tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52713756436851509312012-01-22T20:43:10.090-06:00An exercise in inconsistencymakohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.comBlogger871100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-24522679733496978132011-11-19T18:26:00.001-06:002011-11-19T18:31:38.258-06:00

So here's a little something out of left field (har har). I finished this a while ago, so it's just been sitting around. I wanted to ask Yutanpo if he'd like to stick it on his blog/mediafire, but I haven't heard back from him. Anyway, it's not my best work but it's done. Not a huge priority either but there's only two and a half more chapters.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-62019679716504406412011-10-21T16:56:00.001-05:002011-11-12T02:34:05.114-06:00

I tell myself I'm quitting anime for the nth time... but then something like Penguindrum shows up. Dammit. EDIT: Why can't I get this show's music out of my head?

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-38148717314066459012011-10-09T22:11:00.000-05:002011-10-16T23:21:06.103-05:00

Last one for a while. Edit: As pointed out in the comments, I made a mistake on the title page. You can get the updated title page here, and I'm in the process of updating files. Funny thing is, today I started reading Andrew MacGregor Marshall's Cablegate-based writings on Thailand, Thailand's Moment of Truth, and lo and behold there's a brief bit on the microcosmos/macrocosmos business.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-23990737668002703882011-09-20T00:21:00.001-05:002011-09-20T00:21:12.386-05:00

I had expected this volume to be more action-oriented, but aside from this chapter it's words words words.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-79381793208583271242011-09-06T03:34:00.000-05:002011-09-06T03:34:12.443-05:00

We're finally at the last volume... Right now all I can think is how much a pain in the ass the inside cover was. I was originally going to try for 3 chapters. You're getting just one, but the next two are 90% done, so hang tight for a week or two.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-1453332839776198762011-08-17T19:34:00.003-05:002011-08-25T15:40:37.264-05:00

JManga has finally landed. It being relevant to my interests, I took a look at the site, where there are currently about a hundred fifty volumes available, give or take. Their aim is an eye-popping 10k titles by 2013, which is a lofty goal indeed, and one I wish them luck with. It hardly seems possible to do so much in such a short amount of time without cutting some corners. Their current

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-35337906967690318212011-08-09T21:55:00.000-05:002011-08-09T21:55:55.282-05:00

I semi-tried to get this out before going on vacation, but it didn't happen. In this chapter Ashinano is presumably riffing on the "Umihotaru" island that sits in the middle of the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line, a $10-billion-dollar public works project that consists of a bridge and tunnel connecting Kawasaki, on the western side of the bay, to Kisarazu, on the eastern side. View Larger Map Given the

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-37859662834527879292011-05-22T20:33:00.000-05:002011-05-22T20:33:38.451-05:00

Hokay, done with volume two, finally. Writing those notes always takes longer than I anticipate.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-55794619343490082752011-04-09T17:59:00.002-05:002011-04-09T18:01:26.845-05:00

I've pretty much given up on anime, but it needs to be said: This would've been _so_ much better as a Shinbo/SHAFT production.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-84840156945892836872011-03-28T01:35:00.005-05:002011-03-30T03:22:40.908-05:00

I think this is my favorite chapter so far. View Larger Map We find ourselves in Kawagoe this chapter, which lies roughly 50 miles (80 km) north of the Miura peninsula, as the crow flies (in our world). Multiply those figures by ten and the trip becomes quite long; the Cub has a quoted range of 460 miles and a cruise speed of 115 mph. There's a bit of a pun in the noodle shop's name: Isa Soba

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-32984451770875951182011-03-15T01:09:00.000-05:002011-03-15T01:09:20.804-05:00

It might seem like this is the end of the background material, but nope. Obligatory.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-10175481847088055202011-01-22T14:59:00.000-06:002011-01-22T14:59:26.844-06:00

I know I really slowbro'd this one, but that's just how it goes. Now, I don't want to get anyone's hopes up, but I happened upon my copy of this story collection over break, ended up reading through it, and I realized that I've come a long way Japanese-wise. In other words, I might work on a few more stories than the 3 I originally picked out. Won't happen until Seireihen is finished, though.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-64030180411932487732010-12-20T02:05:00.000-06:002010-12-20T02:05:57.957-06:00

