Just about any aspect of Japan can provide an interesting cultural lesson, even names. In Japan, everyone has a family name and a given name, always listed with the family name first, although this doesn't apply for non-Japanese (e.g. I am still pii-taa pein in Japanese). Japanese never have middle names, but they understand the Western concept and sometimes choose exotic-sounding names for anime characters just for fun, like Louise Françoise De La Bamue Le Blanc De La Vallièr from Zero no Tsukaima. Japanese names may be written in hiragana or katakana, but the vast majority use kanji, and just as there are alternate spellings for English names, Japanese parents can choose between different kanji characters to capture just the right nuance they want for their baby. Names follow trends just like in the West, and sometimes names that sound strange to the ear will become popular. In case you're wondering, the top three names for boys this year are Hiroto, Shota and Ren; for girls, it's Rin, Sakura, and Hina.(Another interesting note...the names Ren (Len) and Rin could be said to be Vocaloid-derived, although those characters use katakana and not kanji, and of course Shota has a special meaning in fandom. Japanese wouldn't think of this at all by the way, as the vowel is longer and the kanji is different. )Studying how names work in Japanese is interesting.
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The merciless, fierce battle called International Saimoe League reached the end of the Preliminary Period and the rest of the Regular Season participants have been decided. The list of all 50 Regular Season contestants is as follows.Aisaka Taiga (Toradora!)Akaba Chizuru (Seitokai no Ichizon)Akiyama Mio (K-ON!)Asahina Mikuru (Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu)C.C. (Code Geass)Fate Testarossa (Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha)Fujibayashi Kyou (CLANNAD)Fujibayashi Ryou (CLANNAD)Fukuji Mihoko (Saki)Furude Hanyuu (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni)Furude Rika (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni)Furukawa Nagisa (CLANNAD)Haramura Nodoka (Saki)Hiiragi Kagami (Lucky Star)Hiiragi Tsukasa (Lucky Star)Hirasawa Ui (K-ON!)Hirasawa Yui (K-ON!)Horo (Ookami to Koushinryou)Ibuki Fuuko (CLANNAD)Ichinose Kotomi (CLANNAD)Ikaros (Sora no Otoshimono)Ilyasviel von Einzbern (Fate/stay night)Izumi Konata (Lucky Star)Katsura Hinagiku (Hayate no Gotoku)Kawashima Ami (Toradora!)Konjiki no Yami (To-Love Ru)Kushieda Minori (Toradora!)Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière (Zero no Tsukaima)Maria (Hayate no Gotoku)Minami Chiaki (Minami-ke)Misaka Mikoto (To Aru Kagaku no Railgun)Nagato Yuki (Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu)Nakano Azusa (K-ON!)Nymph (Sora no Otoshimono)Okazaki Ushio (CLANNAD)Saber (Fate/stay night)Saginomiya Isumi (Hayate no Gotoku)Sakagami Tomoyo (CLANNAD)Sakurano Kurimu (Seitokai no Ichizon)Sanzenin Nagi (Hayate no Gotoku)Saten Ruiko (To Aru Kagaku no Railgun)Sengoku Nadeko (Bakemonogatari)Senjougahara Hitagi (Bakemonogatari)Shana (Shakugan no Shana)Shiina Mafuyu (Seitokai no Ichizon)Shiina Minatsu (Seitokai no Ichizon)Sunohara Mei (CLANNAD)Suzumiya Haruhi (Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu)Takamachi Nanoha (Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha)Tousaka Rin (Fate/stay night)Now for some interesting data and figures.18 contestants are KyoAni girls (8 from CLANNAD, 4 from K-ON!, 3 from Lucky Star, and 3 from Haruhi)(btw, no Kanon girls, unfortunately)11 contestants are J.C.Staff girls (4 from Hayate, 3 from Toradora, 2 from Railgun, 1 Shana, and 1 Zero no Tsukaima)9 contestants are Studio DEEN girls (4 from Seizon, 3 from Fate/stay night, 2 from Higurashi)12 girls are from other studios.16% of contestants is from Clannad.Former big aces such as Kinomoto Sakura, Kawasumi Mai, Suigintou or Ryuuguu Rena didn't make it in.Nary Rozen Maiden character advanced to the Regular Season. A bit pitiful.5 pairs of characters bear the same surname. 6 if we count Furukawa as Okazaki. Namely, Hiiragi sisters, Shiina sisters, Fujibayashi sisters, Hirasawa sisters, Okazaki mother and daughter, Furude Rika and Hanyuu.About 20 contestants are from 2009 anime, not counting 2009 aired sequels.
