Neon5

Fruits Basket

2010-07-02T00:12:00.002+01:00

I wasn't expecting much of the end of this series so I'm surprised to writing this with a somewhat aching throat. The transformation from light hearted series to encircling darkness took place in episode 24 with the appearance of the family's shishou, or more a surrogate father of Kyo. He brings about events that would eventually lead to a confrontation between Tohru and the true horrors of the zodiac - instilled in Kyo himself. Subsequently, much anguish takes place and for the first time in the series you actually see Tohru on the verge of breaking down - now this is the psychological pressure I want to see! The premise is a simple and profound one: to love someone despite their true nature; not to deceive oneself by putting that horror in the back of one's mind; not to love and accept everything, having eyes that see beyond the shallow surface of things, plunging deep into the tangle of human emotions. It would seem that Tohru is a deeper person that one originally thought.

The Chills of Ghost Hound

2010-06-07T02:42:00.004+01:00

Last time I felt chills running up my spine was probably quite a while back - Silent Hill The Room was the most notable, especially as this was my introduction to the Silent Hill franchise. Now over a year or so later the Silent Hill franchise is getting a little tedious: the gameplay is the same and even the twisted plots tend to stick to the same formula and preference for emotional cruelty over fucked up cruelty that really does give shivers down your spine.

As you can probably guess, I rediscovered the delightful chills - that little indication you get that you are living in a truly peculiar world, even if it is entirely in your head. Episode 3 and 4 of Ghost Hound see the three main characters making their way to and around an abandoned hospital. This does sound like your standard haunt but the fear does not come from this preconception. The fear is borne entirely by the history of the abandoned town and hospital, within a dam that lacks water for most of the year for unknown reasons. Nobody knows where the water goes. As for the history, recounted through the rumours of schoolboys and girls, the hospital isn't an ordinary hospital. Prison cells in the basement. Not to mention those known to have perished, including Tarou's sister.

And when you see the little white feet in the corner of the screen as they are walking down a dark corridor...you do get those chills.

Ghost Hound even made a Silent Hill-esque corpse move like jelly.

Not so much a scary series though - a combination of Donnie Darko and Shinto. A peculiar and amazing combination. Hearing the fuzzy crackle of radio and then a minute later the beat of a drum reminds one of the melding of Far Eastern spiritualism and Western science. A feeling similarly exhibited in Japan before and after the war, a sea of confusion and hence, uneasiness.

London Expo

2010-05-27T01:21:00.002+01:00

It's all in the planning and it looks set that I will greet the MCM Expo for the first time this weekend. Should be pretty awesome; I have never actually attended a full on event such as this before, only the tiny one in the Waterstones bookshop in Southampton. That was just a taster. In any case, should be amusing and hopefully I will meet some interesting people. Otherwise I will hopefully be cosplaying as Onizuka which would make it quite forgiveable for me to mess with the girls. If I am in a semi bad mood, it shall be the case.

On the other hand I started the Gantz manga, the real alternative to the series. Nishi isn't so badass but it is only the beginning. The mum came in and said I looked harrassed and well...she is right. Hasn't exactly been a great day and I chose to end it with a very grim and inhumane manga. I enjoy being able to influence my mood in such a way...

neon5 has been promoted

2010-05-25T23:47:00.003+01:00

There is simply too much content on this blog. I cannot bear to leave it. *cries*

Back to http://adaemonium.blogspot.com btw. My bad.

The only question is...where did that Interpretation of EoE go? An important document, my own personal scripture.

So n5on has been demoted to fish bowl status

2010-01-14T23:54:00.002Z

No idea why the fish bowl thought entered my head.

Blogger is no longer going to be my official blogging site, it seems wordpress actually has a decent template that I have adapted to my needs. It looks very neat with a vertical neon5 logo at the bottom. I originally thought to myself that I could take my entire activity over to wordpress but there seems to be a niggling feeling in my mind - I'm quite attached to blogger. Maybe simply because it feels safe and secure, I can chuck many a thing in without breaking it. But as for wordpress, it's sleek and sophisticated; you get the feeling that the readers are going to be refined and smart blog readers - any pandering is not likely to be forgiven.

It seems that I'm wary of posting anything there...so it would seem that blogger is not thrown aside yet. I may use wordpress for my artistic pursuits in the digital world in any case so this blog can remain my fishbowl.

The Art of Shiira

2010-01-13T02:27:00.008Z

A collection of images on Sankaku chan took my eye: a gorgeous mix of colourful and often slightly surreal images with astounding cloud formations on the horizon. Worth a look; some of these images have a profound beauty to them, that remind me of the iconic image and poster of End of Evangelion.

And surprise surprise: Rei Ayanami is featured.

Sankaku chan's link

Cameo of the Chobits

2010-01-12T01:29:00.006Z

This is just amazing, episode three of Kobato and guess who turns up at her humble apartment? Chiho and Chise - note the the absolutely very subtle play on the name, who happen to be the daughters of the apartment manager. It's like the spinoff 'To no Railgun' of 'To no Index'; a switch between the main and supporting characters except Kobato is a new character and the parallel world of persocoms is not present. Put simply, they are playing cameo roles in the world of Kobato (which is a little simpler than the parallel world madness). Picture~

This was such a holy shit moment. You should have seen my face - a mixture of delight and "bahahahaha I knew it xD" expression.

I've neglected to comment on my latest series completion of Kanamemo and Aria No. 1. I'm not going to type Aria: The Animation all the time so I'm giving it a styled No.1 tag. mmmm

Kanamemo -

Kana checks out a diary

so I was a little weirded out by the stereotypes and the yuri couple would have titillated if one of them wasn't so religiously devoted to the other.

But I do hear that in the case of same sex relationships, a big difference in personality is quite advantageous as there is no gulf of the sexes. The gulf of the sexes is the differences in behaviour due to gender and this almost always leads to conflict between male and females. In heterosexual relationships similar personalities work well in bonding, often overcoming the couple's gender differences. Contrarily in homosexual relationships, having similar personalities isn't so advantageous as the couple become too similar. But this is general observation of scientific research and does not always apply. Nevertheless it seems to be observed in Kanamemo.

