Aww, thanks, Aki-chan! Happy Belated Birthday to you too! Sadly, Aki-chan’s message is genuinely fake, hehe. But yup, 5 days after Aki-chan’s March 14th birthday, on March 19th, I climbed another year higher, wiser and more tuned to the ways of live-action J-drama, K-drama, Asian gravure idols, and Japanese onigiri. Not bad, huh? On that note, my Tender Toyboxers, let’s step away from “fake” 2D anime and animation this week, and instead, sit back, relax with a bowl of sticky rice, and enjoy a refreshing bottle of “real” 3D entertainment. Ready? Then let’s do it. Let’s start the show…

Part 1 of 5 > My 44 Live-Action in 2009

During my last mega-cast, you might remember what I said about “fake” anime.

Fake? Has anime started to feel fake yet? Yup, you heard me, hehe. The reason I ask this is that… 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… 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.

Oddly, despite finishing several more anime titles over the last couple months, I haven’t experienced another “inexplicable sensation” since then. Nevertheless, to highlight my “rising consumption of 3D live-action”, in the tradition of my “annual anime lists”, I now present for the first time ever, my “annual live-action lists”. Yup, to complement My 41 Anime in 2009, here is My 44 Live-Action in 2009. Hey, did you catch that? I wrote “44″ live-action, 3 more than my “41″ anime. Fascinating, huh? From ancient warriors to eccentric pianists to moody lovers to galactic trekkers to insatiable pirates to high-school delinquents to super-rich schoolboys, it’s been a lively live-action year! To be specific, here are my live-action faves of 2009!

Next, here are my complete lists of live-action faves and 44 live-action titles-seasons of 2009. Hmm, while my anime titles witnessed a striking monthly drop after September 2009 through December 2009, my live-action titles witnessed a strong presence during those same months. Whether or not there’s a genuine personal “fall of anime”, it’s tough to ignore a personal “rise of live-action”. And tougher to ignore just by the very existence of this list!

My Live-Action 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] +++++ Hana Yori Dango – Season 2 (1-11) > Honorable Mention!
• [39] +++++ Jumong – Season 3 (41-60) > Fave K-Drama!
• [36] +++++ Jumong – Season 2 (21-40)
• [35] +++++ Hana Yori Dango – Season 1 (1-9)
• [33] +++++ Jumong – Season 1 (1-20)
• [29] +++++ Torchwood – Season 3 – Children of Earth (2009, 1-5) > Fave UK-Drama!
• [27] +++++ Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend, 2008, 1-12)
• [20] +++++ Terminator – Sarah Connor Chronicles – Season 2 (1-22)
• [16] +++++ Nodame Cantabile – Live-Action (2006, 1-11) > Fave J-Drama!
• [09] +++++ Battlestar Galactica – Season 4 (1-20) > Fave US-Drama!

My Top-5 Films or Specials > 5 of 5 stars!

• [31] +++++ In the Mood for Love (Fa yeung nin wa, 2000) > Fave Romance Film!
• [26] +++++ Gokusen 2 – Reunion Special (2005)
• [25] +++++ Star Trek (2009) > Fave Sci-Fi Film!
• [21] +++++ Gokusen 3 – Graduation Special (2009) > Fave Comedy Special!
• [14] +++++ Red Cliff – Part II (Chi bi xia: Jue zhan tian xia, 2009) > Fave Action Film!

My Top-2 Adult Films > 5 of 5 stars!

• [06] +++++ Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge (2008) > Fave Adult Film!
• [05] +++++ Pirates XXX (2005)

My 44 Live-Action Titles-Seasons in 2009

December 2009

• [--] Tomb Raider 2 – The Cradle of Life (2003) – Finished (again) 29 Dec.
• [--] Tomb Raider (2001) – Finished (again) 27 Dec. Yup, finally finished “Tomb Raider” again.
• [44] ++++ Sherlock Holmes (2009) – Finished 26 Dec. Heyyy, not bad, not bad! Maybe 4 of 5 stars?
• [43] ++++ Hana Yori Dango Final – Director’s Cut (2008) – Finished 25 Dec. Aww, added or extended scenes, 4-5 of 5 stars!
• [42] ++++ Hana Yori Dango Final (2008) – Finished 24 Dec. Ahh, the film finale to the TV series. Should I give 4 of 5 stars? Or 5 stars?
• [41] +++++ Hana Yori Dango – Season 2 (1-11) – Finished 22 Dec. Wow, another dramatic 5 of 5 stars!
• [40] ++++ Evanescence: Anywhere but Home (2004) – Finished 17 Dec. Wow, not bad, I’d say 4 of 5 stars!
• [39] +++++ Jumong – Season 3 (41-60) – Finished 14 Dec. Wow, finished my self-defined “Season 3″, episodes 41-60. Epic 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 218.
• [--] Star Trek (2009) – Finished (again) 13 Dec. Yup, watched the film again, a better version of the downloaded movie file! Yup, 5 of 5 stars again! Wallpapers and review at Blog 214.
• [38] ++++ Equilibrium (2002) – Finished 05 Dec. Hey, finally watched this “Matrix” clone. Not bad, I’d give 4 of 5 stars!

November 2009

• [37] ++++ Doctor Who – Planet of the Dead (2009) – Finished 22 Nov. Hey, 4 of 5 stars!
• [36] +++++ Jumong – Season 2 (21-40) – Finished 17 Nov. Wow, finished my self-defined “Season 2″, episodes 21-40. Epic 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 218.
• [35] +++++ Hana Yori Dango – Season 1 (1-9) – Finished 15 Nov. Wow, dramatic, amusing and emotional 5 of 5 stars!

October 2009

• [34] ++++ Battlestar Galactica – The Plan (2009) – Finished 24 Oct. Not perfect but not bad at all, 4 of 5 stars! Images and review at Blog 218.
• [33] +++++ Jumong – Season 1 (1-20) – Finished 19 Oct. Wow, finished my self-defined “Season 1″, episodes 1-20. Epic 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 218.
• [32] +++ Densha Otoko (2005) – Finished 17 Oct. Didn’t quite pay attention to it, due to some physical distractions, hehe. Poster and review at Blog 218.
• [--] Forbidden Kingdom (2008) – Finished (again) 04 Oct. Not bad for a second viewing! Poster and review at Blog 218.

September 2009

• [--] Jumong – Started 20 Sep. Epic! Even though this was only the first episode, I felt I had to mention when I started such an epic series! Wallpapers and review at Blog 218.
• [31] +++++ In the Mood for Love (Fa yeung nin wa, 2000) – Finished 20 Sep. Yup, watched the film plus the DVD extras. Wow, 5 of 5 stars! Maggie and Tony remind me sooo much of us! Uncanny! I mean, how did I avoid watching this? Since I already watched “2046″ before, how? After meeting her, must be fate? Poster and review at Blog 218.
• [--] So Close (Chik yeung tin si, 2002) – Finished (again) 11 Sep. Yup, finally finished the film plus the DVD extras again. I don’t remember what rating I gave when I first saw it, but I’d give it 4 of 5 stars today, hehe. Images at Blog 217.

August 2009

• [--] Death Note 2 – The Last Name (2006) – Finished (again) 29 Aug. Yup, watched it with her, hehe. Wallpapers and review at Blog 210.
• [--] Death Note (2006) – Finished (again) 29 Aug. Yup, watched it with her, hehe. Wallpapers and review at Blog 210.
• [30] ++++ The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009) – Finished 22 Aug. Yup, watched it with her at Sunset Station Casino. Hey, not bad, 4 of 5 stars! Several moments of near tears. Wallpapers and review at Blog 216.

July 2009

• [29] +++++ Torchwood – Season 3 – Children of Earth (2009, 1-5) – Finished 31 Jul. Whoa, didn’t tear up, but still emotional 5 of 5 stars!
• [28] +++ Lord of War (2005) – Finished 29 Jul. Just okay, 3 of 5 stars.
• [27] +++++ Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend, 2008, 1-12) – Finished 24 Jul. Watched the 2008 TV series, followed by the 2009 extra episode. Wow, 5 of 5 stars! With the first ending, so many tears streaming down both my cheeks. Screencaps and review at Blog 213.
• [26] +++++ Gokusen 2 – Reunion Special (2005) – Finished 24 Jul. Wow, two-hour reunion! Teared up too, 5 of 5 stars! Screencaps and review at Blog 213.
• [25] +++++ Star Trek (2009) – Finished 21 Jul. Yup, finally watched the downloaded movie file. And I’m glad I did, 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 214.
• [24] ++++ Watchmen (2009) – Finished 12 Jul. Wow, finally watched the film-version of the break-through comic, 4 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 211.
• [23] ++ L – Change the World (2008) – Finished 11 Jul. Ehh, nice to see “L” again, but such a poor plot, 2 of 5 stars. Wallpapers and review at Blog 210.
• [22] ++++ Smallville – Season 8 (1-22) – Finished 03 Jul. Haha, a six-episode marathon till the 22nd-episode finale! Whoa, intense 4 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 209.

June 2009

• [21] +++++ Gokusen 3 – Graduation Special (2009) – Finished 27 Jun. Awww, wild, wacky yet warm. Yup, no doubt, another 5 of 5 stars! Screencaps and review at Blog 208.
• [20] +++++ Terminator – Sarah Connor Chronicles – Season 2 (1-22) – Finished 19 Jun. Wow, the stylistic reverence and cinematic adherence to the original film trilogy is uncanny! An impressive 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 207.
• [19] ++++ Blade Runner – Director’s Cut (1982, 1992) – Finished 14 Jun. Hehe, after “Hard Boiled”, I was then inspired to watch “Blade Runner” again, starring Harrison Ford and Edward James Olmos. Still a cyborg-gunning 4 of 5 stars! Posters and review at Blog 207.
• [18] ++++ Hard Boiled (Lat sau san taam, 1992) – Finished 14 Jun. Hey, finally watched this film! Directed by John Woo, starring Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. A bullet-flying 4 of 5 stars! Wallpaper and review at Blog 207.
• [17] ++++ Nodame Cantabile – Special in Europe (2008, 1-2) – Finished 13 Jun. After the live-action series, watched the two-episode “Special in Europe”. Awww, 4 of 5 stars! Screencaps and review at Blog 207.
• [16] +++++ Nodame Cantabile – Live-Action (2006, 1-11) – Finished 12 Jun. Haha, the live-action version of the extraordinary anime! Wow, sublime 5 of 5 stars! Screencaps and review at Blog 207.
• [15] ++++ In July (Im Juli, 2000) – Finished 06 Jun. Ahh, a random non-Asian change via Netflix, finally watched this German romantic comedy. Aww, hard not to fall in love with Christiane Paul. A colorful 4 of 5 stars! Images and review at Blog 205.

May 2009

• [14] +++++ Red Cliff – Part II (Chi bi xia: Jue zhan tian xia, 2009) – Finished 04 May. Double-wow! Spectacular 5 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 201.

April 2009

• [13] ++++ Shinobi – Heart Under Blade (2005) – Finished 25 Apr. Ahh, the live-action film alternative to the novel or anime. Too few ninjas, but not bad, 4 of 5 stars! Wallpapers and review at Blog 199.
• [12] ++++ Police Story 3 – Supercop (Ging chat goo si 3: Chiu kup ging chat, 1992) – Finished 19 Apr. Wow, Jackie Chan’s third police-punching action-packed roller-coaster ride, featuring the dazzling Michelle Yeoh, 4 of 5 stars! Screencaps and review at Blog 198.
• [11] ++++ Battlestar Galactica – Caprica – Pilot (2009) – Finished 18 Apr. Heyyy, the pilot for the 2010 series! Wow, wickedly impressive 4 of 5 stars!
• [10] +++ Seven Swords (Chat gim, 2005) – Finished 10 Apr. Stunning imagery, but ehh, not bad, 3 of 5 stars.

March 2009

• [09] +++++ Battlestar Galactica – Season 4 (1-20) – Finished 21 Mar. Wow, glorious final episode of the final chapter! Wickedly breathtaking, heart-stoppingly mind-blowing, with twists, turns and surprises till the end, haha. For a full 90 minutes too. A galactic 5 of 5 stars! Wallpaper and review at Blog 194.
• [08] +++ Snakes & Earrings (Hebi ni piasu, 2008) – Finished 21 Mar. Hmm, a revealing yet startling window into soul-searching underground characters. The plot wasn’t too bad, 3 of 5 stars. Screencaps and review at Blog 194.

