FREAK Level Otaku

I was speaking to a Japanese friend online when I mentioned the anime I was watching beforehand. She had no idea what Lucky Star was, which surprised me. So I sent her a link to a picture of all 4 characters. Her reply was more or less: "So, you're into little girls then?". At which I laughed and typed "No no no noooooo, besides they are apparently 17." Even then I thought 'why the hell are they 17?!' I couldn't believe it myself, let alone her. I continued the conversation saying that it was quite an otaku series to watch when she proceeded to reply with "You are a Freak Level Otaku aren't you?" (with the capitals!)

"HUH?!"

Did I just get called a Freak Level Otaku by a Japanese girl? ...I guess. So from hereon, I propose a new catagory of posts for the change of my habits:

NEW CATAGORY : OTAKU

I wanted an anime style stamp animation to bam that in front of your eyes (anybody out there?!) but instead have to rely on captions and bold. Satisfactory enough. The new era of posts begins!!!!! Heh.

Soul Society Mayhem

Whoa. It seems that things have gotten a little out of hand in Soul Society. It started out with a united front of all 13 guardian courts against a small band of ryoka but somehow, quickly escalates into confusion and mayhem after the murder of Captain Aizen. Not only has Renji switched his allegiance, Zaraki Kenpachi brings most of the ryoka out of prison simply to track Ichigo down, resulting in a 2 vs 1 battle of captains. And hell, Ichimaru has a 'Light Yagami smile' on his face from scheming too much.

My housemate has seen some of Bleach before and seems to think that Captain Kuchiki is awesome. Perhaps I am naturally quite extroverted in some way but I find no admiration at all for his coldness. He does seem to have some emotion but...just not enough. He does have the typical behaviour of a samurai but seeing as I myself am too old to discipline myself in the ways of bushido I simply have to stand steadfast for my own character. Something along the lines of passion and determination...I should think.

Now my train of thought ends at the point where I'm suddenly thinking of ideas of how to demonstrate something like that. And somehow it leads to the idea of leaving this house right now and walking in a single direction to a destination, all night. Just to kinda recorrect my mind (been watching too much anime, sleeping too much and doing no work etc...)

Meh. See what happens!

Lucky Star

Well well well. I started this series as something of curiousity, just to see what the fuss was about. I knew it was a slice of life sort of thing and I didn't expect anything; just something to watch while drunk after a night out. But weirdly enough, it has made quite an impression.

Why do mundane conversations between schoolgirls keep my mind glued to the screen? It's very subtle but I feel a little sense of satisfaction lurking around in my head when I agree with a situation or opinion; for example when Tsukasa ends up leaving her work to the last moment due to distractions. I've had the same problem; you make a revision timetable and then somehow it falls apart. Classic. I also like Kagami's love/hate relationship with Konata; she frequently gets teased and irritated but never really takes it personally. They are opposites but despite this they actually compliment one another in little ways.

The show is very much otaku. You have to be otaku to watch and actually derive any pleasure from it. I can't put my finger on the otaku elements but...perhaps being otaku means you have a experienced eye for character design and behaviour, something that you have much time to watch in Lucky Star. I'd say it's almost like people watching but listening into the conversation of friends at the same time. Yes...I think that's where the little bits of pleasure come from.

And of course, the Lucky Star channel segment at the end is quite hilarious. I always wait in anticipation for Akira's dark voice when she abuses Minoru as usual. When the credits roll, I always wonder what music might turn up next. In episode 3 when Sore ga, Ai Deshou played from 'Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu' I was quite 'wow...they are actually singing that song'. Felt a bit nostalgic.

Bleach

Thus the great battle to save Rukia begins.

But just a question. In that city of 'pure souls', is there anything else apart from walls, roof tiles, holes, empty buildings and water tunnels? Apparently not.

But back to being so serious.

I shall light a fire upon the fang that falls short,
so that I needn't see that star,
so that it shall not tear this throat of mine.

Ichigo Kurosaki

Hinata VS Neji

I have much respect for Hinata and on this occasion, watching her battle with Neji was somewhat compelling. The change of her behaviour; from quiet and shy; to focused and determined, was fascinating to watch and it was merely because of the presence of Naruto. But the most impact came from the fact that it was the best fight sequence of all the preliminary matches. The fighting was fast paced and Hinata's dodges and low sweeping kicks were pretty amazing. Her fierce determination even while suffering internal organ damage was quite inspirational. I look forward to seeing her later in the series when Naruto supposedly mentions her as being "a very likeable person".

