Blog 202 > Tales, Origins & You People

Hey, wake up! {Yawns} Come on, my Tyrannosaurus Toyboxers, it’s time to wake up from our Mimiland slumber! Because it’s time for another three-course, nope, five-course mega-cast meal! More boiling otaku-blog battles? Yes, indeed! More web-estimated analytical deconstructions? Well, sort of, lol. More spell-binding speed-reviews and screen-bursting wallpapers from the anime universe? Of course, there are! And more eye-opening snapshots of the real and fictional comedic worlds? Haha, we’ll see! Now there you have it. Let’s go and start the show!

Part 1 of 5 > Ongoing Otaku Outlook

Wow, another month has already passed by? You know what that means! Yup, another month of mindless blog battles, haha. Continuing our otaku coverage from last month’s Supercops mega-cast and previous month’s Assassins mega-cast, here’s the latest batch of estimated theoretical values in the otaku blogosphere.

First, focusing on the 10K-to-20K range, let’s begin with my Toybox at $11855 USD.

Website Outlook
14 May | xJAYMANx & xJAYMANx_toybox

Above mine is the Angry Loli a.k.a. Mimi-chan at $12563 USD.

Website Outlook
14 May | Angry Loli a.k.a. Mimi

However, last week, with her momentous move to a brand-new WordPress.org blog on a brand-new domain, let’s not forget Angry Mimi-chan at $1073 USD.

Website Outlook
14 May | Angry Mimi

At last, leading this otaku wolf pack, let’s welcome the well-established photogenic blog Happy Soda a.k.a. Super Rats at $15760 USD. Can’t believe I missed this one for all of these months! But finally found someone more theoretically valuable than Angry Mimi-chan, lol.

Website Outlook
14 May | Happy Soda a.k.a. Super Rats

Next, kilometers above this pack, within the stratospheric 250K-to-500K range, soars Danny Choo at $285232 USD.

Website Outlook
14 May | Danny Choo

Yet soaring even higher than Danny’s blog is the skyrocketing Sankaku Complex at a mind-boggling $413749 USD.

Website Outlook
14 May | Sankaku Complex

Wow. So what do all of these theoretical numbers mean? Well, like last time, hold onto your panties, and I’ll take a swaggering stab at it below!

 

Part 2 of 5 > Outlook, Analysis & Deconstruction

So here’s my swaggering analytical stab, dammit, lol. Once again, extending the graphs from my Supercops mega-post, I’ve reduced the “Sankaku Complex” and “Danny Choo” paths by a factor of 10, in order to fit them onto the same graphs with mere-mortal otaku-bloggers like us, haha. But as you can clearly see (enlarge if necessary), the last 30 days represented yet another slow month for otaku blogs in general. And once again, I’m still guessing that the season of final exams, as well as allergies and illnesses, dealt another low blow to bloggers and their readers.

With one major exception. Again. “Sankaku Complex” took another skyrocketing swing upward! I mean, take a closer look. “Sankaku Complex” is on a pace to *double* the theoretical value of “Danny Choo” in a few more months! Despite his advances in other diversified and commercial arenas, is “Danny Choo” rapidly losing his relevance within the penniless otaku blogosphere?

Okay, let’s omit the “Sankaku Complex” and “Danny Choo” paths to get a closer view of the smaller mortal blogs. As I noted above, almost all of the otaku blogs across-the-board either stayed level or actually fell in value. Yet remarkably, not only “Happy Soda” but also “Angry Loli” (Mimi-chan) managed to enjoy a flourishing leap amidst a general receding trend! Congratulations!

Good. Now let’s return our focus to “Angry Loli” and “Angry Mimi”. With Mimi-chan’s shift to a brand-new blog and domain, we should expect a steady drop in the theoretical value of “Angry Loli” as “Angry Mimi” steadily rises. Which explains why I’ve decided to insert an additional “Angry Both” path combining both values. Naturally, there’s an initial transitional jump as readers leap onto both blogs. But we should also expect that “double-counting” to dissipate over time.

