xJAYMANx_toybox > Never forget how to play... » One and Only Jem http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx Never forget how to play... Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:06:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Protected: Blog 214 > Traps & Treks to New Worlds http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2009/08/10/blog-214-traps-treks-to-new-worlds/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2009/08/10/blog-214-traps-treks-to-new-worlds/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:07:54 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=4120

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]]> http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2009/08/10/blog-214-traps-treks-to-new-worlds/feed/ 28 Blog 207 > Angels, Badasses & Cyborgs http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2009/06/21/blog-207-angels-badasses-cyborgs/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2009/06/21/blog-207-angels-badasses-cyborgs/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:58:47 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=3294

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!

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?

Why am I showing the ending credits first?

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

Ah, Europe!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nodame-chan: “It means he loves me…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nodame-chan: “Whah-whah-whah?”

POWWW!!!

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

DOUBLE POWWW!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now, here are a stockpile of terminating wallpapers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

A real-life demonstration!

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.

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

Haha, Michelle, nice motorcycle catch!

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

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

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

Hahaha, whatever!

Hey, Michelle, got enough salad?

Got enough soup? Umm, could you stop moving?

LOL, finally, that’s better.

Mmmm, my delicious salmon pasta!

My tasty French onion soup!

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

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.

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.

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.

Website Outlook
18 June | Website Outlook – Girl G33k

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

Website Outlook
18 June | Website Outlook – Furudango

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

Website Outlook
18 June | Website Outlook – Aprilius20

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

Website Outlook
18 June | Website Outlook – Rhythm Emotion

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

Website Outlook
18 June | Website Outlook – One and Only Jem

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

Website Outlook
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.

Website Outlook
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?”

 

]]> http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2009/06/21/blog-207-angels-badasses-cyborgs/feed/ 69 Blog 200 > Tasty Tales from the Toybox http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2009/05/04/blog-200-tasty-tales-from-the-toybox/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2009/05/04/blog-200-tasty-tales-from-the-toybox/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 09:10:34 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=2646

Awww, Danni, thanx! How have you been? Oops, wait. Oh no, a new fabricated message! Damn, lol. Ah well, although Cherokee-Hawaiian adult-film actress Danni Cole never actually sent me this sunshiny and spectacled cheer, the beach-house fantasy sounds like a perfect summertime anime episode, doesn’t it? Hahaha… Well, my Tumbling Toyboxers, it’s that time of the week again. Another weekly mega-cast to keep the otaku-sensei aghast! So, to celebrate this 200th Blog of the Toybox, we’re gonna take a dive at not only revealing why we blog to express and connect, but also why we choose to Twitter or Toybox. Why? Not only that, we’re gonna take a splash at unraveling why anime can never really be stupid. Why not? On top of those, we’ll trickle under our friendly neighborhood Uzumaki and Minami, trample past a few real-world and random-worded antics, and tumble upon the bottomless fall and bubbling rise of this humble Toybox! Sounds edible? Cool. So let’s turn on the oven and get ready to heat your inner mayhem. It’s time to cook this tasty show…


Part 1 of 5 > Why Blog? Why Tiny Twitter? Why Titanic Toybox?

Before we dive into our first blog topic, let’s welcome Danni Cole (caution: link NSFW) to the Toybox! Hehe, not only did her exotic resemblance to Dutch-Chinese actress Kristin Kreuk stun and strike me, but also her fearlessness in wearing glasses! Brava! And also her birthday on 22 March, just 3 days after mine. Go Pisces! If we can believe the internet too, lol.

Okay-okay, enough about Danni. Do you remember two weeks ago when I featured Otaku Dan’s introspective “Why Do We Blog?” (16 April 2009) post? Coincidentally, Angry Mimi-chan also proposed the same question in her “Why Why Why Do You Blog?” (22 April 2009) post, lol.

To refresh your tumbling memories, here’s my condensed reply to Otaku Dan.

xJAYMANx@Dan-man: Ultimately, I think I came to the decision to go on, not only for myself, the love of writing or the love of anime, but also for others in the community who love anime too. Maybe not a million or even 100 others, but for those few who’ve become familiar names or faces. Like u or Blowfish or Panther or Mimi-chan. Those who make me think or laugh or yell “WTF?”, lol. Not only on my blog, but on theirs as well.

I think that’s the best form of self-promotion of all.

Now, keeping this in mind, do you also remember Angry Mimi-chan’s hilarious “Truth About Twitter” (23 March 2009) post? Haha, you can also check out the original YouTube “Twouble with Twitters: SuperNews!” (16 March 2009) video. When I saw that video for the first time, I literally laughed out loud!

Likewise, to refresh your trembling memories, here’s my brief reply to Angry Mimi-chan.

xJAYMANx@Mimi-chan: Nahhh, no need for Twitter, lol. Facebook already has the same “status” thingie. But even then, I hardly update on FB much. Blogging seems more worthy of our precious time. >_<;

Hey, so did you see it? Did you catch that? I wrote: “Blogging seems more worthy of our precious time.” While bloggers and surfers may do both, doesn’t this suggest that we may only have time for one or the other? To Twitter or not to Twitter? And if not to Twitter, to blog instead? In fact, in Jenn Kei’s recent “Star Trek Za Movie” (01 May 2009) post, our comments below seem to suggest exactly that, lol.

xJAYMANx@Jenn-chan: Heyyy, you’re back!