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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. Dengeki G's Magazine Mar 2010 A great magazine that anime fans across the world will enjoy, this is Dengeki G's, filled with info on the newest anime and eroge. Best of all are the free stuff you get with each issue, like the dog-girl figure in this issue. Evangelion EVA Unit 01 Head Coin Bank / Alarm Clock Then, wake up the Evangelion way with this awesome Eva 01 head alarm clock. Also functions as a coin bank, to help you save your pennies. So cool! Mio Akiyama Figma Action Figure All hail MaxFactory for their newest Figma creation, Mio from K-On! Not only is she the most faithful recreation of the shy star of the hit moe anime ever, but she can be put in any pose you want .She's even wearing her trademark shimapan. Hiyori Sarugaki, Nelliel Figures In Stock Bleach fans, we've posted a pair of really nice figures to the site today, finally in stock for you. Both are fabulously painted and are begging to be displayed in your room. As usual, most sold to preorder customers, so don't wait too long to check them out. Rilakkuma iPhone Cases Make your iPhone 3G or 3GS as cute as it can be with this awesome Rilakkuma case, which will make your phone something really special to hold. Compatible with iPhone 3G and 3GS. Mameshiba / Edamame Animal Mascot Ball Point Pen Another win for Mameshiba fans, this is a really nice notebook that you can keep all your important information in, and an awesome Mameshiba ballpoint pen to go with it. Shiseido Fog Bar Hair Design Mist, More J-List stocks popular hair-care products from Japan, like the awesome Fod Bar from Shiseido. See fresh stock of this today, along with Classic Cow Beauty Milk Soap. Fate/stay night ~ Rin Tohsaka Portraits As we predicted, the gorgeous Fate/stay night artbook featuring all new pictures of tsundere zettai ryoiki lovely Rin, sold like hotcakes. So we got more for you. Restocked Artbooks Also, enjoy fresh stock of other restocked artbooks on the site, including the wonderful Noizi Ito, a great collection of artwork for Zero no Tsukaima, and more. Queen's Blade the Duel Complete Book vol. 2 We've posted the awesome new Queen's Blade artbook for preorder. Also, see fresh stock of more books from the series, like Bitoshi Gaiden Tales, Airi, Mellona and more. New Snack Goodness from Japan Today's new snack offerings include the bold new Strong Consume Flavor Cheetos from FritoLay Japan, Glico Pretz in Bacon flavor (alert Jon Stewart!), and a gummi treat called Qun. Yaki Curry FURIKAKE (Fukuoka), Food Drops Got a another awesome flavor of furikake, which you sprinkle over rice to enjoy different foods from around Japan. This is yaki-curry, a baked curry-rice dish from Kyushu. Also restocked several Food Drops flavors. The Best Bento Boxes in Japan Then, Hakoya's bento boxes have proven to be among the most popular we've ever carried, and we love them all. Today we're restocking the Lacquered Miso Soup Bowl Style Bento, one of the most innovative I've ever seen! Other Restocked Bento Accessories Our bento accessories are among the most popular items we carry, and today we've got Eco Animal Shaped Silicon Bento Cups, fun Charappa Food Decorators for bento, Niko Niko Punch nori cutters, and the amazing Dream Land Egg Shaper. TAKUMI Special Designed Wooden Chopstick Would you use special chopsticks for ramen or salad? You just might, when you have held these outstanding hardwood carved chopsticks, which are a joy to hold and use, and perfect for us clumsy gaijin. Deco World Flags for Bento for Kids In Japan, children' meals at restaurants often have flags from different countries sticking out of the top, to help kids learn about the world. Here's a set of these fun items for you. New Real KAITEN SUSHI Origami An awesome item from Japan, this is everything you need to make beautiful sushi out of origami paper. You get everything you need to make delicious-looking sushi, even paper to fold into plates and a tray to carry it all on. Mousse-chan Paper Clay Restocked Then see more of the popular Mousse-chan kami-nendo mold toys, for making the most amazing decorative works of art. These are so popular we have trouble keeping them in stock. DX Totoro Backpack I'm a huge fan of My Neighbor Totoro, and also of the Sun Arrow toy company, which has been around for more than a century. Here's fresh stock of the super Totoro backpack, so soft and well made, you'll treasure it forever. Random Traditional Stuff In addition to the really kawaii phone straps we restocked today -- Lucky Cat, Rabbit and Owl -- we have