So despite the weird yuri couple and the woman with a fetish for loli, the series was fairly well played. At first Kana was an irritating blob (who was more moe than I cared for) but as the series progressed, I started to appreciate the comic value she was bringing to the show. Her paranoid flipping out is ridiculously creative (the idea of an old man inhabiting the skin of Saki was classic). Hinata was the sanest character on the show and thanks to her physical similarity to Asa Shigure I felt compelled to like her.
The story was episodic and despite this, Kana had some serious moments of appreciation or uncertainty. Though it was hard for me to take her thoughts all too seriously, these were the musings of a young and naive girl! It was a good series, at first I really thought it was going to be bad but it started to mature on me. I was suspicious at the complete lack of yuri between Kana and Mika given the show's blatently lesbian content...but a little bit came along in the last episode. So I can laugh at myself for being an oracle of anime plots.

Though it worries me that I watched a show like Kanamemo. Have I strayed from the flock?!

Aria - The Animation -

The sweet and pretty Akari Mizunashi

Put simply "beau~tiful". It feels good to watch every episode. No-one is going to bitch. Just soak in the scenery of Venezia and imagine what it would be like to watch the prettiest female gondaliers paddle your boat. I had to say that. Once again this was an episodic series but that is how it works best. The apprentices share similar personalities to their sempai'; despite this they have their own character traits - the sweet and open-mouthed Akari, the hardworking and shy Aika and the quiet and moody Alice.

This series is hard to explain so I'll leave it to people to watch themselves. If anyone ever asks about Aria (since I do get questions all the time...yeah...) then all I can say is "It's lovely. Watch it yourself and you'll see."

Bedtime.

Silent Hill III

2010-01-07T03:26:00.003Z

It's 3:30 and I've finished Silent Hill 3. Good game. A few hair tingling or peculiar moments:

The only mannequin with a head in a room of headless mannequins. Shrieks as you walk over to the other side of the room. You return to find it beheaded.

You walk into a room with a mirrored wall. Blood starts to seep out in the imaginary world of the mirror. You yourself, bloodied. It seeps up towards the sink into the tap.

The tap on your side starts to bleed too and the blood starts to seep into your world. You rush to the door and it isn't budging. Blood is seeping up the walls and soon the room turns a dirty red.

Could vaguely see a massive monster through grating. It was carrying out some sort of task at what appeared to be the mouth to hell...woooooo~

Next up is...

The three voices of Rain of Brass Petals:

I am the first
a shadow at the end
of the hallway
I spin the carousel
the laughter recedes away
my finger on your lips
I stole something precious

I am the second
alone in a faceless crowd
a human caught
in monochrome dreams
I scream to wake up
my voice drowns deep underground
only the dead can hear me
see me

I am the third.
a master
a sentinel of awakeness
I hold truth like a torch
shadows flicker before me.
rapid eye follow the
chain of thought
until the silence ends

It seems to be debated that it could be the three main characters of Silent Hill: Henry, James and Heather. It also could represent the three plains of the Silent Hill universe: Real World, Misty World and Otherworld. The best suggestion put so far is: Pyramid Head, Valtiel and Samael. Some people have even suggested the three: Alessa, Cheryl and Heather though I'm not convinced...

By the way...the three reincarnations of Alessa. Doesn't it smell a little of...the three reincarnations of Ayanami?

Top 50 Anime of the Decade

2010-01-02T00:53:00.002Z

Japanator has just updated the last of its list and it's worth a look to see if your favourite animes are in there as well as checking out the ones you forgot. Cannot be perfect, for instance the list is missing Minami-ke, Noir and Great Teacher Onizuka in my view :| But opinions will always differ. I am chuffed about quite a few entries for the top 10 - particularly the films we all know and love. Links:

#50-41

#40-31

#30-21

#20-11

Top 10

Been watching Aria The Animation - fantastic slice of life series, just so heart warming - human nature at its sweetest, in the beautiful city of Venezia.

And Kanamemo... Just odd. They burst into singing in episode four. Cringe~

Avatar

2009-12-29T00:54:00.003Z

I haven't been blown off my seat in a long time in a cinema. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was probably the last time. But that was a breeze.

Avatar was a fucking hurricane.

Everything that could make a movie fantastic was there, it was epic and it was sweepingly beautiful; the love, the characters and the world of Pandora. A fable of creature and nature. Despite following what appears to be a similar formula of many past movies, this one was different; a gargantuan effort was put into it and it shows. The action builds up, the characters bond, the situation falls greater into disarray and sentiments change. [SPOILER]But I must put special emphasis on the last point of sentiments; this I think touched people most, the protagonist's gradual realisation. You see it in his eyes, feel it in his voice and it lingers in your mind...can you abandon the Na'vi tribe?[spoilerEND]

The Split

2009-12-15T01:29:00.003Z

It seemed like a good idea to me to use wordpress.com as a blogging platform alongside this one - The Wired will be used primarily for internet and animation related posts.

http://neon5.wordpress.com will be a different category altogether and will take on philosophical musings (Confucianism in particular) as well as the more insightful of journal entries.

Hopefully this will reduce the peculiar posts that I occasionally type.

edit: adaemonium.blogspot.com has been changed, n5on.blogspot.com is the updated address.

The Misery of Toradora!

2009-12-14T01:05:00.006Z

This parodied image made me laugh, if you've seen the opening of Toradora! you will understand why.

:(

Execution

2009-12-13T18:52:00.003Z

Upon watching the end of Boston and Legal season 1, I was deeply moved by the very last scene in which a man struggles against guards seconds before being put to death. Alan Shaw who attempted to prevent the death penalty is sat down a few metres away, with a face that could only be described as aghast with horror.

He sees the darkness in people's hearts. And his visit to Texas only deepened his despair in humanity.

If you put emotions aside, the death penalty has no positive results. The criminals can either die or be locked up. There is no threat to society either way. And problematically, miscarriages of justice do happen.
It just shows. USA is the country of 'freedom and prosperity'. Yet some states in America think it's okay for the government to kill off undesirable criminals. Hang on? Did I say undesirable? Sounds similar to the eugenic policies of a certain German political party that was stamped out (mostly by America coincidentally) in 1945. Anyway I'm not really bashing America. Texans and Californians...silly silly people.

Just been playing Silent Hill 3. I think it may become a favourite, I'm getting more abrupt scares than I did with SH-The Room. For instance, when I walked into a room of headless mannequins apart from one with the head attached, I turned a corner and suddenly heard a squeak and a large thump following it. Quickly looking back, I found the previously intact mannequin beheaded with blood around the torso and the neck. A freaky moment with my hairs standing on end -yes...this is the thrill I wanted from Silent Hill!

