Animation. Japan. Fandom. Life.

The Wallflower manga to be made into TV drama

2009-11-12T21:44:00.001-05:00

From Anime News Network:

This year's 18th issue of Kodansha' Bessatsu Friend magazine has announced on Friday that a television drama series based on Tomoko Hayakawa's The Wallflower (Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge) manga has been green-lit for a January premiere. The story follows four teenaged "pretty boys" who are invited to stay at a posh mansion, free of charge—provided they can transform the owner's standoffish, weird niece into a proper young lady. More details about the drama version will be published in future issues of Bessatsu Friend.

The manga has been running in Bessatsu Friend since 2000, and 24 compiled book volumes have been published so far. Del Rey will publish the 22nd volume in North America next January. The story has already been adapted into a 2006-2007 25-episode television anime series, which ADV Films released on DVD.

Reina Tanaka to get own anime series

2009-11-11T17:44:00.001-05:00

From Hello! Online:

"Modeled after Morning Musume's Tanaka Reina, the on going 4 square manga series "Kaito Reinya" (Phantom Thief Reinya) that's currently serialized in "Shoukan The Television", "Gekkan The Televsion", "Gekkan Newtype", "Shounen Ace", "Comptiq" is finally being made into an anime! It has been decided to premier beginning January 2010 on KBC TV (Kyuushu Asahi Housou)!"

More at link!

Ai Kago gives tips for living and studying in America

2009-11-10T17:29:00.002-05:00

Ai Kago has a section at navi ROAD with tips on how to deal with being sick, ordering food, shopping, and etc. while living abroad.

CLICK HERE

Susan Boyle to sing Eagle Talon anime fim theme song

2009-11-04T18:39:00.001-05:00

From Anime News Network:

Susan Boyle, the 48-year-old Scottish woman who became globally famous after performing on the television competition Britain's Got Talent, is singing the theme song for next January's Himitsu Kessha Taka no Tsume The Movie 3 ~http://takanotsume.jp wa Eien ni~ anime film. The film is the third one based on the Flash-animated Himitsu Kessha Taka no Tsume gag comedy television shorts from the animator FROGMAN. The story follows the Eagle Talon secret society and its bumbling attempts to take over the world.

Boyle gained international attention after her televised cover of Les Misérables stage musical's "I Dreamed a Dream" song spread like wildfire across the Internet in April. The YouTube website alone has served up the video over 300 million times. The same song will be the theme song of the third Eagle Talon film, and it will serve as the title track for Boyle's first album in Japan on November 25.

Crunchyroll Adds Yumeiro Pâtissière Pastry-Baking Anime

2009-10-30T17:21:00.001-04:00

From Anime News Network:

The Crunchyroll media-distribution website has announced on Friday that it will begin simulcasting the Yumeiro Pâtissière (Dream-Colored Pastry Chef) pastry-baking anime series on November 8. The anime adapts Natsumi Matsumoto's shōjo manga about a 14-year-old girl named Ichigo Amano (Aoi Yūki) who wants to be a pâtissière (female pastry chef), but is stymied by her own clumsiness. One day, she enrolls in St. Mary Academy, a culinary school for sweets, and meets a "spirit of sweets."

Director Ko Suzuki and Studio Pierrot premiered this anime in Japanese television on October 4. Crunchyroll's video streams will be available in the United States, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and the United Arab Emirates. Crunchyroll's subscribed Anime Members can see each new episode, in 720-line progressive resolution, within one hour of its Japanese premiere. Other users can see the same episode in standard definition for free one week later.

Yumeiro Pâtissière, episode 1

2009-10-26T20:46:00.005-04:00

夢色パティシエール (2009)

Ichigo Amano is pretty average. Her looks don't really stand out, she can't play any sports and doesn't do very well in school. Even though she and her younger sister, Natsume, have been taking piano lessons, only Natsume excels at it enough to win an award. While attending one of her sister's concerts, she comes across a sweets festival and eats a slice of cake that tastes eerily familiar. When Ichigo confronts the one who made it, she comes to find a Frenchman named Henri Lucas. It turns out her recently deceased grandmother attended the St. Marie school in Paris, where she learned to be a Patissiere. Not only that, "Madame Michiko" was quite famous, and Henri is further impressed that Ichigo was able to identify such a thing with just one bite. He encourages her to enroll in the Japanese division of the school. Remembering the declaration she made as a little girl that she would be a Patissiere too, she becomes determined to do so.

Trigun movie coming in Spring 2010

2009-10-09T11:35:00.001-04:00

From Anime News Network:

The official website for the Trigun the Movie project has opened on Friday with an announcement of the movie's opening in spring of 2010.

The story is set in Makka, a town surrounded by quicksand. With rumors spreading that the legendary robber Gasback has his sights set on the town, the mayor Kepler has brought together bounty-hunters to protect the town. These bounty hunters have been following Gasback from town to town in hopes of bagging the prize. Meryl and Milly, two characters previously seen in Yasuhiro Nightow's manga and the later television anime series, have come to town to assess the situation as insurance agents, but are shocked by this turn of events. Moreover, Vash the Stampede is also in town, along with the female bounty hunter Ameria and the fan-favorite character Wolfwood.

Fans of MST3k do their own projects

2009-10-04T15:12:00.001-04:00

Some fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 took it upon themselves to personally riff movies and old shorts that the people behind the show never did or could. Check them out!

1000 Huzzahs

CapperMSTing

Fun With Shorts

Maintenance Science Theater 3000

Media Center Theater

Soiled Shortz

Video footage of Anne Frank, only one in existance

2009-10-02T16:15:00.000-04:00

This is absolutely chilling!

Sims 2 'The Secret Show' Photoshoot

2009-09-30T20:19:00.001-04:00

Featuring Victor, Anita, and their twin kids, Vic and Andy.

Made in China by Reed Darmon

2009-09-27T21:30:00.003-04:00

This book features colorful ads and merchandise illustrations from the early 1900s to as recent as the 1980s. It's a fascinating look into Chinese culture and displays how much delicate work was put into something even as simple as a box of matches. I highly recommend it!

Buy HERE!

Live action Barbie movie in the works

2009-09-24T12:43:00.002-04:00

From Variety:

Universal Pictures has added Barbie to its star stable.

The studio has made a deal with Mattel to build a live action film around its signature toy line. Studios are placing a premium on building films around well-known concepts. Universal brass feels it has landed the queen of globally branded toy figures.

Laurence Mark will produce.
According to Mattel, the 50-year old Barbie has 99% worldwide brand awareness, is the number one girls property in the toy industry, the top doll property in the U.S. and the number one worldwide property in the traditional toy industry.

“Barbie is the most famous doll in history, a unique cultural icon in the world of brands,” said Universal Pictures chairman Marc Shmuger. “So many representations of Barbie frequent pop culture, but never before has she been brought to life in a motion picture. We’re grateful to Mattel for entrusting us with this extraordinary opportunity.”

More at link!

Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san, episode 13

2009-09-22T20:23:00.003-04:00

(コメットさん) 2001

12-year-old Princess Comet has no interest in her royal duties. She'd much rather play with little stars in the Haromonica Star-World system than fulfill anyone's expectations. On the evening of a ball meant to introduce Comet to the prince of Tamborine Star-World, he runs away, and the only way to know him is from the "twinkle" in his eyes. Now it's been decided that Comet will go to Earth to find him and set things right - but can she make the time between having so many fun adventures?

The march into summertime is approaching, and while Comet's host mom prepares her store for the new season, Keisuke is also training to be a lifeguard. But in the middle of practice, he trips and injures his leg. Comet was witness to the whole thing, and tries to help, but Keisuke stubbornly refuses treatment. So, Comet enchants his bike, bringing him right into the doctor's waiting room. But the injury is more serious than Keisuke assumed, and he can't really use his leg for a week. But he has to get ready for the beach to open for the summer, so that just won't do! Can Comet help him heal in time so his dream won't be ruined?

New items in my mom's Etsy shop

2009-09-20T17:40:00.002-04:00

Etsy
Buy Handmade
shesuchacard

Kusumi Koharu to graduate from Morning Musume

2009-09-19T12:25:00.002-04:00

More information and statements from Tsunku and Kusumi herself her e!

Kirarin Revolution, volume 8

2009-09-18T13:49:00.002-04:00

-Hiroto and Izumi have some filming to do at a hot springs resort, and Kirari sneaks along disguised as a crew member. She can't just leave him alone with Izumi! While there, with a prompting from an elderly woman, Kirari signs up for a kimono modeling contest. When Izumi finds out, she joins in on the contest and attempts to sabotage Kirari from winning; because if she did, as per a deal she makes with Kirari, Izumi would have to leave Hiroto alone.
-Izumi isn't a she - she is a he! And Hiroto knows him very well. His real name is Izumi Hyoutarou, and Hiroto and himself were childhood friends. Hiroto once made a promise to Izumi that they would start a duo pop group together, but that was obviously broken after Izumi's family moved away. He decided to go under the guise of a girl and become famous to get close to Hiroto again. But just because he is no longer a threat to Kirari physically, it doesn't mean he won't keep trying to win Hiroto's heart.
-Kirari has been asked to draw a comic for a magazine, but as with everything else she tries to hand make, she can only draw mushrooms. Enchanted with a mangaka she sees on TV, she decides to go to the woman for help. But the life of a mangaka is no party, as she quickly learns. It drains away the hours and fun in your life, making you tired and haggard. Can Kirari make the poor woman feel happy again?

Nozomi Tsuji sings song for Kiwi commercial

2009-09-16T21:32:00.002-04:00

Tsuji is singing a song called "Bokutachi ZESUPURI KIWII Da ne" for Zespri Kiwi. If you visit the official website you'll find clips of the commercial, along with a link to buy the song on iTunes.

Zespri Kiwi

Yet more of gamers playing games...

2009-09-13T16:08:00.000-04:00

If you like to watch people playing/reviewing, and/or love to learn about the world of video games, check these out:

2-Bit Gaming

Classic Gaming Room

CornshaqGaming

Famicom Dojo

Hello Project's Tsunku makes voice acting debut

2009-09-11T11:29:00.001-04:00

From Anime News Network:

Not-So-Daily Link of the Day: Tsunku♂, the Hello Project producer best known for assembling the Morning Musume female idol group, is making his voice-acting debut in the anime adaptation of Tomoko Nishimura's Gokujō!! Mecha Mote Iinchō high school romance manga. He is playing Nijūkyu-sensei, the advisor of Musashino Moriyama Academy's light music club. (The Television magazine posted side-by-side pictures of Tsunku♂ and his character.) In the story, Mimi Kitagami is a kind, level-headed girl who aims to be the best, coolest student council president of her high school class. However, three trouble-making boys are always causing her grief — and she has a one-sided crush on one of the boys, Ushio Tōjō.

