Merry Christsmas! | Gone for a while...

Oha

It has been a while but, I had to pop online to wish everyone!

It's a bit early but, I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Chanukah and New Year!
May you all have a special time with your loved ones, find happiness and fulfill your resolutions for the new year m(_ _)m

Also, for those of us who are in the single boat.. may we find our special someone (b^o^)7

Due to work and other life events, I'll be absent from my blog for a while. I am still working on my mascot and coding.. so, please wait patiently for that and my following posts m(_ _)m

Well, that ends this post
'Til we next meet,
~suki

Fate/Stay Night Cleared! | Blog updates progressing

Oha

It has been a while since my last post but, to make up for that... I bring you a little run down of my Fate/Stay Night progress! Spoilers will be avoided as much as possible, so no need to be concerned about that ^__^

Last post, we ended off with at the start of the final path, Heaven's Feel (Sakura's path). As some of you may know already, the anime did not feature a great amount of the Unlimited Blade Work's and Heaven's Feel paths... in fact, slight segments were added but, not enough to consider the actual storyline of those paths.


Heaven's Feel is a long path, fillled with decisions and many twists that unravel. In a sense, it can be related to the unsaid events of UBW and Fate... Similar to UBW, Heaven's Feel contains both a True and Good ending.

[this pic actually appears in UBW... but, its Sakura in Kyudo uniform so yeah.. ^_^]

The sequel to Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Hollow Ataraxia follows a cycle of one and a half years after the Fate/Stay Night timeline. If possible, I'd love to get my hands on this one next.... it would be a good way to practice my Japanese!


The above picture is a good representation of the lighter moments in Fate XD
Taiga dojo is a lot of fun!

As for the blog updates.... I have been sketching my blog mascot!
It's still a surprise for now.. so, please look forward to it m(_ _)m

Well, that ends this post
'Til we next meet,
~suki

Purchase cut down! | Older and Wiser..?

Oha

After checking through the (rather long) list of figurines and other merchandise that I compiled, I realised that there were some things I didn't *really* want.
Considering the current economical situation and other life expenditure... it'd be best to change the manner of spending or not spend at all ^^;

Have you come across situations like that? Having to cut down or make compromise?

Aaaand, on a more random life-related note, I celebrated my birthday on Friday and spent it with my Nii-san, um brother, cousins and friends.
It's pretty amazing how you don't really 'feel'older even though you are XD
Well, it was fun so, I thought of sharing that with you ^___^

Well, that ends this post
'Til we next meet,
~suki

Fate/Stay Night progress, report #2 | Figurine still late T_T

Oha

It's about time for a progress report on Fate/Stay Night! In future, I'd like to do this for all visual novels that I play, perhaps including a Q&A of sorts as well, what do you think, dear readers?

Moving on...
Since the last post, I have cleared the Fate scenario (Saber path).
It was a very interesting scenario which left me pretty emotional ;_;
A must if you're a Saber fan!

After resting and occupying my time with some Unreal 3.. I moved on to the next available path, Unlimited Blade Works scenario (Rin path).
For the most part, this did not include scenes from the anime and if you're very taken by both Archer and Rin, I totally recommend this path!
In fact, I've come to love the main cast (aka, Shirou, Saber, Rin and Archer) even more.

Finally, I have started the final scenario Heaven's Feel (Sakura path).
I've heard many things about this path.. I do hope that it'll present an interesting story and pretty art ^__^
Though, I’ve also heard that this scenario contains the most eroscenes.. a whopping total of 3!
Compared to Fate's 2 and Unlimited Blade Work's 1... that is quite an amount XD




The story for Fate/Stay Night uses existing elements and enhances it to create a very different story.
Type Moon has been in the doujin industry for a while and with Fate/Stay Night has brought a few mature changes that assist their image for the good.
There is still much debate over the eroscenes feeling misplaced but, I guess that may be the case for most eroge.

As for my figurine I ordered some time back, it seem sthat the supplier has not shipped the item as of yet :(
It's vexing but, I guess there's no problem in waiting more after waiting so long already XD

Well, that ends this post
'Til we next meet,
~suki

Japanese Magazines | Site update coming along...