So what can we look forward to next month? As academic finals end, will the general otaku-blogospheric recession slowly return to growth? Will “Sankaku Complex” finally double the theoretical value of “Danny Choo”? Will the theoretical value of “Angry Both”, combining “Angry Loli” and “Angry Mimi”, finally overtake “Happy Soda”?

Who knows? But stay tuned next time and I’ll tell ya!

 

Part 3 of 5 > Origins, Spirits & Pasts

Ah, enough of the otaku-blog battles! Let’s leap into the anime world. Yup, 3 more! In the last two weeks, I’ve managed to complete 3 more anime titles-or-seasons: “Ef – A Tale of Memories” [19], “Origin – Spirits of the Past” [20], and “Ef – A Tale of Melodies” [21]. Yes-yes, my Tumbling Toyboxers, a total of 21 completed anime titles-or-seasons in just over 5 1/2 months so far! Hehe, can I hit 50 anime by the end of the year?


Origin – Spirits of the Past (2006) [20]. Yeah, let’s skip to my “Origin” speed-review first. On 14 May, I completed my 20th anime title-or-season of the year. Full-length anime film (2006). Despite the unoriginal man-versus-nature concept, the refreshing scientific premise is terrifying. Moreover, despite the mediocre character designs, this mediocrity probably enhances the hypnotizing landscape and stunning mechanical designs! While it’s tough to pack a huge ecological story into such a short time-frame without becoming too Disney-esque, I think it still earns a solid 4 of 5 stars! Here are a few images and wallpapers to transmit a timeless taste of the film!

Here’s Agito and Toola.

The wallpaper version.

Here’s Toola.

The wallpaper version.

Finally, the DVD cover.

Not bad, eh? Oh yeah, here’s a little trick I do, hehe. If I feel myself falling behind in my 50-per-year anime pace, I throw a few full-length anime films into the mix. Because a title is a title, right? And two hours is much quicker to complete than one- or two-dozen half-hour episodes!

 

Part 4 of 5 > Euphoric Fields, Tales, Memories & Melodies

Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) [19] and Ef – A Tale of Melodies (2008) [21]. From 04 May to 14 May, I completed my 19th anime title-or-season of the year. Season 1 (2007) with 12 episodes. Then on 15 May (into late-night 3am of 16 May), I completed my 21st anime title-or-season of the year. Season 2 (2008) with another 12 episodes. Within one day! Incredible! Couldn’t stop watching it!

Created by Minori with familiar character designs by Nanao Naru (she’s also the character designer for the “Da Capo” series), both “Ef” (Euphoric Field) seasons together weave an elaborately-blended tapestry of stylishly terrifying psychological horror (reminiscent of “Petite Cossette“), stylishly wrenching multi-girl romance (reminiscent of “Da Capo“) and stylishly profound multi-generational bonds (reminiscent of “Air“). Did I mention the stylish perspectives, soft colors, harsh contrasts, heart-stopping abstracts and piano-laced moods? Okay, maybe I said “stylish” a bit too often, lol. I mean, there are several unrelenting scenes of utter despair and frantic desolation, as well as their fierce resolution, that could rival KyoAni scenes for the most memorable in anime history!

Wow. In the end, the 1st season earns a resounding 4 of 5 stars max for a half-season, while the 2nd season, when added to the 1st, deserves an unforgettable 5 of 5 stars max for a combined 24-episode full-season! Yup, these must be watched together like a continuous single season. Definitely. Euphorically. So to celebrate the “Ef” characters and their tales, here are few dozen medium-res (1280px) to high-res (1920px) wallpapers to demonstrate their vivid tapestry. And to show you how much I love them!


Let’s begin with the high-res (1920px and larger) wallpapers. As you scroll down, I gotta admit, I love the use of glowing moonlit-and-sunlit halos which outline the characters and enhance the mystical aura of the story!

 

 

 

Gotta love the moonlit halo!

 

 

 

Gotta love the sunlit halo!

Here’s Yuko and Kei at 1920px, with text.

Here’s Yuko and Kei at 1920px, without text.