So basically there are now two girls in anime that I admire a huge deal. Asa Shigure for her carefree and strong personality, and Hinata Hyuuga for her hidden, yet strong will.

Pretty World Isn't It?

I've been up for quite a while tonight, I may end up staying awake till dawn when I'll probably take a stroll through the common as the morning mist rises. I had a thought just now, one of those musings about my personality and ego. I thought to myself: I am restless and unsatisfied with my situation but it doesn't bring me down. It seems to me that there are two halves to my 'soul'; there is the unsatisfied, perhaps materialistic half and then there is the other. And for some reason, it is very pure, very free, as if my heart has wings that curl around my back. I think it has built up over time, it wasn't there to begin with so perhaps it has formed from numerous things I have encountered over time. The very first I should think, is anime. I cannot imagine my personality without anime, it has shaped me into the me everyone around me sees today. So many beautiful stories and tales has perhaps formed a sweeter side to me. No matter what I go through, I can remember, smile and sometimes laugh at the wonderful and pure dreams that are created through anime. Like the stories that were passed on through mouth whether they were myth, legend or fairy tale, anime is merely another medium. We all live through dreams. First we survive. And then we hope. And then we dream.

Nevertheless, it has been quite interesting recently how I've virtually tapped into this purer side of me. For example, little things like how I work. Rather than working on the desk with the computer as an unfortunate distraction, I now kneel on the floor and work on a kind of mini table (carefully selected for its right height!).
Where anime was the seed of purity, I believe that Shorinji Kempo is the soil. The self discipline that Shorinji Kempo demands really kicked in after the summer, especially as I had the responsiblity of teaching the newbies. And also, at the same time I realised that it is now very likely that I will continue to do Shorinji Kempo for life and with that realisation came a new approach to how I lead this life: to become a better man. And the source of purity, where the wings of my heart come forth, is where I will begin.

Still, I don't intend to be the nicest man in the world. lol

And here's a screenshot from Ah! My Goddess of Urd. I quite like her for some reason.

Ai Yori Aoshi

Ao wa yori idette ao yori aoshi.

Blue comes from violet, but is bluer than violet.

So Ao Yori Aoshi means bluer than violet. Quite fitting for the beautiful Aoi with blue hair and violet kimono.


Overall it was a good series. The plot wasn't anything special but it was quite enjoyable to watch Kaoru and Aoi become a truly inseparable couple. "Aoi is irreplaceable to me!!!" shouts Kaoru in the last episode. Other touches the series included Kaoru resting his head on Aoi's lap which was quite sweet. But most of all, as unlikely as the plot was, the interactions in some cases was quite realistic. At one point, Tina beamed at seeing a place she wanted to go to. Kaoru pushes himself forwards, narrows his eyes, smiles and says "You wanna go?". That made me laugh; it is something I would do. And for once, the main male character isn't easily embarassed. Unlike the one in Ah! My Goddess.


(I'm currently watching Ah! My Goddess. Belldandy is sweet but that's the only attraction in this series for the moment...)

This Blog

I am wondering what to do...

I need some sort of lure; there isn't really much reason to read this blog. Nothing that could possibly interest a random surfer. It's mostly reviews and a kind of record for me to look back at. Hence the reason why little miscellaneous things pop up in this blog such as the Interpretation of EoE, one of my most favoured texts I have ever written. Well I am quite a religious NGE fan...

Maybe I need to infuse more personality, maybe more fanpics. Maybe I should take up attempting to draw manga and post it on the web. Too much free time at university.

Meh.

But wow! Ai Yori Aoshi is giving me a very pure mind. I cleaned out my room today effectively making it more feng shui in a way. But more notably, I don't think I'm going near any porn for a week or so. But I fear that will come back... Must...resist...

