白鳥 --はくちょう-- (n) (1) swan

A random photo of the swans, because they are just so beautiful.   And in the connection I cannot miss the all-time classical shoujo manga スワン-白鳥 by 有吉京子 (Ariyoshi Kyouko).  I believe SWAN 白鳥 vol.12 was the final volume of the re-print of this epic ballet manga.

I'm not sure about the difference in use of the words みがって and わがまま. The both could be used as nouns and na-adjectives and both describe selfishness and egoism.  I already knew the word わがまま, so みがって is the new one here.  To make it easier to remember - a manga title to go with each word.

• 身勝手 --みがって-- (adj-na,n) selfishness; egoism; egotism

身勝手なあなた by まさお三月 (Masao Sangatsu)

• 我儘--わがまま-- (adj-na,n) (1) selfishness; egoism; self-indulgence; wilfulness; willfulness; (2) disobedience; (3) whim;

わがままロメオ by あじみね朔生 (Ajimine Sakufu)

As we are still in the holiday season, the manga by 中村光 (Nakamura Hikaru) that amused me greatly and that fits the season's spirit oh so well.

聖☆おにいさん vol1
聖☆おにいさん vol2
聖☆おにいさん vol3
聖☆おにいさん vol4
Sei Oniisan - Saint Brothers.

聖 --せい-- (n,n-pref) (1) Saint; St.; S.; (n,adj-na) (2) sacred; holy; pure

This manga follows Jesus and Buddha living in an apartment in the modern Japan. Riiiight! That just so fun on so many levels.  Buddha makes a third of the t-shirts the both wear with the tale-telling slogans.  I have so much fun trying to figure out the references on Jesus's t-shirts (I totally fail to understand what's on Buddha's ))))))

in ch.1 Jesus had "アーメン" -- amen-- t-shirt
in ch.2 Jesus had " ミレニアム" -- millennium -- t-shirt
in ch.3 Jesus had an English t-shirt "Like is not ambitious".
in ch.4 Jesus had t-shirt "13" - is it about what I think it is about?
in ch.5 Jesus had "父と私と精霊" - Father, Me and Holy Spirit ))) t-shirt. ))))

メリークリスマス -- Merry Christmas.
I was thinking if I know any manga with the word クリスマス and here is lo and behold:
流星と真夏のクリスマス by 藤 たまき (Fuji Tamaki)  --Ryuusei to Manatsu no Christmas --

and there was in 2008 bunko reprint.

It's a very lovely collection of Fuji-sensei's early works that already have everything that makes sensei's mangas so special - very warm feeling, edgy art and translucent emotions.  Very delightful read!

I was still reading 窮鼠はチーズの夢を見る (The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese) by 水城 せとな (Mizushiro Setona) and on the page 29 I stumbled across a word which I keep forgetting and keep looking up in the dictionaries.

恭ちゃん...あのね ... 別れてほしいの。  -- Kyou-chan... well... I want to separate.

Seeing that she is married to that Kyou-chan I guess we could assume that she wants a divorce.

• 別れ --わかれ-- (n) parting; separation; farewell; (lateral) branch; fork; offshoot; division; section;

• 夫婦別れ --ふうふわかれ-- (n,vs) divorce; separation.

This is a compound of 夫婦(spouses) + 別れ(separation) .
夫婦 --ふうふ(P); めおと; みょうと-- (n) married couple; spouses; husband and wife; couple; pair

• And then at wiki the divorce is listed as 離婚 --りこん-- (n,vs) divorce.  I guess, this is a legal term, then.

I was reading 窮鼠はチーズの夢を見る (The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese) by 水城 せとな (Mizushiro Setona) and right on page 4 I had to stop and contemplate the difficult nature of the Japanese language.

僕は今強請られている。-- Right now I'm being blackmailed.

• 強請 --きょうせい; ごうせい-- (n,vs) blackmail; extortion; persistent demand

• 強請る --ねだる(P); ゆする-- (v5r,vt) (1) (ねだる only) to tease; to coax; (v5r,vt) (2) to solicit; to demand; to extort;

I'm pretty sure of the translation, but what puzzled me is the reading for 強請 --ゆす. From what I gathered the primary reading for 強請る is ねだる, not even every dictionary lists ゆする reading... And then the noun 強請 has a yet another reading... Really, such a mess.....**sigh**

薔薇 --ばら-- (n) rose.
That's an easy word, but such a difficult kanji combination...
黒薔薇アリス 3 by 水城 せとな (Mizushiro Setona)

This is the vol.3 of sensei's manga about vampires (!) and roses (!) - very pretty.  And as we all know it, vampires is the new!hot!thing.  Kuro Bara Alice (Black Rose Alice) - there is Alice somewhere, but the vol.3 cover rendered me speechless:

Vampires are just so in! )))))

I finally had a chance to listen to the 俎上の鯉は二度跳ねる Drama CD part 1 based on the 俎上の鯉は二度跳ねる - A Carp on the Chopping Block Jumps Twice manga by 水城 せとな (Mizushiro Setona).  Absolutely delighted drama.  So much emotions!

And the good news that  Drama CD part 2 will released 23/12/2009.

I'm SO looking forward!!!