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.
Category Archives: Otaku News
Blog 177 > Mimi’s Zazzle & iMac’s Dazzle
Oooh, a new post… Ahhh, the lazy rainy-to-sunny holidays… Awww, thanx again Mimi-chan for your gracious mention of our Zazzle T-shirts. Like I commented on your post, 50% of the proceeds will be donated to your college fund~ because MIT is freakin’ expensive! Moreover, thanx to Lindsay@Zazzle for modelling our virtual T-shirt image~ doesn’t she make the shirt look smexy?
Blog 175 > Daughter of Punk Trooper
Yup, Angsty Momo. If you’ve visited Mimi’s blog last week, you’ll recognize her pink-haired teen mascot, lol. In a nutshell, her name is Momo. An angsty 17-year-old only-child with some curious tastes. And an interstellar genius in the year 2409 EYE (Earth Year Equivalent), lol. Here are the 750×750 square and 1680×1050 wallpaper versions. ^_^
Blog 174 > Wild Anime & Final Figures
Yup, another dose of chaotic anime, scorching figures, and random personal events shot-from-the-hip, lol. Since my roommate might be moving out next month, mid-December, due to her financial crunch, here’s our first pic-of-the-post in honor of Lisa. More details below. Maybe. Enjoy the ride!
Blog 173 > The Punk Trooper – Video
Are you sick and tired of Imperial Stormtroopers who can’t aim or blast the side of a barn to save their lives? Are you sick and tired of Jedi Apprentices who can’t find peace without a Master? Well, enter the Stormtrooper drop-out, Jedi outcast, and bounty-hunter-in-black~~ “Punk Trooper”, lol.
Like I first explained in my second audio broadcast and teased again in my last post, I dressed up (or God-forbid “cosplayed”, lol) in my original character for the Halloween lunch at work. And as my video hopefully shows, it was a “blast”, pun intended, hehe.
Blog 172 > The Punk Trooper – Teaser
Just a teaser, lol. Full post coming soon… So how was your Halloween?
Blog 171 > From Drunk to Punk Trooper
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 ground-breaking 1978 Hong Kong film Drunken Master
- Got 89th figure Queen’s Gate Alice; Potter-esque “Zero no Tsukaima” (4 of 5 stars)
- Anime in a philosophical light: No art is stupid? Anime is art? So no anime can be 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 in black, jack of all trades
- Katana bokken, test for Halloween costume, damn helmet so hot to wear or breathe
- Punk Trooper!
- ED – “Last Regrets” by Ayana from the anime “Kanon” [2006].
Blog 169 > MP3 Audio Broadcast 001
xJAYMANx_broadcast
Saturday, 9:15pm, 11 Oct 2008
MP3 Length 13:33 Minutes
- OP – “Into the Battlefield” from Crows Zero [2007].
- Stuffy nose, cold weather, Miko sick, hope u feel better
- Rearranging house, plasma TV soon, remove old wood shelves, TV stand, sit on floor
- Behind on blogs, website to design
- Mimi‘s comment on high-school classroom, feng shui?
- Lisa is home, Guiness the dog is there
- Danny’s blog, Mimi’s comment on hikikomori vs. otaku
- Behind on TV shows and anime, Harry Potter 5
- Lucky Star OVA, Sayonara Mr. Despair (Zetsubou Sensei), WTF LOL, 4 of 5 stars
- Star Wars (Clone Wars) TV, Roughnecks (Starship Troopers), good formula for kids, Yoda!
- Crows Zero, 8 Mile, Eminem, Lose Yourself, D12
- Treadmill, hours editing a blog post, pain in the butt, life of a blogger, too lazy to write up
- ED – “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile [2002] by Eminem.
Blog 164 > Mimi Says
Hahaha, when I read the last line of this blog post, the words suddenly called to me, begging for a Despair poster, lol. But what image to use? So I hopped onto Google. Then somehow, I don’t remember how, I stumbled upon this random image of Danny Choo and his buddy Hector Garcia taking a break from their Imperial trooping earlier this year. And voila, this poster was born! Frivolous? Sure. Mindless? Maybe. But I couldn’t help it, hehe. ^_~
Blog 160 > Adventures of Danny Clone
The Adventures of Danny Clone
- Warning: Massive 58-photo segment following the show.
- Danny Clone: Hey Jay, are u sure about this?
- xJAYMANx: Sure, let’s push the envelope a little bit, hehe.
- DC: Okay, if you’re sure.
- xJ: Yeah, let’s do it. Go ahead whenever you’re ready…
- [Audience applause.]
- DC: Okay!… Welcome ladies and gents to “The Adventures of Danny Clone”. I’m your host Danny Clone, a third-rate copy of the extraordinarily unique and original Danny Choo!
- [Audience applause.]
- DC: But first, a quick plug for Good Smile Company! And the beta launch of the English Good Smile website at eng.goodsmile.info! Where they go the extra mile for your good smile!
- [Audience applause.]
- DC: And your good cash… Just kidding, just kidding!
- [Audience laughter.]
- DC: Today, our guest is the beautiful Barbie from Las Vegas.
- [Audience applause.]
