, however, the main characters represent relatively real and true people. At least, I can recognize that people would act and feel similarly as the characters of her story in real life. There is enough connection to real life events and feelings that I was able to sense. Furthermore, the characters develop and transform, which is commonplace in stories, but directs a change and brings forth improved personalities.

All in all, I quite thoroughly enjoyed the manga. Perhaps, I am a bit biased, since I like this whole Reverse-Harem idea… Nevertheless, I found plenty aspects of the manga enjoyable. The comedy was just so amazing. The drama was overdone, slightly, but I could feel that the tensions and emotions were realistic enough. Then, the characters were not THAT loveable, but entertaining and genuine enough to follow their lifestyles in the story. Anyway, I encourage everyone who liked Hana-Kimi to give this manga a shot. This mangaka deserves equal credit for coming up with this amusing idea to let other enjoy.

Mars rover finds first evidence of water - a river of it

NASA's Mars rover, Curiosity, dispatched to learn if the most Earth-like planet in the solar system was suitable for microbial life, has found clear evidence its landing site was once awash in water, a key ingredient for life, scientists said Thursday. Curiosity, a roving chemistry laboratory the size of a small car, touched down on August 6 inside a giant impact basin near the planet's equator. The primary target for the two-year mission is a three-mile (five-km) -high mound of layered rock rising from the floor of Gale Crater. Scientists suspect the mound, known as Mount Sharp, is the remains of sediment that once completely filled the crater. Analysis of a slab of rock located between the crater's north rim and the base of Mount Sharp indicate a fast-moving stream of water once flowed there.Images taken by Curiosity and released on Thursday show rounded stones cemented into the rock, which rises like a piece of jack-hammered sidewalk from the planet's surface. The stones inside the rock are too big to have been moved by wind, Curiosity scientist Rebecca Williams, with the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, told reporters on a conference call. The rock is believed to be from the floor of an ancient stream which was once between ankle- and knee-deep. The analysis is based on telephoto images taken by the rover, which is en route to a patch of land named Glenelg where three different types of rock intersect.(Reuters)

'Vampire Diaries' synopsis for 'Memorial' episode: Damon confides his feelings

The synopsis for "The Vampire Diaries" episode 2 of season 4, "Memorial," was released late on Thursday and reveals that Damon is going to confide his feelings to someone.

While the Salvatore brothers argue about how best to approach Elena's (Nina Dobrev) vampire transition, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) is going to turn to an unlikely friend to spill his feelings. Could this mean that he still hasn't given up on Elena?

'Vampire Diaries' Joseph Morgan on Klaus: It's all about getting my body back

Whether he is over her or not, Damon will try and convince Elena to let him help her with Vampire 101 on his terms and not tell Stefan (Paul Wesley) about it. So, clearly he still cares for her, and it looks like Elena may put her trust in Damon to let him guide her through the change.

Meanwhile, a stranger named Connor Jordan (Todd Williams), arrives in Mystic Falls and starts questioning Sheriff Forbes and Mayor Lockwood. Stefan quickly realizes that Connor is up to no good and poses great danger to them all.

Robert Pattinson Believes Only Kristen Understands His Life

Robert Pattinson forgave Kristen Stewart for cheating on him because they found fame on the 'Twilight Saga' franchise together and have a deep connection because of it.

Robert Pattinson reconciled with Kristen Stewart because she is the only person who can understand his life.

The British actor is said to have forgiven Kristen for cheating on him with 'Snow White and the Huntsman' director Rupert Sanders, despite initially breaking off their relationship, as they found fame on the 'Twilight Saga' franchise together and have a deep connection because of it.

A source told Us Weekly: "He started thinking nobody else would understand his life. His rational voice told him not to toss a three-year relationship for one infidelity.

"Rob weighed his options. He wouldn't even know where to start if he wand Kristen were to break up for good. They have a very deep connection. Plus, they're young. All relationships at that age have drama."

However, the couple are keeping their reconciliation from their fans as they are worried about the backlash, especially as Robert's own friends are unsupportive.

The source added: "They don't want to see him get hurt again. But Rob has hope in their romance.

"They're afraid of backlash, so they're keeping things on the down-low. They'll wait a few months, then announce they're getting back together."

Justin Bieber's mom writes of painful past

Pattie Mallette was 18, living in a home for pregnant girls after years of unrelenting sex abuse and depression when she gave birth to a boy she thought she'd name Jesse, a boy whose first cry sounded like a song.

Well, the baby seemed more like a Justin after he popped out. And his last name isn't Mallette.

It's Bieber.

You'd have to be firmly under a rock not to know at least a little bit about Justin Bieber's YouTube-to-riches story, his loyal fan base of Beliebers, 28 million Twitter followers or the hordes of screaming girls who pack his tours.

What you probably don't know are his mother's struggles, starting with the painful divorce of her parents, through years of emotional turmoil and hard partying that made school a blur, and her eventual turn to God after a suicide attempt about six months before Justin was conceived.

Mallette, 37, has laid bare her past in a new book, "Nowhere but Up: The story of Justin Bieber's Mom," out recently from the inspirational publisher Revell. It's a powerful, plainspoken story, written in collaboration with A.J. Gregory, a mother herself. A portion of proceeds have been promised to shelters like the one that harbored Mallette in Canada when her mother kicked her out of the house after she got pregnant.

Her troubles began well before that, however, and Mallette has forgotten little.

"Writing the book was part of my healing process," she said in an interview. "Just having to relive things as I'm writing it down. There are parts that are still painful to go over."

