xJAYMANx_toybox > Never forget how to play... http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx Never forget how to play... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:42:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 en Blog 175 > Daughter of Punk Trooper http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/11/19/blog-175-daughter-of-punk-trooper/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/11/19/blog-175-daughter-of-punk-trooper/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:14:26 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=885

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. ^_^

But listen to this… Her most bewildering fact is being the daughter of Punk Trooper! Yup, the Punk Trooper. A (Stormtrooper-like) military-cadet drop-out and a (Jedi-like) wizard-apprentice outcast. Now surviving as an interplanetary bounty-hunter-in-black, infamous for wielding his magneto-reinforced obsidian katana. While secretly hiding as a Knight of the Mirage whose family was murdered and whose hometown was destroyed by Neo-Britannian Imperial forces. His fave Old-Earth films are Star Wars and The Matrix. While has fave Old-Earth anime are Ghost in the Shell (all), Code Geass, Blood+, Hellsing, and of course, Desert Punk.

In fact, here’s a summary of Momo’s and Punk’s historic meeting… Punk Trooper limps in the twin sunset back to his smuggling ship after another annoying bar brawl. But this time, he sees a pink-haired girl yawning on the entrance ramp. Punk groans, “Hey, get off my ship. Who the heck do ya think ya are?” ~”Umm, your daughter.” ~”Hahaha, is that right?” ~”Hey, I’m not too thrilled either, Punky.” ~”What did you say, Pinko?” Which leads into their brief verbal battle of prove it or lose it, an awkward compromise with possible reward, and of course, the start of an awkward and angsty father-daughter search for Momo’s long-lost mother… Awww. Sounds like a fine anime series, lol. Though I wonder if he’s got any other lost daughters out there? >_<

Mirai & Kako. Hey, wait! Do you recognize the high-school hallway background behind Momo? If you do, then you get a gold star, haha. I first used it in my first Mirai Suenaga fanart for DannyChoo.com back in May-June 2007, 18-months ago. Here’s the original DC article (before Member News was introduced in mid-2008). Cool, eh? Of course, I’m proud to say 20-30 comments on DC was pretty high back then (probably equivalent to 50-60 nowadays), lol. But maybe his poll helped more. >_<

Arima & Yukino. But really, where did I steal the idea for that hallway background? Easy, from the amazing and classic Kare Kano (His & Her Circumstances) image of Yukino and Arima dancing in the high-school hallway. Here’s my original explanation. Yup, “Inspiration smacked me… with Danny’s post on fan art of his mascot Mirai Suenaga.” Still inspiring, hehe.

And now, one last look at Angsty Momo, because she turned out amazing. Awww, lol… Hey wait, Mimi, can you smell that? Is that Zazzle in the air? >_<

 

]]> http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/11/19/blog-175-daughter-of-punk-trooper/feed/ Blog 174 > Wild Anime & Final Figures http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/11/10/blog-174-wild-anime-final-figures/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/11/10/blog-174-wild-anime-final-figures/#comments Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:31:05 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=862

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!

Anime Titles. Yup, a bunch of good ones. Six more anime titles-seasons completed during the last 3 weeks, for a total of 47 so far this year. Thankfully, I’m gonna try and keep these speed-reviews short and speedy, lol.

Zero no Tsukaima - S1 [42]. My 42nd anime title-or-season of the year. Awww, addictive little Harry-Potter-esque magical-school romantic-comedy series, 4 of 5 stars max for short season, lol.

Zero no Tsukaima - S2 [43]. My 43rd. 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!

Rosario + Vampire [44]. My 44th. Wow, powerful Vampire transformations and mesmerizing Monster battles amidst such a short-but-cute romantic comedy, max 4 of 5 stars!

Persona - Trinity Soul [45]. My 45th. Hey, not bad, a refreshing portrayal of psychological mecha, a mysterious and melancholy odyssey yielding 4 of 5 stars.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki [46]. My 46th. 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.

Strike Witches [47]. My 47th. Aww, mixing scantily-clad gals and world-war military magic, a brief but satisfying and inspiring ride, 4 of 5 stars max.

Anime Figures. Next up, anime figurines. But not just any random ones, these will probably be my final purchases… ever. Following my [85] Edelweiss - Fumie two months ago, most of my final figures are pictured in the next couple photos: [86] Little Busters - Komari (below), [87] Pia Carrot - Sana (below), [88] Figma - Fate Stay - Rin (below), [89] Queen’s Gate - Alice (below), [90] Figma - Vocaloid - Miku (below), and [91] Shining Tears x Wind - Elwyn (below). While my last order has not shipped yet, it is: [92] Evangelion - Gothloli Rei. After Rei, that’s it! Time to focus on computers and electronics, lol.