Here’s Yuko and Kei at 1600px, without text.

Here’s Kei at 1920px.

Here’s Kei at 1600px.

 


Next, we come to the slightly-smaller (1600px) wallpapers. Here’s the cast at 1600 x 1200px.

Here’s the cast at 1600 x 1000px.

 

 

Hehe, I included a 1280px wallpaper here because this “Yuko” was so similar to the “Yuko” above.

 

 

 

 

 


Finally, we come to the remaining medium-res (1280px) wallpapers. Do you love the style yet?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Oops, here’s a high-res (2000px) wallpaper in the style of the opening and closing credits!

LOL, so was it stylish enough? Spell-binding enough? Screen-bursting enough? Along with “Kannagi” (2008) and “Clannad – After Story” (2008), both “Ef” seasons are two of my top faves I’ve seen this year!

 

Part 5 of 5 > You People, ProWerks & Possibilities

Okay, you people! Time to take a break from the anime world! And time to enter the real-fictional world, lol. Actually, it starts out pretty funny. Back in my Tasty Tales (04 May) mega-cast, Otaku Dan made an amusing comment about one of my laughing photos, lol, as follows.

Otaku Dan @ xJAYMANx: Congrats on your 200 post. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a TV host? It’s not too late to switch careers.

Haha, Otaku Dan made that comment on Wednesday, 06 May. But wait, coincidentally enough, the next day, on Thursday, 07 May, my coworker-friend Melanie called to tell me about a cool opportunity to be an extra in an indie film via her friend J.P.’s media company! What? A non-speaking Japanese or Asian businessman role? Hahaha, xJAYMANx, film extra?

Some of you already know the rest of the story, lol.

Understandably, Melanie didn’t know the details of the role. So she gave me the director’s business card, and I called him back. His name, Kelly Schwarze (IMDB). His company, ProWerks. The same company who video-edited for Melanie’s other friend and Muay Thai champion, Christine Toledo. But to cut a long story shorter, I agreed to meet Kelly the following afternoon of Friday, 08 May, to be the silent “stoic Asian businessman” for his upcoming indie comedy. Hahaha, in fact, here’s the Facebook link for “You People” (2010).

Stoic Asian businessman: “I am not amused.”

Here’s the ProWerks website.

Here’s the “You People” board game, lol.

A-ha, that’s him. The tall guy on the far right. Director Kelly Schwarze.

Some of the cast and crew. I wasn’t there, lol.

An office scene.

Yet another.

Ahh, this is where my character (or lack thereof) finally appears, lol.

Is that Jeeves behind me?

When finally edited together, my character is supposed to be staring at this guy in the crazy work helmet, haha. Crazy, I say!

One of the actresses I haven’t met yet, lol.

Say “Cheese”! There’s Raquele in the top left in the black outfit. I met her on Monday, 11 May.

Awww. That’s Kelly’s wife, Charisma. She’s awesome! Not sure if her official title is Set Director or Assistant Director or Production Coordinator. LOL, or maybe all of them?

Intense preparation.

Another office scene.

Preparing for a restaurant scene.

Yup, returning as a “customer” extra in a few eating and walking shots, lol. Hey, I believe that’s Israel.

The cool non-smiling pose.

Oh yeah, this is the Monday, 11 May, that I met Raquele. She’s hilarious and adorable too.

Ah, just minding my own business in the back. Nothing to worry about!

Whew! While the Friday scene “at the office” was painless, no more than a half hour, the following Monday scenes “at the restaurant” were exhausting. Like Kelly said, a lot of “hurry up and wait”, lol. And that’s from about 5pm (after work) till 10pm. Thankfully, the deli food was awesome, the cast and crew were cool, the other extras were funny, and the experience was enlightening! I wouldn’t mind another visit at another location. Hehe, why not?

For more behind-the-scenes photos, here’s the Facebook link for “You People” (2010). So whattaya think, Otaku Dan? Is an indie-film extra similar enough to being a TV host?


