Winter 2011 Anime -- Get Ready!

Check out this awesome display of new anime coming our way!

The choice is yours -- What will you watch?

[Of course, click image to enlarge]



I did not compile this list, all thanks goes to cowboybibimbop from Twitter! (Here!)

Expect a list of anime recommendations after the majority of the new series' kick off!


-chansu

Which cover sounds better??

All of these are covers of Siam Shade's single 1/3 Junjou no Kanjou...

Hatsune Miku Cover


Alice Cover


MK ft. Yozu Cover


I really like the Alice cover the best! It even sounds better than the original! ^^

This is the original by the way...

Current Survey Information!

You might have looked at our current survey in the sidebar and thought, "I don't know what some of these words mean!".

Well I'm here to clear it all up!

In anime and manga there are some signature character types... Included in our survey are some popular character types in anime.

Tsundere - A character that is a mixture of mean and then nice. One type of tsundere is mean at first and gradually becomes nicer and the other type is mean most of the time but has occasional times when they are nice. See:: The Four Tsundere Wonders

Yandere - A character that is a mixture of gory evilness and niceness/love. See:: ::: When They Cry, Halloween だ!:::

Boke - A character that will usually say stupid things, zone out, or be oblivious to the obvious.
Example: Otani from Lovely Complex

Otani frequently mispronounces english words and is oblivious to many hints from his friends. Though his opposite love interest, Risa, also has her boke moments...






Tsukkomi - The tsukkomi character is opposite the boke character. They are the character that notices the faults of the boke character and points them out frankly to them or to the viewer. In Japan, they play the straightman in the comedy routine.
Example: Tomoya from Clannad

Even in this picture Tomoya is frankly commenting on Fuko's sadness. Tomoya frequently points out others faults so he's an example of the "Tsukkomi" character.








Otaku - Any character that has an extensive interest and hobby dealing with anime, manga, video games, or collectable figures.
See:: Female Otaku Needed for Cosplay

Imouto - Applies to any character that is a younger sister. See:: November :::Tsundere of the Month:::

Shy - A character that is shy or timid.
Example: Hinata from Naruto

Hinata likes Naruto but can never find the right words to tactfully have a conversation with him. It's until she grows older in Naruto Shippuuden that she "opens up to him".







Intelligent - A character that is a tensei (genius) or just plain smart. These characters usually have glasses and frequently adjust them ^^
Example: Ishida Uryuu from Bleach

That's practically all he's got going for him in Bleach. Being smart enough to understand the physics of his flying arrows and the limits of his body.









Outgoing - Applies to any character that is very social or extraverted. I would say it applies to some shounen heroes as well.
Example: Haruhi from The Meloncholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Haruhi is pretty outgoing. She singlehandedly starts a club at her school naming it the S.O.S Brigade and proclaims it's to investigate the supernatural and extraterrestial phenomena. She has no problem approaching other clubs to compete with them and no problem bossing around the main guy character, Kyon.



And there you have it!!! Use this guide to vote on our sidebar survey!!

Otaku Helping Others! Part Six

Today's Otaku Helping Others Post is called:

Shounen Challenges: A Metaphor for the Odds

What can shounen anime teach us? You might say.

It can teach us alot of things but one thing in particular is that we can overcome the odds.

Naruto as a kid, during his ninja qualifying exams.

Yesh the characters in shounen anime have to overcome odds... But it's even more than that. The challenges in shounen anime are a metaphor for the odds we face in true to real life.

Successful people of any culture overcome odds with the same prowess, skill, effort, and raw determination that the main characters in shounen anime show in their adventures.

Being an otaku who loves to watch shounen anime, I've compiled a summarized list of qualities and events that we can and do apply in our lives to overcome the odds.

1. Training

Training can take many forms. In shounen anime it's usually a long arduous and practically impossible feat of practicing.
Example:

Master Roshi trained Goku and Krillin by having them move boulders the size of houses, trek hundreds of miles, plow fields with their hands, and find things in a forest below a cliff (which they had to climb or jump down).







