This entry isn’t really about The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.  I’ve said all I want to say about the film for now.  Instead, I want to talk about the experience of having gone to see it.  After all, it was my first event getting up close to the Japanese fandom. I wasn’t sure what to expect.  [...]
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In case anyone forgot, the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya movie premiered this past Saturday in movie theaters across Japan to great fanfare. At the Sunshine Cinema in Tokyo, die-hard Haruhi fans began lining up 8 hours prior to the first screening in the cold of the early morning (source); the line-up eventually stretched up to 500 people. As common to many anime movie events, Haruhi merchandise and special promotional items were readily available to be gobbled up by avid Haruhiists. Some photos of the movie premier can be ...
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The last time the ASOS Brigade posted their Return of the ASOS Brigade video, there were "technical difficulties" that prevented us from knowing some of the details about The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya season 2 release. But now the video has been reposted with the details left in-- and the video reversed, which I believe is a reference to sneaky otaku who manage to post the OPs and EDs of shows to YouTube flipped in order to keep them under the radar (something I noticed a lot for Durarara!!).  <object height="525px" width="640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gfDDk7mFj48&amp;badVar=1&amp;badVar=0x5d1719&amp;badVar=0xcd311b&amp;hl=en_US&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed wmode="transparent" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gfDDk7mFj48&amp;badVar=1&amp;badVar=0x5d1719&amp;badVar=0xcd311b&amp;hl=en_US&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="525px" width="640px"></embed></param><param value="transparent" name="wmode"></param></object>  For those of you at work or too busy to watch: the series is going to be released in one box set.   ...And that's pretty much all you get. But hey, you can listen to Cristina Vee's take on Super Driver again!
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The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya movie premiered on February 6th, the lines were big just as expected; The theater is packed! Picture Source1 Source2 number of view: 16
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Haruhi Suzumiya has managed to stay on my desktop for a couple of months now, so I figured it was time for a change. I’m watching K-ON! at the moment and managed to find this great iPod-commercial-inspired wallpaper of Yui Hirasawa. The original had a pink colour scheme which I wasn’t too fond of, but [...]
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This weekend was the opening of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, and since I'm one of the few people in the world who can say it's his job to watch anime, I went to check it out. It was excellent, with many twists and turns that Haruhi fans will surely enjoy. I'm a big fan of hardcore science fiction stories, and have read just about every book about time travel ever written, from Guns of the South to The Time Ships to Time After Time and even To Say Nothing of the Dog. It struck me while watching the Haruhi film that Western-style stories about time travel (or time dilation in space) are relatively rare, and the anime series that do deal with these themes have clear Western inspirations. In the case of Haruhi, many of the "future Mikuru" ideas are lifted from the Hyperion books by Dan Simmons (this is actually the book Yuki gives to Kyon in episode 3), and the Haruhi-as-Godhead story harkens back to the classic Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life." Gunbuster is essentially an homage to the awesome SF books Ender's Game and The Forever War, with skimpy uniforms added for fan service. When Japanese do create "timeslip" stories, they tend to be simpler, about a character who goes back in time to buy a red straw hat for his future girlfriend, or the well-trodden genre of modern Japanese person going back to Japan's "Warring States" historical period. Western time travel stories are sweeping tales about Deloreans man's mastery of technology and looking at society through different lenses, while Japanese time travel tends to be a device to put dramatic pressure on different characters.So, what time travel books have you read that you can share with us in the comments?Haruhi Suzumiya is back in a new movie, and it's pretty bad-ass.
