Ani-Pock Birthdays

Hello Ani-Pock Community!

I was either asked or told to, but its a really good idea in the whole, so here you go:
May we (as in everyone) know when your birthday is?
Don't you think that it would be fun to have so many people wish you joy on a day you get older, and hopefully wiser? =D

Just leave a comment, and maybe Pocky will O.K. me adding it to the members list!

~*For You*~

From your friends at Ani-Pock. Enjoy your special day!!

P.S. Pocky start a birthday list so we can know everyone's birthday!

Reveal the Ani-Pock Community: Purly!!

Thanks for the fun questions on the last episode.

Our contestant this week is: Purly !!
So how do you play?
Here is a recap of Rin's rules!:

Every week a member is selected from the Ani-Pock Memberlist and it will be posted who that member is, then everyone else can comment under the post any questions that they want to ask about that member, but please keep in mind to keep the questions decent, indecent questions will be deleted.

So lets get to it! Ask Purly questions!!

Previous contestants: Pocky Moonlight Celley Rin Meta Kami

Know Your Giant Robots! The Body Count! / First Anime Awards 2007!

Whoo!

The robot in the last post was... well, any police Labor in Patlabor, and the short film was Minipato.

Good job to Kamisori, who guessed correctly on both questions! He wins a copy of the Minipato trailer and opening theme. They're hilarious.

Also in anime news, the First Annual Anime Awards were held this Saturday at 9:00 PM (yeah, forget the Oscars!). The entire event was streamed, filmed, and viewable at the awards website. My laptop doesn't have sound so I'll have to find out who won myself later! T.T

Now that's an anime award! ===>

Happy 2nd Birthday Ani-Pock!

2 whole years everyone!! 2.83 MILLION visits later! Thank you for making Ani-Pock so fun! Without you all, Ani-Pock would be nothing!

Ok, courtesy of the "Internet Archive Wayback Machine" (Yes the site was that popular from the start!) we have the following pages:

Feb 26, 2005
Feb 27, 2005 <- A day after launch I made it look alot better and added the blue background you see today!

Leave a message on the AniPock Voice center recorder!!! I'd love to hear how your story on how you found Ani-Pock! ^.^

Make words mean something~!

Welcome to the first ever post from Jent. :o

I sincerely hope that nothing that is said here is taken personally, and I hope it does not come off as "holier-than-thou" or condescending. It's simply Jent sharing her thoughts.

I realize, that a lot of people that come to this site are still in high school, or not even there yet. Not to say that any of you are just a bunch of kids. Sometimes, I wish that people had let me have some insight from their own experiences. It would've made things easier for me.

I know, that here on the internet, perhaps, the only way to truly express yourself is through words. But, I feel, that words are starting to lose their meaning, and to me, that makes them less special. For example, when you say that you hate someone, that's a really STRONG word. But people throw it around like it's nothing. The same can be said for love. If you really love someone, it is a serious emotion. And when you tell someone you love them, think for a moment, about how that person is going to percieve it.

Of course, words are just words, and they can't actually hurt you physically. But, I think that it's possible to do a lot of damage with them, when considering another's feelings.

The only reason, that the words, "idiot", "retard" and "imbecile" are negative words, is because we as humans, made them that way. Years ago, they were simply medical terms, but people misused them, and turned them into something offensive.

Since we are a small community, and there are a lot of people I see on here that are dating or consider themself in a relationship with someone online, many of us, right here on the site, take a moment, and really think about what you say to that person. You may use affectionate terms casually, because you feel strongly about that person. But consider what thoughts you are really putting into that person's mind. If you really care about them, it is probably better to not rush things. You have your whole life ahead of you, and there will be a lot of people that will come in and out of your life.

The same goes for insults. Believe me, I've been guilty of them myself. There are just times, that someone is being so ignorant or disrespectful, I blurt things out that I really didn't mean. I've probably used every curse word known in the English language, atleast once. I'm not saying for one moment, that it was right. I'm owning up to my mistakes. Surely, no one is perfect.

All that I am asking, is that we all show each other a little bit of respect, when it comes to the feelings of one another.

Reveal the Ani-Pock Community: Jent!!

Kip here!! Thanks for the fun questions on the last episode. It's been about a thousand years, but it's time to continue THE GAME! Rin has given me permission to continue from where we left off.



Our contestant this week is: Jent!!
So how do you play?
Here is a recap of Rin's rules!:

Every week a member is selected from the Ani-Pock Memberlist and it will be posted who that member is, then everyone else can comment under the post any questions that they want to ask about that member, but please keep in mind to keep the questions decent, indecent questions will be deleted.

So lets get to it! Ask Jent questions!!

Previous contestants: Pocky Moonlight Celley Rin Meta Kami

Know Your Giant Robots: Final Battle!!!

Day six of the contest! I won't be back tomorrow to give another question. But I'll give the correct answer to this one on Monday.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police police use these to fight crime in the near future (1999).