Oha

It's been a little while since my previous post... blame that on life and games ^^;
Seems like Unreal 3 and Fate/Stay Night have done a good job to keep me busy, well that's okay XD

There are many Japanese magazine available to cater for all tastes.
Whether you like fashion or plamo, there'll be something available for you.
While they may be hard to get hold of and due to exchange rates, may be pretty expensive... we'd still like to purchase them.

So, which Japanese maazines do you enjoy reading? What makes it worth reading?

The site poll will end today, I am currently working on a theme of sorts. Coding is something that is totally self-taught so.. it may take a little while to work out the finer bits...
Either way, I thank you, my dear readers, for helping me to come to a decision
m(_ _)m

Fate/Stay Night Progress post and Figurine update post to appear next time ^-^
Please look forward to them!

Well, that ends this post
'Til we next meet,
~suki

Sold out | Late fandom is bad | Yuki is on her way!

Oha

The time it takes to become part of a certain fandom may be one of the ideas that can kill a fandom.
If this does not make sense to you, I shall elaborate.

Being able to enjoy a series (whether its manga, anime, novel, game or visual novel), from the starting point is a valuable experience.
You are able to gain interest at an early stage and this helps you do purchase the merchandise for the show at an early stage.
Not having the opportunity to 'catch-on' to the in jokes, merchandise and product may be a chance for you to not support the idea at all, you've arrived too late, after all.

It is not something people choose to experience and so, we need to ensure that we stop this!
Perhaps not in an extreme manner but, take a look below at the repercussions:
[click to enlarge]



As you can see ^^; It's almost as if 'long sold out' is poking fun at you... yes, it is ^^;
The image above is a little taste of what I wanted to order but, the items are now... almost impossible to get.
To avoid this happening to my dear readers, I am sharing a slice of wisdom.. even if you knew it already ^___^

On a happier note, my Nagato Yuki Guitar Wizard is on her way! She'll be arriving sometime this month, let's hope that changes to *week* XD
I'm not too sure what to order after this, however, Nendoroid, manga, Gundam model kit and something different wouldn't be a bad idea.

Well, that ends this post
'Til we next meet,
~suki

Fate/Stay Night Progress

Oha

As I've been playing the Fate/Stay Night visual novel, my progress has brought me some sporadic bits of fan-girlism.
Some of you may know this already but, I consider myself to be a great fan of Tohsaka Rin ^-^
Whether it's her personality, character design or simply the fact that she was my first figurine...
I do my best to support her!
This, however, seems to be drowned out by the many Saber fans that I do know ^^;
I have to like all characters, rather its in my personality to do so...
So, I don't hate Saber, you can be at ease XD

Here is a screencap I've taken of a very cute 'dere' Rin that appears in the Fate path:


Of course, we wouldn't like seeing only the 'dere' side of her... so:



There's also moments like this:



I've been wondering if having Rin as the site mascot would be a good idea...
Will add a poll and see how it goes then, please share your opinions on this matter.

That ends this post,
'Til we next meet

~suki

Aria brings happy tears TTvTT [possible Aria the Origination Spoilers]

Oha!

O_O O_O O_O O_O

Having just completed Aria the Origination, episode 9.. I am both shocked and joyful! (Still have a few more eps and then the next series >.<) I've always had Aria in mind as one of my top anime and manga. The uniqueness of a slice-of-life show with a very different side of storytelling, beautiful music and lovable characters. [After getting the Aria episodes at the LAN, I can finally watch Aria completely ;_;]

The Aria series started as a manga in 2001 by Kozue Amano. Kozue-sensei has always possessed the great ability to communicate directly to the reader, using both pictures and words to open the door to a new world. This level of creativity, detail and sincerity has earned sensei a great name in the anime and manga world.

The manga has been published in two sections:
ARIA
AQUA

There are three anime series at current:
Aria the Animation
Aria the Origination
Aria the Natural

Other forms of media have been produced:
Aria drama cd collection

Another part of Aria's popularity is the music used within. The soundtrack is composed by Senoo Takeshi, who is also known for the music in Himawari! and it's second season Himawari!!

