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Holy breadsticks dude

Thank you so much ! It was track 29 ! (http://www.bilibili.com/video/av7583797/index_29.html)
I added a flash downloader to my browser, and it recognised the video on the bilibili page, so I have it in on my computer in .flv format now ! :D

I can finally dive into my obsession fully.
You were of huge help, aibou. :D

Hey! I noticed that you recently finished Genkaku Picasso too. I’m curious what your thoughts on it were? I have to admit I wasn’t too impressed with the first few chapters as they felt too rushed and overly simplified. But as the story went on the “cases” became more intriguing and the resolutions more satisfying. I enjoyed that once a “case” was solved the afflicted character would continue to hang out with Picasso. I guess that was the point right? The ending really impressed me though, unlike the rushed intro, it took its time wrapping things up and bringing all the characters together. I thought it was a nice short read that will remain memorable.

I also finished watching Toradora recently (I remember you recommending it). Wow, that was more of an emotional rollercoaster ride than I thought it’d be. I was banking on it being a straight forward romcom, so the amount of drama was surprising. I admit the level of drama it introduced was a bit too much for me, but I really appreciate that it set out to push the characters to grow. Not long ago I was thinking about how tragic the cute-ditzy high school girl character is. Like after watching Azumanga Diaoh or Girl’s High I can’t help but think of how some of them will survive being in the harshness of the world or the work place. Not that that’s a detriment to those series or anything (I understand that it’s not what they had set out to do), it’s just something that pops in my head every once in a while. So I liked that Tiga decided that she wanted to grow and not be so dependent. Though in a way, the ending left a sour taste in my mouth – after watching all these characters come to such resolute decisions I felt kinda defensive about my own complacency in life. Ah, should they really come to such firm resolutions while being so young? <-me being defensive. Hmm, I’m still not quite sure how I feel about the whole thing, but I do know that it’s been a long time since a series has left me so torn and reflective of my own life.

It would be interesting to know which mythology of the nine-tailed fox came first. I don't know much about it myself, but it does seem as though some Asian myths and stories are borrowed and altered from country to country. Its like decivering the names of the warriors famed in China's "Three Kingdoms" stories. Between Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and English their names can look so different when translated.

I just wanted to offer up a quick recommendation for the manwha series Laon being released by Yen Press. I had been buying it on a whim and finally got around to reading it recently and I have to say I’m really impressed! And eagerly awaiting the next volume! The gist of it is that Laon is a gumiho (nine-tailed fox) who has lost her tails in a bet and must search for them amongst humans. Along the way she meets Tae-ha, a reporter for an Enquire-like magazine who has his own demons to face. His job allows for the two to investigate strange events (which often tie into their own personal searches). The atmosphere of the series reminds me of Pet Shop of Horrors; in that, it has its cute and funny moments but it is also imbued in its own dark mythology. Unlike PSoH, its plot is not as episodic and as the story progresses the hints at a darker background become more prevalent and the story more engaging. The art is also gorgeous and I love the surreal imagery that comes into play from time to time. At only six volumes I’m hoping the ending will live up to the expectations the first four volumes have set.

I know what you mean about anime and manga taking a backseat to life in general. I recently discovered, while examining certain manga titles, that I had put several series on hold during the fall of 2007. This happens to coincide with the semester that I overloaded myself with upper-division classes. After that I’ve found it quite difficult to just sit and read or watch a DVD, I always get the feeling that I should be multitasking, being productive, or meeting some deadline (see what school does to you?!). Now that I’m out of college I’ve been pushing myself even more to finish the titles that I had left unfinished. I’m sure I’m still going to have to push myself from time to time, but so far I’m really enjoying the satisfaction of actually completing some series. So hopefully it’s just a phase for you too. Funny you should mention creative writing as well, as much as I enjoy writing I only ever find myself motivated when there’s a deadline involved. -_-;

Hmm… some US adaptations of manga? You have me interested in the Captain Harlock one (it’s one of those series I’ve always wanted to read/watch but never have). I admit, as much as another friend has been trying to get me to pick up US comics, I have yet to get bitten by the comic bug. I wouldn’t say I’m resistant to it… but like you said, I look at rows of superheroes and my interest starts to drift away. So thanks for the percentages! I’m sure I’ll nibble on a few one of these days…

Ok, just two (sorta) quick recommendations for you:

Don’t Leave Me Alone Daisy – a quirky romantic-comedy featuring your average cute girl and your socially-impaired genius boy. Techno-kun has lived a sheltered life, quite literally, before seeing Hitomi (Daisy) made him want to reenter society. At least superficially, really his one-track mind is set to make Daisy his girl, even if it’s against her will. His possessive nature is a little jarring at times making one wonder how any girl would willingly fall for him. But what I enjoyed most about the series is its brand of quirky, over-the-top humor. In particular I loved the character Yamakawa X, a punk-student who acts out because he’s *desperate* for a friend – but whose traditional family is set on killing him if he veers too far on the wild side (I only wish he had more scenes).

Eden of the East – I won’t say too much about this one (I’m still caught up in the whirlwind of it all). Essentially, this is one long movie (be prepared to want to sit and watch the whole thing in one go). It moves at such a fast and furious pace that it kept me on the edge of my seat the majority of the series. Because it’s so fast moving, I can’t say grew attached to any particular character and it doesn’t answer all the questions it presents – but what it lacks in technical detail and history, it makes up for in just pure fun and adventure.