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Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see all the J-List products, check out J-List or the JBOX.com updated products link. Nyan Type vol. 5 Vol.5 of the instantly popular Nyan Type, the brand new magazine dedicated to super-cute anime and bishoujo characters, is here. Great for fans of Megumi Magazine, since it's loaded with free posters. Dengeki Daioh Feb 2010 Then enjoy another issue of the popular Dengeki Daioh ("Electric Shock Great King"), featuring some of the best manga in Japan, from Shakugan no Shana to Yotsubato to Toradora and more. Free "Index" keychain in this issue! Girls Graph (Girl, Illustrated) Pie International publishing presents an amazing compendium of bishoujo "moe" art, featuring dozens of Japan's highest profile creators. Not only is every page of this heaven for the 2D art fan, the book is entirely in English! Oyari Ashito Chronicle Master of Bishoujo character design Oyari Ashito is back with a limited edition full color artbook featuring 100+ gorgeous art pieces from his previous works ranging from the years 1997-2009. Love the "sad eyes" in his characters. Bee Kawaii earphone ~ Blue We've got a new color of the cute standard earphones shaped like little bees, which work with your standard music players, computers and iPhone. They're kawaii and also very affordably priced. NARUTO DX Evolution Pencil Case If you haven't used one of the deluxe pencil cases from Japan, you don't know what you're missing. With many compartments and ways to organize all your writing instruments, these pencil cases make learning tons of fun for Naruto fans. Restocked Games for Sony PSP I am happy to see the popularity of the Sony PSP as a platform for dating-sim games, and today we're posting fresh stock of L no Kisetsu ~ Double Pocket and Like Life Every Hour, two excellent visual novels for you. KATAMETE-PON ~ ECO Powder to Dispose Oil This is an awesome item: a magic "eco powder" that you sprinkle over oil you've used for frying, and it become hard instantly, so you can throw it away without harming the environment. Haruhi Figmas Restocked See fresh stock of one of the most popular figures we've ever carried. We have Haruhi, Mikuru and Yuki all restocked, and ready for any pose you want them to make. 'No Normal Humans' T-Shirt Do you hate normal humans? Would you prefer to hang around with espers, time-travellers and aliens? If so, then we recommend our popular original anime T-shirt, which has been one of our best sellers in recent months. Designed by Rios, the guy who made that incredible Haruhi Kinnetic Animation YouTube video (click the link to view it). iTunes Japan Prepaid Cards from J-List If you need a fix for Haruhi Suzumiya songs, the iTunes Japan store has a ton for you, waiting to be purchased and played via iTunes or your iPod/iPhone. Also fun to browse, this fan-made playlist of Haruhi and other anison, or this mix of current hit "CM" songs from TV commercials. J-List Reserve Subscription System If you're in the market for a really excellent monthly manga, we recommend Shonen Ace, a massively thick manga that features just about every red-hot story you want to read, from Haruhi Suzumiya to Macross Frontier Keroro Gunso and more. Comes with cool figures and other stuff each issue. Awesome Cosplay Eye Patch Restocked J-List loves cosplay, and wants to help everyone feel the joy of becoming your favorite anime character, just like I did when I made a Totoro costume for San Diego Comicon 1987. (I was a bit ahead of my time.) Today we've restocked those awesome eye patches for anime cosplay. Authentic 'Socks Glue' From Japan Also, for all those who love "Zettai Ryoiki," which is the space between the top of the a girl's over-knee socks and where her skirt begins, we've restocked the Japanese "socks glue." Also goes great with "loose socks." New Snacks from Japan Awesome new snacks from Japan: Meiji "Chopan" chocolate treats in two new flavors for Spring, plus Meiji Lychee and Grapefruit gummy and a fun Doraemon snack treat. Potato Chips Drops ~ Japanese Food Drops Enjoy a wacky new flavor of traditional Japanese "Food Drops" candies -- potato chips! Also see fresh stock of Goya Champloo (from Okinawa), Okonomiyaki (from Osaka) and Ramen (from Tokyo) candies. Lucky Cat Canned Bread ~ Green Tea Our Akihabara Bread-in-a-Can is a hit, as many customers pick up this wacky treat which you can usually only find in Akiba. Today see fresh stock of the Lucky Cat themed bread that's Green Tea flavor. Rice Burger Maker ~ Gyutto Pon Instead of making a hamburger for dinner, why not try your hand at a rice burger, using onigiri-style flat pieces of rice instead of bread? It's delicious, and easy to make with this handy tool. Chirashi Sushi Style Round Bento Box One of our favorite dishes is chirashi-zushi, literally a "tossed salad" of sushi fish over vinagered rice that's just delicious. Here's a new bento box that would be perfect for this, or for any lunch with foods you want to keep separate. Other Restocked Bento Boxes Then enjoy fresh stock of the smash hit