In addition to being a character in the anime, "Nijūkyu-sensei" is credited with composing the "Mecha Mote I Love You," "Kirei ni Naritai," "Daisuki ni Nare—!" and "Kokoro Kimi ni Todoke" theme songs. Tsunku♂ is the actual composer of these songs. The songs' performance are credited to "MM Gakuen Gasshō-bu" (Musashino Moriyama Academy Choral Group), Mimi Kitagami (voice actress Mana Ogawa), and MM3 (the characters Ushio, Ao Nishizaki, and Namito Nagumo as played by voice actors Ryo Oshima, Ryutaro Abe, and Tomohiro Watanabe, respectively).

After his dialogue post-recording session, Tsunku said that the voice-acting stint was basically his first job outside his usual work in the music business and was most fascinating. Tsunuku played the character with an accent from the Kansai region south of Tokyo.

Tsunku assembled Morning Musume from the finalists of the televised auditions for his own rock band, Sharan Q. In addition to producing Morning Musume and other musical acts under the Hello Project umbrella name, Tsunku♂ once sang several hit songs for Sharan Q, such as DNA²'s "Single Bed" and Orphen's "Ai Just on my Love" and "Kimi Wa Majutsushi." He also composed and wrote music for Hyakko, Kirarin Revolution, Patalliro Saiyuki, School Rumble: 2nd Semester, and Yo-Yo Girl Cop. (Some of these anime- and manga-related projects feature current members and alumni of Hello Project.) He appeared at Anime Expo this past July.

Japan's video, anime sales drop furthur

2009-09-10T11:23:00.001-04:00

From Anime News Network:

On Tuesday, the Japan Video Software Association announced its survey results on Japanese video software sales for the first half of 2009. The overall market, which includes DVDs, Blu-ray Discs (BDs), UMDs, and video cassettes, amounted to 127.731 billion yen (about US$1.381 billion). That is 90.3% of the sales in the same period last year — a drop of almost a full tenth in sales. Despite its declining sales, the DVD format is still the overwhelming bellwether with 93.1% of the video software market.

The sales of Japanese animation DVDs for general audiences was 22.447 billion yen (US$242.6 million), or 91.2% of the sales in the same period last year. This is the latest annual drop in the segment; sales in the first half of 2008 had been 88.1% of the sales in the first half of 2007. Still, anime continues to be the largest segment of overall DVD sales, with 30.4% of the yen spent and 24.1% of the raw number of releases sold. However, less anime DVDs were rented — 88.1% of last year's total.

Now that last year's Blu-ray Disc/HD DVD format war is a fading memory, BD sales jumped 386.8% to 8.443 billion yen (US$91.2 million). 1,744,105 copies were sold — an increase of 312%. BDs now represent 6.6% of the overall video software market by yen spent, and 4.5% by copies sold. Anime dominated BD sales with a 56.6% share; last year, it was only 20.9% of the market. However, only 32.7% of the BDs rented were anime.

Interesting Parody of Morning Musume's hit "Love Machine"

2009-09-09T00:03:00.002-04:00

It's incredibly strange yet somehow gets in your head. I think I spot Tsunku in there ;)

Morning Musume at AX in LA video

2009-09-08T00:00:00.001-04:00

As broadcast by NHK World, here is a video about Morning Musume's trip to America:

The Wallflower, volume 18

2009-09-07T18:51:00.003-04:00

-Led to believe that in the process of remodeling the estate the landlady removed their rooms, the boys are in a panic. Sunako is given no choice but to get a job if she wants to keep living in her tiny apartment, but her choice is questionable. It's in the red light district at a hostess bar! And the boys freak - if the landlady finds out they'll never be able to go back.
-Takenaga moves back in with his family, a very prominent one who disapproves of his lifestyle and company and prefer he simply stay on the path of inheriting the family business. Will the boys be able to get him to come back? What about poor Noi?
-It looks like Sunako has finally recovered from the incident that pushed her into complete seclusion. Now Noi thinks she needs to move on and fall in love with Kyohei, like she should have ages ago! But trying to get that girl involved in romance is like trying to teach a duck to climb a tree - pretty impossible.

Hime-chan no Ribbon manga remake launches

2009-09-03T11:35:00.002-04:00

From Anime News Network:

Hime-chan no Ribon Colorful shōjo manga launches on Thursday

Shiho Komiyuno, the artist who adapted the Demashita! PowerPuff Girls Z anime into manga, has launched a remake of Megumi Mizusawa's classic Hime-chan's Ribbon (Hime-chan no Ribon) manga in the October issue of Shueisha's Ribon magazine on Thursday. In the original 1990-1994 manga, Princess Erika of the parallel-world Magic Kingdom gives a human tomboy named Himeko a magical ribbon that can transform her into any person she sees. Komiyuno's Hime-chan no Ribon Colorful remake takes the characters and background story and brings them into the 21st century.

Toei Animation adapted the original manga into a popular 61-episode television anime series from 1992 to 1993.

Nozomi Tsuji selling a line of "relax wear" in the Ameba blog celebrity shop

2009-09-02T13:37:00.001-04:00

Shop is located here!

Tokyopop to lose Kodansha licenses

2009-09-01T20:31:00.002-04:00

From Anime News Network:

The North American manga publisher Tokyopop has confirmed that the Japanese publisher Kodansha has decided to let their manga licensing contracts expire. That means Tokyopop will not be allowed to complete any ongoing manga series from Kodansha or reprint its back catalog of Kodansha titles once the existing stock runs out. According to Tokyopop, the company does not know Kodansha's reasons for the decision. Among other titles, Tokyopop has licensed Chobits, Love Hina, Samurai Deeper Kyo, Rave Master, Initial D, Kindaichi Case Files, Life, GetBackers, and Love Attack from Kodansha.

Source: MangaBlog

Update: Tokyopop's Germany office had acknowledged in January that Kodansha let their manga licenses in Germany expire. Just like Tokyopop's American office, Tokyopop Germany said that Kodansha had not given a reason for the decision. Another North American manga licensee of Kodansha manga, Dark Horse Comics, is no longer listing Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira and Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell in its catalog as of this year.

Update 2: In June, the North American publisher Del Rey announced that it acquired the newer volumes of Samurai Deeper Kyo. Tokyopop had published the first 34 volumes, and Del Rey will publish an omnibus book that will combine volumes 35 and 36 in December. Dark Horse confirmed at Comic-Con International last month that it is publishing omnibus versions of Clover, Chobits, Magic Knight Rayearth, and Cardcaptor Sakura — all Kodansha titles by CLAMP that Tokyopop once licensed.

Update 3: ICv2 has confirmed that Random House is distributing the Akira and Ghost in the Shell manga on behalf of Kodansha in North America; the two titles have already appeared on the pre-order lists from the online retailer Amazon and the August issue of Previews magazine. The About.com:Manga website has posted the lists of Tokyopop's incomplete Kodansha titles, Kodansha titles that have been relicensed, and completed Kodansha titles that are out-of-print for now. Tokoypop emphasized to ICv2 and AnimeVice that it minimized the effects of Kodansha's decision a few years ago by diversifying the sources for its content. The publisher added that the decision "wasn't completely unexpected" and "has little bearing on Tokyopop's current or future stability." Thank you to Aaron Deslauriers for the Previews news tip.

Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san, episode 12

2009-08-30T19:19:00.004-04:00

(コメットさん) 2001

12-year-old Princess Comet has no interest in her royal duties. She'd much rather play with little stars in the Haromonica Star-World system than fulfill anyone's expectations. On the evening of a ball meant to introduce Comet to the prince of Tamborine Star-World, he runs away, and the only way to know him is from the "twinkle" in his eyes. Now it's been decided that Comet will go to Earth to find him and set things right - but can she make the time between having so many fun adventures?

Meteo-san has the whole country believing that she and "Imashun" are dating, even setting up a concert at her house without his consent - and all because they "happened" to be on the same flight back from his recording session in Los Angeles. When Comet's host mother finds out about it, she begs Comet to get her a ticket, seeing as she knows Meteo. Of course, Meteo wouldn't ever do such a thing, and Rababou insists they go to Imashun directly and ask. When Comet refuses, he goes off on his own and gets kidnapped by Meteo's "agent number six." Meteo decides to try to keep Comet away from the concert using her beloved companion as blackmail, but it very well may blow up in her face, especially when Imashun and Comet meet once again.

Mari Yaguchi in a "Make Japanese Girls Cute" online project

2009-08-29T20:46:00.005-04:00

Mari Yaguchi is taking part in a "Cute Creation Team (Kawaii o Tsukuru Dan)" project, which, as she puts in her blog, is meant to "make Japan brighter and more cheerful by making Japanese girls "cute"." From what I can tell they have information on recipes, makeup, and how to capture the "cute" look of the girls featured.

I don't know how long it'll be up so check it out soon here!

My Darling Is A Foreigner: The Movie

2009-08-28T00:37:00.002-04:00

From Anime News Network:

Hana Yori Dango's Mao Inoue to star as wife whose "Darling is a Foreigner"

Shooting began in Tokyo on Saturday for the live-action film adaptation of Saori Oguri's 2002 autobiographical Darling wa Gaikokujin (literally, My Darling is a Foreigner) manga. 22-year-old Mao Inoue (Hana Yori Dango [2005], Boku no Hatsukoi o Kimi ni Sasagu) stars as Saori, a Japanese woman who marries a foreign husband named Tony (played by 35-year-old Jonathan Sherr). Commercial director Kazuaki Ue is overseeing the film for an April opening in Japan.

Oguri has already written two sequels (Darling wa Gaikokujin 2, Darling wa Gaikokujin with Baby) as well as a spinoff book (Darling no Atama N Naka) with her real-life journalist husband, Tony László. Digital Manga Publishing once printed a volume in English under the title Is He Turning Japanese? in its How to "Read" Manga series.

Personally, I'd love to see this! Very curious about what message they'll send, or if the husband will speak broken Japanese in a funky accent (which I sadly see a lot) or something.