Well, just one chapter this time. I found it mildly unsettling, if not disturbing; that's Ueshiba's stock in trade, really. I'm going to be busy for the next month or so. Have a happy Festivus and we'll continue this next year.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-30861530801467129802010-12-12T19:41:00.002-06:002011-01-16T15:47:42.021-06:00

Well, here we go again. View Larger Map I was feeling facetious, so I asked Google for directions from Nagai to Kisarazu. It does just fine for ground routes, but as far as I know, there's no as-the-crow-flies distance measurement option. Using a ruler, I measured 30-odd kilometers in our world, which makes 330 km in KnI's world. [Addendum: Found the Ruler feature in Google Maps Labs; it

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-7055172608163589072010-10-16T02:29:00.002-05:002010-10-22T01:08:41.156-05:00

I finally got my hands on the first volume of the AX Anthology yesterday, chock full of some of the trippiest comics ever made. The tale of the obtaining is long and harrowing: I made a preorder on Amazon in January. All seemed well, with an email in May saying that the expected date had been moved forward a couple of weeks to the end of July. Come the end of July, however, an email appeared

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-14790204376840181812010-09-20T02:52:00.000-05:002010-09-20T02:52:37.410-05:00

A bit of an adventure this time.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-67311395206297490432010-08-08T23:57:00.000-05:002010-08-15T13:20:40.319-05:00

You may have heard about this: Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou has been republished in Japan. This new edition, literally "new edition" in Japanese (新装版, shinsouban), is 10 (thicker) volumes versus the original 14. It contains all the color artwork from the magazine serialization, plus some little rough sketches here and there on the pages between chapters. The covers are all new, and as the ad on the

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-33289093497438996542010-07-30T05:03:00.000-05:002010-07-30T05:23:56.836-05:00

I'd forgotten how long it takes to compile those notes. It's a fairly straightforward task, but somehow all that copy/pasting URLs and ahref-ing gets old real fast. But it was fun tracking down references, watching weird commercials, and learning more about the tokusatsu shows the author is so fond of. Ueshiba is not shy about letting his influences show, and as a Westerner, establishing this

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-54805945186689139682010-06-29T13:33:00.000-05:002010-06-29T13:33:46.222-05:00

Another peaceful visit to Shiro-san's shop.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-69050823418088699742010-05-26T01:44:00.000-05:002010-06-29T12:40:46.283-05:00

I released the initial version of this some time ago, but here's a v2 that corrects some embarrassing mistakes. Thanks to Hox for pointing out the main error to me; I went back and sat down and went through the whole thing, finding other stuff I got wrong. Since I didn't give write a blurb last time, I'll write a few words now. Weekly Masayuki Ishikawa (or Weekly Ishikawa Masayuki, depending on

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-38404323673006197932010-04-19T12:42:00.000-05:002010-04-28T00:12:28.552-05:00

Well, things are still busy around here. In a couple weeks I'll be free for the summer, so remember that patience is a virtue. Edit: Read Vertical's preview for Twin Spica. I bawwed.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-13569286715483513672010-03-24T02:21:00.000-05:002010-03-24T02:21:04.334-05:00

I've got an exam coming up, and a lot of work to do in general, so I'm not going to get much done on the manga front this week. Since this is a blog (supposedly) I'm just going to throw up some pictures from who knows how long ago. This dates back to July. This stuff was good, but I can't afford to drink like this anymore now that I'm back in school. What I wrote down in July was: "It doesn't

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-32298989711733288632010-03-11T22:51:00.000-06:002010-06-20T05:59:29.845-05:00

Nothing much to report. The project is moving along. Thanks to Soyokaze for doing the scans. I've made the decision to stop doing the sound effects in this series, for several reasons. First is, I'm lazy. Second is, they're mostly plane sounds and you know what planes sound like. (Not to mention it's quite easy to find out what these particular planes really sound like.) I do have mixed feelings

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-71783179586087458222010-02-26T01:23:00.000-06:002010-02-26T01:53:21.439-06:00

It feels like I've been working on this chapter for a long, long time. And indeed, it's been over half a year since chapter 2 was released.I discovered that the burn/dodge tool is really good at getting rid of JPEG noise. Now, when I started this gig, image quality wasn't my highest priority, but I'm the sort of guy who has the bad habit of wanting to do the best job he possibly can. Even with

