Blog 201 > Red Cliffs, Redheads & Ragers

What’s up, my Traveling Toyboxers? Nothing? Bored? Excited? In any case, here’s another week-swept mega-cast to fuel your anime and otaku flames! We’ll blast through internationally bursting bubbles, dig into personally detonated distractions, escape under exploding red-cliffed enemies, battle between buxom red-headed babes, and scale over red-raging blog-shifting transitions! Lots of red indeed! No, not red Mother’s Day roses, haha. But pretty much everything else! Now enough of this procrastinating prattle. Get ready. Get set. Go! Now let’s start this scarlet-tinged show…

Part 1 of 5 > International Downfall of Anime

Starting off, if you’ve been following the anime news over the past week, you’ll know that the state of the anime industry has been called into question. Beginning with the Anime News Network article “Anime is a Bubble that Burst” (04 May 2009), and followed by the Sankaku Complex post “Anime Bubble is Burst” (05 May 2009) and the Danny Choo post “Anime Decline” (08 May 2009), the ongoing issues of fan-subbing, file-sharing, and quality versus quantity resurfaced with a finger-pointing intensity once more.

Here’s the Anime News Network article.

Here’s the Sankaku Complex post the next day.

And here’s the Danny Choo post several days after that.

But is everyone missing the bigger picture? The bigger point?

While everyone seems to be focussing their attention on the flashy mediocre quality or flooding over-repetition of “moe” and “mecha” titles within anime, there may be a larger concern. It may not simply be a matter of two or three over-saturated genres within the anime spectrum, but in fact, it may be a matter of the over-saturation of the entire “anime” genre within the full-ranged live-to-recorded-to-animated television spectrum! Fortunately, all is not lost, lol. Just as music genres ebb and flow with an over-abundance of “hard rock” then “metal” then “grunge”, television genres fall and rise in the same way with viewers flowing from “sit-coms” to “sci-fi” to “dramas” to “reality” to whatever else might be the fresh flavor of the day.

So why not anime too? Cyclically rising and then falling?

Think of it this way. Even if every new anime production shines with spectacularly high-quality animation, vocal performance and fan-subbing at the same high-volume rate of distribution and downloads for the next ten years, does that mean viewers will never be over-saturated with too many titles? Will they never turn to live-action television? Or reality shows? Or sports?

Haha, George Lucas (Blog 195) might have the right idea with his current 3D-animated “Clone Wars” series (Blog 194) and upcoming live-action “Clone Wars” series too! Yup, he’s a genius after all, lol.

 

Part 2 of 5 > Personal Downfall of Anime [Part 2]

Now from “international downfalls”, let’s zoom in on “personal downfalls”, so to speak, lol. To begin painting the consuming context, let’s refresh ourselves with a stream of loosely connected quotes. First, on her infamous post “K-On! Sucks (Rant Rant Rant)” (15 April 2009), one of Angry Mimi-chan’s various comments included the following characteristic quote, haha.

“Geez this is my blog… and it’s the internet. I can say whatever the hell I want.”

~ Angry Mimi (20 April 2009)

Next, from his introspective post “The Disappearance of the Mysterious Youth” (04 May 2009), Aprilius20 made an unexpected reference to an impromptu quote I made on one of his previous posts, lol.

Here’s my impromptu quote.

“A true rebel tends to be a loner. While a true loner tends to, well, disappear.”

~ xJAYMANx (01 May 2009)

With these posts and quotes in mind, I stumbled upon one of Danny’s latest “inspirational” posts “7pm in Tokyo – Lalaport” (04 May 2009), listing his current goals over the next several years. Buying a new house. Opening a new restaurant. Opening a new zakka store. Impressive goals indeed.

Naturally, Danny’s post reminded me of my own humble path. From Architecture student to Civil Engineering student to Technical Writer to Online-Help Web Developer, and if we skip the dot-com-crashing detours into Mortgage Agent and Real Estate Agent, finally returning to Technical Writer by day and Otaku Blogger by night, lol. In turn, these thoughts reminded me of my previous “goals and destinations” post “Blog 128 > Downfall of Anime” (02 March 2008) over a year ago!

Here’s one excerpt from Blog 128.

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… 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.

And another excerpt.

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… 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… 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.

~ xJAYMANx (02 March 2008)

Hehe, to be fair, a reader on my Blog 128 pointed out that Danny pretty much said the same thing in his New Year’s post “Destination” (01 January 2006) more than two years ago! Which I vaguely remember reading, lol. Here are some excerpts from that post.

One doesn’t have to decide on just one destination and have that as the be all and end all. Destinations may change from time to time but we need a destination, a direction that we should be headed in. If you are interested in getting what you want from life then I recommend that you always have an idea of where you are going and how you are going to get there…

So just an example, one of my “destinations” is to eventually start my own company and be wealthy from the company’s earnings – and at the same time enjoy the path I take…

So how about those who haven’t discovered their destination? Well there are some who don’t particularly care but if you do care then you could start to take a look at what you like and what you do best. You will always end up excelling when you are doing something that you enjoy and are passionate about – passion is like an orb of energy within you that enables you to be engaged and focused on your destination.

