sick

I’m Going to Naka-Kon THIS Weekend!

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Evening all, just a couple of heads up items you might be curious about!

  1. Yes, I’ve STILL got the damn stomach bug, but I’m trying not to let it bother me too much, especially for this weekend. It started on Monday and, four days later, you’d think it’d be gone–NOPE. I’ve found out that I generally feel a bit better when I keep moving around, so hopefully all of the walking this weekend keeps my stomach from folding in on itself. Speaking of . . .
  2. YES, this will be my third year at Naka-Kon, an anime/Japanese culture convention in Overland Park, Kansas. It’s kind of a smaller con, but it’s recently gained a ton of popularity within the last couple years. I’ll be leaving tomorrow (Friday) in the early afternoon and I’ll hopefully arrive there at the hotel sometime that evening. I also do this thing with my siblings (and parents since they’re actually somewhat interested in my hobbies), so I’ll be spending the entire weekend with them and all the crazy and colorful things we love.
  3. I’ll be meeting voice actors at the con! In an ideal world, I’ll walk away with a photo and a signature from Max Mittleman, Robbie Daymond, and David Vincent, who will, fingers crossed, sign my A Lull in the Sea blu-ray 1 (I’m bring Aldnoah.Zero‘s DVD 1 in case I get lucky :3), Sailor Moon Viz DVD 1, and Fate/Zero pin-up poster + KILL la KILL blu-ray LTD volume 1, respectively. And though he’s certainly no voice actor, I’ll hopefully run into Kausus from Otaku Gamer Zone while I’m out in the madness! That’ll be an exciting reunion!
  4. Yes, I do cosplay, just a little, though. I’ve revised my Mikaela Hyakuya (Seraph of the End) like tossing the cheap foam pieces the set came with and remaking those pieces out of nice wood with a fresh coat of metallic paint. Same with the little jingly gold thingies–I replaced the basic gold ones with translucent blue ones like he has in all the concept art. I’ve also trimmed the wig so it fits LOL. On the third day, I’ll just sport your typical Attack on Titan jacket but with Shinji Ikari’s plug suit head piece things. They’re neat. It’s a cool, casual mashup.
  5. What happened to my Ghost in the Shell marathon? Well, thanks to my being bedridden, it was put on a temporary hold for a few days. I’ve finished the first two films, the first season and its recap film, and I’ve started the first 3 episodes of 2nd Gig. Currently having a blast with it all, and I’ll likely review my favorite entries from the franchise as soon as I finish it all!
  6. As to other reviews, a Blast of Tempest and Grimgar review are both in the works, so between those, my OWLS involvement, the GitS marathon, and a convention haul, there’ll be much more activity here at the cafe than in the past few months!
  7. I’ve got a TON, TON, TON of catch-up to play once my spring break hits, so I’m sorry if I’ve delayed your lovely comments for what, like 2+ months now? YOU WILL NOT BE IGNORED, I PROMISE!

Thank you all for your continued support. Wishing you all a fun, safe weekend, whatever you may be doing, and send some of your magical healing powers my way for the tum-tum if you’ve got juice to spare. 😉 Happy early Friday, everyone!

– Takuto, your host

End of February Update 3/6/16

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A week into March and here I am with February’s recap! What did you expect? Me to show up on time? Haha. Hardly.

Anguish statements aside, hello everyone, I’m back. And I’m so glad to be here!! Remember me being sick in January? Well, Mr. Stomach-aches stopped by for no apparent reason other than to spread his good name, so that’s what has bugged me up the past several days (that and music/school-related happenings). It’ll be another slow week of recovery, so once again, apologies if I skip by most of your posts. I hate doing it, but it’s what I’ve gotta do to stay afloat.

As for updates, I can successfully say a fair amount has transpired this past February!

Recently Finished:

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth – There’s not much to say for this one that I haven’t already covered in my review (click me). It’s a nonsensical recap only meant for hardcore collectors/fans of the series, and as such is absolutely skip-able. On another note, YouTube recently did take down the “Canon in D” credit theme and WOW, that made me pretty ticked!

Evangelion 3.33: You Can (Not) Redo. – This was the crux of all psychological response this past month (my first-ever comprehensive review here!). Loaded with twists and turns that illogically fit in the current Rebuild story, it’s ultimately just a prequel to the beginning of the end. After waiting a whole year for its localization, I can soundly say that it was worth the wait, though. However, while I applaud the bold choices made in 3.33, I voice a lot of concern for not only the Rebuild series, but for the franchise as a whole (click here). The final film is really setting itself up with a huge-ass checklist of glossed-over history that I’m nearly positive won’t get touched on. And that’s the saddest part. Will it be worth the wait? At this point, only God knows.