Norinaga Motoori

2009-12-12T15:08:00.002Z

Then what is good and evil in the realm of human psychology and ethics according to the Tale of Genji? Generally speaking, those who know the meaning of the sorrow of human existence, i.e., those who are in sympathy and in harmony with human sentiments, are regarded as good; and those who are not aware of the poignancy of human existence, i.e., those who are not in sympathy and not in harmony with human sentiments, are regarded as bad.

-Tusnoda, deBary and Keene, Sources of Japanese Tradition, p.533

The purpose of the Tale of Genji may be likened to the man who, loving the lotus flower, must collect and store muddy and foul water in order to plant and cultivate the flower. The impure mud of illicit love affairs described in the Tale is there not for the purpose of being admired but for the purpose of nurturing the flower of the awareness of the sorrow of the human existence. Prince Genji's conduct is like the lotus flower which is happy and fragrant but which has its roots in filthy muddy water. But the Tale does not dwell on the impurity of the water; it dwells on those who are sympathetically kind and who are aware of the sorrow of human existence, and it holds these feelings to be the basis of the good man.

-Ibid, p.534-535

Solitary Entity

2009-12-01T23:24:00.004Z

I'm still realising new aspects of me I didn't notice before, aspects that I can trace so far back in time. And with these discoveries I get closer to being content with myself, knowing how I behave, knowing what I truly need. It's odd; maturity is merely growing into your own characteristic behaviour rather than developing into what you dream of being. And this is not to say that you cannot achieve your dreams, they can be achieved if you prepare them through your own behaviour.

You are a solitary entity

This is the voice in my head, 'Boy called Crow' style. I'm already talking to you from my head but people will mostly agree that there is often a dialogue of two in self contemplation. Back to the point however, this is an aspect I just discovered recently. I knew it was there but I didn't realise it was so entrenched in my personality. Perhaps it can be moved with time and experience? But presently, it is there and I'm embracing it. It has carved me into what I am.

Lonely soul.

I can trace it back all the way to my memorable childhood. My hearing loss made it difficult to understand the situation and the world to me was a playground. The boys in my neighbourhood were merely playmates, I never connected to them. I created numerous scenarios with my toys and lego, developing an appreciation for the workings of the world rather than the workings of the people around me. And now I'm doing a physics degree.
As I entered my teens, I started Warhammer 40,000. This is a tabletop game in which you'd expect to be playing with others. But in the end I just painted my models. Painted and painted. My skills rose and I was almost on par with the models in stores. After a couple of years, I drifted off Warhammer and put most of my time into gaming on my pretty new PS2.

Then one night, I was searching on google images. I came across an image of a tightly clad, android looking girl. That night was the night when I discovered Rei Ayanami of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
So anime replaced PS2.

In the end, solitary activity is a part of me. To be loved for both my solitary and outward airs...it is beyond my expectations, but at the same time, I hope.

You are you.

Neon5

2009-11-27T21:22:00.005Z

Changed my name to neon5. It came when I was thinking up imaginary band names for the band of girls in K-ON, just like TommyHeavenly6. On thinking of Neon and a random number like 5, it sounded more like an internet persona.

Just watched a bit of Ouran High and Kannagi for the first time in days and I found it odd how the mind can switch into a more typically Japanese psyche within half an hour. And worryingly, I seemed to find solace in watching anime, taking my mind off nagging thoughts. Healthy or not, I cannot tell. But it is certainly a retreat from reality; good in small doses?

And finally, I feel a redesign of my blog is in order. So far, just a drastic change in colour. I'm not fantastic with photoshop objects since afterall, I'm a man of freeform. But give it time and I might come up with something good. I already have intentions of producing a good title picture. Just need improvements on the background front. :|

2009-11-08T00:07:00.003Z

That is not dead

Which cannot die

But only sleeping lie

And with strange aeons

Even death might die

God's in his heaven. All's right with the world.

Tamaki sempai

2009-10-31T01:57:00.000Z

Ouran High School Host Club

2009-10-30T01:06:00.003Z

Certainly hasn't failed to pull laughs yet. All the characters are funny in their own way, maybe except for the worryingly incestuous and (what is it again...mmmmmmmm....like yori...you have yuri and then you have...ah yaoi!) yaoi relationship of the two Hitachiin twins. I'm especially liking Fujioka Haruhi for his (or her) rather broad wisdom on the ridiculous lifestyle of the richest of the rich.

And maybe this anime could be considered a distant relative of the spontaneous sex change genre? I'm referring mainly to Ranma 1/2 which offered up more possibilities with the introduction of the boy/girl mechanism. And with Ouran, it could be quite interesting. Probably more witty and elegantly executed than a boy simply turning into a girl just like that - like the anime where a boy is rejected after a confession and randomly turns into a girl overnight. Hmm. Anyway, screenshots.

Getting stabbed in the heart by orange arrows is a regular occurrence by the lookies

Tamaki sempai filling the corner with ominous Put Down Shadows

Randomly amusing

Funnily enough all the stabs and put downs can be sourced from none other than Fujioka. Strangely satisfying.

The Kusanagi of Momoru Oshii

2009-10-27T00:30:00.003Z

Ghost in the Shell

The Sky Crawlers

The Foolish Traveller

2009-10-26T20:49:00.002Z

There was this foolish man who travelled around the world, making his way through towns and villages. He met inhabitants, who more often than not took advantage of him. One could call him foolish, for he was swindled by many a person, giving away his money, his shoes and his clothes.

Soon he was completely naked and making his way through a forest to avoid humiliation. He came upon a goblin. This goblin said he wanted to eat, and the man gave an arm and a leg. But the goblin was not finished and soon the man was left as a single head. After eating his eyes, the goblin told the man he would give a present in return.

He dropped a single slip of paper. It had something written on it.

バカ

baka

The man was overcome with tears, streaming heavily from his eyeless sockets. "I have never been given a present in my life, I thank you."

And the goblin left the head, leaving the man to die.

Kafka On The Shore - one last time

2009-10-19T00:52:00.002+01:00

Time weighs down on you like an old ambiguous dream. You keep on moving, trying to slip through it. But even if you go to the ends of the earth, you won't be able to escape it. Still, you have to go there - to the edge of the world. There's something you can't do unless you get there.

*****

Pointless thoughts

2009-10-18T00:43:00.006+01:00

Weird day.