Artbooks, figurines, plushies, wristbands and other merchandise has also been made, although some would be hard to locate due to its high demand. It must be noted that due to it's storytelling technique and pace, Aria may stir very different feelings in its viewers.

For those of you who are fans of the anime, manga and drama cd's, please share your thoughts and if you'd like, pictures of your merchandise m(_ _)m

That ends this post
'Til we next meet,
~suki

LAN | Fate/Stay Night | Late Nights are Back!

Oha

This is a little post revolving around the LAN I had attended over Friday and Saturday. It was a three day event but, due to certain family matters I could only stay for two days.

The LAN, known by the name 'Organised Chaos' spans three days, is currently hosted in an indoor stadium and the capacity is around 600 people.
As mentioned, this is a three day LAN; Most people end up staying the full three days loaded with pc and sleeping resources.
This being my first LAN of this level, I decided it would be best to stay.

My computer being upgraded earlier in the week, I was ready to take on some quality games!
The first few hours of Friday were mostly taken as time to set up (dc++, anti-virus, game setup etc) and once we covered that, it was merely a matter of hosting or joining a game.
As the programme dc++ was available to us, we also shared/leeched while playing... or some just leeched ^^;
The event took shape early on and the gaming was getting good.

At this I decided to play some Unreal Tournament 3. Thankfully, I am familiar with the interface of this game, so it was kind to me in that respect.
The opponents were unforgiving and neither was I, Unreal was a good place marker and proved that even being rusty you can still own some XD

With Saturday closing in, other games were added to the plate.
COD4, Soulstorm, Half Life... between these there, I learned to play games I've never had the opportunity to become familar with.
It's certainly harder when you barely know of the controls but, gaming is kind in that respect.
Soon, I managed to own some so that was joyful feeling ^-^

My time ended by bidding farewell to my friends, promising to return at the next LAN and hopefully proving to be an even better challenge next time.


One of the 'great get' from the LAN was the Fate/Stay Night game!
It certainly saved me the long, hard process of getting it myself ^^;
After managing to play through the prologue (which was rather long, mind you), I came to the conclusion that this game has been improved from the presentation of Tsukihime.
Animated scenes, music room, more save slots, better interface, different perspectives, added comment box for saves ...
Fate/Stay Night is by far the better quality doujin game that I have played. It really delivers on a professional level, in my belief.
Though I've just played the prologue I'm certainly enjoying this game so far, among my other batch of games XD


Finally, as a result of all this excitement... my late nights are back.

How do you react when you have LAN, anime, games, manga, firends to 'distract' you?

That end's this post
'Til we next meet,
~suki

Joints and Movability

Oha

As much love as there is for the Nendoroid series, the Figma range may be on close par.
If we look at this in more depth, we can say that there is a certin group of people who tend to prefer articulated figurines.
There are some who can still enjoy the static figurines but, the question is:

How creative are you when it comes to your jointed figurines?

This post was inspired by a creative and cute Image I had found on the Figma blog, located here.



If you're familiar with either of the trends in this image, I'm sure that you will be able to enjoy it ^-^

Well, that ends this post
'Til we next meet,

~suki

El Figure | LAN | College

Oha

I few events have occurred and approach me during this time.
Firstly, I have pictures of my newest figurine to share. She is more of a sculptor's figurine and not particularly related to any franchise.










The following pics may appear to have better lighting; I (with the help of my dad) made a photography box.
Sadly, I am not yet accustomed to my camera and somehow managed to either blur of capture part of the box in ^^;
I do hope that you can enjoy the pictures, nonetheless >.<

As some of my fellow DC readers may know, I have been accepted into College!
My dream of pursuing a career in Graphic Design is within my reach and now I'll be doing my best to prove myself.

How did you first react when you got into College/managed to get a job?