Evangelion: until You come to me. –  You might recall this one being bunched together with another Eva short called Another Impact, but this was easily the more beneficial and emotional of the two. Looted with possible hints to the fourth film, it was a side project of Anno’s team that succeeded brilliantly. Read about it HERE and listen to someone’s breathtaking AMV with a different cover of “Danny Boy” attached to it HERE. I highly, HIGHLY recommend checking out both (honestly, the AMV is better)!

Asuka Langley Soryu AMV “Oh No!” by Marina & the Diamonds – Guilty Pleasure Alert! This came up on YouTube so being the lost lamb I was I clicked on it. BEST. ASUKA. AMV. EVER. The creator CLEARLY knows their cinematography, matching up the perfect scenes of our red-haired girl to this empowerment song. Call me crazy, but baby, I’m addicted! Click here to listen! 

The Rose of Versailles – My V-Day marathon finally concluded, totaling 40 episodes in two weeks for this historical shoujo classic! This anime offered oh-so very much to the famous anime tropes we’ve come to know and love/hate in many of today’s shoujo anime. Namely, the “strong woman” that is Lady Oscar, a bravado of devotion to loyalty and justice, while struggling against the cult of domesticity and finding love for the first time. Additionally, flashing through history once again with the French Revolution is a dark thing to leave behind. Am I glad it’s over? So very much so, yet it’s an adventure I’ll never quite be able to shake off for its strong impression. You can bet a review is coming soon!

Someone’s Gaze – This one’s a bit obscure, but once you hear it was directed by award-winning Makoto Shinkai, I’m sure you’ll leap for it, too! Not to mention, it’s only 7 MINUTES LONG AND IT CAN BE FOUND ON YOUTUBE! Now there’s no excuse to check it out! Shinkai’s works are famous for crunching an incredible amount of relatable scenarios and emotions into a small film run-time to create an overwhelming effect. While I’ve only seen this one and Voices of a Distant Star, I still highly recommend it. And once you’re finished, come back and let me know: Did you immediately call your dad first or cuddle with your cats after you watched? 🙂 CLICK HERE TO WATCH Someone’s Gaze!

Wolf Children (rewatch) – So I had stomach aches, my mom was taking care of me, spring has FINALLY arrived (how long it stays, who knows), cleaning the house – It’s time to rewatch Hosoda’s beautiful gift that is Wolf Children. My sister ended up joining me for the second half, and I got to say, this second time around was much better than when I initially watched it. Perhaps we become less critical when we watch things by ourselves, I have no clue, but it was a nice watch. Very nice. I think this sums up my week quite well, actually, kinda knockin’ me back on my feet. #growingupsucks

Sword Art Online Volume 4: Fairy Dance Part 2 – Okay, this one’s not an anime, but I FINALLY FINISHED MY SAO READING!! I’ve been doing this side research project on the franchised, mainly its difference between the infamous anime adaptation vs the original light novel interpretation of the Fairy Dance arc, and I can finally say I’ve concluded the note-taking part. Now it’s time to compile my efforts into my thesis and BAM put this sucker out on the blog! It’s come a looong way (doesn’t help that I’m a slow reader AND that it’s SAO) but within March, my mini-series will finally be released, and I hope you enjoy my analysis and efforts!

Currently Watching:

Cowboy Bebop – The Bebop train is ridiculously slow – thanks family. Since last month, only three more episodes have been covered. We’ve all just been so absorbed in our own schedules, but we have agreed to set aside next week towards finishing. We learned of Faye’s past (or lack thereof) and have also discovered the reason for Jet’s metal arm. There was also a nice episode about an old man who just wants to play chess. That was sweet.

Erased – Of the two simulcasts I am following, this one definitely steals the spotlight. Intense thriller vibes, sadistic characters, underlying mystery that’ll leave you holding your breath through the next episode, one mom so evil she’ll make you cringe and another mom so righteous you just wanna give her a big ol’ hug  – Erased has all of the good stuff, my attention included. Come next update, the show will have concluded, so I hope it pulls out everything its got for these next couple of weeks. I can’t wait for more!

Dimension W – I started off really enjoying the premise of this sci-fi. The balance between its decent main cast and episodic nature made for something I could just turn on each week, enjoy what I got, then dismiss it until next weekend. The show is starting to draw out its true intent – the focus shifting to these ‘coils’ – and it’s cause me to need to follow more intently. Is that a bad thing? Well, not necessarily, it just still leaves me scratching my head as to where it’s going sometimes. I’m sure Mira will eventually be leaving Kyouma as part of the plot or whatever, but other than that, I can’t say that I’m still gripped. A survival game/chase is beginning on Easter Island, the original root of coil experimentation (I think . . .), so that ought to be exciting. I just wish they didn’t add 10 new characters. Sheesh.