February 2009

• [07] ++++ Police Story 2 (Ging chat goo si juk jaap, 1988) – Finished 21 Feb. Wow, Jackie Chan’s police-punching sequel, 4 of 5 stars! Screencaps and review at Blog 190.
• [06] +++++ Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge (2008) – Finished 20 Feb. Wow, spectacular big-budget adult film, 5 of 5 stars! Screencaps and review at Blog 190.
• [05] +++++ Pirates XXX (2005) – Finished 10 Feb. Wow, impressive big-budget adult production! Haha, except for the explicit sex, almost like a “real” movie, 5 of 5 stars! Screencaps and review at Blog 188.
• [04] ++++ Battle Royale (2000) – Finished 06 Feb. Whoa, with all the bloody violence, unexpectedly complex and layered, 4 of 5 stars! Screencaps and review at Blog 188.

January 2009

• [03] ++++ Police Story (Ging chat goo si, 1985) – Finished 28 Jan. Wow, Jackie Chan’s police-punching classic! Even after 24 years, the stunts are still insane, 4 of 5 stars! Screencaps and review at Blog 187.
• [02] ++++ Doctor Who at the Proms (Special, 2009) – Finished 11 Jan. Heyyy, not bad, pretty entertaining! Such moving and memorable musical pieces for the reimagined sci-fi series, 4 of 5 stars!
• [01] ++++ Sarah Jane Adventures – Season 2 (1-12) – Finished 04 Jan. Ahh, a more child-oriented version of the reimagined “Doctor Who”, but still quite an entertaining 4 of 5 stars!

Part 2 of 5 > Hana Yori Dango to Dae Jang Geum

Congratulations to “Hana Yori Dango”! Although “Nodame Cantabile” stole the prize of “Fave J-Drama”, I couldn’t overlook “Hana Yori Dango” either. So I gave this J-drama an “Honorable Mention”! Let’s take another look why.

• [43] ++++ Hana Yori Dango Final – Director’s Cut (2008) – Aww, 4-5 of 5 stars!
• [42] ++++ Hana Yori Dango Final (2008) – Ahh, 4 of 5 stars? Or 5 stars?
• [41] +++++ Hana Yori Dango – Season 2 (1-11) – Wow, 5 of 5 stars!
• [35] +++++ Hana Yori Dango – Season 1 (1-9) – Wow, 5 of 5 stars!

Yup, not just two seasons, but also a film finale. In the same effective “dramedy” style seen in “Gokusen” (Blog 208 and Blog 213) and “Nodame Cantabile” (Blog 207), “Hana Yori Dango” likewise dances playfully between exaggerated over-the-top comic-violence and heart-breaking-heart-warming tears. Especially captivating are Mao Inoue (as Makino Tsukushi, 牧野 つくし) and Jun Matsumoto (as Domyouji Tsukasa, 道明寺 司), also a graduate of “Gokusen”. And oftentimes, successfully frustrating too, hehe. But yeah, an undeniable 5 of 5 stars overall, across both seasons and both film versions.

To celebrate, ranging dramatically from 1024px-to-3000px resolution, here are 13 wallpapers, scans and other images. Feel free to enlarge!

Inevitably, following the success of the “Hana Yori Dango” (2005, 2007) J-drama series, the K-drama version “Boys Over Flowers” (2009) was born. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy its slower pace. Especially on the treadmill. So after willfully enduring 7 of 25 episodes from January 13th to January 20th, I finally gave up. Ugh, the 7th was the slowest episode thus far. That’s when I switched back to another K-drama, the classic “Dae Jang Geum” (2003) series, hehe. Nevertheless, here are a couple of images for your idle and idol enjoyment!

Coincidentally, on March 2nd, while Autumn-chan was strolling through the library, she managed to pass by an aisle of manga, thought of me, and snapped some shots on her iPhone, haha. Not just “Hana Yori Dango” (Boys Over Flowers), but “Kare Kano” (His & Her Circumstances) too! Wow, it’s been ages since I blogged about “Kare Kano”. Let’s see, Blog 184? Yup, I think that was the last time!

Speaking of the classic “Dae Jang Geum” (2003) K-drama, I also started it on January 13th. But unlike the “Boys Over Flowers” (2009) K-drama, I’ve stuck with it for over 2 months, enjoying over 40 of 54 episodes thus far! Especially on the treadmill, haha. I can definitely see the interrelated influences with other Ancient Korean K-drama favorites like “Damo” (2003) and “Jumong” (2006). I’ll probably discuss it in more detail next time, but for now, here are several wallpapers for your wondering and wandering eyes.

Haha, got enough live-action J-drama and K-drama to fill your bowl?

Part 3 of 5 > Miss Actress to Aki Hoshino

Once again, Happy Birthday to you, Aki-chan! I didn’t forget your photoshoot, hehe. Ahh, my Tantalized Toyboxers, if you’ve peeked at the Toybox often enough, you’ve already seen a few of my posts featuring Japanese gravure-idol photoshoots. Haven’t you?

• Juri Ueno from the hit J-drama “Nodame Cantabile” (Blog 207)
• Yukie Nakama from another hit J-drama “Gokusen” (Blog 208 and Blog 213)

So finally, in the tradition of my previous photoshoots, I present Aki Hoshino (ほしのあき / 호시노 아키 / 星野亞紀) from the Miss Actress Photo Book #070 (2005). Enjoy!

Oh, before I forget, here’s an interesting side note. When I first stumbled upon Aki-chan’s photoshoot months ago, perhaps half a year ago along with Juri-chan’s or Yukie-chan’s photoshoots, I noticed how artsy-and-dark this shoot was compared to other standard bright-and-sunny idol shoots. Very cool. But when I began composing this mega-cast, I somehow lost the link! Fortunately, on February 28th, I found it again! Along with an intriguing interview I hadn’t seen before. Thus, I requested the assistance of Autumn-chan to translate and summarize the text. Thanks Autumn-chan!

Autumn-chan: finally made sense

xJAYMANx: awesome

Autumn-chan: sorry it took so long

xJAYMANx: ohh, no time at all, want to add any comments for those 6 pages?
(for blog)

Autumn-chan: i don’t have anything to add…

xJAYMANx: np, then would it be okay to ask for a brief summary?
or does the english parts sum it up

Autumn-chan: she talks about when she was in middle school and high school, how she didn’t like studying but liked to go to school because her friends were there
she didn’t know how to be friends with boys or go on dates because she didn’t know how to have a relationship with a guy (she didn’t have a father)

xJAYMANx: interesting

Autumn-chan: and then when she was 18 she had a crush on a guy that was 23
she thought he was his boyfriend until she found out that she was only one of his several girlfriends

xJAYMANx: ahh
(sent a final question) [Via email: Here are 2 more without much text. Would they fit better at the start, end or somewhere in between (about being an "all-boys girl").]

Autumn-chan: so he broke her heart and she lost a lot of weight

xJAYMANx: aww

Autumn-chan: then she went to his home to pick up her stuff and when he saw how thin she was, he was kind to her, so she thought if she looked sick he’d like her
she was 35kg which is less than 80 pounds

xJAYMANx: wow

Autumn-chan: but she got over that and started modeling

xJAYMANx: thats super skinny isn’t it?

Autumn-chan: (yes) and she started when she was 24 and no magazine wanted her, but she somehow made it

xJAYMANx: really
that’s late to start modelling

Autumn-chan: yes
very late, she says that’s when girls stop doing bikinis

xJAYMANx: yeah
(anywhere in between, so not start or end)

Autumn-chan: i think it should start with 107

xJAYMANx: i agree
which text page talks about “all boys girl”

Autumn-chan: 107

xJAYMANx: ahh, so you’re right, anywhere in between

Autumn-chan: the second picture is probably in high school which is on 105

xJAYMANx: you mean 102 goes w 105?

Autumn-chan: yes

Without further ado, here’s Aki-chan’s photoshoot! As always, feel free to enlarge the images. You’ll notice the original interview soon enough, hehe.

Hehe, got enough lively bikini idols to fill your cup? But here’s a more intriguing side note. It occurred to my cross-circuited brain: Doesn’t Aki Hoshino remind you of a modern-day Japanese version of the innocent-yet-curvy Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe?

Part 4 of 5 > Japanese Souvenirs to Birthday Dishes

Okay, my Toasty Toyboxers, enough about live-action dramas and lively bikini idols. Let’s talk about food! During my last mega-cast, you might remember how I acquired my rice cooker.

On Saturday, 09 January 2010, based on Autumn-chan’s advice, I finally ordered my $122 Zojirushi rice cooker for just $9, hehe… 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.

Well, over the rest of January through February and March, I’ve experimented with quite a few variations of onigiri, ranging from plain Calrose white rice, to Calrose white rice with shiso seasoning, to Calrose white rice slightly browned with soy sauce plus shiso seasoning, to Calrose brown rice with wakame (seaweed) mix. Thanks Autumn-chan for the shiso and wakame! In fact, here’s a two-month-old snapshot of my Zojirushi. At near-daily use, it’s still going strong!

Back in mid-January, here were my early attempts at oddly-shaped “cubic” onigiri, haha. Calrose white with shiso.

One month later, mid-February, here were my more traditionally shaped “triangular” onigiri. Plain Calrose white.

Ah yes, souvenirs from the “Tokyo Loot Fairies”! After Autumn-chan came back from Japan, she brought back quite a few intriguing trinkets. A stack of tourist brochures, curry and shiso mixes, a shopping guide and other boxes. Unrelatedly yet relatedly, my close co-worker friend Allie-chan also happened to bring back a little gift. Can you guess which one it is?

Haha, first, let’s talk about the orange box with feet on it! This was Autumn-chan’s primary present for the winter season. Any educated guess what it is? Yup, a type of gel-pack bed warmer! Just take the gel-pack, heat it in the microwave for a couple of minutes, throw it under the bed covers, and you’re good to go for the night. You have the option to stick it in the orange sack to protect your skin from any prolonged contact. But since I wore sweatpants and socks anyway, the toasty heat didn’t bother me. I must admit, it was a nice companion to my portable heaters. But it doesn’t quite exist in the States, does it? At least not on Amazon.

Ah, second, the curry mix! But not just the sauce, the mix also includes the meat, potatoes and veggies. Very convenient! Unfortunately, only enough for one plate. One, maybe two servings. Definitely not something I can find at the local grocery store, even in the “international” or “ethnic” aisle, hehe. Oh yeah, if you look closely, or enlarge the image, you can see the “3″ in the bottom-right corner. That’s a mild or medium “3 out of 5″ in the spiciness range.

Third, the shiso mix! Made from the shiso plant, this seasoning adds a very consistent saltiness to your onigiri. Actually, let me correct that, you can control the density and consistency of the saltiness depending on how you mix up, or don’t mix up, your cooked rice. In any case, mmm, tasty.

Fourth, the “Dessert Pocky”! Why is it called “Dessert”? Who knows? I guess it must be the cheesecake flavoring? Or the very un-dense packing? Haha, I mean, come on, even though they show 12 sticks on the box cover, any reasonable consumer might expect more than that, right? Well, nope. It’s exactly 12 sticks, or 3 sticks in each of the 4 packs. That’s all. Just 12 sticks!

Fifth, the “Super Skinny Pocky”! I forgot what the translation on the big red arrow was, but I think it was something like “Super Skinny”. Is it really “Super Skinny” compared to the traditional standard “Pocky”? Hmm, maybe slightly. But then again, I don’t eat it often enough to immediately notice the difference, unless you told me.

Ahh, here’s another curious side note. I forget who told me, either Autumn-chan or Allie-chan, but “Pocky” treats are normally considered “very girlie” in Japan. I never knew this until last year! How girlie? Well, probably as “girlie” as buying and putting on make-up. Yup, no joke. Which explains why you see only girls enjoying “Pocky” in anime and drama. Which also explains why they came out with a specific “Men’s Pocky” to target male consumers. Like I said, no joke. If I were strolling though Tokyo, I’d probably not want to be seen eating “Pocky”. For example, take a peek at the back of the box. Where Mizuki Kuroda is showing you how to add tiny hearts to your “Strawberry Pocky”. Awww, how cute and sweet. So the next time you have a craving for these chocolate sticks, don’t forget to put on your lipstick and nail polish too, haha.