~ Danny Choo (01 January 2006)

While the pursuit of material wealth or fame has never been my highest priority as much as nurturing an ongoing relationship or marriage, whether or not it ultimately ended in separation or divorce, I’d be lying if I said I never thought about being rich, lol. Who hasn’t? After all, wouldn’t it be nice to take a few intercontinental cruises every year? Drive a few different luxury cars every week? Especially with a girl I can share them with? Nevertheless, as I write this, I’ve been content to live within my means, create within my imagination, blog within my interests, and love within my passions… Now there’s a decent quote right there, haha.

Having said all that, from “blogs and hells” to “rebels and loners” to “goals and destinations”, here’s one final quote to tickle your fancy and quench your reality.

“Goals and plans are simply organized distractions. After all, everything in life is a distraction, planned or not.”

~ xJAYMANx (09 May 2009)

 

Part 3 of 5 > The Battle of Red Cliff [Part 2]

Speaking of distractions, on 04 May 2009, I finally finished watching the 2009 Chinese film Red Cliff – Part II (2009), the spectacular two-hour conclusion to the first two-hour chapter Red Cliff – Part I (2008). In other words, epic distraction! If you want to see an Asian-flavored “Lord of the Rings” without all of the crazy elves, ugly dwarves and weirdo wizards, then by all means, catch these films now! Indomitable 5 of 5 stars!

To celebrate, here are several glorious high-resolution posters for “Part II”.

 

 

 

 

That was “Part II”. Now here’s “Part I” once more. To refresh your flickering memories, here’s my dazzling review “Blog 163 > Battle of Red Cliff” (21 September 2008) from last year, lol.

Spectacular! Absolutely spectacular!… If you love foreign dramas set in ancient history, weathered with military struggles, and endowed with an epic grandeur reminiscent of “The Lord of the Rings”, you’ll love the 2008 Chinese film Red Cliff (2008).

Centering around two of my all-time favorite Asian actors, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (Chungking Express, 2046, Infernal Affairs, In the Mood for Love) as military commander Zhou Yu, and Takeshi Kaneshiro (Chungking Express, House of Flying Daggers) as military strategist Zhuge Liang, the two must work together to defeat a common imperial threat. Not to spoil it too much, but my favorite scene is when the commander and strategist take a rare moment from inevitable military decisions to indulge in their musical expertise on the Chinese guqin zither. Quite a duet (or duel) to behold! Not afraid of the occasional light-hearted relief or breathless touch of romance to cast the violence into perspective, this film delivers an unyielding 5 of 5 stars!

Here’s the musical duel from “Part I”. Master versus master!

And here’s the riveting trailer for “Part I”!

A couple of pretty posters!

 

Plus a half-dozen wicked wallpapers!

 

 

 

 

 

Need I say more?

 

Part 4 of 5 > The Battle of Redheads

Ah yes! From burning red cliffs to blazing redheads! Before Yoko Littner from “Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann” (2007), there was Ignis from “Chaos Gate Jingai Makyo” (2005 eroge).

Who’s Ignis? What? You’ve never heard of her? You’ve never heard of one of the most-popular figures of 2006? Haha, have you been living in a cave? In a red cliff? LOL, well, I first blogged about her in my pre-Toybox post “Post 427” (30 November 2006) over two years ago. Then two months later, in my Toybox post “Blog 036” (10 January 2007). The pose. The dress. The detail. The hair. The blazing red hair!

So to continue the periodic “unlocking” of my ancient figure photoshoots, here’s my fifth “unlocked” photoshoot. Here she is! Here is Ignis (Max Factory, 1/7th-scale) from the “Chaos Gate Jingai Makyo” eroge!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Damn! Not bad for a two-year-old photoshoot, eh? Even now, I still think she’s one of the finest figures in any respectable collection. Don’t you agree? I mean, Ignis and her scarlet katana could slice down Yoko and her oversized rifle, any day and any night, lol. Not only that, Ignis’ black-and-white outfit blows Yoko’s wardrobe malfunctions out of the water! Although I wouldn’t mind seeing Yoko in that black-and-white dress either, hehe. Redheaded catfight anyone?

For more eye candy, here are my previous unlocked photoshoots! Enjoy!

Previously Unlocked Photoshoots

I’ll ask again. Redheaded catfight anyone?

 

Part 5 of 5 > The Melancholy of Mimi’s Rage

Haha, nahhh, no melancholy here. Just transitions and congratulations. Yup, congratulations, Angry Mimi-chan, on your move from AngryLoli@Blogger to AngryMimi.com! You finally graduated to WordPress.org, lol. May your blog live long and prosper! Angrily ever after!

So feel free to check out AngryMimi.com. “All hope abandon, ye who enter here.” Hahaha.

