Sayonara, 2009! Konnichiwa, my Tirelessly Tumbling Toyboxers! Got onigiri? Are you ready? Ready to endure a tumbling tidal wave of tear-jerking titles, blood-splattering titles, angst-ridden titles, and titles not worth mentioning? Ready to slash and slay another dragon-sized mega-cast of 99 wallpapers? Ready for some onigiri? Hehe, then what are you waiting for? Let’s start the show…

Part 1 of 3 > My 41 Anime in 2009

Fake? Has anime started to feel fake yet? Yup, you heard me, hehe. The reason I ask this is that last week, on Monday, 08 February 2010, as I was watching episode 17/26 of “Madlax”, the unexpected and inexplicable sensation swept over me that: “Anime [is] starting to feel fake”. It lasted for only a few moments. But this was the first time I felt anything like this before, after 4-or-5 years of unwavering anime loyalty. Even during real-life disruptions. Hehe, no, there’s nothing wrong with “Madlax”. I’m pretty sure about that, since it’s actually a rather intriguing anime. Gotta love the music.

But perhaps, over the recent months, my rising consumption of 3D live-action J-drama and K-drama, as well as the growing influence of Asian friends, co-workers, culture and cuisine have collectively caused a greater impact than I realized. An impact both visual and emotional. Perhaps. Thus, for those few moments, 2D anime felt “fake”. It no longer felt “real” to me. Hmm, so rather than an external “downfall of anime” (Blog 201), not only have I outgrown anime as an “escape”, am I beginning to outgrow it as “entertainment” after all? Hehe, who knows? But for now, I’ll try to enjoy the battle between 2D and 3D. Ah, the never-ending battle.

What? Only 41 anime? Yup, I can no longer resist the attraction and distraction of real-life work and play, lol. Nevertheless, the universe continues to be sprinkled with, yes-yes, anime, more anime, and even more anime, lol. In the tradition of My 58 anime in 2006 (Blog 017), My 49 anime in 2007 (Blog 122) and My 56 Anime in 2008 (Blog 182) posts, I now present My 41 Anime in 2009. From shrine maidens to soda-pop girls, from roaming samurais to despairing senseis, not to mention lots of angsty high-school teens, it’s definitely been another vividly animated year. Without further ado, here are my anime faves of 2009!

Next, here are my complete lists of anime faves and 41 anime titles-seasons of 2009. Ahh, notice the striking drop in monthly titles after September 2009 through December 2009? Not only does this coincide with the stunning drop in my Toybox mega-casts, but it also reflects the rising real-life influences of office responsibilities and social distractions. Yup, like I said, real-life work and play. Not to mention, the recent attraction of live-action Asian dramas, lol.

My Anime Rating

• +++++ DOUBLE WOW! 5 of 5 stars! Maximum for full seasons or films!
• ++++ WOW! 4 of 5 stars! Maximum for half seasons!

My Top-10 Full Seasons > 5 of 5 stars!

• [41] +++++ xxxHolic (1-24)
• [38] +++++ Ouran High School Host Club (1-26) > Honorable Mention!
• [35] +++++ Nodame Cantabile – Paris – Season 2 (1-11) (With S1) > Fave Romance!
• [33] +++++ Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Zoku – Season 2 (1-13) (With S1) > Fave Comedy!
• [32] +++++ R.O.D the TV (1-26)
• [24] +++++ Tales of the Abyss (1-26) > Honorable Mention!
• [21] +++++ Ef – A Tale of Melodies – Season 2 (1-12) (With S1) > Fave Thriller!
• [14] +++++ Dennou Coil (1-26) > Fave Science Fiction!
• [13] +++++ Rurouni Kenshin – Season 2 (1-35 or 28-62) > Fave Action!
• [11] +++++ Clannad – After Story – Season 2 (1-24, +2 Bonus) > Fave Drama!

My Top-4 Half Seasons > 4 of 5 stars!