Finally, I am attending a LAN after many years. The LAN in itself is quite a big one, hosting 200+ people and lasting 3 days long.
As I am buying pc upgrades to day, I should be able to play with more ease , however, it's been a while since I've gamed competitively so, I'm sure I'll be rusty ;_;

Do you enjoy LANs or online gaming?

Well, that ends this post.
'Til we next meet,
~suki

Updates, thoughts and between

Oha

This is more of an in between post while I wait for a few figurines to arrive.
It has been quite some time that I have done a 'Life' Post, they won't be too often though.

I've ordered a figurine that I had my eyes on but, as it was not a character/series related item, I avoided it.

Do you have certain figurines/items that you avoid due to company or sculptor?

Another random question,

How do you feel after reciving a series that you've waited for so long?

This question stems from the fact I hva erecently gotten 'Serial Experiments Lain' which was one of the first anime I had wanted after I started to involve myself deeper into anime, manga and everything alike.

Well, that ends this (rather dry) post.
'Til we next meet,
~suki

Anime Oops part.3 | Fate/Stay Night Patch Out | Figma fangirlism

Oha

It has been quite some time since a new segment of 'anime oops' so, I finally present one.
Upon the release of the full Fate/Stay Night by mirrormoon
I decided to rewatch The Fate/Stay Night anime while I wait for the game to 'arrive'.
Here's something strange and very likely, a deliberate additition



The image can be enlarged, so if you can't see anything no worries!

Finally, since my Rin Figma arrived (and Shinki), I have been fangirling over them!
The joints which put me off before is now a new moe~
So small and easy to carry, posing and acting scenes out... MMS and Figma ranges are now within my interest!

Wells, this end this post
'Til we next meet,
~suki

Figma Rin | Nendoroid Yuki | Shinki Strarf Pics!

Oha

After a day of delay, an email of concern, much panic ... she has arrived! I placed my preorder for my Tohsaka Rin Figma back in August sometime and she finally arrived!
It has been a painful wait but, now that she's here I can feel at ease ^-^

As I had not uploaded my Busou Shinki or Nendoroid Yuki pics yet.. the Flickr link will lead to a collection of pics which I had taken last night.
You may see a difference in the pics, if this is a good change, then I am doing something right >.<

Photobucket link~

On a random note, as I started playing with Rin, my mother asked which order of child she is...
Yes, they are my precious children and Rin is the 14th one!
My lovely family is growing~

How big is your figure family?

Well, that ends this post
‘Til we next meet,
~suki

Small Merch update!

Oha

A short little post linking to my Flickr page (pics are just too big to resize and still maintain quality), so I am sharing my small merchandise update with you.

Flickr link

Exciting news on my part, my Tohsaka Rin Figma arrives tomorrow~
Yes, the 3 month long wait has gotten to me but, It will not control me XD

Do you ever find yourself totally giddy near the time of your merchandise arrival?

Well that ends this post,
'Til next time,
~suki

Substitutes & Referrences

Oha

An interesting trait that I've noticed as of late, Otaku tend to draw referrences and substitutes quite often.
Perhaps this is not limited to Otaku only but, the manner is somewhat removed from those who aren't involved with Otaku-related matters.

Below is an example (excuse the overexposure ^^;):




"Marvellous Maids"
Once I read that title, I couldn't help but think of the idea of a Meido, immdeiately I drew referrences from various places... despite the fact that the idea of maids here differs greatly from the 'Meido' we see in anime and related places.

As for the substitutes:



The "Choc Stix" on the right has been a stable substitute for Pocky for many years, or so I'm inclined to think.
While "Gap" is a product from Thailand, it is the next best thing to Pocky to Otaku here is SA.
If all else fails, I may very well be the only one who thinks so ^^;;

Do you have subsitutes or draw referrences?

Well, that ends this post.
'Til we meet again,
~suki

Career Choices

Oha

After thinking about many career choices that are available to us, I've noticed that some Otaku tend to follow a path rather close to their hobbies. It may be writing, designing, illustrating, programming or figure sculpting. This is a very brave and admirable idea and those who wish to pursue a path like this one tend to be happier with their experiences. Danny Choo is a good example of a good business-person, Hobbyist and mentor. He allows us to feel that we can still succeed even if our aims may not fulfill those around us.

