Japanese? English? Both!?

I am unable to really buy manga in one language anymore. I have discovered that no matter how I try to read manga in Chinese, I just don't like the way it sounds. Of course, I learn more Chinese this way, but for some reason I just haven't been able to like it at all after learning how to read Japanese.

Now, at least a quarter of the manga I own are in Japanese while the majority are in English (and maybe about 5% are in Chinese). I started out collecting in English, then some Chinese, and finally almost all recent purchases have been Japanese. I just prefer reading the Japanese versions since it's the original, though I appreciate English translations now and then. Sometimes though, if I already have the Japanese version, I may not buy the English version after it comes out, but if I have the English version, there is a good chance that I'll buy the Japanese version unless the series is already over 10 books.

So right now I am conflicted... I started buying Silver Diamond in English, but I really want to buy it in Japanese. The opposite with Vampire Knight and Trinity Blood. I started buying those two in Japanese and now I can't seem to finish my English collection (or start it for Vampire Knight). I already started buying Bleach in English so I probably won't go back to buy it in Japanese. There is one series that I am overdue to buy in Japanese and that's Tenshi Kinryouku (Angel Sanctuary), but since it's all out in English, it's tempting to buy it in English. I read the whole thing many, many, many years ago in translations first since I never really had scans. There was this one group that was scanlating it -- probably Sakura-Crisis (one of the best scanlation groups out there at the time for a good mixture of shoujo, josei, and yaoi manga) -- and then it got licensed so of course, no more scans. I ended up reading the translations for almost the entire series after that and then finally found scans to match them. Now I need to really buy it 'cause I've been wanting to buy it forever, but you know... 20 books is a lot of money =_= The one time I visited Sasuga -- when it was still in Boston -- I only got God Child 'cause there were just too many books in Tenshi =_= *sigh*

I'm crazy about Ooku right now though so I have it both in English and Japanese =_=; It's funny how I don't regret buying anything in both languages. The only regret I have is that I don't have enough money to finish up all these series =_=; *sigh* I so am in desperate need of money. I almost just want the year to end and for February to come so I can do my taxes. I am due a nice fatty refund from the government due to the extremity of my withholding this year =_= I'm probably due money from state too. I need to put most of this money into savings though 'cause I can't transfer any more money from my checking to savings for at least the next two months due to my wild spending from late October till now =_=;

Anyway, I need to do an inventory count when I go back home next week (OMG, it's almost time for me to go again!!! Yay!!! ^_^). I have to figure out the aggregate basis of my collection -- don't care about fair value 'cause I am never selling it -- and I would not be surprised if I have spent at least 10k on manga. Each Tokyopop publication is $9.99 -- some are now $10.99 -- each Shounen Jump is $7.99 (though it has gone up to $8.99 or $9.99 now), Viz is mostly $9.99 though goes up to $12.99 and Shojo Beat (part of Viz) is all $8.99. Then there is Blu, DramaQueen, BeBeautiful, Deux, MangaBlasters, 801, DMP + June, among others that range from $9.99 to $15.99 (not including discounts that I get on some). After that, I have Chinese manga worth about $3.99 - $6.45 a tank (since I mostly bought shoujo), and Japanese that ranges from $6.50 - $$17.89. The average Japanese tank I buy is around $8.89. Oh, I also buy a lot of Japanese magazines and I had a subscription to Shojo Beat before they stopped publication. The five magazines that I'd love to have subscriptions to are Gush, Hertz, Chara (both bi-monthly versions -- one seems to be heavier yaoi and the other is lighter), and whichever one ZE is in (Dear CX?). Be-Boy Gold is nice too, but it's so big =_= The majority of the stories I like are mostly published by Hertz, Chara, and Dear CX now. I still love Biblos though 'cause Kotobuki Tarako's Sex Pistols is being published again *__* I believe chapter 31 just came out~~ I'm so happy. I really want to go to Kinokuniya today just to browse the magazine section, but I am really strapped for cash *sigh* Oh well. I will survive.

Anyway, got to go eat something. I woke up not too long ago and my body feels like crap today. My once-a-month torment arrived -- no wonder I've been craving pop chips and chocolate -- and now I'm just trying to wait out the pain. I have painkillers, of course, but I usually just try to tough it out =_= *sigh* I'm an oddball. Just watch, as soon as I put down my computer I'm going to run and grab a bottle of Advil lol.