Claymore/Ai Yori Aoshi/End of Evangelion

I decided to start following a manga that is still in production rather than having to buy a full set at a single time (doesn't feel quite right). So after seeing 'Claymore' advertised in the Death Note manga I read before, I became quite intrigued. After reading the first three volumes, I was quite impressed by some good character development and backstory. The first volume felt a little contrived but I have to admit, the following two volumes seemed to lose that element. I do like the plot surrounding the main character known as a 'Claymore' as it illuminates the sweeter aspects of humanity.

But as many know, humanity is sweet and bitter.

I am also getting engrosed in another anime to make up the stupendous amount of time I have available for the moment. Ai Yori Aoshi is surprising as it seems to have this charm that gets you hooked. Mostly due to the very lovely character Aoi, the kindness of whom is probably the purest I have ever seen in an anime character. I always find myself very very eagerly watching the interaction between Kaoru and Aoi if they are ever near each other, even in a crowd. Aoi is a rather beautiful name too.
Ha it is nice to watch an innocent series once in a while...I've been Elfen Lied out!

And finally, I searched google images for End of Evangelion to make up a signature of some sort and came across a screenshot. And the feeling that I have always cherished came back. That feeling of profoundness, that the life around you is completely trivial. Beautiful. Of course I must post the screenshot which is of the scene of Rei and Shinji as one.

Elfen Lied

Elfen Lied is a bit ultra violent isn't it?

More later.

Death Note

Death Note. A weapon of murder.

An hour ago, I completed the Death Note manga series.

I was speechless.

The series is written so masterfully, that it is simply beautiful. In my view, it should go down as one of best crime thrillers ever written, even if it is a manga. It is no wonder that this series is so popular and in the process has spawned an anime series and movie adaptations. The use of a Death Note as a plot device was absolute genius, just because the Death Note is virtually a completely indirect murder weapon and only the most elite of detectives (notably L) could begin the difficult and risky battle with Light Yagami; owner of the notebook.

The thing about the manga that struck me most was how it forces the reader to acknowledge that there are some people they may have wished dead whether it is in the past or present. It also furthers on the debate of how far should criminals be punished (as some states and countries still enforce the death sentence). And finally, it reveals a little insight into the human psyche of the population and how an God like ideology rises as a result of the 'cleansing' of criminals. The parallels between the behavior of the people as Kira rises in Death Note and the behavior of the German people as the Nazi regime rose is ridiculously numerous; it suggests that if Kira were to exist in today's real world, the world wide reaction to Kira would re-enact that of the manga perfectly. I did find that I had some respect for Light Yagami as not only are his goals quite noble and sincere, he is an intelligent and witty mastermind capable of evading even the toughest of detectives.

Death is a debt we all must pay.

Euripides

Nonexistence of Egos in Paradise Thesis

I was invited to attend Creation fest few days ago by my very Christian friend. I enjoyed it immensely, the music was talented and diverse with R&B, Rap, Reggae, Rock and all sorts being pumped out of the stage and cafes. I met many nice people and I kind of found myself admiring the 'purity' of their intentions. Of course there was a sunday service, and an American preacher made his characteristically very charismatic speech about sin and nonbelieving and so on. So he asked the audience something along the lines of: "Is there anyone out there who has accepted the message of Jesus into their hearts? If so put your hand up. If you are afraid to put your hand up in front of other Christians, would you face telling colleagues at work you are a Christian? Put your hand up and we will pray for you." And then he points them over to someone giving out 'Beginner's Bibles'.

So how did I react to his speech? I listened carefully to his every word and ran this really annoying little debate in my head. Unfortunately for the 'converters' of Christianity, I made the rational decision that I do NOT have to believe in God or Jesus in order to be a good man. Buddhism has proved that spectacularly. Of course Jesus most likely did exist, but merely as a philosopher. His teachings are special, but not any more special than those of Confucious for example. And the belief in God is irrational, leading to Christians being very intolerant of proved fact such as Darwin's Natural Selection. So I left the festival unaffected, with my 'own beliefs' completely rock solid, like the house built on the rock!

Nevertheless, Christianity is a pretty good method of control for unintelligent and insecure people who would otherwise lead an uncaring, hedonistic life. The theological fear of God and hell etc. ensures total control. Why do you think the story of Jesus bearing all our sins on the cross is regularly preached? It means the worst of the worst will redeem themselves and become a positive addition to society. In fact, I sincerely believe my friend would have been off the rocks in depression and perhaps violence if it wasn't for Christianity. Even so, he is still insecure at the present. You don't usually see the snapping point in a person but with this friend of mine, you can imagine it quite accurately.

