“Zaaaa Paaaay-paaaaah!!”

Man, even years later hearing that ridiculous Engrish pronunciation of Yomiko Readman’s codename still makes me laugh out loud.

I really should go back and rewatch my favorite classics more often. It helps recapture some of that nostalgic enjoyment that got me hooked on anime in the first place. This time around I also caught a few interesting details and subtle nuances to the story that I had never noticed in the previous times I watched Read or Die.

What an excellent show; I had forgotten how great it is. Not to say that I didn’t remember that it was great, I just didn’t remember just how awesome of a show it really is. The music, the characters, the pacing and plot, and the art design are all outstanding.

Heck, even the animation quality still looks pretty dang good, even by today’s standards. That says quite a lot considering how much animation techniques have evolved over the last decade. Read the rest of this entry »

Somehow the discussion from a couple days ago about Tokyo Tower inspired ghostlightning to comment that the tower somehow possessed some kind of moe quality to it:

.

“I find it interesting, within the context of usagijen’s post and the comment that inspired it how your photo is from a vantage point that’s higher than the Tokyo Tower itself. It’s as it it’s small, or diminished and is now being defended for reals, because it needs to be. The tower is somehow… moe.”

Well, leave it to regular Epic Win guest artist jupeboxgal to go and actually turn that completely random concept into a reality. While somewhat bizarre, much like the original comment that spawned the idea, this picture is entirely too awesome to not post about. So, here it is, Tokyo Tower-tan. Ain’t she adorable?

Now we just need somebody to make a corresponding image in response to usagijen’s comment:

“Now if Tokyo Tower is moe, as ghostlightning said in your post, then Mt.Fuji might as well be its GAR counterpart”

Greetings all,

So I’m back in Japan again, here to take up my Japanese studies once more. This time I’m staying in Okazaki City actually, with a very nice host family who for some inane reason has decided to not only tolerate my presence but also supply me with delicious foodstuffs.  The Sugimoto family have been marvelous hosts and also assisted greatly in answering my endless barrage of questions about Japanese grammar.

Okazaki is quite a peaceful place, which is nice for contemplative reflection whilst sitting outdoors…

…or at least it would be if not for the ceaseless, deafening assault of noise from the hideously massive 蝉　(せみ cicadas) that have installed a veritable cicada Disneyland in the tree outside my bedroom window.  At 6 AM sharp every morning they are open for business, and lately business has been booming. Read the rest of this entry »

…has never really bothered trying to appreciate it.

(Click for larger version)

This post is in response to usagijen’s article / mini-rant about Tokyo Tower and aesthetics in general, which was itself inspired by a comment on ghostlightning’s latest Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 post where someone referred to Tokyo Tower as “overrrated”.

Both are highly recommended reading, by the way, whether you’ve been watching Tokyo Magnitude or not. Her post really helped remind me just what a significant place Tokyo Tower holds in Japanese history, as both a visual landmark and a symbolic one.

From her article:

“As for Tokyo Tower, well let’s just say I gained much more appreciation for it after watching the AWSUM movie ALWAYS ~Sunset on Third Street~, as I witnessed how this landmark became the pillar of hope back in the 1950s where people are starting out a new life after the war. It was a sign of a new era in Japan — an era of hopes and dreams, an era of a bright future (a bright ‘mirai’).

They built Tokyo Tower with the ambition of making it the TALLEST tower in the world, and other towers might have ‘outgrown’ it now, but you can’t take away the fact that it was successful back in its time. Having known its significance made me all the more realize that TOKYO TOWER IS BEAUTIFUL.”

While Tokyo Tower is a bit dated by today’s standards, and while it’s kind of a rip-off of the Eiffel Tower, you certainly can’t deny its major cultural significance. Even from just a purely visual, aesthetic standpoint, I still find it quite beautiful. In typical Japanese fashion, they even modify the lighting to different colors seasonally or during certain events to help give the skyline a different look. Read the rest of this entry »