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-13457216838013125212010-01-13T00:12:00.000-06:002010-01-13T00:30:18.443-06:00

It's been over a year, but I finally got around to making a new version of Railgun chapter 2. I had known that there were a few mistakes, but when I actually sat down and started looking things over, something quickly became apparent: at the time I produced the first version, I had very little idea of what I was doing. The result, of course, was an atrociously off-base translation. I'm not going

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-80875261757032787392009-12-21T04:08:00.000-06:002009-12-21T05:13:25.202-06:00

It's winter here, and there too, but it's probably not as cold here as it is over there. I'm rather glad for that. Things seem slow lately; perhaps the weather is a factor. Things are always slow on this blog, though, so offering a status update feels a bit needlessly narcissistic.I had been planning to make use of the few days between the End Of Finals and Flying Home to edit a few things. First

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-22888394849335077782009-11-11T15:26:00.001-06:002011-03-30T03:29:44.298-05:00

This has been in the works for a while now. I won't have time until the weekend to write the blurb I've got planned, but for now, have some links. Two weekends later, and here we are. I know I promised a blurb, but now I realize it might not be a particularly cohesive one. I'm no Herb Caen, but hell, let's give the Herb Caen format a shot. KABU NO ISAKI: Hitoshi Ashinano's latest work,

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-48705785702636762042009-10-24T03:00:00.000-05:002009-11-03T02:52:47.796-06:00

I was beaten again. It's a bit scary; I get a chapter to 75% and bam, someone else makes a release. Last time it was Sing 'Yesterday' For Me, this time it's Kabu no Isaki. Anyway, chapter 5 of KnI will hopefully be done and released this weekend. [Edit: 5 is done, but I think I'll release it together with 6.]

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-78187049787792315432009-08-17T07:00:00.000-05:002009-08-17T07:02:54.057-05:00

Just registered for the JLPT, level 3. I hope I won't be taking N3 next year, as that would be kinda sad. I better study now ;_;

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-42856102365515648032009-08-15T06:08:00.000-05:002009-08-15T06:10:24.066-05:00

"Universal Century" is literally "Universe Century" in the original Japanese. I laughed and I cried.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-84425487215180445162009-07-26T01:37:00.000-05:002009-07-26T02:14:01.135-05:00

Suburbia desu.Insanity desu.Huh?Cool ED sequence, bro.Also, loldrama and lolfail.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-60237880177011857212009-07-25T13:58:00.000-05:002009-07-26T02:14:01.135-05:00

Ugh, some words are just not meant to be verbified. I was searching bk1 for the Bakemonogatari novels, and was surprised when DVDs and Blu-rays popped up. Now, I know this is old news, but I'm still a little shocked when I see R2 DVD prices: ￥5250 for frickin' two episodes, not to mention 6300 for the special edition, and 7350 for the Blu-ray. There's a little less rage involved for the Mayoi

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-34911005064142056422009-07-11T21:58:00.000-05:002009-07-26T02:14:08.052-05:00

I don't recall how I got there, but some time ago I ended up reading an article titled "Japanese Women's Diaspora: An Interview". It's about the phenomenon of Japanese women leaving Japan (for a period of time, like for study abroad) and seeking romance or marriage with Western men. The author identifies the cause of this longing (憧れ akogare) as the romanticization of the West and "

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-72595314467959062592009-07-08T04:28:00.000-05:002009-07-26T02:13:47.782-05:00

That is all.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-73865920606185584312009-07-03T04:58:00.000-05:002009-07-03T05:19:56.490-05:00

This is a mortal sin, but it must be said: this episode was boring. The use of montages was troubling, especially the smooth-jazz backed cicada one, where I was trying hard not to strangle myself. And whoever told Aya Hirano to sing with vibrato needs a swift kick in the pants. Er, manpris.OK, time to watch episode 3.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-46393895640573762302009-07-03T04:45:00.000-05:002009-07-03T05:19:37.198-05:00

The area around my piano is now reclaimed. It's seriously like a battle. The forces of cleanliness have advanced, but the ranks of disarray are waiting for me to lower my guard, so they can claw back that space.I have a ridiculous amount of manga, I've realized. At least most of it was cheap. Thanks again, Book Off!

