I haven’t written a post in over a year. This blog is dead. To me and about 5 other people, we will look back on this website and think “Natsukashii~” (Get it? Because it’s the name AND the expression! THAT’S how clever I once was). Others will look back and scoff, especially after that last attempt to be funny. I doubt don’t think anyone during my “time” (which I have deemed The Golden Age of ani-blogging) still blogs, either. Well, I cant say “doubt” because I haven’t actually checked, but I think it’s a safe assumption. I also think it is okay to claim that I am officially an oldbie now. I don’t even know if Lolikit still blogs and he’s the one who hosts me. What I DO know, is that my hero Garten doesn’t blog anymore. I always wanted to meet him, shake his hand, thank him, kidnap him and have him tell me bed time stories… anything. Unfortunately, that stuff wont happen and  it seems I’m going off on a tangent already, so I’ll get to that in a bit. I need to set it all up first:

The other day, I was killing time before going out to dinner so I decided to check up on Anime Nano. After skimming the first two pages, NOTHING was familiar to me. “How could that even be possible?”, I asked myself, but with more profanity and saying something entirely different (the idea is the same though). I used to check Anime News Network, Blogsuki, Animeblogger.net, Anime Nano, Tokyo Toshokan, and all these different blogs religiously. I would put aside at least an hour everyday to go through the works and catch up on the latest news and start downloading the “it” shows. I WAS AT THE TOP OF MY GAME. I KNEW WHAT EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT. I WAS THE SHIT (hence the caps).

Now, I go to none of them and recognize nothing (here, caps are only at the beginning of the sentence and proper nouns). Read the remainder of this entry »

So I’m supposed to be paying attention in class when my eyes wander across the large periodic table hung up on the auditorium walls and it just sticks out to me like a sore thumb. I cant believe I never noticed this:

I really should start paying more attention…

…that was until I read the recently translated chapter of Nana.  THEN the results ended in tears.  My boyfriend had the nerve to question my mental health!  Arse!  Okay so read chapter 78 and not be pissed….

I actually HAVE been away from civilised internet connections for quite some time, hence the lack of blogging activity, however I can’t reveal any details of my time away.  To do so would be a breach of national security in some random country you don’t care about…

Anyway, that aside.  I am back (and yes I pity all of you for having to put up with my dumb rants) and I need to blog like a maniac.  While I was away someone brainwashed me into liking Cat Street, and then they made a drama out of it… get ready to be inflicted by my fangirlisim.  AND YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE?!

I LOL now…  Love & Martinis,

Newt (New With Tags)

I didn’t go to NYAF, but I’ve watched about 5 minutes of the video of the anime blogging panel so far and all I gotta say is… NEEDS MOAR HUNG-HOSTING.

This doesn’t count: Clever, play on words, JPMEYER… “DAN-GO”…

Oh, the irony…

So I’m a bit pissed about the ending of Tetsuwan Birdy Decode which is a bit weird because I didn’t have any expectations going into this show, and while it was actually pretty good it’s not top 10 by any means. The reason why I’m pissed is perhaps a minor detail to some, or even a boon to the show to others but it really got under my skin.

I’m talking about the god damn piss poor cowardly cop out between Senkawa and Nagasuki. Memory loss? You have got to be f-.. did they just do that? What was the point of slowly building up their relationship and actually giving them some great chemistry if you’re just going to throw it all away in the end. It’s time to grow a pair and actually show some progression and development at the end of a show instead of this reset bullshit.

There’s a friending meme spreading around the Livejournal fangirl blogs where one lists down a series that she feel has a small fandom, and through the meme, eventually meets other like-minded individuals who also enjoy the anime/manga, thus making small fandom feel not-so small.

(Though, of course you have the one kid who puts down Code Geass as a “small fandom,” to the bemusement and confusion of all.)

Has this been important to you?  Is it important to you that there are a lot of other people who also like the same series as you do?

Having a Livejournal vs. an anime blog, the online community dynamics are remarkably different.  Through LJ, you can add a particular series on your “interests list” and discover other people who have put it down on their own profiles.  That’s not the case with the anime blogosphere, where it can take many pages of reading through someone’s blog (or archives) to really figure out if you have things in common. It’s easier to feel alone in the otakusphere, especially if you’re blogging about a series or a topic that isn’t on the radar of the average blogger.

When I used to write-up episodic summaries, I did feel somewhat weird that I would be the only person writing up Show X, when everybody else was writing about Show Y. (Granted, there were far less anime blogs then, but there I am sounding like an old fogey again.)  Was I so weird that my tastes only gravitated to shows that no one in their right mind would watch?

To be honest though, there’s a lot to be said for liking obscure things. Even this past Otakon, I met a couple of girls who were diehard Immortal Rain cosplayer/fans. When they realized that I had the only fansite devoted to the series, it was instant recognition. It definitely had the feeling of being in a secret club where you don’t even know who the other members are, but when you see each other, it’s almost like you’ve known each other forever. If you’re in a small fandom, you feel a greater solidarity with the other fans, who have probably felt just as isolated as you have, so knowing that you share this interest is the one way of reaching out.