The Catcher in the Rye & Guiness. Haha, after 3 months of bathroom reading, I finally finished one of the classic books I never had a chance to read in high school, The Catcher in the Rye. Actually, ever since I watched the sci-fi-cyberpunk anime Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex almost 10 years ago, a series which incorporates this book in the overall “Laughing Man” arc, the idea of reading it has always been in the back of my mind. And now I’ve finally done it! Definitely enhances the concepts of feeling alone and disappearing from the world. Fortunately, Guiness negated my solitude to see me finish the book below, lol.

Lisa & Her Financial Crunch. Back to my roommate. Coming this mid-December, her student loan payments will begin. And since her monthly payments are slightly more than her monthly rent to me, she’s planning on moving back with her parents. They live in the next-door community, 5 minutes away. Yeah, not the ideal situation to live with one’s parents again. But money is a high priority. Especially in this lackluster economic year. Thus, slowly but steadily, she’s getting things together, slightly packing, maybe a joint garage sale along the way, before she leaves. Guiness is still a question mark. Does he stay with me for free? Or does he stay at her parents house? Unfortunately, her parents work longer hours at their business, so that’s a concern too. On top of that, will I find a new roommate? Not an emergency, and utility usage will be reduced, but my budget could still be uncomfortably tight. That’s another reason for my halt on all anime-figure purchases. So who knows? Well, that’s her story. But doesn’t prevent her from going to another Alkaline Trio concert (Nov 4th) below, haha.

Mimi’s Rage. By the way, in case you missed the obscure otaku news, Angry Mimi has finally inspired her first fan club Mimi’s Rage, haha. Pretty funny. Glad I could lend an amusing hand to unveiling their cause, whether it’s short-lived or not. Here’s a poster from their blog, lol.

Final News. Ah, four-day weekends, haha. Yup, I gained enough vacation days to take-off all of the Fridays and Mondays for the rest of this year, lol. Which leaves three-day work weeks, even two-day weeks during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holidays. Not bad, eh? So for the next couple months, it’ll almost feel like one long vacation, hehe. Well, unless I have to clean up an emergency on a Friday or Monday for a few hours. But still not bad, eh?… Umm, so what the freakin’ heck is a Nyoki Nyoki? ^A^;

]]> http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/11/10/blog-174-wild-anime-final-figures/feed/ Blog 173 > The Punk Trooper - Video http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/11/03/blog-173-the-punk-trooper-video/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/11/03/blog-173-the-punk-trooper-video/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:13:23 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=849

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.


Halloween | The Punk Trooper Video | Click to play

Not bad, eh? Okay, well, not too lame, lol. But I basically ran around in my costume for a couple hours, shooting video pics and scaring kids along the way, before it finally tired me out and forced me back to work. Luckily, mine seems to be one of the more amusing costumes and the email-your-photo contest for next week might actually win me something! Wish me luck, lol. Here are a couple of shots of my boring cubicle. The desktop is so outdated, I actually bring my own laptop to work, lol.

After coming home from work, Lisa told me that I was invited to her boyfriend Jason’s “Rock Band 2″ Halloween mini-party. So I thought, “Why not?” In fact, she was dressing up as “Frankenhooker“, the title character from the 1990 cult-classic black-comedy film, haha. Here’s the trailer below, lol.


Frankenhooker (1990) Trailer | Click to play

When we were both finally ready to go, we took a few timer-set shots. Guiness the Menace did whatever he wanted, lol. But not bad!

So after I followed Lisa’s car to Jason’s apartment, the three of us, plus Rebecca (the Smurf) and Vu (the Pimp) played “Rock Band 2” for ten songs or about an hour. And guess what? Even though it was my first time, and the bass guitar was set to “Easy”, my average was still 95% after 10 songs! Damn! Even they were pretty impressed. I told them, “I was born to play bass!” Well, a fake version of bass, lol. Can’t wait to see the pics of us playing, hahaha.

After “Rock Band 2″ ended and the second-hand pot smoke began to dissipate, Lisa helped Jason assemble his “Werewolf in Suit” costume, lol. It was hilarious seeing them struggle with the black eye paint! I managed to take a few photos with Jason’s camera, hehe. And when we were all ready, I followed their carpool to the next bigger party. Unfortunately, I didn’t know anybody there. Just what seemed to be grad students, teaching assistants and such. I talked with one guy who tried to dress as Sasuke from “Naruto”. But he was just another arrogant cigarette-smoking “Narutard, Bleachtard, Death-Notard” bastard who couldn’t stop boasting about his victory in a legal case against his internet-criminal ex-wife. Whatever, go ahead and sip your snotty wine. LOL.