Jennkei@Jay-san: Haha, I’ve never been away — I’m still sporadically posting on my Twitter! (Yes, I’ve gone over to the dark side…I’m sowwy..XD)

xJAYMANx@Jenn-chan: Awww, no problem, lol. Actually, I’m gonna be talking about tiny twitters versus mega-posts soon, so that’ll be interesting…

So I began to think about that. About Twittering. About blogging. If time-and-trouble determine whether we blurb on Twitter or Facebook or MySpace, or blog on LiveJournal or Blogger or WordPress, then for bloggers, wouldn’t time-and-trouble also determine *how* we blog? Daily versus weekly? Short versus long? For example, on one end of the otaku spectrum, Otaku Dan has maintained his short daily posts for ages (I don’t even know how long). On the other end of that spectrum, I’ve maintained my weekly posts since Blog 168, but these didn’t evolve into *mega-posts* until the Blog 170s-180s. Then of course, there are otaku bloggers with random posts sprinkled every few days or weeks. Clearly, every blogger has his or her own unique schedule and style.

But here’s the insane thing. Why *mega-posts* or *mega-casts*? Why do I have this insane need to cook up and construct gigantic and titanic and thematic five-part posts on a weekly basis? Why worry about an interconnectable theme among the parts? Why not split them up into five smaller posts on a near-daily basis? Ahh, haha, great questions.

My probable answer: “For the art, my friends. For the insane pursuit of art.” Most probably, lol.

Here’s the best metaphor I can find. Food. Yup, food. While many otaku-blog posts taste like messy burgers and salty fries, others taste like crumbly cookies and cheesy crackers, while still others taste like spicy chips and sweet candy, lol. Mmm, definitely tasty! But why settle for fast foods, snacks and desserts? Over time, I think I began to develop a palate for larger more-artful combinations, lol. Lunches. Turned into dinners. Turned into full five-course meals! Interconnectable combinations of sweet and spicy and meaty and juicy. Food. Haha, in real life, unless it’s a pot of instant ramen or oven of fish sticks, I can’t cook anything without a microwave or toaster. But in terms of my Toybox *mega-posts*, one *might* compare these works of art to those of a master chef. Maybe. Maybe not. Nonetheless, one can’t deny the ingredients. Or the combinations. But above all, the patience. Sigh. The utmost patience. Although sometimes, my patience can come close to collapse. Utter collapse, haha.

In a nutshell: “Where’s the art in Twittering?” ^_^

 

Part 2 of 5 > Can Any Anime Really Be Stupid?

Finally! After four weeks of being fuzzily amused by the cute-and-cuddly high-school-girl comedy “K-On!”, the fifth week finally lifted the series to “Lucky Star” wonderment! And do you know what did it? Do you? The teacher! The hilariously passive-yet-powerful Jekyll-yet-Hyde character of Yamanaka Sawako-sensei! Sawako-sensei was the missing ingredient! Reminiscent of the powerful-yet-pitiful anime shop manager, Anizawa Meito-san in “Lucky Star”, haha. Yes, indeed. Episode 5 of “K-On!” finally redeemed the series, lol… But to be clear, the series was *never* stupid.

Then again, can any anime really be stupid?

Wait, hold on! Before you answer too quickly, listen to my nose-congested arguments below, lol.

Here are the summarized contents to guide you.

xJAYMANx_broadcast 002
“From Drunk to Punk Trooper”
Saturday, 1:15am, 25 Oct 2008
MP3 Length 16:27 Minutes

  • OP – “Virgin’s High” by MELL from the anime “Sky Girls” [2007].
  • Second broadcast, hope not as crackly and staticky
  • Jackie Chan‘s and Woo Ping’s 1978 Hong Kong film Drunken Master
  • Got 89th figure Queen’s Gate Alice; Potter-esque “Zero no Tsukaima”
  • Anime in philosophical light: No art is stupid? Anime is art? So no anime is stupid?
  • Hated Metropolis, disliked Amazing Nurse Nanako
  • Sent in my absentee ballot, voted for NONE of the above candidates, liberating
  • Japanese street fashion, funny stuff, lol
  • “Punk Trooper”, Stormtrooper or Jedi drop-out, bounty hunter, jack of all trades
  • Katana bokken, test for Halloween costume, damn helmet so hot to breathe
  • Punk Trooper!
  • ED – “Last Regrets” by Ayana from the anime “Kanon” [2006].

So, there you have it! Can any anime really be stupid?

Haha, actually, the reason why I brought up this profoundly philosophical question is due to the “One and Only” Jem-chan, lol. One of us mentioned Skype and this was how our discussion unfolded.

xJAYMANx@Jem-chan: Actually, I do have some goofy audio on Blog 171 (if u haven’t peeked already). I think my nose is stuffed up from allergies or something, haha. You were warned!

Jem@Jay: You definitely sound like you have a cold. I am listening to your podcast. Lol, you sound “white” which is a good thing because you don’t sound fobbish or have a fobbish accent. Maybe some people were frightened away with your voice. I dunno… LOL, is anime stupid then?

[Then a few days later in our blog comments.]

