Operation Rebox | Click to enlarge

Ah, my sad but necessary “Operation Rebox”…

Whoa, while I can’t beat the number of boxes in the earlier “Room O Boxes” post, I’m grateful too! Especially if I have to “rebox” all of my opened figures before my eventual house-move in the next few months. So, as a loose follow-up to the Triple Monitor post, here’s my 12-step “Operation Rebox“. Wish me luck! T_T;

“Team Kaibigan” Logo | Click to enlarge

Another unusual story… So on Tuesday, 03 June 2008, my friend Melánie asked me out-of-the-blue to design a couple of logos for her friend Christine Toledo, the #1-ranked Muay Thai fighter in the USA and #3-ranked in the world. So for a free Thai-food lunch and a free T-shirt, why not? LOL ^_^; And so…

(1) The first one is a “Team Kaibigan” logo (kaibigan is the Filipino word for “friend”) to represent Christine’s fans and supporters. One in color, one in black-on-white, and one in white-on-black, depending on the T-shirt.

(2) The second one is a generic-but-stylish white-on-black “triple star and sun” design based on the Filipino flag. Whattaya think? Not bad for 2 last-minute logos thrown together in 2 hours?

Filipino “Triple Star and Sun” Logo | Click to enlarge

(3) Two weeks later, here’s me in the office, bending the company dress code and modeling my free Christine Toledo “The Blade” T-shirt. Check out the Filipino Star Logo printed on the hip side! Cell-photo taken by Melánie, lol. ^_^

xJAYMANx in his free Christine Toledo “The Blade” T-Shirt | Click to enlarge

SOS Danny - A Wikipedia Tale | Click to enlarge

For the humble readers of DannyChoo.com, I’ve got a short-lived (March 2nd to April 9th) tale which I’d forgotten to tell till now… Several months back on March 2nd, I was writing a blog entry quoting Danny, and wanted to reference him without citing his blog. Instinctively, I searched Wikipedia. But nothing. No Danny Choo. So what did I do? I decided to create an entry for him.

From that point on, 95% of the credit goes to *DOSGuy* (thanx dude!) for developing the Danny Choo article to its fullest. However, despite attempts to reinforce the entry over its several-week history, the article was speedily deleted on April 9th for failing to meet the guidelines of “notability”. Which, I admit, is understandable. Self-advertised popularity doesn’t necessarily equal encyclopedic noteworthiness (and vice-versa).

Luckily and incredibly, *DOSGuy* saved a copy of the article and still hosts it under his user page here.

So months later, the question remains: Do we have anything to add to the article that might make it good enough (notable enough) for resubmission? Should we care about Wikipedia or “notability”? After all, if indeed we have something, we can still edit it. In other words, S.O.S. = Save Our Stormtrooper Danny. ^_^;

P.S. Thanx *Chun*, I hope I can borrow your “seal of shock”. ^_^;

Blue-Haired Babes | Click to enlarge

Thanx *nomadicotaku* for the idea… Got a fave blue-haired babe? (Bad captions not included, lol.)

Here are pretty much all of the blues in my collection. Seems like anime has the monopoly on blue hair, lol… Though I’m not including Kaname (from FMP) since her hair is kinda aqua-turquoise green, or Hazuki (from Moon Phase) since her hair is kinda violet-purplish. I think? ^_^;

Mirai’s Rival Akiko | Click to enlarge

Yup, Mirai’s Rival *Akiko* is finally complete! Well, sorta, 1 of 4 is complete, lol… Compared to my previous *Akiko* post, I’ve added shading/lighting to the eyes, hair, arm, gun and body. Vector is so much more efficient and effective than conventional bitmap, especially at 1680 or 2400 pixels. Keep in mind, she’s only 1 of 4 pieces in an overall *Akiko* layout, hence the 25-percent (25-day) per piece estimate. But I’ll manage, lol. And as always, thanx to Danny for the inspiration and creation of the Mirai Universe. ^_^

BONUS - For an added bonus, here’s my *Akiko* fanfic below… Coincidentally, I too was a high school salutatorian (class rank #2 of 500+) with a crush on the tall pretty blonde athlete (rank #3)… EDIT - Added link above to 1680 x 1050 textless wallpaper.