I woke up early especially for the Saturday training session
I found that the pickup car had already left, five minutes earlier than arranged
This wasn't going to stop me; I ran over to the central station and took the train instead
After 3 stations prior to my stop, an announcement declared that the train would be sat in the station for a very long 25 minutes. My attempt to arrive on time was shattered.

I ended up following the crowd heading to another train, trying to find a member of staff (who simply told me that I could get a taxi instead). So it could have been the case that I would have dejectedly picked up another rail ticket back home. But it happened that the crowd I followed was the 'Hillwalking Society' and the man at the doors of the train recognised me.
"Are you coming then?"
"Yeah. Fuck it."
He makes a smile and laughs as I get on. I think he may have been faintly surprised.
"Where is it you are going again?" I say.
"The Isle of Wight!"
"Ahh." I felt the tinges of doubt regarding this change of plan. "How much is it to get across on the ferry?"
"About £12."
So I check through my wallet and discover that I do in fact, have enough cash to include a ferry ticket, a meal and the train back. With the money account sorted in my head, nothing hindered me; the anger I felt about the train schedule a minute before evaporated. I had to think sensibly about money (for the sake of conscience, borrowing money is a last resort) but otherwise I left everything to impulse. And it was a fantastic day.

I may have missed a training session. But I don't think that visiting the coast of an island, finding a place from your childhood memories long ago, exploring the ruins of a Cold War base and seeing magnificent light beams across the wide and open sea was a bad way to go. At all.
It was fortunate that the day was a glorious one, making ever more new friends along the way. But it could have been a rainy and miserable one. But would I for a moment consider that unlucky? That is not my way of thinking, or at least it isn't any more. I don't hold the scales of luck over the events or results that come from opportunity, rather over opportunity itself. If I can get more than a hundred of such opportunities like this throughout my life, then I will consider myself lucky.

On the subject of the value of regret, whether it be consequences or even a missed opportunity:

Pointless thinking is worse than not thinking.

2009-10-16T01:43:00.000+01:00

Sleeping long, whiling away in dreams, an ominous warning that you will soon implode and be thrown into the great puppet theatre of this world. Denied. This man is incompatible with it.

Personal Statement

2009-10-12T21:13:00.002+01:00

It is peculiar when you are drafting a personal statement and you write a sentence which suddenly sparks a narrative of your life about two paragraphs long. I might try and compress that into a sentence when I do a final write up - 'self pity just ain't a word in my dictionary any more'. Of course it hasn't been for ages, I might have to look up the definition again to check what it is.
But I must bear one thing in mind: sensitivity to those who are still searching for that 'point'. By finding my 'point', I may unintentionally forget to perceive carefully the minds of younger people.

In any case, another Tatsuki picture as it didn't fit in the last post...Dragon Princess:

(upload rate is hellishly slow :@)

Discouragement

2009-10-12T00:42:00.005+01:00

The alluring writing of Murakami is still failing to disappoint me. The book of 'Kafka on the Shore' has just come across two feminists who rapidly argue back with baseless accusations. As the book aptly puts the problem with these people is merely the lack of imagination; T.S. Elliot refered to these as 'hollow people'.

"Narrow minds devoid of imagination. Intolerance, theories cut off from reality, empty terminology, usurped ideals, inflexible systems. Those are the things that really frighten me. What I absolutely fear and loathe." - Oshima, Kafka on the Shore

And this has truth, in the background of today's political climate everyone merely talks about terrorism and political correctness. Intolerance isn't breeding in Afghanistan, it is breeding everywhere and the one thing that intolerance truly stifles is the power of imagination.

I even find it in university, if you could go to one place on earth where you can get a large body of unimaginitive people (minus the more artistic of students), university is the place. Afterall it is more or less a big complex of buildings you hang around for about four years after which you apparently get presented a rolled up document proclaiming you 'capable' of doing an office job for fifty years. Then its carehome and dying without bothering anyone. I fear I have gone off topic already but I'm merely stating that a lot of undergraduates actually arrived at university with a natural drive to discover more of the world, then with four years passed their vivacity for learning has been snuffed out. "I have no need to learn anything else than this subject." "I have a degree therefore I am better than you." And where did that imagination, that drive and the very core of learning go? As I will say now, like some Confucius quote:
'Staying young is realising how to retain and keep close your love of learning.'
That is a thought that is close to my heart, bear in mind that I just gave you a gift. You are obligated not to lose that gift - go and learn to learn! Reading Kafka. would be a good start.

As for the 'hollow people', if they take over the world and turn everything a monochrome grey don't be discouraged. If you find the surroundings or the people too translucent and colourless, there is another world to bury oneself in, to push your potential, knowledge and grace without qualifications or positions: books, the foundation on which one's soul rests. I am not saying it is the only foundation but it is perhaps the very first, unchanging and immovable.

On a side note, I cannot deny that anime is an established form of literature to me as well. After Toradora! I finished Hyakko, a really unabashedly mainstream anime with mainstream characters. But I don't mind watching it - Tatsuki, an upper class student, has a gorgeous, upper class voice.

Tatsuki

Lucky Star is 3 episodes till the end, still haven't seen that Tsukasa Kenshin cosplay yet... And I just started Fruits Basket. It grates. And lastly, I started Minami-ke Okaeri in high spirits. After five episodes, these spirits are still around but they are starting to nap around and snore, the useless spirits they are. I guess at heart I am more a slice of life person. Okaeri is more a montage of unconnected events and people like the first season. But I get this nagging feeling that I'm not the only fan feeling the lack of...stuff.

トラドラ！ - Toradora!

2009-10-06T21:22:00.004+01:00

Well, ok. This is going to be a difficult review of my own...as frankly I cannot possibly express how superb the entire series was. As someone said in the top review on MAL, "Sure, the content isn't the most original, but it took a very different route to get there."

A brief introduction: Takasu Ryuuji is an ordinary high school boy who is unfortunate enough to have the eyes of a delinquent despite being beyond one. On arrival to school, he bumps into Aisaka Taiga (known as the Palmtop Tiger for her small size and violent temper) who gives him her wrath. However one event leads to another and they soon make a pact to help each other get closer to their unrequited loves.

In my view, a lot of romance animes follow a standard formula; you have the festivals, the valentines, the hot springs, the beach, the falling ill and getting cared for, the awkward sleepover...name anything quite cliche and you might be completely right. Now it isn't like Toradora fails to include a couple of these but the situations have no trace of bandying about; there is no obvious fanservice (if Ami ever gets out her bikini it was her own intentions, not the director's) and there is no forced story or character development. These characters merely seem to develop on their own and like most dramas, things aren't always obvious to the viewer what the characters are thinking. This reinforces the realism in their behaviour which never fails to be more human than that of regurgitated characters. Their problems are very real, deeper than the shallow waters of the majority of the romance genre. I should really get to the point: this series turns into a drama.

