kate

I busted out laughing when I saw this comic. That last panel was just awesome, for me. Great job, SAFELY ENDANGERED!



See more: Its-a the Mario Bros.

rufftoon:

"Dragon Trappers" (Part 5)

Links to:

Part 1: http://rufftoon.tumblr.com/post/88318941658/dragon-trappers-part-1-for-a-long-time

Part 2: http://rufftoon.tumblr.com/post/88404827028/dragon-trappers-part-2-link-to-part1

Part 3: http://rufftoon.tumblr.com/post/88506718818/dragon-trappers-part-3-part

Part 4: http://rufftoon.tumblr.com/post/88595911023/dragon-trappers-part-4-links-to-part

For a long time, Dragons 2 had a prologue, a different opening.  Many versions were storyboarded. This is also a different take, inspired by the script/ideas of Dragons director Dean Deblois.

Just another variation, in fancomic form (not official!).

Thank you for reading!

The movie is out today, hope you enjoy! 

All the characters are property of Dreamworks Animation.

oh man, these are so good. Johane is so amazing at comics. Wish I had half her skill at layouts. Gonna see HTTYD2 tonight! So excited. 

New Link/no it’s not Link/oh wait yes it is

anyway, he/she is cute.

RYE
My bread baking bone breaking badass for Jenn Woodall’s FIGHT! zine!
Because nothing beats some hot ‘n crusty bread.

I made the gif just for kicks, but it’s wonky in places because it took waaaay longer than I planned for and I had to stop! Overall though, this has been probably one of the funnest pieces for me to draw. Definitely influenced by my everlasting love of Kiki’s Delivery Service & not-so-secret desire to live in a bakery. I wanna do more food-themed fighters!

Prints available from my Inprnt store.

There’s no word to say how I love the street fighter games.

In 2008, Bastien Vives launched a big drawing tournament of street fighter on the catsuka forums, here is my answer to the mighty Gobi and his Oro.

At that time, I played Boxer (felt in love with his dash overhead, light kick, headbutt to ultra).

View

Between Viz Media’s recent remastered release of the original mid ’90s anime, the upcoming 26-episode reboot set to hit the Internet in three weeks, and the ridiculous amounts of merchandise now for sale, it has never been a more exciting time to be a Sailor Moon fan. In honor of the new series, The Mary Sue will be taking a look at how Sailor Moon has grown over the past 20 years–starting, of course, with all the awesome Japanese stuff most of us couldn’t get at as kids.

For today, we’ll start by discussing the history of the franchise as it originally developed in Japan. Next week we will cover how the show was adapted for international audiences, with a special focus on Usagi’s transformation (for better or worse) into Serena for North American viewers. Finally, with only one week before Crystal airs on July 5th, we’ll discuss the role of fandom and online discussions in the world of Sailor Moon, as well as the sudden resurgence of senshi-themed merchandise.

Note: there will be some mild spoilers for each series in the franchise. If you know absolutely nothing about Sailor Moon and want a pure first-watching experience, our own Susana Polo is doing a series of newbie recaps (starting today!) for the anime if you’d like to follow along with her! The first 12 episodes are currently available on Hulu+ with more on the way, or you can also check out fan translations of the manga, live-action show, and musicals–yes, musicals– online as well. More on that later.

Edited to add: I was going to expand on the official Kodansha manga translations next week but somebody rightfully pointed out to us that you should absolutely seek out and support those very gorgeous editions before the fan translations I mention above. Sorry for the oversight on our part!

Before we really start to talk about Sailor Moon, though, we do also have to talk about Power Rangers.

Yup, Usagi Tsukino and her gang of sailor guardians owe a lot to these guys. The first Super Sentai TV show aired  in 1975 and spawned countless different spin-offs and series, including a particularly popular one from 1992 (Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger) which eventually became the first Mighty Morphin Power Rangers when it came over to the United States. Most of these series consisted of five humans  (mostly male, usually, because the franchise was geared towards young boys) who transform into color-coded superheroes and save the world from evil space invaders. Sound familiar? Because it should.

In an interview which appeared on the original Sailor Moon season one laserdisc, Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi said her ultimate goal was to “make a story like the Power Rangers series–a girls’ version–where the warriors go fighting upon the instructions from a Central Command Post. It didn’t turn out that way, though. Of course, from this concept came Sailor Moon. I had wanted to use five girls as the fighting warriors.”