Jem@Jay: I am quite appeased by your remark in regards to the tag and category. Pleased I am, hmmmmm!!! HAHAHA. I remember your podcast when you were talking about art and made reference to Zero no Tsukaima. Mind you, I have never known how to correctly pronounce it. Is art stupid? No. Is anime like art? Yes. If that’s true then, no anime can really be stupid. I really like your if and conjecture. I thought about it and it was a refreshing perspective to keep in mind. When I was listening to you talk, I verbally answered “yes” to the anime being stupid question, lol.

xJAYMANx@Jem-chan: Hahaha, so you’re “pleased and appeased”, are ya? Then my life-long quest is complete! LOL, I don’t think I ever heard it pronounced until I actually said it myself! But that can’t be true. I mean, I must’ve heard someone pronounce it during the anime credits, right? I must have. Then I forgot it. Then when it came time to actually say it, my brain told my mouth to say it like that. The subconscious can be a *good* thing once in a while, lol… Haha, I just heard my broadcast again. “Can anime be stupid?” That’s still a simple yet philosophically profound question. Can’t believe I actually came up with it, hehe.

In another nutshell: “Is art stupid? No. Is anime like art? Yes. If that’s true then, no anime can really be stupid.”

 

Part 3 of 5 > Uzumaki & Minami Revisited

Yup, two more! Stupid anime or not, I’ve managed to complete 2 more anime titles-or-seasons in the last 2 weeks: “Naruto – Season 4″ [17] and “Minami-ke – Okaeri – Season 3″ [18]. Yes-yes, a total of 18 completed anime titles in just over 4 months so far! Definitely on my typical pace to hit 50 anime by the end of the year, lol.

 

Naruto – Season 4 [17]. On 01 May, I completed my 17th anime title-or-season of the year. Season 4 (2004) with 26 episodes. Haha, despite all of the adoring love and acidic hate for this title, Season 4 still packs a mindless-yet-riveting ninja-powered punch to your chakra. Especially while dashing on the treadmill, lol. A solid 4 of 5 stars! So here are 3 wallpapers to brighten your day in blinding blonde and orange, haha.

 

 

Hey, if you’re interested, here are my speed-reviews for the previous 3 “Naruto” seasons.

Damn, where’s my instant ramen? >_<;

 

Minami-ke – Okaeri – Season 3 [18]. On 02 May, I completed my 18th anime title-or-season of the year. Season 3 (2009) with 13 episodes. Hehe, despite the change in animation style in the past, Season 3 still offers a smilingly offbeat yet gently heart-warming slice of life. Awww, another maximum 4 of 5 stars for a half-season, lol. So here are 7 high-resolution (1920px) wallpapers to celebrate the three sisters, their classmates and their friends. Gotta adore Haruka, Kana and Chiaki!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awww. Still kinda sad that “Minami-ke” had to end. At least, we have “K-On!”now, lol.

 

Part 4 of 5 > Hornsby, Foosball, Wordle & Random Ramblings

Let’s say it one more time: Awww.

But now, from tiny twitters and titanic toyboxes, to anime as an artistic-not-stupid form of expression, to ninja-enhanced and schoolgirl-powered anime stories, let’s rumble and ramble into the randomness of the real world, lol. For example, remember the company party back in February? Well, last week, I finally remembered to pick up a couple of cases of Hornsby’s Hard Cider, both “Amber Draft” and “Crisp Apple” flavors. Yummm. Especially with a roast-beef sandwich and a pile of mayo-drenched baby carrots!

A closer view.

And a closer view of the bottle, lol.

Then remember the set of six foosballs I bought last week? Well, forget those, lol. Because when I compared them to the foosballs at the office, these were the wrong size! Upon closer inspection, the 32mm-diameters were too small. What we really needed were the 35mm-diameters. So here are the new foosballs! Thank you, Amazon, lol.

A closer view. I just thought I’d add to the black-and-white motif with my chain-wallet and pair of dice.

Yeah, man, Linkin Park.

Leaping fluidly from Linkin Park word masters to linkable Wordle messes, ever created a “Wordle” cloud before? Man, I don’t even remember my first visit. Maybe last year? Two years ago? It’s been ages. But for whatever reason, the correlation networks and floorplans from last week reminded me of these curious clouds, lol.

LOL, Mimi-chan seems detached. And Minami-ke is about to break off!

Click the “Re-Layout” button. Another great big puddle.

Speaking of puddles, remember that Vietnamese noodle-soup place “Jenni Pho”? About five weeks ago? Well, Melanie (meh-LAH-nee) treated me to lunch there again last Thursday. And she asked me a curious question.

She asked me if I’d consider a single mother as a possible girlfriend (not her, she’s married, lol). Check out the “LOL” below!

So I wondered about her question. Actually, I wouldn’t rule it out.

But it definitely depends on the age of the child. I think.

A younger child is probably easier to grow up with than an older one. Notice how I’m saying “child” not “children”.

But Melanie agreed. Raising two kids is a gigantic difference from one kid. Gigantic.

Funny thing! After this question, she asked me, “You’re not married, right?” LOL, shouldn’t you ask this *before* the other question?

LOL, divorced since mid-2006… So did you enjoy the “Wordle” clouds? Quite amusing to see where the “LOL” landed. Okay, maybe not. You had to be there, hehe.

 

Part 5 of 5 > The Fall & Rise of the Toybox

A-ha! From twitters to toyboxes to anime to reality, let’s backflip into a reverse dive to refresh and reflect on how we reached this milestone 200th Blog of the Toybox. Yeah, why not? Like I mentioned in Part 1 above, “I’ve maintained my weekly posts since Blog 168, but these didn’t evolve into *mega-posts* until the Blog 170s-180s… Over time, I think I began to develop a palate for larger more-artful combinations, lol.” So let’s splash through 15 of the more memorable posts, between August 2008 and February 2009, marking the bumbling and bubbling rise of the Toybox, lol. Feel free to click an image to jump to its respective post.