In our lives we train by studying for hours on end, or lifting weights until we can't lift anymore, or making daily commutes to work, or keeping a simple routine. Though not as arduous, being able to TRAIN can make the difference between SUCCESS and FAILURE.

2. Doing an impossible feat to change a bleak situation.

Somewhere along the line our shounen heroes have to do something that is physically impossible to change a bleak situation.

Luffy climbed a very jagged vertical mountain to get his crewmate, Nami, to a doctor or she would have died. There were times when he almost fell but he kept going on the thought that they were his friends and crewmates. He was also carrying Sanji, I think. ...Carrying two people up a very jagged mountain face.





We might not carry our friends and family up jagged mountains but sometimes the challenges we face for them and to change bleak situations can be percieved to be just as hard as Luffy's.

3. Defeating enemies who are much stronger

In this picture Naruto is shown beating one of the six living corpses of Akatsuki leader, Pain. Read that sentence back to me and tell me that doesn't exemplify defeating an enemy who is much stronger. It's with this win that Naruto finally won the favor of his entire village, who used to treat him as an outcast.

You don't have to beat one of the six bodies of Pain to defeat a strong enemy. If you so much as go out, to something like work or school you are bound to encounter someone who doesn't like you or will treat you without kindness. It's knowing how to keep our head held high, (not always fighting) that can defeat these strong enemies!
And there you have it, three aspects of shounen anime, outlined to show you that YOU can overcome the odds!
And this is RPGHero, with the first Otaku Helping Others Post of 2011.

Jpop video of the Night!

First of the NEW YEAR!

"The direct light intersects itself,
And without even announcing its destination,
It pierces through everywhere."

Hologram by NICO Touches the Walls

»English Translation«

nvited by a pure white scenery now,
Ill go to a world that I still havent seen

As a lost child, I journeyed
Under the slate-gray sky.
Many dreams blotted through the map that changes daily.

Someday,
Even with my strides as I am tiny -
I wonder if I can get to the other side of those clouds.

The direct light intersects itself,
And without even announcing its destination,
It pierces through everywhere.
The faint afterimage is burnt into my eyes-
Under this sky,
No matter where I am,
I should be able to reach
The world that I still havent seen.

Unknowingly embedded in a black and white sticker -
What is important is that we had hidden.
Light from the stars from the beautiful flowers from stones of the treasure
dream of the noise and the hologram.

Scenes depicting one day against the odd man out
fly like a bubble through the loneliness and frustration.

The road is straight,
and would be stronger than now.
Now been invited to a pure white scenery,
I’ll go to a world that I still haven’t seen.

The light color of the rainbow in the sky is where
a distant voice calls me, shivering every time in the shadow of tomorrow.

The straight, scattered light
pours all at a time in the afternoon after the rain.
Now mix the infinite gradations of
this all under the sky.
We will make sure we will arrive in this world.



Last edit by on Saturday 29 Aug, 2009 at 05:09 +49.6%

This lyric was added by: MUSHROOMS

::: Ake Ome! ::: (Happy New Year!)

Hey everyone! It's finally that time of the year!


(Note: I could go on and on about Japan's New Year, but I'll try to shorten it up! =P)


Well let's begin the post! ^^

New Year (or Shogatsu), is the most important holiday in Japan! They celebrate it on January 1st and all businesses usually close from Jan 1 - 3 to spend time together with family! Everyone joins together to celebrate a fresh start--leaving all the worries and troubles of the previous year. They truly take it seriously and even throw bonenkai parties (or "year forgetting parties").

It's also very typical in Japan to eat Soba (buckwheat noodles) which symbolizes longevity. (I've tried Soba in Japan--from a relative with a soba license and it's without a doubt my favorite noodle dish... ever!)



And other traditions include watching a music show called "Kohaku Uta Gassen" which features many popular Japanese J-pop and enka singers in spectacular performances.

On New years day many Japanese people pay attention the "firsts" of everything--such as the first shrine visit of the new year (hatsumoude), the first sunrise of the new year (hatsuhinode), etc.

