One or two weeks ago, as part of her ongoing HTML studies, Vanessa suggested a weekend study session followed by lunch at the Osaka Japanese Restaurant on Sahara Avenue (Las Vegas). She later decided to skip the library, and on Saturday (yesterday), we finally went to the restaurant! Due to circumstances, I reached the place about 45 minutes before she and her sister Arlene did. But during the wait, I recorded a little video (at the bottom of this post) to pass the time, lol…
Blog 086 > The Pirate & the Lolita
Damn, I couldn’t help it! Not only a new Gothloli Asuka pre-order for August-September, but now grabbing two new pre-orders for October-November! First, a 1/8-scale “Space Pirate” (from Intron Depot 4) with bright-blue hair, black leather and yes, lots of skin, lol.
Second, a 1/8-scale “Gothloli Ryofu” (from Ikki Tousen) with bright-green hair, white stockings, plus removable two-piece top, removable bloomers and removable skirt! In other words, yes again, lots of skin, lol. Snatch ’em now before they disappear forever… or until a possible re-release, haha. Meanwhile, looks like several low-budget months of ramen for me…
Blog 085 > Does Faking It Matter?
So this morning, I come into work at my cubicle and check my emails. And oddly enough, just for the heck of it, instead of auto-deleting, I checked my home spams to find an “Anime Figure” email from another collector: “H-Gurl”. Definitely not your typical spam! And guess what? Her email was simply a friendly message complimenting my collection and noting some “red flags” concerning possible bootlegs or fakes in my collection. With my Tessa Testarossa (Full Metal Panic!), I agreed with her assessment, not to mention the scratches, deformities and poor finish. But for such a scarce version at the time, paying $1 or $2 (plus shipping) on ebay was better than nothing…
Blog 084 > Shana & Himekuri Girl, Finally!
A-ha! Finally! Sorry about the last two teasers, but no more! After more than a month since my last photoshoot, here’s the full photoshoot of my 1/8-scale “Gothloli Shana” and 1/7-scale “Himekuri Girl” figures!
Manufactured by Toys Works, this flaming-haired blazing-eyed gothic-lolita PVC version of Shana — from the anime Shakugan no Shana (4 of 5 stars) — features her smiling in a white short-sleeved top with a black skirt and stockings. She bends forward with her orange-wrapped sword behind her, and her trusty companion Alastor hanging as a pendant from her neck. Fiery yet proper, haha!… Meanwhile, designed by Yoshizaki Mine — of Sgt. Frog (Keroro Gunso) fame — for the cover of the Japanese magazine Comic Himekuri, sculpted by Tomohide Enoki, and manufactured by Kaiyodo, this purple-and-black gothic-lolita PVC version of this cute cover girl portrays her kneeling in a skimpier top, a more-colorful and elaborate hair adornment, and a longer more-flowing skirt. On top of that, while not apparent in the photos, the intriguing paint scheme is embedded with tiny dust-sized sparkles, like a glistening sheen of rainbow mist. Wow, glad I got her!
For this Canon photoshoot, I saved 73 shots, then narrowed it down to these 60 shots. (For 10 of the 60, I Photoshop-enhanced the poor lighting by duplicating the image layer and applying a “Screen” blend at 50% opacity). Now, without further ado, enjoy the photoshoot!
Otakurl it! >>
My Anime Figure List >>
Click for Full Photoshoot (60) >>
Blog 083 > Another Tease & An Act?
Oops, I lied in my last post! I lied about posting my anime-figure photoshoot NEXT. But not really, since I’m posting the next TWO posts at the same time, haha. So to continue the anime teaser, here’s another figure shot above!… And below, here’s a Dr. Pepper photoshoot I planned to show Anna…
Calling Dr. Pepper? LOL, okay, only my best Ukrainian friend Anna (a.k.a. The Real One) will get this “inside joke”. But for a couple of months now, she’s been missing “that f*cking Dr. Pepper!” When she first mentioned Dr. Pepper a couple of weeks ago, I told her I hadn’t had it for ages! Did I forget the taste? So last week or so, I bought a six-pack, and despite the initial weird flavor, it was easy to get used to, lol. Not bad at all. Soon enough, it’s pretty good! :)))… And now, my 9-photo reaction…
Blog 082 > A Tease & An Invite?