First, here’s “Blog 148 > Lelouch Commands You” (August 2008). When I announced my blog upgrade and path change, this was the first real eye-opener at how many readers actually read my humble blog! Shocking!

A couple of weeks later, I posted “Blog 155 > Holy Crap, I Got Carded!” (August 2008). Not only was the story hilarious, but the photoshoot with Guiness the Menace was a blast, haha!

The following month, I posted “Blog 162 > Fumie From Edelweiss” (September 2008). Ahh, one of my finest figure photoshoots ever. Even created a YouTube music-slideshow video from it! And it’s also one of my final but most memorable “Danny Choo Member News” posts. Awww.

Shortly afterwards, I posted “Blog 164 > Mimi Says” (September 2008). Haha, pretty funny “Despair” de-motivational poster featuring a quote by the Angry Mimi-chan and the Tokyo Dance Trooper, Danny Choo himself! Let’s not forget his partner Tokyo Dance Lord, Hector Garcia, lol.

The following month, I posted “Blog 168 > Crows Zero & Clannad Two” (October 2008). A nice little mix of a Japanese live-action film and an anime series. This post marked the first time I held onto a weekly-weekend blog pattern. Why? Who knows? Too busy during the weekdays?

Yet another month later, I posted “Blog 174 > Wild Anime & Final Figures” (November 2008). Heyyy, this was around the time when my *mega-post* mentality began to take shape. And also around the time when the original “Mimi’s Rage” made its first appearance! Haha. “May Her Rage Consume You. Always.”

A few weeks after that, I posted “Blog 177 > Mimi’s Zazzle & iMac’s Dazzle” (November 2008). Haha, “Mimi’s Rage” continued to ripple outward. Meanwhile, I introduced my Website Outlook blog-value estimates for the first time!

The following month again, I posted “Blog 181 > Snowy Vegas & Shining Anime” (December 2008). Ah yes, the ridiculous Las Vegas blizzard! This was probably one of my first true *mega-posts* ever. Spanning across anime reviews, anime figures and real life.

Then the following week, I posted “Blog 182 > Year of Anime, Rock & Otaku” (December 2008). Not simply a full year-long list of anime, but also a Rock Band video, an Angry Mimi-chan video, and an Angry Mimi-chan sign! Can’t get any better than this, right? I think this was also the first time I uttered the term *mega-post* for my weekly masterpieces, lol.

For the new year, I posted “Blog 184 > Rewind in Anime, Myself & I” (January 2009). Yup, by this time, I was beginning to hit my stride in terms of posting weekly *mega-post*s. Including a YouTube video of my “Edelweiss Fumie” photoshoot!

The following week, I posted “Blog 185 > Wikis & Evangelion Gothlolis” (January 2009). Wow, another blog upgrade, more Danny Choo, and a massive 4-figure photoshoot of my “Evangelion Gothlolis” Rei and Asuka. Including my 92nd and final figure! Yup, incredible.

The following week again, I posted “Blog 186 > Sevens, Heavens & Harems” (January 2009). Haha, another Website Outlook assessment. I introduced Maria Ozawa for the first time with her fabricated message of congratulations. And I also introduced my “harem” gender-ratio structure, hehe.

Yet another week later, I posted “Blog 187 > Cops, Candy & Digital Sushi” (February 2009). Another full-course meal of Jackie Chan, Dairy Queen, Papa John, “Kiddy Grade”, and Digital Sushi! Yup, the lovely Digital Sushi, lol. As well as my experimental “Kamikaze Frozen” poem with self-portraits. This was also the first time my *mega-post* clearly featured 5 of 5 parts!

The following week again, I posted “Blog 188 > Kanons, Pirates & Bloodbaths” (February 2009). Hehe, another full-course meal of “Battle Royale”, “Pirates XXX”, and another massive 4-figure photoshoot. Yup, the “Kanon” girls! Oops, only 4 of 4 parts! But by featuring “Pirates XXX”, I also introduced a pornographic film for the first time, lol.

Yet another week later, I posted “Blog 189 > Hearts, Ninjas & Toyboxers” (February 2009). Hehe, yet another Website Outlook assessment, more Maria Ozawa, the new “Foosball Ninja”, and an unlocked “To Heart” photoshoot. Yup, definitely some crazy Toybox action!

Definitely, a wild and crazy ride! LOL, don’t you remember?

 

Well-well, my Tasty Toyboxers, that’s the end of Blog 200! The end of this week’s mega-cast! Did you enjoy delicious Danni’s fabricated-fantasy message? Did our mega-cast keep the otaku-sensei aghast? Hahaha. Yup, this week we took an artful dive at why we choose to Twitter or Toybox. Why? Not only that, we also took an artful splash at unraveling why anime can never really be stupid. Why not? How were the friendly neighborhood Uzumaki and Minami? The real-world and random-worded antics? The bottomless fall and bubbling rise of this humble Toybox? How were they? Were they edible? Cool. But before we forget, let’s thank Danni-chan, Mimi-chan, Jenn-chan, Jem-chan, the Minami sisters, Melanie-chan, Fumie-chan, Maria-chan, and Digital Sushi, lol. And anyone else I’m too burnt-out to mention! Did you properly cook your inner mayhem? Let’s hope so.

Till next broadcast. Peace. Out.

 

Final Flashback

From “Kamikaze Frozen“: “The crash of a thousand waves can be calmed in a single frame.”