Well-well, my Trusty Toyboxers, did you wake up from your Mimiland slumber? Did you enjoy yet another tasty five-course mega-meal! The boiling otaku-blog battles? The web-estimated analytical deconstructions? The spell-binding speed-reviews? The screen-bursting wallpapers? The eye-opening snapshots of the real and fictional comedic worlds? Hehe, of course, you did! Or you wouldn’t be reading this now! Let’s thank Angry Mimi-chan, Toola-chan, Miyako-chan, Kei-chan, Chihiro-chan, Yoko-chan, Mizuki-chan, as well as Melanie, Charisma and Raquele. Guys don’t count, lol. Didn’t you figure that out already?

Till next broadcast. Peace. Out.

 

Final Flashback

Gotta love the sunlit halo!

 

26 thoughts on “Blog 202 > Tales, Origins & You People

  1. I enjoyed Origin… myself. It’s not perfect. There are some story problems, but it was rather lovely most of the time. And I like the man vs nature theme (like Nausicaa, etc).

    I didn’t know there was an e.f. Tale of Memories. I’ve only seen Melodies. Thought it goes really overboard with the drama…or did I find it subtle? Haha, I can’t even remember anymore. But I did like it most of the time, and I thought it was well animated (colors and style). It’s really heart wrenching; everything is so sad about all of them.

    Kris´s last blog post > Elfen Lied

  2. @Kris-chan: Yeah, “Origin”, I think I agree. But sometimes the man-vs-nature theme from “Nausicaa” to “Princess Mononoke”, even “Spirited Away”, feels a bit overdone, doesn’t it? Or maybe it’s just Miyazaki, haha.

    Wait, didn’t u review “Ef” before? Hold on, lemme check. Hmm, can’t find it. Ohh, maybe Meimi132-chan did it, lol. But u should really see the first “Tale of Memories” to get the full story with Miyako, Kei and Chihiro. Mesmerizing! Then the second “Tale of Melodies” will fit so much better, lol… Sad? Lemme guess, u never finished “Melodies”, did u? ^_^

  3. Well, I’m a Tolkien freak too, so man vs nature is a big theme all around me, really. But Miyazaki does tend to focus on that in a lot of his films, because he is very passionate himself about preserving nature.

    I finished Melodies, though I’m vague on how it ended. Someone was dead, someone was dieing. That’s sad, isn’t it?

    Kris´s last blog post > Elfen Lied

  4. @Kris-chan: Intriguing… From what I’ve heard and read, I got the impression that Miyazaki was more disillusioned with modern materialistic society, rather than directly passionate about nature itself. Hence, more of a “cleansing” or “starting from scratch” attitude, rather than a “preserving” or “keeping what we have” perspective! Like the philosophical battle in “Batman Begins”, lol.

    Ah, death and dying are typically portrayed as depressing, but at the risk of spoiling it for others, let’s just say that the various resolutions painted the clouds with silver linings. ^_~

  5. @Dan-man: Hey, no problema! Yeah, I think “Ef” is definitely worth trying out. Especially if you’re looking for anime titles slightly off-center from the mainstream… But “star”? I never said anything about being a “star”, lol. And nothing wrong with being a casting director. My brother in NYC used to be one himself. For off-broadway shows. Want his email address? I could be serious, lol.

  6. Wake up? Nuooo, no wake up. XD Sankaku really is hitting the roof in the ‘Blog Wars’…(buroguozu?!) But it’s really tabloid and rather addictive. -wry-

    Panties, Jay? :P Either you’re talking to us girls, or you have a strange fetish..hehe. Man..your anime watching is like one of those people doing the ’50/100 books a year’ thing. Except more amazing since I can generally read a book under five hours (a generous estimate), while I certainly can’t watch more than…15 eps of anime in the same time frame. XD

    I never knew Ef was psychological horror. ._. Warh, after that review, I feel like watching it too. ^^ Ugh, maybe when I’ve finished the present season… I reckon it’ll be over when I finally get around to it, heh. That’s a lot of wallpapers, though I kinda wonder what’s up with that skirt-lifting one. -wry- I think I’ll stick with my Kara no Kyoukai Shiki ‘I sex my Haagen Dazs’ one. :)

    The film shoot looked like an interesting experience..^^

    jenn´s last blog post > Blog apologising…also spam bustin’

  7. @RyoBase: Hey thanx! Although I was aiming for 19.7%, dammit.