Old interview with Ai Kago's mom, Aki

2009-08-27T17:32:00.002-04:00

Confession scoop:

The mother of Morning Musume member Kago Ai reveals the background reasoning she used when allowing her daughter to live in Hawaii together with that person (age 35).

With her three younger brothers and sister having a different father, and the parents having a quarrel about their divorce, she shoulders the burden of their lives.

A daughter who was hurt by being told about her parents’ divorce. – “She’s just a victim.”

“Going on a trip during her suspension with a man who is 16 years older than her, and smoking once again.” As a result, she was fired from her office. As her fate remains unknown, her mother reveals the hidden truth behind her smile for the first time. This is the true Kago Ai, not the “Kago-chan” everyone is familiar with.

“She said her listening skills are getting a lot better than before. And also, she said happily that she was praised by people around her, like, ‘You have a good ear, because you’ve played music from a young age. You’re progressing quickly.’ She’s also good at cooking. She likes to cook a variety of dishes in her own way. Apparently, she cooks all the time at the house where she’s staying now.” Going on a hot springs trip during her suspension with an older man, and also having her smoking being exposed, the former member of Morning Musume, Kago Ai (age 19) got the shocking pink slip from her office on March 26th. After all that fuss, she hasn’t been heard from again. But her mother says that after a temporary stay in Hawaii, she’s currently living in New York. It’s her birth mother, Aki (age 38) who has been watching Kago Ai with gentle patience, giving pep talks to her at times. She lives in Nara, and raises her oldest son (age 7), second daughter (age 6) and second son (age 2) by herself. She gave birth to Ai when she was 19. She’s 38 years old now. She’s wearing a small white one-piece and leggings, and has nicely curled brown hair. It’s no wonder she was mistaken by some media reporters for Kago’s sister.

She has kept in touch with Kago by phone or e-mail every day since she moved far away from her. She says she’s still doing it. Having a look very similar to her daughter in her eyes, she slowly started talking about her daughter’s debut and dismissal, what they’ve been doing lately, and the problems she’s facing now – the interview lasted 2 hours.

Tearful apology

Kago Ai and her mother Aki’s whole lives were changed by the coverage of her smoking in the Friday magazine which was released in February 2006. As a result, she was given an indefinite suspension.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry…” She made a phone call to Aki and apologized in tears. “I was surprised. I didn’t know she smoked. Because I became a mother at a very young age and caused my parents a lot of trouble, I was always trying to be strict with my children. So it’s like, ‘It can’t happen to my child.’ I’m very sorry for giving so much trouble to the fans, insiders of the company and all the people around her.”

At that time, Aki was worried about the divorce from her husband. Actually, he isn’t Kago’s biological father. Aki got married at 17 and gave birth to Kago at 19. However, she got divorced when Kago was barely 1 year old. She remarried when Kago was in fifth grade, and had three children together with him since then. It was just before Kago joined Morning Musume that she was told about the existence of her real father. She thought that her “father” was the one who had always been with her ever since she could remember.

“Until then, I had never told her those kind of ‘adult’ stories. But I was having trouble with my husband back then, and being slightly in a panic, I found myself talking to her about it. In retrospect, I think she must have gotten hurt by that. She’s just a victim in that way.”

Read the rest HERE!

Check out these handmade cards by my mom!

2009-08-26T20:17:00.003-04:00

Etsy
Buy Handmade
shesuchacard

Key words: scrapbooking, scrapbooks, handmade, etsy, greeting cards

Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san, episode 11

2009-08-21T23:05:00.002-04:00

(コメットさん) 2001

12-year-old Princess Comet has no interest in her royal duties. She'd much rather play with little stars in the Haromonica Star-World system than fulfill anyone's expectations. On the evening of a ball meant to introduce Comet to the prince of Tamborine Star-World, he runs away, and the only way to know him is from the "twinkle" in his eyes. Now it's been decided that Comet will go to Earth to find him and set things right - but can she make the time between having so many fun adventures?

Comet's parents (well, father) are worried about her, so a Star-Person is being sent to earth to check on her. Meanwhile, a love triangle seems to be developing between Comet, Keisuke and "HIM" (as Keisuke calls him, and even if Comet doesn't really realize what's happening). Comet also discovers that the local high school has a baton club, and decides to demonstrate her skills for them; they are of course impressed.

Pokemon "Pokeshipping" Sims 2 Photoshoot

2009-08-20T12:53:00.001-04:00

Starring Ash and Misty!

I hope to have more eventually!

Ai Kago sings in Magical Girl anime CD

2009-08-19T15:06:00.002-04:00

From Anime News Network:

Not-So-Daily Links of the Day: Former Morning Musume singer Ai Kago (Mini Moni the TV) and Public Enemy producer/guitarist Brian Hardgroove are among the dozen duos performing electronic-music-influenced covers of magical girl anime theme songs on the Kirakira Majocco Cluv album. The other duos include Christopher Just and Tomoe Shinohara (Kodocha), Franck Muller and Erika Asakura, Paolo Scotti and the female idol group AKB48's Miho Miyazaki, DJ Scotch Egg and Nakano Fujoshi Sisters' Chiaki Kyan, Bymski and Yumi Sugimoto, Electrocute and Marin Nishitani, Plastic Operator and Mao Miyaji, Maho Thaidisco and AKB48's Tomomi Kasai (ICE), Sexy-Synthesizer and former Idoling!!! member Mira Takiguchi, Pan Pacific Playa and Sayaka Isoyama (Chouseishin GranSazer), Kazuo Gondayama (a.k.a. Cherryboy Function) and Mina Fukui.

The album's 26 tracks range from the earliest magical girl theme songs like Mahōtsukai Sally to recent hits such as Zettai Karen Children's "Over the Future." In between are songs from Cutie Honey, Urusei Yatsura, Magical Princess Minky Momo, Kiki's Delivery Service, Sailor Moon, Card Captor Sakura, and Zero no Tsukaima. The album will ship on October 7.

In related news, Turn A Gundam and CAPCOM character designer Akira Yasuda has drawn the cover art for the Gundam Rock album by Andrew W.K. The Californian singer is performing English-language covers of theme songs and rock versions of background music from Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise's first Mobile Suit Gundam television series and its movie trilogy remake. Andrew W.K. is also reenacting the opening narration and Garma Zabi's funeral speech by Gihren Zabi (a.k.a. the "Sieg Zeon!" speech) from the anime in English. The album ships in Japan on September 9, 2009.

Muppets at Walt Disney World Outtakes (1990)

2009-08-12T22:18:00.001-04:00

Something really cute I found on Youtube!

Maigo no Kemonotachi (The Stray Beasts)

2009-08-02T21:37:00.010-04:00

Mermaids are never to wander outside on the day of a storm; if they do, they'll be stolen by demons, who believe consuming mermaid flesh will give them magical powers. Young Myuu and her best friend Chisha don't really believe the story, and so head out one stormy day to recover a lost hair ornament. But suddenly, without warning, they're swept up by a strong wind, and Myuu awakens in a strange land. Could it be the demon world? Where's Chisha? Myuu is soon found by a demon named Jirou, who is on a mermaid hunt. Because Myuu can give herself legs on land, he is tricked into believing she is simply a lost girl. They may find unexpected friendship (and love?) on the mission to find Myuu's home.

There's also a mini story at the end of the book. 16 year old Ruty has been selected to marry the prince of the land, in what she calls a Cinderella-like story. Deciding, without permission, to do some exploring of the country's capital where the prince lives, she comes across a magic show and volunteers to take part in a trick. What she didn't expect was to be turned into an ant-human hybrid, and the culprits responsible taking off before she can make them change her back. What will she do?! Her royal escorts don't recognize her, and how will she be able to marry the prince looking like a monster? Sad and roaming the streets, she comes across a bakery where the owner has also been victimized by the magician (turned into a kitchen utensil). He also has a cute son named Saki, whose dream is to bake for Princess Ruty (and he doesn't know it's her). Can Ruty be changed back? And if so, will she be willing to leave her new friends behind?

This is a very sweet manga, that has a dark undertone to it. I definitely recommend it!

More of gamers playing games...

2009-08-01T16:10:00.000-04:00

If you're like me and you find it fun to watch others play video games, check these out.

Dshban

Frankomatic's Obscure Game Theater

Happy Video Game Nerd

Kirarin Revolution, volume 7

2009-07-30T17:41:00.004-04:00

-Kirari is set to appear on a TV show in which celebrities undergo obstacles, and that's when she meets Izumi. Izumi is a pretty, pink-haired girl who is polite to Kirari at first, and is quite flirty with Hiroto (which upsets Kirari). When Kirari hurts her ankle in the ball pit and gets stuck, Hiroto goes to get her and Izumi sees them in a supposedly intimate position. Angry, Izumi steals Hiroto's first kiss and claims she's in a relationship with him, both at the same time on live TV! And from then on, she's quite hostile towards poor Kirari, and definitely out for blood. When a photo is taken that could compromise everyone's careers, Hiroto steps up to the plate and breaks Kirari's heart (in two different ways!).
-Hiroto, like his parents, has to be away a lot, and he'll be gone for a few days to work, leaving his younger brothers to fend for themselves. Kouta, the second youngest, asks if Kirari can lend him Na-san for the duration as a babysitter. But he gets way too used to the special attention, and doesn't want to give him back when the time is up. What will poor Kirari do, who can barely function without her cat?

Kirarin Revolution, volume 6

2009-07-27T21:44:00.002-04:00

-Kirari is still fighting to write a song, but after some inspiring last minute words from Hiroto, she's finally ready to get it all out. But despite her finally finishing, Fubuki has a twist. Technically not against the rules, Fubuki gets a hot new pop duo from her talent company, RHINOCEROS, to do back up dancing and make her performance flashier. How can Kirari's simple love song match up to that?
-Now both girls must rely on the CD sales of their songs to see who wins. When Kirari comes out on top, Fubuki is not happy. She's not ready to be number two at ANYTHING, least of all to a girl she finds simple, unprofessional, and unworthy of even sharing the stage with her. Later, at a celebratory party, Kirari shares an awkward moment alone with Hiroto. Will there be confessions?
-There are also two extra stories in this volume. In the first one, Subaru's cat, Mr. Na, runs away from home to find pizza. In the second, Kirari and Erina compete in a sweets contest.

New items added to my store!

2009-07-26T22:22:00.002-04:00

I have added some DVDs and photobooks to my online store. Subjects include:

-Hello! Project
-Morning Musume
-Maki Goto
-Rika Ishikawa
-Ai Takahashi
-Miki Fujimoto

Find them here!