• [19] ++++ Ef – A Tale of Memories – Season 1 (1-12)
• [18] ++++ Minami-ke – Okaeri – Season 3 (1-13)
• [16] ++++ Akikan (1-12) > Honorable Mention!
• [04] ++++ Kannagi – Crazy Shrine Maidens (1-13)

My Top-1 Film or OVA > 5 of 5 stars!

• [25] +++++ Howl’s Moving Castle (Film) > Fave Fantasy!

My 41 Anime Titles-Seasons in 2009

December 2009

• [41] +++++ xxxHolic (1-24) – Finished 06 Dec. Wow, supernatural 5 of 5 stars!

November 2009

• [40] +++ Gundam Wing (26-49 of 49) – Finished 13 Nov (via Netflix). Yup, finally finished the second half, 3 of 5 stars!

October 2009

• [39] +++ Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya – Season 2 (New 1-14 of 28) – Finished 27 Oct. Hmm, okay, not bad but failed expectations, 3 of 5 stars.
• [38] +++++ Ouran High School Host Club (1-26) – Finished 19 Oct. Haha, outrageous, 5 of 5 stars! Aww, touching ending.
• [37] +++ Battle Angel (OVA) – Finished 11 Oct. A sentimental 5-star manga, but still a lacking anime, 3 of 5 stars.

September 2009

• [36] ++++ Gundam Wing (1-25 of 49) – Finished 19 Sep (via Netflix). Yup, finished the first half, 4 of 5 stars!
• [35] +++++ Nodame Cantabile – Paris – Season 2 (1-11) – Finished 08 Sep. Wow, when combined with Season 1, another 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 217 > Despair.
• [34] ++++ Trigun (1-26) – Finished 06 Sep (via Netflix). Hey, a bullet-flying 4 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 217 > Despair.
• [--] +++++ Ghost in the Shell – Stand Alone Complex – 2nd Gig (1-26) – Finished (again) 02 Sep. Still a cyber-thrilling 5 of 5 stars! But this time, Japanese audio, English subtitles.

August 2009

• [33] +++++ Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Zoku – Season 2 (1-13) – Finished 23 Aug. Haha, when combined with Season 1, hilariously mind-twisting 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 217 > Despair.
• [32] +++++ R.O.D the TV (1-26) – Finished 14 Aug (via Netflix). Wow, paper-slashing 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 216 > Rock or Die.

July 2009

• [31] +++ Maria+Holic (1-12) – Finished 26 Jul. Hilarious outrageous priest in despair! Stolen from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, lol. But still a disjointed 3 of 5 stars. Wallpapers and review at Blog 214 > Traps & Treks.
• [30] +++ Kuroshitsuji (1-24) – Finished 25 Jul. An unoriginal 3 of 5 stars. Wallpapers and review at Blog 212 > Butlers.
• [--] +++ Watchmen – Tales of the Black Freighter (Bonus) – Finished 14 Jul. Whoa, 3 of 5 stars. But since it’s not quite anime, didn’t “count” it in my list, lol. Wallpapers and review at Blog 211 > Watchmen.
• [29] ++++ Clannad – Another World – Kyou Arc (Bonus) – Finished 12 Jul. Brief yet tearful 4 of 5 stars. Wallpapers and review at Blog 212 > Butlers.
• [28] +++ K-On! (1-13) – Finished 04 Jul. A mindless yet amusing 3 of 5 stars. Wallpapers and review at Blog 209 > Keion.

June 2009

• [27] ++++ Rurouni Kenshin – Season 3 (1-33 or 63-95) – Finished 24 Jun. Wow, finally finished, a solidly wandering 4 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 209 > Keion.
• [--] +++++ Battle Angel Alita (“Angel’s Ascension”, Volume 9/9, 1995) – Finished 19 Jun. After years of delay, finally finished the entire 9-volume manga series! Shockingly violent yet heartfelt 5 of 5 stars! But since it’s a manga, didn’t “count” it in my list, lol. Wallpapers and review at Blog 207 > Angels.
• [26] +++ Chaos;Head (1-12) – Finished 07 Jun. Ehh, not bad, 3 of 5 stars. Wallpapers and review at Blog 205 > Chaos Ahead.

