The Dragon Slayer

Color me confused

2009-10-19T19:35:13Z

Not only does Kuchuu Buranko have the craziest design and story (?) I've seen in a while (ever?), but they even incorporated the SEIYUU'S FACES into the characters' design. I mean, some sort of digital reworking of their face. No, I'm not crazy. It's Morikawa and Sakurai right there in episode 1.

What the hell are they smoking at Toei Animation? Must be some really good shit. I want some of it too!

To stillandall

2009-10-18T18:27:45Z

I'd love to reply to your PM but you've disabled the reception of messages so I get an error message from LJ. Could you please check on that?

My review of Neoromance 15th Anniversary

2009-09-24T16:37:28Z

This is a review for the Monday, September 21st, night show.

I swung by the merchandise stand early to catch some event-exclusive goods, but apparently not early enough. Pamphlet was already sold out. At 4PM. Say what? Guess the price was still not high enough to put off the fangirls. Thankfully, I managed to catch the Promised Rainbow 15^th anniversary version CD for my Okki collection.

I took a couple of pictures in the lobby :

This is only a sample of the bouquets that were on display. There were tons !

5:30PM : doors opened and I went to my seat. It was pretty good (14^th row, very slightly on the right) so I could see really well without having to rely on the screen too much. The stage was decorated to look like a sort of church with stairs on each side, it was really nice.

Then the show started. The cast was introduced in reverse chronological order, starting from Neo Angelique all the way back to the original Angelique. At first I could have sworn the Corda guys were getting the most screams, but then I didn't know anymore. The ones that seemed to get called out the most in my area were Takahashi Hiroki & Kisho.

Good news is, the show turned out to be almost exclusively about songs, for three hours, which was exactly what I wanted. No useless blabbering, let's get straight to the music !

First up was Iwata Mitsuo and Don't be afraid. Oh noes, that guy still can't sing to save his life, and his hair looked like it was inspired from watching Happy Days. Oh well, at least he's entertaining and I guess Don't be afraid can be considered a good show opener / crowd warmer.

Next was Yuuya with Skywalker. LOL, the guy thinks he's John Travolta. I laughed very very much XD

Kappei was his usual cute self and he did good.

Okki then came on to sing Sajin no Shiro ni Tatsu. Wow, this has got to be my favorite of his from the whole Harutoki catalog, but since he already did it last summer, I didn't expect him to do it again so soon. It was a very pleasant surprise and he did very well. Of course, he was wearing one of his trademark flowery shirts XD Still, I much preferred the outfit he wore for the intro. Why did he have to change it?

Okki was immediately followed by Kazuhiko-san (yeah!). I can't tell you what song it was because it's still unreleased. The title appeared on the screen but as per Harutoki fashion, it was a long one and I didn't have time to catch it. Mid-tempo type of song it was alright from what I could tell with only one listen. I was surprised (shocked?) that he didn't pull his usual flip-the-jacket-open-to-make-the-fangirls-scream trick. What's happening to you, Heika? Is old age kicking in? XD

From then on, my memory is a bit blurry as to what order things happened in :

- Kusunoki Taiten : I loved his hair. I loved his glasses. I loved his outfit. Oh, and the song was quite alright too, if you're wondering XD
- Morita looked like a middle-school boy and that song of his (Romantic Stage) was quite awful, but he's always so full of energy and fun he's forgiven XD

- Hayami Shou ; very classy as usual. Still not a fan of his singing, though.
- Kisho Daisuke : same than Morita. Bad song but he makes up for it with his TREMENDOUS energy.

The show then segued into a bunch of duos & trios, with pairings as unlikely as Canna, Kappei & Morita. Canna was funny because he was the only one who was dressed like he was going jogging or something, and he hadn't even bothered to brush his hair XD Let's just say he doesn't seem too concerned about his look.

Okki then came on with Nakahara Shigeru to sing Akigeshou no Kokoro no Hanamori ni. They both did brilliantly, their voices meshed really well together. Honestly and objectively (you know I'm super objective XD), I thought that was the best vocal performance of the night. Okki is definitely more comfortable when he's not alone on stage, there's no doubting that.