 


Yes-yes, my Tiger-Toothed Toyboxers! How did we do? Did we fuel your anime and otaku flames? Yes? Did we blast through internationally bursting bubbles? Dig into personally detonated distractions? Escape under exploding red-cliffed enemies? Battle between buxom red-headed babes? And scale over red-raging blog-shifting transitions? Yeah, I know, I know. Like I said, lots of red! Of course, let’s not forget to thank our guest Toyboxers! Thank you, Sankaku, Danny, Aprilius, the cast of “Red Cliff”, redheaded Yoko-chan, redheaded Ignis-chan, and as always, Angry Mimi-chan! Did we forget to thank our Moms? Did we forget to wish them a Happy Mother’s Day? Nahhh, I’m safe, lol. For now. Are we done?

Till next broadcast. Peace. Out.

“Hi Raquele, lol.”

 

Final Flashback

“Got wings?”

 

41 thoughts on “Blog 201 > Red Cliffs, Redheads & Ragers

  1. Has the anime “bubble” bust? I do think there’s an over abundance. And especially of particular genres. It’s usually fine if there’s an over abundance but of many different things, because people who prefer specific genres will gravitate toward them. But when it’s over saturated with the same genres, less people will watch, I think, and those that do watch have to choose between them. There’s also an over abundance of crap, but that happens in any medium all the time. The video game industry is suffering from an over abundance of shovel ware titles, which may be a boom for the casual market, but prevents the core gamers (the ones who spend the most money) from spending their money on the industry.

    I think it’s a natural progression. It got super popular, so there was a huge burst of product, but the consumer can’t keep up with that constantly, so it will naturally quiet down, and then likely burst again later. I would imagine; I don’t know much about economics really, but that seems the logical progression to me.

    On goals and destinations:
    My life is pretty aimless. I don’t have any goals or ambitions really. I’m just sort of lost, I guess. I have been for a while. I have an amazing, supportive man in my life who takes care of me and has near infinite patience; I am endlessly thankful for this. But I also recognize that it’s a problem, because I think I’ve become too complacent. It’s…strange. And it’s difficult to talk about and explain. Because I definitely want something MORE out of life. I want to impact the world in some way, be remembered somehow. But I’m just sort of stuck, and I don’t know how to break out; and I’m not really sure I WANT to either. It’s a struggle, it’s a cycle, and I’m fortunate to have the time and opportunity to work through it…but I’m just scared, probably. I’ve rarely had to really work for anything before; it all just sort of happened naturally (yeah, I was one of those people, lol).

    Red Cliff:
    Are these Romance of the Three Kingdoms films? I may have to watch them.
    But elves aren’t crazy and wizards aren’t weird!
    Saved them on my Netflix, but there’s no listed release date.

    On Mother’s Day:
    Some last minute shopping (the Saturday before, lol). I usually don’t give my mother anything but a phone call. But my boy said I should get her something. Had few (none) ideas. We went to Target and I found a few movies I thought she might like: Footloose, Flash Dance and The Holiday. So hopefully that goes over well when she gets it. Along with a slightly humorous card from Hallmark. I hate shopping for cards; they’re either entirely too sappy (and I’m not that close with my family), or horrifically UNfunny. Or they just don’t fit my family dynamic. Like mom cards talking about how a mom takes care of the house, etc, because my dad did all of that. I ended up with a card that, on the front, had a little cartoony angel thing and said “Happy Mother’s Day from the ‘good one.'” Then inside it says “Just kidding. It’s from me.” I actually AM the good one, so I’m not really sure it’s fitting, lol. Depends on how its read.

    And, aw, look: it’s my Saikano blog banner, while I’m posting! It doesn’t really look too bad! I need to watch that show again soon.

    Kris´s last blog post > Legend of Crystania

  2. you finally got 201 out. I do think that the anime bubble has burst and the reason why is that a lot anime ideas are being recycled and people are getting bored. I see the same ideas coming back every anime season and I’m starting to watch less and less anime.

    Otaku Dan´s last blog post > My Business Cards

  3. If the problem is that everything is just more of the same, then watch the stuff that’s different.

    Watch the Allison and Lilias, the Niju-Menso no Musumes (Daughter of Twenty Faces), the Nodame Cantabiles, the Natsume Yujin-Chos.

    There’s so much great stuff that gets buried underneath shows like K-On and Strike Witches (I’m not saying they’re bad, but they do tend to overshadow other perfectly good, and sometimes far better, shows).

    Kris´s last blog post > Legend of Crystania

  4. Bah, I barely watch anime as it is. Mostly 2 a season at most, or I’m watching older stuff. And now I think my sister has been succeeding in making me gravitate towards western cartoons as well. Ooh- I see now, I must be part of the downfall…

    Why is Aprilius20 blog orange? O_o It’s blue on my side.