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-42299857140354997112009-06-30T06:25:00.000-05:002009-07-01T01:46:32.659-05:00

I've had this stuff two times before now, but this is the first time I really enjoyed it. The first time I think my mouth chemistry was screwy, and the second time was at a sushi restaurant that inexplicably smelled of turpentine. This time, though, everything went right.Sake is pretty amazing stuff. I say amazing because there's an amazing range of flavors and textures that come out of fermented

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-26952585831143451072009-06-30T02:23:00.000-05:002009-06-30T06:24:16.632-05:00

I was on vacation all last week, but I still feel pretty burned out. Part of the reason is that over half my room is still a mess. Lots of papers and stuff, though by and large the most clutter is due to manga. There's like 40 volumes from the Book Off in NYC, and 70 from the ones in SoCal, though the latter are sitting outside my room. Then there's a small stack from my most recent bk1 order,

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-1694752786765745452009-06-18T04:43:00.000-05:002009-06-30T06:24:16.632-05:00

I'm going backpacking this weekend, which takes me about halfway down the lower part of California. So I might as well drive the rest of the way down and visit a few friends while I'm at it. More importantly, I'm planning to hit every Book Off in SoCal and raid their dollar manga sections. Hopefully I'll have good luck; I've been to the one in NYC a lot recently, thanks to my job, and the

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-18790875850920825882009-06-16T04:05:00.000-05:002009-12-21T04:30:42.702-06:00

Too tired at the moment to write anything meaningful. Will try again tomorrow.(edit)It took forever, but it's finally here: the first chapter of Discommunication Seireihen. I've been curious about Riichi Ueshiba's works ever since reading the mind-blowingness of Yume Tsukai, and where better to start than the preceding series? I was originally going to say more here, but writing the notes

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-70625974657092158522009-05-23T05:24:00.001-05:002009-05-23T05:57:46.663-05:00

Out of all of the events in the Haruhi novels, "Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody" is the one I remember most clearly. This is partially due to the relative simplicity of the plot; compared to some of the contortions in later arcs, nothing much happens, but it's all rather straightforward. What I like about this particular story is how casually epic it is. Time travel stories tend to involve dramatic means of

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-23130950774051792952009-05-19T06:32:00.000-05:002009-05-19T07:13:43.092-05:00

So they happen to have a Marshall amp sitting around, but no guitar? And what's the deal with the markup on sunburst patterns (in real life, not just anime)?I haven't had time to watch any of this until now. It's OK, but I just realized that she's got a Mesousa face all the time. Add the chibi rendition, and, well... Perhaps Shinbo ran out of ideas for this one.Rather well done, but is anyone

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-73349567571496767582009-04-27T03:18:00.000-05:002009-06-30T06:24:42.340-05:00

Things are changing apace in the world of licensed manga. I was kind of shocked to find that Rumiko Takahashi's latest series, Kyoukai no Rinne, is already available to read in English, direct from Viz. For free. Online. This is insane.Of course, anything by Rumiko Takahashi is going to get the blockbuster treatment. What remains to be seen is what other stuff will follow in its footsteps. Just

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-86655550090604801842009-04-10T07:39:00.001-05:002009-04-10T07:56:22.822-05:00

daisuki nante arigatouwatashi mo zutto suki dayomotto kyou womotto ashitajiyuu na iro de hirogetai

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-43584047516504960492008-12-12T02:36:00.000-06:002008-12-12T04:20:43.252-06:00

This is something I was looking at, quite a few months ago. Since then, I've increased my knowledge of Japanese significantly, I'd say. Plus I can use the dictionary much more effectively.Rie fu's "Vintage Denim" is from her Rose Album. It's mostly in English, and the Japanese parallels the English, but there's some slight differences here and there. I feel confident enough to tackle a

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-18750929660780627102008-12-12T00:49:00.000-06:002008-12-12T03:32:06.695-06:00

For a while now, I've been wanting to get my hands on the Sazerac-label rye, a six-year-old item that seems to be a standard-bearer among ryes. Presumably it has something to do with the glorious Sazerac cocktail, made with rye, absinthe, and bitters. I was in the city today, so I dropped by Cask, the spirits store that's an offshoot of Bourbon & Branch, and picked up a bottle.My usual rye is the