- Barbie: Thank you, DC. Would it be okay to call u DC?
- DC: Why not? I’ve been called worse things!
- [Audience laughter.]
Blog 158 > Deconstructing Danny – Part 3
“You will know… when you are calm, at peace, passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack… No, no, there is no why. Nothing more will I teach you today. Clear your mind of questions.”
~ Master Yoda, Star Wars Episode V.
Previously in Part 2 [Link]
- Mish [waves]: Hi Katt!
- Katt [waves back]: Hey Mish! Wow, I like the red!
- Mish [touches her hair]: Thanks. Just had it done. Hi Takeshi.
- Tack: Hey Michelle. Looks really good!
- Mish [smiles]: Thanks… So what’s so funny? I could hear u guys all the way from the library.
- K: Haha, it’s nothing. Just some stupid guy talk.
- Mish: U sure?
- K: Yeah, we’re sure.
- T: We’re stupid. Can’t u tell?
- Mish: U guys aren’t stupid. Just “otaku”.
- K [shocked]: Hey! When did u learn to use that word?
- Mish: What? Otaku? U guys taught me that just the other day!
- K and T [look at each other]: …
- T [turns to Mish]: Really?
- Mish: U forgot already?
- T: Ahhh, wait… Oh yeah! The mall!
- K: Hmmm, that’s right.
- Mish: Yeah! U know, sometimes I think u two are hopeless.
- K: Yeah.
- T: Well, u just missed Jimi. She practically yelled at us.
- Mish: Hehe, but Jimi’s too cute.
- K: If u say so.
- Mish: Anyway… I meant to ask u, since you’re the experts.
- K: Sure. Go ahead.
- Mish: Do u know where I can find some cute cat-ears?
- K and T [look at each other]: …
- K and T [together]: Hahaha!
- Mish [confused]: What? What’s so funny?
Part 3
- Tack [laughs]: Haha, so u haven’t seen Jimi yet?
- Mish: Ummm, nooo. Why? What? She isn’t wearing cat-ears around campus, is she?
- Katt [smiles]: Yup, u got it!
- Mish: Nooo wayyy! You’re joking, right?
- T: Would we joke?
- Mish [thinks]: But now that I think about it, it definitely fits her. Hopping down the hall. Skipping up the steps…
- T: Scratching our eyes out.
- K: Haha, no question. Unfortunately…
- Mish: Unfortunately?
- K [turns, winks at T]: You’re right. We were joking.
- Mish: What!?!
- T [nods at K, turns to Mish]: Haha, yeah, you’re such an easy target!
- Mish [smacks K’s shoulder]: I can’t believe u guys. Really, I can’t believe u.
- T [laughs]: What? Didn’t u just say we were hopeless?
- Mish: I was just being polite.
- K: Haha, polite? How is that being polite?
- T: Hahaha!
- Mish [looks down]: Forget it. I’ll ask somebody else.
- K: Hey wait, wait.
- T: Come on, Mish, we’re just teasing. So why do ya need cat-ears?
Continue reading
Blog 156 > Deconstructing Danny – Part 2
“But beware. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.”
~ Master Yoda, Star Wars Episode V.
Previously in Part 1 [Link]
- Jimi [points]: I think you’re both wrong.
- Katt [surprised]: Oh shit! Where’d u come from?
- Jimi: Huh? I was sitting right there. U just didn’t realize it. As usual.
- K: Yeah, whatever.
- Jimi: Hmmm, wasn’t Tack here a second ago?
- Tack [runs back, blushes]: I’m here! I’m here! Hey Jimi.
- Jimi: Hey Tack.
- K [annoyed]: Christ, are u cosplaying again?
- Jimi [sighs]: Why do guys always ask me that? Just because I’m wearing cat-ears doesn’t mean I’m cosplaying. I just couldn’t find my other hair-band, okay?
- K: And the mini-skirt?
- Jimi: So now I can’t wear a mini-skirt? It’s the only thing that matched my outfit. Jeez!
- T [blushes]: I think it’s cute.
- Jimi: Thank u, Tack. I think so too.
- K: Wait a second.
- T and Jimi: What?
- K: You said we’re “both wrong”? How’s that?
- T: Both wrong about what?
- K: She said we’re both wrong about Danny. Right?
- Jimi: Exactly.
- T: What? How can we be BOTH wrong?
- Jimi: Because I’m right.
- K and T [look at each other]: Huh? Explanation please?
Part 2
- Jimi [sighs]: You guys were talking about popularity and enjoyment and sensitivity…
- Tack: What’s wrong with…
- Katt [shrugs]: Yeah, so?
- J [sits]: Oh god, u guys sound like old ladies. Did u exchange apple-pie recipes too?
- K and T: …
- Jimi: Reality is much darker than that.
- K: You’re wearing cat-ears and you’re gonna talk to us about reality?
- T: Hahaha, good one.
- Jimi: Who else? Because like every other guy, you’re too distracted, or too stupid, to figure it out. Playing with your little dolls. Lifting up their little skirts. And peeking at their little panties. Awww, how cute.
- K [annoyed]: Christ, here she goes again.