Kirarin Revolution, volume 5

2009-07-25T21:10:00.003-04:00

-Kirari's is really cutting it close with her creation. But it comes with a twist that nobody would've expected! Kirari not only decorated her dress with balloons, but underneath is colorfully wrapped candies that she throws at the audience. Will this sweet gesture be enough to beat out her opponent's skillfully stylish number?
-There's still one more round to go, and that involves writing a love song! Kirari decides to focus on her enthusiasm for food, but is told by SHIPS that's not really a universal subject that will do her any favors. Instead, she should focus on love. But poor Kirari struggles to come up with something, and who exactly to use as inspiration: when she tries to think about Seiji, Hiroto pops up. Having left the house to clear her head, she ends up getting harassed by some fans, and is saved by Hiroto. They run onto a bus to escape, and end up on the beach. Will she find her lyrics there?
-Kirari's older brother, Subaru is back! He's been staying in America to study acting, and as such has no idea that his sister is now a celebrity. When he does find out, he's not happy. Jealous of her success, he has his cat, Mr. Na, steal her schedule book. Because they look alike, Subaru decides to pretend to be her and enjoy some attention for once, which may lead to unplanned complications and the biggest favor he's ever done.
-Kirari is going to be Cinderella in a play, but not if she can't fit into her costume! The people putting the play together are not happy: if Kirari can't stop her constant snacking, there will be big trouble ahead.

Kiss kara Hajimaru (It Started With A Kiss)

2009-07-24T23:37:00.003-04:00

Miki Nakatani isn't exactly the most popular girl in school. In fact, everybody thinks of her as an ugly nobody (even her own sister!). Despite this, she still finds herself falling in love with an upperclassman student body president. When he misplaces a mechanical pencil, she decides to take it as a momento. But somebody has seen her crime! A fellow student referred to only as Satou. In exchange for not spilling the beans, he proposes she kiss him! Not wanting her crush to think badly of her, she reluctantly agrees. But the story doesn't end there: Satou is a terrible kisser (as she later remembers, it was rather childish and boring), and that's surprising, considering he's very popular and has probably had dozens of girlfriends. To make matters more complicated, he seems to think this signifies that they are now dating!

This is a very cute manga, and features one of the most slow-headed love interests in shoujo history! There's a lot of kissing, though, as the title implies. People are either kissing or thinking about kissing. So if that sort of thing annoys you, I wouldn't look this up.

Daniel Radcliffe in Japan

2009-07-23T18:54:00.003-04:00

Here is a cute clip I found of Daniel Radcliffe (for Harry Potter) in Japan:

Inuyasha final manga chapters gets anime

2009-07-16T18:40:00.003-04:00

From Anime News Network:

This year's 34th issue of Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine will announce next Wednesday that an Inuyasha Kanketsu-hen (Inuyasha Final Chapter) television adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's manga has been green-lit. The anime will broadcast on Japan's YTV this fall and cover the story in volumes 36 to 56 of the manga — the final 21 compiled book volumes. The original staff and cast will reunite for the new anime adaptation.

Shonen Sunday had promised earlier this month that it will be including a special news announcement about Inuyasha in issue #34. Takahashi had ended the Inuyasha manga in the same magazine last June. She has been serializing a new manga called RIN-NE (Kyōkai no Rinne) in the magazine as well as on TheRumicWorld.com website for North America readers since April 22. Viz Media has been releasing the Inuyasha manga in North America, and it has also released the original 2000-2004 television anime adaptation.

Little Lulu: Lulu's Umbrella Service

2009-07-14T21:51:00.003-04:00

If you're interested in expanding your comics horizon, how about looking to the past with Little Lulu? It may not have the ACTION and ADVENTURE of Superman or villain foaling of Spiderman, but it's got a certain charm to it. It's something you can look at and smile, maybe get a chuckle or two, and cheer you up.

In this volume (7), Lulu does her typical activities: fooling the prankster boys in the neighborhood, telling stories to the annoying kid next door, and generally being smart-alecky and strong minded. You'll be amused by some of the slang everybody uses (ex: "fellers"), the fashion, and the way Lulu is brought up by her parents (there certainly was a lot of spanking back then!). If you're a Peanuts fan, it's similar, only the adults are actually shown.

Barack the Barbarian review

2009-07-13T18:20:00.003-04:00

The story begins in an ice-age future, as a shaman tells a group of children about the legend of Barack the Barbarian. Barack has been traveling the roads, and arrives in the corrupt city of Warshington, a place of violence and filth. He runs into "Manny the Fixer" who tells him they've been hoping for somebody to bring change, and invites him to a local pub for some food. There, he runs across "Sarah the Red," who, along with her partner, have been sent to destroy him.

This is a pretty amusing comic. It's not "laugh until milk comes out of your nose" funny, but it's entertaining and pretty spot on with a few things. Despite the abundance of scantily-clad women, I'd say most ages can read this (maybe 13 and over?). I definitely recommend this to Obama fans and those amused/invested in the 2008 elections.

Miki Fujimoto married!

2009-07-11T21:25:00.001-04:00

Miki, former member of Morning Musume, has recently married her fiance, Shouji Tomoharu of the comedy group "Shinagawa Shouji," in July of 2009. Congratulations!

Anime to ease your stress...

2009-07-10T18:08:00.003-04:00

If you find yourself wound up and tense from a stressful day, or are simply worried about something, these shows can sooth your nerves and make life a little better.

*Little Snow Fairy Sugar
*Omishi Magical Theater Risky & Safety
*My Neighbor Totoro
*Kiki's Delivery Service
*Oh! My Goddess!
*Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san

New Super Mario Bros

2009-07-02T12:14:00.005-04:00

If you've ever considered yourself a Mario fan, and you're looking for one DS game you'll get the most out of your money for, I recommend New Super Mario Bros. It returns Mario to the days of scroll platforming, but in 3D and with all kinds of new tricks (such as grabbing a mushroom that makes you as big as the screen). It can be hard, but not too difficult. It's also interesting to actually watch Peach get dragged to each castle, her calling out to Mario for help.

One thing I really didn't like was that your game wasn't saved unless you defeated a tower or castle. So you could fight through two levels, but if you couldn't beat Koopa Jr. you lost all that work after restarting the game. So, you better be ready to do all that in one sitting or put your DS on sleep mode if you have to go off and do other things. But this is great for all ages, great for something to carry around on road trips or waiting in the doctor's office.

Pucca: Sooga Super Squad DVD

2009-06-25T13:02:00.004-04:00

Everybody could use a bit of cute in their life. Released in March, this DVD features one episode focused on the Sooga Super Squad, and the rest are kind of randomly added in:

1	Knock It Off
2	Invincible Vengeance
3	Sooga Super Squad
4	Striking Out
5	Datin’ And Dumplins
6	Surf Ninjas
7	Ping Pong Pucca
8	Let’s Go Fly A Ninja
9	The Sooga Showdown
10	Tokyo A Go-Go
11	Up From The Depths
12	Gold Medal Garu
13	Autograph This

From the kids taking a trip to Tokyo, to Pucca setting her Uncles up on a date with an Australian adventurist, to Garu and Tobe duking it out in ancient Greece, there's something to be enjoyed. If you're a Pucca fan, definitely check this out.

Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san, episode 10

2009-06-21T18:46:00.002-04:00

(コメットさん) 2001

12-year-old Princess Comet has no interest in her royal duties. She'd much rather play with little stars in the Haromonica Star-World system than fulfill anyone's expectations. On the evening of a ball meant to introduce Comet to the prince of Tamborine Star-World, he runs away, and the only way to know him is from the "twinkle" in his eyes. Now it's been decided that Comet will go to Earth to find him and set things right - but can she make the time between having so many fun adventures?

"Imashun" is as popular as ever, but now he's found himself very curious about Comet, and at the same time, Meteo is convinced that she is the object of the celebrity's crush. "Unfortunately" for her, she's actually earned the affections of a rather nerdy young man who basically follows her around, much to her disgust. Comet gets her own stalker too, but most pre-teens would probably give anything for her position.

Jellaby, volume two

2009-06-17T20:02:00.003-04:00

Portia is braver than most kids her age. After jumping off the train to escape the mysterious man, she, Jellaby and Jason head to Toronto by foot. Being little, unsupervised in a big, scary city is a lot for them to handle, but they must help Jellaby get back home; and a mysterious magician seems to have the answer. But is he trustworthy? And apparently Jellaby isn't the last of "his kind"; a female monster who befriends children for her own gains has her eyes set on Jason.

This was a very fast paced book, before I knew it, it was over. There are still a lot of unanswered questions and open ends (like, where exactly did Portia's dad go, and is he still alive (leaving his wallet and wedding ring behind doesn't say planned trip)? Is he the masked magician? Why did the monster go out of her way to lure the kids and Jellaby to her lair? It's not like she didn't have 500 kids from the nearby fair to choose from), so I really hope this isn't the last volume. One interesting thing I noticed is that this volume has the Disney logo on it (the first one doesn't). What's up with that?

Kaze Hikaru, volume 13

2009-06-16T13:44:00.002-04:00

With new, larger facilities for their group, Soji is being sent on a recruiting mission to Edo. This means leaving Kamiya alone to fend for herself, and she'll have to learn how fast. At the same time, Miki, the overweight man, bonds with Kamiya, lonely and frustrated from his brother's constant berating and pulled in by her kindness. Eventually, though, he finds himself falling for Kamiya. That could lead to terrible disaster without Soji around to intervene.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 105 & 106

2009-06-13T18:32:00.005-04:00

Ai Shite Night, episode 4

2009-06-12T23:40:00.002-04:00

(愛してナイト) 1983

Hashizo is still trying to get his brother over to Yakko-chan's restaurant, but this time Go is working on a song for an event, and claims they'll do it at a later time. Hashizo decides to go anyway, leaving a note that his older brother should come pick him up. When the little boy gets there, he runs into the purple-haired playboy, Satomi, but he doesn't want Yakko to spot him, so Hashizo gets him to go away. Later, after a misunderstanding, Yakko runs after Hashizo, only to bump into Go instead. They share harsh words, and that's that. Will the little matchmaker manage to get them alone together, EVER? Will Go and Yakko ever properly meet?