I haven't even reached the point of this post yet actually. NEPT as I like to call it is kind of a little formulation of my ideas into English. Being quite abstract, I guess the best way to understand NEPT is to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion and End of Evangelion, read many many forums on the web, leave a couple of months, watch it again and then read more forums. Then you may end up with the same mindset as me, wear Misato's Cross around your neck all 365 days of the year (it arrived in the post a week ago yay) and think stupidly that you are the wisest man on the planet.

Anyway here we go (work in progress by the way!):

Nonexistence of Egos in Paradise Thesis

1: The Kingdom of Heaven is believed to be the absolute paradise.

2: When a person dies, they may enter the Kingdom of Heaven if they believe in Jesus.

If heaven is an absolute paradise, then no 'sin' exists. For as long as humans are separate egos, it is not possible for a 'universal perception' to exist. Therefore perceptions differ and clash on certain aspects. This clash of perception gives rise to the concept of 'good and evil'; the latter often referred to as sin. Hence if humans enter Heaven as humans (egos), Heaven cannot be called an absolute paradise. And therefore that paradise is not the residence of God.

In order to enter the so called Heaven, the ego must break down. Therefore, nothing human nor conscious exists in Heaven. Only God.

God is dead. God hasn't died nor has he always been dead. He is death itself.

Madlax/Death Note

Madlax is apparently a metaphor for the winged insect that flies into the flame of a candle at its own peril. Not sure how this ties into the series but I assume the flame refers to the malice that lies within every human. After all to be human is to be aware of the separation of what we believe to be good and evil.

In any case, the makers of Noir made Madlax. And in short, they made it a whole different ball game. Where Noir is a fairly linear storyline which simply focuses on death and sin, Madlax decides to look at why humans war with one another and commit the atrocities we often see in the media. Unfortunately that is not simple since...that is partly what makes us human. So a 26 ep series cannot possibly make light of that surely? Possible...but not this one. But don't get me wrong, it is a superb series which makes a fair few points. Just a little complicated to follow. Not for the average joe.

Of course, Noir was brilliant for two reasons, one better than the other. One is the story. And the other, most of all, is the music. The reason is Yuki Kajiura. So when she came back to do Madlax it just had to go well even if the studio screwed up the story. And they didn't. So all's extra good. But on to the main point, the music is absolutely fantastic as usual with beautiful vocals and plenty of violin, flute and piano put in there for good measure. My personal favourites are Margaret, Lost Command, Saints and Madlax. One of the funny things I noticed was how the some songs paralleled with some of Noir's works, especially the song 'Love'. For lovers of 'Canta Per Me', Margaret filled that bit.

The only drawback of the series 'Madlax' is a slight lack of time given to the most emotional scenes. Which is a shame since that is what Yuki Kajiura's music is all about. Despite that, Madlax was enjoyable to watch. Just had a lack of impact hence the reason why I'm writing about it approximately a month after watching it!

And I'm reading Death Note for the moment. It's good.

Misato's Cross

The very famous and yet popular Misato's Cross is possibly one of the most distinct memories from NGE, most notably in EoE. Hence, it is very heavily well sought after by fans and cosplayers alike. I'm one of 'em. Well not a cosplayer but certainly a die hard fan. The cross is a symbol of the philosophy and psychology of NGE and it serves me as a potent reminder, worn around my neck. Trouble is, I brought it into a nightclub a year ago and dance or techno music doesn't help to restrain a pendant around your neck. Especially when you jump up and down like a lunatic. As you do when you've drunk many many pints. So it was gone forever.

But recently, I rekindled a kind of longing for it after I had a go of asking for a rummage through lost property. But given that this was a year later, the odds were slim and sure enough, there was no sign of the precious pendant. So I've decided to buy another one.

However, I soon ran into problems. It's a bit rare to find this cross on the internet unless you want splash out 21,000 yen (£100) on an official eva remake edition aluminium cross with an engraved serial number. Tempting but no. If I wasn't able to find the first official cross (made of chrome) then this would have been the last resort. But fate smiled on me and I suddenly came across a French site selling it for a nice £5 (shipping is approx £8). Fate smiled on me even more today when I came across a UK site with the necklace.