Let's talk a little bit about Hatsumoude:

On January 1st, 2nd, or 3rd thousands of people visit their local shrine or go to popular ones which tend to be VERY crowded with long lines.

In anime we can see how teenagers typically visit shrines more for fortune-telling than anything else. You pay the amount requested and then you receive a folded Fortune Paper (Omikuji). When you open it up it has a wide range of fortunes, separated by luck and misfortune which ranges from Excellent Luck (Daikichi) to Certain Disaster (Daikyou).

For a full list of the commonly used levels click here:

* 大吉 - Daikichi - Excellent luck
* 吉 - Kichi - Good luck
* 中吉 - Cyukichi - Fair luck
* 小吉 - Syokichi - A little luck
* 半吉 - Hankichi - Semi-good luck
* 末吉 - Suekichi - Uncertain luck
* 末小吉 - Suekokichi - Uncertain but a little luck
* 凶 - Kyou - Bad luck (Misfortune)
* 小凶 - Syokyou - A little misfortune
* 半凶 - Hankyou - semi-misfortunate
* 末凶 - Suekyou - Uncertain misfortune
* 大凶 - Daikyou - Certain disaster

(Source)

Once they've seen their fortune they usually have places to tie them up--but sometimes they tie all the terrible luck ones in a separate place like on a tree. (I wouldn't want to get one of those o.O)

And just to give you an idea of how seriously these people take their fortunes: If they got Daikichi they would probably immediately go gambling or something--and if they got Daikyou they would probably either go sulk and rot in a corner somewhere around their house or go to a karaoke box. Others might even double check their life insurance or purchase another one! So if you ever go to Hatsumoude--pray you don't get a Daikyou!

Something interesting about the whole Omikuji tradition is they leave the fortunes in plain sight with a price and a money container--unattended--and they expect everyone to pay the given amount or suffer the guilt and/or wrath of Kami (God). This is due to the incredible honesty in Japan: they say that if you lose your wallet and someone returned it to you--you wouldn't be missing a single yen. I find this attitude quite admirable and trusting =P.

Anyway, anime shows that visiting the shrines can comprise of a wide array of moments... anywhere from romantic ones:

(i.e. a couple goes out all day and walk together to get their fortune--spending the first moments of the New Year together with the one they love ^^ and/or one person in the couple gets excellent luck and trys to cheer up the other person who usually gets terrible luck by saying things along the lines of "I'm lucky to know you" or something :D (You can tell romance is my thing =P))...

(Note: The picture to the right is Daikichi (Excellent Luck).)

to comical ones:
*Note: I'm sorry, I couldn't think of a picture that would do this one justice :(*

(i.e. the Boke usually extremely bad luck whereas the Tsukkomi gets like medium fortune and then the Tsukkomi says "atleast mine is better than yours" or something like that =P (If you want to know what the Boke-Tsukkomi/Manzai routine is, click here))....

But anime definitely does a better job of getting you in the mood for the New Years than seeing adults pour champagne, kids playing with balloons and clappers, and then watching a big ball drop on T.V. =P (Even though all the lights in Time Square are pretty exciting--watching it on t.v. isn't as fun)... So don't forget to watch your fair share of anime so that when December comes you'll have plenty of happy memories to remember which will hopefully get you in a better mood for Christmas and New Years! Or better yet--go to Japan for the holidays! =P

That's all for today,
The Otaku Reviewers wishes you all a Happy New Year! =P

Quick! It's time for a KRE (Kana - Romaji - English).

K: あけまして　おめでとう！
R: Akemashite Omedetou!
E: Happy New Year!

Or for short: Ake-Ome!

Thanks for reading! ^^,
:::Deretsun:::

--

(P.S.)
We hope you're all enjoying our blog!
Don't forget that "follow" button--that tells us you're happy with our blog... and smiles, of course, keep us going =P.

(P.P.S.)
If you'd like to read more on Japan's customs, feel free to Google it or click this handy wikipedia article that pretty much sums it up: here.