a great traditional Kokeshi doll, great wooden geta shoes and more. iTunes Japan Prepaid Cards Buying at least one iTunes prepaid card lets you create a permanent account, great for surfing the store for new music finds, like the new single by Nana Mizuki, or Kaela Kimura's just-released "Best Hits 5 Year" album, or the OP from the popular anime Dance in the Vampire Bund. You get the Wednesday Free Single every week for all eternity, too. More K-On! T-Shirts from COSPA J-List has been adding COSPA T-shirts, hoodies and other fine items to our lineup lately, and today we've got two new K-On! T-shirts. Very high quality, and since they're only available from Japan, you'll be the coolest person in your anime club with this on. Nendoroid Play Diorama Sets *Preorder* If you love the amazing Nendoroid toys and want to display them in a special way, how about these dioramas, which let you create an authentic school festival? Up for preorder now. Tamaki Mukousaka Tissue Box Cover *Preorder* Next, an incredible concept from Japan: a tissue box cover that turns a boring box of tissues into an awesome moe moe kyun box of tissues. Tsubomi vol. 5 J-List loves yuri manga about girls falling in love with other girls, and the new issue of Tsubomi is in, with 300 pages of awesome stories for you to lose yourself in. Naughty Doujinshi Comics Enjoy some delightful doujinshi works, too, including Love Juice for Love Plus fans, and Ryoujoku Academy, based on a popular Konami quiz game. Angelica Special Onahole Here's a truly amazing novelty toy that lets fans of fantasy genres experience the feeling of an Elf maiden. Based on the popular game Himekishi Angelica, there are two versions for you to try. Restocked TENGA Toys Got fresh stock of some of our more popular TENGA products, too, including the classic U.S. Tenga Throat toy, the Tenga Hole Warmer, and that great USB-powered massager. MUV-LUV DVD-ROM Version J-List now sells import visual novels and eroge direct from Japan, and we're really pleased with how our customers have embraced them. The new Muv-Luv DVD-ROM game is now available for order! Chizuru Minamoto 1/4 Figure Bunny ver. *Preorder* This is really amazing -- a huge 1/4 scale figure of Chizuru from Kanokon, everyone's half-human fox deity. Climb the stairs of adulthood with this figure!
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CM’s Corp. is going release the Gutto Kuru Figure Collection 33 Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere non-scale action figure from the light novel/anime series “Zero no Tsukaima” ( ゼロの使い魔 ). Will be released in April 2010. Around 175mm tall, 8,800 yen. A DX ver. will be also available. Comes... **This is a content summary only. Please visit Nekomagic for full content!**
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Word at ANN is that seiyuu Rie Kugimiya-- most famous for her tsundere girls like Zero no Tsukaima's Louise and Shakugan no Shana's, um, Shana, as well as for voicing Al Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist (and Brotherhood) --has an appearance coming up in Taipei, Taiwan, and fans are already lining up to see her.The only problem is that the exhibition doesn't start until January 27th.And these fans have been lined up since January 3rd.And it's about 50°(F) out there.  Nagi from Combat Butler Hayate, Shana, and Louise See, Kugimiya will be doing a limited signing of about 150: 50 people can buy a special Shana ceramic plate to be signed for about $85 USD, and another 100 will get them if they line up. The plates sold out in 30 seconds online, with so many simultaneous orders coming in that 11 of those 100 plates had to be given to buyers, leaving only 89 for people waiting in line.Still, though. That's devotion. I mean, we're talking about fans having to try and find places to sleep where security patrols-- not find of overnight lines --won't bother them.ANN talked to three of the fans in line, two of whom got to know Kugimiya via Zero no Tsukaima and one via Shana. As you can imagine, they've spent a LOT of money on various merchandise relating to the series and to Kugimiya. But this...this is really, really impressive.Just one more time for perspective: lining up 25 DAYS before the event.Damn.
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EDIT: I just found this…..it’s like….a month old…..so…..uh…….whatever, here it is, but first, a picture that relates to the matter of said (this) post: So why is 2010 going to kick you in the teeth? There are several reasons: Zero no Tsukaima Season 4 – February 2010!? I don’t care what anyone says, I still like this [...]