May 2009

• [25] +++++ Howl’s Moving Castle (Film) – Finished 31 May (via Netflix). Finally watched this classic for the first time, in Japanese with English subs (hmm, 4 of 5 stars). But wait, a couple of days later on 02 Jun, watched it for the second time, with English dubs (wow, 5 of 5 stars). Even better, funnier and sadder, 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 205 > Chaos Ahead.
• [24] +++++ Tales of the Abyss (1-26) – Finished 30 May. Wow, 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 205 > Chaos Ahead.
• [23] +++ Karas – The Revelation (4-6) – Finished 27 May. Finally watched the second half of the series. Ehh, 3 of 5 stars. Wallpapers and review at Blog 205 > Chaos Ahead.
• [22] +++ Afro Samurai – Resurrection (Film) – Finished 23 May. Hmm, not bad, 3 of 5 stars. Wallpapers and review at Blog 203 > Samurai.
• [--] +++++ Battle Angel Alita (“Fallen Angel”, Volume 8/9, 1994) – Finished 22 May. Heyyy, finally finished Volume 8/9! Another riveting 5 of 5 stars! But since it’s a manga, didn’t “count” it in my list, lol.
• [21] +++++ Ef – A Tale of Melodies – Season 2 (1-12) – Finished 15 May. Double-wow, combined with the first season, 5 of 5 stars max! Yup, a near-straight 12-episode marathon till 3am in the morning! Wow, reminded me of “Air” (TV) and “Petite Cossette” (OVA)! Incredible! Wallpapers and review at Blog 202 > Tales.
• [20] ++++ Origin – Spirits of the Past (Film) – Finished 14 May (via Netflix). Another environmental yet decent 4 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 202 > Tales.
• [19] ++++ Ef – A Tale of Memories – Season 1 (1-12) – Finished 14 May. Wow, 4 of 5 stars max for a short season! Wallpapers and review at Blog 202 > Tales.
• [18] ++++ Minami-ke – Okaeri – Season 3 (1-13) – Finished 02 May. Aww, touching 4 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 200 > Toybox.
• [17] ++++ Naruto – Season 4 (1-26 or 79-104) – Finished 01 May. Wow, still a mindless yet ninja-powered 4 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 200 > Toybox.

April 2009

• [16] ++++ Akikan (1-12) – Finished 18 Apr. Wow, mindlessly and unexpectedly entertaining, maximum 4 of 5 stars for a short season! Wallpapers and review at Blog 199 > Melons.
• [15] ++++ Samurai X – Trust & Betrayal – Director’s Cut (OVA) – Finished 18 Apr (via Netflix). Wow, a darker more-intense interpretation of Kenshin, 4 of 5 stars! Review at Blog 199 > Melons.
• [--] +++++ Battle Angel Alita (“Angel of Chaos”, Volume 7/9, 1994) – Finished 12 Apr. A-ha, finally finished Volume 7/9. Another riveting 5 of 5 stars! But since it’s a manga, didn’t “count” it in my list, lol.
• [14] +++++ Dennou Coil (1-26) – Finished 10 Apr. Wow, spectacular vision, 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 197 > Tsubasa.
• [13] +++++ Rurouni Kenshin – Season 2 (1-35 or 28-62) – Finished 07 Apr. Wow, 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 197 > Tsubasa.
• [12] ++++ Tsubasa – Reservoir Chronicles – Season 1 (1-26) – Finished 02 Apr (via Netflix). Pretty but somewhat lacking, 4 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 197 > Tsubasa.

