rilakkuma mug

collect 20 points (about 10-20 of ¥100 ish bread) and receive the mug for free at lawson X3

tachiyomi

it should be a common view here. but it just suddenly popped into my eyes how they're all males, and all crowded up the magazines area. interesting.

Hanafuda 花札

Something I forgot to mention on my Summer Wars post yesterday.
The game they played throughout the movie, and what was used to beat the Bot at the final stage, was a card game called Hanafuda, with the phrase that often said "Koi Koi". I had no idea such game exist. I knew about Karuta, the hiragana games that's played in new year's...



The Tsundere Boys Karuta version. Or Tsundere moe version. Or Queens Blade version. I played them when I first learned Japanese. Whoah, I wish these cards existed back then XD So interesting!

But! After some googling, turned out that Nintendo, that's apparently been around since 1889! *gasp* produced card games, oh wait, produces! The Hanafuda cards, they still sell it till now! Aaaa... That's why there were no PSP, because even the card game and DSi are all Nintendo XD (Maybe)

That made me want to learn and get this card game. Some rules and online version of the game, though I had no idea and just keep on clicking and losing o_o;;

There's even a Hello Kitty version of Hanafuda (and Disney as well)!

Summer Wars サマーウォーズ

So today I went to watch Summer Wars. It's released on 1st August, though I only watch it after seeing a documentary with Hosoda Mamoru, the director. It's an awesome movie. o_o!!! Here's the first 5 minute of the movie.

Basically the story is about an AI bot went beserk and attacking an online community, OZ, which also ended up messing the communication system in Japan. The main character is a high school boy who (almost) represent Japan in Mathematics Olympic. He won a Janken over his friend and won the part time job offered by his senpai, quite an idol in the campus. The job, was actually to be the senpai's boyfriend! She wanted to introduce him as her boyfriend to the grandma, who'd be having a big 90th birthday party in a village in Ueda. And the problem happened during his stay in the castle-like house...

Some points that caught my attention:
• The amount of tech and gadgets stuff!! The online community and Windows 7 to start, super computer, Japanese cellphones, Nintendo DSi, iPhone (complete with AT&T signal, owned only by Wabisuke-jichan? Not sure if the friend's also own one), a laptop that looks like a Dell.
• Why is it that the stupid action wasn't punished?! The ice, the fight...
• But I suppose without these annoying scenes, it won't be a complete movie?
• I don't understand why the need to damage the completely nice house...
• The family's history went back to Sengoku era, and there were some war talks, which I don't really get, must study on that. So the movie not only includes some high tech stuff, but also the old Japan itself, and very stylishly. I thought it's awesome.
• I thought the nosebleed scenes are so cute. No, it's not perverted.
• Family is important, really. I always like it when my big family gather around in new year's and some other events. Not a family that get along perfectly well, but I do love that we still make time to gather around. I hope it continues.
• Seems like sitting till credit finish will be my habit. They never turn on the light before the credit finishes. I like it anyway, not rushing to go out...

Definitely a must watch anime. I want to rewatch it again! X3



Other than that, Namba Parks, where I watched at, is such a stylish place. Love it. But it'd be very dangerous to visit Namba so often (too much dangerously want-to-get stuff, either otaku goods or zakka goods). Went to Denden town too. Finally got myself an Animate member card. The Bantorra pics is a free brochure from Animate, it has some info on new Anime/goods. Then, by printing out this coupon, you can get the Hello Kitty strap, Animate Tenchou version... XD

カレーコロ・チャー

with kimutaku dancing with indians XD
only now i noticed they provide the sticker to help reclose the lid. it's provided at the bottom of the container.

Ghibli Layout Exhibition

Ponyo ponyo ponyo...♪

Today's destination is Ghibli Layout Exhibition!
You can see the map trip below (sorry, only partly..., I was impatient to wait for the GPS to connect).
Not that it's that much of a walk trip anyways.

I love anime. One of my dream is to become a mangaka, or at least doujinshika. I want to try becoming an animator, too. Tough job, but doesn't it sound cool? But to be one in Japan is... really tough. First is the very high average skills people here have, second is the visa thing. But nothing's impossible, I'm sure. One day I'll become one! ^o^/ This Japanese culture is just so world wide already, from time to time I see foreign otaku interviewed on Japanese TV. Though, it's a bit ugh to be stereotyped as gaijin who come to Japan because of anime/manga. ^_^; Though I do can't deny it fully.

