![\"Ef](\"http:\/\/www.xjaymanx.com\/toyboxx\/wp-content\/wallpapers-anime\/xjaymanx_ef_tale_0001_2000_vert.jpg\" "\\"Ef")
\nMiyako, Kei & Chihiro | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 2000px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
Hey, wake up! {Yawns} Come on, my Tyrannosaurus Toyboxers, it’s time to wake up from our Mimiland<\/a> slumber! Because it’s time for another three-course, nope, five-course mega-cast meal! More boiling otaku-blog battles? Yes, indeed! More web-estimated analytical deconstructions? Well, sort of, lol. More spell-binding speed-reviews and screen-bursting wallpapers from the anime universe? Of course, there are! And more eye-opening snapshots of the real and fictional comedic worlds? Haha, we’ll see! Now there you have it. Let’s go and start the show!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wow, another month has already passed by? You know what that means! Yup, another month of mindless blog battles, haha. Continuing our otaku coverage from last month’s Supercops<\/a> mega-cast and previous month’s Assassins<\/a> mega-cast, here’s the latest batch of estimated theoretical values in the otaku blogosphere. <\/p>\n First, focusing on the 10K-to-20K range, let’s begin with my Toybox at $11855 USD.<\/p>\n Above mine is the Angry Loli a.k.a. Mimi-chan<\/a> at $12563 USD.<\/p>\n However, last week, with her momentous move to a brand-new WordPress.org blog on a brand-new domain, let’s not forget Angry Mimi-chan<\/a> at $1073 USD.<\/p>\n At last, leading this otaku wolf pack, let’s welcome the well-established photogenic blog Happy Soda a.k.a. Super Rats<\/a> at $15760 USD. Can’t believe I missed this one for all of these months! But finally found someone more theoretically valuable than Angry Mimi-chan, lol.<\/p>\n Next, kilometers above this pack, within the stratospheric 250K-to-500K range, soars Danny Choo<\/a> at $285232 USD.<\/p>\n Yet soaring even higher than Danny’s blog is the skyrocketing Sankaku Complex<\/a> at a mind-boggling $413749 USD.<\/p>\n Wow. So what do all of these theoretical numbers mean? Well, like last time, hold onto your panties, and I’ll take a swaggering stab at it below!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So here’s my swaggering analytical stab, dammit, lol. Once again, extending the graphs from my Supercops<\/a> mega-post, I’ve reduced the “Sankaku Complex” and “Danny Choo” paths by a factor of 10, in order to fit them onto the same graphs with mere-mortal otaku-bloggers like us, haha. But as you can clearly see (enlarge if necessary), the last 30 days represented yet another slow month for otaku blogs in general. And once again, I’m still guessing that the season of final exams, as well as allergies and illnesses, dealt another low blow to bloggers and their readers.<\/p>\n With one major exception. Again. “Sankaku Complex” took another skyrocketing swing upward! I mean, take a closer look. “Sankaku Complex” is on a pace to *double* the theoretical value of “Danny Choo” in a few more months! Despite his advances in other diversified and commercial arenas, is “Danny Choo” rapidly losing his relevance within the penniless otaku blogosphere?<\/p>\n Okay, let’s omit the “Sankaku Complex” and “Danny Choo” paths to get a closer view of the smaller mortal blogs. As I noted above, almost all of the otaku blogs across-the-board either stayed level or actually fell in value. Yet remarkably, not only “Happy Soda” but also “Angry Loli” (Mimi-chan) managed to enjoy a flourishing leap amidst a general receding trend! Congratulations!<\/p>\n Good. Now let’s return our focus to “Angry Loli” and “Angry Mimi”. With Mimi-chan’s shift to a brand-new blog and domain, we should expect a steady drop in the theoretical value of “Angry Loli” as “Angry Mimi” steadily rises. Which explains why I’ve decided to insert an additional “Angry Both” path combining both values. Naturally, there’s an initial transitional jump as readers leap onto both blogs. But we should also expect that “double-counting” to dissipate over time.<\/p>\n So what can we look forward to next month? As academic finals end, will the general otaku-blogospheric recession slowly return to growth? Will “Sankaku Complex” finally double the theoretical value of “Danny Choo”? Will the theoretical value of “Angry Both”, combining “Angry Loli” and “Angry Mimi”, finally overtake “Happy Soda”? <\/p>\n Who knows? But stay tuned next time and I’ll tell ya!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ah, enough of the otaku-blog battles! Let’s leap into the anime world. Yup, 3 more! In the last two weeks<\/a>, I’ve managed to complete 3 more anime titles-or-seasons: “Ef – A Tale of Memories” [19], “Origin – Spirits of the Past” [20], and “Ef – A Tale of Melodies” [21]. Yes-yes, my Tumbling Toyboxers, a total of 21 completed anime titles-or-seasons in just over 5 1\/2 months so far! Hehe, can I hit 50 anime by the end of the year?