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