    @Jenn-chan: Heyyy, whattaya mean “nooo wake up”? Don’t like sleeping? But I like your “buroguozu”, hehe. Yeah, while “Sankaku” is smashing the roof, there’s probably a significant difference in reader demographics. Or maybe not? Whoa, but interesting that u find it “addictive” especially with all the porn content! Hahaha, not only porn, the word “panties” caught your eye too! What’s your mind focussing on? LOL, well?… Ahhh, “Ef – Melodies” was definitely an exception! I never have one-day or two-day marathons, since I usually tend to stretch them out. Same thing with manga. Why read a manga in one day when I can enjoy it for weeks? Especially if I spend $9 USD on it? That’s why I stick to free anime, hehe… Actually, I never said “Ef” was fully 100% psychological horror or thriller, but it clearly includes elements of it! Which is part of its multi-textured power, I think. But why say “ugh” with this season? Anime shouldn’t be a chore, right? Maybe you’re not watching them with the right attitude or perspective? Since it should be a new adventure each time!… Hahaha, not just porn or panties, but now the “skirt-lifting” wallpaper too? I think you’ve got a very ***** mind, lol… Awww, thanx. Yeah, the filming was very enlightening! But we gotta wait till next year before it’s released. Oh well. >_<;

  8. @Jay-san: Lol! Oversexed? Or I can just have a starry mind. :P

    Coincidentally, the episode of Gruen Transfer I just watched had a bit on sex selling — something about it being one of the basic emotions, and that advertising’s using emotions to get people to buy the product. So it’s partly the pornoness that sells, I’d say — It’s also easy to read, posts are generally short and/or image-laden, they have links to other pages if you’re curious about more of the same stuff. (That said, good blogs/those that do the time do the same thing as well. =)) I try not to read the comments there, though. :S

    It’s just not often I hear a guy say (or write, in this case) ‘panties’. :P

    Man, I tend to finish a manga vol in under an hour.. ._. That’s partly why I find books more satisfying, I guess. XD

    Yeah, I didn’t even know Ef had elements of psycho horror. (I thought it was like Clannad or Air, but that’s probably cos I haven’t actually heard much about it.) Ugh precisely because I haven’t had time to watch! I know, I know, time can be made…but hard for me to enjoy watching when I feel guilty about the rest of the things I’m not doing, so. :(

    jenn´s last blog post > Blog apologising…also spam bustin’

  9. @Jenn-chan: A-ha, “oversexed”! You said it, not me! Well, whether “starry” or “naughty”, they both get the job done in the end, right? LOL… Hmm, haven’t heard of “Gruen Transfer”, but I wouldn’t describe sex as a “basic emotion” because it’s a concept not an emotion. In fact, I’d say sex is composed of many layers of emotions, including “love”, “hope”, “desire”, “pleasure”, sometimes “greed”, “jealousy”, even “hate” or “regret”, on top of the physical acts upon which these emotions are based. But in terms of “Sankaku”, yeah, it’s probably the immediately-gratifying, visually-oriented and fantasy-laced “pleasure” and “desire” of posts which attract readers over and over again, lol. And I don’t read the comments either!… Okay-okay, if not “panties”, then what about “pantsu”? Better now?… Ah, I see, u mean full-length novels! Yeah, I don’t mind those once in a long while. But I read too much crap at work and online, lol. So why read more than I have to during my leisure time too? Hence, a bit of manga, and a lot more of anime!… Well, yeah, “Ef” clearly possesses many facets of a multi-girl “Clannad” or “Air” eroge too. It just takes those facets along a darker psychological path or edge… Awww, don’t feel guilty! I mean, u offered a great argument for not feeling guilty about “blog apologizing”, so why feel sorry for the “rest of the things” you’re not doing? Hehe, it’s not related to being “oversexed”, is it? ^_~