Sixth, even more onigiri “accessories”, hehe. In the pink packet, sake (salmon) seasoning for mixing into the rice. In the first green packet, wakame (one type of seaweed) seasoning for also mixing into the rice. And in the second green packet, nori (another type of seaweed) for covering an exterior section of the onigiri.

Seventh, the “Japan Shopping Guide”! Covering English, Korean, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. Hardly any Japanese at all! Including train lines, bus lines, maps and product information for all your favorite shopping sites! Featuring Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Ikebukuro, Akihabara, Makuhari, Funabashi, Yokohama, even Narito Airport, and bits of Osaka too, hehe.

Ahh, so do any of these Zojirushi rice cookers look familiar? Hmmm?

Well, that’s all of the “Tokyo Loot” souvenirs, folks! Can you guess which gift Autumn-chan didn’t bring me? The gift that Allie-chan brought back? Haha, like a needle in a haystack! Or, hint-hint, like a stick in a pile of chocolate? Meanwhile, speaking of impossibly random finds, one day, while I was flipping through the April 2010 issue of “Reader’s Digest” (yeah, a gift subscription from Dad), guess what I found on page 123? A life-sized android Miku-chan! Imagine that! If you have no idea who or what Miku-chan is, check out Otaku Dan’s post “Miku Hatsune Wallpaper Dump” (24 March 2010). Of course, “Reader’s Digest” doesn’t have any idea either.

Another month later, mid-March, here was another tasty onigiri experiment. Calrose white slightly browned with soy sauce plus shiso.

Then another two weeks later, on March 29th, I finally opened the green packet of wakame (seaweed) seasoning above. Calrose brown rice with wakame. Mmm, brown rice definitely makes a difference. Seems to add another layer or texture to the flavor. My favorite onigiri so far!

Mmm, doesn’t all of this onigiri make you hungry? But now, let’s rewind back over the past week to my other delicious birthday dishes! Remember the green box of medium curry mix above? Not just the sauce, but the meat, potatoes and veggies included too? Well, here’s the mix when cooked in the microwave for a minute, and poured over nice and sticky Calrose brown rice, mmm. Doubly delicious when shared with Autumn-chan. Awww.

Afterwards, dessert! Chocolate bread pudding and yummy apple pie! Need I say more?

Mmm, if all of the onigiri didn’t budge you, then the pudding and pie must have! So that was Saturday, March 20th. A few days later, on Tuesday, March 23rd, a couple of my coworkers Melanie (in brown) and Michelle (in black) decided to treat me to a belated birthday lunch. Awww. My choice: T.G.I.F. With some strawberry lemonade, fried green beans, a Jack Daniel’s Sampler platter (packed with chicken, shrimp and ribs), and of course, the final ice-cream dessert accompanied with the universally embarrassing T.G.I.F. staff singing. Bahhh.

Happy Birthday, dude! By the way, my Tempted Toyboxers, if you’re curious about last year’s birthday antics, appetizers and assassins, feel free to take a peek at Blog 194.

Part 5 of 5 > Firefox Personas to Google iGoogles

Are we there yet? Last but not least, here are a few random technical updates on the web browsers and websites I’ve been using. Back on February 18th, I finally installed the new Firefox 3.6, played with its cool Persona skins, and ultimately settled on the “Black Catgirl” browser skin. Nice! Next, on February 22nd, I finally explored iGoogle, configured my iGoogle home page, and ultimately settled with a 3-column “Black UI” theme. Double nice! So on February 28th, with everything pretty stable and set in place, I decided to take some screencaps (Photoshop-edited for content). Yup, very black, very cool.

Yup, my “Black Toybox 2007″ blog design is still running pretty well. Three years sticking with the same design, same theme, same look-and-feel. Not too shabby. Not at all.

Heyyy, thank you, my Trusty Toyboxers, for making it this far! I hope you enjoyed my stumble and climb through live-action drama titles, lively bikini idols, and tasty onigiri. Once again, Happy Birthday, Aki-chan! And thanks to the other gracious gals who glided through this mega-cast. Yukie-chan, Juri-chan, Mao-chan, Autumn-chan, Allie-chan, Miku-chan, Maria-chan, Melanie and Michelle. So did you guess which gift Autumn-chan didn’t bring me? The gift that Allie-chan brought back? Yup, the blue-boxed loosely-packed cheesecake-flavored “Dessert Pocky”, haha.

• Doesn’t Aki Hoshino remind you of a modern-day Japanese version of Marilyn Monroe?
• “Pocky” treats are normally considered “very girlie” in Japan. How girlie?
• Of course, “Reader’s Digest” doesn’t have any idea either. Miku who?

Till next broadcast. Peace. Out.

Final Flashback

Aki-chan: “Happy Birthday, Jay… Got onigiri?”

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?”

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1440px

Despair! Devastation! Delight! Can you truly distinguish one without the others? After all, one girl’s pain may be another girl’s panic may be another girl’s pleasure, don’t you think? Haha, welcome back, my Traveling Toyboxers! Welcome to yet another deliciously disturbing taste of another marvelously mad mega-cast! A mega-cast of classroom-crashing desperation, triple-pistolled typhoons, purse-lipped pianists, lunar-licking digestion, and hardware-clashing relaxation! What am I talking about? Well, buckle up, pipe down, lean back, and let’s figure it out, lol. Ready? Three, two, one, let’s start the show!

Part 1 of 5 > Despair, Here, There & Everywhere

To fall or *not* to fall into despair? To fire or *not* to fire your weapon? To perform or *not* to perform your music? Those are the questions of the next 3 anime titles. Yup, 3 more anime titles-or-seasons: “Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei” [33], “Trigun” [34], and “Nodame Cantabile – Paris” [35]. Yes-yes, for a total of 35 completed anime titles-or-seasons in just about 8 1/2 months so far! Well? What do you think? Despite work, play and live-action films, can I hit my typical target of 50 anime by the end of the year? Ahhh, the despair!

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (Season 2, 2008) [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” (2007). 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” (2008) 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!

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Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

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So did you fall *in* or fall *out* of despair, huh?

Part 2 of 5 > Guns, Dunes & Humanoid Typhoons

To fire or *not* to fire your weapon? That is the next question. Ahhh, the guns!

Trigun (1998) [34]. Ahhh, yes, the guns! Once again, where to begin? Man, I’ve seen and heard about this classic anime for years! Ages! Yet I never got around to watching it. Why? Who knows? Maybe because there always seemed to be other better titles to watch? In any case, from 20 May 2009 to 06 September 2009, with the help of Netflix, I finally completed “Trigun” (1998). Finally, after more than 10 years later! Yup, my 34th anime title-or-season of the year. Original season with 26 episodes. While some of the wandering tales fly as dry as the sand they’re drifting in, there’s a certain mythical gust to the scenes, shots and characters. Even the shadow of tears may have flickered across my eyes toward the final showdown. But in the end, the series earns a decently wind-blown, sand-torn and bullet-bitten 4 of 5 stars!

To celebrate, aiming carelessly from 1500px-to-3400px resolution, here are 10 wallpapers and other images to vent your vengeful heart, lol. Feel free to enlarge. Ahhh, bathe in the hail of bullets!

Trigun (1998) | Enlarge 3400px

Trigun (1998) | Enlarge 3400px

Trigun (1998) | Enlarge 1600px

Trigun (1998) | Enlarge 3400px

Trigun (1998) | Enlarge 1600px

Trigun (1998) | Enlarge 1600px

Trigun (1998) | Enlarge 1600px

Trigun (1998) | Enlarge 1600px

Trigun (1998) | Enlarge 2300px

Trigun (1998) | Enlarge 1500px

So did you fight, flee, fall, or fire your weapon, huh?

Part 3 of 5 > Pianos, Paris Trips & Pursed Lips

To perform or *not* to perform your music? That is the final question. Ahhh, the pianos!

Nodame Cantabile – Paris (Season 2, 2008) [35]. Ahhh, yes, the pianos! And yes, this will be my third time featuring “Nodame”, hehe. First, my Blog 178 (Dec 2008) when I gave the first season of “Nodame Cantabile” (2007) an extraordinary and unforgettable 5 of 5 stars. Second, my Blog 207 (June 2009) when I gave the live-action drama (2006) a sublime 5 of 5 stars. And third, this Blog 217. Need I say more? Sure, why not? This time, from 26 August 2009 to 08 September 2009, I completed “Nodame Cantabile – Paris” (2008). Yep, my 35th anime title-or-season of the year. Season 2 with 11 episodes. While not as focussed, driven or intense as the first season, it is still an irresistible ride through the romantic-comedic world of classical music. Yet another shining and inspiring 5 of 5 stars!

To celebrate, soaring melodically from 1024px-to-2500px resolution, here are 25 wallpapers, vectors and other images to inspire your orchestral spirit, lol. Feel free to enlarge. Ahhh, soak in the shower of rainbow sounds!

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 2500px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1024px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1400px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1900px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1900px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1900px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1900px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1900px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1900px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1900px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1600px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1900px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 2500px

Nodame Cantabile (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1900px

So did you push, pull, pretend or perform your music, huh?

Part 4 of 5 > Another Autumn Embrace – August Moons & Noodles

Despair! Devastation! Delight! Which one will it be this time? After falling into “Zetsubou” despair, firing “Trigun” weapons, and performing “Nodame” music, let’s skyrocket beyond the anime atmosphere into the starry embrace of our surrealistic reality. Whatever that means.

Hey, remember my first weekend with Autumn-chan? Back in my Blog 215 > Embrace of an Autumn Night (Aug 2009) mega-cast? Well, on 17 August 2009, the following Monday morning after that weekend, as I let Guiness out into the backyard to do his duty before my getting ready for work, I noticed the prettiest sight in the eastern sky. Not just the morning Moon. But, correct me if I’m wrong, I believe Venus as well! As always, feel free to enlarge the shot.

17 Aug | Monday, Morning Moon | Enlarge

Another shot. Are the Moon and Venus smiling at my Autumn embrace?

17 Aug | Monday, Morning Moon | Enlarge

A zoomed shot. Check out the enlarged version.

17 Aug | Monday, Morning Moon | Enlarge

Another zoomed shot.

17 Aug | Monday, Morning Moon | Enlarge

Aww, wasn’t that pretty? Then, two Mondays later, on 31 August 2009, or two weeks ago, Autumn-chan and I decided to have lunch at “Jollibee“, lol. Haha, yup, the same Filipino fast-food place that I visited with Vanessa back in my Blog 060 (May 2007), more than 2 years ago! On Opening Day! Crowded! Crazy! But two weeks ago, it wasn’t so crazy. Well, not as crazy as me, lol. I know you want to enlarge the shot of those noodles, right?

31 Aug | Monday, Jolibee with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Nahhh, not as crazy as me.

31 Aug | Monday, Jolibee with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Mmm, Pancit Palabok!

31 Aug | Monday, Jolibee with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Another inexplicable shot taken by Autumn-chan.

31 Aug | Monday, Jolibee with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Hmm, wondering what she’s aiming at?

31 Aug | Monday, Jolibee with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Ahh, another painfully posed photo.

31 Aug | Monday, Jolibee with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Concluding with yet another delightfully deranged Jollibee-eyed composition.

31 Aug | Monday, Jolibee with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Mmm, I think I’m getting hungry again. Damn Jollibee.

Part 5 of 5 > Another Autumn Embrace – September Hardware & Foosball

Despair! Devastation! Delight! Can you predict which one it will be next? After some surrealistic Autumn moons and noodles, let’s catapult across the chaotic chasm into the concrete embrace of materialistic reality. Is it truly real?

Real or not, guess what? The following day after Jollibee, on 01 September 2009, my ex-sister-in-law and ex-roommate Lisa decided to thank me for watching Guiness the Menace all these months since she moved out this past July. Thank me how? Well, with more than a dozen Asian DVDs! Wow, nice! Thanks again, Lisa! But don’t mind the “True Blood – First Season” box set. Yeah, I know it’s not Asian. I just borrowed it from my coworker Mary because she recommended it, lol. Still halfway through it. Not spectacular, but not utterly bad either. So I thought, why not toss in the DVD box set along with the rest of the DVDs? Yeah, why not?