I look forward to the day when my little package arrives.

UK site/Angelic Anime
French site/Imaginaire

And a little quote from TheKeep.org on the subject of NGE: (link)

"How shall a man know his gods?"
"By the signs of their divinity."
"And what if thieves walk among the gods?"
"Then, indeed, how shall a man know?"

The Japanese Language

I have taken it upon myself to attempt an extremely challenging task. It'll be interesting whether I'll stick to it or not but the fact is, I am attempting to learn Japanese. 'Nippongo desu'. One thing has to be said about this amazing language...it is weirdly fun to learn. It's just so different but ridiculously easy to pronounce (as a result of Romanji).

A stranger would probably think I wouldn't stick to learning Japanese but I now have so much motivation to push me on through it all during the boring summer holidays. For a start I intend to live in Japan after university; if I am lucky I might even get a proper Astrophysics research post. Secondly, I do Shorinji Kempo which also tempts me to Japan. And there are other things that would benefit and also generally 'look good'. I could be a fansubber! And have a laptop with cool Japanese all over the keyboard. And of course, talk in Japanese on the phone around normal monolingual English people! So it is all quite an exciting thought. And an absolutely amazing, life changing skill.

But am I going to stick at it?...... Hope so. To be bilingual. Wow.

The Place Promised In Our Early Days

Once upon a time Makoto Shinkai was praised highly for his astounding work 'Voices Of A Distant Star'. He soon moved on to a new project with an assembled team of talented artists and friends.

Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Basho

Beyond The Clouds, The Promised Place

Absolutely beautiful in every way, this film is indescribable. The script is the first thing that springs to mind as it is noticeably poetic, fitting the scene perfectly with thought and emotions. The dialogue between the characters is exceptionally realistic and it is easy to feel immersed in their world as if it is your own. And it must also be mentioned that the art is absolutely fantastic; the imagery is just so realistic and yet vividly otherworldly; giving strength to the theme of 'parallel worlds'. That's another thing; as a physicist, I enjoyed the link of parallel world theory with dreams. I very much view scientific theories in a romantic way and I believe science has become too cold blooded. Encouragingly, this film shows that behind the science, the real struggle is emotional, that of the bond between the two boys and Sayuri, and the passion to reach a distant tower they yearned to reach in their childhood.


A must watch, it has received a complete ten rating from me on MyAnimeList and tens are pretty rare!

Bakuretsu Tenshi (aka Burst Angel)

Burst Angel. Not a series I expected to be watching. I am usually skeptical about animes that mainly seem to promote girls, guns and violence above all else. I see past all that and only wish for a beautiful and original storyline, plot, character development and art. So something shallow like Ikki Tousen and Najica Blitz Tactics doesn't really attract me. The fan service often goes unbearably far and that is the one thing I cannot stand. It's best in small doses.

In any case, the question is why Burst Angel? It was quite peculiar what attracted me to the series as on looking at the boxset, I clearly saw the signs of a boy's anime going on; guns, big tits and a hint of lesbianism. But.............it looked stylish. It had an air of badassedness. And I like badassedness. You could tell on the cover that Jou was an absolute badass. And sure enough, since I started watching the series, she rarely smiles and has no clue what is going on unless she is in a big bad brawl with bullets whistling past her hair as she fires her pistols repeatedly at some crazy ass robot. The other girl 'Meg' is practically useless unless she manages to set herself up on a rooftop with a rather gigantic noisy sniper rifle. If she isn't busy eating. There are also two more main characters; 'Amy' and 'Sei'. Amy is some sort of 10 year old cybergenius who was obviously put into the series to attract the more...unconventional fans. And Sei is the leader of the lot with an analytical mind, often putting the objective first before the lives of others. Oh and of course there is the 'cooking student boy' who seems to get dragged into bad situations a little too easily.

The series is extremely good so far with hints of an interesting plot unfolding. The action sequences are entertaining especially during mecha fights where a little CGI is used quite effectively. My favourite character is certainly Jou, with her laid back attitude. She looks fantastic. No Jou...no watching Burst Angel.

