HiyoKoi - Really cute brandnew anime!

[Ribon] The famous japanese magazine had this anime follows the 11th number =D
It's a really really cute anime!
Then I mean REALLY. If you liked Toradora do watch this!




Part 1



Part 2

Otaku Takes American Idol

You might have caught this on the recent American Idol if your A/V receptor gets this program.

A young singer appeared in the latest season of Idol proudly showing off her otaku-ness alongside her vocals.

I won't spoil what her result in the contest was, but check out the judges' reactions!



Mark my words, I think she will be better known for her appearance as this public otaku character than her time on Idol overall.

Beautiful Daicon Artwork from Cult Films

I recently found this discussion thread where fans have assembled some great information about the Daicon films.

Included in the thread is some pictures of a rare Daicon bunny girl garage kit:

As well as some really very gorgeous fan art, more of which can be found on the DeviantArt page of Daikikun:

If you know me, I'm a big fan of these little movies! And for good reason too; they've had quite an impact on otaku for decades since the first films were screened at the DAICON conference in Osaka, Japan.
Just in care you are looking for more information and other artwork and stills from the films... have you seen my other article yet?

Japanese TV: Human Powered Hamburger Vending Machine

Put a few coins in... and watch! But if you want a second... you'll have to wait for him to reload it xD

Japanese TV: Pan kun goes to a magic show

Our favorite Japanese chimpanzee stops by for a magic show. His reactions are great!

Back To School Dramas?

With Labour Day just around the corner (Sept 7th in Canada), it spells "Back to School" for many people.

Now, I know many have already started their journey Back to School, but don't worry... this is also for you.

To help prepare for the dramas that surround school, I thought some High School Dramas would be useful.

I know the word "Drama" has the tendency to bring about apprehension in the hearts of our "Ani-Pockers",

but I hope this may help dispel some of that as well.

From my experience in North American Schools, teachers are typically seen as "The Enemy"...

certainly not someone you'd invite to karaoke...

(One of my former teachers at Karaoke)

Perhaps that may be because some students haven't had a TEACHER as GREAT as ONIZUKA.

Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO), is about a former... err... "troubled youth", ex-biker gang leader,

that wants to turn his life around and become a teacher... but not just ANY teacher... he wants to become a Great one.

Using his life experiences and his own brand of methods, he hopes to prevent others from becoming like him.

Unfortunately, mostly due to his "colourful" past, he's met with hostilities from other teachers as well as students...

This 1998 drama is loosely based on Fujisawa Tooru's 1997 - 2002 manga of the same name, and much like the manga

(and later anime 1999 - 2000), this live action rendition (Staring Sorimachi, Takashi and Matsushima, Nanako)

promises to bring in a lot of laughs, some tears, and moral lessons...

Oh! Sorimachi, Takashi's singing is pretty good too (o^ -'')b

Due to the popularity of this drama, a 2 hour special was made in 1999 and theatrical movie in 2000.

The lead actors who first met on the set of GTO, married in 2001.

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Whom ever thinks they may be too old to go back to school might be especially interested in My Boss, My Hero.

This 2006 Drama, similar to the 2001 South Korean movie of the same (international) name,

is about a 27year old Yakuza who wants to succeed his father in running his gang...

Unfortunately the lead character Sakaki, Makio (played by Nagase, Tomoya of TOKIO) is... well... not too bright.

After screwing up a 27million yen deal, his father buys Makio into the last year of a private high school under the condition if Makio graduates, then he can succeed as the next boss... if not, it goes to his younger and much smarter brother Mikio.

"Tornado" Makio, whose love of liquor, women and pudding, is put to the test,

as he tries to keep his age and his Yakuza identity a secret in order to graduate.

This story has the beauty and trials of youth, and the joys of learning,

wrapped up in a nice comedic package with a few tears and moral lessons.

Oh! TOKIO performs the ending theme 宙船 (そらふね) which sold over 400k copies and was still in the top 50 charts even 4months later.

*Edited to include teaser clips to help avoid mixing up these two dramas with "All My Children" and "Days of Our Lives"

Report from the Meido Kentei

The Japan Maid Association meido kentei -a grueling test and lecture, lasting for hours on end, forcing the most diligent apprentices to miss the highly anticipated Comiket, instead they are instilled with the virtues of... maidliness- this is the big one!

The kentei, which happened last week, saw just under 30 eager, potential maids attend the test to learn proper cleaning and serving skills (even the honorable legacy of the maid), then go out and test their knowledge.

Akibanana breaks down the two hour lecture as such:

~Service & Manner~
A Meido's Spirit
Greetings
Bowing
Six Basic Key Phrases
Speech & Language
Answering Phones
What is Expected From a Meido

~Maid History~
The Background & Era of the Birth of the Meido
Maid Milestones

As you can see, it is not all fun and games for these girls. Though some did come to the test dressed in moe maid or punk maid costumes and others may have picked up some experience working in maid cafes, the duty of the meido goes beyond these superficial considerations!

Many of the girls in attendance are already studying for careers in hospitality and maid servitude, so it only seemed fitting to them to take the level three test offered that day and achieve another level closer to being a full-fledged and endorsed meido.

Meido kentei take place frequently throughout Japan. Students who pass receive a level-specific certificate in maid proficiency.

You must thaw the tuna before you put it in the sushi!

In 1997, a team of Japanese scientists embarked on Antarctica to perform experiments in its sub-freezing temperatures.

As Antarctica is not well known for its nightlife, baseball games, and great television shows, it can get pretty boring in the great white vastness of the snow country.

Therefore, it is up to the expedition chef to keep everyone entertained at the dinner table, well-fed, and sane from going stir-crazy.

Masato Sakai stars as Chef Nishimura in this dramatic comedy released in Japan today.

Have a look, I have a feeling it will make its rounds to English film festival theaters soon!

Via Film Asia.