Bonus: Name the crudely drawn short film that spawned from this series and I'll send you the opening theme and a trailer from the special!

The only thing better than a giant robot is a dancing giant robot... XD

The robot in the last post was Strain from Sōkō no Strain. Bit of a new one on the anime front. Good job to Angrymoose and Sadako who guessed correctly!

Commercials

Fun fun Japanese Milk Commercials!
Enjoy~
n_n




For the second one, Yuko is drowning and Jun comes to save her, saying "Mouth to mouth?" In case anyone is wondering. >=3

Update: Heres another video I found interesting! n_n

Pants Pankuro パンツぱんくろう

This is “Pantsu Pankurou (パンツぱんくろう),” a segment on “Okaasan to Issho (おかあさんといっしょ)” (Together with Mom), a long, long-running kid's show on NHK. =3

It’s like a toilet training themed segment. The main character, Pankurou has figured out the toilet (Toilet-sama and Kamiko-san (paper) are two other main characters), and now he wears a pair of tightey whiteys.



Here are some phrases to listen in on:

Densha (”den den densha”) = train
Dou ya = How’s that/ whatya think of that? (Kansai dialect)
Nan ya = What’s that/ whatrya doin? (Kansai dailect)
Jama ya de (jama da yo) = You’re in the way (Kansai dialect)
Socchi koso = You’re the one in the way

Know Your Giant Robots! Countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

Day five of the contest!

These giant robots are piloted by 'Reasoners' and will not run without the MIMIC, a computer fused with brain cells taken from the potential pilot while he/she was still in the womb, which is used to aide in driving the mecha.

The series in the last post were RahXephon; Neon Genesis Evangelion; Sakura Wars (again Rin got all these!); and the one that started the whole sort of 'genre', Reideen the Superior (Chouja Reideen) or more accurately Brave Reideen! Good job everyone!

Japanese TV: Feature on Akihabara Electric City!

This is pretty much what it was like when I was in Akihabara over the summer!

How to put on a Kimono

In just 64 simple steps! All with pictures! Get folding...

Pokemon Watches!

$26 US Each from Tomy.

Know Your Giant Robots! IV: The Space Opera Continues...

Day four of the contest! Okay, the rules are changing a little on this one. Name these anime with the Giant Robots in the title:

In this series, confused and angsty teen protagonists are chosen as pilots for their own quasi-sentient mech in a post apocalyptic Tokyo setting. They must save the world by fighting (Hint! Hint!) dolems/angels/demons that cause havoc (apparently only in their fair city).

How many series can you name? XD

The robot in the last post was (drum roll) MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai. Whew, I'm exhausted just saying that. According to Zaku... no one got the correct answer, although the pocker who came the closest was Rin again.

Edit: Okay, okay, there are two series where the characters fight "demons".

Know Your Giant Robots! Third Barrage!

Day three of the contest! Today's entry comes courtesy of LordZaku He's a major proponent of this little quiz and Gundams, you know.
Seems like an easy one? Guess again!

This suit deployed in UC 0079, was operated by a large faction, and appeared in a few episodes of Gundam.
Note: This giant robot is not in the picture.

Okay give me the whole name! Do you know it? If no one knows the whole name, part of it will do... I guess.

The robot in the last post was Deucalion from Kiddy Grade. Rin was the only person to give the correct answer, and virtually no one debated the topic of what constitutes a "giant robot".
Woohoo and ya-hoo!

Morning Musume Pocky Commercial

Purly found the Pocky CM by Morning Musume that Anii posted in the voice center~!

Updated Nav Bar! Now with 2 more Draw Boards!

If you don't see this nav bar, quit and re-open your browser. ^^

Added slideshow under draw boards!

Yup! Go check em out! ^^ Pocky

Know Your Giant Robots. Part 2!

Day two of the contest.

This giant robot (not counting Unicron from Transformers*) was the largest mech in the history of mechs with a height of over 32,000 km!

Note: This giant robot is not in the picture.

I've done a lot of research on this topic, I thought I knew the tallest robot until yesterday when I checked to make sure, so if you're willing to debate the definition of "giant robot" there can be two different answers to this question --but the one I'm looking for is the only one that is over 32,000 km in height.

The robot in the last post was in fact Sizzler. Good job to those that knew.

Update: *Thanks Lord Zaku, I absent-mindedly put Gundam there.

~Ichigo Mashimaro~

Hiya everyone! Last night I picked up a new manga called "Strawberry Marshmallow" and I love it already! :3 It's about 5 girls who do cute things in cute ways to solve things, and basically it's what some would call a "slice of life" which is everyday happenings. Anyway, I found the anime on youtube and thought I'd share with you the sweetness of this story. Enjoy Ichigo Mashimaro Episode 1~! :3

Snowplow~

Uwah, check this cute thing out?
I wish I'd snow in Southern California so I could make all my neighboors jealous. >=3

Tis called the Yuki-taro Kawaii Snowplow~
Heres some information from Japundit.com:

"Yuki-taro is an autonomous snowplow robot that is loaded with GPS and a couple of video cameras to make its way around. It doesn’t just push snow around, oh no. It eats snow, turns it into compressed blocks, then poops them out so they can be used later for alternate sources of cooling and refrigeration. Seriously, how awesome is Japan? If it’s possible to have a crush on a country, I’ve got one. Be my valentine, Japan."