Void of Loneliness

Space travel fascinates many people, or at least mostly back in the 60s onwards. With this fascination comes many fictional tales of exploration, heroism, alliances and wars with extraterrestrials (if they exist) and so on. However, it seems that most people do not pay attention to the simple yet deeply disturbing burden a human must endure, travelling the great ocean of stars. Inevitably if we must travel a great distance in space, we will be thrown light years from our friends and family, perhaps never to see them again. How profound a thought this would be! It would not compare with traveling our earth; at least we would be standing on the same rock as they are.

My point is that with the expansion of space travel, humanity will be thrown across the bare reaches of space, communications taking many light years to travel from place to place (as Voices of a Distant Star puts much emphasis on) and one could call this time of expansion the 'Age of Loneliness'.

To the contrary on a brighter point, quantum physics has already established that particles are interconnected over as large a distance as you wish. So perhaps communications would remain instantaneous. And in the case of space travel...well maybe it is possible to enter hyperspace? We'll soon see. But is the majority of humanity always going to remain happy?

Robotech: The Macross Saga

Well well well. I never expected to be swept up by this series but somehow it leaves me wanting more. At first glance, Robotech looks like a typical mecha anime similar to Gundam Wing. The mecha turn into planes or even halfway into planes with legs. At first this made me chuckle a little. But the battles are actually quite a thrilling spectacle to watch and the transformation of the fighter jets into mecha does have a purpose.

In other aspects, I can draw similarities between this series and Neon Genesis Evangelion (Robotech may have even inspired the latter). One example is the tendency towards mass destruction... One explosion during the Robotech series was suspiciously very similar to that of an N2 bomb, its effects of gradually wearing through any building or material was animated in almost exactly the same way. Another parallel is the idea of giant mecha fighting in a city (frequent in NGE) and of course, the city in NGE is just like Macross; situated on an 'alien' site.

In any case, near the beginning of the series, I cringed a little at the tad bit too innocent blue haired Minmei and admittedly, I still feel annoyed to just listen to her talk or sing. At first a primary love interest, at the point I have reached in the series she sees little of Rick (the main character) and he begins to get closer to Lisa, an attractive strong woman. In the end, I'm guessing Rick will reunite and make Minmei his girlfriend which will be an annoyance as I prefer Lisa. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next as I move past the half way point of the series.

A Bowl Of Bolognaise/The Killing Machine

I made a mistake recently. It was a small one; nothing of concern; but it has some significance. It seems that while I was getting food from the fridge, I saw a bowl of bolognaise resting on top of it, left by a forgetful housemate. I don't understand it myself, but I only had one thought, thinking "He left it out. Silly." Something along the lines of that. Later on that night after failing to get to sleep, I made my way to the fridge to get a drink and once again saw the bowl. Upon seeing it, I suddenly realised that before, I had not even thought of putting it in the fridge for the sake of my housemate. I was so surprised by this, wondering how on earth it did not occur to me. In defense however, my mind was heavy with falling ill and the awareness of missing opportunities just an hour or so before. But it does show that you should keep your mind clear as you may only miss more opportunities if you dwell on the past.

In any case, I just watched an interesting martial arts film called 'The Killing Machine' based (loosely) on Doshin So's life; the founder of Shorinji Kempo. It was a wonderful film giving me much inspiration regarding the philosophy of Shorinji Kempo. The story was deeply moving and you feel much respect for Doshin So as a result. Nevertheless, it was absolutely fantastic to see my martial art being portrayed in a feature length movie (despite very peculiar camera shot techniques!).

Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan

At first glance, Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan looks like a typical anime geared towards young teenagers. Not my type of thing to watch. But I eventually discovered that it was perhaps geared more towards a mature audience, especially as Dokuro-chan likes to kill the main protagonist Sakura with a spiked mace, generally smashing the remains over the surrounding wall etc. Well the title is "Club to death angel Dokuro-chan" so I'm guessing there is a clue put in there somewhere. Not so much of a child friendly anime then? It is pretty amusing... if you can stand the high pitched chanting of a psychopath angel. The plot is quite simple, just like anime geared towards young teenagers wierdly enough. Boy likes girl. But three is a crowd as Dokuro-chan smashes boy all over wall with spiked mace. Dokuro-chan was sent to assassinate Sakura but for some reason actually didn't. Thats pretty much the plot. The humour is extremely random on occasions, especially when the boundaries of animation are broken and a couple of boys are magically transformed into a baboon and dog. In the second season, a face of an actual man is continually shown, nobody knowing who in the hell he is. Not a favourite anime but certainly worth watching for sheer stupidity and the delight of seeing a perverted little boy's brains being splattered in all general directions. Perverted? Well if Sakura invents technology in the future to stop girls aging, staying 12 forever; I think that counts as a bit perverted.