 

]]> http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2009/05/04/blog-200-tasty-tales-from-the-toybox/feed/ 25 Blog 199 > Melons, Mimis & Masochists http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2009/04/26/blog-199-melons-mimis-masochists/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2009/04/26/blog-199-melons-mimis-masochists/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:06:59 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=2509

Ah, yes, my Testy Toyboxers! Alas, another weekly mega-cast to keep the otaku-sensei aghast! Aghast, you ask? Why yes! This week is gonna be a monstrous roller-coaster ride of wicked M-shaped mayhem! M-shaped? Hahaha, you heard me. Get ready to lose your mental marbles as we dive into blonde-haired Melon-transforming babes, swim through mind-curdling Mimi-flavored rants-to-raves, dodge under eye-popping Mimi-doubling pornographic models, squirt over sado-masochistic Jem-enforced spider-webs and Jay-enhanced house-harems, and swirl down a cyber-corrupted cocktail of ninja blades, foosball ninjas, fem-fashioned kickboxers, and Lisa-strung stockings! Whew, let me catch my breath. One, two, three. Okay, enough of the maniacal mumbling. Drop what you’re messing, flip off the mediocrity, and switch on your inner madness! Because it’s time to start the show…


Part 1 of 5 > Melons, Metals & Miniskirts

Are you looking for more Japanese socio-political news? More of the otaku-tinged Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso? Or yet another article on the recession-stained Japanese xenophobia? Hehe, no? Well, excellent, you’re in luck! This time, for Part 1, let’s skip over those muddy waters and splash into more-sparkling streams, lol. Including 2 more anime titles-or-seasons I’ve managed to complete in the last couple weeks: “Samurai X – Trust & Betrayal – Director’s Cut” [15] and “Akikan” [16]. Yup, a total of 16 completed anime titles in just under 4 months so far!

Samurai X – Trust & Betrayal – Director’s Cut [15]. On 17-18 April, I completed my 15th anime title-or-season of the year. While it isn’t the original 4-part OVA series (1999), this title compiles the series into a 2-hour feature-length film (2003). Nevertheless, I must say that this darker more-intense interpretation of “Rurouni Kenshin” is still wrenching in its blood-stained layers of tragedy. Wow, a fearless 4 of 5 stars! Since I already posted a ton of “Kenshin” wallpapers a couple of weeks ago, I’ll just add the link here, lol.

Akikan [16]. On 18 April, I completed my 16th anime title-or-season of the year. Original series (2009) with 12 episodes. Wow, mindlessly and unexpectedly entertaining! From the transforming metal-can gals to the fleshy high-school fan service to the crude homo-and-hetero ecchi jokes, it still squirts a maximum 4 of 5 stars for a half-season! Hahaha, and although it was unintentional, thanx Aprilius20 (or A20) for the negative recommendation! Yup, negative! Here’s our comment exchange several posts ago.

Aprilius20@Jay: Would you ever give an anime zero out of 5? Call me cruel, but that’s what I gave Akikan. My experience of watching ep1- watch, skip, watch, skip skip skip watch delete. That bad. Why don’t you try your hand at a review and see if you get your 2nd 1/5, or even a 0 like I gave it?… and if you have the patience to watch the entire series… all hail ^^;;

xJAYMANx@A20: Hmm, zero? Most likely not… But you know what? I’ll give it a try simply for the “challenge”. I’ll let u know when I finish the series.

Aprilius20@Jay: lol, maybe I was too harsh on it, with another show specializing in fan-service on hand that actually had a glimmer of hope in terms of story and (but eventually failed- Kanokon). Since you’re going to take up the ‘challenge’ I’ll just keep quiet so as not to unduly influence your opinion of it, just to be safe ^-^

xJAYMANx@A20: Hahaha, well, I just watched the first episode tonight. Maybe it’s because I came back from a party, but “Akikan” was freaking hilarious! Over the top and outlandish, yeah, but its cute carbonated mix of hetero-ecchi, homo-ecchi and love-hate-spats made me laugh out louder than “K-On!” so far! Reminds me of faves like “Midori Days” and “He Is My Master”, lol. Thanx, dude! So far, so good! ^o^;

Aprilius20@Jay: So my plot to expand my dislike of the show to other anime viewers backfired, eh?

LOL, yup, epic backfire. Sorry, dude. I guess it was meant to be! So to celebrate “Akikan”, here are 7 melon-juicy high-resolution wallpapers and images for your tasty viewing pleasure, lol. Enjoy!

First, let’s say “Hi!” to the blonde and green-eyed juice-can-transforming Melon-chan!

Here’s an awesome wallpaper of the entire high-school gang!

Haha, the inevitable pool-or-beach water scene!

A bit of baseball, lol.

A bit of cooking, lol.

This looks like the cover of the “Akikan” manga.

While this looks like some ecchi fan art, haha. Took a while to notice the banana gun!

Nice, huh? Hehe, now tell the truth. Don’t you wanna watch this mindlessly heart-warming and over-the-top (or topless) teen comedy? Tell the truth!

 

Part 2 of 5 > Mimi, Mio, Mugi & Miyuki

Haha, speaking of “mindlessly heart-warming”, ready for some more M-shaped observations? Of course you are! Well, if you’ve been following my sidebar comments on the latest anime smash “K-On!” (2009) by KyoAni, you already have an idea of my paradoxical impressed-yet-unimpressed assessment over the last 3 weeks, hehe. Here’s a quick summary to refresh your anime-numbed minds, lol.

Here’s an excerpt from three weeks ago.