Btw, Nakahara-san was wearing a blue tie on a silky golden shirt. Yes, that does look as bad as it sounds. Nakahara-san, I like you, but please, for the love of all things sacred, get a stylist to give you a few tips, because this is just....this is just....I'm at a loss for words. And Okki had changed to another flowery shirt, worse than the first. My eyes, they hurt.

Another duet I thought sounded really good too was Kappei & Kusunoki.

Then there was a group song for each of the Neoroma series. Towards the end of each song, the cast of another series joined the performers and then started their own song, which made for very smooth transitions. The Harutoki song was Ryouen no Michi wo Yuke. That's another one I didn't expect, probably because I always figured all Hachiyou were needed to sing it. But in the end it sounded just as good with only three people, including one who didn't belong there XD

Then another bunch of duets :

Canna was paired up with Iwata Mitsuo. Urgh, shut up, Iwata-san, you're ruining my Can-Can experience ! Why has he only been in group songs so far? Give him a solo already !

Okki & Kazuhiko-san : Gekkou no Kumoito Suhada no Kaizokusen. Ah, I'm dead and going to heaven. Technically, I suppose it wasn't as good than the duet with Nakahara-san, but this is a song I'd been wanting them to perfom for YEARS, and here it was happening right in front of my eyes, so what could I have possibly complained about?

Final songs : Promised Rainbow, where it seems everyone tried to make the biggest fool of himself in front of the camera (Kisho is nuts), and the usual Bokutachi no Anniversary. Each performer then made a final comment, the funniest being Nakahara-san who messed up with his usual « Tadaima! » and said « Okaeri » instead, much to the amusement of the others XD

And that's pretty much it. Bear in mind I skipped some songs (other seiyuu who were there included Horiuchi Kenyuu, Narita Ken & Ohkawa Tohru), because I'm more familiar with the Harutoki material and simply because of my personal biases XD

Only three gripes as far as this show :

- no solo song for Canna, but I understand he did Evergreen at the noon show so I guess I'll be seeing it on the DVD

- partial songs only, but that seems to have been the norm for the last couple of years
- those tapes, those damn backing tapes. Is it that they can't afford to have a live band anymore? Don't they realize how much better it would sound? I wonder.

Other than that, it was GREAT ! I'm very much looking forward to the DVD. Also, some of you may have heard this already, but they announced that a Harutoki 3 anime series is going to start in January on AT-X, so that should be fun too.

That's all folks !

I'm off :)

2009-09-18T13:58:39Z

Leaving tomorrow, I'll be in Japan for 3 weeks.

I might write a review of Neoromance 15th Anniversary and a couple of other things, but other than that I don't know how much time I'm gonna be able to spend on LJ, so don't resent me if I neglect to comment on your respective journals ;)

See ya !

Okki + Heika = live duet

2009-07-12T16:51:32Z

Sorry if I can't articulate my thoughts too well right now, but today's Neoromance Festa opened with a Heika x Okki duet. A new, unreleased song called "Vacation" to boot ! Actually, I'm not even sure it's a full-fledged song in the sense that it might never even have an audio release, but WOW !
Ok, "Gekkou no Kumoito Suhada no Kaizokusen" would have been dreamy but it seems they're totally finished with the Harutoki 1&2 stuff. Hopefully this one will be nice as well. A japanese blogger said Heika put his arm around Okki's shoulders during the song, eliciting great screaming from the audience LOLOL

Other Harutoki songs played during the show :
- Heika : Kokoro yo Saihate no Hyougen ni
- Seki Tomokazu : Manten no Hoshi wa Takarachizu
- Okki : Tenkyuu no Hate ni
- Heika x Seki : Mangetsu wa Yozora no Shinju <--- a nice one as well

EDIT : 2nd show (night show)
- Heika : Itoshisa wa Hikari no Sunadokei
- Seki : Jounetsu Totamerai no Karasawagi
- Okki : Sajin no Shiro ni Tatsu <--- Kiyaaahh !! I SO wanted this song !!!
- Heika & Seki : same

EDIT 2 : a report in english from someone who attended the shows (warning : crack inside)

It's going to feel like a long time waiting for this DVD.....