LOL, I’m glad your friend remembered to bring something back for you! (And, for some reason, the realization that umineko means seagull made me smile)

I actually didn’t know – so Yen Plus will no longer be a physical magazine? I never got around to picking it up myself. I had a hard time keeping up with Shojo Beat after a while, so I figured the same thing would end up happening with Yen Plus. Speaking of Yen Press, I recently finished Cat Paradise by Yuji Iwahara (ie. Chikyu Misaki and King of Thorn [interesting that all three were published by different companies here]). I have to say he’s got a very unique style, both in art and story. One thing I can always count on him for is unpredictability, awesome creature designs, and great “WTF” moments.

Also, I’m really excited by the series Bunny Drop. Apparently I’m a sucker for stories that have adoptive parent/child relationships in them. It’s got its cute side where Daikichi is trying to learn how to be a parent and getting to know Rin; but it also has a mystery/drama element to it as he tries to unravel Rin’s past. More than anything I think it’s the pacing of the story that I enjoy – it doesn’t feel rushed but at the same time the mangaka doesn’t drag plot issues out. The only downside is it’s on a slow release schedule, a volume every March and September it seems.

Hmm, anything new with me? Actually, on a manga related note I had discovered about a month ago that an all-male theater group had done a production of Banana Fish. I think it took me all of a day to decide that I would order the DVD and worry about region coding later (a lengthy learning process I might add). At any rate, I can’t express how excited I was watching my favorite manga come to life (I literally squealed out each character’s name as they appeared). Sure there were some differences here and there – but overall they managed to get just about every iconic scene into the act and stayed true to the story (quite a feat squeezing 19 vols into roughly 3 hours). I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I understood of it (even if a lot of that came from reading the series). Though, there were some scenes where I wish my Japanese was stronger so I could catch some of the jokes/puns that were said.

Ahh, just a prying question, but, why does it feel strange to get into some of the comic series at the store?

What a lucky friend you have! Remind them to bring back some souvenirs for you ;P. If I can get things together in time I hope to go on a trip there next summer myself.

I’ve heard good things of Pig Bride, but have yet to check it out myself. And I’ve have been wavering on trying out Pandora Hearts (afraid that it might be too generic), but it’s good to hear some praise for it. Thanks for the heads up. Also, I looked up Cross Game, I had no idea it was licensed – then again I didn’t realize that Viz’s Shonen Sunday site was up and running. I had checked out their Ikki site when it first started up and enjoyed being able to sample some titles before ordering them. It’s actually a great concept I think – to be able to read the first chapter (or a segment) of a series in order to try it out. Of course other companies may do something similar now and I just don’t know about it. But as far as actually following the release of new chapters – eh, I guess I’m not coordinated enough to remember on a regular basis. On that note, I’m not up to date on Kingyo Used Books or Afterschool Charisma, but I guess I have something to look forward to in their second volumes.

And rest assured, Toradora is on my list of things to watch. Though I do have a question regarding its dvd release – I’ve seen some topics of disc errors or some such and replacement offers. Is there a certain set/disc that I should look for?

I’ve always imagined that working at a comic shop would be a fun job. Or at least that you would be able to meet some interesting people and be in the comic world loop of knowledge. That is a cool observation though! I think the old stereotype of a comic-fan being a young adolescent male is still very prominent, despite the mainstream connections to movies and so forth. Does the shop keep you busy, or are you able to take a peek at some of the comics during lull periods?

It’s good to hear from you too!

Hey, how have you been lately? How’s the anime/manga world treating you? I had to laugh this summer when Rightstuf licensed Utena after I spent all of the previous summer tracking down CPM’s discs. Ah, that’s life for you… And CMX’s demise was tragic – and sudden. Maybe DC decided it’d be best to treat it like a band-aid? Just rip it off the face of the earth all fast like? I guess that’s life too…

I just finished reading the first volume of Kingyo Used Books. What a feel good book it is! I especially enjoyed the chapter about Billy Puck (a series and mangaka I’d be interested in learning more about), and the chapter with the mom who gains a friend through shared nostalgia. I also appreciated the chapter about manga being written in other countries. Many times there seems to be an aversion between “anime/manga fans” and “American comic book fans” about trying the other’s preferred media. Having this chapter point out that basically we’re all in the same boat was really refreshing.

I also noticed that you’re reading After School Charisma too. It has an intriguing concept which caught my attention, and while I was afraid I was setting my expectations too high, I found the first volume quite enjoyable and the plot is showing some promise for a deeper (darker?) story. What do you think of it so far?

I’ve been slow to keep up on the anime and manga front. Goodness I don’t think I’ve ever heard of “Baka to Test,” much less of its US acquisition. Thanks to my brother, I’ve been watching at least one Detective Conan movie a weekend. And three weekends ago I showed him the Magic Users Club OVA. So I haven’t made much of a dent as far as watching new shows, but it has been fun re-watching others. As far as manga goes it seems as though the only series I’m able to keep up with is Black Jack (thanks to its episodic nature). I’ve purchased the first volumes of both Moyashimon and Future Diary, though I’ve yet to read them. Hopefully with your recommendations they can move up the ladder!

It’s funny, now I’m only taking two classes instead of four but I still don’t know where my free time is going!

I’m glad you had a good birthday and got to have some fun with it too it sounds.

Oh, and I know what you mean about being busy! It’s great that you’re getting closer to obtaining your degree, and that your work reflects that. I’m supposed to be taking fun classes along with Japanese, but dang these level 100 and 200 classes are more time consuming than the 300 and 400 level classes I’ve taken. Something’s not right about that… Thankfully, two of my classes this semester end next week.

So despite being busy have you found the time to indulge in any good anime or manga series?

Happy Birthday!

(Ah-ha! For once it didn’t sneak up and pass me by!)
I hope you have a great day today, and I hope that this semester is treating you well so far.
Try not to eat too much cake, and remember to blow out your candles before you dig in.