Kurenai is quite possibly the most solid of the series that came out during the past spring season. It’s a well-written series. If you liked True Tears and want to see how it would have been with a bit less romance and a bit more action, then it’s likely that you’ll like Kurenai. This series [...]
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Josh’s Anime Blog Podcast Episode #76 is now online! In this podcast, I review the anime series Kurau: Phantom Memory. This week’s Podcast Stats: Time: 20:39 Download Size: 14.2 MB Opening theme: “Reflectia” by eufonius Opening theme to True Tears Ending theme: “Moonlight” by Yukari Katsuki Ending theme to Kurau: Phantom Memory You can listen to my podcasts in the following ways: Flash Player: Directly: http://www.joshsanimeblog.com/podcast/JABPEpisode76.mp3 You [...]
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What do you do when the girl you like moves in with your family but becomes even more cold and distant than ever? Or when you meet a strange girl at school who seems to take a perverse interest in treating you like one of her chickens? How about when your best friend’s girlfriend seems [...]
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The ladies by the pool and beach are an excellent indication of what season it is… Ah… Three weeks removed from my 6th semester of college, I’m finally ready to put some things down on this site once again. There are some reviews (Spice and Wolf, Shigofumi, Hatenkou Yugi, True Tears, Clannad) still left on [...]
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Hey folks, it’s been a while since I last posted an article here. Been taking a writing break ever since I ended my coverage on ef ~a tale of memories, True Tears, and CLANNAD (TV), but apparently because of that, this blog stops getting regular updates while the higher echelons of the RIUVA staff goes [...]
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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. Megami Magazine Mar. 2008. Megami Magazine is the #1 reserve subscription magazine at J-List because of all the beautiful free stuff they give you in each issue, like the *15* double sided anime posters you get in this issue. the free Strikers book inside, and more. Lucky Star, To LOVE-ru, Clannad, Bamboo Blade, True Tears, My-Hime, Gunslinger Girl. Fantastic! We only have a few copies of this issue, but remember that subscriptions are available. Char Rhousemann 1/8 Figure ~ Shuraki Trinity Box 03. A really fantastic figure from Good Smile Company, it's got it all: beautiful styling, detailed anime hair, a base to display proudly. Plus it's a "cast off" figure, so you can reconfigure her clothes in many ways, including full dress, ripped dress (let's that "battle damage"), or no dress at all. Neon Genesis Evangelion - Tabris and Zeruel. Amazing artist Yoshizaki Mine (creator of Keroro Gunsou) has created this re-mix of two angels from the Evangelion universe. Fantastic styling on both figures, you will treasure them for years! Unazukin Birth Stone. The fun Unazukin series continues, with more birthstone-inspired designs, including Pearl and Peridot. These are unavailable for restocking, and we recommend you pick up any designs you like the colors of before they disappear. Anime Pop Star: YOKO ISHIDA Live in Concert DVD (Live Action). I'm a big fan of Yoko Ishida's "Anime Para Para" tracks, super fast and dance-able versions of famous anime themes, and I often fire them up for entertainment when working late at night. Here's Yoko's live concert on DVD! When They Cry - Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni ~ Kai Official Character and Summary Book. One of the most popular anime series in Japan right now, the eerily beautiful When They Cry (or When The Cicadas Cry, to translate the Japanese title). Here's the art book from the 2nd series. Caiman Figure ~ Dorohedoro *Preorder*. Here's a really amazing figure from a fascinating manga called Dorohedoro in which mutants fight each other for survival. This awesome figure is in stock now, although the figure sold so well as a preorder stock is very limited. Beautiful Kanji Training for Nintendo DS. This one is special: a Nintendo DS game that comes with a writing brush stylus and has many activities that teach you how to write beautiful kanji. This thing is like a real teacher, refusing to accept characters written with the wrong stroke order or that are sloppy. An amazing tool for students of the language! B's Log Apr 2008. Another issue of B's Log, the magazine for fans of both "BL" games (aesthetically pleasing guy/guy stories) as well as "otome" games (girl-centric dating-sim games). This new issue is filled with interesting content, and lots of free stuff inside, too. Myojo Apr 2008. Then dig on a new issue of Myojo, the magazine dedicated to the popular male and female (but mostly male) faces in Japan, from Kat-Tun to Hey! Say! Jump and more. Available as a subscription, but we've gotten in some extra copies of this issue for you. Bento Boxes: Japanese Meals on the Go. A great new book from Kodansha with tons of information on bento, Japan's amazing boxed lunches. All in English, with lots of good meal ideas in here. Authentic Japanese Loose Socks. Yasu would like me to tell you that loose socks, those extra-baggy socks that Japanese high school girls wear, have been restocked, too (both 70 and 120 cm socks). 