But shortly afterwards, I told Jason to tell Lisa I was leaving. And Jason was kind enough to walk me back to my vehicle. Overall, it was a fun afternoon, fun evening, but a long day. Maybe I’ll join them for another night of “Rock Band 2″ sometime soon. Well, that’s it for now. Thanx for reading. May the Punk be with you! ^_^

P.S. For those of you who don’t know what “CommentLuv” does (bottom of comment box), it’s a cool feature which reads your blog URL (if you have one) and auto-adds your last blog post to the end of your comment. Like I said, cool, eh?

]]> http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/11/03/blog-173-the-punk-trooper-video/feed/ Blog 172 > The Punk Trooper - Teaser http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/11/01/blog-172-the-punk-trooper-teaser/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/11/01/blog-172-the-punk-trooper-teaser/#comments Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:57:18 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=847

Just a teaser, lol. Full post coming soon… So how was your Halloween?

]]> http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/11/01/blog-172-the-punk-trooper-teaser/feed/ Blog 171 > From Drunk to Punk Trooper http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/10/25/blog-171-from-drunk-to-punk-trooper/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/10/25/blog-171-from-drunk-to-punk-trooper/#comments Sat, 25 Oct 2008 19:47:27 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=828

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].

Hmm, so what else can I add that I haven’t mentioned in my broadcast? Well, all week I went to the International User Conference hosted by my software company. Pretty interesting. Even though I was a session monitor ~~ handing evaluations, counting attendance, getting free snacks and drinks, haha ~~ decided to wear a neck tie on Tuesday, lol. First time wearing one in probably a year! Don’t know why the photo makes my black shirt look purple, but it’s supposed to be black, lol. Then on Wednesday, actor and former US Senator Fred Thompson addressed the conference. Fascinating biographical, political and economic stuff!

Then Thursday, like I mentioned, got my impervious polypropylene katana bokken. Wow, heavier than I expected, mimicking the weight of a real katana. Just swinging-and-stopping it works the forearms and triceps! Haven’t smashed any concrete blocks yet like I’ve seen in the video ads, cuz I don’t wanna clean up the mess, lol. Too lazy. But maybe sometime I’ll try it in the backyard, haha. Definitely fitting for “Punk Trooper”. >_<

Ah, my first test of my “Punk Trooper” outfit. Remember when I talked about the concept of a “Stormtrooper or Jedi drop-out, bounty hunter in black, jack of all trades”? Well, since I like the helmet but didn’t wanna-be another clone, another big part of the concept also comes from the politically-incorrect big-jugs-and-big-guns anime “Desert Punk” starring the masked Desert Punk (Sunabōzu), lol. Another awesome and hilarious character to add to the great bounty-hunter-and-smuggler characters in sci-fi and anime: Captain Han Solo and Boba Fett from “Star Wars”, Captain Mal Reynolds and Jayne Cobb from “Firefly”, even Spike Spiegel and Jet Black from “Cowboy Bebop”.

So just mix the masked Boba Fett and masked Desert Punk together, throw in some black boots, a black coat and a black katana, and sprinkle a touch of Dark-Force powers, and you’ve got my Punk Trooper. I mean, katana-slashing definitely works cuz Stormtroopers can’t shoot the side of a barn anyway, haha. Unfortunately, I can’t wear the helmet, plus the heavy coat, for more than a few minutes at a time, or I’ll sweat-and-steam to death. Looks “cool” though, pun intended. >_<

]]> http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/10/25/blog-171-from-drunk-to-punk-trooper/feed/ Blog 170 > Anime Rocks & Lisa Returns http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/10/19/blog-170-anime-rocks-lisa-returns/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/10/19/blog-170-anime-rocks-lisa-returns/#comments Sun, 19 Oct 2008 23:26:35 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=807

Whew! Yup, this is gonna be a massive post, ranging from rockin’ anime to wacky roommates, so rest your feet and take a seat. First, let’s whip past a few anime series I’ve completed since my last post…

Strait Jacket. 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”!

School Rumble - S3. 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.

Beck - Mongolian Chop Squad. 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.