Hahaha, wow! In the last few days, the brand-new high-school comedy anime K-On!, produced by Kyoto Animation (KyoAni), has stormed and flooded the otaku scene! Not only on Danny Choo’s website, but also on Sankaku Complex (NSFW)! While the premiere episode pinched all of the cute, clever and captivating points of a memorable “pop anime” series (not unlike KyoAni’s “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” and “Lucky Star”), is “K-On!” really anything new or different from what we’ve all seen before? Hehe, probably not. But who really cares, right? As long as it’s cute, clever and captivating, lol.

Here’s one from two weeks ago.

Hehe, tired of the endless posts and episodic reviews of “K-On!” yet? Ahh, the continuing power of market-powered pop-anime trends! I mean, it’s only the second week of “K-On!”. Does it make sense to review the first ten minutes of a two-hour film? Then the next ten minutes too? Then the next? Does a preview-review make sense when *everyone* is watching it anyway? Haha, just teasing!

Finally, here’s one from last week.

@Mimi-chan: Yeah, I’ve mentioned on my blog that there seems to be nothing new. Each of them seems like clones of characters we’ve all seen before. But there’s nothing wrong with that! Nothing wrong with cute and cuddly! I’m just surprised at all the hype that this is something earth-shatteringly different. Simply because it comes from KyoAni? ^_^;

P.S. Due to a challenge, I just started “Akikan”. Haha, in just one episode, the over-the-top concept has already made me laugh out loud more than “K-On”!

So while the series has been adorably amusing and memorably moe thus far, I still don’t sense the “earth-shattering” newness or understand the “mind-blowing” hysteria within the otaku community. Well, not yet, lol. If anything, the otaku-powered pop-anime mentality seems to be a forceful factor in fueling the fervor! So much so that one unexpected turn-of-events has been Mimi-chan‘s mind-lashing shift from rants to raves! Check out her assessment of the 4th and latest episode, lol.

In fact, under this light, “Akikan” isn’t earth-shattering either, lol. It may be outlandishly nonsensical and skin-baringly hysterical, but one could categorize it as another “high-school magical-girl fish-out-of-water comedy” manufactured from the ever-addictive pop-anime assembly-line! Hehe, right? But that’s okay. Whether it’s new or old, memorable or forgettable, entertainment is entertainment!

Now let’s switch gears for a moment. Maybe someone has already mentioned or blogged about it, but while I watched the 4th and latest episode (the “beach” episode), the girls of “K-On!” did indeed feel like clones of a previous KyoAni anime, namely “Lucky Star” (2007). Yup, “Lucky Star” clones, lol.

First, here are Mio, Ritsu, Tsumugi & Yui from “K-On!” (2009).

Now, here are Kagami, Tsukasa, Miyuki & Konata from “Lucky Star” (2007).

While the animation styles are distinctly different, their slice-of-life personalities are remarkably similar! Here’s the name-by-name comparison, lol.

“K-On” versus “Lucky Star”.

  • Mio (K-On) = Kagami (Lucky Star). The “tsundere” girls of the group. Forceful and commanding during one moment, then shy and submission the next moment. Both are coincidentally (or intentionally) left-handed. The most popular girls in the otaku community, lol.
  • Yui (K-On) = Tsukasa (Lucky Star). The “slow” girls of the group. Absent-minded and adorable. Yet lazy. They typically need a “push” to accomplish something, lol.
  • Ritsu (K-On) = Konata (Lucky Star). The “clown” or “loud mouthed” girls of the group. Rather tomboyish. Yet lazy too. But when it comes to non-study activities, they are endlessly energetic or athletic, lol.
  • Tsumugi (K-On) = Miyuki (Lucky Star). The “rich” or “refined” girls of the group. Quiet and collected. More intellectual or knowledgeable. Almost motherly. They typically act as the “soothing glue” which bonds the other girls together.

Cool, eh? While the name-by-name counterparts aren’t quite 100% identical, there is clearly a substantial 80-90% match with each of the 4 girls. Enough to call them “clones”? Perhaps. Which definitely supports the notion that “K-On” isn’t anything earth-shatteringly new. Apart from its music-band concept, which could be construed as borrowing from “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” (yet another KyoAni title), “K-On” is hardly new at all. So far. But that doesn’t make it any less entertaining, lol.

 

Part 3 of 5 > Mimi, More Mimi & Maniacs

Speaking of the Devil (and the unofficial idol of the “Danny Choo” otaku community, lol), do you remember Mimi-chan’s splendid April Fools “modeling contract” prank? You don’t? Well, here’s her announcement of the fake story, lol.

Hehe, quite clever, eh? But let’s take a closer look at what I highlighted: I thought it was a good plan at first (my original plan was to star in a porno upon my 18th b-day but that was too far-fetched)…”. Let’s replay that: “…to star in a porno…” What’s hilarious is that last year, back in July 2008, I accidentally stumbled upon a Japanese adult video (AV) actress who went by the pseudonym “Mimi”, hahaha. I just didn’t remember or realize the coincidence until recently! Yup, there’s already a Japanese porn actress named “Mimi”! And quite hot, I may add, lol.

Also known as Miku Hagiwara, Mimi-chan will turn 23 in a few months. And according to random sources across the cybersphere, she was briefly a fashion model. But here’s a cooler fact that caught my mathematical eye: “Special skill: Mental arithmetic.” Whoa, not bad, eh?

Here’s her full bio from Jheat.com (NSFW). Feel free to enlarge (no pun intended), lol.

