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Hey, here are some articles that i did in the newspaper for my new school. And ideas i made for the next one. Keep in mind, i'm the editor for the opinion sections, and i'm only allowed to post my first drafts.


Tim Johnston
The Invasion From Within
The rise of Japanese animation, otherwise known as ‘anime’, in America, is at an all-time high. Though it is still a niche in the market, there is no person alive who has not heard of it. You may know about it from TV shows aired on America, such as Dragon Ball Z or Yu-Gi-Oh!, but trust me, that is far from anime prime. Since Adult Swim started to air on Cartoon Network, people have increased their anime tastes and understandings by ten-fold by watching Inu Yasha and Cowboy Bebop. However, that still is not nearly the kind of anime that is popular in Japan.
Here in America, we only get the best of the best. Only the cream of the crop get over to America. I don’t mean on TV, I mean on DVD. Truth be told, most of the best anime will never be aired on TV. And for legitimate reasons, which are too off topic right now. However, fans are still able to spend literally millions of dollars on anime such as Dead Leaves every six months.
At any rate, this niche that once stood as the most unprofitable, unrealistic, insensible foreign market has become one of the world’s most influential piece of entertainment ever. We can see that in modern Western (European and American) comics, where we’ve gone from light outlines and large text bubbles to toning and vivid colors and tons of visual action, with guns, swords, and Street Angels and Serenity Roses.
I guess you could say that the anime world was introduced to us Americans when Speed Racer and Starblazers came out, but those don’t really count. No, most hardcore fans of Japanese culture know that anime really kicked off with three movies: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akria, and, of course, Ghost in the Shell. More these three than anything else, these anime showed people the diverse concepts that were portrayed, bringing in a multitude of fans that loved comedies, action dramas, odd religion twists, and sci-fi.
These days, fans can enjoy the work of upstart artist Ken Akamatsu and his comedic romance story of Love Hina, plunge into the oddity and unparalleled controversy of FLCL, the Furi Curi Syndrome, get googly-eyed over the men of the popular yaoi anime Gravitation, or find their inner demon with Hellsing: Psalm of the Darkness. You see, fans of anime don’t like all anime, and some fans only like one show. Why do they not like it all? Because no one is into all the kinds of anime. In the world of Japanese animation, there is something for everyone of all tastes. Whether you’re into the giant robots or into magical transforming schoolgirls, there is something for you. Like silent or independent films? Try watching the first episode of Noir. It should hook you in pretty quick. Do you like samurai flicks? Pick up Samurai Deeper Kyo, Rurouni Kenshin, and Ninja Scrolls; you won’t be disappointed. How about gun action lovers? Any western film fanatics? Then I’d recommend you pick up Trigun, Gungrave, and Cowboy Bebop. Hey, how about people that just like to laugh? Then run down and get yourself some Excel Saga, FLCL, Dead Leaves, and Comic Party. One last list for those who just like to indulge themselves into the occult. Buy Hellsing: Psalm of the Darkness (better than the original), xxxHolic, Witch Hunter Robin, The Ring (the original Japanese version is so much scarier than the American one), and Boogiepop Phantom.
Hey, try it. You can’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it, right? If you want to learn more, ask around. People know more about anime than you think. Coach Baker, for example, knows quite a bit about Hellsing. Just ask around, you’ll find what you seek.


Tim Johnston
The New Breed of Visual Kei
Over the years, the multi-billion dollar JRock industry has slowly crept into American culture. With outrageous bands like Dir En Grey, TMRevolution, Asian Kung Fu Generation, and GACKT, these artists are blending mellow voices and blazing guitars to create funky new sounds. If you’re in, you’re hot, and if you aren’t, you obviously don’t know what you’re missing.
And here is where I must back up before I lose all my readers. For those of you who don’t know, JRock, otherwise known Japanese Rock, originates from…well…Japan. Since the early eighties, Japanese societal structure has begun to merge with American music. Slowly, from songs like “Mr. Roboto”, to bands like Linkin Park, Japanese culture and music has made its merry little way into America. This is the next step. I call it intense, new, genius, and very cultured lyrically, but my mother calls it, “Disturbed, frivolous, stereotypical, and noisy”.
JRock has a very big following here in America, particularly appealing to those with metal on the mind. JRockers (those who are fans of JRock) have distinguished themselves as eccentric persons who follow the music not to fit in, but because they love the music, which they believe is all the reason they need to listen to it. Wearing elaborate dresses, leather, and otherwise out-there apparel, they use visuals to emphasize their inward feelings. They add frills to their clothes, like to try new things, but are often stereotyped and misunderstood. It is easy for Americans confuse the JRock styles with death metal and gothic attire. In actuality, there is nothing farther from the truth.
Time to go into JRock itself. Styles, lyrical and melodic, differ from band to band. Some bands go for popish songs, like TMRevolution, but Dir En Grey is rock in its purest art form; with no real bonds on the band, Dir En Grey switches between insane chords and pounding drums where band members Toshiya, Shiinya, Kaoru, and Die cut loose, to brilliant lyrical masterpieces in which their lead singer, Kyo, really lets his mellow voice captivate anyone who listens. Pop/JPop lovers may go for songs like AMBER, Embryo, and Mushi more than some of Dir En Grey’s others, but true fans know it’s songs like Zan, Marmalade Chainsaw, The Final and Filth that drags in the most people.
GACKT tends to write songs of a different nature. Though they are not as hardcore as Dir En Grey or HYDE, GACKT’s songs all have a kind of depressing aura to them, one that draws in people of all kinds. With fast-paced, upbeat songs like VANILLA, to relaxing, more sensitive songs like Last Song, GACKT tries to put his heart and soul into his music. Not like the others don’t, but that is GACKT’s biggest goal when he writes new material; to go for something he sees inside of himself.
In a nutshell, JRock is a fanatical, visually appealing way of life that is accompanied with a soundtrack that JRock bands continue to create. If you really want to learn more about Japanese rock, you should check out Tofu Records, the biggest Japanese music provider in the states.