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I never would have expected SILVER LINK, whom I remember being responsible for a 10-penny eroge adaptation Tayutama, to pull off something like this. Because the first episode of Baka to Test was pretty damn awesome. FATALITY. On paper Baka to Test sounds like a shitty Zero no Tsukaima ripoff. At Fumizuki Academy students are grouped by [...]
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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. Sengoku Helm Artbook A gorgeous collaboration artbook on the theme of the three kingdoms legend, this is a fabulous collection of illustrations that all collectors will love owning. Hayate Yagami Figma Action Figure Positively fabulous new Figma Nanoha figure, with many attachments to create different poses and styles, which adds so much to your enjoyment of the figure. Vita Figma Action Figure ~ Lyrical Nanoha Also, the hammer-wielding fighting princess Vita from Lyrical Nanoha THE MOVIE is finally in stock. Two thirds of our stock sold as preorders but we've got some left, so snap one up now. Dot Frill Petticoat Skirt ~ Black Then, it's quite amazing to be typing this, but J-List now sells petticoats. These are awesome frilly skirts that are quite popular with the goth-loli scene in Tokyo. Click to see this item along with the other fashion items we offer. Cosplay Fuku-bukuro Set Also for fans of fine Japanese cosplay, enjoy fresh stock of the Cosplay Lucky Bag grab bags, a traditional red bag filled with awesome cosplay items, including a complete costume, accessories and more. Fuwa Fuwa Portable Mini Animal Nap Pillows J-List loves to surprise you with kawaii things from Japan, and today we've got these awesome "nap pillows" that are perfect for curling up with, and they're so cute you won't be able to stop stroking their fur. DANGO ~ Japanese Bamboo Deco Pick Whether you're sprucing up your bento or entertaining guests, these bamboo "deco" picks are a fun way to add a touch of Japan to your life. Incredibly detailed and awesome. Tiger Animal New Years Strap Then, celebrate the Year of the Tiger with the fabulous plush tiger and traditional chirimen phone strap. A great memento of 2010. Celebrate the 'Year of the Taiga' Or if you like, be a little less traditional, and pick up one of our Toradora T-shirts, which are a great tribute to our favorite tsundere character. The Familiar of ZERO Complete Artbook Speaking of tsundere, we restocked the excellent Zero no Tsukaima artbook that presents the best art of the series on glossy pages for your enjoyment. 100 Masters of Bishojo Painting Also: see fresh stock of the popular artbook that presents fabulous painted illustrations by 100 of the top artists in Japan today. Virtually every artist you might want to follow is represented here. Ikki Tousen Fighting Game, Dating Sim for PSP The awesome 3D side-scrolling fighting game featuring all the hot and juicy characters from the Ikki Tousen / Dragon Destiny has been restocked. The "Costume Destruction Battle System" in which your opponents' clothes fly off is fun. Also the lovely dating-sim/visual novel game Like Life Every Hour is restocked. New Japanese Snacks Today's new snack items including UHA Puccho in bold Caramel flavor, Meiji Village of Bamboo Shoot in Strawberry Tart flavor, plus a truly amazing item, Morinaga Milk Cocoa Caramel Box -- wow, this looks good. Sauce Katsu (Aizu Limited) ~ Japanese Food Drops Sauce Katsudon is one of my favorite foods. It's a cutlet (katsu) of pork that's breaded and fried then simmered in a sauce and served on white rice (making it S don or rice bowl). See fresh stock of this wacky traditional Food Drops item. SENGOKU SAMURAI DX Bento Box Set Everyone in Japan is interested in history, even females, which are called reki-jo or "history girls." Among the coolest items we sell are these samurai-themed bento boxes, which feature real family crests from Japan's most famous warriors. Sushikko -- Sushi Maker (Multi Type) Make sushi the right way with this excellent sushi mold, which will press the rice into just the right shape for beautiful sushi creations. DX Simple Natural Wooden Chopsticks Set No Japanese meal would be complete without the use of chopsticks. Here's a set of five awesome all-natural chopstick sets, each made out of a different kind of wood. How to Bento Books We love to carry books that help you enjoy your "bento life" more, and we've got many fine ones in stock now, including How To Make Decorated Rolled Sushi. Click to view them now. Make 2010 a Year of Japanese Study Make 2010 the year you really get a handle on learning Japanese! We've restocked the Genki Japanese textbook series, the #1 study product we've ever carried. Or click here to view the top 50 study items on J-List right now. Kanji Practice Notebooks, Kanji