Now I'm off to take a cold shower XD

Nyan-Nyan

2009-04-09T16:07:41Z

Nyanko-sensei is actually larger than the person holding him XDD

Seen in B's Log : Nadepro to become video game

2009-03-12T17:07:24Z

Rejoice, PS2 owners (which I am not), for the awesome Nadepro is going to be adapted into an adventure game !
Judging from the images published in B's Log, it seems to be a lot of fun, though I wonder what kind of adventure will be in store for the players exactly. I guess I'll never know since I'm a loser and I don't have a PS2. Guys, you could have made it for other gaming platforms also ! Like the Wii, for example. It's not like it's one of those new gen games with high-definition graphics anyway.
But it's ok, I'm still happy, because after the drama CDs, the comics, the radio show and the character songs, I can only surmise that this game brings us yet another step closer to a friggin ANIME !!

Besides, what's not to like about a game called "Kisama mo Seiyuu Yattemiro !" XDD

Hmm, me need to find a PS2 emulator within the next few months XD

EDIT : also just in the mail : my ultra mega giga rare CD of Tea-Cups !! It's a unit that was formed in 2002 by the Okki, Ishikawa, Yukana, Matsutani Kaya, Noda Junko & Nakayama Sara. Btw, I have NO idea how that unit came about so if anyone could shed some light I'd be grateful. But anyway, the CD is extremely rare now, and I just recently found it on Yahoo Auctions. It was still sealed too. Woohoo ! I just had to share the group picture :

I love how they included the little female and male signs on each person. Like the nature of their respective gender could cause potential confusion XD

New FMA cast is a JOKE

2009-03-06T15:26:29Z

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-03-06/fullmetal-alchemist-2009-anime-cast-revealed

Apart from the fact that they robbed Okki of one of his best roles (which should be punishable by law), they dared change Roy Mustang's voice !!! I mean, I love Miki Shin as much as the next person, but his voice just does NOT suit the character.
And God, I absolutely adored Lust's voice !! It's rare enough for me to take notice of female voices to be pissed about that. Once again, nothing against Inoue-san, but I can't picture her voice on that character.
Shit, I was so looking forward to that remake, and now I'm not so sure I still want to watch it anymore.....

This is the suck.

Fukujin DVD release = YAY

2009-03-03T17:45:16Z

Live DVD release from an unit consisting of voice artist Nobutoshi Kannna and musician Yoshiki Fukuyama featuring footage of their live performance "Fukujin Festival 2008 - Fukujin Ikka Zenin Shugo!! -." Disc 2 includes documentary of their history from their debut to their Nagoya live on January 25, 2009.

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=GNBA-7540

Obviously, I would have preferred a DVD release of Can-Can's solo performance, but this is good too :)

Good news on the Saint Seiya front !

2008-12-01T18:27:35Z

Source : ANN

This year's 53rd issue of Akita Shoten's Weekly Shonen Champion magazine will announce on Thursday that Masami Kurumada and Shiori Teshirogi's Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas - Meiō Shinwa manga has an original video anime version green-lit for next spring. The mythical action manga's story is set in the middle of the 18th century, 243 years before the first Saint Seiya storyline. Artist Teshirogi focuses The Lost Canvas - Meiō Shinwa on the friendship of Tenma and Alone — the previous incarnations of the characters Pegasus Seiya and Hades who would become mortal enemies in the original Saint Seiya. The manga and the upcoming anime also includes Sasha, the earlier incarnation of Athena.

Kurumada drew the original Saint Seiya manga from 1986 to 1990, and Teshirogi has been drawing the The Lost Canvas - Meiō Shinwa prequel manga since 2006. 11 volumes of the prequel have been compiled and published so far. The Lost Canvas - Meiō Shinwa anime will be the 10th anime project of the long-running Saint Seiya franchise.

I haven't been following the manga, but any Saint Seiya anime is good with me XD
I wonder who the staff (Shingo-san, don't goooo !!) and cast will be.....

Fukujin 1st album up for preorder

2008-11-07T16:29:35Z

Canna is releasing a new mini-album with the ever awesome Fukuyama Yoshiki, and it can finally be pre-ordered through a website that us non-japanese mortals can use.

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=GNCA-7125

EVERYONE.BUY.IT.NOW. For the sake of mankind. Or something.