March 2009

• [11] +++++ Clannad – After Story – Season 2 (1-24, +2 Bonus) – Finished 28 Mar. Aww, wow, double-wow, triple-wow! Such an incredibly awe-inspiring, breath-taking, heart-breaking and soul-warming ride, followed by a cute yet fateful flashback bonus-story, and concluded with a still-gripping recap finale! An ever-resounding 5 of 5 stars! My #1 anime of the year thus far! Wallpapers and review at Blog 195 > Pop Anime.
• [--] +++++ Genshiken (Volume 9/9, 2007) – Finished 27 Mar. Oops, finally realized that I hadn’t finished Volume 9 since December 2007! Thus, more than a year later, restarted it on 10 Mar and finished it 27 Mar. Still an engrossing 5 of 5 stars! But since it’s a manga, didn’t “count” it in my list, lol.
• [10] ++++ Mobile Suit Gundam (25-43 of 43) – Finished 24 Mar. Yup, finished the second half! Wow, the story still holds up after 30 years, 4 of 5 stars! On 25 Mar, unexpectedly watched episode 43/43 again (the English-subbed finale), thinking that episode 43/43 would be the finale. Apparently, I’d already watched the finale yesterday! According to Wiki, the English-dubbed release didn’t include the original 15th episode! So what I thought was the 15th was actually the 16th original episode. The 16th was actually the 17th. And so on, until what I thought was the 42nd was actually the 43rd and final episode! But I’m too lazy to renumber everything in my previous posts. Oh well, lol. Still 4 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 197 > Tsubasa.
• [--] +++++ Star Wars – The Clone Wars – Season 1 (1-22) – Finished 21 Mar. Splendid 5 of 5 stars! But since it’s not quite anime, didn’t “count” it in my list, lol. Screencaps and review at Blog 194 > Assassins.
• [09] +++ Sol Bianca – Legacy (1-6) – Finished 07 Mar (via Netflix). While the first 3 episodes sucked, the next 3 really improved in drama. Not bad, 3 of 5 stars. Screencaps and review at Blog 192 > Slingers.
• [08] +++ Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino – Season 2 (1-13) – Finished 04 Mar. Entertaining but ultimately not-as-satisfying as the original season, 3 of 5 stars. Wallpapers and review at Blog 192 > Slingers.

February 2009

• [07] ++++ Martian Successor Nadesico (1-26) – Finished 20 Feb. Not bad, more-humorous clone of “Evangelion”, 4 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 192 > Slingers.

January 2009

• [06] +++ Vampire Knight – Guilty – Season 2 (1-13) – Finished 27 Jan. Ehh, not bad, but kinda slow-moving in its over-dramatized soap-opera introspection amongst all the characters, both vampire and human, 3 of 5 stars. Wallpapers and review at Blog 192 > Slingers.
• [05] +++ Devil Hunter Yohko (1-6) – Finished 23 Jan (via Netflix). Hey, still pretty decent for today’s standards, and for its random nudity, lol, 3 of 5 stars. Wallpaper and review at Blog 186 > Harems.
• [04] ++++ Kannagi – Crazy Shrine Maidens (1-13) – Finished 18 Jan. Wow, beautiful animation, hilarious hijinks, and mysterious high-school drama, max 4 of 5 stars for a short season. Wallpapers and review at Blog 186 > Harems.
• [03] +++ Maria-sama ga Miteru – Season 1 (Marimite, 1-13) – Finished 17 Jan. Gentle but satisfying slice of an all-girl’s high-school life, 3 of 5 stars). Wallpaper and review at Blog 186 > Harems.
• [02] ++++ Mobile Suit Gundam (1-24 of 43) – Finished 12 Jan. Yup, finished the first half! Heyyy, the action and drama still holds up after 30 years, 4 of 5 stars! Wallpaper and review at Blog 186 > Harems.
• [01] ++++ Rurouni Kenshin – Season 1 (1-27) – Finished 07 Jan. Wow, even now, still a fulfilling tale of a repentant samurai among hoodlums and bandits, 4 of 5 stars! Wallpaper and review at Blog 184 > Rewind.