01 Sept | Tuesday, Asian DVDs | Enlarge

Ah, Satoshi Kon’s “Millennium Actress”! Breath-taking anime film. But haven’t seen Jet Li’s “Red Dragon” or Tony Leung’s “Flowers of Shanghai” yet!

01 Sept | Tuesday, Asian DVDs | Enlarge

Still haven’t seen the Korean animated film “My Beautiful Girl, Mari” either!

01 Sept | Tuesday, Asian DVDs | Enlarge

Haha, can’t wait to see the Thai comedy “Iron Ladies” about transvestites, transsexuals and homosexuals! LOL! Or Beat Takeshi’s “Taboo”. Man, so many I haven’t seen yet!

01 Sept | Tuesday, Asian DVDs | Enlarge

Ahh, here’s the full DVD spread.

01 Sept | Tuesday, Asian DVDs | Enlarge

Here’s the reverse angle.

01 Sept | Tuesday, Asian DVDs | Enlarge

Finally, here’s a close-up of one of my favorite Hong Kong female-fighting flicks “So Close”! Delicious spy-girls and cop-chicks! Watched it again just last week, lol.

01 Sept | Tuesday, Asian DVDs | Enlarge

Haha, makes you wanna grab and enjoy another Asian film, doesn’t it? Well, not just yet. Because the following Saturday, on 05 September 2009, Autumn-chan visited me in another unforgettable installment of my adorable “Autumn Embrace” series, lol. Yup, first my Blog 215 > Embrace of an Autumn Night mega-cast. Then my Blog 216 > Time to Embrace, Rock or Die mega-cast. Now, this Blog 217, including “Operation Laptop Fan”, lol. Essentially, she surgically opened up her main laptop, as I assisted, so we could find the serial number on her malfunctioning boot-stalling fan.

05 Sept | Saturday, Home with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

I suggested taking photos to help her remember how to put the bits and pieces back together. Yup, she insisted on taking it apart herself! Again!

05 Sept | Saturday, Home with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Hmm, probably the trickiest part was remembering how the fragile wires snaked around the various curves and crevices.

05 Sept | Saturday, Home with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Even more wires, curves and crevices.

05 Sept | Saturday, Home with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Plus a weird wire with a gooey bit of newly-detached tape.

05 Sept | Saturday, Home with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Finally! The surgically detached laptop fan!

05 Sept | Saturday, Home with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Yet oddly enough, despite the “7701A”, there was no sign of a proper serial number! Gahhh. Oh well.

05 Sept | Saturday, Home with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Ahh, food! After consuming a couple of hours to disassemble, rest, then reassemble her laptop, it was about time for a sushi break in the sunny relaxing front-door breeze. Quite relaxing. Hehe, and yeah, the same sushi party tray of California rolls, surimi, shrimp ebi, and edamame, as last time. Plus baby carrots, a can of Diet Sunkist Orange, and a can of Diet Sunkist Lemonade, lol. Why not?

05 Sept | Saturday, Home with Autumn-chan | Enlarge

Yeah, as always, the soy-drenched sushi hit the spot, lol. But to make a long story short, despite the lack of Guiness the Menace and his attention-starved antics, Autumn-chan and I settled back and cuddled against the pillows and cushions to watch, smile and laugh at my embarrassing family videos taken during my East Coast Vacation (Blog 067) in 2007, lol.

Sadly, and all too soon, it was time for her to leave. So to soothe the momentary heartache, I decided to go to the 7pm Rock Band Party of another coworker Michelle’s house. Once again, I sang a ton of rock tunes on “Hard” difficult without any problems, lol. But when Michelle’s friend Nick noticed my elbow support, and listened to its foosball origin, he challenged me to a one-on-one foosball match, while inviting me to his barbecue party set for the next day. Haha, why not? Besides, as the Foosball Ninja (Blog 189), I need an occasional foosball challenge, right?

Fast-forwarding to the next day, on Sunday, 06 September 2009, we find ourselves at Nick and Vicki’s 2pm Barbecue Party! Whoa, so many young pretty people and their alcoholic activities, lol. Not only that, the birthday boy Zack on the far right is the spitting image of Lex Luthor as portrayed by “Smallville” (Blog 209) actor Michael Rosenbaum! Uncanny.

06 Sept | Sunday, Barbecue & Foosball | Enlarge

Here we go! Getting ready to make a toast! Hehe, I believe the blonde holding the bottle is Irish-born.

06 Sept | Sunday, Barbecue & Foosball | Enlarge

Making the toast to the birthday boy!

06 Sept | Sunday, Barbecue & Foosball | Enlarge

Cheers!

06 Sept | Sunday, Barbecue & Foosball | Enlarge

A-ha! Nick’s foosball table.

06 Sept | Sunday, Barbecue & Foosball | Enlarge

A closer view. Looks just like a Harvard-brand foosball table. Like mine.

06 Sept | Sunday, Barbecue & Foosball | Enlarge

A random kitchen view.

06 Sept | Sunday, Barbecue & Foosball | Enlarge

Another random kitchen view, lol.

06 Sept | Sunday, Barbecue & Foosball | Enlarge

Well, to make another long story short, despite the lack of familiar faces, I was more comfortable playing some fast-flying foosball with Nick, Paul, Zack and Kyle in various two-on-two combinations. While Zack and I won twice as a team, Kyle and I lost twice as a team. But let’s not forget Nick’s original one-on-one challenge! In between the food and beer sessions, I lost the first game by a score of 5-to-10. But later on, despite the tight foosball rods and the sloped corners, I still managed to adjust, defeat Nick on his own table, and win the second game by a score of 10-to-7. Awesome. A worthy opponent indeed. In fact, while I genuinely complimented him, “You’re awesome”, he wasn’t smiling too much when he replied, “You’re not half bad yourself.” Hmmm.

Fast-forwarding once more to the next day, on Monday, 07 September 2009, we find ourselves on the Labor Day Holiday! Yup, on this day, I finally decided to clean my salvaged foosball table. The same old foosball table that my next-door neighbor abandoned on the street curb for garbage pick-up, back on 06 June 2009. Ugh, that solidified soda puddle on the playing surface was the worst! But wow, luckily, the degreasing cleaner I bought slowly-but-steadily dissolved that puddle. So, after 3 months of sitting in the garage, my foosball table has finally been cleaned up. Not perfectly. But decently. All that’s left to do is to cover the bare and torn spots with some new wallpaper, reattach new 10-point score markers on either end, and add 3 shiny new foosballs. Hehe, I can’t wait! For now, here’s my newly-cleaned Harvard-brand foosball table.

07 Sept | Monday, Labor Day Foosball Cleaning | Enlarge

A closer view.

07 Sept | Monday, Labor Day Foosball Cleaning | Enlarge

An even closer angle.

07 Sept | Monday, Labor Day Foosball Cleaning | Enlarge

Zooming back out.

07 Sept | Monday, Labor Day Foosball Cleaning | Enlarge

A reverse angle.

07 Sept | Monday, Labor Day Foosball Cleaning | Enlarge

A closer reverse angle.

07 Sept | Monday, Labor Day Foosball Cleaning | Enlarge

Much closer, lol.

07 Sept | Monday, Labor Day Foosball Cleaning | Enlarge

Reversing the reverse angle, lol.

07 Sept | Monday, Labor Day Foosball Cleaning | Enlarge

Finally, an on-the-field perspective. Feel free to enlarge the view.

07 Sept | Monday, Labor Day Foosball Cleaning | Enlarge

So, from DVDs to laptops to foosball, was it truly real? Which one was it? Was it despair, devastation or delight? Is it time to play foosball yet?

Despair! Devastation! Delight! Depth! Descent! Delicacy! Destiny! My Tragic Toyboxers, did you distinguish one from the others? Yeah, right, lol. You didn’t even try, did you? Unless you think one girl’s pain and another girl’s panic and another girl’s pleasure, are all the same thing? Nevertheless, didn’t another deliciously disturbing taste of another marvelously mad mega-cast dissipate into the darkness? Didn’t another mega-cast of classroom-crashing desperation, triple-pistolled typhoons, purse-lipped pianists, lunar-licking digestion, and hardware-clashing relaxation all dissolve into despair? They didn’t? Then I thank you. Just as we should thank the glistening girls who graced our glittering mega-cast. Thank you, the girls of “Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei”, Nodame-chan, Lisa, Mary, Michelle, Vicki, and of course, the adorable Autumn-chan. I still think I’m falling for her…

Can I hit my typical target of 50 anime by the end of the year?

Till next broadcast. Peace. Out.

Final Flashback

To fall or *not* to fall into despair? Ahhh, yes, the despair!

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (2007, 2008, 2009) | Enlarge 1900px

Alita | Battle Angel Alita (Gunnm, 1990) | Enlarge

Heyyy! Hello, my Ticklish Toyboxers! What’s up? What’s been going on? As a few of you might already know, I took a mini-break to rest, recharge, and most importantly, let my elbows recover and ring-and-pinky fingers relax from an irritating twinge of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. So like I told Kris-chan last week: “I don’t think a planned 70-100 pic post would be in my best interest right now, lol. Besides, gave me stuff to think about. Hence, a new experimental post.”

Speaking of which, I hope you enjoyed my experimental Blog 206 > Anime Adrift. Not only an experiment, but it transformed into quite an intriguing Toyboxer test, haha! Congratulations to those of you who commented poetically and passed! But enough about last week. Just because I took it easy last week, doesn’t mean I won’t launch a massive 7-part 120-image cybernetic “mega-cast” or “giga-cast” this week. Including a deadly barrage of Japanese angels, gunslinging badasses, angelic cyborgs and otaku bloggers for every taste. So I hope you’re healthy, ready and willing enough to withstand the light-speed onslaught. Well, then? Let the battles begin…

Part 1 of 7 > Juri Ueno & Nodame Cantabile

Wow. Comedic. Dramatic. Inspiring. Sublime. What more can I add? What else can I say about the live-action Japanese drama “Nodame Cantabile” (2006), starring the irresistible Juri Ueno, eh? Here’s my speed-review for the anime-version back in my December Blog 178.

Nodame Cantabile [50]. My 50th anime title-or-season of the year. Oh wow! Now this series is an extraordinary tapesty in the romantic-comedic styles of the classic “Kare Kano” and the rock-and-roll “Nana”, but colored and interwoven through searingly sublime piano, violin and orchestral music. Probably one of the most original, breathtaking, and utterly unforgettable series in a long time. Easily 5 of 5 stars!

Nodame Cantabile [50] | 5 of 5 Stars | Enlarge 1024px

So how does the 11-episode live-action drama compare? Well, let me answer it this way. While I watched the first episode on 24 May 2009, I finished the remaining ten episodes from 7 June to 12 June! Less than a week! And then I finished the 2-part “European Special” the next day on 13 June, haha. I mean, the over-the-top physical comedy sets up the profound emotional dilemmas perfectly. And this only works when the actors and actresses can portray the orchestral roller-coaster tale just as flawlessly. Like I said: Sublime. I’m even tempted to give my first 6 of 5 stars ever. But I mustn’t break the rules too often, or it defeats the purpose of the rating system, lol. Very well, let’s go with 5 of 5 stars. To celebrate, here are a series of screencaps from Design Chronicle and a couple of promotional shots from Sony Music Japan.

Hehe, shall I present my traditional fake captions?

Episode 1 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Why am I showing the ending credits first?

Episode 1 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Eh, why not? To give an initial impression of the overall series?

Episode 1 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Ah, Europe!

Episode 1 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Ah, young Shinichi-kun before the terror and the trauma.

Episode 1 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Ah, the college-aged Shinichi-sempai: “Who stole my porn?”

Episode 1 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

The next-door Nodame-chan: “You mean, *my* porn?”

Episode 1 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Shinichi-sempai: “You threw my porn where?”

Episode 1 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Shinichi-sempai: “I’ll have to teach you a lesson! A bath should do it!”

Episode 1 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “Ahh, the piano feels like shampoo…”

Episode 1 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “Is it true? The piano is nothing without porn!”

Episode 1 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “Hehe, or is porn nothing without the piano?”