  10. Yikes. Will Sankaku’s rise never end? If they ever went public I think I’d snap up their stocks…

    Never heard of ORIGIN, but that girl looks like Ogata Rin from RideBack… except with neater hair despite Ogata being a city girl and this one looking much like some outback explorer:3

    Extra in an indie film? *drools* Never did like suits, though you look OK in it:)

  11. I still need to see Petite Cossette. Would you recommend ef to someone who disliked Air? Because Air left such a bad taste in my mouth I’ve been avoiding series that remind me of it. But since you compared ef to Kannagi in terms of entertainment…you have me curious.

    lovelyduckie´s last blog post > 20th Century Boys (Manga)

  12. @RyoBase-man: Haha, I guess it’s better than nothing, eh? As for “Haruhi 2”, I downloaded the first episode but haven’t seen it yet. I suspect some of us are sick-and-tired of the back-and-forth news and games, but there will always be others who’ll never get sick of it, lol.

    @A20-man: Yup, seems so. Rising in both good times and bad. Ah, downloaded “RideBack” too, but haven’t started it yet! So I’ll try to avert my eyes from the pseudo-spoilage. Yeah, I don’t think I’ve worn a suit since my brother’s wedding in Sept 2007! In fact, for this indie flick, I’m not wearing a full suit at all, haha. I just needed the jacket and tie for the shot. You can’t see the grey jeans I’m wearing below!

    @Duckie-chan: Ahh, intriguing situation, lol… Let’s see, did “Air” offend u because of the ending? If so, I think “Ef” could be 50-50 love-hate probability, lol. In any case, I’d recommend “Petite Cossette” first before “Ef”, not because it’s a requirement or because it’s better or worse, but just as an earlier psychological-stylistic reference… In terms of overall entertainment or intensity, “Ef” (both seasons) definitely reaches the same level as “Air” or “Kannagi” or even “Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei”. At least, for me. ^_^

    P.S. Wow, really? I thought “Ironman” was a real surprise. But the “Watchmen” film was really that good? Hmm, unexpected! I may have to catch it sooner than later, hehe. In fact, here’s my “Watchmen” flashback from two years ago! ^_^

  13. Pseudo-spoilage? All I said was that they look alike, haha. My hands will resist any further attempts to type out a review, then:3

    The Watchmen movie was pretty good, although a bit too long for most. Suffice to say it’s less of an action movie than a thinking one.

    aprilius20´s last blog post > Death by Honey

  14. I think I’ll take a look at Origin. I have a thing for pretty backgrounds. :3

    Oh my, Jay in a movie? Maybe your silent, stoic businessman will catch someone’s eye and you’ll make it big in Hollywood? :P

  15. Those anime titles seem interesting. I haven’t see any of them, but it makes sense why one of them reminded me of Da Capo.

    Hahahaha!!! It seems that you enjoyed yourself being casted as an extra on the set I’m sure it was a very good and unique experience for you. I don’t know how it was possible for you hold that serious of a stare into the camera without bursting out into laughter. So, did you get any weird stares from all the picture taking you did while on the set?

    I’ve done one role as an extra. I wasn’t applying to be an extra, but I got casted for it for fun. Basically, there was a part in the movie “Contact” (I believe) where there are a bunch of beachgoers that react suddenly to a gigantic tidal wave and our role was to run on the beach in a panic. Well, I wasn’t sure of what to be expecting so I was lying down on the beach and all of a sudden without realizing it, the director instructed us to start running, but I was late on the cue. In the end, it really did seem abrupt for me because I started to run later than most. Then, for the hell of it, we ran from the beach shore to the opposite ends. I had a bunch of weird, freaky stage people literally go up to me and pull some of the corniest, lamest lines about having the energy of a seventeen year old and being able to help me connect spiritually. Seriously, I didn’t even know there were people lame enough to say those things.

    So, I got sick and my experience as an extra wasn’t that fun at all. What I did enjoy was the abundance of food, though.

