Another introduction of Chara Form (きゃらふぉるむ) (chibi-chara figure) series by empty. Just to give you an idea of what Chara Forms are like.
(*Japanese sites)


**Photos are from my very normal digital camera, at different times of the day, with just room lighting.
This is all just as examples, not useful in any reference to quality/paint job.
**Links are just info and photo reference, not recommendations of where to buy.




First off, 2nd Ieyasu. (First back here)
The previous one's base was a little hard to fit on.

So was this one. Which probably means it's wasn't an individual characteristic-will be present in all.


Not a big deal at all. Screwdriver again.

Again, if you ever find that a part doesn't fit, do not ever try and force it. More than often it'll either crack or break pieces.
Example of what can happen below↓ (Timely!)




CharaForm 002
Ishida Mitsunari

( Gokyoka wo!!Collapse )







There we have it. 2nd Chara Form example.
Chara Form (きゃらふぉるむ) series haven't announced much new. There's a Chara Form series coming from Aniplex though. I'm guessing empty's co-production? Or Chara Form wasn't empty's brand-series after-all?
(*Japanese links)

In continuation of this post


DONE!! ☆






Full set, getto!!☆☆



p.s. This is what a can badge is.

→Related to rant back here

Carcinogenic Substance Found in Supplements of Shoujo Manga Magazines (crunchyroll)
Stopped:
・Tanoshii Youchien April Issue
・Tanoshii Youchien Himegumi Vol.33 (*Japanese link)
Recalled:
・Nakayoshi 2015 Jan.Issue
・Ribbon 2015 Aug.Issue
・Otomodachi Pink 2014 Nov.Issue


So, this, we'd had to take off our shelves immediately.
Magazine furoku are special free stuff on magazines -quite frankly the SOLE jem and sales point of the magazine. Publishers spend hours and tons of money getting contracts with makers for special furoku.

Each month there's an average 5 magazines that have furoku we in the U.S. can't sell due to some "hazardous material" restrictions. Some make sense, others honestly don't. Things you put in your mouth, I get. So no-nos to chocolate molds, I get. You eat what comes out of it. That's what you get for following this Japanese phenomenon of girls being forced to give our chocolate- nothing but a concept created by chocolate companies.
But these are things like stickers that get vetoed. And 100% make-ups stuff are 100% ban. Really, Japanese skin really different than American skin?
Each time these furoku get the "NO SALE IN US!" stamp, we take the furoku out and sell the magazine at discount.

Going back to subject at hand. We'd had to take these issues immediately off our shelves. I groaned thinking it be the usual "bah, U.S. being nit-picky and anal...", but hearing Japan recalled these was an amusing eye-opener. Plus "recall" means these were completely banned from sales, completely . Ouch.

China being alot more loose on being careful with materials has been an issue for years, so Japan catching this one's no surprise.
Although the fact that it's 2014 2015 magazines that are being recalled makes it seem there were actual incidents that happened -most "U.S. NO SALE" restrictions are made before anything happens.

It's all the making you'all.

Whistle! Soccer Manga Gets Stage Play Adaptation (ANN)
・Whistle! Stage Official Site


(・_・)??

Say what?

→Adding to this post regarding Animate USA Online

Side mumbling: You know what, I'm suspecting a possibility a bit that they're retracting online not as much because of sales than all the f*cking sales restrictions US has (sometimes, almost looking as banishment of international imports). Their are loads of "hazardous material" laws --which DIFFERS BY EACH STATE. Meaning some states regard something "hazardous", others don't. New Yorkers apparently have different skin than Californians? (・▥・)

Sadly, every so often lawyers find something that doesn't have a required tag on it and sues. We've been having problems with that since last November. Some lawyer found a stuffed animal without a huge "warning" tag on it and filed a lawsuit (not against us). Spooked everybody out.
Former-lawyer-dad commented this is rather against international trade laws, but that's a different dimension.

If Animate figured they couldn't deal with all these, quite frankly POINTLESS laws, and the constant possibility of being sued, I don't blame them.

