Some Current Faves:

Kawaii Radio
MegaTokyo
Sakura-Con
SnoopyCool
Tokion

<-- & Kanji Logs ? -->

Fanlisting:

I AM A JUNIOR OTAKU!

Anime Night Friday November 5 - Saturday, November 6, 2004
Naruto: 20-22
Berserk: 2
Gungrave: 1
Irresponsible Captain Tylor: 1
Full Metal Panic: 5

Most people came late, so I took the opportunity to force Yakitate and Samurai Champloo down the unsuspecting throats of the couple of people who came on time. It was another successful force feeding. ^.^

I Love Bread! - Thursday, November 4, 2004
There's a new anime out in Japan called Yakitate!! Japan, which means "fresh made Japan." I really love the manga, which is scanlated at SnoopyCool so I was extremely excited to know that there was to be an anime.

The story is about a boy named Kazuma who's goal is to make a bread that surpases the taste of rice and can represent Japan. Yes, it's an anime about bread! Some may be skeptical about that, but I've managed to get several people hooked on the anime and only the first few episodes are out! My next goal is to get them to read the manga.

=9

Anime Night Friday October 29 - Saturday, October 30, 2004
This is version Hallowe'en point O.
Bleach: 1-3
Hellsing: 1
Tsukuyomi: 1
Master of Mosquiton: 20-26

Unfortunately where we were watching didn't realize that the cable for the DVD player in one room couldn't reach to the main room, therefore we could only watch avi files. That means we couldn't watch any Gungrave or Berserk. =( I really wanted to see the latter since I haven't seen it yet. We might next week.

Apparently, I am the only one in the group who thinks a vampire with cat ears is kawaiiiiii.

Anime Day Sunday October 24 - Sunday, October 24, 2004
Naruto: 16-19
Master of Mosquiton: 16-19
Full Metal Panic: 4

It was a busy weekend so we had to watch the anime during the day. It's different watching anime in the morning. =P

One of my friends and I rewatched a part of CCS and we both decided that to make costume for the Dark and Light cards for Sakura Con would be too hard. Scrap that idea. =(

Anime Night Saturday October 16 - Sunday, October 17, 2004
Naruto: 12-15
Sorcerer Hunters: 1-18?

All-nighters sound like a good idea at 6 p.m. but by the time it hits around 3 a.m. it sounds like it was a mistake. If we had planned for it, it wouldn't have been as hard. Anyway, it was a small group and I was glad to watch Hunters because I'd only seen about 10 episodes scattered around throughout the series and I thought that was it. We're not finished but sometime soon we'll watch it again. ^.^ Fortunately I only fell asleep during half an episode which I was given a quick run down.

We also watched an episode of Futurama. It's not anime, but it can be funny.

Now, to plan the Hallowe'en edition of anime night. Some random episodes with monsters, vampires and witches should be a good time. We'll most likely continue on with Mosquiton.

=)

Which Angel Am I? - Wednesday, October 6, 2004
Yay, I managed to be my favourite angel:

Anime Night Saturday October 2 - Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Naruto: 8-11
Ah! My Goddess: 1-5, Movie
AMG was so good! I didn't mind watching the first episode again. ^.^ Too bad that is the whole series because it felt kind of funny to have nine months elapse over only five episodes.

I did it again. *sigh* I went to the warehouse and bought more anime. I'm definitely not stepping in there for a long, long time. If I do, I better leave my credit card at home. *hangs head in shame*

Purchases:
DVD - Infinite Ryvius Vol. 2
DVD - Legend of Black Heaven Vol. 3 & 4
DVD - Gravitation Vol. 4 (Street date, what street date?)

I Shouldn't Be Allowed in a Warehouse - Monday, September 27, 2004
I was a little concerned at the size of my credit card bill a little while back. The main charges were groceries, anime and manga...mostly the latter two. However, this weekend I, and a very willing friend, went to a warehouse that sold movies, anime and manga. This place isn't really all that cheap (amazon.ca is a lot cheaper) but with so much around me, I had a bit of trouble. I did manage to put the Kare Kano box set back on the shelf as well as the second Azumanga Daiou manga, but I still managed to spend over 0.