Episode 1 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Shinichi-sempai: “Take that! You porn-stealing piano-playing fruit-cake!”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “Awww, I love it when he smacks me…”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “It means he loves me…”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “Oh no, I can’t find the porn I borrowed…”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “Maybe a little make-up will help?”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Shinichi-sempai: “Ah, porn is nothing without the violin!”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “You’re right! I thought the violin was nothing without porn!”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “Nooo, how can I be sick now? I need to find his porn…”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Mine-san: “Shinichi-san’s right. Porn is nothing without the violin!”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Shinichi-sempai: “Nodame-chan, let’s find the porn together.”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Stresemann-sensei: “Hahaha, what do you mean? I haven’t finished your porn yet!”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Stresemann-sensei: “But Nodame-chan, you can have it back in exchange for one kiss…”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “Whah-whah-whah?”

Episode 3 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

POWWW!!!

Episode 3 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Stresemann-sensei: “Nodame-chan, are you sure you don’t want your porn back?”

Episode 3 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

DOUBLE POWWW!!!

Episode 3 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Stresemann-sensei: “Ahh, porn is nothing without an orchestra!

Episode 3 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “I have to find it. I have to find it…”

Episode 3 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Shinichi-sempai: “What? You couldn’t find my porn? Wait! You know where it is?”

Episode 3 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “But I want to watch it too!”

Episode 3 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Stresemann-sensei: “What!?! They stole back my favorite porn!?!”

Episode 3 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Shinichi-sempai: “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken the porn from you.”

Episode 3 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Stresemann-sensei: “You should *all* be sorry! That was mine-mine-mine!”

Episode 3 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Nodame-chan: “Hehe, I can’t wait to see it! Can’t wait to see it!”

Episode 3 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

LOL, okay-okay, enough of the fake captions. Here’s the cover of what looks like a Japanese TV guide. For the week of 21-27 October 2006. Featuring Juri Ueno and Hiroshi Tamaki from “Nodame Cantabile”. Aww, lemons.

Juri Ueno & Hiroshi Tamaki | Nodame Cantabile (Promo, 2006) | Enlarge 1000px

Here’s an inside page from that TV guide. Feel free to enlarge the image, hehe.

Juri Ueno & Hiroshi Tamaki | Nodame Cantabile (Promo, 2006) | Enlarge 1000px

Next, here’s a couple of promotional shots from Sony Music Japan, lol. From the week of Christmas 2007.

Juri Ueno | Nodame Cantabile (Promo, 2007) | Enlarge 1700px

Here’s another high-resolution shot. Feel free to enlarge the image, hehe.

Juri Ueno | Nodame Cantabile (Promo, 2007) | Enlarge 2400px

Well, I hope you enjoyed my flurrying musings of “Nodame Cantabile”. It’s definitely hard *not* to fall in love or feel protective of the carefree Nodame-chan or actress Juri Ueno, lol. In fact, according to her Wikipedia page, 2 live-action “Nodame Cantabile” films are coming soon in 2010! Really? I’m not surprised at all. LOL, we can’t get enough of Juri-chan, can we?

Part 2 of 7 > Juri Ueno & Anime Adrift

Heyyy, speaking of Juri Ueno, I mentioned my experimental Blog 206 > Anime Adrift at the top of my giga-cast, right? Well, during my search for some high-resolution “Juri Ueno” pics to accompany my “Nodame” discussion, I stumbled across an online stash of her old pics from her “JURIfirst” (2004) photo book. Which means Juri-chan was 18-years-old when her photo book was released, two years after her 2002 television debut. Which also isn’t surprising, since many famous Japanese actresses began their entertainment career as a gravure idol. Actress Yukie Nakama, from the comedy “Gokusen” (Live-Action Drama, 2002, 2005, 2008), is another name which comes to mind. But some girls start as early as 12 years old, if not younger!

In any case, here are 2 brief photoshoots from her photo book. Feel free to enlarge the high-resolution scans.

Juri Ueno | JURIfirst Photo Book (2004) | Enlarge 2800px

Juri Ueno | JURIfirst Photo Book (2004) | Enlarge 2800px

Juri Ueno | JURIfirst Photo Book (2004) | Enlarge 2800px

Juri Ueno | JURIfirst Photo Book (2004) | Enlarge 2800px

Juri Ueno | JURIfirst Photo Book (2004) | Enlarge 2800px

Juri Ueno | JURIfirst Photo Book (2004) | Enlarge 2800px

Juri Ueno | JURIfirst Photo Book (2004) | Enlarge 2800px

Juri Ueno | JURIfirst Photo Book (2004) | Enlarge 2800px

Interestingly, here’s the cover *without* the additional cover flap.

Juri Ueno | JURIfirst Photo Book (2004) | Enlarge 2800px

Then here’s the cover *with* the cover flap, mentioning her fame in TV and commercials (CM), haha. Why not mention it, right?

Juri Ueno | JURIfirst Photo Book (2004) | Enlarge 2800px

Well, that’s all for now. Just a quick 9-page glimpse of the near-100-page photo book. Hmm, maybe I’ll trickle a few more photoshoots in the near future? Who knows? But now, from live-action romantic comedies and gravure-idol photo books, let’s leap 180-degrees into post-apocalyptic cyborg technologies!

Part 3 of 7 > Chronicles of Cyborgs & Terminators

Drama. Desperation. Terror. Horror. Sublime. What more can I add? What else can I say about the American sci-fi drama “Terminator – The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (2008), eh? Back in my Blog 203 last month, I mentioned that the series had been sadly cancelled before I even had a chance to finish it. But now that I’ve finished it, it’s even more sad. Within one month, I began the first episode of “Season 2″ on 23 May 2009, then finished the final revealing episode just a few days ago, on 19 June 2009. Despite the expectedly heavy atmosphere within such a post-apocalyptic time-shifting saga, the acting amongst all of the actors is top-notch. And the stylistic reverence and cinematic adherence to the original film trilogy is uncanny! An impressive 5 of 5 stars! To celebrate, here are a series of high-resolution promotional wallpapers, photos and other images, many of which come from TV Spoilers Center.

Yup, here are a ton of huge images, including a bunch that are larger than 3000px, and a few that are 4000px! Gotta love the shotgun. A nice reference to the films, lol. Do you want to live?

Sarah Connor | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3100px

Cameron | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3100px

Cameron | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3100px

Cameron | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3100px

Sarah, John & Cameron | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 1600px

Sarah, John & Cameron | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 1800px

Sarah & John | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 2700px

Sarah, John & Cameron | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 4000px

Sarah | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3900px

Sarah, John & Cameron | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3900px

Ah, here are the leading and killing women of the series.

Lena Headey as Sarah Connor | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3900px

Lena Headey as Sarah Connor | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3900px

Summer Glau as Cameron | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3900px

Summer Glau as Cameron | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3900px

Shirley Manson as Catherine Weaver | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3900px

Shirley Manson as Catherine Weaver | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 2000px

Shirley, Summer & Garret Dillahunt | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 2000px

And now, here are a stockpile of terminating wallpapers.

Sarah, John & Cameron | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3000px

Liquid Metal | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 1600px

Liquid Metal | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 1600px

Cameron | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 1600px

John, Cameron & Sarah | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 1600px

John, Cameron & Sarah | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 1600px

John, Cameron, Sarah & Derek Reese | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 1600px

John, Cameron, Sarah & Derek Reese | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 4000px

The Cast | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 4000px

Well, do you really want to live? Despite the cancellation, I must congratulate the cast and crew of “Terminator – The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (2008) for a job well done! After 2 time-gripping mind-bending seasons, it’s sad to see it end. But maybe now, I can finally catch the latest “Terminator 4 – Salvation” (2009) film. Maybe?

Part 4 of 7 > Chronicles of Shirley, Summer & Stephanie

Ah, the deadly actresses of “Terminator – The Sarah Connor Chronicles”! Shirley, Summer and Stephanie! Let’s begin with Shirley, lol. Wow, I first remember Shirley Manson when she was the lead vocalist of Garbage, back when I bought their debut album in 1995! Loved their music and especially her voice! Enough to buy their follow-up album “Version 2.0″ in 1998, lol. So when I saw Shirley appear in this sci-fi series, in her first professional acting role, I was intrigued and pleasantly surprised! A 14-year arc, lol. Pretty awesome.

Shirley Manson | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3600px

Next, remember Summer? Haha, like I mentioned a few mega-casts ago, I first remember Summer Glau from her previous sci-fi series “Firefly” (2002). And like I mentioned, this will be her *second* sci-fi axe. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted, right? A 7-year arc, lol. Still pretty awesome.

Summer Glau | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 2000px

By the way, here’s a hilarious NSFW-pornographic composite image I stumbled across in my “Terminator – The Sarah Connor Chronicles” searches, lol. Be warned! Don’t enlarge the image unless you’re willing to subject yourself to some humorous nudity! But still, despite the poor spelling, the Photoshop quality is remarkable, lol. “Cum with her if you want to live”, lol.

Fake Summer Glau | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 1800px (NSFW)

Ah, last but never least, Stephanie! My favorite, lol. So why do I say “favorite”? Well, if you remember a couple of months ago in my Steampunk mega-cast (Blog 196, Part 4), I posted about my favorite “Firefly” fanfic character, the Anglo-Asian genius pilot I created and illustrated in 2004, named Akiko “Lucky” Yoshikawa. While Angry Mimi-chan may remind me of Lucky’s appearance and personality, Stephanie Jacobsen, based on her performance in “Battlestar Galactica – Razor” (2007), would be the perfect actress to play Lucky. Not only with her combined Portuguese, Chinese, Norwegian, and British heritage, but especially her Aussie accent!

Stephanie Jacobsen | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 1280px

So when I saw Stephanie appear in this series, yet another sci-fi series, I was immediately drawn into her particular strand of the “Terminator” saga. Here’s a still from the “Terminator” set.

Stephanie Jacobsen | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 1900px

Next, here’s a still from the “Battlestar Galactica – Razor” set. Impressive.

Stephanie Jacobsen | Battlestar Galactica – Razor (2007) | Enlarge 1280px

Finally, here’s a shot in a softer outfit, from neither “Terminator” nor “Battlestar Galactica”, lol.

Stephanie Jacobsen | Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) | Enlarge 3000px

So that’s it! The quick and dirty “Terminator” chronicles of Shirley, Summer and Stephanie linking “Garbage”, “Firefly”, and “Battlestar Galactica”, as well as linking Scottish, British and Australian accents, lol. Wait, did I mention I have a thing for European and European-based accents? I did? Oh, sorry then.

Part 5 of 7 > Hard-Boiled Cops, Blade Runners & Battling Angels

Oh yeah! Extending the exterminating trajectory of badass gunslingers and gunslinging badasses, let’s take a one-eyed aim at the classic Hong Kong action film “Hard Boiled” (1992), directed by John Woo, and starring Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. Haha, yup, last week on 14 June 2009, I finally managed to watch what many critics consider to be “one of the greatest and most influential action films ever made”! And I can’t disagree! Not only that, Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai are so young, lol. Especially since mentioning Tony Leung in my Red Cliffs mega-cast (Blog 201, Part 3), lol. Consequently, I’d have to award the film a bullet-flying 4 of 5 stars!

In fact, here’s the front cover of the 2007 DVD-version I watched.

Chow Yun-Fat | Hard Boiled (God of Guns, 1992) | Enlarge 700px

Here’s a similar cover including both the front and back.

Chow Yun-Fat | Hard Boiled (God of Guns, 1992) | Enlarge 1600px

Finally, here’s a famous still from the classic action film.

Chow Yun-Fat | Hard Boiled (God of Guns, 1992) | Enlarge 2600px

Now, after watching “Hard Boiled”, and noticing many of the elements that influenced later films like “Terminator” (1984), “Die Hard” (1988) and “The Matrix” (1999), I couldn’t escape one particular motif. After seeing Tony Leung’s paper cranes, I couldn’t help being reminded of the origami figures folded by Edward James Olmos in “Blade Runner” (1982). So guess what? What did I do? Immediately after finishing “Hard Boiled”, I decided to watch my old DVD copy of the classic American sci-fi film “Blade Runner – Director’s Cut” (1982, 1992), starring Harrison Ford and Edward James Olmos, for the first time in years. Yup, years! Too funny. Funny how seeing Edward James Olmos’ “pimped” humanoid form and the “skin job” reference to cyborg Replicants, both reminded me of the humanoid Cylons in “Battlestar Galactica”. Even funnier how Harrison Ford’s piano managed to remind me of “Nodame Cantabile” too, lol. Funny how everything I watch is somehow related to everything else I watch! From gun battles to paper cranes to killer cyborgs!