Animate USA Online Shop




Σ(0_0)!!!!!!!!

Σ(0Σ0;)!!!!!!!!!

Σ(0□0)!!!!!!!!


Animate USA Online, closing?! Aw, no.... One of the best places to get Animate goods.... Supreme quality goods......
We sell their products in our stores, but I'd sometimes also shopped here for products we couldn't stock. Came to check out what may've come, and I see this.

Animate (Official Japanese Site) is a Japanese anime-goods store. Probably the best in Japan. You get loads and loads of anime stuff, can buy without being looked at weird. Majority of their stuff was exclusive too. No matter how much of a closet-otaku, taking them to Animate would release any such futile resistance.
Before online shopping existed, whenever I went to Japan I'd go straight there. Akihabara Animate has 7 floors. Ikebukuro 9 floors of anime goods. Hear me? (・▽・) 6 floors
Yokohama (the one I'd been to the most, been going there since middle school) has 3 floors.

Animate as of now doesn't have an independent store in the States, they've retailed their merchandise in our Kinokuniya Bookstores. Thus yours truly has a deep connection with them. We've had their stuff, 3 years? I think?

Giving insider info, it is true the pace of their goods delivery had slowed down this last year. Before we'd get order forms every 2 months and uzuhi would be inapproachable as she's too excited ordering. It'd slowed down to 3 months, then 4 -the last one we'd had was last October. (figures are separate. Those come at same pace as other suppliers). Delivery time was uzuhi's bliss...
The #1 product was clear files. In my age it was shitajiki (pencil boards) (still have a huge stack), now it's clear files. Use alot at work too.

This is too bad.... I hope they're okay. USA Online shop closing... If this was indication of opening a store on their own, it'd be so good (uzuhi chooses otaku-ness over work-site's sales). Doubtful though. Hopefully their Japan site will start overseas delivery?

Hope I don't hear anything else at work tomorrow (・_・)

Mame Sengoku Basara4 Can Badge Collection (AmiAmi) came in last december.

And, what else to do, but get early choice? (=▽=)

Mame Sengoku Basara (Amazon link) is a 4-koma series by Sumeragi (Twitter) (*Japanese links) featuring Basara mini charas.
Of course it's absolute adorable, having both comedy and sincere episodes.

Can badge collection of Sengoku Basara 4.
There's 14 in all, but, I'm just going to pick 2 random one's.

Here we go!!


First draw:

Ieyasu + Matabe
Σ(0o0)?!!! Ieyasu!!!!! The one I wanted most!! And Matabe! Cool!


Wow, what luck! Let's do another 2!


Second draw:

Mitsunari + Ieyasu
T,tono?! Really?!! (*Ieyasu from second box-ie 1 box includes only 1 Ieyasu). Sekigahara!!!! What's goin on my luck?!


Let's see...... oh why not another 2!


Third:

Masamune + Sakon
Hitttooooooo☆!!!!



Can't stop now (=ｗ=)
( under lj-cut to save browser spaceCollapse )



(*****there are 14 in each box. I picked 2 out of a different box. thus 2 are doubles↑)




So there we have it. 12 out of 14 of Mame Sengoku Basara 4 Can Badges.




Each one is approx 4cm. Size comparison with 1/8 Scale figure:




Look for them!! They're' adorable!!

Higurashi tv drama, okay! The live action movie, no comment. But go ahead, keep Higurshi going!

..................................................wtf is this? ................................NGT48...audition....?.........................

(*takes deep breath)


(*courtesy smile)
There's this trend lately of using
AKB48(+spin off) idols in horror movies.
And it's FLIPPIN FRUSTRATING.

