Results Of The Favorite Cho Poll

I added a poll from Opinion Stage to this post where I talked about two different series who happen to have characters with the same name. The name in question is "Cho". The series in question are Saiyuki by Kazuya Minekura and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.

Saiyuki is an anime and manga series with various sequels and prequels, so it can be a little confusing if you're wondering which one to watch or read first. If you want to watch the anime, start with Gensomaden Saiyuki. This one is followed by Saiyuki Reload then Saiyuki Reload Gunlock. There's also a movie known as Gensomaden Saiyuki: Requiem. For the manga, start with Saiyuki then Saiyuki Reload. There's more, but I'll talk more about this in another post.

Anyway, Saiyuki follows 4 main characters (one of them is Cho Hakkai (#ad)) who have been sent by the Goddess of Mercy or Kanzeon Bosatsu to the west, so they can stop the evil Demon King Gyumaoh from being resurrected. Naturally, they face a lot of challenges, enemies and adventures along the way.

Harry Potter is a 7-book fantasy series which stars the title character. The books have also been adapted into an 8-part film. The story is about Harry Potter who goes to this magical school called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he learns to use his wand and cast magical spells.

These spells allow him to do all sorts of things like make objects float, open locked doors, and more. He even learns how to fly on broomsticks. One of the girls or witches whom Harry has a crush on is Cho Chang (#ad) from the house of Ravenclaw. They dated for a short while, but it didn't work out between them, so they didn't end up together.

For reasons I'll be talking about in another post in another one of my blogs, I've decided to delete the favorite Cho Opinion Stage poll and replace it with one from SurveyMonkey instead. The poll in question was created on 08 Nov 2014.

On my dashboard on the Opinion Stage site, the statistics page for this poll looks like this:

This is the new favorite Cho poll from SurveyMonkey:


So, what about you? Who's your favorite Cho? You can share your thoughts and opinions by voting or by leaving a comment below.

*Notes:
- Pics are screenshots from my Opinion Stage account
- Pics from the first screenshot and photos from the poll are from Amazon.com; links shown above

Cho Chang (Harry Potter) Versus Hakkai (Saiyuki Series)

Harry Potter is a 7-book action, adventure, and fantasy series about wizards, witches, and magic. It was written by J.K. Rowling. The books were adapted into an eight-part film series by Warner Brothers Pictures. The story is about the life of the title character and how he deals with the trials and challenges that come his way as he tries to save the Muggle and Wizarding Worlds from the Dark Lord Voldemort, the antagonist or villain.

Saiyuki is an anime and manga series created by Kazuya Minekura. It stars 4 men as the protagonists. They are on a journey to the west in order to stop the resurrection of Gyumaoh, the Demon King. Along the way, they encounter assassins and demons who try to prevent them from achieving their goal. They are also confronted or have to deal with their tragic pasts.

What the 2 series have in common?

One of the things that the 2 aforementioned series have in common is how they each have a character who have the same name. The name in question is "Cho". The characters in question are Cho Chang from the Harry Potter series and Cho Hakkai from the Saiyuki series. It’s interesting to note that the Cho in Chang’s name is actually her first name whereas the Cho in Hakkai’s name is actually his last name.

Cho Hakkai from Saiyuki

Cho Hakkai (#ad) is actually one of the 4 main characters of the Saiyuki series. He has brown hair and green eyes. He is a very nice person who presents a gentlemanly nature. He can be seen as pretty much always smiling and being cheerful. He’s reliable, observant and an expert at cooking.

But you shouldn’t underestimate him because he’s actually a human-turned demon and you wouldn’t want to be up against him in the battlefield. He is a force to be reckoned with. He also has a very dark and tragic past, hiding his pain behind his smile.

Cho Chang from Harry Potter

Cho Chang (#ad) is a witch and a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She is the Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. She is said to be very beautiful and she’s quite popular. Even Harry Potter, the main character of the HP series, had a crush on her and they went out for a short while in the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Chang appears to be rather moody and melodramatic, not to mention angsty, though this could very well be because her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory, had been murdered near the end of book 4, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

More similarities between Chang and Hakkai

Aside from the name that they share, both Chos are also similar in that they are intelligent. Chang was sorted into Ravenclaw House in Hogwarts, which was said to be the house for smart people.

On the other hand, Hakkai helps Genjo Sanzo (one of the main characters of the Saiyuki series as well as the leader of their group) plan for their journey such as deciding where they should go next, etc.

Your favorite Cho?

So, who’s your favorite Cho? You can share your thoughts and opinion by taking the quick poll below. Know another Cho or like another one who isn't mentioned here? Feel free to tell us about this character. Mention their name and the series they're from in the comments section below.


Aside: this post is part of the Names Series, a series of short articles intended to showcase some characters who just happen to share the same name even though they’re from different shows and series.

*Notes:
- First pic is a screenshot of the favorite Cho poll from my Opinion Stage account. It was created on 08 Nov 2014
- Pics from that screenshot and from the poll are from Amazon.com; links shown above
- This was previously published elsewhere

Alone Gensomaden Saiyuki Song Quote Analysis

“All of the people coming and going bear heavy burdens, searching for tomorrow.”
- Alone (song from Gensomaden Saiyuki)

Alone is the second ending theme song from the Gensoumaden Saiyuki anime and manga series by Kazuya Minekura. It was sung by Shimokawa Mikuni.

Saiyuuki tells the story of 4 men who were sent by the Goddess of Mercy on a journey to the west to stop the resurrection of the Demon King and to save the world from youkai (demons) that have gone berserk and out of control thanks to what was known as the Minus Wave.

Alone is such a sad and melancholy-sounding song, so it’s no wonder that you get quotes like this as part of its lyrics. What do you think of it?

It’s the truth, isn’t it? Everyone has problems, things to worry about, stuff that bothers them, etc. We all have our burdens, our pains and sorrows. There are times when despair and anxiety and fear grip us.

You may see people smiling and looking happy, but is that really the truth? What is really hidden behind the smiles of some people?

Are their smiles fake? Are they just smiling to hide the pain that they feel inside? The phrase 'searching for tomorrow' can be likened to hope.

With all the things that we have to endure and face each and every day, we all just want to find tomorrow, right? We’re searching for something or someone to believe in. We want to cling to tomorrow, to hope, to the future, just trying our best to hold on and keep believing no matter how much it hurts.

*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki based on the image by Dane-of-Celestia (CC:BY) from deviantArt