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-30356597720176931642008-10-08T01:18:00.000-05:002008-12-12T03:32:16.213-06:00

A few days ago, I was reading around the manga-related sector of the interweb, which appears to have expanded significantly. Reading longer-form pieces makes me want to produce some of my own, especially as my essay-writing skills need some honing. Through my years at college, I was only able to write one essay where I felt I had done a really good job. Part (most) of it was procrastination, and

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-11322972418873573572008-09-25T23:48:00.000-05:002008-09-26T06:15:08.340-05:00

So I took the GRE yesterday. I could have done better, but I did well enough, I think.Anyway, I went to Kinokuniya afterwards. I got more stuff than I had anticipated: From left,よつばとしろとくろのどうぶつ - Yotsuba & Monochrome Animalsこの世界の片隅に（中） - In This Corner Of The World (middle volume)ぱにぽに６ - Pani Poni 6お茶にごす。１ - Ocha nigosu. 1もっけ８ - Mokke 8アリア７ - Aria 7さよなら絶望先生１４ - Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 14へうげもの７ -

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-85041923393492725342008-09-05T05:13:00.000-05:002008-09-05T06:15:08.639-05:00

I just finished reading Haruki Murakami's The Wind-up Bird Chronicle. It's not a book that I can claim to have understood totally, nor does it lend itself to easy explanations. In addition to that, it's quite a different book than what I expected, though in retrospect it's very Murakami. (The only others I've read are Kafka on the Shore and After Dark.) What I expected was some sort of validation

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-60626186018349883672008-08-01T04:36:00.000-05:002008-08-01T05:11:45.295-05:00

So, this is what happens when you decide to get that Kagami miko figure. You look at the price, and think, hmm, why is it so expensive? So then you see the limited edition Kagami + Tsukasa with stand and think, might as well get the set for 8000 yen. Then, of course, you choose EMS when you meant to get SAL originally.The Japanese blurb about Kagami says "tsundere kei" (ツンデレ系), and the English

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-10625220002547887292008-07-21T05:14:00.000-05:002008-08-01T05:11:38.762-05:00

Man, they sure blew everything wide open. CG has really spoiled animators into making stuff that looks stupid. C.C. moe dasu :3

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-20062295193458140292008-07-11T05:18:00.000-05:002008-08-01T05:11:28.318-05:00

Seeing that I've managed to while away most of my late-evening reading AnimeSuki (and, uh, reading eroge blogs), I should probably spend some time getting stuff off my mind.First of all, I saw a ghetto itasha today. In Berkeley. On Shattuck. It was the Fruits Basket triumvirate, painted on the hood of an old yellow car. I must've done a triple take for once. I thought about taking a picture, but

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-12642056188982773542008-06-28T04:11:00.000-05:002008-06-28T04:56:22.541-05:00

Summer is upon us. It certainly felt like summer last week, but here in the Bay Area we're back to fog, chilliness, and general strangeness. I've been keeping lots of tabs open as I read about the impending summer season. Thankfully Firefox 3 seems to have halved the memory footprint of Firefox 2 (not that Firefox 2 taking up a gig of memory is particularly hard on my system). Here's THAT,

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-79276915995523440962008-06-25T05:03:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:13:49.546-05:00

I just came across this draft from september, with the above title, above picture and the text: "Three, actually, with more in the closet. Even a wideban. But they don't make me an extraordinarily effective military force, unfortunately." Which might've been more amusing at the time, naturally.My flatmate's been watching Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, and by watching, I mean watching it over and

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-35880063938614150432008-06-21T06:18:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:15:37.508-05:00

This must be the Kouyouen Haruhi, which means the second season is going to pursue that crazy plot arc. In fact, I may have to go back and read it again.Give me back my Haruhi with long hair, dammit.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-9703104282891811572008-06-03T09:43:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:18:08.942-05:00

Someone's opened up a manga café in San Francisco. What are the rates? $5 for the first hour, $1.25 for every additional 15 minutes. So basically $5/hour. Given that English-translated manga runs $10 a volume, $5/hour is pretty good. I figure if a typical volume is 200 pages, and I spend a generous 20 seconds on every 2-page spread, that's approaching two volumes per hour. The going rate in Japan

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-86475427120937962812008-05-18T06:39:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:15:37.508-05:00