More than anything else, this “fighting warrior” framework is what set Sailor Moon apart from its magical girl predecessors. The senshi weren’t just cute girls with magic powers; they used those powers primarily to fight monsters and protect the people of their planet. There’s a reason why the team is called senshi in Japan–while the term is typically translated now in current versions of the franchise as “guardians,” it can also mean “soldier.” Make no mistake about it, Sailor Moon and her friends will mess you up.

But Takeuchi didn’t actually begin with Sailor Moon. Just before Usagi arrived on the scene, there was an entire series devoted to her crimefighting idol and future partner-in-justice, Sailor V.

Codename Wa Sailor V started out pretty much the same way its successor did: Minako Aino is a regular schoolgirl who gets discovered by Artemis, a talking cat, and told she must save the world from evil as an incarnation of the goddess Venus. The series first began in 1991 as a one-shot storyline in Nakayoshi, but continued on in RunRun magazine until 1994, running concurrently with Sailor Moon for a number of years and ending just after the first SM story did.

On the whole the series is much lighter than its successor and involves Minako saving her fellow Tokyo citizens from “Dark Agency,” narrowly avoiding being uncovered by the local Juuban district police force, and developing ridiculous crushes on very attractive guys.  It also features some adorable cameos from Sailor Moon regulars:

While Takeuchi was developing Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon around the same time as Codename Wa Sailor V, Usagi’s story did not start running in Nakayoshi magazine until December of that year, more than six months after its prequel began. The switch from Minako to Usagi was part of a deal with Toei Animation, who eventually produced the anime version of Sailor Moon. They “wanted to see a group of girls joined together,” obviously hoping to capitalize on the Super Sentai craze (source).

Rather than save the day as the lead protagonist, Minako shuffles into a role as leader of the senshi and commanding general-of-sorts, while Usagi ascends to a more monarchal supreme ruler position. Within the context of the story, it works wonderfully; just as the team stumbles together, Venus arrives as the experienced, battle-hardened soldier to guide them towards their destinies, and even serves as a decoy Moon princess for a few chapters to allow Usagi more time to grow as a heroine.

The manga was only meant to consist of one story arc–Sailor Moon realizing her fate as princess and defeating the Dark Kingdom with the help of her friends and lover, Tuxedo Kamen– but at the behest of Nakayoshi publisher Kodansha and Toei Animation, this grew to five story arcs over 52 “acts;” five art books which feature gorgeous, high-fashion inspired images of the characters; and ten lighthearted side-stories which act as filler. There’s even one with a vampire demon, which was also later turned into an anime special. It’s kind of the best.

Toei Animation, meanwhile, began running the Sailor Moon anime in March of 1992. Again, it wasn’t the first magical series series in existence, but it’s focus on a Super Sentai-style team of five fighters heavily influenced the genre and cemented Sailor Moon’s place as one of the most influential animes of all time. It was the first magical girl show to make it to North American television audiences, too, but we’ll get to that next week.

Despite running almost concurrently with the manga, the anime’s plot and tone differ drastically from the original source material; most notably, it changes up some of the personalities of the characters to makes them a bit more dynamic and vibrant. Where Manga!Rei is cool and collected, Anime!Rei is hotheaded and passionate; where Manga!Mamoru is sort of generically handsome and supportive–Naoko envisioned him to be the ideal boyfriend and sometimes remarks that he’s her favorite character–Anime!Mamoru is kind of a dork at times. And where Usagi quickly blossoms into an elegant lady in the manga, in the anime she’s just a bit ditzier and more of a crybaby for a longer stretch of time.

Despite loving the manga deeply and knowing not all the changes made to the anime were appreciated, I like to think this is what makes the anime the quintessential and most easily-recognizable form of the franchise–though the sheer length probably helps as well. After all, 200 episodes and 3 full-length movies will make anything pretty ubiquitous.

Which isn’t to say that there weren’t other forms of Sailor Moon that ran even longer. While the manga and the anime were still being released in the mid-90s, a series just under 30 different musicals were also produced in Japan, the first in 1993 and the last in 2005. Over ten years of senshi-themed musicals! And you thought it couldn’t get any more beautifully, beautifully dorky. 