Anyway, my purchases were:
DVD - Gravitation Vol. 3 (Yay, I got it early...and I only had volume 2 come in recently.)
DVD - Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi Vol. 4 (so THAT'S how the name goes)
DVD - Infinite Ryvius Vol. 4 & 6 (I was missing these episodes in the fansub. However, the "Ryvius Illusion" on each were so funny I may have to buy the rest of the series just so I can have them all!)
DVD - Card Captor Sakura Vol. 10?? (This one isn't numbered, but it contains episodes 40-43, including one of my favourites - when the kids are getting ready for Sleeping Beauty)
Manga - Get Backers Vol. 1 & 2 (Just because!)

Now I just have to wait for all the stuff coming in from Japan. I'm especially anticipating Burai, a manga series about the Shinsengumi. ^.^

Anime Night Friday September 24 - Saturday, September 25, 2004
Naruto: 4-7
Master of Mosquiton: 11-15
Full Metal Panic: 2-3

It's just not fair when I say, "More Naruto, more," that the response is, "No." I hate having to wait. =(

Anime Night Friday September 17 - Saturday, September 18, 2004
Naruto: 1-3
Ah! My Goddess: 1
Black Heaven: 11-13
Scorched Bonds: Yugo the Negotiator: 1
Full Metal Panic: 1

A space ship named "Zappa." How cool is that?

Anime Night Saturday September 11 - Sunday, September 12, 2004
SG Real Bout High School: Vol. 4
Black Heaven: 8-10
Master of Mosquiton: 7-10
Samurai Champloo: 1
Tenjo Tenge: 1-2

The final verdict with Real Bout High School: thank gawd it's done. The downhill continued until the last episode where it just fell off the cliff. Again we had trouble with the serious episodes. Maybe someone whose writing is geared for seriousness should have taken charge. While watching the last episode, it felt like the financial backer came to the writers and said, "OK, I know originally it was going to be a 26 episode series, but we've changed our minds and you have only one more left." A lot was crammed into that last half hour which made following it difficult and the ending unfulfilling. She never fully came to terms with her feelings and it felt like the series could use with a couple more episodes. A bit of a disappointment this series was.

Black Heaven is still really interesting, and I think it's one of the most interesting anime concepts out there. These few episodes weren't as funny as some of the other ones, but the two story lines (everyday Earth and the battle in space) are coming together even more. I very much can't wait until next week as a new twist was brought in. =)

Since a few of us were still here and still awake, I got them to watch Samurai Champloo and Tenjo Tenge just to find out how those who hadn't seen it feel about them. With Real Bout High School over and Black Heaven coming near its end we need more replacements. I selfishly want to watch those so my goal was to get them hooked on the two series and it seems to have worked *insert evil laughter*. We will be starting Naruto, but to get as much anime as we can since a couple of us will be moving abroad next year, we're now starting earlier just to fit in Naruto.

We may also just have a sampler night of different anime to see what's to keep and what to ignore.

I really will get to the con report...really!

A Kawaii One Year Old - Wednesday, September 8, 2004
Happy birthday Kawaii-Radio!!

Anime Night Friday August 27 - Saturday, August 28, 2004
Master of Mosquiton: 4-6
Black Heaven: 5-7
SG Real Bout High School: Vol 3

Unfortunately we had to watch Black Heaven dubbed, which caused us much distress and pain...and that was even before we put the tape into the VCR! We didn't like the dubbing much, though the main character's voice (Uji Tanaka aka Gabriel Tanaka) sounds a bit like Jet Black from Cowboy Bebop. I'll have to look into that. However, there was one episode where I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. When the lines, "Two is more fun than one, and three is more fun than two," is mixed with a family bathtub scene and with a mind that can easily go in the gutter...well one could not blame me for my oxygen problem, ne?

Real Bout High School continues it's ups and downs with me. I'm having trouble connecting with the more serious episodes, except for the last one we saw with the unrequited love. *sigh* I would like my Shinsengumi costume back, though.

Coming soon...Anime Evolution report (cosplay, anime, etc)

Anime Night Friday August 13 - Saturday, August 14, 2004
Samurai Girl Real Bout High School: Vol. 2 (I can't remember the episode numbers when my friend brings a copied version on tape)
Black Heaven: 1-4
Master of Mosquiton: 1-3

Black Heaven seems interesting; a good idea. It's about a guy who used to be a famous rock star (for like 15 minutes) who had to settle down because of his wife and live the life of a salary man. However, there's an intergalactic battle and his sound from the past is needed for the good guys to win. Can this anime deliver? So far my answer is, "I don't know."