    My parents borrowed the Red Cliff movies from a family friend a while back and it was one of those “record in the theater” DVDs. Had people coughing and laughing in the middle of it. xD

    Ah Ignis… She looks like a rather intriguing character. I haven’t heard of any groups translating Chaos Gate yet though. :<

  5. @Kris-chan: [Anime Bubbles] Yeah, that’s the question. I still think it’s a cyclical “ebb and flow”, not quite a “bursting bubble”. But the panic makes for eye-catching news, lol. Exactly, I agree. Happens in all media. Supply and demand. Ebb and flow… Luckily for me, I always have a refreshing mix of anime (whether it’s old, new, over-popular or under-rated) with the occasional sprinkle of live-action sci-fi or foreign epics. So I don’t feel this “bursting” as sensitively as other otaku might, lol… [Goals & Destinations] Yeah, been there. Or maybe I’m still there! Aimlessness. Allure of complacency. But I’ve been having a bit of fun with it. Blogging. Foosball. Photoshop art. Even indie-film acting. Stay tuned, lol. But I think I know what u mean. In my case, there’s no one single-most passion that outweighs all others. So there’s no clear destination that’s calling me. But that’s fine, lol. Even if my rowboat drifts in a dozen different directions across a dozen different islands, I might as well sight-see, right? But hey, that’s how my marriage went. She found me, we got together, we followed her family to Vegas, so I just rolled with the flow. But nowadays, independence has been both intimidating yet inspirational to me! Choosing what I want without asking permission!… [Red Cliff] Haha, there’s probably been a dozen “Three Kingdoms” films over the decades, but if there’s only version to watch, *this* is it. The one with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Takeshi Kaneshiro. Both of whom u should definitely recognize! But beware of the Westernized-Americanized version! According to Wiki, both two-hour parts will be condensed into a single 2 1/2-hour film! Ah, the shame! So stick with the original 4-hour set, lol…[Mother’s Day] Awww, seems so sad! Meanwhile, I ordered 1-800-flowers. As always. And she loved them. As always! Some pink roses and lilies in a clear glass vase. Awww… [Banners] Heyyy, I told u having a banner would be cool! Maybe your readership has grown as a result? A little? ^_^;

    @Dan-man: Hey, thanx, man! Really? Burst? So u think so? Like I told Kris-chan above, doesn’t affect *me* so much because of my awesome mix, lol. Don’t worry. Sometimes when I get overloaded on anime, I switch to live-action sci-fi or foreign titles. Then I switch back! Pretty easy, lol.

    @Kris-chan: Pretty good answer, lol. For an otaku, Otaku Dan isn’t quite as resourceful as I thought, haha. Just kidding!

    @Coco-chan: Awww, I guess u can no longer be called an “otaku”, eh? Haha, cool idea! Stay tuned for the latest anime hit from Gonzo called “Coco the Downfall”. Action. Suspense. And a bit of melancholy. Awww… Oh! I just altered the “Aprilius” hue to orange so it better matched my red-themed “Blog 201”, lol. That’s all. Same thing with the “Anime News Network” screencap, hehe… You mean, a “Red Cliff” bootleg? Wow, haha. Yeah, my mom fell for one of those video bootlegs in NYC once. But the coughing and laughing? Wouldn’t that *really* be distracting? I just hope your folks returned it to whomever they borrowed it from, as fast as possible!… Yeah, Ignis. Are u saying there’s a “Jingai Makyo” anime out there? And I haven’t noticed? >_<;

  6. @Jay: Er, should I just reply here? lol.

    Yeah, Twackers. Not really nutritious but you munch on them if there’s not much else around.

    Gonzo producing an anime about the downfall of anime? How ironic. x3 It will probably just be 23 minutes of me watching South Park or old 90s cartoons. Or *gasp* me putting my figmas away to make room for G.I Joes? Duhn duhn duhn! Nah, I’m still heavily into figures.

    I should have noticed the color change XD Lol, I’m dumb.

    Yeah, the noises are really distracting. Imagine if a baby started crying! @_@

    There’s not Jingai Makyo anime out there as of yet, I was referring to the visual novel. Wait, according to the TLWiki there IS a group doing it!

    http://www.tsukuru.info/tlwiki/index.php?title=Category:Visual_Novel_Projects

    Only at 5% so far. Hope they don’t give up partway like so many groups do.

    Coco the Bean´s last blog post > Summer Visual Novel Reading

  7. @Jay:
    On goals:
    My hobbies include blogging, anime, Dungeons and Dragons, comics, manga, video games, musicals, reading, writing, singing, editing…. I have a general theatre degree with an English minor. It’s quite the range. My biggest problem I think is that I have a modicum of talent in a LOT of skills, but I don’t completely excel at any one thing. I know computers, but not enough for professional tech support; I’m an excellent editor, but have no “real” experience; I’m a moderately decent singer, but a poor actress; I can sew, but not enough to create whole pieces or outfits; etc.

    Red Cliff: I think I do recognize at least one of those actors. But I honestly haven’t seen a TON of these kinds of films. I’m currently, slowly, working on remedying that though. I’ve seen the big name ones that were major hits in America (like Crouching Tiger, Hero), so I’ve been finding some of my favorite actors (like Li Gong, who I just love because she’s spectacular) and checking out their films.

    What I saw on Netflix were placeholders (meaning they only had “save” options) for two separate films, Red Cliff 1, Red Cliff 2. They’re both listed with times a bit over 2 hours (each). But, like I said, with “date unknown,” so who knows when I’ll be able to watch them.