Animation is another point I must reflect on. It was consistently clean and well executed throughout the series, apparently something that the studio (J.C. Staff) is quite devoted to. But I still haven't mentioned the very gem of the animation: the emotional expression of the face and the movement of the expression over a second or two was beautifully and deeply portrayed. You only get these moments maybe three times at most but when they come, you are blown off your seat. You can really connect with the emotional side of the character.

Such an intense yet sweet series. It was a fantastic watch.

忠義 - Loyalty

2009-09-28T02:03:00.003+01:00

In romaji: chuugi. The first Kanji stands for 'chuu' - something along the lines of sincerity, faithfulness and loyalty. The top part of the Kanji represents middle and the bottom represents the heart. The second is 'gi' - right action, duty and justice.

In these times, at least for me, this word has a great significance. I shall write a vague explanation below.

One sensei recently said: 'If you feel you distrust or disagree with your sensei, you must simply leave. At absolutely no point do you betray your sensei.'
And I remember my sensei saying to me and the rest of the new students something along the lines of this: 'The most important thing in choosing a martial art is that you trust the sensei. If you don't trust the sensei, just leave. It is only when you trust the sensei that you feel the most reward.'

Now I drop onto the most frank part. Under no circumstances do you betray your sensei. You may leave, if the entire class disagrees with that sensei, the entire class can leave. But never should a club throw out a sensei, especially one who has taught at that club for over a decade. If they believed that the sensei was taking the wrong direction against their will, leaving will show the force of their will.
Betrayal only makes a mockery of everything that sensei ever taught.

These students were, to put it as nicely as possible, selfish and misled.
As for the few who led the coup; rotten to the core.

Photobucket stats

2009-09-25T16:50:00.005+01:00

Just got an email today from photobucket, the standard spammy sort of thing. But something caught my attention - the subject field: 'Your photobucket stats: 374 new views this week'

I thought long and hard about this. What pictures in my albums are hotlinked to sites that would receive quite a few views? I delved further and viewed the more detailed statistics on the photobucket site only to find that out of all the pictures, two were contributing the most to these view counts. In second place...is the animated gif of Shampoo (from Ranma 1/2) placed on a (Shampoo) fan page on myanimelist.net. Back then, I simply saw a niche in the fanpages ie. there wasn't a Shampoo fanpage, and sought to take overwhelming power and monopoly over the fandom of Shampoo. And I haven't done much in the way of tyrannical activity since.
In first place...it's quite obvious, afterall I am suddenly writing on this blog after a few weeks of no longer bothering. The background of this blog has been rigging up stats while I left the blog untouched...this is either paranormal activity, or I sleep surf the internet, or there are actually some poor people out there who end up on this blog. It boggles the mind. Bloody google must have routed people here!

Well...I guess I should keep this up and continue my little reviews and snippets of life. There should be a marked improvement in my posts, I have been heavily influenced by the Japanese culture of prose, poetry and private diaries thanks to a book: 'Japanese Culture' by Paul Varley. My main intention from hereon is to structure this blog like a 'nikki' - basically a private journal of observations and poetry from early times. "Of all Heian prose writing, the private diary (nikki) was commonly thought of as a journey, accounting for daily events in an intimate and personal mode." - Paul Varley.

This is the age of the internet. And I'm sharing my journey with you, even if it was a bit unintentional.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

2009-08-24T23:28:00.001+01:00

A dark omnipresent pool of water.
It was probably always there, hidden away somewhere. But when the time comes it silently rushes out, chilling every cell in your body. You drown in that cruel flood, gasping for breath. You cling to a vent near the ceiling, struggling, but the air you manage to breathe is dry and burns your throat. Water and thirst, cold and heat - these supposedly opposite elements combine to assault you.
The world is a huge space, but the space that will take you in - and it doesn't have to be very big - is nowhere to be found. You seek a voice, but what do you get? Silence. You look for silence, but guess what? All you hear over and over is the voice of this omen. And sometimes the prophetic voice pushes a secret switch hidden deep inside your brain.
Your heart is like a great river after a long spell of rain, spilling over its banks. All signposts that once stood on the ground are gone, inundated and carried away by that rush of water. And still the rain beats down on the surface of the river. Every time you see a flood like that on the news you tell yourself: That's it. That's my heart.

か...み...ちゅ! (Kamichu!)

2009-07-27T03:10:00.004+01:00

I just put Japanese script on my computers. That may explain the title...

In any case I am almost at the end of the season of Kamichu! which is one of those series you watch, merely for curiosity. I saw this for the first time with the anime club and truly thought it was another children's anime like 'Shugo Chara!' but even so, I found the animation most intriguing and the storyline a little fresher than usual. So I downloaded and gave it a go.
I should say that I am a slice of life junkie when it comes to anime, and when I got through five of the episodes I realised that I enjoyed the realism of the characters and of course the simple, simple, simple flow of life in Hinode. And not only that; the beautiful scene artwork and the crisp and dynamic animation blew my top off. One of the best examples is in the screenshot below when Yurie's mother and father are speaking; Akane was constantly moving while she spoke. The animation portrayed her charming behaviour with perfect, artistic accuracy.

I must say, I have never come across a woman in anime as ridiculously sweet and down to earth as Yurie's mother, it is hard not to smile whenever she comes on screen.

I still haven't mentioned one of the most wonderful points of this anime: the plot, concerning Yurie becoming a god amongst gods. I always feel a leap in my heart, a leap of surprise when I see the great big lion on the roof, the sea captain squid, the amusing tall (and seemingly naked) grey man and all the other numerous gods that form the world of Kamichu! And even more so, they don't appear too often unlike the more saturated children's programmes where they appear everywhere, lessening the delight of their own appearance. It is just brilliant, watching something that reminds you of those younger days watching children's tv, but without bringing your mind to the level of a child's. This series is short of a masterpiece and will definitely get a rewatch in the future.

The Convention of the Gods

Hinode harbour

Memories on paper

2009-07-21T01:47:00.003+01:00

Most people see learning through the subjects (ie. English literature, mathematics and science; Philosophy and classics; etc.) as the only way to become a productive member of society in the learned context. But there is another way. Through teaching. Through martial art. And through wisdom.