Futurama TV series coming back in 2010

2009-06-09T19:48:00.001-04:00

From IGN:

June 9, 2009 - You just can't stop Futurama. A day after news broke that the show looked to be coming back, Comedy Central has made it official, announcing they have picked up the series for an impressive 26 new episodes – thirteen more than originally expected.

As Comedy Central notes, this will mark the first true new episodes of the show in six years – though the four recent, straight-to-DVD Futurama movies were re-cut into 22 minute episodes.

Comedy Central will begin showing the new installments beginning mid-2010. An interesting note in the press release states, "Twentieth Century Fox Television retains the option to license the original runs of the new episodes to a broadcast network," seemingly implying there is a chance a network (though come on, it would be FOX, right?) could potentially air the new episodes first, before Comedy Central.

Says co-creator Matt Groening, "We're thrilled Futurama is coming back. We now have only 25,766 episodes to make before we catch up with Bender and Fry in the year 3000." Added his fellow Futurama creator, David X. Cohen, "We're excited and amazed that the show is coming back, perhaps due to some sort of mysterious time loop. We look forward to working with Comedy Central and 20th Television to make this the best iteration of the loop yet!"

Futurama mirrors another 20th Century Fox production, Family Guy, by its impressive resurrection, years after cancellation. Says 20th Century Fox TV Chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden, "When we brought back Family Guy several years ago, everyone said that it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing - that canceled series stay canceled and cannot be revived. But Futurama was another series that fans simply demanded we bring back, and we couldn't have been happier when Matt and David agreed that there were many more stories yet to tell."

New retro shoujo manga blog: Daisy Cakes

2009-06-05T21:14:00.003-04:00

I have created a special blog where I will post covers scans from my shoujo manga collection; nothing recent, I'm focusing on the 90s and 80s. They're all imported from Japan, nothing in English. If you're interested, please check it out!

http://daisycakeshoujo.blogspot.com/

Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth, volume three

2009-05-30T22:11:00.002-04:00

After a long, LONG wait, volume three is finally out. I can't say I was itching with anticipation to read it, and the artwork still really bothers me (but I suppose it's too late now to change the artist). At the rate Tokyopop is going, we probably have to wait another year or so for the last volume, if it comes out at all.

The danger in Toby's life is rising; nothing is really as it seems. We learn where Moppet came from, why Sarah changed so much (shedding fairy tales and dreaming for the droll life of an average adult), and even the truth behind Mizumi's supposedly loyal daughters. Jareth is wandering the streets, a lost soul, while Sarah feels a sad yearning for something she didn't realize she'd ever needed the most. After Toby is corronated, things move to their worst amidst war and betrayal. What will become of everyone?

Yakko, I Love You CD

2009-05-29T21:34:00.003-04:00

1. 恋は突然
2. なぜなぜナゾナゾ
3. あなたの似顔絵
4. ドーベルマンのように
5. 愛は光の中で
6. Oh! Yeah! ジュリアーノ
7. あなたが消えない
8. 雨のララバイ
9. 純白のジューン・ブライド
10. ぼくのジュリアーノ

This album was originally released in 1983. Though I have only seen the first handful of episodes, it's proving so far to be a pretty fun show. And the music is just as fun and cute! I especially like tracks 1, 5, 8 and 9. If you love retro shoujo, this is definitely something to check out!

Archie proposes to... Veronica! First cover revealed

2009-05-28T19:11:00.003-04:00

From Archie Comics:

THIS AUGUST, PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE ARCHIE STORY YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU'D SEE, AS ARCHIE PROPOSES TO VERONICA!

The eternal love triangle is the cornerstone of Archie Comics for over 65 years--and the bane of Archie Andrews' existence! In fact, over the years it has not only defined the Betty/Archie/Veronica relationship, but has even threatened to dismantle it a time or 20.

Never was this more evident than in the landmark "Love Showdown" storyline from 1994 and '95. When Archie Comics announced that Archie Andrews may finally choose between Betty & Veronica once and for all, the response from the media, fans and retailers alike was unprecedented--and with good reason! The landmark "Love Showdown" storyline threatened the certainty of the love triangle and all it stood for, nearly bringing an end to the friendships of all three characters as Archie chose old flame Cheryl Blossom at story's end!

Readers had nothing to fear, as ultimately Cheryl wore out her welcome in Riverdale. While she's been an occasional presence (and to Betty and Veronica, an occasional nuisance) in the last 15 years, life has returned to normal for Archie and his friends. And that includes his seemingly never-ending inability to choose between Betty and Veronica, no matter how many times he takes them out.

More at site!

Mini Moni revival in the works?

2009-05-27T12:19:00.003-04:00

Tsunku has revealed on his blog plans to revive Mini Moni, and the first member already chosen is "H!P Eggs" girl Fukuda Kanon.

Personally, I think without Mari and company it just isn't the same and won't match up. We'll just have to see what happens.

Kirarin Revolution, volume 4

2009-05-26T22:13:00.003-04:00

-There's a new girl in town! Her name is Fubuki, and she's been modeling since she was little. Soon she'll be making her idol debut, and right off the bat she has a problem with Kirari. Though Kirari is of the school that thinks smiling and making fans happy is most important, Fubuki finds her completely unprofessional. To see who's the better star, the model challenges Kirari to a contest, to be judged by fans online and through phone calls and consisting of three parts. Whoever wins at least two of them will be the victor.
-The first challenge involves each girl dressing like a bride and acting like a happy couple with a member of SHIPS. But who will Kirari choose as her groom, and can she handle the heartache of who she didn't pick getting cozy on stage with Fubuki?
-The second challenge tests their talent for design and sewing, in which they must think up an outfit that they will make themselves and model. While Fubuki is quite skilled, Kirari couldn't sew a button on a shirt to save her life, and no matter what she does, a phantom mushroom appears on everything. Can Hiroto, who is experienced with domestic chores from caring for his younger siblings, help her in time?

Archie Andrews is getting married

2009-05-21T13:00:00.000-04:00

At least, according to Archie Comics.

From New York Post:

The world's oldest teen is becoming an honest man.

After six decades of indecisiveness, Archie Andrews is going to settle down with his longtime love -- but will it be Betty or Veronica?

The perpetual teenager will pop the question to either best friend Betty Cooper or to the beguiling Veronica Lodge in Archie Comics No. 600, which is due in comic-book stores in August.

"What would lead Archie to have marriage on his mind? And who would he choose, Veronica or Betty? How will Betty react? How will Veronica react? Can Archie shake off his klutzy past and hold down a steady job . . . for more than a month? One thing is certain: This will be the biggest Archie Comics story ever!" a solicitation for the comic says.

"You will see him make the decision," said Archie Comics' editor-in-chief Victor Gorelick of the sixissue storyline, which features a glimpse of Archie and the Riverdale gang five years down the line.

Archie, Gorelick said, is able to sneak a peek into the future he's never been able to reach in the comics in the landmark 600th issue, when he takes a right turn down Memory Lane.

"He goes a bit into the future when he becomes engaged and married," Gorelick said -- but he wouldn't say to whom. "We're not saying anything," he said. "The office is in lockdown.

Gokujou!! Mecha Mote Iinchou, episode 1

2009-05-20T01:16:00.005-04:00

(極上!!めちゃモテ委員長) 2009

Mimi Kitagami is a kind, level-headed and pretty student council president (iinchou) at her school, who aims to be the best she can be at her post. But the MM3 (a group of three troublemakers) may prove to be a rather large roadblock to this goal, even though Mimi's decided she'll shape those boys into model students no matter what. First up is Ushio, who gave up running after breaking his leg in middle school and refuses to be on the athletic team no matter what anybody says. When Mimi declares that if she can beat him in a race he'll have to do so, a small but meaningful connection is made between them, especially in Mimi's heart. But will she be able to do it? Meanwhile, the prestigious Princess Rose Club, reserved only for beautiful and special people, wants her to join their ranks.

Now... let me first say that the only reason I've stuck with Kirarin Revolution despite the complete 180 in animation quality, is because I'd already watched over 100 episodes before it changed, might as well finish. But here, the terrible CG starts from the very beginning. Not only that, it can't seem to decide whether it wants to be in 2D or 3D, and keeps switching on you from scene to scene, frame to frame. It's not the worst shoujo ever, but the animation is so distracting I'm having a hard time concentrating on the story. Is this cheap CG thing a new trend? I sure hope not! There's also an overabundance of sparkles, crippling brightness and rose petals - I'm not sure if they're making fun of these staple shoujo cliches or actually being serious.

Shoujo Beat to end in June with July issue

2009-05-19T11:41:00.004-04:00

From Anime News Network:

Viz Media's Shojo Beat magazine is no longer accepting subscriptions over the phone or online, and one of its distributors, Alini Magazine Services, reports that the magazine "is ceasing publication with the July 2009 issue." Telephone representatives of the company that handled Shojo Beat's subscriptions say that the company has not been accepting subscriptions "for several weeks" as of Tuesday, and add that more details will be available on the shojobeat.com website. The website currently displays the fifth issue of the fifth volume of the magazine (pictured at right).

The Kuri-ousity website reports that Viz will offer issues of Shonen Jump magazine to replace the remaining issues of current Shojo Beat subscriptions.

UPDATE. Viz confirms, plus further information HERE

Kirarin Revolution, volume 3

2009-05-18T14:58:00.004-04:00

-Hiroto has been given the role as male lead (after Arashi tried to manipulate his way in), and now Kirari has a whole new problem. She can't seem to get into her part of playing a lovesick schoolgirl, as she's never had a boyfriend or even been on a date. So, Seiji and Hiroto offer to take her on a sort-of date around the city. But shortly into it, Seiji spots a girl companion for Kame-san in a pet shop, and they lose him. Now it's just Kirari and Hiroto! Alone! Even if she survives, she still has to *gulp* give him a kiss in the last scene of the drama.
-Na-san wants his shot a fame, too! But the audition he goes to shuns him, and the heartbroken cat worries Kirari. There must be some way to bring the happy Na-san back.
-Erina and Kirari are filming a TV special at a creepy inn, which the owner claims is haunted. Business is poor as a result, and he wants their help. The two girls decide to get to the bottom of it once and for all!
-Erina and Kirari work at a sweets shop.

Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san, episode 9

2009-05-11T23:44:00.003-04:00

(コメットさん) 2001

12-year-old Princess Comet has no interest in her royal duties. She'd much rather play with little stars in the Haromonica Star-World system than fulfill anyone's expectations. On the evening of a ball meant to introduce Comet to the prince of Tamborine Star-World, he runs away, and the only way to know him is from the "twinkle" in his eyes. Now it's been decided that Comet will go to Earth to find him and set things right - but can she make the time between having so many fun adventures?