These shows, collectively called Sera Myu (short for “Sailormoon Musical”), were performed multiple times over each year and borrowed heavily from both the anime and manga. Of course, once both series ended in 1997, the musicals kind of started doing their own thing. This included creating new characters, such as Sailor Astarte, Sailor Vulcan, and Blood Dracul Vampir, who is the daughter of Dracula. You know, from the four-part series of musicals from 2000-01 where the senshi fight Dracula, who is also Abel from biblical lore. Sailor Moon and ancient Old Testament vampires, who knew?

Oh, and there were a lot of Sailor Moon video games released during the ’90s, too. Like, a lot, from side-scrollers to puzzles and even fighting games. For me, the most notable of the bunch was Sailor Moon: Another Story, a JPRG which took place just after the Muugen Infinity Arc/Sailor Moon S. You can find English-translated emulators of the game online if you’re so inclined. I highly recommend it.

Eventually the franchise even went full circle into a Super Sentai-inspired Tokusatsu live-action show in 2003, which was produced by Toei in honor of the anime’s tenth anniversary (the manga was also rereleased around the same time). Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, as it’s known, was a completely different interpretation of the series. Among other things, it depicted Minako as a very serious and mission-oriented pop idol, and Luna as a sometimes CGI animated plush doll. Sometimes she was not a GCI animated plush doll, which was kinda worse. I love PGSM and all, but I do not want to get into it.

Also, the costumes. Oh man, the costumes. You kind of have to just see it for yourself.

After PGSM wrapped up in 2004 and the last Sera Myu performance ended in 2005, things were pretty quiet for a couple of years–that is, right until the franchise’s 20th birthday in 2012. That’s when Sailor Moon Crystal was announced, and soon on it’s moon-booted heels came a second anniversary manga rerelease and a new Takarazuka musical (that’s a particular genre of Japanese theater where women play all the parts, including male characters. Take that, Elizabethan England!) called La Reconquista. There’s even another one on the way that’s based on the Black Moon Family/Sailor Moon R.

Since the tenth anniversary, Naoko Takeuchi has also become much more involved with the franchise than she originally was with Toei Animation (she famously took issue with some of the changes made to the show’s final season, in particular the switching of several character’s genders). She contributed several character designs to PGSM, helped with the casting of the recent musicals, and was reportedly instrumental in creating the Crystal reboot.

And speaking of that Crystal reboot: you’d better believe people are pumped about it, in no small part because it’s target audience is still the women who grew up with Sailor Moon in the early ’90s. “We’d like the girls who have become adults to immerse themselves in the dream world of “Sailor Moon” all over again,” director Munehisa Sakai said in a recent Animedia article.  “Rather than making them feel nostalgic, we want them to once again experience that dream-like feeling they felt when they looked up to the Sailor Guardians. We’d like them to become even more engulfed in that dream world with the new show.”

It’s certainly no small feat, and already people are worried that the new reboot might not live up to the hype. But I want to believe that even if Crystal fails to inspire the same level of awe in us as full-grown cynical adults, at the very least it will usher in a new generation of kids who’ll love it as much as we did without needing to know the source material, just in the same way some fans only learned about Usagi through Sera Myu performances or by watching the live-action series. As long as people keep watching, reading, and getting inspired by stories about powerful female superheroes who save the world with their their friendship and love for one another, then that’s 100% good enough for me.

Next week: Did you know that before anybody thought to just dub over the original Japanese series, an animation company in North America tried to create their own version of Sailor Moon? Yeah, it’s bonkers. Get ready to hear me talk about it ad nauseum.

Previously in Sailor Moon

• In the Name of the Moon, the First Sailor Moon Crystal Trailer Is Here
• Official Sailor Moon Premiere Party Excludes Unaccompanied Men
• This Is Not A Drill: All 200 Uncut Episodes Of Sailor Moon Are Coming To DVD, Blu-ray, And Hulu

Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, & Google +?

Google’s Susan Wojcicki, CEO of Youtube, knows coding is kind of a big deal. She also knows there’s a serious gender gap in the tech field, and she wants to change that with Google’s new “Made With Code” initiative — a program to get school-aged girls coding early.

“Made With Code” is a partnership between Google, Chelsea Clinton, Mindy Kaling, the Girl Scouts of America, Girls Inc., the National Center for Women & Information Technology, MIT, TechCrunch, and Seventeen, so there’s a significant amount of steam behind it already. So what is it exactly? In a post on the Google blog, Google.org Communciations representative Kate Parker lists these key points about it:

• Blockly-based coding projects like designing a bracelet 3D printed by Shapeways, learning to create animated GIFs, or building beats for a music track.
• Video profiles of girls and women who explain how they’re using code to do what they love — in fashion, music, dance, animation, cancer research, and more.
• A resource directory for parents and girls to find more information about new local events, camps, classes, and clubs.
• Collaborations with organizations like Girl Scouts of the USA and Girls, Inc. to introduce Made with Code to girls in their networks, encouraging them to complete their first coding experience.