'Modern+' DX Aluminum Bento Box, Chopsticks Case. Bento enthusiasts, we've restocked the super-popular modern style bento box that has so many lovely compartments and interesting features, it will be your favorite lunch box. The separate chopstick case is also restocked. WA Pattern Bento KINCHAKU Bag. Raise the "WA" potential of your bento with this stylish bento bag that looks like a "Kinchaku" handbag carried by kimono-clad ladies in Kyoto. Fits many standard bento boxes. Nail Clipper Key Chain ~ UKIYOE / Three Beauties. Here's a cool item: a keychain with fingernail clippers featuring art from old Japan. Fantastic. Square Wooden Geta w/ Blue Stripe Strap ~ Jumbo size. Fans of Japanese traditional wooden sandals (geta) will love these gorgeous new sandals we've gotten in today, large lacquered wooden shoes with rubber bottoms to make walking easy. Good large size for big gaijin feet. Sanrio Rice Bowls: My Melody, Cinnamoroll. Two fantastic ceramic rice bowls only available in Japan, featuring the super cute My Melody and Cinnamoroll. The perfect size for enjoying rice, miso soup or anything. Hello Kitty ECO My Own Shopping Bag with Small Case. Go "eco" with Hello Kitty, with this handy take-anywhere nylon shopping bag that folds up nice and neat into a small case with handle when not in use. Two cool retro versions, back in stock now! Restocked Studio Ghibli Items. Got some really rare Hayao Miyazaki products back on the site today, including two "Matchbook" style wooden music boxes, a plush Sleeping Totoro Music Box, and the out-of-production Nausicaa Gun Ship keychain. Other Restocked Photobooks. Find some other rare photobooks back on the site, including Rio Tsuyuhara's Poaching Diary, the issue of More and More dedicated to Sola Aoi, and Ura Karami. These books are totally out of print and we recommend you snap them up before they're gone forever. Newly Posted "H" Manga. Enjoy a great new issue of Chousuke Nagashima's Seku-Hara Man, the story of a man who has free reign to do anything he wants with all the beautiful women at the company he works at, and the bold Door of Pleasure, a collection of 11 stories of fascinating ero. Nonstop Miyu Hoshino 4 Hours. Enjoy 4 hours of the cute-as-a-button Miyu Hoshino in this new release from TMA. Features all kinds of enjoyable performances, including costumes (like Vocaloid Miku Hoshino, where her name comes from), school uniform, tall boots, swimsuit and more. Highly recommended. JAV Actress of the Month: Io Asuka. The JAV Star for this month is the lovely Io Asuka, the pure AV starlet who debuted on the Deep's label last year. (Her first name is pronounced "EE-oh.") Born in Tokyo on December 10, 1988, her hobbies include collecting DVDs, playing with her dog and making different kinds of pasta. We're big fans of Io-chan's work, and recommend her to all JAV fans.
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I've been listening to the Macross Frontier soundtrack, and it's every bit as wonderful as I hoped it'd be. I'm loving the tracks What 'bout my star (both versions), Big Boys (reminds me a lot of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme), and Innocent green. Oh and the Nyan Nyan song is as cute as ever. It's going to be hard at the end of the year deciding whether this OST is better or the true tears one is - probably this because of all the vocal music (which isn't to say that Yoko Kanno's instrumentals aren't great too). And that's assuming the next Macross Frontier OST won't be better. I also managed to scrape together some time this weekend to watch a few episodes of the currently-running drama Zettai Kareshi. For those of you unfamiliar with it, it's about a girl who gets a robot as her ideal boyfriend, and the love triangle and troubles that this leads to. That might sound silly, but it's actually really entertaining. I was curious about this adaptation because I read the manga a long time ago, and though a lot of things have changed in the story, it's still very very good. It has that same spark that I found in the Hana Yori Dango and Yamada Tarou Monogatari dramas - the perfect mix of comedy and romance drama. It can be very funny at times (especially the actor who plays Namikiri), and the romance and drama elements are slightly over the top - just the way I like it. I wish I were blogging it, but sadly I just can't make the time commitment for a drama series right now (though I may try to next season or the season after that). On a side note, I had the theme song of this series, Okaeri by ayaka in my head all the way until today...when I started listening to the Macross Frontier soundtrack. Also in the news, the official Mai-HiME/Otome website announced a new project. No details about it other than the name and character design of the new heroine, Mao (see the link). While I do wish Sunrise would develop more new original properties, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious what this one will be like, especially since S.ifr's first episode was better than expected. Speaking of which, the second volume of S.ifr is due out July 25th.
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These are blogging reactions which I was going to admire, debate and mock upon the completion of true tears. Since I’m obviously not going to start now, might as well dump the list. This goes on top of what I posted previously. Jeff Lawson, first impression: [T]he CG work in True Tears is damn near perfect. It [...]
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This show ended while I was gone so I didn’t have the chance to write some kind of a final impressions post for it. But now that there’s nobody who cares about this series that much anymore, I might as well write everything I didn’t feel like saying when this show was all popular and [...]
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