I don't like the 48 series as is. The initial concept was okay. "Local mudane girls to be idols fans can interact more closely with" (paraphrase, not verbatim quote). Now though it's an "I'm cute! Look at me I'm cute!" session. Most frustrating, they claim to be "singers". Talking with a melody is not singing!! That's me at karaoke. So, yes there are lots of other artists that "sing" like that. But they don't basically commit fraud with addons and falsely attain "top selling records". (←UARAAAAAAAAAAA (o☒o) regarding that)

So they're "idols" but the thing is they're AMATEURS. Whenever they're used on tv (basically every show) they don't know how nor try to do much. While the commedians are trying to liven things up, even letting these girls speak "--chan, what do you think?!", all they say is "ah, hai" or "sugoidesune".
I'm not much of a fan of their creator Akimoto Yasushi either. His lyrics are really boring... I used to translate lyrics, and his were always very very very very unimaginative. Probably written like so, so that they'll be easier to remember. But boring is boring.

Moving on.

My fit with 48series in horror movies begins with Densen Uta (The Suicide Song). I was looking forward to it since it was the same writer as Chakushin-Ari (One Missed Call) (yes, I'll give him that). It's categorized as "J-horror", but it ain't horror. It's just a AKB48 vehicle. I repeat, it's not a horror movie.


J-horror with AKB(+spin offs)48 that I've watched:
・TekeTeke
・Kotsutsubo
・Kuchisake-onna Returns (not related to previous versions)
・Hitorikakurenbo
・The Toshi-Densetsu x Merry-san No Denwa
・Kokkurisan
・Tomie Unlimited
・Joker Game (not to be mixed up with the 2015 one)
・Sukima-Onna
・Kuroyuri Danchi (The Complex)


Some of these ↑ were watchable. TekeTeke was okay, Kuchisake-Onna Returns was average (although it had absolutely zilch to do with the urban legend) :/. Watchable movies were 100% dependent on the base story or directors. ex:Kotsutsubo's story was by Yamada Yusuke.
Yet still too many times whenever whatever idol girl appeared the scene tension dropped cold. Largely because they were obviously made up to look "cute" (goddamit human hair doesn't hang like that!) or acting was horrible. There's acting that is being down-to-earth to be relatable, then there's just acting that is recognizable to pros and amateurs alike as bad.
Absolute worst imo was Hitorikakurenbo. OH MY GOD WAS THIS GIRL'S ACTING MAD. No, not calling it acting. It's mumbling to your friends that you're thinking about taking a nap. These movies BARELY made it through as horror.
......Not looking forward to Nozokime this year.
(I love urban legends.... can't resist wanting to see renditions of them)

At the same time though, there is the fact that these girls cast listing adds "(AKB48)" to their name. Kind of reflects something. Like "yes this girl's not an actor"? (=o=)

Okay, so using "idols" or famous people to gain attention is nothing new nor limited to AKB. ---Such as using "actors" instead of seiyuu in dubs (do not ever watch Japanese dubbed Titanic). Probably what frustrates is my disdain for them being categorized as "singers", over exposure, and shoving them into my dear J-horror genre.


Going back to what I wanted to comment on--
Higurshi No Naku Koro Ni movie. Right. Didn't do the series justice. Was not scary.

And, we, are, making, drama, series, with 48series idols.



(´･ω･`)

(´=ω=`)

L(ﾟ皿ﾟﾒ)｣

I wish I could stop sounding so mocking to customers whenever I get asked off questions... I mean I very desperately hope I DON'T sound sarcastic, but I worry. Since in my mind I might be muttering "..........".


"Do you have manga 'Yamada'?"
---"um, is there a subtitle? 'Yamada' is basically 'Smith' in Japanese"
→She was asking about "Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches". How's she to know that's a name and not just a title?


Where are your calendars?"
---"yeah! If you look a little but to your left, that's what we have left"
(*customer turns all the way around) "Where?"
---(*points) "er, if you look down from there about a 30% angle you'll see em"
(*customer turns left) "Where?"
---"ah here" (*walks up right in front and points)
→I'm my mind I'm thinking "Just LOOK AROUND, okay?"


"Where is your help desk?"
---"If you look straight inside from the entrance you'll see it"
(*our store's inside a larger market place)
(*customer turns to our store entrance "Where?"
---"ah, yeah, if you go to our market building entrance and look forward"
"I thought that's just a gas stand?"
---"...n,no, you look INWARDS from the entrance"
"That's a supermarket"
---"...........if you walk STRAIGHT in from the entrance and walk STRAIGHT you'll see it IN FRONT of you"
→I'm my mind I'm thinking "Are you serious???"