A NEW AR-RIVAL - Fanfic by xJAYMANx - 16 June 2008

P.S. Coincidentally, I was a *mathlete* geek-with-glasses (top trophies too) who graduated as high school salutatorian (class rank #2 of 500+), plus I used to have a crush on Kathy, the tall pretty blonde athlete (rank #3). (Rank #1 was Jon.) Actually, my (one-directional) crush began when Kathy and I first met back in junior high (Jon was at a different junior high). Since she and I were each #1 in our elementary schools, we naturally became pretty intense rivals in junior high, both taking either #1 or #2 in almost everything, haha.

In any classroom, she was the unspoken academic leader of the girls, and I the unspoken leader of the boys. In our homeroom, she sat in front (teacher’s pet), so I’d definitely notice if she’d quickly turn her head to glance back at me, lol. (Not that she had a crush too.) But I remember a time when the math teacher called out a long number while the two of us stood at the blackboard, and I finished chalk-writing the translation into Roman numerals faster than she did, haha. I still recall the boys’ cheers, haha. I also remember a softball game when she wanted to know which aluminum bat I used to get a nice hit. Fascinating. Oddly enough, I also remember a time when we were the only ones in the classroom (she in front, I in back), and she ordered me to turn my head while she changed her pants or skirt (unfortunately, I turned and didn’t see anything ^_^;). (How anime-like is that?) I also remember an informal classroom chess match when I couldn’t look at her or focus at all through my red-faced crushing nervousness. Not my game either. Yup, I lost the match. ^_^; But in the end, writing in my high-school yearbook, she acknowledged: “Remember 6th grade with Mr. S? Ever since, we’ve been neck-and-neck competing with one another and it appears as if the best man won, but not by much! Congratulations…”. Ah, the embarrassing junior-high and high-school days ^_^;

Triple Monitor Goodness | Click for more

Yeah, why not? A photo of my *anime*-style workspace at home. Very little attempt to clean up. Just 48 of my 79-figure collection, plus lots of goodies (and bills, argh).

My setup: (1) Left. 15-inch laptop. About 2.5 years old. My main machine, hooked up to center monitor. Working on Akiko. (2) Center. 20-inch monitor. To watch anime, movies, and check Photoshop graphics. Akiko on top of Purple Mirai. (3) Right. 17-inch desktop. About 4.5 years old. For BitTorrent and Pandora to free up laptop resources. Shiro Otoko & Mirai.

P.S. Planning to buy a 24-inch iMac and 50-inch plasma after I sell my house. ^_^;

P.P.S. Wow, lots of international comments too, hahaha. ^_^;

Mirai’s Tsundere Rival - Progress | Click for more

Got tsundere? Impressed by *Demi-Alucard*s and *ETERNAL*s brilliant suggestion last month to create a *dark-side tsundere rival* for Mirai, I decided to take yet another (my 3rd) fanart risk. (No guts, no glory, eh?)

Although she’s still a rough 14% (14-day) draft, I finally present Mirai Suenaga’s tsundere rival — Akiko *Lucky* Yoshikawa — Class Rank #2 after Mirai’s Rank #1 at the Sorunian TimeSpy Academy. Her slick blue-haired look is based on my Facebook friend Jennie in May 2008, lol. Not bad for my very-first vector-art anime piece, huh? I hope to finish Akiko and her gun’s shading/lighting in the next few weeks. ^_^; Till next update!

P.S. Heartfelt thoughts and wishes to the victims of the Akihabara tragedy. Thanx for the coverage, Danny.