Here’s Mimi-chan in “Sky Angel #58″. “Her desire is stopped by nobody,” hehe.

Here’s Mimi-chan in “Spermania #17″. Damn, I would’ve never guessed she was a porn starlet.

That’s it! Despite her slightly-crooked teeth, she’s still one of my newest faves, lol. Haha, and the coincidence is still pretty funny. But if Mimi-chan the “Angry Loli” ever decides to follow this pornographic path, I guess she’ll have to choose another name. Because one starlet is already wearing it (or not wearing it) well, lol.

 

Part 4 of 5 > Mia, Masochists & Blog Mates

Are we having fun yet? From mindlessly heart-warming anime like “Akikan” and “K-On”, to pornographic videos like “Sky Angel” and “Spermania”, are we having any sado-masochistic fun yet? Haha, not yet? Well, you must be doubly lucky this week, because here comes some pain-whipping webs and roommates!

First of all, do you remember Blowfish’s (or FlyingBlow’s) Shocking Truth post featuring correlation diagrams from Genzu.net? Haha, according to those diagrams, Jem-chan and myself were “former lovers”. Hmm, intriguing! Well, afterwards, Jem-chan and I decided to create our own diagrams, hehe.

Secondly, let’s introduce the incomparable “one and only” Jem-chan! Hmm, the unofficial idol of the “Trembling Toyboxer” community?

Thirdly, let’s take another look at FlyingBlow’s original network diagram. Not bad, lol.

Now, let’s take a peek at *my* network, combining the most-painful results of several diagrams, haha.

As you can see above, some pretty enlightening relationships!

xJAYMANx’s Correlation Network

  • Me and Jem-chan are once again “former lovers”, lol. Like before, I guess the furious fire died out just as fast as it started.
  • Me and Kris-chan are mutual “sadists”, haha. Now how does that work? Taking turns?
  • Me and Coco-chan are simple “sex friends”. Yup, sex without all the annoying relationship crap, haha.
  • Me and Mimi-chan are simply “friends”. That’s cool. No pain, no stain, lol.
  • Jem-chan and Kris-chan are “partners”. Ahh, intriguing! Wow, egos, ids and powerplays, lol.
  • Jem-chan boasts “evil” while Coco-chan boasts “justice”. Do you smell gun powder?
  • Jem-chan is in “serious love” while Mimi-chan is in “frivolous love”. Awww, lol.
  • Last but not least, Kris-chan acts “forcible” while Coco-chan reacts with “subordination”. Got S&M?

Hahaha! Now enough of those tangled spider-webs. Let’s tackle some tantalizing floor plans. Here’s Jem-chan’s 1st floorplan, cleverly colorized with my feeble Photoshop flair. The funniest thing here is that in order to get to my (blue) bedroom (with the infamous Billy Herrington, nooo), I need to pass through Jem-chan’s (pink) bedroom! I mean, if it looks a closet, and smells like a closet, then it’s gotta be a closet, right?

Here’s Jem-chan’s 2nd floorplan, populated with a plethora of pornographic personalities, haha. From Ron Jeremy and Jenna Jameson to Tera Patrick and the mesmerizingly-Asian Mia Smiles. Ahhh, sharing a (blue) bedroom with Mia Smiles! Not bad at all.

Now it’s *my* turn. Let’s get to *my* frantically-random floorplans, hehe. Wow, sharing a (blue) bedroom with the notoriously-angry Mimi-chan? Hahaha, oops, wait-wait. I won’t tell you how to “use your imagination”, but maybe I’ll think about moving into the closet *after* she turns legal next month. And less *angry*. Much less, lol. I mean, take a look at those adjacent walls. Right next to Kris-chan’s and Coco-chan’s bedrooms. Who knows how paper-thin those walls are? Especially with all of our socio-political arguing? And especially since Coco-chan is the householder?

Next, here’s my 2nd floorplan, adding Chun-chan, Lene-chan and Jenn-chan. Wow, again? Sharing a (blue) bedroom with Mimi-chan again? With no shared bedroom walls? Hmm, the rest of the house looks quite innocent. Lene-chan and Coco-chan share a bedroom. While Chun-chan and Jenn-chan share another bedroom. That’s about it. Although I’m kinda curious why Jem-chan’s bedroom opens into Mimi-chan’s security room, lol. Why? Is Jem-chan a householder and prisoner in her own home? Hahaha.

Finally, here’s my 3rd floorplan, adding the Filipina cosplayer Alodia and the left-handed bassist Mio-chan from “K-On”, haha. Hmm, sharing a (blue) bedroom with Mio-chan? A school-girl anime character? And also the householder? Ehh, I shouldn’t complain. Many otaku would kill for that, lol. If I set up a room-dividing shoji screen, maybe I won’t have to pay rent either!

Whew. So are we having fun now? Good! Because if you aren’t, you’re probably not strong or stable enough to endure the massive mayhem. So here’s a suggestion. Get a glass of water, take a couple of aspirin, and come back when your seeping stamina is restored. Sounds good? Meanwhile, the rest of us will be having some more fun, lol.

 

Part 5 of 5 > Mighty Ninjas, Blades & More Mates

Heyyy, you’ve made it to Part 5! From “Akikan” and “K-On” and animated school-girls, to “Sky Angel” and “Spermania” and sado-masochistic roommates, it’s time to dive head-first into a mystifying mix of mighty magic, martial arts and mini-clothed muscles, hehe.