In this episode, Shun Imagawa is a young, new artist who loves to make music but works himself into near exhaustion. Meanwhile, Comet's host family is trying to get tickets to his sold out concert, with no luck. Comet and the twins are tired from their trip to get the tickets, so Comet creates a special cloud they can nap on. But before they take off, a boy collapses on it, and he's so out of it they decide to leave him there. But it's Shun (they don't realize this), and if he doesn't wake up he won't make it to his own concert!

I guess the lesson today is not to work yourself to the bones, but don't spend your life napping? I don't know :P

Highlighted Series - Nyan Nyaga Nyan

2009-05-09T19:48:00.005-04:00

Nyan Nyaga Nyan is the story of a young girl named Chieri and the feline that would change her life forever. One day at school, Chieri is chasing a black cat that had stolen her cookie (which she was planning to give to somebody she had a crush on), but just as she's caught him, a limo arrives. They're looking for "Rin-sama," which turns out to be the cat, and somehow Chieri gets pulled along. As she later finds out while bathing in the mansion she's taken to after an exquisite meal, Rin can transform into a boy, and now the whole staff thinks they're getting married. As if that's not weird enough, his cat-like behavior is a constant annoyance and her classmates may eventually catch on that he's not exactly human. Still, he's very sweet and protective.

This is a very cute one-shot I meant to pick up a few years ago but never got around to. If you're looking for faces as fresh and cherry cheeked as babies, and preciously entertaining love stories, you'll definitely find it here.

Kirarin Revolution, volume 2

2009-05-08T15:44:00.002-04:00

-Somebody is playing mean pranks on Kirari and SHIPS, most of them involving sea creatures (fish, turtles, etc.). At first it seems fairly harmless, but things get intense when this person starts messing with Kirari's wardrobe, right as she's performing on stage! The culprit turns out to be a childhood friend named Arashi, who moved away years ago and has recently returned. His goal is to make Kirari retire from the idol life, and make do on her promise to marry him (which she never actually did).
-Kirari has been cast in a TV romance drama, but the director is having trouble choosing who the male lead will be. The choices are between Seiji, Hiroto, and Arashi. Of course, Arashi doesn't miss an opportunity to sabotage and hypnotizes the director into not only choosing him, but completely changing the script. He wants Kirari's first kiss, and nobody is going to stop him!
-Kirari is visiting a school festival, but it won't be for their food. Kirari has been banned from snacking in public, as her love for gorging on sweets has been deemed unidol-like by her superiors. But it will be hard, especially with an eating contest on the grounds!

Anime industry head says bubble has burst

2009-05-05T15:50:00.003-04:00

From Anime News Network:

Yasuo Yamaguchi, managing director of The Association of Japanese Animations (AJA), described the anime industry as a "bubble several years ago that burst. The marketplace is on a falling curve due to declining birth rates and the recession." He added that he thinks that the industry is heading from times of surplus toward restructuring. AJA reported that the number of anime television programs rose from 124 in 2000 to a historic high of 306 in 2006. However, that number has since fallen to 288 in 2008. In 2006, a record 60 anime programs premiered in April, but only 30 anime programs were expected to premiere this past April.

The Japan Video Software Association (JVA) reported that domestic sales of Japanese anime releases (on DVD and laserdisc) brought in 97.1 billion yen (about US$982 million) in 2005 and dipped to 95 billion yen (US$960 million) in 2006. In 2007, domestic anime DVD sales fell further to 89.4 billion yen (US$904 million). Even when DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and HD DVD sales are added together, sales of domestic anime releases dropped to 77.9 billion yen (US$787 million) in 2008.

The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) estimated that the Japanese anime marketplace in the United States (including character goods) peaked in 2003 at US$4.84 billion. It then fell to US$2.829 billion in 2007. The sales of just anime DVD and videotape releases peaked in the United States in 2002 at US$415 million.

More at link!

Kirarin Revolution manga ends, Miracle Revolution next

2009-05-02T13:43:00.008-04:00

From Anime News Network:

After five years, manga creator An Nakahara has ended her Kirarin Revolution series in the June issue of Shogakukan's Ciao shōjo magazine on Friday. The romantic comedy centers on Kirari, a teenaged girl who aspires to be a singing idol after being inspired by different members of a boy idol group. To commemorate the ending, the magazine is offering the 53 color opening illustrations from the different manga chapters over the years, along with a photo frame signed by Nakahara, to 30 readers in a drawing.

The next issue of Ciao magazine will ship on June 3 with a spinoff one-shot manga called Miracle Revolution by Rio Fujimi. The manga will recount the real-life rise to stadom of "miracle idol" Koharu Kusumi, the single-charting voice of Kirari in the Kirarin Revolution television anime series and a member of the Morning Musume girl group. The anime version just ended last month after three years and 153 episodes. Viz Media has been pitching the anime (under the names Kirari and Kilari) to potential overseas distributors at trade conventions. Kusumi and the rest of Morning Musume will be performing at Anime Expo in Los Angeles this July.

Mari Yaguchi and Natsumi Abe in Iceland January 2009

2009-04-30T18:45:00.001-04:00

Entitled "The one Japanese woman living in an icy town," Mari and Natsumi must fly to Iceland and find the only Japanese person living there. But it's not as easy as they think it will be. They're dropped on the other side of the country and must find their way to her through any means necessary, be it by a bus or hitchhiking, and trying to communicate with people. What they find in the small village of Hofn is a very interesting person with a story to tell.

Sorry the screenshots are so crappy :( I have uploaded the special and you can watch it HERE! Subtitles (not done by me) are included.

Koharu Kusumi gets idol biography manga

2009-04-27T18:56:00.006-04:00

Miracle*Revolution will star Morning Musume idol Koharu Kusumi, focusing on her (thus far) idol career, in manga magazine Ciao. This follows her run as the voice of Kirari in the anime and manga series Kirarin Revolution, a story about a young girl who strives to be an idol. No furthur information is known.

Pictures taken from Hello! Online:

Ciao scan 1

Ciao scan 2

Mari Yaguchi in Nintendo Wii commercials

2009-04-23T11:00:00.002-04:00

Former Morning Musume member Mari Yaguchi is starring in two absolutely hilarious Nintendo Wii commercials:

CM 1

CM 2

Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san, episode 8

2009-04-22T22:08:00.004-04:00

(コメットさん) 2001

12-year-old Princess Comet has no interest in her royal duties. She'd much rather play with little stars in the Haromonica Star-World system than fulfill anyone's expectations. On the evening of a ball meant to introduce Comet to the prince of Tamborine Star-World, he runs away, and the only way to know him is from the "twinkle" in his eyes. Now it's been decided that Comet will go to Earth to find him and set things right - but can she make the time between having so many fun adventures?

In this episode, Comet and the twins witness a wedding, and Nene becomes obsessed with being a bride - so much so that she begs Comet to make her a wedding dress with star power. But when Comet tries, the outfit comes out more like a wrapped pillow, and the little girl is angry. What went wrong? Meanwhile, Meteo has cast a spell on a classmate from the twin's school, and now he thinks he's a spy for the Castanet Star Galaxy.

Comet learns that wedding dresses have no specialness and meaning if they're something you could wear everyday.

Highlighted Series - Chotto Friday

2009-04-19T14:59:00.000-04:00

Since this was published in the 1980s and is long out of print, I don't think it will do any harm to include spoilers. If you don't want spoilers (on the off-chance that you'd like to locate scanlations or an actual copy somewhere), don't read the second paragraph on. To note, I own an actual copy ;)

It's a rainy Friday, and high school girl Yayoi can't see very well without her glasses - she's actually trying to get to the store and pick up a new pair. Stumbling and squinting through the streets, she bumps into a young man who helps her find her way, but leaves before she can thank him or even ask his name. Plagued with thoughts of this person, whom she nicknames "Mr. Friday," Yayoi finds herself determined to discover who he is, but that's hard when you don't know what your savior looks like.

If you like shoujo, this will be a treat for you. It's a very sweet story with adorable artwork and twists you really didn't expect.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 103 & 104

2009-04-14T01:04:00.003-04:00

(きらりん☆レボリューション) 2006

Kirari (voiced by Koharu Kusumi of Morning Musume!) is a middle schooler who LOVES her food. So much so that it's scary! While girls her age swoon over idols, Kirari swoons over her dad's cooking, and couldn't care less about the life of a celebrity. But when she saves the pet turtle of Seiji of pop group SHIPS and falls in love, she decides to become an idol herself so that they can be together (or so she hopes).

Episode 103:

Things have changed a bit for Kirari's surroundings. SHIPS is planning a world tour (well, basically just around Asia), the company building has a new look, and Aoi-san is studying in London. And what's new for Kirari? Well, it's been decided that her company will search for a "second Kirari," a new idol just like her to join their ranks. Kirari has been asked to be a judge for auditions, which she gladly accepts. She's excited to have a girl around to talk to and be friends with - but the audition doesn't go so well. Hundreds of girls came, none were accepted. Where could their next star be?

Episode 104:

It looks like a "second Kirari" has been found after all! It seems the same mysterious girl who saved Kirari from being hit by a car on audition day also saved the director from thugs, so he brought her over to the company building. Her name is Noel, and despite her "unique aura" she doesn't want to be an idol, no matter what anybody says. Kirari is persistent in trying to convince her, but only makes Noel angrier. Later, a strange girl who has a thing for strange objects shows up, having run into Kirari the day before looking for "three stars." Kirari still finds her very out there, but some encouraging words from a free fortune telling, "never give up," gives her new energy.

It looks like they switched to a 3D animation format. It looks... really strange. I feel like I'm watching a video game with that cheap, blocky, awkward and stiff animation. Not only that, SHIPS' voices have been changed. Boo! Boo! I can understand them wanting to switch up the VAs in order to make SHIPS "live" (like Koharu Kusumi as Kirari), and couldn't very well put two 30 year old men on tour who are supposed to be about 14 on the show, but still!

Kirarin Revolution, volume 1

2009-04-12T17:43:00.001-04:00

If you've been watching the anime, basically you should have very little trouble following what's going on in this book. There are a few variations and changes, of course (for one, Kirari's family is not shown).