Now back to my roommate… Last week, Lisa bewildered me with the oddest purchase I’ve ever seen. Apparently, she and her friend Nicole visited the Adult Superstore (yup, only in Vegas, lol) and bought a rubber fist! And comparing it to Lisa’s fist, it’s definitely a female fist! On top of that, she stuck it in a pot, decorated it, and added some plastic flowers to create her “Fist of Love Bouquet”. For her boyfriend! Hahaha, it’s gotta be the most WTF joke gifts I’ve ever seen put together, haha. >_<

That was last week… So this week, last night, Lisa shocked the fuck outta me when she came home. Still wearing the hair extensions and corset from her photoshoot! Holy crap, she looked like a totally different human! So of course, I had to capture another bewildering moment before she changed back to her normal self, lol. Damn, what kind of photoshoot was it? Lingerie? Again? LOL >_<

P.S. Zero, zero, zero! Here’s a new anime-related question: Has anyone else realized the near-overuse of the name “Zero” in the past couple years? Not only in anime, but in other animation and in film? For example, not just the film “Crows ZERO”, but also the anime “Zero no Tsukaima”, the masked Zero in “Code Geass”, the male character Zero in “Vampire Knight”, even Jabba’s uncle, Zero the Hutt in the animated film “Star Wars - The Clone Wars”. Huh? What’s the deal? ^_^

P.P.S. Hey, congrats again, Danny! Like I noted in Mimi’s blog, I had no idea my simple Sept-15 addition about your Sept-14 CNN feature made such an impact! Thanx again to DOSGuy and his tireless efforts, I hope the Wikipedia article sticks this time, lol. >_<

P.P.P.S. Whoops, just checked today, Oct 19. Sorry, Danny, looks like the article was once again deleted and saved under DOSGuy’s Deletapedia. Damn. >.<

]]> http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/10/19/blog-170-anime-rocks-lisa-returns/feed/ Blog 169 > MP3 Audio Broadcast 001 http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/10/12/blog-169-mp3-audio-broadcast-001/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/10/12/blog-169-mp3-audio-broadcast-001/#comments Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:50:40 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=780

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.

]]> http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/10/12/blog-169-mp3-audio-broadcast-001/feed/ Blog 168 > Crows Zero & Clannad Two http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/10/06/blog-168-crows-zero-clannad-two/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/10/06/blog-168-crows-zero-clannad-two/#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:37:47 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=758

Yeah, as you can probably tell from my past posts, I *hate* to write long reviews as much as I *hate* to read them. People will like what they like, and watch what they watch. Especially if they don’t like to be spoiled, like myself. So I’m not in any rush to be the first one or loudest one to say “Hey, look at me! I watched this!” Or even worse, I’m not gonna give a pretentious scene-by-scene review of how observant or perceptive I might be. Okay, maybe one or two observations, lol. Instead, just a brief summary of my overall thoughts and emotions. So here goes…

Let’s start with the guys… Based on the manga, the 2007 live-action Japanese film Crows ZERO rocks! Just like an ancient Imperial Japanese war epic film stained with blood, sweat, and rainy battles~~ but set in a gang-ruled all-boys high school, lol. A cool, stylishly violent 4 of 5 stars! But I gotta say, amidst the hypnotic testosterone, for just a few moments, Meisa Kuroki and her R&B singing stole my breath away. Here are a few more Meisa photos to soothe your soul. So I hope she returns in Crows ZERO 2 [2009], hehe. >_<

Now let’s talk about the girls… 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!

In addition to the film, the 2008 anime series Clannad After Story continues seamlessly where the 2007 1st season of Clannad left off. While I rated the 1st season with a “satisfying 4 of 5 stars” because I couldn’t forgive their out-of-tune opening theme (argh, cover your ears), the 2nd season premiere is already sparkling with all the elements of 5 of 5 stars! Humor, dramatic motion, and piano-laced emotion. The opening theme is not only as inspiring and emotional as Air’s opening theme, but the singer is actually singing in tune (much better)! Go figure! Can’t wait for the next episode! In the meantime, here are a few more Clannad wallpapers to warm your heart. >_<

P.S. Maybe this is a dumb question, but who cares? In almost every anime which features a Japanese high-school classroom (such as Clannad), why is the door (or doors) always on the right side (when sitting and facing the front of the room)? Why are the windows always on the left side? Consequently, why is the *prime* seat always in the left-most rear-most location? Is this high-school layout intentional and universal? If so, why? I mean, it can’t simply be feng shui, can it? Help! >_<

]]> http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/10/06/blog-168-crows-zero-clannad-two/feed/ Blog 167 > Code Geass & Dark Knight http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/09/29/blog-167-code-geass-dark-knight/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/09/29/blog-167-code-geass-dark-knight/#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:28:49 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=731

Ah, Code Geass… 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”. I finished the final episode last night, but since I’m too lazy to write any more thoughts on it, I’ll direct you to my past comments, lol.