Here’s the front cover of the 1992 “Director’s Cut” DVD-version I watched.

Harrison Ford | Blade Runner (1982, 1992, 2007) | Enlarge 1000px

Next, here’s the poster of the 2007 “Final Cut” version.

Harrison Ford | Blade Runner (1982, 1992, 2007) | Enlarge 2900px

Finally, here’s the front cover of the 2007 “Final Cut” DVD-version I still haven’t watched.

Harrison Ford | Blade Runner (1982, 1992, 2007) | Enlarge 2200px

Coincidentally, in yet another related piece of post-apocalyptic possibilities, just a few days ago, I finally managed to finish the ninth and final volume of the original cyberpunk-splatterpunk manga series “Battle Angel Alita” (Gunnm, 1990) created, written and illustrated by Yukito Kishiro! Damn, after years of delay, I finally resumed “Angel of Chaos” (Volume 7) on 27 March 2009. Three months later, I finally finished “Angel’s Ascension” (Volume 9) on 19 June 2009! An undisputed and masterfully executed 5 of 5 stars! One of the rare manga gems I’ve ever finished, lol.

Here’s the cover of “Rusty Angel” (Volume 1), which magnetically caught by eye all those years ago, and never let go.

Alita | Battle Angel Alita (Gunnm, 1990) | Enlarge 700px

Ah, here’s a cool fanart wallpaper version of the manga cover.

Alita | Battle Angel Alita (Gunnm, 1990) | Enlarge 1100px

Here’s another rustier-and-bloodier fanart version of the manga cover.

Alita | Battle Angel Alita (Gunnm, 1990) | Enlarge 1600px

Finally, here’s an amazing 3D CG-rendered fanart version of the manga cover. Wow.

Alita | Battle Angel Alita (Gunnm, 1990) | Enlarge 1000px

Aww, and of course, here’s a close-up of Alita herself.

Alita | Battle Angel Alita (Gunnm, 1990) | Enlarge 1200px

The following day, on 20 June 2009, I snapped a few random photos of my “Blade Runner” DVD, “Battle Angel Alita” manga, and the FUTURO elbow and wrist supports which facilitated (and continue to facilitate) my recovery.

20 June | Blades, Angels & Elbows | Enlarge

A slightly different angel. Oops, I meant, “angle”.

20 June | Blades, Angels & Elbows | Enlarge

A real-life demonstration!

20 June | Blades, Angels & Elbows | Enlarge

Whew, that was exhausting! Hard-boiled cops, blade runners and battling angels! All we need are “hard-boiled cyborgs”, and the circle will be complete, lol. Right, Vader?

Part 6 of 7 > Thankful Fridays & Tasty Sundaes

Okay, my Tireless Toyboxers, time to take a break from Japanese angels, gunslinging badasses, and angelic cyborgs, lol. Time to talk about myself! To be specific, on Friday, 19 June 2009, I decided to treat my co-worker friend Michelle with lunch to celebrate her birthday over the weekend. Where did we go for lunch? Since I was treating, I let her decide. And ultimately, she decided on “T.G.I.Friday’s”, of course! I haven’t been there in years!

I have no idea what I’m explaining in this first shot, but that “Park, Ride, Relax” sign is pretty funny.

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

A thoughtful pose! Check out the plane taking off beyond my windshield!

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

Haha, Michelle, nice motorcycle catch!

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

A-ha! Wearing my FUTURO elbow support, lol.

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

There’s the next airplane! Can you capture that?

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

Hehehe, there it is! Just landed on the runway!

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

Hahaha, whatever!

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

Hey, Michelle, got enough salad?

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

Got enough soup? Umm, could you stop moving?

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

LOL, finally, that’s better.

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

Mmmm, my delicious salmon pasta!

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

My tasty French onion soup!

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

And finally, our free birthday sundae! Free! Awww.

19 June | Lunch at T.G.I.Friday’s | Enlarge

Wow, that was too quick! Hmm, I think the lack of killer cyborgs had something to do with it, lol.

Part 7 of 7 > Otaku Outlook & Battling Toyboxers

Did someone say “killer cyborgs”? Nahhh, none here. Just some blog-battling otaku. Same thing? Nahhh, lol. Nonetheless, continuing our traditional otaku-blog coverage from last month’s Tales (Blog 202, Part 1) mega-cast and previous month’s Supercops (Blog 198, Part 1) mega-cast, here’s the latest batch of estimated theoretical values in the otaku blogosphere.

As you can plainly see in the first chart (enlarge if necessary), “Sankaku Complex” continues to seduce the otakusphere and reduce “Danny Choo” to a seemingly pilot-less Gundam, lol.

18 June | Website Outlook – Blog Worth Over Time | Enlarge

Meanwhile, in the second chart (enlarge if necessary), “Happy Soda” and “xJAYMANx_toybox” continue their irregular rise. However, based on these specific dozen-plus trajectories, the overall otakusphere seems generally stable.

18 June | Website Outlook – Blog Worth Over Time | Enlarge

Hehehe, now, let’s have some fun! Until now, I’ve always focussed on otaku-blog trajectories in the theoretical $5K-to-10K or $10K-to-20K range. This time, let’s focus on the theoretical $0K-to-3K range! In fact, let’s turn this into a little “game” or “race”. Why not? Why not wonder who theoretically “wins” next month? Just for fun, of course.

Let’s begin with Girl G33k (Kris-chan) at $876 USD.

18 June | Website Outlook – Girl G33k

After her is Furudango (Koshiko-chan) at $1569.50 USD.

18 June | Website Outlook – Furudango

Third is Aprilius20 (A20-man) at $2372.50 USD.

18 June | Website Outlook – Aprilius20

After him is Rhythm Emotion (Lene-chan) at $2438.20 USD.

18 June | Website Outlook – Rhythm Emotion

Fifth is One and Only Jem (Jem-chan) at $2489.30 USD.

18 June | Website Outlook – One and Only Jem

After her is The Coco Cafe (Coco-chan) at $2868.90 USD.

18 June | Website Outlook – The Coco Cafe

Finally, seventh is Lovely Duckie (Duckie-chan) at $2905.40 USD. Since her new domain at www.lovelyduckie.com hasn’t fully taken hold yet, I’ll use her WordPress.com blog for now.

18 June | Website Outlook – Lovely Duckie

So who’s the theoretical $0K-to-3K winner this month? Duckie-chan is! Congratulations, Duckie-chan! I don’t know what prize you’ve actually won, but I’ll figure it out some time, lol. Remember, my Trembling Toyboxers, once your otaku-blog exceeds an estimated worth of $3K, it no longer qualifies for this so-called “race”. Just to keep it interesting, hehe. Good luck, next month!

Heyyy, how are you doing? Are you okay? Did you survive my massive 7-part 120-image cybernetic “giga-cast” this week? Did you survive my deadly barrage of Japanese angels, gunslinging badasses, angelic cyborgs and otaku bloggers for every taste? Well, I hope so! I mean, if you withstood my light-speed onslaught, then you are truly a Trooping Toyboxer! As always, let’s thank the glorious guest-starring girls who graced my broadcast! Thank you, Nodame-chan, Juri-chan, Sarah, Cameron, Shirley, Summer, Stephanie, Alita-chan, and Michelle (Happy Birthday!), as well as Kris-chan, Koshiko-chan, Lene-chan, Jem-chan, Coco-chan, and lastly, Duckie-chan (Congratulations!)… Whew, this was definitely massive. Quite a massive attack.

Till next broadcast. Peace. Out.

Final Flashback

Nodame-chan: “Maybe a little make-up will help?”

Episode 2 of 11 | Nodame Cantabile (Live-Action Drama, 2006) | Enlarge

Dec 21 | Angry Mimi Sign | Enlarge

Ah, what a year it’s been! For my last mega-post of 2008, I tackle another mixed bag of “Rock Band” sessions, a year’s truckload of anime speed-reviews and faves, and a sparkly sprinkle of otaku thanks and wishes. So happy holidays and all the rest. Now on with the show…

Last Saturday. First, Saturday, Dec 20th. After grocery shopping, a whirlwind of Lisa’s afternoon antics, lol. I was gratefully invited to the 8pm “Rock Band” party in honor of Rebecca’s farewell, awww. In fact, I was the one who ended up driving the cake and a veggie tray over to Coley’s apartment, lol. Damn, tons of food. About a dozen partiers. Plus Guiness and Ricky. And tons of “Rock Band” rocking. Six hours! Yup, six hours from 8pm to 2am! Even tried the drums for the first time for a half-dozen tunes or more. Kate thought I was amazing for a first-time drummer, lol. Not only that, I sang for the first time. To the awesome tune Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden. Hit 93% on Medium, haha. Not bad! Yup, tons of rocking out. After the drive, internet and shower, finally hit the sack at 4am. No treadmill, lol… Feel free to enjoy this 11-minute slice of the party, hehe. Awesome.

Dec 20 | Rock Band Party | Open Facebook Video

Christmas Eve. Then, Wednesday, Dec 24th. Another work day. While casually washing the post-breakfast dishes, the fucking glass I was rinsing, snapped and sliced a half-inch gash into my right pinky! Fuck! After fifteen minutes, I finally stopped the gushing gash with the glory of Krazy Glue! Incredible bonding power, lol.

Dec 24 | Finger Slice | Enlarge

Dec 24 | Finger Slice | Enlarge

Dec 24 | Finger Slice | Enlarge

Dec 24 | Finger Slice | Enlarge

Don’t worry. It looked much worse than it felt. With the Krazy Glue sealing the slice, it felt perfectly fine… So then I drove to work. Luckily, they granted us only a half-day till noon. Pretty nice. Afterwards, decided to conduct some more selfish shopping, lol. Bought a new silver Sony Cybershot W120 (quite similar to Meimi132′s Sony Cybershot W170) at the crazy-packed Best Buy with the help of my ex-in-laws’ gift card. Found a bathroom-sink drain lever-bar at Lowe’s. And deposited the rest of Lisa’s rent at the bank.

Dec 24 | New Sony Cybershot W120 | Enlarge

Dec 24 | Old Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT & Canon Elura 100 Camcorder | Enlarge

Played a bit with the Cybershot. Took a few random shots. But spent all night editing the “Rock Bank Party” video (above) for Facebook. Wow, the iMac’s iMovie application is amazingly slick and smooth! Unfortunately, my left eye decided to act up too. Thus no treadmill, again.

Christmas Day. Thursday. Merry Christmas! Damn, so freakin’ windy and cloudy! Yup, the 11-minute “Rock Bank Party” video (above) was finally uploaded to Facebook, lol. Then from 2pm-8pm, Lisa’s family dinner and Rock Band again, lol. Actually received a few compliments on my “Angsty Momo” T-shirt. From Lisa, her boyfriend Coley, and her brother Nick, lol. Not only that, I managed to play the drums, guitar, bass, and sing 4 songs: Alice in Chains’ “Man in the Box”, Pearl Jam’s “Alive”, Nirvana’s “In Bloom”, and Stone Temple Pilots’ “Sex Type Thing”. Hahaha, notice a pattern? I guess I’m a Seattle Grunge band specialist, lol.

Dec 5 | Angsty Momo – Zazzle T-Shirt | More

Dec 25 | Nicky, Allison, Lisa & Coley | Enlarge

Dec 25 | Lisa’s Family Rock Band | Enlarge

Dec 25 | Lisa’s Family Rock Band | Enlarge

Ah, finally back home. Ran the treadmill. Then an inspirational idea smacked me. So I spent the next few hours composing and editing a 3-minute “Angry Mimi – A Year in the Life” video (bottom of post) for YouTube, lol. And that’s it. Spent the following day (today) constructing and composing this huge-ass blog post, lol.