Kirari is a glutton for food, preferring to devote herself to eating rather than celebrity worship like her classmates. Despite this difference with her peers, she does dream of finding a boyfriend and falling in love. One day while out with two friends, she rescues a turtle caught in a tree, and is then saved from a fall by a mysterious figure. They'd met him only a few moments before this, and thought him quite the weirdo, wearing "gag" glasses and strange clothes. But when he catches Kirari, the disguise falls off - he's actually quite handsome, and Kirari is instantly smitten. In thanks for rescuing his pet, he presents her with a ticket to a SHIPS concert. Eventually, of course, she finds out that this guy is actually a member of SHIPS, and decides to become an idol in the hopes that they can end up together. But for every gentle, calm guy in a shoujo manga, there has to be a tough, rude guy, and Hiroto fits the bill. The other part of SHIPS, he doesn't seem to like Kirari and constantly scolds and belittles her. Just what is his problem?

Basically, what happens in the volume:

-Kirari saves a turtle and in turn ends up meeting pop group SHIPS. She falls in love with Seiji and wants to become an idol so they can be together.
-Kirari comes to an audition not realizing it's supposed to be for boys only. But instead of giving up and leaving, she puts on a disguise. Though Seiji and Hiroto know it's her, they find it amusing and let her continue (well, Seiji does). Eventually the director of their company becomes interested in Kirari's determination and spunk, offering a spot on their talent team.
-Kirari's first possible job is a Nice Cake commercial. But her self-sworn enemy, Erina, wants the job for herself, and sabotages Kirari's work at every opportunity, including making her late.
-As Kirari has now proven herself ready to be an idol, a famous music composer is brought in to create a song especially for her. But her singing is awful, so bad people are in pain! She's got two weeks to improve, or it simply won't be possible to have a debut CD.
-Erina kidnaps Naa-san and leaves a note for Kirari - if she doesn't back out of singing on live TV, she'll never see her beloved cat again.

Alvin & The Chipmunk: The Easter Chipmunk DVD

2009-04-11T12:23:00.004-04:00

Released in February of 2009, this features a Easter special along with a few random episodes from the TV series.

The Easter Chipmunk: Upon hearing that his grandfather may have been the original giver of chocolates and colored eggs (aka The Easter Chipmunk) Alvin and his brothers set out to solve the mystery, with Alvin dreaming of inheriting the legacy.

Snow Wrong: The Chipmunks and Chipettes join a play production of Snow White, but the director's bratty daughter, Tara Marie, steals the main role from right under Brittany's nose.

Special Kind of Champion: Alvin doesn't feel like trying anymore now that his gym class has switched to track. So, his teacher assigns him as coach to a Olympic hopeful, but he doesn't turn out to be what Alvin expected. An energetic young boy with cerebral palsy and a positive attitude may just be what Alvin needs.

Thinking Cap Trap: Fed up with his family's inability to be on the same level of intelligence as him, Simon invents a special cap that can give them that gift for a short period of time. He's so confident he signs them all up for an IQ-based game show, but forgets to recharge the cap on the big day, and now they're all as they were before with no time to fix it.

Luck O' The Chipmunks: A new boy at school, Mickey, befriends Theodore, but wants so badly for more people to like him he tells Theodore he has a leprechaun living in his room who'll grant any wish. Word quickly reaches Alvin and once he's convinced the leprechaun is real, sets up a business to bank on this supposed fortune. But Mickey can't keep up with the charade and is worked ragged to please everyone from behind the pot of gold.

Two episodes in this set really bugged me: the Easter one and the leprechaun one. So am I to believe that the Chipmunks live just down the road from the Easter Bunny, along with his factory and even a holiday based library? And where did this grandfather come from? Granted, I haven't seen all the TV episodes, but that was pretty random. As for the Luck O' episode... just, wow. There are a lot of stereotypes in there. Theodore even asks Mickey to come over for potato soup!

Tsunku enters international gaming industry with Rhythm Heaven for DS

2009-04-10T12:42:00.003-04:00

From Hello! Online:

Tsunku♂, our Hello!Project's exclusive producer is expanding his horizon internationally with the debut of Rhythm Heaven (as known as DS Rhythm Tengoku Gold in Japan) for the Nintendo DS hand-held system. Released on April 5 of 2009, the game entered the U.S. market shelves and received a highly positive reaction from the gaming population. This music rhythm based game was co-developed by the Nintendo R&D1 team and TXN (the company that Tsunku himself 'owns').

Rhythm Heaven, or DS Rhythm Tengoku Gold is actually a sequel to the game Rhythm Tengoku (released Aug 8th, 2006) for Gameboy Advance which Nintendo SPD with the help of Tsunku as a lead developer. But since Rhythm Tengoku was only released within Japan and never internationally, the sequel, Rhythm Heaven, becomes the first time Tsunku (and this game series) enters the worldwide gaming industry.

This sequel game expands from the GBA button controls to the DS touchscreen gameplay and it contains a very simple concept that requires the player to Tap, Flick, Hold or Slide in correlation to the music and animation of the game. Unfortunately for us as Hello!Project fans, there does not seem to be music in there taken from the H!P song collection (seems like NiceGirlProject fans can get something out of the JPN ver though). However, for the gamers who owns a DS, this game is definitely worth checking-out.

Go to link for more info and interview with Tsunku.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 101 & 102

2009-04-06T22:49:00.003-04:00

(きらりん☆レボリューション) 2006

Kirari (voiced by Koharu Kusumi of Morning Musume!) is a middle schooler who LOVES her food. So much so that it's scary! While girls her age swoon over idols, Kirari swoons over her dad's cooking, and couldn't care less about the life of a celebrity. But when she saves the pet turtle of Seiji of pop group SHIPS and falls in love, she decides to become an idol herself so that they can be together (or so she hopes).

Episode 101:

Everybody is becoming concerned for Kirari's health, so SHIPS, Hiroto's mom and siblings, the chairman and Kumoi-san pay her a visit bearing food. She is temporarily cheered up and when she attempts to ask for Hiroto's help on the matter, one of Hiroto's brothers injures himself. Watching the little boy being comforted by his mom is too much for Kirari to handle. After receiving a phonecall from Tina (and remembering hearing Lucusberg suggesting either she or Fubuki replace her in the film), she runs off in tears. Then Lucusberg summons her and declares that the sakura tree in the film will be losing it's bloom soon, so Kirari only has one more day to prove herself. The whole project's success rests in her hands. And Luna doesn't appear to care or want to help. How could such a cold woman be her mother?

Episode 102:

Kirari's little family is whole again - but what's this? Luna (real name Urara) wants to take Kirari to Hollywood with her? Everybody except Kirari is thrilled, and the young idol doesn't know if she's ready to take a step into the serious and more "legit" entertainment world. The plans carry on and a farewell concert is organized, but her heart still isn't in it, even with the praise and excitement of so many. Still, this could be huge for her life and where it's headed.

Beauty Pop, volume 10

2009-04-04T20:20:00.003-04:00

The stakes are high to keep Scissors Project in existence, and to save Kiri's home as well. But the contest doesn't run smoothly at all. Narumi and Ochiai are still fighting over Kiri, adding tension to an already stressful situation. Billy steals the magical scissors, and when Kiri confronts him in the rain, she gets very sick and doesn't make it in time. Narumi's arm still hasn't fully recovered and is aggravated at a crucial time. It just might be an unhappy ending for everyone.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 99 & 100

2009-04-02T23:47:00.003-04:00

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 97 & 98

2009-03-26T23:59:00.002-04:00

Morning Musume Platinum 9 CD

2009-03-26T00:01:00.000-04:00

Tracklist:

1.ＳＯＮＧＳ　
2.リゾナントブルー　
(Resonant Blue)
3.雨の降らない星では愛せないだろう？
(Ame no Furanai Hoshi de wa Aisenai Darou)　
4.Ｔａｋｅ　ｏｆｆ　ｉｓ　ｎｏｗ！／高橋愛・新垣里沙・田中れいな　
(Take off is now! / Takahashi Ai, Nigaki Risa and Tanaka Reina)
5.泣いちゃうかも　
(NaiChau Kamo)
6.私の魅力に　気付かない鈍感な人／光井愛佳　
(Mitsui Aika Solo)
7.グルグルJUMP／久住小春・ジュンジュン・リンリン　
(Guru Guru JUMP / Kusumi Koharu, Junjun and Linlin)
8.みかん　
(Mikan)
9.情熱のキスを一つ／高橋愛・新垣里沙・田中れいな　
(Jounetsu no Kiss o Hitotsu / Takahashi Ai, Nigaki Risa and Tanaka Reina)
10.Ｉｔ’ｓ　Ｙｏｕ／道重さゆみ　
(Michishige Sayumi)
11.女に　幸あれ　
(Onna Ni Sachi Are)
12.片思いの終わりに／亀井絵里　
(Kataomoi no Owari ni / Kamei Eri)
13.悲しみトワイライト
(Kanashimi Twilight)

Overall I found this album to be boring and not very impressive. Of all the songs, I only find myself listening to Resonant Blue and Ame no Furanai Hoshi de wa Aisenai Darou more than once. Everything else has yet to grow on me. The cheap sounding synth was way overdone, too. Not their best in any way or form.

Miki Fujimoto engaged to be married

2009-03-25T13:24:00.002-04:00

From Hello! Online:

Former Momusu Mikitty & Shouji Tomoharu to Wed This Summer

On March 24th, it was announced that ex-Morning Musume leader Fujimoto Miki (24) and comedian Shouji Tomoharu from comedy duo Shinagawa Shouji will complete their 2-year-long relationship with a wedding in July. Currently they are scheduling the ceremony day and other necessities. Fujimoto's agency confirmed the wedding news for our publication.

The agency sent us a fax entitled "The Engagement Report". Within it, Fujimoto explains her joy about her engagement with Shouji, saying, "I'm really happy I met someone who helps me grow, and we really understand and support each other. I would be really happy if you could give us your warm support from now on."

Fujimoto plans to continue with her career, but will prioritize her family.

Furthermore, Shouji's agency published his comment. Being obviously very happy, Shouji said, "I've been captivated by Miki's kindness and straightforward personality, so I decided it's about time to seal this almost 2-year-long relationship with a wedding. From now on, we plan to clasp our hands and work hard towards reaching happiness together."

Also, neither of the two plan to open a press conference regarding this engagement.

More at link.