Mosquiton is very funny. Real Bout is starting to wane, but the episode that spoofs Iron Chef is pure genius!

Anime Night Friday August 6 - Saturday, August 7, 2004
A big break in the anime watching due to travelling and general busy-ness of the group. One weekend was a b-day in the group so one night we went to the local Chinese night market. I'm not one who buys the pirated anime that gets sold there, but I do buy the little things. This year's goal was to get a Li-kun stamp to go with my Sakura, Kero and Meilin stamps because for some reason I didn't buy it last year. So of course this year they didn't have THAT one. I only spent money on non-anime books and bubble tea.

This week's anime:
GetBackers: 44-49
Samurai Girl Real Bout High School: 2-5

I am utterly sad that this is the end of our GB. We don't get to watch Ginji turn chibi at the sign of Jackal. There is no more coolness that is Midou Ban. I could burn my friend's copy, but this is a series best watched with friends. Everything is funnier when laughing in a group. The ending was excellent, in my opinion. It was serious but a bit thought provoking. The ending leaves off with a bit of an opening, so I have to check out if the manga continues or if it too ends like that.

I think I will be enjoying Real Bout High School. I was unsure after the first episode, but as it goes on, the story and characters become more interesting. I will have to find out.

We were also supposed to start watching Mosquiton, but the tape was pretty bad. Also, our local anime rental place now has the licensed Saiyuki so we may start back up on it again. I'm willing to shell out a little bit of money to rent it if the subtitles will be in English.

Anime Night Friday July 16 - Saturday, July 17, 2004
GetBackers: 41-43
DNAngel: 22-26
Samurai Girl Real Bout High School: 1

We finally got back to watching D.N.Angel, even though I managed to spoil the ending for myself by reading NewType. Hey, I didn't know there were only 26 episodes. I'm glad I watched this series - I quite liked the different CG style to it. It sort of reminded me of Noddy and Rolie-Polie-Olie (2 children's non-anime shows I enjoy). The series had a lot of good things going for it: cute girls, implied BL, action, mystery and humour. I'm seriously considering buying the licensed.

My Japanese Name? - Monday, July 19, 2004
When I entered my first name first and last name last:

My japanese name is 中村 Nakamura (center of the village) 小百合 Sayuri (small lily).
Take your real japanese name generator! today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

I was just interested to see what would be the difference. =)

Anime Night Friday July 9 - Saturday, July 17, 2004
Abenobashi Magical Arcade: 13
Sailor Moon Live Action: 4-6

The group continues on with the "so bad it's good" with Sailor Moon. I admit: I'm addicted. Will I continue watching live action aka "manga in motion"? I don't know, but I do know I *will not* watch Hana Yori Dango this way. I love the anime too much!

Sadly, this is the end of our little Abenobashi. A good little series.

=)

The Cutest Anime Music You Ever Did Hear - Friday, July 16, 2004
I've been listening to this station quite often since late May when I was stuck going in to work on the weekend.

Tell them "antonia" sent ya. ;)

Anime Night Friday July 2 - Friday, July 16, 2004
What can one do the day after Canada Day still full from all the food eaten at the local Greek festival? Watch anime, of course!

GetBackers: 38-40
Abenobashi Magical Arcade: 9-12

Before this night I figured Abenobashi was a good series but not one I would seriously consider buying. This thought was in my mind before I saw episodes 11 & 12. Spoof Cardcaptor Sakura and famous Hollywood movies? Me likes!

Anime Night Friday June 18 - Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Saiyuki: 33-36

I offerred up a proposition to the group: that since the subtitles were becoming tedious to read, we stop watching Saiyuki. Hopefully we'll start again if one of us get the official releases or find better fansubbing.

We might have seen more, but this is all I can remember with it almost being a month by the time I post this. Here I was hoping I would update this often...and with more than just what we watched. =P

PS No anime next week!