"Do you have mAnJA?" (←very common question during Christmas season)
---".........about 1/3 of our store's manga, is there a kind of series you're looking for?"
→If you don't know what MAnjGA (manga) is of course you wouldn't know it any different from a pack-of-credit-cards.



Most common one is, our credit card machine requires you press "Yes" before swiping. 90% of customers don't read the display it and swipe then put away their card right away. When that happens--
---(*presses button from behind the counter) "Can you swipe again?"
→In my mind I'm thinking "Just READ what it says....?".
Before, I used to say "Can you press Yes before you swipe?" but got tired of it and just do it myself.
At least adding "Sorry, our device is so tedious" just to be polite.


I will admit in these instances I am a-bit annoyed, but retail means patience with customers.

Really, I apparently show my emotions easily, I REALLY hope I'm doing so at these times (=_=;)

Not that anybody asked, but, I'd like to say something.
I'm not naive enough to think anyone's reading here.
It was fun, but I'm very aware people on my friends list have moved on from LJ. As does it seem like 90% of this population

But hey, blogging is all about self-satisfaction.
Reading other's blogs (and twitters for that matter) is hearing other's self-serving. Am I right?

Been here at LJ 10 years. Been both healed and massacred here. No point in looking for somewhere else to babble to myself. It's still a "network" here too.
For the record-esque posts here. If anybody ever finds here, welcome, hope you find something you can kill time with.

Not being cynical, at all. Really! I'm just noting that I know what I'm doing here (=ｗ=). Anybody comes back I'll likely still be here.

If anybody ever finds the hobby posts as of any use, my dream will have come true. Then join me in seiyuu mental stalking.


Tis continues a xx-year old otaku/ultra-nerd, Us/Japan blooded American living in US currently working at a Japanese bookstore's babbling.

Literally, hello world! (>▽<)

Happy Holidays!

Bit of a topic on the mind as an order-er of anime goods...
It's probably really not fair to judge a series based on the fans... However, for series I don't have much emotional investment -most series I'm neutral or reckless when ordering goods- if I hear negative stuff I get passive (=3=).
then once I do get into a series apologize to the love fairies

--Not going to name the series so as not to offend anyone.--
(hey, I don't like it when my love series are dissed either)


One series,.... fan reputation is reaallllly bad. Like they gang up and hound non-fans. -Not just rival series fans, even people who know nothing :/
Personal reason is, it's a series with a group unit as the main characters, and there are 2-sets of 2-characters that LOOK ALIKE. I truly can't tell them apart.... (*face-palm). And this gets.... quite frankly annoying.
Face the fact, lots of anime series have characters that look like. (and gets ridiculed for it) Example: as much as Hirai Hisashi's art is popular, his characters are hard to tell apart, frankly impossible if they have the same hair style and coloring. (GSD used the EXACT same image for multiple characters-just changed the eye color) (I used this as an amusement in my other journal's mood theme :P) (on the other hand this also means you can tell right away a Hirai character).
→(back to topic at hand) So with these 2-sets they have the same color hair, EXACT same facial expressions (personalities are probably very different but I can't tell that by looking), same clothes, same height. Once when a figure came in I panicked because I thought I'd accidentally doubled the ordered (=_=;). Then read the character names and was bummed out I couldn't tell anime characters apart.

I know I'm not being fair. As long as fans can tell the characters apart that's what counts. And it's not fair to say the actions of just a percentage of fans affects my impression of a series. I haven't given a chance to the series.
Yet, when you don't know anything about something you can only remember what others have said.