Want Even More?

• My Anime Ratings 2006-2009
• My Anime Collection 2006-2009

Part 2 of 3 > Zetsubou to Sayonara

[01] +++++ Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei – Season 3 (1-13). Ahhh, yes, the despair resumes with Season 3! Yup, my 1st anime title-or-season of the year. Finished 10 January 2010. Season 3 with 13 episodes. Haha, I’ll say it again, just as mind-alteringly and mind-frakkingly uproarious as Seasons 2 and 1. Especially with its brain-bending analysis of Schrodinger’s cat, tail, teacher and anything else you can stuff in a box! Don’t forget Naughty Ms. Kaede and Kiri-chan’s national security blanket! So, by combining Season 3 with Seasons 2 and 1, the never-ending manic and maniacal odyssey into psycho-intellectual minutiae once again earns a desperately indubitable 5 of 5 stars! Here was my previous review back in Blog 217 > Despair, Devastation & Delight (Sep 2009).

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (Season 2) [33]. Ahhh, yes, the despair! But let’s see, where to begin? Well, about 17 months ago, back in mid-April 2008, I finished the first season of “Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei”. And I was utterly blown away! In fact, I gave it a 4 of 5 stars maximum for a half-season. Plus an Honorable Mention for 2008! So from 27 July 2009 to 23 August 2009, when I finally completed “Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei” last month, I couldn’t wait for more! Yup, my 33rd anime title-or-season of the year. Season 2 with 13 episodes. Haha, just as mind-alteringly and mind-frakkingly uproarious as Season 1. Especially with its psychological cocktail of over-analytical despair-torn classmates plus teacher! Whoa, by combining Season 2 with Season 1, the series earns a desperately impressive 5 of 5 stars!

To celebrate, ranging wildly from 1024px-to-5300px resolution across both seasons, here are over 50 wallpapers, vectors, scans and other images to soothe your over-analytical soul, lol. Feel free to enlarge. Ahhh, bask in the air of despair!

To celebrate once more, ranging hopelessly from 1024px-to-4600px resolution across all 3 seasons, here are 90 more wallpapers, vectors, scans and other images to add to the 50+ wallpapers from our last odyssey in Blog 217 > Despair, Devastation & Delight (Sep 2009). Feel free to enlarge.

Part 3 of 3 > Zojirushi to Onigiri

Ahh, onigiri! Over the months of October 2009 through December 2009, Autumn-chan was kind enough to share her onigiri with me. And over those months, I think it was inevitable for me to embrace the idea of making my own onigiri rice balls for not just myself, but for her too. Unfortunately, the lack of a high-quality rice cooker was a major obstacle. Never owned one before. Well, as my luck would have it, December 2009 witnessed the sending of 3 Amazon Christmas gift cards-certificates — from Amazon itself, my ex-dad-in-law, and my brother Joel — to none other than myself! Totaling over $100!

So several weeks later, on Saturday, 09 January 2010, based on Autumn-chan’s advice, I finally ordered my $122 Zojirushi rice cooker for just $9, hehe. Oddly enough, I found a couple of other bags of rice in the pantry too. Jasmine white rice and Basmati brown rice. Imagine that. Then less than a week later, on Thursday, 14 January 2010, I picked up my new Zojirushi from the office front desk. I opened up the box in the office kitchen and checked it out. Nice. The next night, on Friday, 15 January 2010, I cooked some Calrose white rice, mixed some ume-shiso seasoning into it, and ate half with my leftover sardines, mmm. Then made the other half into two onigiri, hehe.

And guess what? I took pics of both dishes, and resized the best photos in Photoshop, hehe. Shortly thereafter, I wrote a “Thank You” email to my brother Joel and ex-dad-in-law for their Christmas gift certificates, in helping me get my awesome Zojirushi rice cooker. In fact, here are the photos I attached to the email. Not bad at all. The rest is history. One month later, I love Calrose rice.