I'm in a familiar quandary -- I've run out of sappy stuff to read. So I'm thinking about reading Maison Ikkoku again. Although I'm pretty sure I did that a few months ago. Hmm... Well, it's either that or Kimagure Orange Road, and I seem to remember reading that fairly recently. Gah, what happened to the non-harem, non-craptacular romance story? Granted, we only have two exemplary works to extol.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-47197914084139631312008-05-15T05:34:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:17:02.183-05:00

I forgot to publish my Bartender=alcoholism post, but having a mizuwari reminded me.Follow these fine directions to make your own. The 13.5 stirs is essential. I made the mistake of adding too much water. Also, using an expensive blend (Famous Grouse) was probably a mistake... should've settled for the Ballantine's.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-40649152787448540652008-05-12T04:57:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:16:46.740-05:00

I stopped watching stuff for what feels like weeks, but in reality was more like a week or so. Seems releasing has slowed down too, probably due to school. Well, whatever.Just watched Geass R2 5 and 6. The highlight of ep 5 was C.C. in a school uniform. The highlight of ep 6 was -- well, it was mostly made of awesome. Lots of mechs coming out of the woodwork, and the traditional second-season

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-62745945183587656292008-04-20T04:15:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:16:46.740-05:00

The title choice is somewhat facetious; this is one of the lowest-pressure seasons in recent memory. So far there've been no real standouts, no exceptional brilliance. The only series I was anticipating is of course Geass R2. But anyway, here goes the snarky commentary, following the list from Random Curiosity.Allison & Lillia: I like it. It's old fashioned in feel, with prop planes and good

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-68302823602321058362008-04-20T03:28:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:17:02.184-05:00

They knowingly conceived this project to exploit the finely romantic sensibilities of dreaming youth, lost youth, and youth being lost. It seemed, and now undeniably is, so natural, so beautiful, to forge one's courage, drown one's failures, or relive one's past through the lens of a cocktail. The bottles spin away into the horizon, endless labels of industrially distilled spirits, each

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-78735837042756416522008-04-02T05:19:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:15:37.509-05:00

Sign me up for the Kyou Fanboy Association. :3

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-30290946556441708322008-03-14T06:09:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:16:46.741-05:00

So I finally finished a few series from summer 2007. Oh, sorry, Dennou Coil actually dates from spring 2007. From the same season... haven't finished Hitohira... I'll probably never watch Saiunkoku... Romeo x Juliet someday I guess... As for spring 2007, I got through Doujin Work. Still got Higurashi, Zero no Tsukaima S2, Baccano!... sigh.Well, Doujin Work was pretty fun, through pretty trashy in

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-92004014795969628952008-03-08T23:43:00.000-06:002008-06-25T05:17:31.724-05:00

I placed an order at YesAsia for a bunch of stuff. Enough stuff that I was debating whether to add in Tainaka Sachi's latest album, Love is.... If you'll recall, タイナカサチ　burst upon the scene with the OP to Fate/stay Night, "disillusion". Strangely enough, that song was produced in a way that takes the edge, the distinctive cry out of her voice. I guess they were going for a different effect, with

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-12607149249119668032008-02-25T06:16:00.000-06:002008-06-25T05:17:53.721-05:00

So I'm about to plunge deeper into this subculture, by putting lots of money into it. It will be a downward, vicious cycle of spending and obtaining; I can feel it. Though, arguably I started this behavior sometime ago. I was at Kinokuniya today and ended up buying 9 volumes of manga. That I am unable to read, mostly. They join the rest of my manga in my bookcase, which has been growing at an

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-84755613716435636602008-02-22T04:19:00.000-06:002009-05-19T07:28:20.649-05:00

I saw [Iwao Junko - Anime on Bossa] at the strangely-titled Akibanana, and decided to check it out. It's pretty weird, as expected. That's not to say that there's not good talent involved: the musicians have impressive chops, and Iwao Junko does something of an Astrud Gilberto impression. As a card-carrying member of the Jazz Police, however, I sense some faults in this album, on a deep,

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-36120477608635242202008-02-22T03:15:00.000-06:002008-06-25T05:15:37.509-05:00