Poster Then: we've posted fresh stock of our popular kanji practice notebooks, which let you memorize kanji characters by writing them repeatedly. Also, the only kanji study poster you'll ever need to hang on your wall. A Whole Bunch of Traditional Items From awesome traditional omamori to fabulous paper balloons played with by children in Kyoto for centuries to our popular Lucky Cat and Daruma products, we have some great items for you today. Click to browse. Revoltech Queen's Blade Elina Figure **Preorder** I just love these Revoltech Queen's Blade figures, since you can make any pose with them you like, including, er, ecchi ones. And yet they look just like the characters they're supposed to represent. Kagura Tsuchimiya Figma ~ Garei Zero *Preorder* From the animation of Garei Zero comes this Figma figure of Kagura Tsuchimiya, posed for action in weapon in hand, with many extras for you to attach to the figure. Champion Red Feb 2010 A fun monthly manga that's filled with the most delightful ecchi artwork and themes, which will entertain any fan of cute anime and manga girls and bishoujo style characters. Enjoy the new issue now. Yuri Hime Wild Rose vol. 3 Also, another issue of Yuri Hime Wild Rose, the yuri (lesbian) comic that brings the action to the next level, showing you the girl-on-girl visuals that you want to see. Claudette Cast off Figure ~ Queen's Blade *Preorder* This is a super "cast off" figure of Claudette, the mother of Elena and Reina, she has awesomely designed armor and weapons and a fully detailed body underneath. Preorder now. Awesome TENGA Products, See fresh stock of some of our most awesome TENGA products, which provide stress relief for so many around the world, along with the Angelic Temptation hole toy, the well designed Lapin massager for women that's made in Japan, the super Miku Hatsune simulator, and more.
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And so I finally managed to let go of my prejudice against loli tsundere characters voiced by Kujimiya Rie. Thank you, Taiga! Thank you, (post Rainy Blue) Touko! The Zero no Tsukaima anime franchise remains on my Bottom 5 Anime list though (Reason: I~NU~~!! followed by *Domestic violence is funny and sweet* Blargh). For the record, [...] Related posts:2009 Moment of Anime 3: The Call of Duty 2009 Moment of Anime: Melting into the Fandom of Miku Hatsune Winter 09 :: tis the Good Ends season for KugiRie tsunderes
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Kawasumi Ayako was born on March 30, in Tokyo. She took piano lessons since early childhood, and without any doubts, she's very skilled. The opening for anime Piano, "...To You", was composed and performed by her. Kawasumi also voiced two pianists, Nomura Miu from aforementioned anime Piano, and Noda Megumi from Nodame Cantabile.She's voiced some 70 characters so far, and I'm sure many of them are very well known to you. For instance, Yoshida Kazumi from Shakugan no Shana, Minamoto Chizuru from Kanokon, Oono Kanako from Genshiken, Saber from Fate/stay night, Henrietta from Zero no Tsukaima, and of course, the following three.Kawasumi's fans refer to her as Ayachii, Peyaya, Ayasumi, and Aya-nee.Andou Mahoro from Mahoromatic, an android being created by VESPET to take a stand against an invasion of aliens. As an android, her lifetime is limited, and VESPET let her do what she wants. Her wish is to become a maid for Misato Suguru, whose father she had to kill when he was taken hostage by an alien.Mahoro is getting along very well with others and is really warmhearted. She also quickly picks up amazing culinary skills, so much so that she is able to reproduce dishes from restaurants.What Mahoro really dislikes is ecchi things. Her trademark is "Ecchi na no wa ikenai to omoimasu" ("I think that perverted thoughts are bad").Mahoro suffers from the common "my breasts are inferior" complex, and she is so desperate that she even asks VESPET to give her bigger ones, which shouldn't be any big deal as she's an android.Sakurano Otoha, Master Sergeant from Sky Girls. Her sword skills are quite remarkable as she comes from a family that runs a dojo. Her Sonic Diver Unit - a volitant combat suit, controlled by pilots who are exposed to ambient air - is named Reijin, but she calls it Zero.Otoha is usually bright, but she can get very violent when someone says something perverted.Kasuga Ayumu aka Osaka from comedy classic, Azumanga Daioh. However, Kawasumi voiced her only in Azumanga Web Daiou. Osaka's seiyuu in the TV series is Matsuoka Yuki.I believe it's not necessary to introduce Osaka, as 99% of you have surely watched Azumanga. In case you haven't, it's about time you did so. Azumanga is a true gem among comedies. If you disagree with my opinion, then you're wrong lol.
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