Currently Reading:

Seraph of the End (manga) – With SAO out of the fight, I can finally return to reading stuff I actually enjoy XD. I’ve read the first 1 and 1/2 volumes of the manga series and so far things are pretty static. The art style of the characters is really pleasant, as expressions are easily defined and the outfits are always cool. It is a little hard to envision the ruined world of Japan even with the drawings, though. The anime did a fair job at this, so I was hoping the manga would be even better, but my feelings remain mixed. Moreover, I just can’t wait to catch up to the anime’s second season and beyond, because while what I got in the first was O.K., it was enough to push me to uncover more. Also, sometimes this “trope trash” is a nice relief after revisiting the freakin’ French Revolution.

I once again would like to apologize for the lack of material lately. If I’m not busy, I’m suddenly ill, and vice versa. There was also a period after 3.33 where I just didn’t want to do much of anything. Ah feels ~ what crazy things. But do not fear, for I have the rest of my March posts all lined up . . . I just need to write them 😛 Haha, it’ll all be fine. How are all of you? Did you watch anything cool lately and want us to know? Drop a comment!

For those who stuck around until now, I HAVE been greatly considering creating a Twitter account for the blog to meet the demands of a certain group of kind folk!! The only thing holding me back is the fact that, yes, it’ll ultimately be another thing to add to the list of daily tasks. At the cost of building on friendships and making new ones (and attracting new cafe-goers, huehuehue) most of me thinks it’ll outweigh the pitfalls. We’ll just have to see! Until next time, this has been

– Takuto, your host

End of January Update 1/31/16

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Evening all, not really sure why I am doing an update as I LITERALLY watched and read NOTHING, but for consistency’s sake I thought it’d be better to get this out there . . . for anyone who cares. Let’s get to it!

Recently finished:

Diddly squat. I’ve been sick, busy, sick, and more sick.

Did I mention sick?

Currently watching:

Cowboy Bebop – Yep. Still watching this one. Remember how I decided to watch it with my family? Well, that probably wasn’t the best decision I’ve made, as none of us have matching schedules, and even if we do, I feel bad for kicking someone else off of the TV! Agh, at least it’s a grand show thus far. We’re exactly halfway through, so I expect the lighthearted bounty hunter trips to switch to some deep stuff pretty soon.

Boku dake ga Inai Machi (Erased) – If you’re not watching this this anime this season, you’re lying to yourself. Erased is about a boy (well, man in a boy body?) who is given the chance to (or kinda forced to) go back in time to save his mom and presumably a girl who died in his elementary school. I am two episodes in (gonna watch the third tonight >.<) and all I can say is WOW. Fast-paced, intense and consistent storytelling, and lovely animation provided by A1-Pictures (praise them “momma lips”). Yuki Kajiura’s music has yet to really stand out, but it supports what I’ve seen so far fairly well.

Dimension W – Yep, this is that other simulcast every anime fan and their grandma is following this season. Why am I? Well, aside it being science fiction, I am interested in its creation: FUNimation’s partnership in putting the production together. Admittedly, they only share a small part in the story department, but the production diaries they post on YouTube are very insightful. I’m not quite sure what the anime is about by episode two, nor where it’s headed, but I am nevertheless intrigued by what’s going on. The anime follows Kyouma, I think that is his name, and his job as a “Collector,” which involves retrieving energy-producing devices called “coils.”

Currently reading:

Sword Art Online Volume 4: Fairy Dance Part 2 – Still cracking through this one, over 1/4 done. Again, I put all reading and watching aside for a while, and I suppose this took the biggest blow. I’ll be picking back up on it soon, and plan to finish within the next week or two!

Last time I hinted as to my cosplay for spring convention(s), and while some of you will be disheartened to hear it is not Horn Skuld (Otaku Judge and Rocco B), it is still a beloved character from Seraph of the End. Everyone’s favorite blonde-headed vampire teen, Mikaela Hyakuya! I finally got the boots a few days ago, so everything’s pretty much set. All I need to do is trim the wig (or style it better), possibly find better pants, and decide whether or not to add light makeup just for eye effects and such. Not sure yet, though.

If you’ve already read my “I’ve been sick” post, then that’s all you need to know about me regarding the past two weeks. I do have the next 2 weeks of posts lined up, and all I have to do is write them (easier said than done, I realize, but oh well). We did add a new cafe-goer just yesterday, so a warm welcome to you and to all those returning ^.^ Thank you for your overwhelming support on my last update, by the way. It’s a lot easier to stand straight knowing an entire community of awesome friends is supporting your back, ya know? We gotta stick together during these rough times, haha! It’s cold yet oddly sunny where I’m at, but snow is on the horizon. Stay warm, everyone, and drink lots of hot chocolate and coffee – That’s what I’ll be doing! Alrighty, till next time everyone!