Well-well, my Tested Toyboxers! Did you survive the desperately dragon-sized battle? Well, if you made it this far, I’ll assume you did, hehe. But amidst the high-flying barrage of wallpapered bullets and multi-starred missiles, you might’ve noticed the plummeting trajectory of monthly anime in 2009 and incoming waves of onigiri rice in 2010. Yup, the battle between “fake” 2D artistry and “real” 3D culture rages on. It’s gonna be fun.

Has anime started to feel fake yet?

Till next broadcast. Peace. Out.

Final Flashback

Kafuka: “I’ll ask this only once… Got onigiri?”

Triela | Gunslinger Girls – Il Teatrino | Enlarge

Oh man, my left eye is feeling much better, but I’m still feeling a bit worn down {sigh}. If you’ve been following my daily updates below, you know what I mean. And fast-forwarding with Daylight Saving Time doesn’t help, lol. But no worries. The show must go on! This week, we punch through a new batch of fiery female-slinging anime dramas, a coincidentally-named Mimi-friendly appearance, even more coincidental foosball-flinging ninja angles, some flame-throwing loli-against-loli anti-Mimi anger, as well as a touch of triangular blog-enhancing shenanigans! What? Only 30 images? Damn, this is gonna be a pretty tiny mega-post, haha. But who cares? Just let our five-piece predicament flow through your optic nerves and penetrate your otaku-enhanced brain. Ready? Okay, 3, 2, 1, let’s go…

Part 1 of 5. Anime Watching Update. Damn, it’s been over a month since my last anime-watching update in January! To rectify the brutal situation, here are my latest anime speed-reviews. Four more anime titles-seasons watched and completed since then, for a total of 9 this year.

Vampire Knight – Guilty [6]. My 6th anime title-or-season of the year. Second season, 13 episodes. Ehh, not bad, but kinda slow-moving in its over-dramatized soap-opera introspection amongst all the characters, both vampire and human. Adequate 3 of 5 stars. Here are a couple of dramatic wallpapers.

Yuki in one of her many vulnerable moments.

Vampire Knight Guilty [6] | 3 of 5 Stars | Enlarge Wallpaper 1

Yuki lying gently beside Kaname.

Vampire Knight Guilty [6] | 3 of 5 Stars | Enlarge Wallpaper 2

Martian Successor Nadesico [7]. Inspired by Lene-chan‘s review post, this is my 7th anime title-or-season of the year. First season, 26 episodes. Once again, not bad, as a multi-textured but more-humorous clone of “Evangelion”. Solid 4 of 5 stars! Here are three amusing wallpapers, lol.

The eccentric crew of the space battleship Nadesico.

Martian Successor Nadesico [7] | 4 of 5 Stars | Enlarge Wallpaper 1

The blue-haired Captain Yurika and the child genius Ruri.

Martian Successor Nadesico [7] | 4 of 5 Stars | Enlarge Wallpaper 2

Ruri in one of her rare nekomimi (cat-eared) modes, lol.

Martian Successor Nadesico [7] | 4 of 5 Stars | Enlarge Wallpaper 3

Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino [8]. My 8th anime title-or-season of the year. Second season, 13 episodes. Entertaining drama but ultimately not-as-satisfying as the original girls-with-guns season. Decent 3 of 5 stars. Featuring the blonde twin-tailed assassin Triela, here are four beautifully-understated wallpapers.

Triela thoughtfully gazes into the necklace of her nemesis Pinocchio (in the background).

Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino [8] | 3 of 5 Stars | Enlarge Wallpaper 1

Little Henrietta fidgets beside the bear-loving Triela.

Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino [8] | 3 of 5 Stars | Enlarge Wallpaper 2

Triela poses with her favorite toys, both furry and deadly, lol.

Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino [8] | 3 of 5 Stars | Enlarge Wallpaper 3

Triela relaxes with her fellow assassins, Henrietta and Rico.

Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino [8] | 3 of 5 Stars | Enlarge Wallpaper 4

Sol Bianca – Legacy [9]. My 9th anime title-or-season of the year. Sequel season, 6 episodes. Ehh, not too bad. While the first 3 episodes sucked, the last 3 finally improved in its emotion and drama. Inconsistent 3 of 5 stars. Here are two hard-to-find images, lol.

Ah, the awe-inspiring Sol Bianca!

Sol Bianca – Legacy [9] | 3 of 5 Stars | Enlarge 1

And the all-female pirate crew of the Sol Bianca.

Sol Bianca – Legacy [9] | 3 of 5 Stars | Enlarge 2

That’s about it! So, at a rate of 9 titles or seasons for the first 10 weeks, I’m currently on pace to hit 45 titles or seasons by the end of the year. Not bad! Haha, maybe I should *cheat* a little by stocking up on quicker two-hour anime films! Nahhh, maybe not, lol. I’ll just whatever I see, whenever I see it, however I see it. Sound good?

Part 2 of 5. The Gunslinger & Mimi. Hehe, oh yeah, speaking of “Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino” and Triela, when I stumbled upon Episode 10, I burst into surprised laughter no less than two times! LOL, the first time appeared when Triela began talking to Maria, a girl she would be protecting.

Episode 10 | Mimi in Gunslinger Girls | Enlarge

And Maria asked Triela to call her “Mimi”, lol. Instantly, I thought of Angry Mimi and laughed in surprise, hahaha.

Episode 10 | Mimi in Gunslinger Girls | Enlarge

Coincidence? Oddly, I could almost sense a similarity between the two Mimis. I wonder if the writers…

Episode 10 | Mimi in Gunslinger Girls | Enlarge

Nahhh, it couldn’t be. Could it?

Episode 10 | Mimi in Gunslinger Girls | Enlarge

Haha, later in the episode, they played some chess.

Episode 10 | Mimi in Gunslinger Girls | Enlarge

Hahaha, isn’t this a perfectly Angry Mimi reaction?

Episode 10 | Mimi in Gunslinger Girls | Enlarge

Pretty hilarious, if you ask me! LOL!

Episode 10 | Mimi in Gunslinger Girls | Enlarge

My second burst into laughter appeared when they introduced the foosball table! Yup, foosball! Also known as table soccer or kicker, lol. I mean, if you remember my foosball antics last month, you know what I mean!

Episode 10 | Mimi in Gunslinger Girls | Enlarge

Yet another awesome coincidence, lol.

Episode 10 | Mimi in Gunslinger Girls | Enlarge

And here’s yet another competitive Mimi-esque moment. Finding a way to beat her opponent, hehe.

Episode 10 | Mimi in Gunslinger Girls | Enlarge

Haha, yeah, that was pretty funny. And if you didn’t already figure it out, this was favorite episode of the series. Double coincidence with Mimi and foosball. Can’t get any better than that, lol. Can it?

Part 3 of 5. Angles of a Foosball Ninja. The Ninja Legend grows! Speaking of foosball and kicker and table soccer, here’s a bit of an update since my foosball antics last month. Couple weeks ago, back on February 26th, my team earned its first win (best of three games, 5-2 and 5-1) in the Foosball Tournament. Well, during this past week, on March 3rd, my team earned its second win (5-0 and 5-0). Nice! But that’s not the funny thing, lol. Over the past few weeks, it seems my “Ninja” reputation has spread throughout the office to a point where even employees I rarely talk to, already know my foosball abilities! Too funny!