Hahaha, sorry about the anime teaser! But rest assured the figure photoshoot I postponed last week is being posted next!… Instead, here’s the photoshoot I promised weeks ago to take for my brother Joel. He’s getting married this September 1st, and this is my simple but effective step-by-step capture of “unraveling” the invitation as designed by his fiancee Christy. Nice, huh?
Now slipping into review mode (lol): While some may proclaim a lack of crispness or boldness, this horizontally-oriented lower-cased invitation definitely conveys an unimposing elegance which reflects the wedding location at the Japanese-styled Kitano New York hotel. The maroon, leaf green, and gold color scheme also works. But then, if I’m going to be a groomsman, why do they want me to wear a navy blue suit? Gahhh, lol. Okay, let’s get to the dozen-photo unraveling…
Blog 081 > Opening Pandora’s Box
Hey, ever heard of Pandora.com?… Just a few weeks ago, I heard about it for the first time by overhearing a co-worker. Within minutes, I visited the site and tried out the online radio. And now, a few weeks later, I can’t go online without listening to my randomized “Quick Mix” of customized artist-based stations! In fact, the first tab in my Firefox 2 browser automatically opens to Pandora! If you search for “Linkin Park”, that station will configure artists along that genre, and songs which you can individually “approve” or “decline”. I think I’ve tried another online radio in the past, but I don’t remember it, lol. The thing is: It’s hard to believe that I hardly open my Winamp MP3 player anymore!… So for those sitting at a computer all day, who are open and willing to try out new music that fits one or many artist genres, without the clunkiness of transferring MP3 files, this may be a welcome addition to your musical day! P.S. If you’re interested, here’s the main page and here’s my profile.
Blog 080 > Browser Dilemma!
Gahhh. On the heels of my anime dilemma comes the browser dilemma which probably faces every web developer or blog customizer: Backwards compatibility or not?… Now that I’ve received enough unique hits per day to start considering it, what do you do when your preferred browsers for development (in this case, both IE 7 and FF 2) are used by 40-50% of the visitors, but older versions (IE 6) are used by another 40-50%? Like I said, gahhh!… Similarly, looking at this Kiddy Grade photo taken from my first Canon photoshoot back in November 2006, and knowing what techniques I know now after more than a dozen photoshoots, I could improve or redesign this photoshoot as well, couldn’t I? Or perhaps not. Why not leave earlier versions in the past? Well, because user applications are a bit different from images. And because I’m a nice guy, lol. So tonight, I decided to tweak my blog and website to be “a bit friendlier” and “less broken” in IE 6, while still being viewed best in IE 7 and FF 2. Good enough? I hope so! I’ve spent enough friggin’ time on this!!!
Blog 079 > Anime Dilemma!
LOL, dammit Danny, damn you! ^_^ Tonight, I was all ready to immerse myself into a full photoshoot of my 1/8-scale “Gothloli Shana” and 1/7-scale “Himekuri Girl” figures, but then I stumble across your latest blog post — more Mirai and Kako fanart! And guess what? After seeing the latest art and answering your “bedroom or battle” pose question, now I wanna postpone the shoot for a week or two, and continue constructing my next Mirai piece — battle pose! Damn you! But I forgive you, lol… So instead, I’ll post the new wallpaper background I’ve designed for this upcoming “red-and-purple-haired gothloli” photoshoot. Nice, eh?
Blog 078 > Will Figures Never End?
Ah, finally! My first figure-collection update in ages! Finally moved out the boring 8-year-old vases from the stepped wall in the living area, and replaced them with my collection of still-boxed anime (and Lara Croft) figures! Jeez, 17 figures still boxed! For those who don’t yet know, with the exception of some of my earliest figures, I don’t open boxes until I’m ready to do a full photoshoot. Then once I’ve finished the photoshoot, I display them in the ever-rising shelves above my laptop setup. Only 37 figures opened! And yesterday, I just bought and added a third tier of shelves to make room for new post-photoshoot figures. Argh, will it never end? But now, more pics…
Blog 077 > Vacation Days 5-6 of 6
At last, the final post of my East Coast Vacation! These 70 photos range from our house to scenic waterfront to elementary school to international airport, from the outdoors to indoors to vehicles to FOOD, lol. Enjoy!