This particular image from Lucky Star is a good description as well, even though it is a fairly humourous scene.

Is your career path related to your Otaku hobbies?

That ends this post.
'Til we next meet,
~suki

Happy figure releases vs. Sad wallet [pic heavy post]

Oha

This post was brought on by the waves of lovely releases that seems to be approaching us in the coming months.
Being enthusiatic about figurines and related items, it is hard to hold back and purchase a few at a time. What can be done about this?
Plan carefully

It's easier said than done but, if you have an idea as to what figurines are being released at certain times, it should make things easier.

That said, here are the figurines that I have my eyes on. Pictures are all (c) Good Smile Company and/or Mikatan's blog. Pics are arranged from most recent announcement of release and only releases from January 2008 - 2009 February are mentioned. Older releases are all on preorder or in the process of ordering. [Images can be enlarged when clicked]













Well, that is pretty much all the figures that I'm aiming for and fairly certain I can get hold of. Some Figma's and Nendoroids have been ommited as I'm not sure if those are within my reach (limited edition).

How are you coping with the release schedules and managing your finances alongside them?

That ends this post.
'Til we next meet,
~suki

Learning Japanese: A few methods [pic heavy post]

Oha!

One of my planned entries was to share my methods of learning Japanese. It is by know means the best way and might not suit everyone but, I find it to be a good approach. If this is able to help you in some way, then I have achieved my goal!
Do excuse the pic layout, I'll be updating my layout soon and that should help pic posting in future m(_ _)m


Writing sytems:
Of the available writing sytems in Japanese, the commo approach would be Hiragana first and then Katakana.
Hiragana is the lower level of the two as children at primary school level is taught it first, it is also used to aide pronounciation in Kanji.
Katakana is used for English loanwords, neologisms, foreign names and company names.

A table featuring both Hiragana and Katakana, this will be your friend XD

Once you're able to read a fair amount of either Hiragana or Katakana, you shold find yourself recognising letters in very different places.
Here are to examples that stand out:








The 'A' of Azumanaga Daioh is a recurring idea that appears during the eyecatch. In the case of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, the layout and style of the text is different and it catches one eye due to that.

Parallels:
Once your character recognition grows, you should be able to draw parallels between two words in different situations.





The first logo is from Hidamari Skerch and the second is from a Touhou doujinshi by circle Sekitou.
The same chacters are used and by this stage, you should be able to read both, despite their different styles.

Reading matter:
Since you're able to recognise characters well enough by now, reading is one way to strengthen your skills. Here are some examples of reading matter that can help you:






The first instance could be raw manga or doujinshi. The pic displayed is a Touhou doujinshi by circle Stripe Pattern named, Battle Cry. It is best to pic something that you enjoy as this allows you to enjoy the process of reading in a new language.
The second image is Mikatan's (Good Smile Company) blog. I read that one pretty often, even though I can't understand the Kanji.. I do try ^^;
Lastly, the third image is the blog of Fumikane Shimada. He is most famous for his Mecha Musume images and ideas. This is also a blog that I frequent.

Anime:
Probably the most famous common source of learning, anime. Although you won't be able to read the the Japanese text, anime helps the viewer to hear that language and interpretate. Watching raws and then the subs is a great help.



Radio Drama & J-music:
There are many radio dramas released or aired on company websites. There aren't alwasy translation of it available but, at least it's another way to enhance you Japanese.

Listening to Japanese is quite a plus as the videos or PV's are often subbed or translated lyrics of the songs are easier to come across.
Playing games of guessing the words and their spelling is a fun method that I use.

Visual Novels or Eroge:
I've saved the best for last! Personally, I find this to be one of the best methods as most aspects of learning is used. Reading, listening and interpretation are all used when playing these types of games. Although writing and speaking don't fit in, you still have the advantage of growing three skills through one medium.



That ends this post, I do hope that this was informative in some way.
'Til we next meet,
~suki