***

The confucius aspect of ancestory: helping the aged and ensuring their life and memories are acknowledged by another stranger.

***

Psychological drugs have to be the most dangerous...imagine your life played out as a death scene from now. Take such drugs and this may just happen.

Most are blissfully unaware of this fact. But once you are aware...

you know it will happen.

***

Interpretation of 'The Sky Crawlers'

2009-07-16T04:04:00.004+01:00

A review about 'The Sky Crawlers" posted on the box (bakabt) by radionerd struck my eye and is possibly the most informative I have found. Not quite on the same level of vaguarity as Evangelion but still quite fascinating:

In Defense of the Sky Crawlers

Death of a King

2009-06-26T02:53:00.000+01:00

Death is not a hunter unbeknownst to its prey, one is always aware that it lies in wait. Though life merely a journey to the grave, it must not be undertaken without hope. Only then will a traveler's story live on, treasured by who bid him farewell.

See you MJ.

Laughing at the world again...finally

2009-05-27T03:45:00.004+01:00

It has been quite depressing of late, I've slept long nights and days, losing all reason of getting up. Every day streamed around the solid daydreaming of my mind. I was not content with this world. As always.

Nevertheless, there has always been something that perks me up. I remember when I first started Shorinji Kempo. I loved it. Something to do with the discipline and structure; it is somewhat applicable in real life. But I couldn't quite grasp what it was. Turns out that my mind is attracted and geared towards the philosophy of Confucius. My mind craves the formality, reserve and respect. With such principles, a society can function extremely well; Japan has proved that. Even so, there is something even more important than those principles alone. One must become a "learned man". If someone has an unquenchable thirst for learning then they have the potential to become a true gentleman. A good person makes himself useful to society by gaining skills and knowledge. If he does not use these then he practically demotes himself to the level of the small man; a man who chooses to be of no use. If you do not make yourself useful to those around you...then how can you be called good?

Most people see learning through the subjects as the only way to become a member of society in the 'learned' context. Subjects such as English literature, mathematics, sciences, Philosophy and Classics. But surely there are other ways, through teaching, martial art and wisdom? People fail to see this; teachers get heckled and sued, martial arts are viewed with suspicion and the greatest sources of wisdom are left in care homes by their own offspring to lose their mind. Things need to change.

The Sky Crawlers Eva Rating

2009-04-27T21:51:00.005+01:00

I was looking around at blu-ray external readers today. And there was only one reason why. I am going to buy 'The Sky Crawlers" and I am absolutely determined to watch it in HD. How can you not watch the clean, crisp and spectacular animation on a normal DVD? My new housemate has a 50 inch Kuro Pioneer TV. Basically that means absolute black for the blacks. When I watch The Sky Crawlers a second time it is going to be bliss. The story stirs up all the right feelings I love; feelings that my most favourite animes Evangelion and SEL emanate.

I thought I should kind of put the amazingness of this film in perspective.
End of Evangelion has a shock and awe factor of 10/10. Meaning...shock for roughly over a week. The personality kind of suddenly goes introverted for a while. No need for outside influence, the thought train of Eva alone is perfectly satisfying.

I would rate SEL (Serial Experiments Lain) at roughly 6. The content itself is not revolutionising, but the emotion flares up to extreme highs in the last episode.

As for The Sky Crawlers...I'd say...5. This is an impressive score considering it is a film that lasts for roughly 2 hours compared to SEL and NGE at about 6 and 12 hours respectively. There isn't much time for character development but the general concept of the film breaks some unchartered ground and smashes ignorance's face in. Heh heh

I will probably rate a few things in the future with an Eva score...unfortunately. Tooooo much time on my hands. I'm going for a run. That's useful at least.

This link is a good interpretation of The Sky Crawlers. Interpretation means it's spoiler town.

The Truth of War

2009-04-26T00:49:00.005+01:00

People strive for peace. And there are fools out there who believe that we may achieve peace one day. But my point is this: in times of peace, we lose something that forms the core of our being: the survival instinct. Thus we turn self destructive, whether it be through self gratification through material means or a descent into anarchy.

War is inevitable no matter how you look at it. In fact, we need war.

If not war, we are going to turn into grotesque, drugged up beings.

Spoiler after this sentence. In the alternate universe of 'The Sky Crawlers', two companies on neighbouring continents orchestrate a war in which the 'Kildren' dogfight in the skies. Why would these companies orchestrate such a war? The answer isn't even related to money as you would normally expect. In fact, the war prevents any ordinary wars taking place amongst the population. While there is war, people strive for peace. What they don't know is that the war is fake. Though the 'Kildren' must die nevertheless.

This idea has been bandied about quite a bit in history and literature. It's the idea of substituting organised killing instead of the inevitably chaotic killing of normal people and/or soldiers. Imagine this on a global scale (like in Noir). I cannot deny myself that it would be quite an ideal world.

But in the end, people would tire. History shows that Chaos Theory is virtually correct. There will always be a slump before the the rise. Therefore anyone who believes in an ideal world should never expect it to last for more than a century. If the German Nazis had won the war, I don't believe 21st century Nazism would exist nevertheless. But it is a relief they didn't win the war, if a huge number of people must die for an ideal, then it is not an ideal fighting for. War is the only thing worth losing human lives for, it is the thing that keeps us human and sane.

Spoiler over...

And if you're stuck following the same path throughout your life, then no matter how long you may live, always try to change your destiny. No matter what the consequences.

The Sky Crawlers is a beautiful, awakening film. It is not about the dogfights. It is about the pilots, their life, their non changing world. Don't miss it.

Zeitgeist

2009-04-23T00:56:00.002+01:00

I, like quite a few people, don't want to be stuck in an office job. But no matter what, everything tends towards money and we end up being enslaved to money. Enslaved is a strong word...but what is more fitting? It is the way of modern times, it is the way of modern people. Go against this way, you face isolation. At least eventually.

However as history has taught us, there is one thing that surpasses money and that is the combination of knowledge, wisdom and determination. All in all, these are the qualities of a teacher; one who teaches the masses 'his way'. It doesn't have to differ much from the common way but still differs nevertheless.

A teacher is valued more than a successful businessman in Japan. Culture is no more perfected anywhere else.

My heart will never be complete.

Until I live there.