You can see what “Made With Code” is for yourself in this inspiring video:

On Google’s main blog Wojcicki also explained her reasons for making “Made With Code” happen, saying:

This is an issue that hits home for me. My school-age daughter instinctively knows how to play games, watch videos and chat with friends online. She understands technology. And she likes using technology. But, she never expressed any interest in creating it herself. 

So, I decided to launch a campaign at home — connecting my daughter to coding resources, increasing my encouragement and introducing her to other girls interested in computer science. It wasn’t always easy, but it’s already showing results. She recently started learning basic computer languages and using code to do projects at home. 

Today, we’re attempting to solve this issue on a much larger scale.

Lessons and activities are already online at MadeWithCode.com so if you know any young girls who could use a little code in their life check out the section for parents, teachers, and counselors. There’s even a kit for hosting a Made With Code party.

Is one and a half too young to start these coding projects?

(Google via Business Insider, image via Google)

Previously in girls in tech

• Natalie Portman teamed with Disney to get girls involved with STEM
• Sarah Rosenbach talks about being a woman in tech and has advice for girls
• GoldieBlox takes a shot at princess culture with this commercial

Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, & Google +?

ireallyhatecornnuts:

schim:

chinad011:

pineapplebananacurry:

cookingformorons:

greencarnations:

How to make your ramen 9001x better, courtesy of /ck/

And you can buy roast beef and roast chicken on the internet. I am set for ramen for like a year now.

QUICK EGG IN UR RAMEN TRICK MY FRIEND TAUGHT ME IN HIGH SCHOOL

pour just enough water into your pot to cover your noodles and other ingredients, then get a small cup/fancy measuring 1 cup cup or w/e and measure out another cuppa watta. dump that shit in too.

make ur ramen. just start boiling and dump whatever you’re supposed to put in in the beginning. u know how to make ramen this isn’t ramen for snot nosed sobbing beginners ok

KEY PART: you know how it says on the back of the package to cook for about 4-5 minutes?? we’re cooking for 5 minutes. wait for your ramen to cook for the first three minutes. stare hungrily if you must. but the EXACT MOMENT 3 minutes hit here’s what you do:

1. SCREAM. and then stir your noodles to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. (scream is optional) also make sure your broth is still more or less covering your noodles, if its not add a bit more. it doesn’t matter if some is still sticking up we just don’t want chewy noodles (unless you’re into that) (i’m into that)
2. make a lil hole in your noodles. this little hole must have broth in it and nothing more. make it in the middle or the side it honestly doesn’t matter you just need a clear shot to the bottom of the pot
3. crack your egg and toss that mother into the hole.
4. COVER EGG WITH NOODLES AS QUICK AS YOU CAN
5. DON’T. STIR.
6. I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU STIR FOR THE REMAINING MINUTE AND A HALF YOU probably won’t ruin anything you’ll just have egg drop soup i guess but IF YOU DON’T STIR
7. Congratulations, you have poached an egg in your broth! Your poached egg now tastes like your ramen broth. Revel in your victory.
8. no seriously that egg will be mildly chewy deliciousness oh my god if you can perfect this technique you will never have your egg in your ramen another way again

this is as close as you’ll get to ramen made in a restaurant…

I’m just glad this isn’t like that one post that was all “HOW TO EAT CHEAP WITH RAMEN STEP ONE ADD A SIRLOIN STEAK AND $20 WORTH OF INGREDIENTS”.

This is how you can tell I’m poor as fuck.

Most dried ramen is deep-fried which is why it’s so unhealthy. If you boil in plain water, strain, and then add to fresh hot water/broth, it’s a lot better for you in general.

Another recipe:

Boil your noodles. Strain. Take a small frying pan and melt two tablespoons of butter (margarine works but butter is better) on low heat. Add the noodles and flavor powder and mix well. 