I've been going a little crazy these past few days trying to find out when the 10th Haruhi novel is coming out. So far, no hard date. There's some news from last summer about it being delayed. This thing (described as a shareholder report by Babelfish) shows 涼宮ハルヒの驚愕 due sometime this month. However, given that there's been no massive ad campaign, it can't be arriving anytime soon.I kind of feel

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-50157447056641350772008-02-14T03:49:00.000-06:002008-06-25T05:16:46.742-05:00

I took a look at To LOVE-Ru and saw the name Yabuki Kentaro. Flipping through the first chapter, I'm glad to say that I didn't see Train or Sven, but the bodyguard guys were awfully familiar... Well, typical shōnen fanservice manga I guess. Then I came across this madness. Tokunan Seiichirō: Human Clock. It's seriously surreal: feels like Dali (art and film), Picasso, Miró, and whoever else did

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-74592493460888424562008-02-06T06:38:00.000-06:002008-06-25T05:16:46.743-05:00

You would think that the whole making-doujinshi genre has been wayy overdone. It has, for sure, but somehow it's terribly enjoyable. I started watching Doujin Work again (after a hiatus), which consists of some amazingly low-budget animation. The first few episodes were pretty predictable, but I watched episode 4 last night and it was hilarious. The whole Cafe With Cat stuff was great. And ... :3

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-25659995114370390312008-02-01T04:06:00.000-06:002008-06-25T05:16:46.743-05:00

I'm glad there's not very much to watch this season. Maybe I can catch up with older stuff... primarily Dennou Coil. I just watched the first episode of Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de / They are my noble masters. It's pretty darn trashy, but still entertaining. I confess that I do have an affinity for the ojou-sama setup, which is the primary reason for my interest in this anime. However, it

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-20482319293346392212007-12-24T03:27:00.000-06:002008-06-25T05:17:31.724-05:00

This song's been rattling around in my head. "Kimi to Yozora to Sakamichi to", something about You and the Night Sky and the Slope, if I'm parsing that correctly. "Slope" isn't very romantic, of course. Neither is most of Myself; Yourself. Okay, that was a bad segue; I'm still watching it after all. The good part: Nanaka miko banzai. The bad part: unlimited loli works. Okay, I'm stretching again,

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-11129466559284663292007-12-11T03:58:00.000-06:002008-06-25T05:16:46.744-05:00

I haven't been doing much of anything lately. Watched one or two episodes of Noir. Read the usual unending trickle of manga; some may be worth discussing in depth.The only thing I really caught up on is Kimikiss. Certain portions are absolutely inane (you know, the frogs) but the rest is exactly the vicarious romance that the doctor ordered, in a variety of addicting flavors. (The worst part

makonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-78159679571928456122007-11-11T23:13:00.000-06:002008-06-25T05:17:53.721-05:00

So there's this umbrella sold at MoMA...

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-20234388252714433882007-11-02T00:35:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:16:46.744-05:00

It pains me somewhat, but I've actually started taking notes after I watch an episode. This way my thoughts remain fresh and snarky when it comes to committing them to hypertext. It should also help me get more things off my chest; otherwise the really inane, cliché things start piling up inside me and I get very sarcastic. I'm tempted to just cut and paste my vague notes, but that strikes me as

makonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-21588639609189210192007-10-13T03:59:00.001-05:002008-06-25T05:16:46.745-05:00

I consider myself a patient person, but Myself; Yourself 01 was terribly cloying and I had to stop halfway through. Some things (like the backgrounds, and the girl with the violin) are very nice, other things (Aoi's voice, corny music, saccharine-ness) are very bad.Also in the potboiler department is Dragonaut, which is a very strange beast. Mix one part of everything and season well with cliché.

makonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-15966908000237010512007-10-11T03:54:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:16:46.746-05:00

First off, Kimikiss pure rouge 01. I didn't expect a PS2 renai game to make for such a well-executed show. According to ANN, Kasai Kenichi storyboarded the first episode, and it really does feel almost like Honey & Clover. The art has the same softness, and the characters go comedic in exactly the same way. But given the setting, there's a distinct naiveté, or maybe a better term is seishun. So

makonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-50556270848278102782007-10-08T02:37:00.000-05:002008-06-25T05:16:46.746-05:00