Pleo, the cutest little robot ever created

2008-10-14T16:18:59Z

Pleo is the latest in a line of robots gifted wirth artifical intelligence (like Aibo). He can feel, hear, see, learn, have emotions and evolve.
They have lots of pictures, explanations and videos on the official website :
http://www.pleoworld.com/

Also, I found this funny video on youtube. The cat seems totally bewildered by the presence of that new companion XD

I personnally have the terrible habit of falling head over heels over these little creatures XD But seriously, Pleo is a lot cuter than Aibo, don't you think? Plus he's the only chance you'll ever get of owning something resembling a baby dinosaur XD
Problem? The price. In Japan, it costs 52,000 yen, and one of the few Osaka stores where I saw it had hung the sign : SOLD OUT.
Say what? 52,000 yen and it's sold out?! Since I got back, I've discovered that they have already sold 55,000 Pleos worldwide. If only I was rich.....

What do you think? Do you find him cute? Do you like intelligent robots of that kind or do you think it's useless and just a gadget?

My report on Canna Nobutoshi's shows / Tokyo & Osaka

2008-10-09T15:46:19Z

Tokyo

Shibuya O'West is a nice little venue with a capacity of about 500 people. It's a rather famous place for rock bands to play in, so I was glad I had the opportunity to see it "from the inside" :)
The show started at 5PM with "42.195", and I was glad I had brought protection for my ears, because the bass was LOUD ! Canna-san was in fine vocal form (as usual, should I say). He was backed up by a one-guitar band and a keyboard player. Btw, the surprise for me is that Canna didn't play any guitar at all ! I really expected him to, and I think he missed it at some points (he definitely played air guitar on some of the songs XD).
He seemed to have good interaction with his band, especially the guitarist (who happened to be Iizuka Masaki, the guy from Granrodeo, who also used to play in Bloody Ruby at the Neoromance Festas). Many jokes and ad-libbing going on, which made for a very spontaneous show. Iizuka kept looking at his watch and urging Canna to stop talking so much because he had to hurry back to his job at Lawson XD Canna joked that all the guys in his band were '"jiji" (over 40 in this case) and it made him feel good because he was the youngest XD Then he mentioned that he had turned 40 this year and it wasn’t so bad after all XD At another point, Iizuka played a mock-sad melody on guitar and Canna started ad-libbing on it, explaining why he had changed his name from Hayashi to Canna, that type of thing. Really funny stuff. It’s a pity that my limited linguistic skills kept me from understanding it all…..

During the encore, he played a new song called "Aspirin", which had a really nice groove to it. I expect a lot from it in a future release (see below). Then he announced a guest : a screen came down from the ceiling and we got a video message from Fukuyama Yoshiki. I honestly thought he was the most likely guest, but he explained that he was on tour with Jam Project in South Korea and was thus unfortunately unable to attend. Btw, those two have a string of shows together in late October/early November, and even a show in late November in Taiwan for those who are interested (I would sure be interested to hear sing them together).

Then Canna said "now, I have real guests for you", and….and…..he announced everyone from E.M.U !!!! I couldn't believe my luck. To be honest, I had dreamed of that happening but didn’t have much actual hope. And when I saw the size of the stage, I thought "There's no way they could fit 4 more people on there". But there it was, happening right in front of my eyes. Again, a lot of joking going on. Everyone joked about their age, saying "I’m 16, I’m 19". And when Midorikawa's turn came, he said in his falsely serious manner, "Me, I'm 40" XD Sakaguchi did a Mikimaro impression (Arai-kuuun XD), much to the crowd’s delight. Then they recounted about how much trouble they had with all the dance moves they had to perform on stage (who would have guessed, lol). Midorikawa seemed particularly traumatized about a choreography where he had to bend backwards (he was probably talking about the end of Equal in the Equal Live). Okiayu said "At the time, I was like '*panting, panting* Oh God, it's so hot in here' " XD
Then time came for a song, and they played "Natsu no Address". I was a little surprised at that choice, seeing as it's not a famous song. But then again, I suppose most E.M.U songs are hard for them to do now, since they're mostly about teenagehood and stuff. Could anyone see them do "Juudai wa Paradise" ? Maybe they could have changed the lyrics to "Yonjuudai wa Paradise", though XD
Anyway, it was a very nice performance from all 5 of them. Obviously, everyone in the crowd wished for a second song, but nope. Wasn't going to happen. There was a second encore nonetheless. A little conversation between Canna and Iizuka :
C : "We’re already played all the songs. What song should we play again?"
I : "I want to do Natsu no Address".
C : "That’s impossible, they’ve all left already !"
I : "It's ok, I’ll do the singing". XDD