My Favorite Anime of 2008. Ah, anime, more anime, and even more anime, lol. In the tradition of My 58 anime in 2006 and My 49 anime in 2007 posts, I present “My 56 Anime in 2008″. From cyberpunk ghosts and striking witches to desperate teachers and impossible children, it’s definitely been a colorfully animated year. And now, my faves of the year…

Fave Drama | Clannad – Film | Enlarge wallpaper

Fave Science Fiction | Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society | Enlarge wallpaper

Fave Romance | Nodame Cantabile | Enlarge wallpaper

Fave Comedy | Genshiken 2 | Enlarge wallpaper

Fave Thriller | Code Geass R2 | Enlarge wallpaper

Fave Action | Strike Witches | Enlarge wallpaper

Honorable Mention | Minami-ke | Enlarge wallpaper

Honorable Mention | Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei | Enlarge wallpaper

Honorable Mention | Kodomo no Jikan | Enlarge wallpaper

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-3 Films and OVAs > 5 of 5 stars!

• [37] +++++ Clannad – Film (Anime Film, 2007) > Fave Drama!
• [20] +++++ Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society (Film) > Fave Science Fiction!
• [02] +++++ Air – Film (Film)

My Top-12 Full Seasons > 5 of 5 stars!

• [50] +++++ Nodame Cantabile (1-23) > Fave Romance!
• [49] +++++ Genshiken 2 (1-12) with “Genshiken 1″ > Fave Comedy!
• [43] +++++ Zero no Tsukaima – S2 (1-12) with “Zero no Tsukaima – S1″
• [41] +++++ Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad (1-26)
• [35] +++++ Strawberry Panic (1-26)
• [34] +++++ Code Geass – R2 (1-25) > Fave Thriller!
• [28] +++++ Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (1-27)
• [27] +++++ NANA (26-47)
• [18] +++++ Hayate no Gotoku! (1-52)
• [07] +++++ Sky Girls (1-26)
• [05] +++++ Code Geass – S1 (1-25)
• [01] +++++ Daphne in the Brilliant Blue (1-24)

My Top-8 Half Seasons > 4 of 5 stars!

• [55] ++++ Minami-ke Okawari (1-13)
• [47] ++++ Strike Witches (1-12) > Fave Action!
• [44] ++++ Rosario + Vampire (1-13)
• [42] ++++ Zero no Tsukaima – S1 (1-13)
• [21] ++++ Minami-ke (1-13) > Honorable Mention!
• [11] ++++ Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (1-12) > Honorable Mention!
• [04] ++++ Kodomo no Jikan (1-12) > Honorable Mention!
• [03] ++++ Sola (1-13)

My 56 Titles-Seasons in 2008

• [56] +++ Zero no Tsukaima – S3 (1-12) – Finished 12/28. Not bad, 3 of 5 stars. (05 Jan 2010 Edit – Sorry, forgot about this one! Actually 56 titles!)
• [55] ++++ Minami-ke Okawari (1-13) – Finished 12/26. Aww, despite the change in animation, still a touching offbeat comedy, 4 of 5 stars!
• [54] +++ Shining Tears x Wind (1-13) – Finished 12/18. Ehh, not the greatest series, but still a watchably amusing, 3 of 5 stars. Couldn’t escape that climactic yaoi moment, lol. Plus yet another title or character (the 6th I’ve seen in the past couple years) named Zero! This name is getting tiresome, lol.
• [53] ++++ Naruto – S3 (53-78) – Finished 12/18. Hey, despite the filler flashbacks, Season 3 still kicks out some decent drama and action into 4 of 5 stars.
• [52] +++ Blue Drop (1-13) – Finished 12/07. Not bad. An enigmatic and elegant, but perhaps too elusive, 3 of 5 stars.
• [51] ++++ Naruto – S2 (27-52) – Finished 11/29. You may not believe me, but two years ago, I was so unexpectedly impressed with “Naruto – S1″, that I gave it 5 of 5 stars! However, while the second season of 26 episodes seemed comparatively lacking in emotion or focus, it’s still remains a kick-ass anime to watch during high-energy treadmill runs, lol. Yup, a respectable 4 of 5 stars!
• [50] +++++ Nodame Cantabile (1-23) – Finished 11/28. Oh wow! Now this series is an extraordinary tapesty in the romantic-comedic styles of the classic “Kare Kano” and the rock-and-roll “Nana”, but colored and interwoven through searingly sublime piano, violin and orchestral music. Probably one of the most original, breathtaking, and utterly unforgettable series in a long time. Easily 5 of 5 stars!
• [49] +++++ Genshiken 2 (1-12) – Finished 11/17. Wow! The hilarious yet touching continuation of the first season and OVAs. It’s amazing how faithful the anime is to the manga, sometimes even funnier! While I only give short seasons a max of 4 stars, this second season, combined with the first season and OVAs, finally deserves 5 of 5 stars!
• [48] +++ Mars Daybreak (1-26) – Finished 11/14. Not bad. An entertaining action-packed dive through the underwater depths, for a sea-soaked total 3 of 5 stars.
• [47] ++++ Strike Witches (1-12) – Finished 11/09. Aww, mixing scantily-clad gals and world-war military magic, a brief but satisfying and inspiring ride, 4 of 5 stars max.
• [46] ++++ Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (1-26) – Finished 11/06. Whoa, super-wild and ultra-wacky sci-fi-fantasy roller-coaster ride reminiscent of “Hayate no Gotoku”, 4 of 5 stars! Prepare to lose all sense of logic, lol.
• [45] ++++ Persona – Trinity Soul (1-26) – Finished 11/03. Hey, not bad, a refreshing portrayal of psychological mecha, a mysterious and melancholy odyssey yielding 4 of 5 stars.
• [44] ++++ Rosario + Vampire (1-13) – Finished 10/28. Wow, powerful Vampire transformations and mesmerizing Monster battles amidst such a short-but-cute romantic comedy, max 4 of 5 stars!
• [43] +++++ Zero no Tsukaima – S2 (1-12) – Finished 10/26. Wow, a more tear-inducing emotional ride, 5 of 5 stars! Yup, while I can only give 4 stars max to a short season, combining this short season with the first one qualifies it for a full season 5 stars!
• [42] ++++ Zero no Tsukaima – S1 (1-13) – Finished 10/21. Awww, addictive little Harry-Potter-esque magical-school romantic-comedy series, 4 of 5 stars max for short season, lol.
• [41] +++++ Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad (1-26) – Finished 10/14. Wow, rockin’ music, inspiring yet saddening yet back to hopeful final episodes, 5 of 5 stars. Told in a subtle-yet-effective irregular-yet-real style, this story follows the day-to-day life of a normal teenager who matures from an insecure student to an aspiring rock musician. Intriguing bilingual use of both Japanese and English. Incredible music.
• [40] ++++ School Rumble – S3 (2 OVAs: 25-26) – Finished 10/13. Awww, brief but wonderful and satisfying conclusion to the saga, 4 of 5 stars. After two full seasons of ridiculously funny and unexpectedly emotional high-school antics, this 2-episode “season” pretty much ties up the final loose threads of requited and unrequited love. LOL, or does it? So many eye-popping, gut-busting, heart-stopping and breath-taking memories, it’s sad to see them go.
• [39] ++++ Strait Jacket (OVAs 1-3) – Finished 10/12. Whoa, ultra-violent supernatural steampunk, 4 of 5 stars An alternate end-of-the-19th-century reality where magic has polluted the world like any other natural (or supernatural) resource, this 3-episode OVA twists Akira-level violence, Vampire-Hunter-D-type moods, and Claymore-style psychologies into a familiar yet impressively different odyssey. Prepare to “exist”!
• [38] ++++ Lucky Star – OVA (OVA) – Finished 10/11. Pretty funny 4 of 5 stars! Especially one WTF scene in the style of “Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei”, lol.
• [37] +++++ Clannad – Film (Anime Film, 2007) – Finished 10/05. Based on the Japanese visual novel, the 2007 anime film Clannad is breath-taking! Directed by Osamu Dezaki, Clannad reveals the same stylistic elements of blinding sunlight, dramatic silhouettes, split screens, and continuous motion ~ birds, trains, bicycles ~ which permeates “Air”, another equally breath-taking film he directed. Wow, a swirling tear-inducing odyssey through nightmares and dreams towards a sparkling promise of hope, 5 of 5 stars!
• [36] ++++ Bleach – S3 (52-74) – Finished 10/04. Still rockin’ 4 of 5 stars.
• [35] +++++ Strawberry Panic (1-26) – Finished 10/02. Wow, subtle, enigmatic yet colorfully woven 5 of 5 stars.
• [34] +++++ Code Geass – R2 (1-25) – Finished 09/28. Breath-taking 5 of 5 stars. Whatever anyone else says, it’s still undeniably “ambitious and wide-sweeping. Still one of the most-intellectually engaging 5-star series I’ve ever seen, ranking alongside other epic animes like “Death Note” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex”.
• [33] +++ Paranoia Agent (1-13) – Finished 09/27. Strong and thought-provoking 3 of 5 stars.
• [32] +++ Vampire Knight – S1 (1-13) – Finished 09/25. Not bad 3 of 5 stars.
• [31] ++++ Bleach – S2 (26-51) – Finished 09/20. Rockin’ 4 of 5 stars.
• [Again] “Kiddy Grade” (1-24) – Finished again 09/13.
• [30] ++++ Bleach – S1 (1-25) – Finished 09/12. Rockin’ 4 of 5 stars.
• [29] ++++ Phantom – The Animation (OVAs 1-3) – Finished 09/01. Wow, unexpectedly breath-taking 4 of 5 stars.
• [28] +++++ Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (1-27) – Finished 08/31. Double-wow, heart-pumping yet heart-breaking final-7 episodes, finally worthy of 5 of 5 stars!
• [27] +++++ NANA (26-47) – Finally finished 08/28. Wow, still a bittersweet and melancholy 5 of 5 stars!
• [Again] “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” (1-26) – Finished again 08/25.
• [26] ++++ Appleseed – Ex Machina (Film) – Finished 08/24. Not bad, slick and slammin’ 4 of 5 stars.
• [25] ++++ Afro Samurai (1-5) – Finished 08/18. Whoa, stylishly violent and almost-romantically post-apocalyptic, this 5-episode gem paints quite a refreshingly retro-futuristic view of hell-on-earth, life-long revenge, and inexplicable survival. Haha, Samuel L. Jackson voices the titular lead as well as his babbling sidekick, and why not? A bad-ass playing a bad-ass. Nuff sed, lol. Despite the brevity of the miniseries, the revealing flashbacks cast a shadowy depth to a seemingly simplistic quest. Quite impressive. Four of five stars. Can’t wait for the second season!
• [24] +++ Mai Otome – Zwei (1-4) – Finished 07/25. Resumed from 20 Jan. Not bad, 3 of 5 stars.
• [23] +++ Batman: Gotham Knight (Film) – Finished 07/20. Not bad, 3 of 5 stars.
• [22] +++ Bus Gamer (1-3) – Finished 07/09. Not bad, 3 of 5 stars.
• [21] ++++ Minami-ke (1-13) – Finished 07/07. Hilarious and heart-warming 4 of 5 stars, max for half-season.
• [Again] “Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society” (Film) – Finished again 07/04. But English audio, 5 of 5 stars!
• [20] +++++ Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society (Film) – Finished 07/01. Wow, 5 of 5 stars!
• [Again] “Midori Days” (1-13) – Finished again 06/21.
• [19] ++++ Tokyo Underground (1-26) – Finished 06/20. Wow, 4 of 5 stars!
• [Again] “Gokusen” (1-13) – Finished again 06/09.
• [18] +++++ Hayate no Gotoku! (1-52) – Finished 05/30. Comedic 5 of 5 stars!
• [17] ++++ Ghost Hound (1-22) – Finished 05/29. Whoa, 4 of 5 stars!
• [16] +++ Da Capo – II (1-13) – Finished 05/17. Satisfying 3 of 5 stars! Coincidental and heart-warming graduation conclusion!
• [15] ++++ Shakugan no Shana – Season 2 (1-24) – Finished 05/09. Wow, 4 of 5 stars!
• [14] ++ Amazing Nurse Nanako (1-6) – Finished 05/01. Still pretty bad, 2 of 5 stars, lol.
• [13] ++++ Clannad (1-23) – Finished 04/30. Satisfying 4 of 5 stars!
• [Again] “He Is My Master” (1-12) – Finished again 04/25.
• [12] ++++ Fafner (1-25) – Finished 04/23. Wow, 4 of 5 stars!
• [11] ++++ Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (1-12) – Finished 04/12. Max 4 of 5 stars for half-season!
• [10] ++++ Otogi Zoshi (1-26) – Continued from 08 Feb. Finished 03/29. Wow, 4 of 5 stars!
• [09] ++++ Rebuild of Evangelion – 1.0 (Film) – Started and finished 01/27. Wow, 4 of 5 stars!
• [08] ++++ Kaze no Stigma (1-24) – Finished 01/27. Fiery 4 of 5 stars!
• [07] +++++ Sky Girls (1-26) – Finished 01/22. Soaring and spectacular 5 of 5 stars! Sad to see it end.
• [06] ++++ Air – In Summer (1-2) – Started and finished 01/20. Beautiful 4 of 5 stars.
• [05] +++++ Code Geass – S1 (1-25) – Finished 01/17. Staggering mind-shattering 5 of 5 stars max!
• [04] ++++ Kodomo no Jikan (1-12) – Finished 01/13. Surprisingly dramatic 4 of 5 stars max!
• [03] ++++ Sola (1-13) – Finished 01/11. Wow, 4 of 5 stars max!
• [02] +++++ Air – Film (Anime Film) – Finished 01/08. Summer-blown 5 of 5 stars!
• [01] +++++ Daphne in the Brilliant Blue (1-24) – Finished 01/03. Warm-splashing 5 of 5 stars!