    Banners:
    Actually a couple of people from here have ventured to my blog (like aprilius, and thank you for doing so!), though it may be via the “current post” tag at the bottom of posts.

    Kris´s last blog post > Legend of Crystania

  8. @Jay: I see, I see. No problem. I’ve just a tad bit paranoid lately because I think someone hacked into my facebook and was leaving wall posts about me being gay and pregnant. And they were posting when I should have been asleep.
    …I hope its not just me sleep-typing.

  9. @Kris-chan: [Goals] It’s funny. I know what u mean, but from the opposite perspective. For me, back in college, it wasn’t about excelling, but having the passion. For example, I did okay in Architecture school, but the people (both fellow students and the professors) didn’t really give me incentive or inspiration. Then when I switched to Civil Engineering, the math and mechanics weren’t so hard. But I didn’t feel passionate about it. Then when I pursued a master’s in Transportation Engineering, I didn’t have the drive to finish my final thesis. Instead, I moved to another state with my then-girlfriend (now-ex-wife) and found a temp job to help pay for our new place together. In a lot of ways, your “excellence” mirrors my “passion”… [Red Cliff] Ah, I see. I thought you’d already seen much more, lol. In my case, I’m so used to avoiding the dubs, that subbed downloads work perfectly fine for me. In fact, I prefer it that way! Don’t u watch the Netflix foreign flicks with the original language and English subtitles? That’s the best way, lol. Because I won’t be surprised if the Westernized DVDs don’t come out for another 6-12 months!… [Banners] Via banners or CommentLuv, either way works, haha. But yeah, Aprilius is cool. Although if you’ve seen his last post, he’ll be disappearing due to studies or exams for a while. Weeks I believe. Just like a loner.

    @Coco-chan: Damn, sorry to hear that! First, stalkers and haters prying into Angry Mimi-chan’s privacy, and now hackers altering your Facebook? WTF! Not only that, but also haters impersonating *me* on Mimi-chan’s ShoutBox too! Definitely sux. I hope you’ve taken steps to change your passwords or limit other accesses. Maybe the moon is out. Or maybe it’s that summery restless time of the year. Argh.

  10. @Jay
    If it’s live action, I ALWAYS watch it in the original language with subtitles.
    I may poke around and see if I can find them online, but I’m not really in any hurry. I have tons of other things to watch.
    You must remember that I’m still very young (just 25!). My interest in these sorts of things (anime, asian films, etc) didn’t surface until sometime in college; and only in the last 2-3 years or so have I developed a sort of passion for it, so I have a long ways to go.

    Kris´s last blog post > Legend of Crystania

  11. Ignis is one beautiful lady but there is so much heart and soul that I know is in Yoko’s character that she wins for me. Even though I don’t know the character of Ignis I’ll dare say that Yoko’s character is still better (to me). Why? Because Yoko is probably the anime character I have the highest admiration for currently, which is saying a lot because I went into TTGL ready to hate her for her trampy outfit and came out absolutely loving her.

    The whole anime bubble bursting thing doesn’t worry me. If ALL ANIME were to stop right now…I’d still have a ton of anime to watch, I’d just dig into the past rather then wait for what’s coming out next season. I will watch and love anime for the rest of my life, it doesn’t matter if people are claiming it’s on a permanent decline.

    PS – Mimi is right people can write whatever the hell they want on their blogs, and those that get offended when someone else doesn’t like their anime series are immature. People can bash my favorite series all they want and I won’t be offended, I mean hell one time someone told me that Claymore is a show for amusing “perverted horror fanboys”

    lovelyduckie´s last blog post > Cynical Orange Review (Manhwa)

  12. @Jay: What? People impersonating you? Lame. I hope everyone was able to see right through them. There was someone pretending to be Danny in the comments, which was a complete failure since it obviously wasn’t Danny’s blogger profile. And he/she didn’t capitalize the “choo”.

    I’ve changed my password on FB and nothing new has come out, thankfully. I don’t know why everyone is being targeted online lately. Even my school’s prom facebook group was bombarded by some bored out of state kids. -_- It’s probably those summer moons, yeah.

  13. @lovelyduckie:
    I am not perverted (well…not a lot at least, lol), I don’t like horror, and I’m not a boy. I thought Claymore was a wonderful show. So shove that in their face, or something. :)

    Kris´s last blog post > Legend of Crystania

  14. @Kris-chan: Hehe, good! But why stop at live-action? Both foreign films *and* anime series must be seen in their original language with subtitles! Ah, I see. Yeah, got megatons on my hard drive or disc too, lol… Ehhh, age doesn’t mean much, since 2-3 years is still pretty decent. I mean, my passion for anime re-ignited only 6 years ago, with “The Animatrix” (2003) and other titles from Netflix, but didn’t really explode until I discovered torrents in mid-2006. Yup, “Fate Stay Night” (2006) was my first exploration into downloadable anime! So you’re on the right path for someone with little direction, lol. ^_^

    @Duckie-chan: Yeah, I agree. Since Ignis doesn’t *yet* have an anime to augment her eroge, I definitely understand the emotional bond to Yoko’s memorable character. Had I *not* curbed my addiction, oops, I meant collection, lol, “Bounty Hunter Yoko” would’ve easily been on my wish list!… Ah, exactly. Like I replied to others above, I have a pretty refreshing rotation of anime tastes and live-action flavors in my watch mix. So I’ll be fine. Whatever the paranoid panic of “bursting” may be… Yup, Angry Mimi-chan, lol. Really? “Claymore” for perverted horror fanboys? Just reveals that person’s quick prejudice. Too bad. He-she missed out on a powerfully dramatic even tragic gem of storytelling.