In the end, they played 42.195 again, and the show ended on a very high note, after 2 hours and 15 minutes. The songs that were played were the following :

Songs from solo albums :

42.195 (twice)
Stay cool
Mutekiman
Kakueki de Ikou
My sweet home
Harmonica
Yoake
Ai no Uta
Borderline
10 years
Aspirin (new song)

Songs from anime / other :

Evil Eyes
Shiawase ni Narou
Kono Te wo Hanasanai
Rock n’ Roll Beethoven
Hey Hey Bomb Bomb
Kimi no Tame ni Koko ni Iru
Natsu no Address (with E.M.U)

Osaka

Originally, we had only planned to go to the Tokyo show, but since we’d had a really good time and happened to be in Osaka when he was scheduled to play there, we thought "The hell, let's check if tickets are still available and go if we can." And so we did XD
Osaka MUSE was an even smaller venue than O' West. I have no idea about the actual capacity (200? 300?) but it was really small. The setlist was basically the same, but in a slightly different order, and obviously there was no E.M.U appearance. Also, he had a completely different set of musicians backing him up, so the interaction wasn't quite the same. Those musicians looked a lot younger for the most part, and some of them seemed to suffer from a great deal of stage fright. The bassist wouldn't even say hello in the mic when he was introduced, and the keyboard player was so stressed out that he only managed to stutter "Ko-ko-konnichiwa". Of course, Canna made fun of him for that, which was quite hilarious (poor guy).
But unexpectedly, what turned out to be the biggest event of the show, at least for us, was....well, us (me and my bf). See, I'm not the type who screams and jumps to get noticed by the people on stage. I like to enjoy music discreetly. So my biggest fear was that Canna would notice we were the only "weirdos" in the audience (if you see what I mean). I literrally hid behind a girl everytime he talked in the hope that he wouldn't see me. But it was no use. With us being the only non-japanese people in the crowd and Greg standing at 180cm in a 99% female crowd, there was no way he wouldn't take notice. At one point, he said "I think we have some people here who were at the O'West show". And bam ! All the house lights turned on us ! I thought "No way ! Someone tell me this is not happening !" I pointed at myself like an idiot, saying "Ore?" (duh, who else?). I was so embarrassed, I swear I could have crawled into a hole to disappear XD
Canna asked where we were from and handed us the mic. Greg said we were from France (I was too petrified to utter a word), and all the audience went "Eeehhhh ??!!!" XD He then asked if we’d come on purpose for the show, but I don’t think Greg really understood the question so he said yes, which was not exactly the case, but it made Canna happy so I guess it was OK XD He wanted to thank us for coming but couldn't remember how to say thank you in French. The audience had to remind him so it was his turn to be embarrassed XD He finally said "merci" to us. OK, it sounded more like "mershi" but it was cute anyway XD
He mentioned us again later in the show. The guitarist handed him an accoustic guitar and he improvised a little ditty. One of the lines was "There are French people in the audience, I’m extremely surprised !" XD
At the end of the show, as a joke, the guitarist wiped Canna's face with a towel and threw it into the crowd. It landed right on our left, where a girl eagerly grabbed it. The funny thing is that Greg had a much longer reach than her and could easily have caught it if he'd wanted. But I have a slight feeling it would have looked a little odd XDD
And so that's how the Osaka show ended.

I bought this t-shirt at the merchandising stand (sorry for the wrinkles, it was just out of my luggage when I took the picture, and I had already worn it) .

It was also available in brown, violet and pink.

Two important things to note : both shows were caught on tape so they’re likely to have a future video release (but then again, maybe not). Also, Canna announced the release of a new mini-album in collaboration with Fukuyama Yoshiki in December ! As far as I understood, it doesn’t have a title yet, but I’m really looking forward to it. Hopefully, it will be widely available, not like his recent releases.

That’s it for my report. Wow, it took me forever to write this XD

I'm back !

2008-10-06T19:12:22Z

And totally jetlagged XD It's only 9PM and I think I'm gonna go to bed soon. I'm cold and have trouble keeping my eyes open.....

I'll try to write up my report on the Canna shows (yes, 2 shows !) ASAP because I know Vraie is eagerly awaiting them ;)

Now it's time to slip into Morpheus' arms. Zzzzzz......