ANOTHER recipe:

Get a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies from wal-mart. It’s like a buck fifty. Fry those suckers up with some tonkatsu sauce or soy sauce. Boil your ramen, strain. Pile the noodles on a plate, top with your veggies and sauce. Sprinkle a tiny bit of the ramen flavoring on top. Bam, stir fry. The veggies make enough to serve three people (three packages of ramen).

Other things you can add to ramen to make it taste better:

Chopped inarizushi.

A half a can of peas.

A half a can of tunafish to the shrimp kind.

CHIVES MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER.

Oddly enough, boiled potatoes to the beef kind.

Shredded cabbage.

Sliced boiled eggs. 

Matchstick carrots (you can get them from most grocery stores for like a dollar a package; alternately make your own from a cheap-ass bag of whole carrots).

If you’re gluten-free, you can make a gluten-free version of ramen by making and preparing spaghetti squash and using the bullion recipe above (substitute anything with gluten in it for something without, obviously). The “noodles” are smaller but damn is it tasty. Spaghetti squash, incidentally, grows at the least provocation so if you get a spaghetti squash (which are generally kind of expensive), save the seeds and plant them anywhere. Water them once a day. 

Spring-noodle soup, courtesy my husband’s Asian-American ex-girlfriend: Boil your ramen and strain. Heat up a can of soup broth, or simply prepare the ramen bullion. Dip the noodles into the broth forkful by forkful as you eat. You can add other stuff to the noodles, like veggies and meat, as you’re boiling it.

Saute some green onions and minced garlic in a pan in butter or margarine for a few minutes (you can substitute sesame oil for the butter or margarine  as well, if you happen to have it around. The sesame oil gives it a really good flavor). Add a dash of seasoned salt. Boil and strain your ramen noodles. Add to the saute mix, fry for a hot second, and you have awesome garlic noodles. 

Minute rice! You can add a small handful of minute rice to your ramen as it’s cooking for a more carb-heavy soup to get you through the day. If you couple this with veggies and meat it’s almost a round meal.

THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RAMEN, but if you make macaroni and cheese (Kraft dinner), add a can of tunafish and a half a can of peas to it to make a more filling, more rounded meal. 

Seriously, if you are broke and need to vary your diet in any way, I am the person to talk to. I grew up on this shit. A lot of is really unhealthy, but at least you won’t die of boredom.

 

did-you-kno:

Source

WE CAN ALSO USE COW’S BLOOD TO FORM BRICKS AND BUILD A HOUSE. 

Isn’t learning fun?

thatssosailormoon:

legendary

The 8-bit scene around the Akihabara electronics district is slowly being muscled out of its home turf by doe-eyed anime girls shaking their moe money makers. Luckily for retro game fans the megapolis has no shortage of niches for displaced sub-cultures to slide into. The Famicom has relocated to the trendy bohemian districts in the west, moving off thrift-store shelves and back onto the radar of cool hunters everywhere. It used to be that a milk crate full of choice records was worth enough street cred to skate by on. Now you also need a swag cartridge collection to stay in the game.

Retro select shop METEOR is a good place to start. Located in Tokyo's hippie borough of Kichijoji, owner and designer Satoshi Sakagami curates the annual My Famicase Exhibition featuring cassette art from fictional titles with concepts more interesting than some of the system's actual output. Where NES cartridges were uniformly a dull grey, Famicom game carts came in every color of the gumball rainbow and are bursting with design space. 

This year's collection features 112 carts submitted by creators across the globe. Our personal favorites include the cyberpunk Harajuku action-platformer Dokumo Slayer, 3D-girlfriend projector Bodykon and America's 80's Video Game Passion THE GAME, which sounds like an interactive version of a Nintendo Power commercial. 

If you don't have the means to stop by, you can still check out the interior of the shop through this interactive panoramic view. See if you can spot the jacket for Game Boys, the Famicom-inspired hip-hop album by Scha Dara Parr!

Event dates: May 3rd-May 31st
Address: 1-6-7 Minami-machi, Kichijoji, Muashino-shi
Hours: 13:00-20:00
(Closed on Mondays)
Official homepage: http://www.super-meteor.com/
Famicase official homepage: http://famicase.com/ 

When a show's soundtrack is as important to the story as the protagonists, it makes sense to move the party out of Akihabara to celebrate it in Shibuya, the hub of all things hip. So what better place to host a Ping Pong gallery than Tower Records? You can even pick up an album by series composer and electro-producer Kensuke Ushio on your way out the door.