    @Coco-chan: Haha, u didn’t have to mirror *my* comments too! I was doing that for both of us! But I don’t mind, if u have the time, lol… Yeah, on Mimi-chan’s ShoutBox, someone wrote as me: “xJAYMANx: Joe you naughty boy! :O (I agree though, Mimi has a nice pair of yum-yums)” Oh well. Yeah, Joe also caught someone impersonating him too. {Nods} Yup-yup, I also noticed the guy couldn’t capitalize “Choo”! LOL. But I’m glad nothing else has popped up. Is there a common thread? Maybe just girls are being targetted? Triggered by all those male full-moon hormones?

    @Kris-chan: Hahaha. Like I told Duckie-chan, “a powerfully dramatic even tragic gem of storytelling”. Heyyy, no shoving! Maybe some tripping, but no shoving. >_<;

  15. Its seems no industry is safe with this recession around, but i agree with what has previously been said, there isnt really an overload of anime and in some genres theres certainly a lacking as well…
    Great pictures as always by the way! ;D

    taketombo´s last blog post > Dreamcast!

  16. @TT: Heyyy, what’s up? To clarify, I wrote that there *might* be a cyclical overload like any other entertainment media, not only with specific anime genres, but with anime overall. However, the *trick* for me is to rotate my mix of anime and live-action and other titles, haha. And not get caught up too closely in *moe* or *mecha* like many other otaku!

    P.S. Thanx! Not bad for an ancient photoshoot, eh?

  17. HOLY CRAP!!!! It’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms material. I absolutely love that era and have no shame in admitting that I love and play the Dynasty Warrior franchise to death. I really like Takeshi Kaneshiro ever since Capcom modeled Samanosuke (Onimusha 1 and 3) after his real life image, but then again, Capcom has a history of doing that. I would totally watch this.

    Nice figure photo shoot, Jay. I read this blog and thought that I had commented, but apparently not. Ignis is one of the most beautiful eroge characters out there. I am absolutely in love with Nitro+ characters, Nio – the artist – and have Jingai Makyo on the PC. I barely touched the game and never reached any of the action-oriented portions. Well, Jay, this is a tough one because had you featured the cuter looking teenage Yoko that is often shown, I would decisively give the win to Ignis. That image of Yoko, while cute and all, is an image of a young girl in her teens with the definite typical anime factor. I like cute for certain things, but I vastly prefer femme fatales that can render a man senseless and kill him without him even noticing it. Those women are by far the best. So, not only did you link an adult looking Yoko, but you linked one of my favorite figure manufacturers – ALTER. I love this Yoko and knew that she was going to be preordered when unpainted resin prototypes came out. I love guns a lot!!! Sniper rifles are one of the sexiest guns out there, but I felt that she could have done something waaaay cooler with the sniper rifle. I didn’t really get that badass vibes coming from her that she was a force to be reckoned with which is fine.

    So, my verdict goes to Ignis because she is just a gorgeous character and you have a gorgeous Ignis figure. I prefer femme fatale women and it is a known fact that eroge has one of the best character designs out there even if that character is putting out for 50+ guys XD I own 3 Ignises and would even like to own the extremely limited ones. Oh well. Can’t go and hope to get everything in this hobby and this is me speaking, too.

    Jem´s last blog post > Forgotten hauls #1 and 2 [Part 1]

  18. @Jem-chan: Heyyy, Jem-chan! What’s up? Hahaha, love your reaction. Don’t u mean “Holy Frak”? But yeah, “Three Kingdoms” or not, I’m definitely drawn to ancient Asian history! Oh wow, I actually still have the first “Onimusha” (2001) for PS2 lying in my storage boxes! Ahh, back in the days of “Enter the Matrix” (2003), haha. But never spent enough time or effort to get past the first few “Onimusha” stages, gahhh. Plus, doesn’t help that the ex took the PS2 console with her! Nonetheless, Takeshi is mesmerizing. Like water, both fierce yet tranquil… Hey, thanx! Absolutely agree with u about Ignis. But I chose the Bounty Hunter Yoko *precisely* because she’s so similar in aura. If there’s such a thing as “figure aura”, the closest and toughest choice against Ignis! Haha, and while I had no clue who you’d choose, I’m not surprised u chose Ignis. Even if she’s putting out for 50+ guys! Which is nothing compared to Danni Cole’s 250+ guys, if u caught my previous “Aegis” comment, lol… So wait a sec! You say u own 3 Ignises, but u didn’t explicitly state that u owned this particular “Max Factory Ignis”. Did u? Or did I miss something? In any case, I wouldn’t mind seeing some gun-and-sword duel between the redheads. Or even an arm-wrestling, no wait, a mud-wrestling match!… So u love guns a lot, eh? What about my H&K Super P8 (Tomb Raider) airgun here and there? ^_^

  19. Woah totally forgot to post here!

    So did the Anime Bubble Burst?No!
    Is the market oversaturated?Yes!