2009-04-21T01:59:00.008+01:00

Have no Dreams

Have no Hope

Thrown

Into God's Domain

You Fall

No Sadness

No Despair

Munto

2009-04-14T18:29:00.002+01:00

Yay I found another gem in the world of animation: Munto. I've just watched the first OVA and the imagery is beautiful. At first I thought it was going to be some sort of action flick but was soon proved wrong. It's more like a slice of life of a girl who is very unique: she can see islands in the sky. And when one of those islands begins to fall, a mysterious messenger from the heavens claims that she has the power to save everything. But how can she come to terms with this when she has no idea what her power is?

LSA - Lucky Star Addiction

2009-04-13T02:21:00.005+01:00

Gah! As soon as I come across a picture of Konata, I suddenly get pangs of some sort of withdrawal symptom. I miss Konata shelling out casual insults and the overreactions of Kagami; it's just absolute genius. I have manga with me in my room back here at 'home home' but due to the lack of a power cable for my external hard drive I am unfortunately deprived of my favourite media. I picked up the wrong cable; it seems I unplugged the radio instead :|

Lucky Star picture fest!

Found at MAL forums funny anime pictures thread

Amusingly cool

It's not just Lucky Star either, I also have an insatiable appetite for Kamichu! of which I watched the first episode with the Solent Anime Club. It is a wonderfully colourful montage of weird and wonderful Gods, very similar to Spirited Away. It is an assault on the visual senses. Gorgeous animation!

Hopefully I get back to uni tomorrow. I look forward to it immensely.

The Public Mind

2009-04-12T17:51:00.003+01:00

With liquor tongues and candy smiles
These people stop and think a while
It won't take long before they find
That thing that they call peace of mind
But peace cannot be truly found
When the world still turns around
Driven by the need to earn
Cash that they're allowed to burn
This happiness ain't true or real
It's all an illusion you still feel.
If what you see is what you get
And all the dreams and hopes are set
And all you trust is your eyes
Just look, because they tell only lies.
"Seeing is believing"
Oh, no, seeing is deceiving
If what you see is what you get
Then all the dreams and hopes are set
And all you'll see is what you'll find
You never need to stretch your mind
'Cause all there is, has, and ever will be
Is here before you, gracefully
You bow your head in mocking awe
It's all just like that dream you saw
And will it end here? No, not when
You fall into your dreams again.

-antinomian

Link to antinomian's deviant page

Return to Black...or White?

2009-04-10T18:07:00.008+01:00

It's been a while since I last posted to this blog and I thought it should be fitting to continue posting. Over the last few days of March I spent my time around East Germany in Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden. It was very much a different atmosphere, a relaxed one. And it opened up my mind; I wanted to be a better person (I was still inspired by Confucious' Analects). I was staying with a prominently Christian family and this pushed my ambitions further. As soon as I got back I was still quite invigorated by the experience. However after a week, things have gotten wearisome. I enjoy being anonymous, being alone and in the dark. Not sure why but it's just the sense of being alive that I strive for. And living happily doing the same thing every day does not give you that sense. I want a little bit of despair, not much but just a little. Is that a bad thing to ask? I don't want to live like I'm tailoring my personality to suit others just to ensure friendship stays ripe. Why should I make effort to do things with my friends I don't feel like doing? From childhood, I was built to be a solitary being to begin with, my deafness meant that I was not designed to interact with many people.

I will remain a solitary being, it feels right.

I've been reading haphazardly lately: a book by Benjamin called "Orange" and "Me2" by Sho Murase.

Orange is absolutely fantastic, a beautiful montage of digital art with a story made to fit the imagery rather than the other way round. The way it should be; we remember the visual before the sonic. The cover art is just like the rest of the manga and it's beauty jumped out at me while I was in the Forbidden Planet store. I immediately had to buy it and even the cashier herself said that it was a superb manga. So before I had even opened the book, I was filled to the brim with anticipation of something that was going to explode in ribbons as soon as I opened it. The book also redirected my gaze at digital art...now that is a medium I could use...

As for "Me2", it is one of the most surreal books I have opened in my life. The vivid imagery or rather the lack of it gets your imagination working a little more proactively, something that I always appreciate in artistry and writing. It leaves you looking at reality a little bit differently and in a darker light. I like it and will certainly get another volume.

All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream

- Edgar A. Poe

Side of Nux

2009-03-05T05:58:00.004Z

Over the last few nights, I have eased into a rhythm of sleeping during the day and awakening at night. It seems to suit me, I like the deserted roads; a landscape at rest undisturbed by ants like us. Welcome to the world of Fight Club, or the world of NHK. Whether you are confused, disillusioned, unnatural sleeper or hikkomori, we all share one thing in common. We have given up society and live in the shadows; the underworld. Why do I linger on the dark side of the earth? I'm still working that riddle out. It seems there is nothing clinging onto me from the side of day, nothing to stop me from drifting into darkness. Unfortunately it is always harder to come back to the otherside.

"In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.

The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved."

-Prophet Joel

Sounds a bit freaky but that's just an extract that I came across in the bible which sounded quite familiar so I decided to quote it. Regardless of whether I sleep during the day or not... ;)

2009-01-25T18:16:00.000Z

An unforseen future nestled somewhere in time.
Unsuspecting victims no warnings, no signs.
Judgment day the second coming arrives.
Before you see the light you must die.

Forgotten children, conform a new faith,
Avidity and lust controlled by hate.
Never ending search for your shattered sanity,
Souls of Damnation in their own reality.

Chaos rampant,
An age of distrust.
Confrontations.
Impulsive habitat.

Bastard sons begat your cunting daughters,
Promiscuous mothers with your incestuous fathers.
Engreat souls condemned for all eternity,
Obtained by immoral observance a domineering deity.

Chaos rampant,
An age of distrust.
Confrontations.
Impulsive sabbath.

On and on, south of heaven

The root of all evil is the heart of a black soul.
A force that has lived all eternity.
The never ending search for a truth never told.
The loss of all hope and your dignity.

Chaos rampant,
An age of distrust.
Confrontations.
Impulsive habitat.

On and on, south of heaven

Tom Araya

Waterstones Recon

2009-01-23T15:15:00.003Z

On wednesday evening, the Waterstones chain in my city was holding a recon. And funnily enough, I have never actually gone to a convention of any type before. But it was a fun experience, it wasn't substantial but socialising with Akatsuki members, Kilik and Voldo from Soul Calibur, Kiba, Teresa of Claymore and many others was pretty interesting. I came up with my cosplaying idea quite late and simply went as an ANBU ninja or more like Kabuto with a black cloak. Flipping heck, the black cloak was ridiculously emo when I wasn't wearing the mask! The weirdest thing being at that recon was the fact that the majority of people were young teenagers; I have never felt so old! But anyway, I look forward to going to MCM Expo when I will do some quality cosplay along the lines of Gintoki Sakata of Gintama and I am actually going to bleach my hair for it. It's going to be freaky!