First up. The train manner monkey series was at the Osaka-kou Station (大阪港).

And this very cute dog was sleeping... Luckily I went the wrong way, was going through the smaller street, not the main street, a shortcut, I guess.

The ticket is ¥700 for student. ¥600 if I remember to take the voucher...

Outside is a big Totoro board, where you can lay down, pretending you're on top of Totoro's belly. Too bad no one's there to take a pic for me... =/ It was already evening by the time I went out. I was in there for almost 3 hours ^_^;;

There are two long boards for people to put their own stickers. I'm not sure what these creatures supposed to represent. I do remember seeing them somewhere... orz

Mine's somewhere here.

Anyways. I'm not a big fan of Ghibli, actually, sorry. I'd rather see Production IG's or Studio 4C's. But Ghibli is big. And this thing is not something to be missed (ends 12 October in Osaka). The layout exhibition is awesome. From those yellowish ones that are older than me, to the most recent Ponyo's colored layout design.

It just makes me want to watch more Ghibli's anime, and make my own (ahahaha). Bought the book, 400 pages thick for ¥2900 (1 for a friend) and some postcards.

Layout is something drawn after E-konte (storyboard), to picture better how the scenes should look and animated, since it's hard to change once you go into the actual drawing process. Except for Ponyo's exhibition, all of them are only drawn by pencil and colored pencils. Some are just so rough. Some are very detailed. And they have these "technical words" written on them, like "follow" or "pan up". There are other words which are not pure english, but I can't remember them, ahaha. Oh wait, "kumi" which is when the "cell" touches the background. I'm not sure what's the scratch lines (have to see them close enough) doing on the paper, maybe it's explained on the audio tour (¥500), which I didn't get.

It looks like these (from the thick book). The display for Spirited Away one is the best. The castle-ish building is printed big on the wall. And the layout drawings fill up the wall from below till the ceiling. And they're so pretty and detailed... =A=

Afterwards, I went to get something to eat. Suntory Museum where the exhibition's held is just beside the aquarium. These lamps are just so sparkly cute. I don't like aquariums, though... Uncooked real fish scares me, though salmon sashimi is kinda yumm.

This is at a nearby mall. I think there's a similar place in Dotonburi? I've never been there.

Restaurants and shops. I ended up eating a Tendon. Haven't had tempura for a long time.

Next to the mall is this giant ferris wheel. One of the world's biggest. ¥700 for one adult (oh wait, I just see it's having a special price for ¥560). This place really reminds me of Odaiba, on a much smaller scale, though...

And that's the end of today. Two gallery trips in a week. =D
Next coming up is Inoue Takehiko's exhibition, I think... sometime next year?
Most of special events is ending this early October. Hm, well. Summer ended and new semester is beginning soon...

ghibli layout exhibition
Map created by EveryTrail

GPS Tracking

At the last trip to Osaka Castle, I switched between:

- Canon Camera
For nicer quality pictures.

- iPhone Camera
For its auto geotagging ability. It's pretty good just for daily recordings. And the focus on tap thing is awesome.

- Geotagging (by Everytrail -- the actual app called Everytrail wasn't useful for me)

It's convenient when you want to take pics only at certain spots, and not really having the need to fully track your walking path. The photos will be connected with lines automatically on the website. So I took pic twice, one for this path, one to keep. And that's why sometimes I just forgot to take proper pics for this XD

The path and pics are editable online though. But if only it shows up the time the photo was taken, it'd be perfect. They just released a new version of their website not long ago, I hope they'll keep on improving it.

The bad thing is that you can't save the photos to iPhone. =/ And can't set up the accuracy. So when you're at a bad area, it'll keep on trying to locate and won't track.

- GPS Tracker (Instamapper)

The nice thing about it is you can track as often or as rarely as you want, very accurate, or just about, useful when you're at a bad signal area. And it keeps all your GPS recording, you can then choose your point you want to use as your track online. I use the exported gpx file to geotag my Canon camera using GPS Photo Linker.
You can see the time when the points are recorded. Nice.
But I don't think the points are editable, it can be erased, though.

- セカイカメラ

For futuristic anime-ish experience XDD
I'm just worried with my battery, though. I need to get the backup battery pack.

Other useful software:

Run Keeper Free is nice if you're doing jogging. Which I intended to do, but only did once so far... orz

I used Trapster to record the trip in Kyoto, but it's a bit annoying, since it's main purpose is for people who drive and want to be careful with police traps(?). Not gonna use this again since Everytrail turned out nice.