    The Anime Industry played too save the last few years and they get the bill for doing so.Everybody has a favorite meal and loves to eat it.Now Imagine that you get that meal served every day just with slightly different nuances.
    Wouldnt you get stuffed and couldnt consume anymore?
    People that seriously watch Anime sooner or later realize that the Anime Industry often serves the same meal under a different name with some different spices.You may not notice in the beginning but after some time your tongue will taste that its actually the same.

    Alot of people have started watching Anime 2-3 years ago during the Big Anime Boom.They ate every meal they could get their hands on and were stunned by its imaginable taste.During that time period they became gourmets and cant be satisfied by the fast food meal anymore and become picky.They dont consume every bit the industry throws at them but prefer to go for the big fat tasty steak instead of the burger.

    Another Thing you have to consider is that a long list of meals means that you have to go through that big long list and pick the “steak” instead of the Burger.You can get easily distracted or bored by the search though.

    People start to diet and wont feel like consuming for a certain time.
    Its the Job of the industry to experiment in their kitchens and create new delicous meals that convinces the dieting people to eat again.

    The Industry has now 2 Options:
    Create an awesomely frickking delicious meals thatll water the mouths of the consumer or deliver the same fast food and hope that people stop dieting soon.they gotta cross their fingers that the consumer didnt find another meal in the meantime though

    Man,whats up with me making all those food comparisms? XD

    Ignis? <3 <3 <3
    Girls that kick ass uh…kick ass?
    Ordered the Yamato Ignis during a certain sale and cant wait for her arrival.
    Do I have a thing for redheads? Yoko and Ignis both are red headed but both carry badass wepaons aswell….
    Weapon or Redhead Fetish… You decide!

    Blowfish´s last blog post > Go & grab Gift Saber 65% off! [Update] BIG HLJ SALE!

  20. @FlyingBlow: Hahaha, I used the same kind of “food” metaphor with my last Blog 200, about Twitter “snacks” and mega-post “meals”! But I think I agree. If the anime industry is serving too many “fastfood burgers and fries”, the consumer will eventually eat other things. Or not eat at all… But not just anime “steaks”, but live-action “steaks” too! Or live-action “burgers, fries and desserts”! After all, anime is not the only form of entertainment in television and films. So why not live-action? Thankfully, I don’t follow the “burger” or “steak” trends too much. I like to mix up my meals, lol… Haha, so far, this “Max Factory Ignis” is the best Ignis I’ve seen. But redheads with weapons? Why not? But I think the real question is: Red-headed guns or swords? ^_^

  21. I forgot to mention this, but in regards to your comment about anime, I’ll still love anime and continue to watch it. There is just so much backlog of old and current anime that I’m sure that I’ll be busy. You can’t over saturate the market with the same concept time and time again and expect both fans and consumers alike to enjoy having these things forced down their throat. It’s about variety and companies are forgetting about that and jumping on the ‘what’s gonna make me a quick buck’ bandwagon.

    I own the Max Factory, ALTER and Orchid Seed Ignis. I really love the Max Factory one for that come-hither look; ALTER is fantastic for her action-oriented “I’m gonna kick your ass” look; Orchid Seed has Ignis in her white strapped wedding dress. Orchid Seed has 2 other variats of the Wedding Dress Ignis in blood red and black colors and I want them all^^

    There is too many damn Yoko figures. I own the Yoko nendoroid and ALTER’s Yomako-sensei. I am waiting on the GIFT Yoko – whom many people kept insisting was by ALTER – and the ALTER Ritona Bounty Hunter Yoko. I don’t intend on buying any more Yoko figures from this point on especially when the same cute, teenage Yoko keeps being made. It’s time they (preferably ALTER) made a gorgeous Nia figure

    Jem´s last blog post > Forgotten hauls #1 and 2 [Part 1]

  22. @Jem-chan: Oh yeah, I definitely agree. Which is why I told FlyingBlow: “Thankfully, I don’t follow the ‘burger’ or ‘steak’ trends too much. I like to mix up my meals, lol.” Like u said, it’s all about variety. If it ain’t served to u, then create it yourself… Ahh, I remember them, both the Alter and Orchid Seed Ignis! But I ultimately chose Max Factory, cuz the scale of Alter was a bit small, and the vertical pose of Orchid was too boring despite her “nipply” ecchi appeal, hehe… {Evil smile} Ahhh, yes, lol. Too many Ignis and Yoko figures! {Evil nods} Ahhh, the benefits of curbing my own unbreakable addiction and witnessing other figure collectors suffer from the nightmarish ecstasy! You know what? If Alter’s smart, they’ll focus on creating the “Evil Nia”, mwah-ha-ha!