Step into the Tamura table tennis club and check out the messages from director Masaaki Yuasa and creator Taiyo Matsumoto. As a longtime fan of Matsumoto's manga, Yuasa was worried that he wouldn't do the title justice. But after seeing the director's experimental work, Mind Game, Matsumoto was confident enough in Yuasa to give him full creative control.

The last time we saw cardboard standees used to represent key frame animation was last March at the Little Witch Academia museum. The unique animation style is one of the show's main selling points. If you want to get into the specifics of what makes Yuasa's art pop, check out the episode recaps on the Cartoon Brew blog.

You don't need to know the difference between short and long pips to enjoy Ping Pong, but a basic understanding of the sport can't hurt. For example, the penhold grip used by Peco and Sakuma lets you easily change-up between offense and defense but suffers from the lack of a backhand--hence everyone's surprise when Peco shows up with a rubber on the back of his racket. 

Likewise the movement of the court is true to life, with each serve and slice putting a strategic spin on the ball that demands the proper counter hit. Animators need to know the physics behind the game, not just the rules of animation. 

Yuasa drew the storyboards for every episode himself, a rare feat for a TV series. Perhaps that's why the show feels as consistent and unified as a film. Although the layouts are based on panels from the original manga, Yuasa fleshes out the action with his personal style and even adds character backstories that Matsumoto couldn't fit into the manga serial.

This interactive installation takes us back to basics to learn how to hold a racket all over again. But as you volley against Peco, Smile and the rest of the cast, timing is more important than your grip. 

Dragon says that fancy gear is no substitute for intense training, but you can't argue that looking the part puts a spring in your step. Question is, do you want to chop like Smile, play the loop like Peco or cook dim sum with China's mom at Tsujidou Academy? First thing's first--pop in the soundtrack, pick up a racket and start hitting with a friend!  

Event dates: May 23rd-June 8th
1-22-14 Jin-nan, Shibuya-ku Tokyo
8F Tower Records
Entrance fee: 300 yen
Hours: 10:00-21:00
Official homepage: http://tower.jp/article/news/2014/05/14/n100_140515

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-----Based on our Japanese blog-----

AmiOtome here to bring girls what they want!

No wall too tall, no net too towering for the boys of Haikyuu!! Let's see how far Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun can take it in today's team preview.

Haikyuu!! - Players Series: Shoyo Hinata 1/8 Complete Figure by Takara Tomy Marketing

Hey, I can see my house from up here!

Hinata-kun's greatest asset is his amazing vertical jump. It's like this pose leaped straight out of the anime!

And here he is about to deliver a devistating spike.

Hinata-kun is always a bundle of energy, but put him on the court and he focuses on the ball and his teammates with a laser-like intensity.

Haikyuu!! - Players Series: Tobio Kageyama 1/8 Complete Figure [Takara Tomy Marketing]

Next up we have Hinata-kun's teammate and greatest rival, Tobio Kageyama!

While Hinata-kun is poised to attack, Kageyama-kun is cooly calculating the best angle for his toss.

The two figures are posed to match their personalities and roles on the court! 

Woah! The direct eye contact is as blinding as staring into the sun!

Kageyama-kun has a sharp tongue but he values friendship more than anyone else. You can feel the passion burning in his eyes!

Let's see how the figures look teamed-up...

Their bases snap together so you can turn your figure shelf into a scene from the series!

ODDBALL QUICK STRIKE!

They both come with a volley ball, but I'm more excited for the Hinagarasu mascots! These cute little guys fit right in the palm of your hand.

Last but not least, I have to mention the details in shoes, wrinkles in the uniforms and expert sculpting job on the mouths. All these little things add up to a big win for fans of Haikyuu!! 

There uniforms are so detailed that I almost forgot to check out their trim teenage bodies! (°□°)

Keep at it boys! I'll be watching from the sidelines.

Haikyuu!! - Players Series: Shoyo Hinata 1/8 Complete Figure [Takara Tomy Marketing]

Haikyuu!! - Players Series: Tobio Kageyama 1/8 Complete Figure [Takara Tomy Marketing]

(C)古舘春一／集英社・「ハイキュー!!」製作委員会・MBS
(C) TOMY
*Photos are of a prototype and the actual product may differ. 

Am I the only one that gets the opening theme for Galaxy Express 999 stuck in my head every time I take the train into Akihabara? Sure, the Chuo Line is no galactic railway, but it can still take you to places you never knew existed!