Voices Of A Distant Star

'Voices of a Distant Star' to me was a beautifully poetic tale of love stretching across time and space. The film is about a girl called Mikako who must pilot a mecha in the far reaches of space, away from her childhood friend Noboro of whom she dearly loves with all her heart. Back on earth, the boy grows into a young man, waiting patiently for the precious few text messages that have travelled a few light years across space. It is a very poignant and romantic film where love is not broken, even across the cold, distant ocean of space that separates Noboro and Mikako. It is hard not to shed a tear at the very last sentence of dialogue and even now I feel my eyes welling up!

"I am here."

Damaged Rei

I was happily browsing through numerous AMVs for Noir when I came across an NGE AMV all about Rei. I have to say it is pretty good, timing and all.

Damaged Rei Mix

Of course the original reason why I was looking specifically for Noir AMVs is because of the amazing killing skills of Kirika's alter ego. For example, she wipes out an entire platoon of soldiers without the use of any of her own weapons. And it takes about 10 seconds. I was hoping to find an AMV centered around these scenes but the ones I found were not particularly interesting.

BUT check out this very amazing AMV in its professional looking glory:

Noir Die Another Day AMV

We_Are_The_Strange

A while back, I saw the trailer to 'We_Are_The_Strange' on youtube and I thought to myself, that could be quite hilariously interesting... And sure enough later after what seems like ages, the actual animated film itself is released on the youtube front page. So I decided that I would take it on and watch it. One of the warnings is: 'If you watch this while high, you might DIE!'. This generally takes into account realistically just how rather fucked up this film seems to be. I've watched half of it so far and my opinion is that it is actually quite a cool bit of experimental animation. Of course I've heard that some people hate it, just as you would expect. And admittedly, the film is quite mad and surreal with the plot tending to be just as crazy as the world itself...if you can even understand it. But it is a very good laugh, giving you the feeling that the animator got high one day and this is the result. Nothing is normal in this film. If you are a normal person, you probably won't be entertained. But some people are.

Here's a link to the full english version:

We_Are_The_Strange

I'm finding the subtitles slightly irritating...I mean who the hell would say 'your dead' etc? 'You're' is short for 'you are' and 'it's' is short for 'it is'. But a rather large number of americans seem to get such simple grammar wrong. All from a lack of education.

I'm not being uptight...just being observational!

Samurai Warriors

I'm glad I found Samurai Warriors 2; in fact I'm pretty chuffed. Never a game has been more satisfying, pitted against a huge army. I've been playing Yukimura while my housemate took on Mitsuhide, and together we kicked quite a lot of butt. The thing that I love most though is the combos. I've only used Yukimura so far, but when he flings a few enemies in the air, jumps up, slashes them mid air, slams them down to the ground and finishes off rocketing down with his spear knocking yet more samurai over, you have to look awestruck. If only a little.
Mind you, the storyline is a tad bit cheesy but I have nothing but bundles of forgiveness just because it's a good game. And I must unlock Nobunaga. Badass.

Ranma 1/2 Ends

A couple of days ago, I picked up the last volume of Ranma 1/2 off the shelf, feeling giddy looking at the picture of Ranma and Akane together in wedding dress. I was excited to actually see the end of Ranma 1/2 which I've been a fan of for a year or more (it started with the TV series). I expected the ending to be very emotional and in reality, it did not fall short. I am so happy for Ranma and Akane as they are the sweetest couple I have ever come across.
I've been doing my usual 'anime aftermath', thinking through my head "why would Akane be perfect for Ranma?" and of course the other way round. But the answer that comes is always the same: "she is".

What I liked about Ranma 1/2 is that Akane is not your usual anime girl with large sized breasts, long hair, an air of sweetness etc. She is basically more of a normal girl well practiced in martial arts. But what Rumiko Takahashi puts most emphasis on is the hidden beauty that Ranma sees and falls in love with. And those moments make you smile.