DX Simple men's Bento, which is elegantly designed, large enough for any appetite, and non-kawaii. Also see the colorful Bento Special Gift Set restocked. Hello Kitty & Cinnamoroll Bento Items Then see fresh stock of several popular Sanrio bento items today, including the basic Hello Kitty Face Bento Box, one of our most popular lunch boxes ever, plus the matching Cinnamoroll Bento Box. Hello Kitty Microwave Rice Cooker Make delicious Japanese rice using only a standard microwave oven, thanks to the Hello Kitty Microwave Rice Cooker, which we have restocked today. A very popular item. Fun Onigiri Shapers Also: the extremely fun ball-type onigiri maker that you can use to make perfectly round Japanese rice balls, great for creating that Death Star Onigiri you've always wanted. Studio Ghibli 2010 Schedule Books Then: fun for Studio Ghibli fans, in the form of the last-ever stock of the popular 2010 schedule books for Totoro, Ponyo and Kiki's Delivery Service. They're frankly the most awesome things you've ever held in your hand, and awesome to use all year long. Other Fun Ghibli Items See other fun Totoro products, too, including a Totoro puzzle for learning hiragana,the awesome Swimming Wind-Up Ponyo toy and more. Bilingual Study Books For anyone studying Japan's language or culture, we've restocked the excellent series by JTB, including A Look Into Japan and Living Japanese Style. DX Long Study Flashcards for Study See fresh stock of some great tools for learning Japanese, including long flashcards that are great for memorizing full sentences of Japanese. Kuretake BIMOJI Real Fude Style Brush Pen A fude (foo-DAY) pen is an ingenious writing device that's just like using a classic writing brush, yet you don't need to use an inkwell. We've gotten in a really nice new one for you today. Vante 1/8 Figure ~ Queen's Blade Rebellion **Preorder** Wow, yet another awesome Queen's Blade figure for us to drool over, this time in the form of Vante, who has awesome iron gauntlets to crush her opponents with. One Piece Bobble Heads *Preorder* Like One Piece? Then the new One Piece bobbleheads we have up for preorder will be popular. Preorder all three now! Anime Pocket Watches -- K-On!, Railgun **Preorder** Talk about awesome: three pocket watches for anime fans, two featuring K-On! characters and one with Kuroko and Mikoto from A Certain Magical/Scientific Index/Railgun. Street Fighter Mousou Controller ver.1 **Preorder** Here's a fun item from Japan: a Street Fighter "Fantasy" controller you can carry on your keys which you can use to play real games of STII. The game is fully functional with full sound effects, but you play it in your mind. Restocked Toys for Grown-Ups See fresh stock of the amazing "double hole toy" based on the actual body of Nao Yoshizaki, complete with two places to receive healing, plus all varieties of the TENGA EGG stress-relief toy and fantastic "PLESTO" massager with three speeds. Cat Girl Alliance IN STOCK More good news: our awesome futanari cat-girl game is finally in stock and shipping, and you can order it now. Features tons of fun gameplay, eight unique endings, and just about every fetish you can dream of/ (Download orders for the game will be available in a week to give preorder customers time to receive their games.) Great Doujin Games from Japan Next up, we've got some fun doujin games for, which are like doujinshi parody versions of your favorite anime, but they're full games you can play. A parody of Toradora! and the awesome CG "Melancholy of Yuna" from Final Fantasy X.
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You know, I wasn't even totally confident that The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya would reach the top ten list at the Japanese box office for its opening weekend, given that it shared its opening weekend with WonFes and that some Haruhi fans have become rather disenchanted, but in the top 10 it is-- #7, to be exact. The only other new entry on the list is Warner Bros. INVICTUS, and the two of them unfortunately bumped off The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and Nodame Cantabile the Movie I. Poor Nodame. But on the other hand, it's hardly a surprise that everything else held firm, since last week exactly half of the films on the list were new releases. An interesting thing to note: the #1 movie is Avatar and has been for seven weeks now. But #2 is a documentary from Disney/Buena Vista called OCEANS. I looked into it and the film has already made $10 million overseas, but isn't opening in the US until April 22 (my birthday!). I'm a bit of an ocean life buff, and hey, I already trust Japanese taste in a lot of things, so I guess I'll look forward to this too.    
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Didn’t collect that much yet back when the first figures from “The Melancholy Of Suzumiya Haruhi” came out, and upon seeing the myriad of different Haruhi figures, just couldn’t see the forest through the trees anymore so never got any Haruhi figures. With Alter’s “K-ON!” Mio and Yui figures being the only scale figure orders I [...]