    Jem´s last blog post > Forgotten Hauls #3 and #4 [Part 2]

  16. @A20-man: Haha, ahh, no worries. I already forgot about the character similarity. So it doesn’t mean u can’t write a review… Hmm, yeah, I might have to catch the “Watchmen” film after all, lol. Ahh, a thinking film? That’s good! If it does any justice to the original comic, that’s what it’s supposed to be!

    @Coco-chan: Yeah, “Origin” isn’t bad! Especially if you’re a fan of more environmentally-themed premises and dramatic landscapes, hehe… Awww, thanx. But leaping from an indie film to freaky Hollywood? Haha, nahhh, I’m not gonna hold my breath. I might rather stay “silent”, lol.

    @Jem-chan: Hahaha, once again, u always seem to pull out the most-colorful comments for me. But yeah, of the anime titles mentioned in the post and in the comments, I’d recommend the gothloli-horror “Petite Cossette” as well as”Ef”. Unfortunately, there aren’t many guns in either title. Maybe a knife, but not guns, lol… {Nods} Hehe, yeah, pretty fun experience! {Laughs} Haha, staring into the camera! Yup, exactly! We did 3 different takes for that “stoic businessman” shot. And I think I laughed after each take. One close-up stare. Another even *closer-up* stare with a mild head tilt and a few eyebrow and lip twitches, lol. Then the last one sitting back with my chin resting in my fist (like the photo above). Which is funny, because that chin post was impromptu, as we were waiting for Kelly to finish a phone call. When he came back, they liked the chin pose and we shot it! Afterwards, we all looked at the recorded playback of all 3 takes in his camera viewfinder. {Laughs} Haha, we were all laughing! So now we’ll see how he inter-cuts my different shots together with those shots of the yellow-helmetted salesman guy, dohhh… Heyyy, u too? Actually, I think the only way to be an extra is to get casted for *fun*. Like I mentioned above, it’s definitely a lot of “hurry up and wait” (in Kelly’s words). Not the easiest thing to do. But beach-going spirituality? Sounds like some modern-day hippies, eh? Although I wouldn’t mind folks telling me I have the “energy of a seventeen year old”. Then again, with my treadmill and foosball, I think sometimes I do!… Ah yes, never forget the food! Wouldn’t mind that again either, lol. Did I mention that the deli sandwiches and spinach dip were awesome? Mmmm, spinach dip.

    P.S. LOL, forgotten hauls, fanged underwear, freaky Gigapulse figures, facial sunburns, and sorority arse-paddlings? Yeah, commitment is commitment, so I’m glad you’re sticking with Canal. But to flip around your harem quote: “A guy can never have too many hot girls in his collection.” Hmm, could that apply to blogrolls too?

    P.P.S. Almost forgot! It wasn’t me, I didn’t take all those on-the-set photos! It was either Charisma or probably Denise (I think she’s one of the writers). I thought it would’ve been awkward, wouldn’t it? But if I did, I would’ve added my “xJAYMANx_toybox” logo in the corner, lol. ^_^

  17. Don’t think I’ll be writing up a review on it anytime soon, though. For the moment I think I’ll focus on reading some of the books i just got at a book fest. Finally got my hands on ‘Sandworms of Dune’, the conclusion to an epic that really deserves another movie remake. If Watchmen was a thinking movie, a Dune movie would be a philosopher’s playground, haha. A RideBack review will have to wait- it was alright for me, but not that special. Still nice and worth a watch, though.

    aprilius20´s last blog post > Death by Honey

  18. @Jay-san: Yay, I’m not so late there’s a new post! XD I’m not the one who said it, they were. :P On this rather boring ad, “According to Todd Sampson, sex is the second strongest basic human emotion, after self-preservation.” Personally, though, I disagree that love is an emotion. Heh. And pantsu aren’t better. -wry-

    But nonfiction/work stuff isn’t the same as reading fun stuffs. ^^ Meh, ‘multi-girl’…you mean ‘harem with the undeserving male’. :P And blogging ain’t studying, man…-sad-

    jenn´s last blog post > Blog apologising…also spam bustin’

  19. @A20-man: No worries. You know, since the beginning, I’ve never been able to get into “Dune”, whether in book, film or TV format. Don’t know why. Instead, in my high school days, my book obsession was Asimov’s similarly-epic “Foundation” and “Robot” series. Hmm. Maybe back then, “Dune” seemed too metaphorically religious for me, lol. As for now, who knows.