<\/p>\n Origin – Spirits of the Past (2006) [20].<\/a> Yeah, let’s skip to my “Origin” speed-review first. On 14 May, I completed my 20th anime title-or-season of the year. Full-length anime film (2006). Despite the unoriginal man-versus-nature concept, the refreshing scientific premise is terrifying. Moreover, despite the mediocre character designs, this mediocrity probably enhances the hypnotizing landscape and stunning mechanical designs! While it’s tough to pack a huge ecological story into such a short time-frame without becoming too Disney-esque, I think it still earns a solid 4 of 5 stars! Here are a few images and wallpapers to transmit a timeless taste of the film! <\/p>\n Here’s Agito and Toola.<\/p>\n The wallpaper version.<\/p>\n Here’s Toola.<\/p>\n The wallpaper version.<\/p>\n Finally, the DVD cover.<\/p>\n Not bad, eh? Oh yeah, here’s a little trick I do, hehe. If I feel myself falling behind in my 50-per-year anime pace, I throw a few full-length anime films into the mix. Because a title is a title, right? And two hours is much quicker to complete than one- or two-dozen half-hour episodes!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) [19]<\/a> and Ef – A Tale of Melodies (2008) [21]<\/a>. From 04 May to 14 May, I completed my 19th anime title-or-season of the year. Season 1 (2007) with 12 episodes. Then on 15 May (into late-night 3am of 16 May), I completed my 21st anime title-or-season of the year. Season 2 (2008) with another 12 episodes. Within one day! Incredible! Couldn’t stop watching it!<\/p>\n Created by Minori<\/a> with familiar character designs by Nanao Naru<\/a> (she’s also the character designer for the “Da Capo<\/a>” series), both “Ef” (Euphoric Field) seasons together weave an elaborately-blended tapestry of stylishly terrifying psychological horror (reminiscent of “Petite Cossette<\/a>“), stylishly wrenching multi-girl romance (reminiscent of “Da Capo<\/a>“) and stylishly profound multi-generational bonds (reminiscent of “Air<\/a>“). Did I mention the stylish perspectives, soft colors, harsh contrasts, heart-stopping abstracts and piano-laced moods? Okay, maybe I said “stylish” a bit too often, lol. I mean, there are several unrelenting scenes of utter despair and frantic desolation, as well as their fierce resolution, that could rival KyoAni<\/a> scenes for the most memorable in anime history! <\/p>\n Wow. In the end, the 1st season earns a resounding 4 of 5 stars max for a half-season, while the 2nd season, when added to the 1st, deserves an unforgettable 5 of 5 stars max for a combined 24-episode full-season! Yup, these must be watched together like a continuous single season. Definitely. Euphorically. So to celebrate the “Ef” characters and their tales, here are few dozen medium-res (1280px) to high-res (1920px) wallpapers to demonstrate their vivid tapestry. And to show you how much I love them! <\/p>\n Let’s begin with the high-res (1920px and larger) wallpapers. As you scroll down, I gotta admit, I love the use of glowing moonlit-and-sunlit halos which outline the characters and enhance the mystical aura of the story!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gotta love the moonlit halo!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gotta love the sunlit halo!<\/p>\n Here’s Yuko and Kei at 1920px, with text.<\/p>\n Here’s Yuko and Kei at 1920px, without text.<\/p>\n Here’s Yuko and Kei at 1600px, without text.<\/p>\n Here’s Kei at 1920px.<\/p>\n Here’s Kei at 1600px.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Next, we come to the slightly-smaller (1600px) wallpapers. Here’s the cast at 1600 x 1200px.<\/p>\n Here’s the cast at 1600 x 1000px.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hehe, I included a 1280px wallpaper here because this “Yuko” was so similar to the “Yuko” above.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Finally, we come to the remaining medium-res (1280px) wallpapers. Do you love the style yet?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Oops, here’s a high-res (2000px) wallpaper in the style of the opening and closing credits!<\/p>\n LOL, so was it stylish enough? Spell-binding enough? Screen-bursting enough? Along with “Kannagi” (2008) and “Clannad – After Story” (2008), both “Ef” seasons are two of my top faves I’ve seen this year! <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Okay, you people! Time to take a break from the anime world! And time to enter the real-fictional world, lol. Actually, it starts out pretty funny. Back in my Tasty Tales<\/a> (04 May) mega-cast, Otaku Dan<\/a> made an amusing comment about one of my laughing photos, lol, as follows.<\/p>\n Otaku Dan @ xJAYMANx:<\/i> Congrats on your 200 post. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a TV host? It\u2019s not too late to switch careers.