Ah, Friday. First off, how is everybody? I hope your week was cool. You know, this not having a job thing aint so bad. I'm getting paid until the end of March now (KICK ASS!) and all I have to do is not threaten my old employer publicly. Which it TS for them, because I have been on Ugandan TV doing that for six months. Also, I am getting ALOT of anime to watch and dare I say, the Japanese and their drawers affinity is beginning to weird me out. When buying used panties becomes a punchline rather than a crimnal act, I shudder. I am hearing great things about Bleach (I gave up on downloading because its up to 60+ episodes) and Loveless so keep an eye out for them. I have also been catching up on comics and I know a lot of you arent up on the Infinite Crisis, but pick up the series. If you read 'Crisis on Infinte Earths' in 1986 you will REALLY dig issue #4, you will see the return of a someone that if you are into comics will bring a tear to your eye.
Well, tomorrow is the Anime Fusion Tour up at Park Meadows Mall and I must say I am a little bit excited. Having only been to one big anime convention (and not a fan of the experience I must say) but I have never seen a live J-Pop artist. Yoko Ishida (who has been shoved down my throat until I liked her for the last 4 months thanks to Media Play and anime mags) is the performer and her music aint bad. If you didnt know, she has done opening/closing themes for Ah! My Goddess (hells yeah!), Pretear (never heard it) and Ai Yori Aioshi (I dug this one, sue me) and has released a few albums. She will be accompanied by the Para Para Dance Crew (more than ktwo people dancing in unison is a crew, its science) and I am afraid from what I have seen so far. Someone could lose an eye if this is what they are gonna be doing:
A good segway into a little think that bugs me. Otaku. No time to explain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku should help you out. Now that you have a glimpse of otaku and their ilk, I only have one problem with them. They are WAY TOO INTO IT. I mean I like anime, j-pop, manga and a lot about Japanese culture. But aside from Bennie K and sushi chefs (ronin sushi chef anime. it will work!), I don't obsess about the Japanese culture. I feel kind of like an old man when it comes to anime. There are those of us that remember when anime was seen as animated porn (Legend of the Overfiend, anyone?), violent drivel (Fist of the North Star, anyone) or a just downright odd. With Akira and Robot Carnival, I gotta give people the last one. But my point is, there is a wave of this otaku mouth-breathers that are just allowing it to get saturated with people who are making us all look bad. You know the ones. The non bathers. I was at Nan-Desu-Kan (sp?) and it smelled like 'Shaun of the Dean' looked. Body odor is not a badge of otaku honor. Mixing it with Pocky is even worse, and Pocky can be good eating.
Now I am not one of the anime elitest. I've seen those losers taling about the 'old days' of Astro Boy and Gigantor. I'm not one of those, and I still say Gigantor kind of sucked ass. All about Manzinger, baybee! Tranzor Z for those not familiar, but back to the point. I am one that remembers when anime was right next to porn in the Camelot Video store. I remember when the manga section was in the far back near the OCCULT BOOKS at Waldenbooks. I remember when I would have to stay up until 2:30 in the morning to see anime on TBS, and it was ALWAYS Akira or Heavy Metal, which is not anime. I am upset about how anime has been turned 'cool' like how gay was 'cool' with the metrosexual craze. Laughing at us, not with us.
There is nothing wrong with embracing a culture, as much as an intolerant dude I seem I respect a lot of other traditions and cultures. I am against people taking to the extreme where they speak shitty Japanese and wear 'I Heart Yaoi' shirts. That is stupid and you making all of us look bad because you are not what the majority of anime fans represnt. All I want to say is tone it down, its okay to embrace a culture without ridiculing yourself and others. And fucking bathe. Many will attest, it was a rough go at the anime con. I have smelled the valley of death, and it was by the DDR and Karoke rooms. And back on the Yaoi. JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, MAN! First, a little background because I am sure if someones kid puts 'yaoi' in a search engine someone will shit bricks so here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaoi
Done? Good. Now, at the con Zach and I saw three dudes and one had the 'I Heart Yaoi' shirts on. I had not bought my beating stick yet, but needless to say I was pissed. Not about same sex love that is fine. I have nothing against that. And reading yaoi doesnt mean you are gay. But if you dont know what it means (which this kid didnt if I'm not mistaken), dont wear the shirt. If you are in to man on man love thats cool. But its not a fad, its a life-choice. Its not waiting room reading material, its erotic manga. I wouldn't wear a 'I Heart Hentai' or 'Seinen 4 Life' shirt if I didnt know what they meant. Since I do, never in hell would I wear them, btw. And before anyone gets the wrong idea again, I am not against gays settling down. I am against putting 'I Heart Yaoi' on a paddle and selling it to 12 year olds. Something about gay love, paddles and minors just makes me thing illegal. Maybe its just me.
Anyway, on lighter note I want to give a shout out to Griff for the blog title yesterday. I didnt give him recognition yesterday and he let me hear about it. I am also issuing an open challenge on behalf of him to anyone who wants to get down in Mario Kart: Double Dash for the Gamecube. Bring your lunch bitches!
Also, I will try to get some pictures at the Anime Fusion Tour tomorrow and have them up by Sunday morning. The video of Teq's show is coming, my cpu wont read the camcorder and I cant find the software. All this computer knowledge and cant get a camcorder to work. Priceless.
I am going to update this thing in a little bit with a little video I have been trying to upload. FOR A DAMN HOUR. Geez, things are SO not coming up Milhouse. Stay up and goodnight, peeps.
(Update)
Wow, an h0ur and a half. Guess I should turn off bittorrent. Anyway, the first time I saw this video I was underwhelmed. After watchng I mus say it has grow on me. For those of you unfamilar with Bennie K (Since only three of you visit and two of you know them already, this is for that mysterious third person. Drop a line, stranger!) here is a visual: http://www.youtube.com/?v=dloIuGzXAX4
This is their video for 'Oasis' which is my second favorite song by them (All about 'Puppy Love Pt I' dude. Tell me it doesnt sound like an west coast summer jam from high school) and is just a happy action dance time video. Enjoy!
Chachi out.