So maybe it’s not so bad to admit that you like a series that only five people have read. I would even suggest writing and blogging so that you always end up as one of the first hits on any search engine, not just Google. Fans are created everyday, and what may have been a small fandom today may be tomorrow’s next big thing.

You know what I say to that? LAPE LAPE LAPE SETSUGAI SETSUGAI SE YOOOOO~

Okay, enough of that. I mean, how funny is this show? It’s literally IS laugh out loud funny.

I was first very skeptic about it at first, I admit. I had the OVA just chilling on my laptop for a long while and it was only when I saw the trailer for the live action DMC movie, I immediately had the urge to go check out the OVA. Add that to the fact that this is animated by Studio 4 [Degree] C, I thought this would just be another one of those weird messed up shows that just scares the crap out of me.

Okay, so this is show IS one of those weird messed up shows that scares the crap out of me. Huh. Go figure. Yet, I cant help but enjoy this show immensely. Could it be the fast pacing, the comedic timing, and/or the overall low budget animation? Whatever it is, I’m hooked and I look forward to the next episode… or half an episode, if you consider 23 minutes a full episode. POINT IS, IT’S KICK ASS.

Read the remainder of this entry »

Rather, it was all my /choice fault and “Weeaboo 101″ is actually “Japanese 101″.

So classes started today for me and in an attempt to raise my cellar-dwelling gpa, I decided to take Japanese 101. I mean, how bad could it be? I have so many things going for me: 1) My roomate is at least a lvl 4 Japanese speaker 2) I watch so much dramas and anime, I know a bunch of random and maybe necessary phrases already 3) It’s a 101 course. If High School was any indication, at least the first stage should be chump change.

Deshou? Things are good. That is, until I get there and we actually start speaking the language. I dunno what’s wrong. I’m Asian. So if an Asian language comes out of my mouth, it SHOULD seem normal. But I guess being a closet fan of anime and doramas just makes this a little awkward for me. I straight up dislike weeaboos. Those who would see a Naruto plushie at my local bookstore and just squeel “Kawaii~”. Those who yell “Sugoi~” every chance she got at Otakon. Those people.

So when I start learning the language legit and saying the stuff, it sorta just stumbles out of my mouth awkwardly, yet it’s so crisply said in my head. We did greetings today. “Hajimemashite” and the such. IT JUST FELT SO WEIRD. I felt very hypocritical. I mean, it’ll probably go away over time seeing as I may have to take more courses to minor in East Asian Studies but for now… Yappei.

First Irrelevant Subject UNLESS YOU KNOW: Code Geass R2 Ep.19

Infamous S1 Nina Scene

This episode just pissed me off all around. Not, legitimately “[you] pissed me off”, but pissed me off in the sense that I was into the episode -well, as much as I could get into it as I could be seeing how downhill Geass is heading, but I digress- and if it was real, I’d be pissed. Everyone overall sucked. LeDouche, being who he is, is generally annoying and no where even close to epic anymore, but I was on his side for this episode.

Everyone who betrayed him, pissed me off. No matter the means, the guy got you to where you were and of course you have to take some sacrifices. Of course, trying to play hero or something, he could’ve told them the truth but he’s one of those “take it as another chip on your shoulder” guys… Or he’s just stupid. I wouldn’t be too sad if he died, it’s just that everyone else sucked more than him this episode.

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While the rest of our fellow anime enthusiasts peruse selections from upcoming fall shows, this sporadic-anime-watcher-cum-blogger focuses her energy on a single title. Yes, one. It’s sad, but true.

source: Sweet Revenge

Skip Beat!, a Yoshiki Nakamura creation, centers on Kyoko Mogami, an average girl with average looks, timid personality, and low ambition. That is, until Shou Fuwa, a rising J-Pop artist and her bosom buddy, betrayed her. The horrendous circumstance unlocked her Pandora’s box, unleashing all the negative vibe repressed from childhood. Kyoko sought immediate transformation. A bleached-out and made-up wanna-be actress replace the frumpy looks. She peels off timidity and showcases her true self. Revenge becomes her middle name.

Set amidst a surreal and unlikely showbiz backdrop, Ms. Nakamura surrounds Kyoko with indelible characters. A Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde love interest, an egotistical third party, a uber-flamboyant studio president, a tsundere potential-best friend (it makes sense when you’ve read the manga), a romance-angling lackey, a demon kid, and I can go on and on and on. But, you know, spoiler-y stuff.

Of course. all this is done in awesomely typical Nakamura-styling, outrageous humor, loads of dialogue, and lots of satisfyingly gooey romance.

More SB pimping after the jump:

My favorite Skip Beat! cover art evah!

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