Jan-Feb | Foosball Ninja | Enlarge

According to the guys who regularly play, my overall speed and left-handed power are what seems to separate me from the rest. I also have a few trademark moves, lol. Like my “payback” move, where I instantly smash a goalie’s kick back into his own goal! I agree, lol. In fact, some of them have already begun to pick up that move, lol. Another move is my ability to score from my left-hand’s five-man offense. Hehe, yeah, I already mentioned that in my previous post. But some have actually wondered if I was left-handed! For those who haven’t seen my previous foosball post, here’s a shot of the office foosball table.

Jan-Feb | Foosball Ninja | Enlarge

Yup, so the Ninja Legend grows. Sadly, beyond the core addicts, the rest of the office employees are still too slow or too busy to move the tournament along. Oh well, lol. It’s understandable. That’s more fun for us! Which reminds me, check out this *sick* kicker table I found on the nets! Skinnier but twice the length of a normal table! Four players on each side! Sick!

Sick Table | Foosball a.k.a. Kicker a.k.a. Table Soccer | Enlarge

Okay, enough about foosball, lol.

Part 4 of 5. Melancholy of an Angry Loli. Speaking of Mimi-chan, it’s always disappointing when “Anonymous” commenters still find time to ruin Mimi-chan’s cheerful posts with their fruitless poison. Namely, raining on her milestone announcement of her blog exceeding 100,000 hits. Why would anyone take the time to create misery? Who knows? Here’s a screencap of the post.

Mar 08 | Screencap of Angry Loli | Enlarge

Next, here’s a screencap and spotlight on the “Anonymous” comment.

Mar 08 | Screencap of Anonymous Comment | Enlarge

While I definitely understand Mimi-chan’s reaction, I also don’t think it’s worth her time to repeatedly react to the poison. My advice would be to acknowledge it quietly then thank the person for visiting. Nothing more. And leave it at that. Without wasting precious time and energy on a worthless provocation. Because everyone else can see right through it and defend Mimi-chan! Right? Don’t let it push your buttons so easily, hehe.

Part 5 of 5. Triangles & Tribulations. Damn, part five already? Yeah, I guess so, lol. Well, triggered by various Mimi-powered rants, as well as the findings from my previous mega-post, I finally decided to exchange blog feeds with the infamously-ecchi otaku blog, Sankaku Complex (Triangle Complex). Yup, finally, lol. First, here’s a screencap of my own blog.

Mar 08 | Screencap of xJAYMANx_toybox | Enlarge

Next, several screen-heights down, here’s my stylish insertion of Sankaku’s blog feed into the center column. Based on Sankaku’s images, I designed the 210×210 square image myself, hehe. Nice, eh?

Mar 08 | Screencap of Sankaku Feed | Enlarge

Finally, here’s a screencap of the “Feed Exchange” page on Sankaku Complex. Pretty cool.

Mar 08 | Screencap of Sankaku Complex | Enlarge

In fact, since installing Sankaku’s blog feed a few days ago, I’ve already seen several visits on my blog coming from Sankaku’s blog! Now that’s pretty damn fast! Hmmm, I guess this “feed exchange” stuff really works, lol. Unfortunately, Mimi-chan seems to have made quite a few “Anonymous” enemies there too {sigh}. Oh well, what can we do? The nature of the internets.

Whew! A few hours later, and I’m finally done! Although, my left eye is starting to twitch a bit again. Argh. But I hope you enjoyed our five-piece batch of fiery female-slinging anime dramas, a coincidentally-named Mimi-friendly appearance, even more coincidental foosball-flinging ninja angles, some flame-throwing loli-against-loli anti-Mimi anger, as well as a touch of triangular blog-enhancing shenanigans! Thank you, Triela, Yuki, Ruri, Mimi, and once again, Triela! And I hope this tinier-than-usual mega-post has penetrated and permeated your otaku-poisoned personality, haha. Just kidding, otaku-purified not otaku-poisoned! In any case, my Trusty Toyboxers, stay outta trouble, okay? Meanwhile, I hope I can finish a new piece of “Momo” fanart for Mimi-chan, lol. Peace. Out.