Opinion Ideas-
Review of lemony snicket’s new movie
Students views on illegal downloading – which will fail to mention any condoning of the act
Review of the new Kingdom Hearts games
An OPINION article about the effects of gaming on kids
Like Toy Soldiers – An article condemning rap violence
JPop article – Nami Amuro, Ayumi Hamasaki, Megumi Hayashibara, Nami Tamaki
Review of Eminem’s Encore CD
Review of the Linkin Park Jay Z mashup
Students’ favorite teacher article
The Book article
Turn It OFF! (An article about kids and video games and s**t)
Joys of Japan (an article about japanese s**t)
A Vulgar Review (a review of Dir en Grey’s Vulgar[ism] Album)
Article on Asian religion? I dunno. Ask Snead.
Article on Gothic Lolita
Lovecats (an article about couples in school – students, teachers, staff, EVERYONE!)
Regardless of warnings, the future doesn’t scare me at all…
New Year’s Article- if I write it, it’s going to be about what I did last year and what I want to do this year, nothing else.
Tough Teachers – An article debating the questioning if teachers are too strict these days.
New Years Revelation – An article about how nauseatingly corrupt things have become in the past twenty years. Parents lie to kids to get them to not take drugs, rappers go at each other all the time, hippies protest against Bush, we eat one cheeseburger and get a heart attack, Bush sends us deeper and deeper into debt, etc.
Stress article- article on if people believe all this crap about how stress will make you ugly, give you zits, make you lose sleep, convert energy to fat instead of the other way around.
I win- an article that debates if parents pushing their kids into team sports stresses them out and makes them more violent or less attentive in school.
Regardless of warnings, the future doesn’t scare me at all…nothing’s like before.
Popular TV shows article – a poll taken around the school on what student’s favorite shows are.
Loyalty, Integrity, Honor – An article about the three most important things that we seem to loose sight of

This is the Kingdom Hearts article I'm doing for the paper. You guys get to see it even before my senior editors do, so act happy. please. I mean, i know my writing sucks, but its better than the average shmoe's.



Back in 2000, people were not able to stress syllables in their sentences if they played a Disney game, but just a few years later, that would all change, all thanks to the beautiful game known as Kingdom Hearts. The result of a crossover from the very popular Final Fantasy series and the most memorable Disney characters, the legendary game created by Square (now Square Enix) quickly became a household item for anyone who owned a PS2.
The story starts with a young boy named Sora, who longed to see other worlds with his friends Riku and Kairi. He ends up on another planet, and starts searching for friends with Donald and Goofy, who are looking for King Mickey. The game ends with Riku and the King closing the door to the world of darkness, trapping themselves inside. In order to reunite with his best friend, Sora sets off once again after the King’s dog, Pluto.
And this is where the new addition to the franchise, Chain of Memories, takes off. Sora is lead to Castle Oblivion, where he immediately meets Axel, a member of a group of unknown intentions known only as The Organization. As he progresses through the castle, Sora starts losing his memories and remembering about a small girl named Namine who used to live on Sora’s island. And that’s where it starts to really sink in - this game has all the mystery and unforgettable moments as the PS2 version ever did. After you beat Sora’s game, you must wait through the credits, and then you get to play as none other than Riku himself, who is now at Castle Oblivion and is traveling with King Mickey, though they are temporarily separated. Riku must now fight off any darkness inside his heart from a dark figure from his past, with only his uneasy feelings and King Mickey to help him.
Unlike the PS2 game, this Kingdom Hearts doesn’t have a full 3D battle and world camera, but it gets awfully close, and the cut scenes are awesome. On top of the new graphics, you won’t be fighting the same, either. Sora and Riku must use special cards, taken from their memories, in order to battle the darkness and find what they seek. But, these cards aren’t like your Yu-Gi-Oh! Or Battle-whatever crap, these are gained as you beat enemies, win over allies, and so on. You need them to attack, but the attacks are just like the PS2 version. Plus, you get to summon Cloud in this one, and King Mickey, so this whole card thing is just a slight twist that may initially throw off people that are still fixated on Kingdom Hearts original battle system.
All in all, this is a great game, and definitely a must-buy for anyone who owns a Game Boy Advanced. If you don’t have a GBA, then this game is the excuse to go buy yourself one. Compared to the original KH, it is lacking in graphics, there aren’t any voice-overs outside of battles, and near the end of the game for Sora, gaining powerful new cards is pretty hard. Still, even with these setbacks, the gameplay is great, and the story gets even better, living up to the Kingdom Hearts tradition.

there's soo much, it's a daunting task just to read it, well i think it will be, i should probably read it before i say that, but it's intimidating

eep, meh, i got over a month of break for various reasons, so get that stuff up if ya can

Intresting, TJ, are you ever gonna finish the older story?

*Is annoying freshman from last year, thinks guns better than swords.*
*NOw a bit more mature sophmore*

Wow...don't everyone post their thoughts on my crap at once...at least i've already finished with the editing and shiznatch...