Blog 076 > Black & Red Blooded
+++ Black Blood Brothers (1-12) – Restarted 05/06. Finished 05/14. My speed review: “Action-packed mix of cute and violent!” (3 of 5 stars)
Before I forget, here’s my review of the 12-episode Black Blood Brothers (2006) finished last month before my vacation. Not quite the dark ultra-violent extreme as Hellsing Ultimate, but then again, it isn’t meant to be. While action still abounds and mystery still haunts surrounding the old-blood vampire Jirou, this anime clearly takes a lighter direction, exemplified by his cute little blond-haired brother Kotaru. The human female Mimiko also adds a touch of warmth and humor which plays well with both brothers. If anything, the series is a nice entertaining stroll to wash away the boredom, lol… 3 of 5 stars!
+++++ Red Garden (1-22) – Started 05/26. Finished 06/03. My speed review: “DOUBLE-WOW! Stylish blend of song, mystery, tragedy and reality!” (5 of 5 stars!)
Just finished Red Garden (2006) over the weekend! And damn, looking back at my Blog 071, I was definitely right! Like I wrote: “A Japanese series set in an American city — New York City. A black mystery surrounding a high-school girl’s death. A surprising yet touching use of tragic song. With an intense style conjuring the look and feel of BOTH Ergo Proxy (5 of 5 stars) and NANA (5 of 5 stars).” That’s right, both the permeating darkness and desolation of Ergo Proxy as well as the lighter day-to-day dramas of NANA. And as the 22-episode series unfolds, the secrets are revealed and destinies become inescapable, all with undeniable style… My 5 of 5 stars stand!
Blog 075 > Vacation Day 4 of 6
Finally, the main event of my East Coast Vacation: Day 4! Jeff’s Graduation Ceremony! Enjoy these 50 images and my final 3 vacation videos! More photos from Days 5 and 6 coming soon…
Blog 074 > Vacation Day 3b of 6
Hey again! Following Day Three – Part A, and following some badly needed rest and relaxation in our Marriott hotel room, comes the evening Part B! In these 2 videos plus 28 photos, we meet Jeff’s Graduation Class, friends, family and colleagues at the nearby Westin hotel. Doctors and food, LOL!
Blog 073 > Vacation Day 3a of 6
Hey! Following Day Two, comes Day Three of Six! In these 3 videos plus 36 photos, we reach the Boston portion of my East Coast Vacation. Everything from fights to laughs, hahaha! So enjoy the mayhem!
Blog 072 > Gothloli Melancholy!
Yup! It was bound to happen! A “Gothic Lolita” version of Haruhi from the wildly popular anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. At $130.00 USD, this pre-painted 1/7-scale resin figure features Haruhi in a gothic black-and-white dress, adorned with red roses and red shoes, and featuring her optional musical attachment: Her electric guitar! And according to this accompanying link, Mikuru and Yuki are soon to follow! Gotta have them! But damn, too pricey. Maybe I’ll wait for the PVC versions, lol.
Blog 071 > Blood Red Garden
Damn. I finally had a chance to start watching the 2006 anime Red Garden. Fantastic. A Japanese series set in an American city — New York City. A black mystery surrounding a high-school girl’s death. A surprising yet touching use of tragic song. With an intense style conjuring the look and feel of BOTH Ergo Proxy (5 of 5 stars) and NANA (5 of 5 stars). I’ve only caught the first few episodes so far, but with a total of 22 installments, this has every potential to earn my 5 of 5 stars!
Blog 070 > Past & Future Circumstances!
Hey folks! If you don’t already know, I follow the otaku blog DannyChoo.com. Not blindly, lol, and not only for otaku news, but also for inspiration. And inspiration smacked me yesterday with Danny’s post on fan art of his mascot Mirai Suenaga. I’ve had several lingering ideas over the last months — okay, maybe just one idea, lol — but I was always too lazy to execute. Well, this time, I was fired up. The idea: Take the amazing and classic His & Her Circumstances (Kare Kano) image of Yukino and Arima dancing in the high-school hallway (seen here), and fuse it with Mirai. But how? Who would be her partner?
Blog 069 > Vacation Day 2 of 6
Day Two of Six! The next dozen photos show much-much older photos, originally taken around the time of my Mom and Dad’s graduation from medical school in 1967. In mid-1967, Mom was age 23, and Dad was age 25. Needless to say, these old photos have always amazed and mesmerized me as a little kid and even today as a grownup guy, but now I’ve finally captured them in digital form. Amazing, lol.