    @Jenn-chan: Haha, you’re funny. And not too late! Hmm, now I’m beginning to wonder who *they* are, those who labelled u *oversexed*, hehe. Intriguing… Ahh, I see. Then Sampson should have used the term “instinct” instead of “emotion”. Because when one talks about “self-preservation”, that better fits the definition of an “instinct”. If that’s the case, I would agree that “sex” is more instinctual. Here’s the Wiki on “self preservation“… Actually, while I still believe “love” is an emotion, I’d also add it’s a “complex” emotion not a “basic” one. Coincidentally, here’s another Wiki on the “list of emotions” that actually fits what I’m saying about “layers of emotions”. Wow, not bad… Ahh, as for “panties” or “pantsu”, that’s okay. I’m neither afraid or unafraid to say it. So I’ll just have to ask u to endure it whenever I say it again, lol… Hehe, fun stuffs, I know what u mean. But I still can’t imagine reading a manga volume in an hour. For me, I’d be afraid to miss all the little visual details! For example, with my “Battle Angel Alita” manga, the images are so detailed that sometimes I find myself re-reading a page 3 or 5 times for 5 or 10 minutes, so I can catch all the layered tidbits, facts, and hints in the frames, lol. But I suppose other manga are not so detailed or complex… Fortunately for “Ef”, there aren’t any true harems. In fact, there’s an equal number of males to females, which is rather rare and refreshing!… Awww, unfortunately, studying is a necessary evil. Better to take the bitterness in smaller repeatable bites between sweeter ones, rather than larger servings with no sweet relief at all. ^_^

    P.S. Heyyy, by the way, I just realized I don’t have a 468×60 banner from your blog. Do u have one? If so, I think it’s about time u deserved a place in my random rotation and “About” page. Probably as a “Five-Star Toyboxer”, lol.

  20. @Jay: Sometimes “silent” is much better. That way you don’t end up being chased by paparazzi and ending up on the cover on one of those celebrity gossip magazines. :P

  21. Well, if you ever do decide to dive into it, start with the books. Religion plays an important part in Dune, but not to all-pervasive levels. There’s something in it for everyone- politics, action, romance, religion, geology, philosophy… it might feel long-winded at times but it’s worth it. You might feel short-changed as some of the concepts aren’t completely fleshed out, but on the other hand that allows the reader to dwell more on it.

    Ah, Asimov. I never did get around to him- read more of authors like Orson Scott Card and Poul Anderson.

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  22. @Coco-chan: LOL, perhaps! Then again, I’m pretty sure Charlie Chaplin was still mobbed back in the “silent film” days. ^_^

    @A20-man: Oh yeah, the books, of course! Wow, “politics, action, romance, religion, geology, philosophy”, reminds me of an Asimovian Imperial epic! Yeah, names like Poul Anderson, Arthur Clarke and Ray Bradbury all seem to be linked with Asimov. Sadly, I’m not as familiar with the others. Then again, I do know that Asimov wrote with a more clear-and-concise logic-and-reason-based style, rather than with the metaphorical dance of a verbose style. After I finish my “Battle Angel Alita” manga series, I might think about “Dune”. Stay tuned!

  23. Lol, Dune isn’t the type of title to disappear from store shelves anytime soon, so no worries there. AC Clarke is one of the big names, but I can’t seem to remember what he wrote… as for major sci-fi authors all seeming to be linked to Asimov, I suppose that’s because he’s considered the ‘grand-daddy’ of sci-fi. Oh, and if you decide to do Poul, “boat of a million years” is one of my faves^-^

    Alita? Read a little of it somewhere years ago, and somehow it came across as a grungy, scrap-metal world version of Saint Seiya. Although I’ve only read three chapters of Seiya, haha.

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