Leiji Matsumoto is one of the grandfathers of anime. He pioneered the space opera genre  in the 70's with Space Battleship Yamato, Captain Harlock and other classics. Now Tokyo Anime Center is celebrating his contribution with a gallery of his most romantic work, Galaxy Express 999. Join us on a journey from the past to the present!

The original Galaxy Express 999 TV series ran for over 100 episodes from 1978 to 1891. It introduced us to Tetsurou, an orphan traveling the galaxy on the titular locomotive under the care of the mysterious and beautiful Maetel. The young Tetsurou visits a different alien world each week where he learns about life, death and destiny along his quest to avenge his mother's murder.

If the epic episode count turns you off, I recommend the films. They do a great job of condensing the series and present a microscopic view of Leiji's macroverse.  They're necessary viewing for any fan of anime, or classic adventure stories in general. 

Leiji commemorated the 50th year of his career with Galaxy Railways: Crossroad to Eternity, a TV series set in the Galaxy Express universe that follows the Space Defense Force who keep the cosmos safe for interstellar travelers. Then in 2007 the 4-part OVA Galaxy Railyways: Letter From an Abandoned Planet tied the cast of the original 999 stories into the expanded universe.

In the same way that Space Battleship Yamato 2199 modernized the character designs and animation style, Letter From an Abandoned Planet brings the adventures of Tetsurou and Maetel to a contemporary audience. The series was only shown in select theaters and on cable networks, making the Blu-ray/DVD release something fans have been waiting ages for.

In a universe ruled by moe space pirates and beautiful boys piloting ornate mecha, Leiji's minimalist line work and iconic designs still have a unique charm even discounting the nostalgia. If you've never been on board the Galaxy Express, it's not too late to book your ticket.

Event dates: June 10th-June 22nd 
Address: 4-14-1 Soto Kanda, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo
Akihabara UDX Building 4F
Hours: 11:00-19:00
Closed Monday
Official homepage: http://www.animecenter.jp/

Featured Jun 20, 2014Life in Japan gallery, Akihabara, GAMERS, No Game No Life Boke Nasu 1 Comment Jun 20, 2014Life in Japan gallery, Akihabara, GAMERS, No Game No Life Boke Nasu 1 Comment No Game No Life Exhibit Gives GAMERS Some Color Jun 20, 2014Life in Japan gallery, Akihabara, GAMERS, No Game No Life Boke Nasu 1 Comment Jun 20, 2014Life in Japan gallery, Akihabara, GAMERS, No Game No Life Boke Nasu 1 Comment Jun 20, 2014Life in Japan gallery, Akihabara, GAMERS, No Game No Life Boke Nasu 1 Comment Jun 20, 2014Life in Japan gallery, Akihabara, GAMERS, No Game No Life Boke Nasu 1 Comment Jun 19, 2014Life in Japan Shibuya, gallery, life in Japan, Saint Seiya Boke Nasu Jun 19, 2014Life in Japan Shibuya, gallery, life in Japan, Saint Seiya Boke Nasu Saint Seiya and More at Masami Kurumada Retrospective Jun 19, 2014Life in Japan Shibuya, gallery, life in Japan, Saint Seiya Boke Nasu Jun 19, 2014Life in Japan Shibuya, gallery, life in Japan, Saint Seiya Boke Nasu Jun 19, 2014Life in Japan Shibuya, gallery, life in Japan, Saint Seiya Boke Nasu Jun 19, 2014Life in Japan Shibuya, gallery, life in Japan, Saint Seiya Boke Nasu

que-dear:

anime

brickme:

Hoshino Lily draws Tokimeki Tonight in Manga Erotics f magazine

tokyofinds:

Can’t get enough of cute food. Seriously. This pop up panda bear toast is adorable.

Japan, I love you!

With great power comes great responsibility. How can you sit there in Math class while the world needs saving? Lucky for the cast of Persona 3 they can't leap into action until the Dark Hour, the supernatural 25th hour of the day, freeing them to ignore this nagging sense of duty. This loophole lets the SEES club bum around at cafes, eating cake and cookies without a shred of guilt.

We here at the AmiAmi Blog have no such excuse but we've never let our shame stop us. Onward, to sample Persona 3 collaboration sweets at Patisserie Swallowtail Annex!