For example, yesterday on Saturday, 25 April, I finally watched the Japanese film “Shinobi – Heart Under Blade” (2005), depicting the ill-fated clash between two ninja clans. Not bad! While it didn’t feel as epic as it could’ve been, there were still some tearful moments. A solid 4 of 5 stars! While I’ve just started the anime interpretation “Basilisk” (2005) this week, it already feels more epic and exhilarating with a larger ninja cast.

Here’s a revealing “Shinobi” image. Could either be a movie poster or DVD cover.

Here’s a more-romantic wallpaper. It’s hard not to love Nakama Yukie-san. Haha, I love her performances in the high-school comedy series Gokusen 1, 2, and 3.

Next, let’s slide like a slick shadow from ancient ninjas to foosball ninjas! Well, just *one* foosball ninja. Me, haha. Here’s a snapshot of the gang on 31 March.

To tell the truth, it’s amazing how far these guys have improved since we acquired the foosball table in January 2009. Back then, let’s assume I performed at 90% while everyone else ranged from 10-30%. After playing for the last few months, the Development guys now range from 50-60% (with a few higher exceptions) while the Solutions guys now range from 70-80% (with a few lower exceptions). Meanwhile, I can’t get much higher than 90%, haha.

Here I am below, monitoring the pitiful situation, lol. Actually, starting just this past week after the company-wide meeting, I’ve been crazy enough to challenge guys in a 1-on-2 match! It typically starts with all three of us laughing, like I have no chance at all. Which gradually turns into a really competitive game. And ultimately, ends with a victory. For myself, lol. And sometimes, I’ve won the re-match as well!

Haha, yup, 1-on-2 matches are incredibly fun! I mean, 1-on-1 matches are rarely challenging. And while 2-on-2 matches are challenging and amusing, they aren’t terribly risky either. But in a 1-on-2 match, since I don’t have the “safety net” luxury of a teammate, it’s like tight-rope walking without a net! It’s terrifying. But terrifyingly fun too! Especially when I’m victorious!

As of this mega-post, my current 1-on-2 record is 7 wins and 4 losses, haha. But all of those losses are accompanied by wins against the same two-man team. Plus all of these guys range from 50-80% skill! If there’s any way to raise my game from 90% to 95% or higher, this is it! And it’s awesome. I’m just waiting for the first guy (besides me) to attempt it, lol.

Oh yeah, also yesterday on Saturday, 25 April, I finally remembered to buy some replacement foosballs. After months of heavy play, those 3 red foosballs are all scratched up and worn down, lol. Time to speed up the game again!

Now, let’s slide once more from foosball ninjas to kickboxing babes! Remember the ALIAS flyer I designed a couple weeks ago? Well, Christine and Melanie finally printed the 3-by-4 inch glossy flyers!

Here they are! Printed on both front and back. I threw in a couple of dice to give a better sense of scale.

Hey, feel free to enlarge these shots. I think they turned out great! Amazing!

Haha, yup, that’s my anime-styled “Christine the Blade” vector artwork too.

Yep, one more time, another shadowy slide, another slippery ride. From kickboxing babes to scantily-clad roommates! Well, just *one* roommate. Just Lisa, lol.

According to Lisa herself, this photoshoot was taken by Viva Van Story on Saturday, 11 April. The same day as Melanie’s son’s birthday party.

But once again, ever since my Anime Rocks and Wild Anime posts, Lisa still manages to impress by looking totally different from her ordinary “frumpy” style, lol. Damn, does that look like her waist should hurt?

Ehh, I’m not too fond of the overly gold-and-red color scheme.

I mean, the red seems to blend too much into the gold. Where’s the contrast?

But Lisa seems to like it. Although I still think a higher-contrasting black outfit would look better in this pose.

Finally, her best pose in the bunch. Which should’ve been taken in a black outfit. Black, I say!

Hey, did I mention that her giardia, her 4-month intestinal parasite, finally disappeared? Yesterday, she told me her test was finally negative! Congrats! On that positive note, feel free to check out her page at Evie Van Covet @ MySpace. As well as my Anime Rocks and Wild Anime posts. Let us know what you think!

So, my Transcendental Toyboxers, that’s the end of our show! Another maniacal mega-cast has come and gone. And yes-yes, another mega-cast to keep the otaku-sensei aghast! How did we do? Did you survive the monstrous roller-coaster ride of wicked M-shaped mayhem! Did you lose your mental marbles? Did you miss the blonde-haired Melon-transforming babes? The mind-curdling Mimi-flavored rants-to-raves? The eye-popping Mimi-doubling pornographic models? Did you miss the sado-masochistic Jem-enforced spider-webs? Or the Jay-enhanced house-harems? Did you catch the cyber-corrupted cocktail of ninja blades, foosball ninjas, fem-fashioned kickboxers, and Lisa-strung stockings? Because if you missed anything, you missed a lot, lol. Let’s not forget to thank Melon-chan, the girls of “K-On”, the girls of “Lucky Star”, Mimi-chan, the other Mimi-chan, Jem-chan, Kris-chan, Coco-chan, Jenn-chan, Yukie-san, the girls of ALIAS Fight Wear, Viva Van Story, Lisa, and lastly, your inner madness! Didn’t I say this week would be maniacal? {Pause to breathe.} Okay, time to catch my breath. One. Two. Three.

Stay tuned for my bicentennial “Blog 200″! Till next broadcast. Peace. Out.

 

Final Flashback

Here’s Mimi-chan in “Sky Angel #58″. “Her desire is stopped by nobody,” hehe.

 

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