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Haha, Otaku Dan made that comment on Wednesday, 06 May. But wait, coincidentally enough, the next day, on Thursday, 07 May, my coworker-friend Melanie<\/a> called to tell me about a cool opportunity to be an extra in an indie film via her friend J.P.’s media company! What? A non-speaking Japanese or Asian businessman role? Hahaha, xJAYMANx, film extra?<\/p>\n Some of you already know the rest of the story, lol.<\/p>\n Understandably, Melanie didn’t know the details of the role. So she gave me the director’s business card, and I called him back. His name, Kelly Schwarze<\/a> (IMDB). His company, ProWerks<\/a>. The same company who video-edited for Melanie’s other friend and Muay Thai champion, Christine Toledo<\/a>. But to cut a long story shorter, I agreed to meet Kelly the following afternoon of Friday, 08 May, to be the silent “stoic Asian businessman” for his upcoming indie comedy. Hahaha, in fact, here’s the Facebook link for “You People<\/a>” (2010).<\/p>\n Stoic Asian businessman: “I am not amused.”<\/i><\/p>\n Here’s the ProWerks<\/a> website.<\/p>\n Here’s the “You People” board game, lol.<\/p>\n A-ha, that’s him. The tall guy on the far right. Director Kelly Schwarze.<\/p>\n Some of the cast and crew. I wasn’t there, lol.<\/p>\n An office scene.<\/p>\n Yet another.<\/p>\n Ahh, this is where my character (or lack thereof) finally appears, lol.<\/p>\n Is that Jeeves behind me?<\/p>\n When finally edited together, my character is supposed to be staring at this guy in the crazy work helmet, haha. Crazy, I say!<\/p>\n One of the actresses I haven’t met yet, lol.<\/p>\n Say “Cheese”! There’s Raquele in the top left in the black outfit. I met her on Monday, 11 May.<\/p>\n Awww. That’s Kelly’s wife, Charisma. She’s awesome! Not sure if her official title is Set Director or Assistant Director or Production Coordinator. LOL, or maybe all of them?<\/p>\n Intense preparation.<\/p>\n Another office scene.<\/p>\n Preparing for a restaurant scene.<\/p>\n Yup, returning as a “customer” extra in a few eating and walking shots, lol. Hey, I believe that’s Israel.<\/p>\n The cool non-smiling pose.<\/p>\n Oh yeah, this is the Monday, 11 May, that I met Raquele. She’s hilarious and adorable too.<\/p>\n Ah, just minding my own business in the back. Nothing to worry about!<\/p>\n Whew! While the Friday scene “at the office” was painless, no more than a half hour, the following Monday scenes “at the restaurant” were exhausting. Like Kelly said, a lot of “hurry up and wait”, lol. And that’s from about 5pm (after work) till 10pm. Thankfully, the deli food was awesome, the cast and crew were cool, the other extras were funny, and the experience was enlightening! I wouldn’t mind another visit at another location. Hehe, why not?<\/p>\n For more behind-the-scenes photos, here’s the Facebook link for “You People<\/a>” (2010). So whattaya think, Otaku Dan? Is an indie-film extra similar enough to being a TV host?<\/p>\n Well-well, my Trusty Toyboxers, did you wake up from your Mimiland<\/a> slumber? Did you enjoy yet another tasty five-course mega-meal! The boiling otaku-blog battles? The web-estimated analytical deconstructions? The spell-binding speed-reviews? The screen-bursting wallpapers? The eye-opening snapshots of the real and fictional comedic worlds? Hehe, of course, you did! Or you wouldn’t be reading this now! Let’s thank Angry Mimi-chan, Toola-chan, Miyako-chan, Kei-chan, Chihiro-chan, Yoko-chan, Mizuki-chan, as well as Melanie, Charisma and Raquele. Guys don’t count, lol. Didn’t you figure that out already?<\/p>\n Till next broadcast. Peace. Out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gotta love the sunlit halo!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Miyako, Kei & Chihiro | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 2000px Hey, wake up! {Yawns} Come on, my Tyrannosaurus Toyboxers, it’s time to wake up from our Mimiland slumber! Because it’s time for another three-course, nope, five-course mega-cast meal! More boiling otaku-blog battles? Yes, indeed! More web-estimated analytical … Continue reading Part 1 of 5 > Ongoing Otaku Outlook<\/h2>\n
\n14 May | xJAYMANx & xJAYMANx_toybox<\/em><\/div>\n
\n14 May | Angry Loli a.k.a. Mimi<\/em><\/div>\n
\n14 May | Angry Mimi<\/em><\/div>\n
\n14 May | Happy Soda a.k.a. Super Rats<\/em><\/div>\n
\n14 May | Danny Choo<\/em><\/div>\n
\n14 May | Sankaku Complex<\/em><\/div>\nPart 2 of 5 > Outlook, Analysis & Deconstruction<\/h2>\n
\n14 May | Blog Worth Over Time | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\n14 May | Blog Worth Over Time | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\nPart 3 of 5 > Origins, Spirits & Pasts<\/h2>\n
\n