Another series has an absolute horrible reputation. First off, when there was a scandal the official apology was basically "eh, the lower-ranked staff did it". Really?...
And it's notorious there are VERY disrespectful fans. So much that the stereotype of history-liking girls is turning as selfish-bitch know-it-alls. They push into historical places where people work, hoard into historical sites that are off limits. (visiting seichi -anime phenomenon of fans visiting actual sites where scenes played out (*TERM "Seichi Junrei" OUTSIDE THE ANIME WORLD IS A FOR RELIGIOUS PILGRIMAGES. DO NOT GET THAT MIXED UP)). As a history buff, I find it it VERY irritating they they're invading historical and real-life functioning places just to squee.
Our favorite series exist only thanks to history. What that means is RESPECT those in the past. History inspired anime/game serious characters are DIFFERENT THAN PEOPLE AND OBJECTS THAT HAVE EXISTED IN HISTORY. They are inspired, not factual representations of recorded history.
You wanna write a book that King Arthur was a girl? (mind you, "her" story is originally in an eroge). And Tokugawa Ieyasu was not a big-boobed girl nor ride on the shoulders of Honda Tatakatsu(Honda Tadakatsu was actually younger than Ieyasu) and later become a very nice-toned boy that beat Toyotomi Hideyoshi with his fists. Date Masamune unfortunately did not fight with 6 swords and speak English (*heavy gif) nor was he a blond girl (the eye-patch is always consistent tho--based on historical fact). Cao Cao (Sousou) was not a lesbian. You get my drift?
(leave my Basara bias alone)
(hm? stage Basara? yes, what of it?)
(okay I had too much fun doing that last paragraph (=∇=))
↑**Reference links are not the series I'm eluding to in this post.

History inspired series are fun because of historical references in fictional characters. They often inspire you to study and get into actual history --even more fun!!
However, the characters are different than history. You respect historical humans, workshops, sites, artifacts. That is the way you enjoy. Respect means admire that workshops passed down through generations have been cared for, given to others as reverence of what those in past have created. Historical sites where were actual lives lived and died.
I consider history-THEMED series different. They don't crash into actual sites, force their self-serving images onto history. History-themed takes images and changes them into something different.
(okay, I admit, I love history+classic rendition themed stuff♡ it's so fun!!)(*cough)('scuse me)

Girl-history-buffs are not taken seriously as is. Stop ruining our reputation.


--Again, I'm not going to name the actual series to as not offend anyone.--


....Well gee, I'm using a stereotyped views to judge a series, then saying being stereotyped by others is unfair....
.....um, oops? ouch? ☆\(・ｗ・)/☆
ah tis my mind, can't be helped (((((((☆\(=∇=)/☆


On the other side of this paradox tho, I do tend to order excess for series I do like. Not like HUGE excess, just maybe "2 boxes instead of 1" level. Then when they sell out rejoice. When they remain some time as stock, either get asked why the number or feel a little guilty and buy the items XXD
NO REGRETS!!



In summary:

1.Let me admit that my inability to tell characters apart I do not know lets myself down -thus I am unfair

2.Certain series fans, respect history. You're giving everyone a bad wrap.

3.I need to stop letting my emotions decipher work decisions.
Just kidding, very much impossible for me ((((((-∇-)

The other day I realized something frightening --I'd ordered too many of a scale figure by mistake. SCALE figure.


((((0□0;))))))


4 figures or something I'd even initially wondered whether I should stock 1 in the store. Yuuki Yuuna figure to be exact. Sorry fans, but I don't think we could sell 4 of a figure priced over $130. It even took over 1.5 years to sell 2 of Deep Sea Girl Hatsune Miku (it was something like $170, but still, Hatsune Miku). Our wholesale price for Yuuki Yuuna was over $100...
I'd ordered doubly by mistake before too, but it'd been figmas (8 of Saber Figma 2.0). They were all from series that sell very well though. And did indeed all sell out (Saber within like a month). (Sorry again Yuuki Yuuna fans)

I immediately emailed the supplier, though I knew they don't take order cancellations. In addition the latest shipment status was "In preparation for shipped"-worst case scenario already in boxes waiting to be handed to Fed-Ex. An email full of apologies and terms of desperation it was that I send. Viva honorific Japanese phrases (English would have been "pleasesorrypleasepleaseplease!!"). For the next few days was seriously plagued with guilt and anxiety (over wt-hell we're supposed to do with such stock + everyone's reaction) waiting for a response.