– Takuto, your host

So . . . I’ve Been Very Sick

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Evening all, it’s been quite a while since I’ve sat down here to talk. Well, just 2 weeks, actually, but in the blogging world that’s enough time to completely disconnect from all of you – And I am very sorry for this disconnection.

Title obviously explains my case. I’ve gone through the whole cycle: sore throat, burning eyes, runny nose, intense fever, chills, sinus pressure, the list goes on. To add to that, the more unusual symptoms include: digestive issues, body aches, and several 20-minute nose bleed sessions. And no, it doesn’t help when I have to swim on top of all of this, pulling calf and shoulder muscles left and right. At this point, it’s a pain in the ass to merely stand up straight, let alone run or swim . . . or even walk.

But I am recovering. Several of the pains I listed above have subsided. Another plus to that is being able to smell and taste my food again. Hah! Tasting sweets and sours again really makes the world go round. Now if only my body would quit aching and the nosebleeds would stop. Gosh, that’d be great.

But why else did I vanish from the community? The simple answer is needing the time to recover – Sleep. Guys, I don’t live the most stressful life on the planet, but damn, sometimes people need to chill – myself included. So that is what I did. I put anime to the side (save for my two simulcasts which I will talk about in my monthly update), set my Sword Art Online “Fairy Dance” research aside, cut my evening YouTube time short (if any), quit practicing the cello, asked my coach for a pardon during a few practices (which she totally understood), heck, I even stopped studying for school for a while there (but oddly enough, I still got great scores . . . yeah . . . stay in school kids).

Yet while all of this was swirling around my head, destroying my motivation and perseverance, I still had clung to one thing – one odd little thing: Charlotte. That’s right, the anime I reviewed a while back. I got into a vicious cycle of AMV watching, and came across someone’s description of the show:

“The superb story about comet dust, a gifted teen, and his promise.”

Damn, that’s powerful. They did a fine job with the video, too. But after listening to the contenders, the first I listened to ended up being my favorite. Now I want to share it with you. It’s apparently a [???Brazilian???] remix of a pretty emotional rock song. I’m normally not too into this kind of deep stuff, and you’ll probably think I am definitely misreading and misapplying these lyrics, but screw it – I’m feelin’ somethin’. The singer repeats:

Monster.
How should I feel?
Creatures lie here.
Looking through the window…

They probably apply to abuse or something serious like it, and I’m not trying to disrespect the song whatsoever, but I can’t help tying these words to myself, a metaphysical monster of sorts. In the flesh, I consider myself to be a pretty shelled person, the kind that take a bit of unwrapping to get to know on a personal level: intentions, desires, hopes, that stuff. It can be ugly to see someone so gilded walking through the halls. Am I gilded – a monster? So “How should I feel?” Well, that is the question. These creatures, be it deadlines, ambitions, daunting goals, and most obviously, people, lie here. And they are looking through the window of my mind, trying to pry it all open at the same bloody time. What results? I got pretty darn sick . . .  physically and most definitely, mentally. I’ve never been through depression. Is this what it feels like? Have I descended to the pit of my most suppressed pessimistic self? Or is this just me finally growing up? All of these negative thoughts plaguing my mind . . . wow, I just haven’t been feeling myself, more in Yuu’s shoes.

SPOILERS for anime, so please listen, but caution watching:

I’m sharing this song because I dare say that it helped me through it, and to show you the madness that’s been erupting before my face lately (also, it’s pretty catchy, proof that you DO NOT to understand what’s being said to emotions flowing). I’ve spent many hours with this song, and maybe you will, too. Also, I want to apologize to you, because once I post this little update, I have to move on, meaning I won’t be catching up on all of the posts that I missed. I feel ashamed to admit that not only as a blogger, but as a friend of all of you, but if I try to sift through everyone’s posts, I’m afraid I’d just be clicking the like button and moving on, rather than really having heart-to-heart conversations and analyzing reviews and whatnot. I am so sorry. Truly, I am ashamed. 

I want to end this on a positive note, so here’s the grand news: I PRE-ORDERED EVANGELION 3.33!!!!! Once it arrives, I’ll be a new man. Before I exit, I would like to extend my hands to those whom have just stumbled upon my blog and decided to hit that follow button. I’m normally not this distraught, but I am your host at my anime cafe. To those returning, as always, I am forever thankful. I’ve lined up the next few posts to make up for my absence, so I’ll see you all when I bounce back from . . . . all of this. Till then, this has been

– Takuto, your host