- T [blushes]: They’re called figures…
- Jimi [ignores them]: But since you’re not as stupid as other guys, I’ll tell u anyway. Because u…
- Jimi and K [at the same time]: …don’t have a choice.
- K: Yeah, we got it, we got it. Are u gonna tell us?
Continue reading
Blog 153 > Deconstructing Danny – Part 1
“I’m taking an awful risk, Vader. This had better work.”
~ Governor Tarkin, Star Wars Episode IV.
Part 1
- Tack [smiling]: Hey Katt! What’s up?
- Katt [lazily]: Hey, not much…
- T: What’s wrong? U sound bummed…
- K: I just visited DannyChoo.com this morning. He had another figure post…
- T: Sounds cool!
- K: …mixed with some of his inspirational wisdom again.
- T [confused]: What’s wrong with that? U like those, don’t u?
- K [nods]: Yeah, I do. Usually I do. But something bugged me this time…
- T: Oh, really?
- K: Yeah…
- T: What’s that?
- K: Well, u know that Cosby quote that Danny always likes to reference?
- T: Oh yeah, something like “…the secret to failure is trying to please everybody.” Yeah?
- K [nods]: Yeah… Actually, it’s pretty similar to that Lincoln quote “… can’t please all of the people all of the time”, yada yada.
- T: Hey, that’s true! So what about it?
- K: Well, I got to thinking about it… If Danny isn’t trying to please everybody, why does he keep on floating his polls and requests for opinions, et cetera. Isn’t he trying to please everyone?
- T [laughs]: No way! Come on, Katt! Wait, you’re talking about his new portal design, right? He’s definitely not doing that.
- K: Are u sure?
- T [nods]: Yeah! He’s just trying to design the best experience for regular and potentially-regular visitors. But not ALL his visitors.
- K: Huh? Potentially regular?
- T: Sure! Why would Danny want to keep new readers who didn’t like figures or anime?
- K: Yeah, that makes sense.
- T: Not only that, if he wanted to please ALL his readers, he’d design his site for IE6, IE5, IE4… But that would be stupid.
- K [nods]: Yeah… Or he could just be lazy, and not make the time to be backward-compatible.
- T: Hahaha, good one. I guess that makes us ALL lazy, hahaha.
- K [laughs]: Hahaha, yeah… I dunno.
- T: What?
- K: It still bugs me.
- T: Really?
Continue reading
Blog 152 > Afro Samurai Attack!
Finally! A little late, but who cares? Some 18-19 months after its original broadcast, I’ve finally finished my 25th anime title of the year: “Afro Samurai”. 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!
Now that that’s outta the way, time for some red-eyed ranting, lol.
Blog 151 > Christine the Blade – Part 3
Well, yesterday (Saturday), spent a few hours experimenting with a new “Blade” design; integrated (1) previously drawn art, (2) recently downloaded Photoshop brushes, and (3) new geometric elements. And I’m definitely pleased with the results! But pleasing Melanie and Christine is an entirely different matter, lol.
On a more puzzling note…
Blog 150 > Colonel Panic!
Yeah-yeah, I know I’m cheating, lol. But Danny’s post “Kernel Panic” is another gem. Besides, if Danny can hijack my posts, then maybe I can hijack his? No? Meanwhile my comment was as follows. LOL.
The BSOD is pretty rare on my 2-year-old Dell/XP laptop. But forget about that~ Wouldn’t it make a *great* anime name? Colonel Panic! Colonel Panic! Where’s Lieutenant Distress? ^_~
Blog 146 > Human Pets & Masters
Hey, ever heard of Human Pets?… If you haven’t, it’s a community which was born within the Facebook network, where humans buy, sell, feed and pet other “human” pets (or themselves), and have a fun time being animals, lol. But because this is gonna be a weird multi-topic post, I’ll leave the “Human Pets” for last, haha.
Blog 142 > My Ancient Anime Art
Has it been a week already? Well, a few days ago, I told *Chun* the following: “I always plan to scan or take photos of my ancient anime line-art from the 1990s (when I still believed in pencil-and-paper, lol), but something always seems to pop up and get in the way…” So finally, after some shooting and digging, here they are! ^_^;
1> The first 5 photos were taken a few days ago: Orange Arria in Colored Paper. Completed March 1990, it took about 20-30 hours total. Wow, except for some fading in her blue armor, the design still holds up 18 years later! One of my proudest works, hehe. I just threw in the “Pocky” box to give a better idea of the 20×30-inch scale.
Blog 141 > My Toybox Blog Layout
Hi, in the same spirit as Danny’s newest blog changes, I’ve decided to update the layout of my *Toybox* blog. Essentially, I’ve reorganized the center column: (1) moving my favorite blogs and sites to the top, (2) inserting the “Daily Updates” from my website to help fill in the gaps between less-frequent posts, and (3) lifting the more-lively “Danny Choo” posts above the lengthy “Category List”. That’s about it! Plus, it’s a good time to take a snapshot of my blog, more than a year after its rebirth, lol.
P.S. Okay, after a morning of packing more magazines and books (arghhh), gotta get back to drawing “Blade 1” (Day 2) for fighter Christine Toledo (Blog 136). My first commissioned anime-art project! ^_^;