Angry Mimi Video. Oh yeah, almost forgot! Whether you adore or despise her, if you can’t make a comment without injecting an irritated or malicious tone, then keep it to yourself. Please. You know who you are… So now, as an end-of-the-year thanks for helping to make the otaku blogosphere a more vivid and dynamic community, and for your sweet “Merry Xmas” sign, here’s my 3-minute “Angry Mimi – A Year in the Life” video, lol. And like I said, the iMac’s iMovie application is amazing! ^o^

Dec 25 | Angry Mimi – A Year in the Life | Open YouTube Video

Dec 5 | Angsty Momo – Zazzle T-Shirt | Enlarge

Holy crap! I’ve got so much crap to talk about that I may not fit in any anime crap, lol. But I’ll try. From old layouts to new readers, from post updates to blog widgets, from shiny iMacs to blazing Zazzles, and maybe some random tunes too. But what else? Anime mascots? Seems like every anime blog is caving in with their own new mascot~ not only Mimi, but Koshiko, Dancing Queen and the latest Meimi132 too~ inspired by DC no doubt, lol. Fortunately, I haven’t succumbed to peer pressure… yet, lol. But we’ll see.

Blog Worth. First off, let’s take care of some impressive updates in blog worth. Remember WebsiteOutlook.com in my last post? Well, not only did Clan Blue Panthers a.k.a. Panther jump from $2664.50 to $5752.40 USD, but Gordonator leap-frogged from $2562.30 to a whopping $7307.30 USD! Both exceeding the $5139.20 value of Mimi’s blog? Ah, now that makes *more* sense, lol. For now.

Welcome to the Toybox. Next, greetings to Blowfish, JennK, and a trio of unique artists~ Lene, Coco and Skulko~ for visiting the Toybox. Although I think Blowfish dropped by earlier this year, and Skulko hasn’t officially commented yet, lol. But to those artists, I’m gonna need a few kicks in the ass to keep my artistic energy afloat. Rivals? Why not? To anyone else who’s randomly cruised by or lurked through the traffic from Far-East to Middle-East Asia, Australia, Eastern-to-Western Europe, Africa, South-to-North America or elsewhere, gracias and arigato.

Immortal Toybox Design. You know what? Even now in 2008, I still get compliments on my “Black Toybox” design, created back in April 2007. As I recall, my original intent was to design an *ultimate* design for both my website and blog, one I wouldn’t get tired of, even after years. So far, so good! Taking a peek back then, the huge header and triple-column structure hasn’t changed at all. Clearly, as internet speeds have sky-rocketed, having a huge rotating header doesn’t matter so much anymore, and lets me add tons of banners, widgets and gadgets like Gravatar, CommentLuv, ShoutMix, LiveTraffic and Zazzle, lol. In fact, if your blog is old enough, you can steal glimpses of your past versions at Archive.org, just like Danny had done back in February. Ugh, before 2007, my past designs were horribly grotesque. Probably worse than yours, lol.

xJAYMANx_toybox | Back in April 2007 | Enlarge

Team & Guest Bloggers. In one recent discussion with Panther about co-bloggers, I had actually considered offering some of my services. Even started a reply. But eventually, I had to consider my own limited time and energy. And abandoned it. Yet something else struck me. After seeing his co-blogger Little Neko’s recent post, I hopped over to check out her blog. But to my dismay, I found that she’d been looking for other writers too, lol. When it began to feel like a “bait and switch” or “musical chairs”, I admitted got turned off. So for me, an originally one-authored blog should *ideally* maintain the identity of its author. Like a sense of brand familiarity or security or loyalty. Or so I thought. Could be refreshing fun. Could be a cheap passing trend. Or both. Toybox co-bloggers? Nahhh.

Though I must admit, back in the “Matrix” fanfic days (2003-2004), it was wildly dramatic, angsty and addictive to write, direct and captain a hovercraft with 3-4 female co-writers (from Israel, Hungary, Great Britain, Spain, etc.) in an international group fanfic. The crew of the hovercraft Nosferatu. Addictive. But then again, blogging and fanfiction are quite different.

My Last Crew of the Hovercraft Nosferatu | Back in March 2004 | Enlarge

Anime Titles. Bahhh, enough with the artsy-fartsy intellectual stuff, lol. Here are my latest anime speed-reviews. Four more anime titles-seasons watched and completed since last month, for a total of 51 so far this year (or about 150 across the last 3 years). LOL, can you top that?

Mars Daybreak [48]. My 48th anime title-or-season of the year. Not bad. An entertaining action-packed dive through the underwater depths, for a sea-soaked total 3 of 5 stars.

Mars Daybreak [48] | 3 of 5 Stars | Enlarge wallpaper

Genshiken 2 [49]. My 49th anime title-or-season of the year. Wow! The hilarious yet touching continuation of the first season and OVAs. It’s amazing how faithful the anime is to the manga, sometimes even funnier! While I only give short seasons a max of 4 stars, this second season, combined with the first season and OVAs, finally deserves 5 of 5 stars!

Genshiken 2 [49] | 5 of 5 Stars | Enlarge wallpaper

Nodame Cantabile [50]. My 50th anime title-or-season of the year. Oh wow! Now this series is an extraordinary tapesty in the romantic-comedic styles of the classic “Kare Kano” and the rock-and-roll “Nana”, but colored and interwoven through searingly sublime piano, violin and orchestral music. Probably one of the most original, breathtaking, and utterly unforgettable series in a long time. Easily 5 of 5 stars!

Nodame Cantabile [50] | 5 of 5 Stars | Enlarge wallpaper

Naruto – S2 [51]. My 51st anime title-or-season of the year. You may not believe me, but two years ago, I was so unexpectedly impressed with “Naruto – S1″, that I gave it 5 of 5 stars! However, while the second season of 26 episodes seemed comparatively lacking in emotion or focus, it’s still remains a kick-ass anime to watch during high-energy treadmill runs, lol. Yup, a respectable 4 of 5 stars!

Naruto – S2 [51] | 4 of 5 Stars | Enlarge wallpaper

Coldplay Addiction. Okay, enough of the reviews… Gahhh, damn you, Mimi-chan, lol. Ever since you posted that YouTube of the anime Code Geass – Set to Viva La Vida about 2-3 weeks ago, I’ve been addicted to that song! Hadn’t been a Coldplay fan before, still not, but lately I can’t get through the day without hearing that tune once or twice. Just like you said, “seems like this song was made for Code Geass”, lol. And one more time, here it is.

Code Geass – Set to Coldplay’s Viva La Vida

Razzle Zazzle. Ah, finally, now onto the second half of my super-long “better do it now before you forget” post. Well, my Zazzle order finally arrived a couple nights ago. Three items~ two came out great, and one not-so-great, lol.

[1] Here’s the first one~ Angsty Momo on a small forest-green “Basic American Apparel” T-shirt. She turned out awesome! Brighter than I expected. While the background in the print transfer came out *bluer* than the original image file, it probably had a 50% chance of turning *greener* too, lol. No biggie, but now I know what to expect. Other than the image transfer, the shirt material feels smooth and light. Very comfortable. I’m 5′ 10″ and 150 pounds, so the small size fits perfectly. Great choice.

Dec 5 | Angsty Momo – Zazzle T-Shirt | Enlarge

Dec 5 | Angsty Momo – Zazzle T-Shirt | Enlarge

Dec 5 | Angsty Momo – Zazzle T-Shirt | Enlarge

[2] Here’s the second one~ Property of Mimi’s Rage on a small black “Basic American Apparel” T-shirt. Like Angsty Momo, awesome image transfer. And again, brighter than expected, based on the original image file. But no biggie, since I love how the camouflage effect turned out. Almost shiny in the light, lol. Just like the forest-green shirt, the material feels smooth and light. Very comfortable. Again, the small size fits perfectly. Another great choice.

Dec 5 | Mimi’s Rage – Zazzle T-Shirt | Enlarge

Dec 5 | Mimi’s Rage – Zazzle T-Shirt | Enlarge

Dec 5 | Mimi’s Rage – Zazzle T-Shirt | Enlarge

Dec 5 | Mimi’s Rage – Zazzle T-Shirt | Enlarge

Dec 5 | Mimi’s Rage – Zazzle T-Shirt | Enlarge

[3] But here’s the bad news~ Property of Mimi’s Rage on a small black “Basic Long Sleeve” shirt. Yuck! Awful! Horrible image transfer. I’m not an expert, but my guess is that because of the difference in fabric between “Basic” and “Basic American Apparel”, a different transfer method was used. And an inferior image was produced. But besides the image, while the material may not feel as smooth, it still feels rather light and comfortable. Especially in colder weather. Again, the small size fits great. But I’d recommend a crisper image with less gradients or shades.

Dec 5 | Mimi’s Rage – Zazzle Long Sleeve | Enlarge

Dec 5 | Mimi’s Rage – Zazzle Long Sleeve | Enlarge

iMac Attack. Finally, we come to the fourth and final segment of my entry, as hinted in my previous post. Let’s welcome my brand new 24-inch iMac powerhouse! Plus VMware Fusion 2 software to create virtual machines (hence VM), which allow the parallel installation of Windows XP alongside Leopard, haha. Yeah-yeah, I know, why add XP? Well, so I can install all of the Windows applications my laptop uses, without buying expensive new Mac software, and switch between the Windows OS and Mac OS whenever I want. I’m not sure many people know this Mac ability. But once I found out about it, I definitely turned my eye towards owning an iMac. Besides, “with my aging 3-year-old Dell laptop pausing to take a leak more often these last few months”, I definitely needed a new computer, lol.

Dec 4 | Opening the iMac Box | Enlarge

Dec 4 | 24-inch, 20-inch & 15-inch Setup | Enlarge

Dec 4 | 24-inch & 20-inch Setup | Enlarge

Dec 4 | Installing Windows XP within iMac | Enlarge

Dec 4 | Installation Complete! | Enlarge

Haha, Windows XP installation complete! And pretty quickly I might add. First VMware Fusion, then Windows XP. Then within the XP virtual machine, followed by Mozilla Firefox, Trend Micro Internet Security, Adobe CS3, PHP Designer, and of course, Winamp, haha. Over time, the rest of my laptop applications will be added. And hopefully, I can trim down the load on my laptop. But you know what? Lately, I’ve felt that the recent iMacs have been geared towards converting disgruntled PC users, while not necessarily aiming to please loyal long-time Mac users. Especially with those shiny glassy reflective anti-Mac screens, lol. But I don’t care. I can do both.

Smexy Shell. P.S. Oops, edit~ I almost forgot to add that having an XP ghost in an iMac’s shell (haha, “Ghost in the Shell”, get it?) would be like having Bill Gates’ brain in Nicole Kidman’s body. Haha, can you imagine it? Nope, or just barely! And of course, we all know my fascination with European accents (or accents of European origin), hehe. Not only Nicole Kidman or Kate Beckinsale, but Angelina Jolie’s Lara Croft and that wondrously-eccentric singer Kate Nash. Maybe I’ll post about Kate’s “Dickhead” or “Shit Song” tunes sometime. Bahhh, why not now? ^_~

Kate Nash – Dickhead