P.P.S. When you click the pic, don’t forget to check out my little sketch-script at the bottom. ^_^

Mirai in Battle Mode - Shadows of Time | Click for more

Better late than never… ^_^;

Asuka with Motorcycle 2 | Image from E2046

Damn, over two months since my last anime post! Sorry about that, lol. Crap happens. Nevertheless, better late than never, eh? ^_^

Well, back on Feb 28th, when I received the E2046 Newsletter #110 “Asuka with Motorcycle 2″ in my email, I was totally blown away!!! A breathtaking 1/6-scale depiction of the fiesty Asuka from the classic anime “Evangelion”, boasting her sexy leather outfit, straddling her heavily detailed bike, and grasping a tall can of who-knows-what in her left hand, haha. In both a red version and a black version! Simply amazing! Obviously not PVC material, but is she still worth the $280.00 USD price tag? Wow, if I could only add her to my collection…

Hmmm, I think I like Asuka more in her signature red, but then again, she looks good in black too! If you could, which would you choose? ^_^

Photo 2766 by xJAYMANx | Click to enlarge

Nahhh, I don’t think anime itself is falling or failing, but perhaps my ongoing time and energy (and thus need) for anime is fading into my own personal “downfall of anime”. Let me explain…

Ever since the end of January 2008, with the annual company meeting at Las Vegas headquarters, my role has been infused with a new purpose and passion, not felt since I joined in November 2005. Coupled with my new look and risky search for a new house, my invigorated outlook has filtered into more confident, even outgoing, interactions with colleagues and friends. Which is quite bewildering. Consequently, while I still love anime and admire the artistry it symbolizes (and will continue to symbolize) in my life, I no longer feel an overwhelming need to “escape” into it for hours, days, or months at a time. Funny how I didn’t really see anime as a “psychological escape” or “social crutch” until I somehow found myself standing outside it.

“[I] occasionally write posts on how important it is to have a destination in life and remain focused.”

~ Danny Choo, popular blogger of Japanese culture. See Wikipedia archive.

Danny Choo and his blog still represent a significant part of that artistic admiration. But I also admire him enough to respectfully disagree with his views, as they apply (and don’t apply) to me. I guess that’s the mark of becoming less of a follower and more of a traveller setting out on my own path. With respect to his quote above, perhaps not everyone can find his “true destination” in life. Some may be “lucky” to find one. But others may be just as “lucky” not to find one. For myself, the journey itself holds more meaning than any destination. Which naturally entails many destinations, whether they’re willfully sought or unintentionally found. Here’s a quote below which still strikes a chord in me.

“If you knew where you came from and where you’re going, it wouldn’t be a real journey. On a real journey, you’ve already forgotten where you came from, and you have no idea where you’re going. That’s what I think it’s like. Yeah, everything is just coincidence on a journey. It’s nothing but a string of coincidences.”

~ Yukito Kunisaki, traveling puppeteer from the anime film “Air” (2005), directed by Osamu Dezaki and written by Makoto Nakamura, based on the visual novel of the same name by Key. See Wikipedia article.

While I don’t think “everything” is comprised of “coincidences”, the idea that a “real journey” holds no “true destination” carries a ring of truth. I admit this could be interpreted as an excuse for sloth or indifference. Then again, focusing on a single “destination” could be interpreted as restricting yourself to a limited path and view of life, right? What do you say to the mother who willingly gives up her life-long dream to care for her first newborn son? What do you tell the successful executive who has painstakingly reached all of his goals to find emptiness at the top? Not everyone can find their purpose or goal in life, or even be assured of happiness if they do find it. Some are destined to find purpose or happiness through hard work. Some are lucky to find it by chance. But for those who don’t, maybe they can find their meaning simply through the search itself. Not a careless or heartless search, but perhaps a more mindful and heartfelt one.

On rare occasions, I wonder what my life might’ve looked like had I found that one unshakable purpose. And other times, I’m happy where I am, whom I’ve met, and what I’ve accomplished just because I wanted to… But don’t worry, I haven’t given up on my anime figure photoshoots yet, lol.