\nAgito & Toola | Origin – Spirits of the Past (2006) | Enlarge 750px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nAgito & Toola | Origin – Spirits of the Past (2006) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nToola | Origin – Spirits of the Past (2006) | Enlarge 700px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nToola | Origin – Spirits of the Past (2006) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nDVD Cover | Origin – Spirits of the Past (2006) | Enlarge 1600px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\nPart 4 of 5 > Euphoric Fields, Tales, Memories & Melodies<\/h2>\n
\n
\nMiyako, Kei & Chihiro | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 2000px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nCast of Ef | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 6000px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nYuko | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1920px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nYuko | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1920px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMizuki, Chihiro & Yuko | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1920px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nGirls of Ef | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1920px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMizuki & Nagi | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1920px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMizuki | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1920px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMizuki & Yuko | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1920px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nYuko & Kei | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1920px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nYuko & Kei | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1920px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nYuko & Kei | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1600px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nKei | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1920px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nKei | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1600px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
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\nCast of Ef | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1600x1200px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nCast of Ef | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1600x1000px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nYu & Yuko | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1680px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nYuko | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1600px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nYuko | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMiyako | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1600px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMiyako | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1600px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMiyako | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1600px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMizuki & Yu | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1600px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
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\nMizuki | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMiyako, Kei & Yuko | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMiyako & Kei | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nKei | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nKei | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nKei & Mizuki | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMiyako & Hiro | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMiyako | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMiyako & Hiro | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 2000px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nMizuki, Miyako & Kei | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nChihiro & Renji | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nChihiro | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nChihiro & Renji | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1280px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
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\nChihiro, Miyako & Kei | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 2000px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\nPart 5 of 5 > You People, ProWerks & Possibilities<\/h2>\n
\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nProWerks Media Group | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nOn the Set | You People (2010) | Enlarge<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
\nFinal Flashback<\/h2>\n
\nMizuki & Yuko | Ef – A Tale of Memories (2007) & Melodies (2008) | Enlarge 1920px<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n