Speechless....

2008-09-21T14:54:44Z

Just got back from Canna's show at Shibuya O'West and it was unbelievable. Great sound, great setlist, exceptional vocal performance and.....and.....

AND something I didn't even dream of happening : AN E.M.U. REUNION !!!!!!! Yes, you read right.

Expect a full fascinating report when I return XD

Leaving...

2008-09-15T15:21:06Z

I'm leaving tomorrow so I probably won't be online too much until my return (October 7).

Loke, I'll drop you a line if I find your KKM stuff ;)

Ja, matta ne !

Anime/manga meme

2008-09-11T15:14:10Z

From Loke :

Part I. Anime:
01. What was your first anime?
Probably UFO Robot Grendizer or Captain Harlock because my brother watched them. The first anime I remember watching for myself is Candy Candy.

02. How were you introduced to anime?
There was just a shitload of it on French TV when I was a kid.

03. What are your anime obsession/fandoms?
Saint Seiya and Slayers. It's been that way for years and it's probably not going to change anytime soon.

04. What were some fandoms that you lost?
none, really. I'm the faithful / persistent type XD

05. What is your genre preference?
I'm not too fond of mecha, but otherwise I keep an open mind.

06. What was your first anime movie that you've watched?
Probably a Ghibli movie, but I can't remember which.

07. What was the first anime you've bought on vhs or dvd?
Saint Seiya

08. Do you buy a lot of anime merchandise, and if so, what?
yes, probably too much XD DVDs, CDs, figures, plushies, artbooks, cels.....You name it, I have it.

09. Sub vs. dub?
SUB OF COURSE.

10. What are you currently watching now?
Slayers Revolution
Bleach
Natsume Yuujinchou
Nabari no Ou
Onegai My Melody
El Hazard - Alternative World (almost finished)

Part II. Manga:
01. What was the first manga you've read?
Saint Seiya (I can see some sort of pattern forming here XD)

02. What was the first manga you've bought?
well, guess what? Saint Seiya LOLOL

03. How many volumes do you have now?
I don't know. Over a hundred I suppose.

04. What is your favorite manga (only, that's not made into an anime)?
They've all been made into an anime, but I wish Please save my Earth had more than 6 OVAs. They're good but they don't cover much ground compared to 21 volumes of manga.

05. What manga have you've been waiting for to be translated for a long time?
Sotsugyou M. But I got bored of waiting, so now I'm reading them in Japanese (with much difficulty, but it's an excellent training).

06. Do you buy manga monthly?
yeah

07. Is there a manga series that you prefer as an anime? And vise versa?
I prefer Saint Seiya as an anime because the art is better. And I prefer Please save my Earth as a manga, but mainly because it's more complete (same goes for Fruits Basket).

09. Do you prefer actual manga vs. scanlations?
I cannot stand scanlations. Ew.

10. What manga are you currently waiting to be released this year?
Next volumes of Saint Seiya G, Embraced by the moonlight and Vassalord.

Part III. Anime vs. Manga:
01. Which do you prefer?
Anime

02. Do you appreciate the art more in anime or more in manga?
Manga. I realize that animators have to work at such fast pace that it's hard to maintain a good graphic quality throughout an episode.

03. Do you like drama cds?
I'm not so fond of them. I listen to very few.

04. If you had to choose, would you work for a manga company or an anime company?
Anime.

05. If you ever had your own manga made into an anime, would you want it to or would you not want it to be made?
I would accept but I would want some control over its making.

2 tickets to Paradise

2008-09-09T17:29:32Z

Guess what I got yesterday ?

Can-can in an intimate club, yippee ! XD I wonder what the setlist will be. Hopefully some new stuff, and hopefully some guest appearances XD

I also managed to score tickets for a B'z show at Yokohama Stadium the day before, which borders on the miraculous since they sold out so fast. 2 nights back to back in a 72,000 seater, and they both sold out in less than 48 hours ! B'z really are an insanely popular band in Japan :o It's hard to believe they're virtually unknown in the rest of the world...... I'm really happy I'll get to attend this since that short string of shows in September will be in celebration of their 20th anniversary. So I'm expecting a very special setlist :)
The tickets are still on their way. Hopefully they will reach me on time.....