Ranma 1/2 is an absolute delight to read with its most stupendously random humour and its many characters from different completely ridiculous backgrounds. Just watching Ranma and Akane going through numerous trials, adventures and challenges (as well as arguments) is a pleasure to watch in itself. This is one tale I won't forget.

Back Where I Belong

After two long weeks, I've finally arrived back at uni...alive. Despite being in the shower when fellow students were leaving for the airport, I still got on the plane on time and made it back home. Luckeeeeeeee! It's been an interesting two weeks, the first spent designing a satellite capable of detecting gamma rays from supernovae remnants and the second making observations using two pretty large telescopes at the Izana observatory near Mount El Teide. So basically my entire free time consisted of one day and perhaps most of the evenings. Still...one day?! Guess I didn't pay much for the trip though... In any case, it was much more fun as I expected it to be (and I had expected to be surprised) and I enjoyed a couple of nights out with a few Spanish students. The nightlife in La Laguna is very impressive; many many bars which stayed open till 4!

In any case, I am back and I've spent my entire time doing nothing useful and getting nearer to finishing Ranma 1/2. So not completely uselessly used up my entire time doing nothing useful...

Uni Field Trip

My easter holiday has been cut in half. For the next two weeks, I am off on a trip to Tenerife. Yippee should be my reaction but...it's not. For starters, I have to somehow make my way to the airport. That is going to be a pain in the ass. Then I spend a week in a hotel by a beach. Yay? I'm going to be spending the majority of the day designing a satellite with the rest of my group. Nevertheless I reckon the 'generous lunch break' and evenings should be enjoyable, hanging around with friends. Drinking. The highlight that I do look forward to is going up to the mountains (hopefully inactive volcanoes...) and using the professional telescopes.

In the end I will probably enjoy it immensely, but for the moment I'm just being pessimistic. I yearn for backpacking East Asia again. I worry that everywhere will eventually turn into the equivalent of South Thailand (Ko Samui, Phuket etc) and I really want to walk off the beaten track of the typical backpacker. There are several different types of backpackers; you have the beach hunting, party going backpacker; the outdoor, trekking backpacker; the cultural backpacker and so on. I'm pretty much the cultural backpacker. I love sitting down, relaxing and just watching people. Culture unites those people and tourism gnaws away it. So my dislike for tourism is pretty strong. When I enter the 'holiday resort' in Tenerife, my face will be a mixture of excitement and disdain.

I have also been thinking of the possibility of living in Japan for at least a few months after I leave university. It is quite feasible as I can see myself training in Shorinji Kempo for a large portion of my time there.

Ranma 1/2 Architecture

I was browsing google for a picture of Shampoo when I suddenly came across an interesting blog on Ranma 1/2 and more specifically, a map to the Tendo Household.

Cursed Pools of Jusenkyo
Tendo Household Map

The 'map' displays blueprints of most of the rooms in the house and an aerial view of the entire house as shown below. In all honesty, I would absolutely go wild with happiness if I were to become a living occupant of a house like that. Wow.


I'd be the happiest man on the planet.

Anyway back to finding a good picture of Shampoo. I want to make a group on MyAnimeList.

Ranma 1/2

Absolutely loved the first two seasons of the series of Ranma 1/2 but never got around to getting the rest; namely the third season, the movies and the OVA. I heard the forth season, fifth season etc went pretty downhill hence why I omitted them. Too expensive for a student like me. But before I get round to buying the rest, I've discovered the Ranma 1/2 manga which is 38 volumes long. Again not too good for a student in financial terms, however there's a twist; I read it on my computer.

I found a couple of excellent sites, one which allows you to read it directly online and another which allows you to download all the pages of a volume at once. Though one should at least buy a few of the volumes if possible. Especially if one lives in North America - no excuse. Links below:

RanmaHentai
Manga Temple (bulk)

It just so happens that one site offering the manga is also quite a fan of Ranma 1/2 hentai hence the name. Not my personal choice of fan art especially for a series like Ranma 1/2...

The series is immensely funny and I have to praise Rumiko Takahashi for such brilliant characters. And Ranma and Akane are one of the best pairings I have ever seen.