Anime Night Friday June 11 - Sunday, June 13, 2004
GetBackers: 35-37
Saiyuki: 29-32
Various AMVs (mainly Cowboy Bebop)

Watching Saiyuki was very difficult for the group. For one, we had missed some episodes a couple weeks back because the tapes were of very poor quality and thus we couldn't see anything. Also, since none of us are totally fluent in Japanese, we had no idea what was going on. Another major problem this week was that the subbing came from Taiwan. We eventually figured out the "new" names of the characters, but the bad English made the story not flow well.

Good Thing Yuki is a Writer and Not a Singer - Sunday, June 13, 2004
So even though I only pre-ordered it early this week, I managed to have Gravitation Vol. 1 in my sticky little hands weeks before the street date. I now worship the company I bought it from!

This is an anime that I was very excited to hear would come to this side of the Pacific; though at the same time I was very scared. This series is very much in my top 5, so naturally I was worried about the dubbing quality. Normally I watch anime subtitled and usually end up hating the dubbed version, except for Cowboy Bebop where I enjoy both versions. In my opinion, the dubbers either can't emote or the voice is too different from the Japanese version. This seems to be especially true for Shounen-ai (aka BoysLove) titles as my friend is sooo unhappy with the dubbing in Yami no Matsuei and Mirage of Blaze.

But anyway, I was writing about Gravitation!

I rushed home after work (geekily wearing the backstage pass) and nervously put it in the DVD player. Fortunately the music was kept in Japanese, and the cool part was that early on in the disc when the RightStuf name came up, some Gravitation background music was playing!

On the initial viewing, I was rather disappointed in the voices. High hopes were had and they were quashed. I was thinking, "Hey, Taki's voice is waaaaay too low" and "nooo, Touma's voice should command a room" and "Hiro sounds stupid" and "dear gawd, Yuki's voice is supposed to be sexy! Sexaaay!" The only voices I was warm to were K-san and Yuki's sister Mika.

Later on that night, my Gravi-loving buddy and I watched it together, ready to comfort each other. However, she pointed out that the dubbing wasn't THAT bad (she told me about the YnM and MB dubbing), and I realized that, yeah, really they weren't that bad; that there was worse out there that I've heard and this was on par with a lot of the American cartoons out there. So after that revelation, I was ready to fully enjoy the anime.

One thing about this is the picture quality is much better than the fan-subbed I've burned. The colours are much more vibrant (but I guess that always happens when I hook up my computer to the TV). A feature that I'm really impressed by on this disc is the option to have only subtitling for the songs, provided in both English and Roomaji. Roomaji is important for me because I like to sing along but as yet haven't memorized the songs. Also, another positive is that the story isn't changed (though some parts of the dialogue has been changed, a couple of which irked me), but Shuichi is still a boy and that's what is important. The characters are still the same, though Touma does seem a tiny bit cruel. The extra bits are nice: art gallery, Bad Luck bio, US Gravitation trailer, and more. According to the bottom of the beautiful box, there will be some good extras in the volumes to come. "Ryuichi Unmasked" proves to be intriguing.

There were a couple things I didn't enjoy about the series, the first being the aforementioned Yuki voice actor. Inoue Kaazuhiko has a damn sexy voice! As a lover of Yuki, I can't understand why they couldn't cast someone with a sexy voice, or at least someone with a lower voice. The second being that we first meet Shuichi greeting with a "Hiiii-yaaaaaaaa" instead of the much loved "Laaa-liii-hoooooooo." Fortunately the Japanese version is offered on the DVD too!! ^_^

Even with a couple of shortcomings, I'm quite glad to have this in my collection. To me, Gravitation is well worth the bucks.

Anime Night Saturday May 29 - Sunday, May 30, 2004
Abenobashi Magical Arcade: 5-8
GetBackers: 31-34
Saiyuki: 19-24

Sailor Moon Live Action: 2-3 (soooo bad that we have to keep watching it!)

No Anime Friday May 22 - Thursday, May 20, 2004
Cancelled due to travelling.

Anime Night Friday May 14 - Saturday, May 15, 2004
Abenobashi Magical Arcade: episodes 3&4.

We were too busy reading FAKE volume 7 to watch anime, and Samurai Jack (not technically anime, but we watch it) wasn't on. Damn G.I. Joe movie!

is this thing on? - Wednesday, May 5, 2004
test test ichi-ni-san.