Oops, sorry, I lied. I’ve got one more intriguing thought. While wandering Wikipedia, I stumbled upon a fascinating comparison. The Wiki article on Lelouch Lamperouge describes him as a Byronic Hero. In other words, as privileged yet outcast, perceptive yet flawed, cunning yet conflicted as another dark Byronic Hero ~~ Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman. Wow, never would’ve made the connection before. But yeah, they definitely share the same intense burdens of a secret identity, sacrificing personal happiness, and wielding their righteous power from the shadows. Lelouch Lamperouge’s Zero and Bruce Wayne’s Batman. Both symbols of dark justice in their respective worlds.

P.S. On a lighter note, thanx Miko for cheering me up, and for the awesome tracks! If anyone wants to listen to the Korean artist Nell, just click on the Box.net tracks which appear in the right-most column of my blog. Easy. Enjoy! >_<

]]> http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/09/29/blog-167-code-geass-dark-knight/feed/ Blog 166 > Asian Pride & Perfection http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/09/26/blog-166-asian-pride-perfection/ http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/2008/09/26/blog-166-asian-pride-perfection/#comments Sat, 27 Sep 2008 01:44:36 +0000 xjaymanx http://www.xjaymanx.com/toyboxx/?p=718 Happy 39th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!… After reading Mimi’s recent blog post ~ Asians Can Be So Competitive ~ in the light of my parent’s anniversary tomorrow, I guess I wrote a reply not only to her post, [...]]]>

Saturday, Sept 27th, 2008 > Happy 39th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!… After reading Mimi’s recent blog post ~ Asians Can Be So Competitive ~ in the light of my parent’s anniversary tomorrow, I guess I wrote a reply not only to her post, but to myself as well. So please read her post first to get the full context of my thoughts below, lol.

LOL, someone’s gotta check if Asians are biologically “cursed” with the “piano” gene, haha. ^_^

Yep, I took weekly lessons from about age 10 thru 14, together with my brother from age 7 thru 11. Luckily, we were never strictly forced, which probably explains why I never practiced till an hour before the lesson, lol. The only song I can remember is “Yesterday” by the Beatles, can’t play it entirely well, but it’s still my fave from those days. Plus, piano helped me learn notes and keys and such. I guess we started cuz our Mom still played beautifully at the time, probably still does now…

Beyond that, I thrived on high-school competition (except maybe with my high-school crush, lol). Loved football and softball in gym class. Became a star Mathlete. Took half-a-dozen AP classes. Still earned 97.6% grade average as Salutatorian. Scored a decent 1250-1300 on my SATs. Then when I entered New York’s RPI amidst a crowd of super-achievers, it hit me like a cement truck. I was just another average Joe Freshman, lol. Hence, I humbly abandoned the pursuit of perfection and tried to have more fun, lol. Yet despite it all, my Mom and Dad never forced or cursed or yelled. They supported me whatever I decided. I guess I was lucky.

But forget about me. Try to imagine the Philippines in the 1960’s. If I recall correctly, my Mom was Yearbook President, I believe Class President, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was Prom Queen (haven’t asked her but she was definitely pretty enough), and on top of that, a “virtual” Valedictorian. I say “virtual” cuz due to some so-called grade miscalculation error (or she suspected, probably cuz she was female), the title of Valedictorian was given to the next guy. And she was so upset, she boycotted her own graduation ceremony! How cool is that!

Although she planned on Industrial Engineering, she decided on a whim to see if she could enter Medical School. And she did, lol. Eventually, this high-class beauty from a local political family met the hard-working class-clown from a farming family, my Dad, lol. Here’s a pic of my Mom and Dad at the University of Santo Tomas, Philippines, the College of Medicine, Class of 1967, a couple years before they got married. Here are a few more pics and videos I took last year, lol. Hard to imagine, this Sept 27th, tomorrow is my parent’s 39th wedding anniversary, wow. Forty years later, Dad’s retired but Mom’s still a practicing New York physician, whoa.

So who knows? Asian competition and “the pursuit of perfection” is probably as old as Asian pride and honor. Maybe there’a a “piano” or “pride” gene, lol. In any case, some parents (like my Mom) are open-minded and supportive, other parents (like my Dad) want their kids to achieve a little more than their brother’s or sisters’s kids, but in this (non-feudal) day and age, some parents just take it too far…

P.S. A-ha! IQ score of 156, haha. Loved those math problems! Plus nice to know I haven’t lost my edge. ^_~

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