Japan, here I come !!!

A bunch of tests for the language geeks :)

2008-09-04T23:59:07Z

Your result for The Absolute Language Test ...

Just You Wait, 'Enry 'Iggins!

55% Eloquent, 61% Well-Versed, 30% So-So, 24% Amateur and 12% Ignoramus!

You are well-versed in languages, but you do need some fine-tuning before you'll pass for the Embassy Ball. Try immersing yourself in different languages/cultures and with a quick ear and a sharp tongue you too can master any language you want! ... Just you wait, 'Enry 'Iggins!

Take the Absolute Language Test

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
vraieesprit</lj> , this is for you :)

The French Expressions Test

A slight warning though : I took the test for shits and giggles and didn't even score 100 points. That's because some questions had several correct answers, so a careful approach is needed on that one (and the result should not be taken too seriously).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The commonly confused words test

Your result for The Commonly Confused Words Test ...

English Genius

You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 87% Advanced, and 100% Expert!

Haha, I scored higher on this one than on the French one. This is funny XD

Ikemen Beam !

2008-08-24T19:01:29Z

He did it !

Today, there was an Onegai My Melody event in Puroland (a Sanrio park near Tokyo) and Okiayu finally did it : HE SANG "ORE WA USAMIMI KAMEN" LIVE !! Anyone who knows the song can guess how much cracktastic potential this has XD

Apparently, they also had those very cute Usamimi Kamen plushies with puffy pants XD But they were only available at that event if I understand right. I must get my hands on one anyway !!

That's it for my report of "another-event-I-could-not-attend-and-that-will-probably-never-come-out-on-DVD". So sad that I won't get to see that long-awaited live performance :-/ Why the hell do I not live in Japan?

My retinas are on fire....

2008-08-18T15:59:14Z

Check out Miki Shin's new hairstyle :

Very over-the-top. Very awful. In short, very Miki XDD

More pictures here for your viewing pleasure :)

It's shopping time !

2008-08-15T18:59:05Z

I'm going to Japan in about a month, so if anyone is looking for CDs, DVDs, or any kind of anime-related merchandise (including out of print stuff), let me know and maybe I can pick it up for you.

If you're interested, give me :
- a precise description of the item
- the max. amount of money you're willing to pay for the item in question, shipping included (if the item is bulky, I might have to ship it directly to you from Japan, so bear that in mind when calculating shipping costs).

Another Tenipuri post

2008-08-08T11:35:43Z

I just checked my soon-to-be-shipped order from CDJapan, and I noticed that the title of the first Tezuka/Sanada duet has finally been announced. That title is, get this : "Banana no Namida".

Wait.

How can two of the most serious characters in Tenipuri have a song called BANANA NO NAMIDA ???

I expect the crackiest crack ever. Yes, this might even beat Megane's in the crack department.

EDIT : I realized that "Banana no Namida" was one of the ending themes of anime High School Kimengumi. It's not going to be a cover of that, is it? Is it? IS IT? Oh Lord, what is the world coming to? And more importantly, where is my money running to?

See for yourself : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49u_DnyWiyI

EDIT 2 : According to Okiayu, the second duet will be "Zou-san no Scanty", which is yet another High School Kimengumi theme. Is this going to be some kind of Kimengumi trilogy? If that's going to be the case, I hope they cover the very first OP, "Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi", because it's the best.

WTH?

2008-07-30T22:22:32Z

So now they're announcing a THIRD Tezuka / Sanada duet. What the hell is going on?

Two questions :
1. Does the world really need THREE Tezuka / Sanada duets? I'm not so sure. ~~Besides, some people would be a lot happier with a Tezuka / Atobe duet.~~
2. Why are they releasing those three songs separately, at one month interval each? Couldn't they combine them onto a maxi single?

I swear, Tenipuri is such a cash-making machine. And you know what's worse? I know I'll be buying all 3 CDs, otherwise the diehard Okki collector in me will scream in pain. I'm pathetic.

Let Tenipuri rest in peace already. Fuck.

Call for help

2008-07-23T22:19:28Z

Does anyone who's reading this have a Mixi account (or knows someone who does) and can send me an invitation? I'm desperate to read some of the stuff on there. Damn that invitation-only system. This is so stupid :p

Help, anyone?

Thank you so much, Nita !!