Kirarin Revolution, episodes 95 & 96

2009-03-21T20:40:00.003-04:00

Q.E.D., episode 10 (FINAL)

2009-03-18T19:28:00.000-04:00

Q.E.D. (Q.E.D.証明終了, 2009) is the story of two high school students: Touma, a boy genius who recently transferred from an American M.I.T. school, and Kana, the adventurous daughter of a detective, who team up to solve mysteries.

Touma is going back to the USA? It seems MIT needs him for something, and so he's leaving again. Kana is crushed, but feels she can't stop what he wants to do with his life. After fumbling in kendo from being so distraught and distracted, her friends suggest she join Touma in a school "mock" trial. If she can think for herself and come to the same conclusion as him on her own, she'll gain the "right" to tell him not to go.

Eri Kamei to voice in Jewel Pet

2009-03-15T17:43:00.007-04:00

Morning Musume member Eri Kamei will be making her voice acting debut in the toy line based anime, Jewel Pet. It airs April 5th on TV Tokyo.

Other anime members have acted in:

マイメロ (Onegai My Melody)
きらレボ (Kirarin Revolution)
ジュエルペット (Jewel Pet)
ロビケロ (Robby & Kerobby)

Hopefully somebody will fansub this eventually.

Super Mario Brothers: Peach-hime Kyuushutsu Dai Sakusen

2009-03-14T19:53:00.002-04:00

In this particular story, Mario and Luigi own and run a grocery store. One evening, while Mario is playing a video game, the TV screen goes blank and a pretty girl in pink appears, being chased by various strange creatures. Moments later, she somehow jumps out of the screen and literally into Mario's arms. Her name is Princess Peach, and she knows of the legendary heroes, Mario and Luigi, and asks for help. But he doesn't really live up to that when Bowser shows up moments later and he's too cowardly to protect her - this results in Peach getting taken away, leaving only her brooch behind. Luigi thinks Mario is simply delusional from too many videos games and doesn't take him seriously, until he spots the gem and recognizes it as being incredibly rare and valuable. Soon after a dog-like creature enters their grocery store and snatches it from the daydreaming plumber, leading to an angry chase across the Mushroom Kingdom.

I must confess, this is one of the strangest anime I've ever seen. Seriously, it's not something you'd expect (or maybe you would if you knew Japanese culture well enough). There's a wizard who sends them off on their quest to rescue Princess Peach, Luigi getting hold of drug-like mushrooms that make you laugh, trouble making Goomba who lead them astray, and annoying (and frequent) walking to music sequences - among other things. And guess what? Koopa is actually an awkward fellow with a nerdy voice - it's true! I'd really only recommend this to big Super Mario Bros fans or anybody who lives for weird stuff like this. This movie is incredibly hard to find, and after seeing it, I think I know why.

Q.E.D., episode 9

2009-03-12T21:44:00.004-04:00

Q.E.D. (Q.E.D.証明終了, 2009) is the story of two high school students: Touma, a boy genius who recently transferred from an American M.I.T. school, and Kana, the adventurous daughter of a detective, who team up to solve mysteries.

A member of the Detective Club is spending his evening walking the streets with dowsing rods. The other members won't take him seriously until he actually finds something. It turns out to be a time capsule - and Kana's at that! But she doesn't remember putting it together, and is especially baffled by one particular item - a baseball. It plagues her and plagues her, and with the help of the Detective Club and a handful of classmates, she may slowly gather the clues and find the owner of the item she hid away so long ago in her childhood.

My Little Pony links

2009-03-08T22:43:00.002-04:00

Whether you grew up with them, know a little girl who likes them, or are just curious about this world of glittery ponies, check out these links:

Dream Valley Collector's guide

MLP Arena Fan forum

MLP FAQ

Official Website

Mahoujin Guru Guru OST 1 & 2

2009-03-06T17:52:00.004-05:00

Recently arrived in the mail, there are re released CDs of soundtracks from the anime Mahoujin Guru Guru. They contain pretty much all background music, the first and second ED themes, and the first ED theme. For some strange reason the first OP is not included. For those that find the show cute but don't want to invest $60+ to legally get the music, they're only 1200 yen each.

As for the music itself, it's very cute!

Purchase both at CDJapan

Q.E.D., episode 8

2009-03-04T21:33:00.004-05:00

Q.E.D. (Q.E.D.証明終了, 2009) is the story of two high school students: Touma, a boy genius who recently transferred from an American M.I.T. school, and Kana, the adventurous daughter of a detective, who team up to solve mysteries.

Kunihiko Sendagawa is a college student struggling to pay the bills - he bitterly believes that an excellent, deserving student such as himself going through such a situation is unjust and unfair. Meanwhile, a series of burglaries have been taking place in his neighborhood (which also happens to be Kana's as well), and when he hears about it, finds himself envying the culprit, figuring the thief must live a happy life. So, he decides to pretend to rob his own house! After fooling the police, he decides to go to the second plan and rob his landlord. But when he finds the man dead, he realizes he's in over his head, and one small but important mistake might reveal him.

Retro Disney World links

2009-03-03T16:30:00.003-05:00

Feeling nostalgic for that first trip, or just want to to know what Walt Disney World was like 25 years ago? Check these out!

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

Lost Epcot

Walt Dated World

Yesterland

Q.E.D., episodes 6 & 7

2009-02-27T23:12:00.002-05:00

Q.E.D. (Q.E.D.証明終了, 2009) is the story of two high school students: Touma, a boy genius who recently transferred from an American M.I.T. school, and Kana, the adventurous daughter of a detective, who team up to solve mysteries.

Episode 6:

Touma and Kana visit what has come to be called "The Horror Mansion" to do a school assignment. Apparently during the Showa period, there was a mysterious explosion there, and the previous owner (now owned by Kana's kendo master's grandfather yet left untouched) disappeared. When Kana gets seperated from Touma, she comes across a strange device in the basement, which sends her to a strange place. Somehow she's in the year 1934, and there are clones of the people she knows in the present everywhere - the most important being a Touma lookalike named Touba. Touba has been studying at a university, but the one paying for it recently died. However, if Touba can solve a problem for a distinguished lawyer, he'll take over financing his education. Kana comes along to help, but perhaps her biggest puzzle of all will be figuring out how to get home.

Episode 7:

A strange man, who dresses like a pirate and calls himself "Jack," invites a member of the Detective Club at school to join him in a treasure hunt - Kana asks to tag along out of curiousity. But instead of taking them to some kind of cave, or ocean, or other cliche place to find treasure, they end up at an office building. There, he asks them to take a safe in an office, but his "underlings" (as he calls them) won't do it, making up hasty excuses to leave. But Kana knows that even though they left, the surveilence cameras have already shown them with Jack, so they may be considered his accomplices if the robbery actually takes place. Distraught, Kana goes home to have dinner, when the news reports that a safe has been stolen from that very building. Could it be Jack? She, along with the members of the Detective Club, decide to get to the bottom of things.

Ai Shite Night, episode 3

2009-02-14T21:15:00.005-05:00

(愛してナイト) 1983

It's laundry day for Hashizo and his brother. It's also the day the tot is finally able to convince his brother to meet Yaeko. But when they get back to their apartment from the laundromat, fellow band member Satomi (the purple-haired guy) has a favor to ask of Go, so Go decides his friend's plea is more urgent. Dejected, Hashizo goes to visit his female friend anyway, and gets a free meal and trip to the amusement park out of it. While resting after their long day, Hashizo goes off to buy some cold drinks, leaving Yaeko and Juliano to bask in the sun. But Juliano soon leaves, curious about something, and a worried Yaeko follows. There they find Satomi playing tennis with a strange girl, and Yaeko is heartbroken. There's still a chance he could win her heart, however, and when Hashizo sees them he knows his brother and her must meet as soon as possible before it's too late!

Emma, volume 5

2009-02-13T19:58:00.003-05:00

Now that Emma and William know where to find each other, they settle back into their old lives with more ease, even beginning to correspond through letters. There is also a noticeable change in Emma's behavior, confusing the housestaff. William himself becomes a bit different, and it doesn't appear that anyone is happy about it. Meanwhile, we also come to learn just who Mrs. Trollop really is, and why she chose to leave her family life behind to live in quiet solitude.

Morning Musume to perform in US

2009-02-12T16:44:00.002-05:00

From Hello! Online:

Nation’s Largest Anime and Manga Convention Welcomes Japan’s Top Female Group from Hello! Project

Anaheim, California and Tokyo, Japan (February 12, 2009) — With excitement beyond belief, Anime Expo® proudly announces the attendance and performance of Japan’s most celebrated and top all-girl music group MORNING MUSUME (also referred to as “Momusu”) to the nation’s largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. More information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.

The MORNING MUSUME (モーニング娘. Morning Daughter) is a one of a kind all-girl group whose story began in 1997 when Japanese producer TSUNKU♂ held auditions for a female rock vocalist for his band SHARAN Q held on the Japanese TV show ASAYAN. With the five runner-ups from the contest, Tsunku decided to create an all-girl group that sold 50,000 copies of their indies CD single “Ai no Tane” and debuted as MORNING MUSUME. They are the lead group of Hello! Project.

MORNING MUSUME’s first single “Morning Coffee” made a huge splash by hitting the #6 position in the Japanese pop charts within its first week of release. In August of 1998, MORNING MUSUME reached the #1 spot in the Japanese pop charts with their 3rd single “HOLD ON ME”. In 1999, the group had their first nationwide tour with 19 performances in 7 cities for 40,000 fans.

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Alvin & The Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Valentine DVD

2009-02-11T17:38:00.001-05:00

Released in January of 2009, this DVD features episodes centering around Valentine's Day and romance in general.

A Chipmunk Valentine: Brittany is anxiously awaiting for Alvin to ask her to the Valentine Ball, but Alvin will have no part of it. He's suffered his share of heartbreak in the past, and can't handle another rejection. In a dream state from listening to some self-esteem tapes, he becomes Captain Chipmunk, heartbreaking ladies man.

Dr. Simon and Mr. Heart-Throb: While being interviewed by Toddler Beat, Alvin accidentally messes something up in Simon's lab. When Simon gets a hold of the mistake, he becomes the handsome and dashing Mr. Heart-Throb. Being able to woo the girls with ease, he comes to prefer his alter-ego.

Dear Diary: The Chipettes get their own diaries, but can't help snooping in each others, leading to a gross misunderstanding and fight for the heart of a boy.

Theodore and Juliet: Try as he might, Theodore can't get the girl he likes to notice him. What's worse, she likes Alvin!