Then, a miracle. The supplier accepted the cancellation!!! OH MY GOODNESS. GRATITUDE was all I could feel. Sent an email this time full of thank-yous and promises I'll be super-duper careful from now on. Viva honorific Japanese phrases (English would have been "thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!").


Lesson: Pay attention -no matter how distracted you are.



(watch, now there's going to be an email "sorry! we actually couldn't cancel your order in time!")

→→weeks later after shipment: NOPE!!!! CANCELLED IN TIME!! whew......

Side effect of living on your own #65:
Sometimes watching cartoons.

You start watching for the nicely concise and completed stores (15min～30min), with usually very little feel-bad stuff. Refreshment. Good to just have running while doing something.
A good change for me from my usual 30min～60min crime shows :P
(cartoons=show running in English in tv channels as opposed to shows you seek out and watch uploads online)





Matsunaga/Sengoku Basara





Cronus/Class of Titens


I CANNOT BE THE ONLY ONE THAT SEES THIS XD





p.s. you want moe, go for Neil:

Probably would have hated him if I'd watched when a kid, now amused by him as an adult XD





Class of Titans: on Qubo, available on youtube.
Qubo airs odd stuff, a few months ago had He-Man, She-ra, Brave Star. (*series not being aired on their current schedule -maybe they'll bring them back later)
Embarrassed to say, didn't even know the later 2 existed. Viva 80s!!!!
Fun to see what kind-of cartoon action and "powers" exist. A different dimension than anime. Kinda like manga-artists watching X-Men for inspiration.

Though my charm with these shows is watching them as they run on tv. Seeking out and watching them on youtube's a little different :P



/post just for he Matsunaga-Cronus bit (=3=)～♪
(↑images for comparison were seriously by coincidence!)






Ichigo/Ichigo Keiji/Keiji -just wanted to use gif☆

・OC Register: Woman dies after crash while driving the wrong way on I-405 freeway in Irvine
・OnSceneTV: Irvine Fatal MCI
・Rafu Shimpo: Gardena Woman Dies in Crash on 405
・NBC Los Angeles: Lanes Shut Down on 405 Freeway After Fatal Crash
・KTLA: 1 Killed, 4 Injured in Three-Car Crash on 405 Freeway in Orange County
・LA Times: Driver killed in wrong-way crash on 405 Freeway is ID'd; 4 people injured
・mynewsLA: Wrong-way crash in Irvine kills 54-year-old woman, sends 4 to hospital
・ABC7: 1 killed, 4 injured in 3-car crash on 405 Freeway in Irvine


Somebody you know, this happens to.

She currently worked at Shiseido.
I worked with her about a year or so at a previous job (drink store that closed) (in the same building as now). Both our current jobs (she'd already been working at Shiseido then too) are still in the same building, so saw each other often and were on greeting talking terms.
I guess I can't say I was close to her and know all about her, but we always recognized each other.

Thursday, people at work were talking about "wow did you hear?" that someone at Shiseido (Mistuwa group's small, plus both Shiseido and us have been around a long time) died on Tuesday. They pulled up an article, and I was stunned the moment I saw Rieko-san's photo.
The firefighter interviewed (prior to the drivers being identified) on the video said that regarding the deceased 'no confirmation on gender' and that the person 'looked to be in their 30s'. She was a small-figured person, maybe that's why.

I know the area very well, can completely image where this took place by the foot. Things like this can happen right near you. To people you know.
Unknown what caused her to go the wrong way on the freeway, furthermore on the car-pool lane. Freeway is full of traffic, even at 1 am. We can only guess, and I can't help but hope they'll find out why, or at least how this happened, if only to hope this doesn't happen again.

Last time I talked to her was when she gave me some make-up remover samples.


Still in disbelief.



It just takes one moment. One moment, and someone's gone.

I know we all have to say goodbye sometime, but this way, in this way, no.



りえこさん、
ご冥福をお祈り致します。