just another ordinary day

in the lives of extraordinary people

Blogs are wonderful things.. it is a time tested device (a journal) that helps you keep a record of your past mistakes that you can laugh or cry about in the future, much like why people take pictures to "preserve and protect that memory..." -[GET BACKERS] at the same time it appeals to our often denied yet fiery NARCISSISTIC nature to have the world "watch as we suffer". It's kind of weird, I realize today that, like many things in this earth, everything is double sided.

-In order to be happy, many feel (tho they might not consciously think it); that others must suffer before them.
-at the same time some masochists feel that they must SUFFER (like good old JC, yes I am kind of religious in my own way) in order to show the world their sorrow, and feel self worth.
-WATCH ME! This is the SICK beauty of the internet.

I just got back from the JTOWN ANIME FAIRE (SF) It was a small con and very unorganized.. I spent most of my time trying to find the video rooms and also finding the damn ARTISTS ALLEY : ( poo I didn't find it in the end. For the most part I like small shows... very quaint, but I felt that there was not much to do.. many guys will say that it's only their 2nd year and they need to go thru growing pains... but (if I may sound like an old grump), back 6 years ago I've been to "year 2" anime cons that kicked more ass.

Having the con in JAPAN TOWN in SAN FRAN-fuckin-CISCO in a twlight zone of Japanese culture and a Japanese mall is a stroke of GENIUS. Many cons in the past I went to tried their best (and did a good job) to WARP reality and convert the hotel into its own private dimension that is Japan+Anime (this being in the east coast mostly was a cool thing since Asian culture was sparse).

For some reason some woman started shouting at me as I walked by with a strawberry + Nutella crepe.. scary...
>_<

--->this is what I did (how nostalgic/under consto...)

-->Get Backers!!
->this is a series that was recommended to me by my brother. I was quite surprised since it was not about tactics or military history. From looking at the pics, it seems like a welcome -old school- SHONEN ANIME, in the golden league of Yu Yu Hakusho (an old favourite of mine when I went to Japan when I was 13). I saw it today (it was DUBBED!! ARGH! but I sat thru it and just blocked out the english and imagined what the Japanese lines would be.) I thought it was campy yet had substance.

A good "buddy" anime that I enjoy immensely... It had cute female chara designs (rolls eyes.. okay I need to learn that skill) that looked near identical to KYOSUKE FUJISHIMA (Ah! My Goddess! & You're Under Arrest), PLUS had a SHARP bishonen design for the guys. I am sure the YAOI fanartists (don't look at me please ^__^) will have a frickin field day with this series : ). Another series that is true and tested to the fine formula of appealing to both boys and girls. So sharp so evil.. BEAUTIFUL

I felt as if the delivery of the series was for the younger crowd. ie. it explained TOO much and made it kinda cheesy instead of TRUSTING the viewer to read between the lines. (Oh she did this cause he did that.. boo hoo... so this is what really happened cause I will explain it to you.) Kyosuke Fujishima (God bless his too cutesey soul) once said "a manga is meant to deliver a message to the audience, but if the audience cannot decipher the message then your efforts are wated."

I [rant] only because this series has great eye candy and substance that doesn't need overt explaining. That is why I like the GUNGRAVE game story vs the GUNGRAVE anime story. Still I WILL get the series. it appeals to my golden hair x spiky head fuuryou formula (as opposed to Yuu's Regent ^^;; Yuu has to teach me the greatness of [R]). One thing that really got to me was the cool JYAGAN NIGHTMARE move that one of the lead characters had. It is a plot power/engine I like to use very much in my works eversince I saw PHOENIX IKKI in SAINT SEIYA back in the early 90s. I guess nothing is new under the sun in shonendom... I have been asked "Is that one character you have, Abigail with the tattoo on the face copied from Naruto?" {no, Abigail was made up and BASARA was from ALIEN3} I can see it now... "Daaayuumn, dude, you so ripped off JYAGAN from get Backers with your SAI + DIABLO KISS." : p

...but if you know me.. yes like a fuckin' wuss, I cried when i watched GET BACKERS!!

-->420J stainless steel taiwan ninja swords
->WHAT GENIUS. The knife and sword community I partake in would NEVER even look at one of those "ninja" swords, and BLADE 3 prong folding star blades. I once thought that it would be a GREAT business to sell these decorative swords, sharpened (cause most decorative swords I was aware of back then were not sharpened.) to college kids.. but I was SO WRONG. CONS!! MALL NINJAS galore bought these repulsive katanas and sci fi weaponry by the truckload. Waving them around like the awesome cho bery sugoi ninjas they were.. sorry for being arrogant - maybe I am just jealous for not realizing the $$$ myself (me being slit eyed and all).. I was constantly at CONDITION RED the whole frickin con. Cheap, albeit, "LIVE" blades waving around ready to poke an eye out. I once thought the "peace tie" (when you tie a white string on your "live" blade to keep it in its sheath) was stupid.. but I now realize that you really can't expect everyone in the world to be as reasonable or responsible as yourself.