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Nakano Azusa by MegahouseWonder Festival Winter 2010 took place earlier today and there are many photos from the event. Lots of new products were announced, and lots of earlier announced products were presented there. Let's have a look at them.Starting with Nendoroids by Good Smile Company, first comes BRS Nendo.Feena Fam Earthlight from Yoake Mae Yori Ruri Iro Na -Crescent Love-Francesca Lucchini from Strike Witches; I wonder if other characters from Strike Witches are coming as wellTakane Manaka from Love PlusNendoroid Puchi Tenshi and Yuri from Angel Beats!Saber Nendoroid from Fate/stay nightSuzumiya Haruhi from The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya; I love Haruhi with long hair.Nagato Yuki from The Disappearance of HS; looks lovely.Nendoroid Puchi Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha the Movie 1stNendoroid Puchi Touhou SeriesNendoroid Puchi Bakemonogatari SetsNendoroid Neko Arcueid from TsukihimeBaka to Test to Shoukanjuu Nendoroids announcedGSC's 100th Nendoroid, Mickey Mouse from, you know that, don't you?GSC's scale figures:1/8 scale Black Rock Shooter Anime Version1/8 scale Love is War Hatsune Miku1/8 scale DeadmasterKyrie Rason from Valkyrie Complex, 1/8 scaleMisaka Mikoto from To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, 1/8 scaleInaba Yui from Flyable Heart, 1/8 scaleSenjougahara Hitagi from Bakemonogatari; I love this figure.Soft Vinyl figure Hachune Miku by GSCFigmas by Max Factory:Black Rock Shooter, coming in Summer 2010.Suzumiya Haruhi Junior High School Ver.Suzumiya Haruhi Alternate Ver.Asahina Mikuru Adult ver.Akiyama Mio from K-ON!Hirasawa Ui from K-ON!Kotobuki Tsumugi from K-ON!Tainaka Ritsu from K-ON!Saber Alter figmaAyanami Rei from Rebuild of EvangelionAsuka Langley Shikinami from Rebuild of EvangelionMakinami Mari Illustrious from Rebuild of EvangelionArcher from Fate/stay nightMichael Jackson figmaSenjougahara Hitagi from Bakemonogatari, figma announced1/7 scale figures Akiyama Mio and Tainaka Ritsu from K-ON! by Max FactoryFigures by Alter:Nakano Azusa from K-ON!, 1/8 scale, 7,140 yenAkiyama Mio School Festival Version from K-ON!, 1/8 scale1/8 scale Sanya V. Litvyak from Strike WitchesAmae Koromo from Saki, 1/8 scale1/8 scale Momohime from Muramasa: The Demon BladeTakahashi Natsume from Natsume Yuujinchou, 1/8 scale, 7,140 yen1/7 scale Sankt Kaiser Vivio from Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS by AlterCospa:Fate Testarossa from Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 1st by CospaKotobukiya:Senjougahara Hitagi from Bakemonogatari, 1/8 scale1/8 scale Erica Hartmann from Strike WitchesYuzuhara Konomi from To Heart2, 1/6 scaleKousaka Tamaki Panic Ver. from To Heart2, 1/6 scaleAyanami Rei from Rebuild of EvangelionSora no Woto, Dance in the Vampire Bund, and figures announcementFeena Fam Earthlight from Yoake Mae Yori Ruri Iro Na -Crescent Love-, 1/8 scaleMovic:Sengoku Nadeko from BakemonogatariOrchid Seed:1/7 scale Ignis of the Endless Winter from Jingai MakyoKaneda Takako from Hishoka DropRider from Happou BijinRyoumou Shimei from IkkitousenAnd to top it off, K-ON! Dollfies!Lots of amazing figures announced. My favorite scale figure out of the freshly announced is probably GSC's Senjougahara. She really looks amazing. And my favorite Nendoroid is probably that long-haired Haruhi. I really like it when she has long hair. She looks much better that way. As for Alter's figures, I like Sanya or maybe Azusa the best. They both are lovely.Sources: Hobby Stock blog, Amiblo, DannyChoo.com, Akiba Hobby, Figure/GK.
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