She was 2 when she watched her alcoholic, abusive father walk out the door and about 3 when she was first sexually abused by someone she knew. Mallette doesn't identify her numerous molesters, including a male baby sitter and the grandfather of a friend, but the last words of her book's acknowledgments speak volumes. "To my abusers: I forgive you."

"I was sexually violated so many times that as the years went by it began to feel normal," wrote the petite Mallette. "It's a strange marriage — knowing something is wrong yet at the same time finding it familiar and commonplace."

Fear, shame and the notion that she was an unlovable, "dirty girl" stretched through her life. She said the "void of having a father in my heart" led her down rough paths, including drinking and drugging to oblivion, beginning at age 14.

There was pot smoking and LSD. She left home at 16. To support herself and pay for her destructive habits, she turned to petty crime and pot dealing — and the toxic, on-again-off-again, four-year relationship she had with Justin's father, Jeremy Bieber, that began when she was 15. At 17, she threw herself in front of a truck and landed in a mental ward.

It was there that she was led to a Christian life, though her faith faltered soon after and she fell back in with her old friends. Sex with Jeremy left her pregnant. She resisted intense pressure from those around her to have an abortion: "I knew that I had to do what it took. I just couldn't abort him."

There was no returning home and she went on government assistance after Justin was born. She worked part-time jobs for diapers and rent, wondering how to proceed without a high school diploma, wondering how she could go back to school with no one to care for Justin.

With the help of a neighbor who paid for a year's worth of day care, Mallette slowly earned her degree, followed by college training in website design on scholarship.

Meanwhile, her son's perfect rhythm on the drums, his guitar playing and singing talent, surfaced early, along with a hyperactive nature and love of soccer and hockey.

He earned extra cash as a busker on guitar and a djembe drum he had received as a gift. Singing on the streets for money is something Mallette said she never forced him to do but earned them thousands of dollars after the first time he tried for fun at age 6.

Success snowballed when Justin was 12 on the strength of YouTube videos Mallette posted for faraway relatives that were quickly exploded with millions of views. Along came Scooter Braun, a persistent manager who launched Justin's career at barely 13.

He's 18 now, his mother's age when she had him. Mallette said he's pushing for his independence, moving alone into a house he bought in Calabasas, Calif. Mom wasn't invited to join him but lives nearby.

"He doesn't want me in his space so much but he's doing really well for himself," said Mallette, who once traveled with him everywhere.

Justin has a fancy sports car that was a gift from Braun and earned him a speeding ticket in July as he was chased by paparazzi. He also has a girlfriend, Selena Gomez, whom Mallette adores.

Mallette first told Justin about her past when he was about 12, after she began sharing at small-group meetings.

"I feel like it's really important for us to talk, and I've always asked him a lot of questions and always tried to protect him from going through the same sort of thing," she said.

At 21, Mallette made a choice to abstain from sex outside of marriage. Still never married and holding strong, she IS ready let go of another promise, this one to Justin when they first moved to the states that she wouldn't date until he was 18.

"It's time to start dating," she smiled.

Will Justin have a say over suitors?

"I think he's going to be a tough one to please," Mallette said. "He's pretty protective, but yeah, definitely, he would have to approve."

Selena Gomez To Star In 'Wizards Of Waverly Place' Special

With her good girl image about to get a bit of a tweak in the upcoming bikini romp "Spring Breakers," Selena Gomez will make a brief return early next year to the more innocent climes of "Wizards of Waverly Place."

The actress will star in and executive produce a still-untitled one-hour "Wizards" special set to premiere in early 2013 that will reunite her with co-stars Jennifer Stone, Maria Canals-Barrera, Jake T. Austin, David DeLuise and Gregg Sulkin, according to an announcement from Disney. "I'm working on my new record and I had great projects I was a part of this year, but 'Wizards' and Disney Channel and everything that is a part of this is my home," Gomez told Radio Disney about the special. "I'm not ready for it to be over, so I just kind of want to do one more thing."

Gomez said it was her idea to come back for the special, which she is excited to executive produce. "I wanted to do it really badly," she said. "I want to make sure I promise the cast and the fans a really, really good hour-long event that they can enjoy and will leave them feeling good."

Production on the show will start in October, nine months after the January "Wizards" series finale set a high mark as one of the most-watched kids program on cable this year with 11.3 million total viewers.

"With the phenomenal ratings of the 'Wizards' finale earlier this year, it became clear that fans of the series were not ready to say goodbye to Selena or the rest of the 'Wizards' cast," Disney Channel's worldwide chief creative officer Gary Marsh said in a statement. "As such, we're thrilled that the cast has agreed to reunite to bring their fans one last grand adventure."

The story line will find the Russo family and friend traveling to Tuscany, Italy, to meet their long lost relatives. Along the way, when Gomez's Alex tries to prove she's not just a good-natured Wizard, she accidentally casts a spell that creates a Good Alex and an Evil Alex.

Good Alex is then forced to step in and save the world from Evil Alex's plot to take over the world, culminating in an epic battle between the two Alexes atop the Leaning Tower of Pisa. "Wizards" was one of the Disney Channel's most successful series ever, with three Emmy wins over the course of its nearly six-year run.

Gomez will shake up her image in next year's Harmony Korine-directed "Spring Breakers,"
 which co-stars Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine.

"People will be a little shocked, I think. I'm a little nervous about it, but honestly, it's a right step for me, I'm really proud of it," Gomez said earlier this summer, adding, "I think as an actress it really challenged me. All of the other actresses are also trying to prove themselves, so it was just really, really fun."