-->Naruto
->I hear its the new "Dragon Ball Z" of y2k. I can see why. its pretty good and entertaining (yes I cried.. grumble) The first 2 eps I saw were very good and enjoyable.. It was worth dragging my hung over body to SF to the con : D. When I went to the dealer's room and saw snippets of future episodes, it looks very solid!!! I need to get this series too... For the past few yeas I have been complaining that the golden age of SHONEN (late 90s) was over due to the Japanese recession, but I guess it was just me not paying attention!

-->FUCKING $40.00 Naruto metal plate headbands
->Had GOD whispered in my ear I would have gotten a TRUCKLOAD of these metal headbands that is integral of the Naruto series.. I wanted to get one as a sovenier but MAN $40.00?!?! I could have made a killing if I ONLY sold that. Never had I seen a high priced cosplay item sell SO WELL. NEVER in my xx years of conning!!! I LOVE IT!!! THE YOUTH DRIVE THE ECONOMY!!! GOD BLESS YOU IN HEAVEN!

-->SWEET COSTUMES.
->I saw a Dante (from devil may cry) the guy got a lot of attention ; ) not the sexiest real life bishonen out there but a great costume.. there was a cool TRIGUN costume thre too.. complete with burned up bulletholes.

-->Keroro Gunsou
->slapstick... sickingly addictive : D not as nonsensical as FLCL but I couldn't help but just LAUGH -OUT-LOUD!! Flying subtitle - de arimasu... I was complaining that the politics of cons the past few years sucked with big name production companies like fucking VIZ VIDEO cracking down on fan subs and "illegal" showings. Well screw them.. this is what a con is all about... stuff you can't buy off the shelves. I like small cons who don't give a damn or are just too dumb to be noticed ; ). I haven't laughed this hard since DRAGON HALF.

-->TRIGUN 9 + PRIEST 12
->Got new manga : ) hooray manga! I want to make my "mad sk33lz laoratoty" I am building (to draw and do gunsmithing) like the otaku rooms you see in anime. Hooray korean antichrist end of days Manhwa. (I still have to find "Tonight I will..." which is a korean Manhwa I have been trying to get for yers now but all my korean "friends" were slackers... Even if I dont read your language I'll get it damn it.

-->SHADOW SKILL
->I spent ages round and round one by one looking for the SHADOW SKILL manga in KINOKUNIYA until I wanted to puke. no luck : (

-->Gungrave DVD3
->I HAVE IT!! PRAISE THE LORD!!! Now I can feeeeel the paaaain!!! I also got my GLOCK 36 and a nice ballcap from my buddy today : D. Its good to have friends. I don't like small guns as a rule but I am happy to get this CUTE little piece.. very accurate too!!! It performs superbly as a compact piece and doesn't jump around as I had feared. I think I could still take an eye out with it : D

I saw the latest cover of TIME magazine - it read "How to say NO to your kids; in a time of excess.." or some bullshit like that. The cover was a pic of an angry mother, face to face with a snub nosed frowning kid with earphones. I feel OLD again here but, let me rant (grr I did it again.. grrr). This is BULLSHIT!

Had I made that face to my mother when I was a kid it would be BEATINGS, then locked up in the closet. NO QUESTION!!! I know frickin liberal journalism is about shock factor, and no I didn't read the article, but I think I know what would be in that magazine (and I think so do you)... The world is just going to -hell-, JOHNNY style.

OK maybe I am irked cause my mother always says "you have to TEACH your brother." I love the kid, but man when I teach him PSHONEN style (which is the only way I know) I get scolded then the silent treatment.. screw that.. the world indeed has changed...

What a rush today was great but I wished that I had someone to spend it with.. unfortuantely I don't think I have any buddies near me that has as much interest in anime as I do to just walk up and down Jtown and feel like I am in another world.

I wished I had a costume. Some of the gus were pretty cool.. Like that DANTE guy (Devil May Cry). Tho I think some con goers have a weird smell... and boldly speak bad Japanese and Chinese.. that is why I don't like speaking Japanese or Chinese to native speakers *>_<* low self esteem there... Poor white guy next to me must have felt so proud (and pretty good too) he spoke both Japanese AND Chinese, he was probably so elated that he never realized the Chinese saleswoman he was talking to would roll her eyes frown and answer in English. Some people can be so cruel.