  23. @Jay: I should draw her in Sailor Moon cosplay lol. How much are tablets these days anyway? Maybe I can convince someone to get me one for my birthday…

    I had too much Thai ice tea at the after party and stayed up until 4 AM, does that count?

  24. @Coco-chan: Hehe, why not? Although a “Sailor Moon” cosplay wouldn’t look that different, would it? LOL… Well, the Bamboo tablet, if u mean the “small” version, it’s around $100 USD including the wireless mouse. There’s also “medium” size, but I think “small” does the job well. Then there’s also another version without a mouse that’s around $70, but it doesn’t have the smooth rounded corners and only comes in black. At least, last time I checked, lol… Hmm, did it have alcohol in it? If not, did u start acting strange by 4am? If u did, then maybe it counts, haha.

  25. @Jay
    Ah! Ive been probably inspired by your food metaphors without remembering it! Now that you mention it it came straight to mind.I think a healthy diet has to contain all kinda dishes and i like to eat mix burgers and steaks aswell.
    Never got into the Live Action adapttions though.

    Red headed guns or swords? Guns for me Please^^

    Blowfish´s last blog post > Wandering Warrior Reina

  26. @Jay: But her skirt will be shorter. :P

    I’ve never actually used a tablet before but I’ve heard the small ones work just as well as the larger ones. Maybe I’ll try out some of my friends’ first before I decide.

    It’s hard to tell, I’m always acting strange at 4AM.

  27. @FlyingBlow: Hehe, agreed. “Variety is the spice of life,” right? So shouldn’t that apply to live-action, redheads, blondes, guns and swords too? ^_^

    @Coco-chan: Haha, I’ve got no problem with shorter skirts and smaller tablets! {Nods} True, test-driving a tablet should be cool. Or did u mean test-driving your friends’ skirts too? LOL. Well, as long as u aren’t test-driving anything at 4am! >_<;

  28. On the anime bubble bursting, I’m not too particularly worried, since I’m already pretty fussy. Hopefully more quality shows will come out as a result of this.

    Aw, Jay… one single quote doesn’t really warrant a screenshot^^; And my blue theme turned into mauve, haha. How do you take such long screenshots, anyway? By combining two pictures together?

    Red Cliff, huh. Asian LotR with more pretty lasses, haha! I wanted to watch it, but since I missed part one… ah well. So many movies missed along the way *sigh*

    @Kris: you’re welcome:) Used the commentluv link- haven’t seen your banner as of yet.

  29. @A20: Yeah, with my endlessly-varied mix, I’m not particularly worried about an anime bust either. Just another day in the endlessly-overhyped anime news… Haha, I altered your screenshot to a more *reddened* hue to match the *red-tinged* theme of my mega-cast! Why else? Ah, my Firefox has a “ScreenGrab” add-on that captures the full scrollable length of a webpage, up to a certain maximum. I know this, because some of my own mega-casts are un-grabbable, lol… Ah, “Red Cliff”. In fact, I’d say it has less to do with “pretty lasses” and more to do with the strategic “art of war”. Fascinating stuff indeed.

  30. Screengrab, eh. Filed that for future reference.
    And every time I hear/see the words ‘art’ and ‘war’ within close proximity of each other, all I can think of is Lulu^^;

    aprilius20´s last blog post > Death by Honey

  31. Not much of a Sun Tzu fan. I mean, even in modern portrayals of him (like Dynasty Warriors, etc), he doesn’t look half as good as Lulu. I did read a comic version (simplified) of the Art of War though, and it was quite interesting. I can see why some people apply it to business:3

    Not to forget the connection between the two words, even beyond Sun Tzu’s “Art of War”- I just think of Lulu when because of his flamboyant tactics.

    aprilius20´s last blog post > CNY ‘09: Leftovers

  32. Sun Tzu is in the Dynasty Warriors games? I think you are confusing him with someone else. I don’t think that’s even in the same time period in history.

    And who is this Lulu everyone keeps talking about? I think I missed where that was first mentioned. The only Lulu I know of is a kick ass black mage with way too much cleavage.

    Kris´s last blog post > Elfen Lied

  33. @A20-man: Ah, not familiar with “Dynasty Warriors” so I wouldn’t know. But still fascinating to think that an ancient military strategist would be portrayed in a game, lol. Even funnier to think there’s a comic version of “The Art of War”, haha. I need to see that!

    @Kris-chan: Hehe, as for the nickname “Lulu”, he’s also-known-as Lelouch Lamperouge, the title protagonist in the epic CLAMP-designed Sunrise-created anime “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion” (2007) and “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion – R2” (2008)… Come on, it’s not too late to join the party! ^_^

  34. Oh! Just telling me it’s “Lelouch” would have been enough. I know what CG is, but I didn’t know people referred to him that way.

    Kris´s last blog post > Elfen Lied

  35. @Kris-chan: Hehe, true, but “Lulu” is easier! I think it caught on, only because one of the female characters refers to Lelouch as “Lulu”. Hence the nickname. If you’d seen the earliest episodes (possibly even the first one), you’d know, lol. ^_~

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