Aish, another season of anime already. The people who actually animeblog regularly say there are 42 fricking new series. There's a collage of shows image, as usual, but it's too unwieldy for my format. So I'll just use hashihime's ordering, skipping what I don't have anything to say about.Mokke: Spirits plus slice of life. Sign me right up.Rental Magica: The title is familiar, and the character

makonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-7668148376464576002007-09-22T03:50:00.000-05:002007-09-22T03:51:44.141-05:00

Thx moetron.

makonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-89393426712517420482007-09-14T03:22:00.000-05:002007-09-14T04:31:56.729-05:00

I've fallen into a rut lately. Put together a semi-new computer and my schedule went all to hell. And then I started re-reading Maison Ikkoku and Kimagure Orange Road -- though that's not really related to the schedule collapse. Anyway, normalcy should reassert itself in the coming days.On to tonight's subject: figures. PVC, resin, kit, pre-painted. Those sort.I only became aware of the vast

makonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-4788584700093692612007-08-03T02:41:00.000-05:002007-08-03T03:59:32.485-05:00

Episode 4 brings us a graphical OP sequence. To cut to the chase, it's absolutely brilliantly insane. Sparse, yet intensely fast-cutting, with a surprising dose of overt, yet repressed, sexuality (if that makes any sense). I was absolutely floored the first time through.This is a good time to appreciate the use of textures in this show. There's this feeling of authenticity, of harmony, of just

makonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-13046959593716390132007-08-01T02:57:00.000-05:002007-08-01T03:22:12.958-05:00

Well, we're not quite at the zillion-screenshots-plus-plot-parroting stage yet, but we're getting there. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei episode three was good, but not as brilliant as episode two. There are plenty of Shinbo moments, though. And the chalkboard scribbles -- I think I may have to end up watching each episode twice, once straight through and once frame-by-frame. Death Note parody, Jigoku

makonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-50249794238722575372007-07-26T01:30:00.001-05:002007-07-26T02:30:18.964-05:00

In some terrible lapse of judgment, I decided to check out Moetan and Nanatsuiro Drops. I hereby declare that I am of sound mind and body once again (mostly).Moetan wasn't too bad at the beginning. I can forgive the unexplained-loli-in-high-school setup, and the excessive love interest fixation (I'm starting to think this is asian-culture gender-role-shaping in action), and the sorcerer duck

makonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-88617247226339880932007-07-12T03:35:00.000-05:002007-07-12T04:31:31.990-05:00

So, everyone and everyone's mother has probably seen this picture, but here it is once again. Whoever makes these things is pretty darned clever. The summer cour has begun, and there will much in the coming weeks to watch, or mock, as the case may be. I find myself disconcertingly interested in far too many shows, and I still have a major backlog in regards to this season, past seasons, past

makonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-35689315978058011292007-05-16T04:22:00.000-05:002007-05-19T05:02:37.888-05:00

If you've watched Darker than Black, you'll recognize the spoken lines that open the ... er ... OP. "Now I’ve lost it; I know I can kill; the Truth is [something] beyond the Gates." I'm not too familiar with the horror genre, so this may just be a classic horror-type voice, but the association I make goes to a completely different place.The voice is awfully reminiscent of the first bit of "Sing

makonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-106739437960071572007-05-08T06:42:00.000-05:002007-05-08T06:54:25.983-05:00

The sola OP is made of win. From the perspective of someone who hates American pop music, and has a decent amount of classical training, anime openings are masterful creations that shamelessly utilize a variety of compositional techniques for maximum emotional impact. (OK, catchy melodies aren't really a compositional technique.)Too bad sola seems to be a heaping mass of cliché so far. But I'll

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-25958953910937968182007-05-04T04:47:00.000-05:002007-05-04T04:55:49.811-05:00

ClickyThis is pretty neat, though I couldn't get it to work from the head, as detailed here.

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5271375643685150931.post-63092721544946495652007-05-04T02:23:00.000-05:002007-05-04T04:10:20.628-05:00

I'm creating an anime blog, because I need a place to vent about anime, manga, and otaku culture. (In other words, a platform to troll and fanboy-ize.) Eventually I want to make 4koma, but I need to learn how to draw first.Anyway, today's subject is Code Geass. I started watching it last night -- I am most impressed. It has that cohesive feel that is the hallmark of a great series. The CLAMP

makohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871980579032598495noreply@blogger.com0