Way hey, it's good. Yesterday I purchased a wall mount and screwed it into a long piece of wood which was then shunted against the wall by the back of my desk. And now, I have an LCD mounted above the desk as opposed to stood on it. It is fantastically cool and the most amazing thing is the change in my habits simply due to the screen being 30cm higher; the desk is clear and I can do work without getting distracted. Perfect!

Star Ocean 4 - The Last Hope

2009-01-19T07:59:00.003Z

I was downloading Star Ocean 1 on the SNES when it suddenly occured to me - is there going to be a new Star Ocean 4? Checked it up on google and hallelujah! It is coming out on Xbox 360 (exclusively I believe) and sounds like it is going to be absolutely fantastic. The developers actually ventured back into some Star Ocean Second Story elements including private actions. And of course, the main reason why I play Star Ocean games is the real time gameplay...and that has not changed either. Just with the addition of amazing graphics. Agghh! I cannot wait! The picture above seems to be a screenshot and hell I must say, the bow has always been the prefered weapon I'd see a girl using, with its grace and speed. So from everything I've seen so far, it is going to be heaven. Imagine online play too!

Shorinji Kempo Blogs

2009-01-17T02:15:00.003Z

I was looking around blogger searching for Shorinji Kempo and found a few pages of interest. The first page had a rather impressive youtube video by the Moscow branch which has some pretty fast Sotai forms. The last kick looked like it made an impact but I'm sure that the black belt took it well.

The video is from a Spanish blog.

I also found a blog which has a few philosophical musings by someone who mentions a quote from Doshin So of Shorinji Kempo. He may not be an actual practitioner but he has some good thoughts on the subject of martial arts and seems to have followed a similar approach to Doshin So.

A phrase from another blog:

ningen no michi wo akiramette,
ookami no michi ni shitagatte.

Abandon the way of humans and follow the way of the wolves.

Minamicon

2009-01-15T03:56:00.002Z

As a fervent fan of anime, I reckon it is always a good idea to blow the flames in the right direction. So basically otakuism is best applied in a convention. So I apply to supposedly the best convention in the UK. What do I get? A 180 person long waiting list. Maybe they need a bigger venue? A couple of extra square metres? A lot of otaku end up twiddling their thumbs at home watching their dailys while a few enjoy the fantastic convention which must make them tremble in excitement. Yes...
I have seen the pictures.
I think Expo will be more interesting than some hotel conference room stuffed full of tables, chairs and boards.

Exams Season Procrastination

2009-01-12T21:11:00.002Z

First off, the dissertation got handed in and was entirely made of a single wikipedia article. Never expected to end up doing that. I have to go to a viva tomorrow and answer numerous questions circling the issue of why the dissertation is generally so shit. Yay.

And after that, I have to continue my revision for exam season which mostly consists of making a Naruto ANBU mask which is turning out really well. So more ANBU masks will be made in the future to addorn my room and occasionally for ANBU cosplay. Another thing about the mask that I'm making is that it has a handmade feel to it, ie. it is not completely smooth and level like plastic but enough to look perfectly normal a metre away. So it feels really authentic to me. Besides, there is only one official naruto mask so I don't really feel cosplaying with that. Plus, my ANBU mask is going to be pretty unique.

Massive Dissertations/Always san chome no yuhi

2009-01-03T00:37:00.004Z

Mid October to January the 5th: the available time in which to do a dissertation. Available time allotted to me? January 3rd to January the 5th. Of which 100% of the fault is mine. Oops.

On a brighter note, I watched 'Always san chome no yuhi' a few minutes ago and enjoyed the gem of looking into Japanese working life following the post war era. The architecture and customs still never fail to amaze me.

At this point, I should narrate my actions immediately after I wrote the last paragraph. I stood up and proceeded to hit my fists against the wall, grunting in frustration. My ambition for the moment is to go to Japan to teach english as part of the JET scheme. I could always do post graduate work as well if such a thing was possible. But at the rate my university work has gone, I may fail my third year (as failing my dissertation is highly likely for the moment). It isn't that failing and redoing my third year would prevent me going to Japan; I would take 4 years to do a degree whether or not it was a bachelors or masters. But being aware of the 'work hard' ethic of the Japanese only makes me feel more guilty of neglecting my own work. The work ethic I was reminded of in Always san chome no yuhi.

But hey, in a couple of days time I will probably be drinking in celebration of superb insomniac working ability and posting on this blog while drunk: "Life is so hilariously stupid isn't it. You'll see.

FREAK Level Otaku

2008-11-28T03:05:00.004Z

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

2008-11-27T01:41:00.003Z

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

2008-11-24T01:24:00.003Z

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

2008-11-13T01:37:00.004Z

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

2008-11-04T03:36:00.004Z

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?

2008-10-24T02:07:00.003+01:00

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

2008-10-22T00:35:00.005+01:00

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

2008-10-14T01:02:00.003+01:00

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

2008-10-13T01:24:00.004+01:00

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

2008-10-02T01:09:00.001+01:00

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

More later.

Death Note

2008-08-27T00:53:00.004+01:00

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

2008-08-08T00:12:00.006+01:00

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

2008-08-07T00:03:00.004+01:00

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

2008-07-20T18:46:00.004+01:00

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

2008-07-09T23:34:00.004+01:00

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

2008-07-08T01:45:00.002+01:00

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)

2008-06-29T00:44:00.002+01:00

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

2008-05-25T20:34:00.003+01:00

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

2008-05-13T01:18:00.006+01:00

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

2008-05-08T00:36:00.003+01:00

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

2008-05-03T20:33:00.003+01:00

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

2008-04-30T00:45:00.002+01:00

'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

2008-04-23T19:57:00.008+01:00

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

2008-04-21T00:10:00.003+01:00

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

2008-04-19T22:47:00.003+01:00

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

2008-04-17T14:49:00.003+01:00

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

2008-04-12T23:15:00.005+01:00

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

2008-03-26T16:38:00.002Z

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

2008-03-24T19:46:00.004Z

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

2008-03-23T23:43:00.000Z

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.