Aigis gets a custom cake to go along with her starring role in the new film, Persona 3 The Movie: No. 2, Midsummer Knight's Dream. Aside from the red, yellow and white color scheme it's decorated with her trademark red ribbon and headband modeled on the Antikythera mechanism. The lemon and white chocolate mousse house the lemon puree body for a dynamic taste sensation that even a robot could appreciate.

Nothing like a pistachio ice cream parfait to keep you awake through the Dark Hour! The layers of framboise jelly, granola and kiwi give it as many strata as Tartarus. If it's packed this dense during a half moon, I shudder to think what a Full Moon Operation has in store.

Sharing cookies with the co-workers over games of Persona 4 Arena is a surefire way to boost your Social Links. Of course, the resulting trash talk will undo any good will. But hey, not everyone can be your BFF, right?

If you're living in Japan now's your chance to see the new film on the big screen! Everyone else will have to wait for the inevitable Blu-ray release. At least the 3DS title Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is getting a speedy localization. Fall can't come fast enough! 

Event dates: June 5th-June 26th
Address: 3-1-26 Shinjuku-ku Tokyo
Shinjuku Marui Annex 6F
Hours: 11:00-21:00
Official homepage: http://www.patisserie-swallowtail.jp/event/2014_p3/ 

Featured Jun 18, 2014Life in Japan Collaboration sweets, Patisserie Swallowtail, Persona, Life in Japan Boke Nasu Jun 18, 2014Life in Japan Collaboration sweets, Patisserie Swallowtail, Persona, Life in Japan Boke Nasu Persona 3 Cake is a Midsummer Knight's Cream Dream Jun 18, 2014Life in Japan Collaboration sweets, Patisserie Swallowtail, Persona, Life in Japan Boke Nasu Jun 18, 2014Life in Japan Collaboration sweets, Patisserie Swallowtail, Persona, Life in Japan Boke Nasu Jun 18, 2014Life in Japan Collaboration sweets, Patisserie Swallowtail, Persona, Life in Japan Boke Nasu Jun 18, 2014Life in Japan Collaboration sweets, Patisserie Swallowtail, Persona, Life in Japan Boke Nasu May 20, 2014Life in Japan Life in Japan, Nobunaga the Fool, Collaboration sweets Boke Nasu May 20, 2014Life in Japan Life in Japan, Nobunaga the Fool, Collaboration sweets Boke Nasu Nobunaga Cakes Not Fooling Around May 20, 2014Life in Japan Life in Japan, Nobunaga the Fool, Collaboration sweets Boke Nasu May 20, 2014Life in Japan Life in Japan, Nobunaga the Fool, Collaboration sweets Boke Nasu May 20, 2014Life in Japan Life in Japan, Nobunaga the Fool, Collaboration sweets Boke Nasu May 20, 2014Life in Japan Life in Japan, Nobunaga the Fool, Collaboration sweets Boke Nasu

Brian Williams has moved on from rapping “Gin and Juice” and “Rapper’s Delight” to lending his dulcet tones to the pinnacle of human achievement, “Baby Got Back.” But is it better than “Baby Got Book”? Or “Baby Got Back” with the Seattle Symphony? These are the questions that define a generation.

(via Mediaite)

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Calling all artists.

Orc Dave's bluebirds must be getting really excited, because Image Comics' Rat Queens is being developed for television! Written by awesome Canadian Kurtis J. Weibe and drawn by Roc Upchurch, the tale of "sass and sorcery" is being brought to the small screen by Weta Workshop's Pukeko Pictures and Heavy Metal.

Harvard University's libraries own at least one book bound in human skin, they allow.  Arsène Houssaye's Des destinées de l'ame underwent a series of forensic tests, and the conclusion was anthropodermic bibliopegy:

“The analytical data, taken together with the provenance of Des destinées de l’ame, make it very unlikely that the source could be other than human...”

This note helps clarify the story.

Here's the book's front cover:

Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Such fine texture. What a surface! Sometimes beauty is skin deep.

(thanks to Jesse Walker, Steven Kaye, and other Infocult ghouls)

sweetassfoodstuffs:

handletheheat.com

xosailormars:

serenity-moon:

Tuxedo Mask’s Speech Failures

this is the best gifset i have ever seen

poisoncage:

Brisby and the secret of Nimh ~I loved this movie so much when I was a child

hellotailor:

but srsly tho.

faitherinhicks:

every. damn. day.

saintyoungbabe:

Jesus McFly and James Buddha