Update: Rin submits her two takes! ^^

Emotions! n_n

Angel, I think, sent this to me a while back, and I decided to make a post for it! =D
This website here is full of new, as well as old, Japanese smilies and such. And I know some people on Ani-Pock love to use them, so here you go!

The website gives you some characters as well as the emotion, and then the english version so you can totally and completly understand! =3

Meyume's favorites are:
ﾁｬｳ(･_･ 三･_･)ﾁｬｳ
No(･_･ 三･_･)no

ｬダヽ(ｏ`皿′ｏ)ﾉ
No! ヽ(ｏ`皿′ｏ)ﾉ

（￣ー￣）ニヤリ
（￣ー￣）chuckle grimly

☆⌒(＞。≪)イタイ
☆⌒(＞。≪)Ouch

･ω･｀)ｺｯｼｮﾘ
･ω･｀)behind the wall

Know Your Giant Robots!

Hey folks, here's a little game to celebrate Ani-Pock's birthday week.
Can you name this giant robot? I'll start with an easy one.
This giant Robot wasn't even completed until halfway through the series, and although this show was famous for creating the "GINAX bounce" the mechs for which this late eighties anime is named weren't the one offering this fanservice.

XD
It will be fun to see what you guys answer! Good luck!
It won't be so easy next time.

~Ani-Pock Mascot Contest~

Hiyo!~ Minna-San! As it a new year and Ani-Pock is still growing and undergoing recent make-overs (background changes) I thought it would be perfect to design your own Ani-Pock Mascot! Exciting ne? So, here is how this is going to work:

Submission date is by March 17!

Ani-Pock Mascot Drawing Rules:
1.) It HAS to be your own creation. Inspiration is encouraged, but no stealing! We don't want to infringe on copyrighted material.
2.) You have to include Pocky in your picture, and I don't exactly mean Pocky-San. ^^; Unless, you really want Pocky-San in it. >XD
3.) Try to keep your mascot to one or two characters.
4.) You can use any medium, but color is recommended.
5.) There are no size requirements.
6.) Email entries to me at Rin@ani-pock.net

**This is more about character design then it is of skill. For those of you that have an idea for a mascot, but feel that you can't draw that well, ask someone to draw it for you and both of you will be recognized if your mascot is picked.**

Ani-Pock Mascot Judging Rules:
Pocky will select his 3 favorite submissions and put it out to the Ani-Pock community to vote on their favorite out of the 3 and that will become our new Ani-Pock Mascot. (Any submissions sent to me will be forwarded on to Pocky.)

Prizes are still being figured out, maybe Pocky has something in his stash of toys to put up for bid. XD If you have any questions please feel free to comment or send me an email and have fun! I hope we'll get a lot of participation. There is a lot of talent here on Ani-Pock and it's all great in its own way!

Book Club Update

Just a reminder, the Ani-Pock 1st Weekly Book Club is still meeting 7:00 PM, Greenwich Meantime, this Saturday the 17th. If you would like to know what time that is in your time zone most computer clocks have a +/- GMT feature and you simply subtract those hours from the appropriate time, otherwise the "World Time" section of the site seems to have changed back to the mini-browser... Oops.

We will still be reading Vol. 1 of My Name is Zushio which is available at this (working) link . After reading a little farther in to it, there was some brief animated nudity, so please read at your own caution.

If you weren't able to read the manga, please join us on gabbly anyway, it will be interesting to see how many people will come! We can discuss whether we want to keep reading this manga or not, and what we thought of it.
See you this Saturday!

Bokura Ga Ita

This is a anime that I havent seen in a while, but I'm getting back onto it! Its uber, uber cute and its appealing in the story, calmness, and artwork. n_n
I hope those of you who watch it enjoy!

Tis called: Bokura Ga Ita
Summary: Nanami, a senior high school student, had great expectations of this year. Her chest raised with hope of having a great amount of friends.However, 2/3rds of the girls in class have once liked Yano, the so called "popular boy" and thing to talk about. Nanami is unkind to and feels irratable at the sight of him although... (dundundun)

Episode One, Part One


Episode One, Part Two


Episode One, Part 3

Happy Valentines Day!

Tips! ^_^ Click image to play.



Update: Check out Marie's Valentine drawing!

Update2: Kami sent in this Valentines related Flash!

Update3: Check out Jent's Valentine Drawing!

JT Awareness

Japan Tobacco Inc., also known as JT, is a well known cigarette company, but for different reasons.

What made JT stand out, was its idea "Polite Manners" for smoking around others. On March 12, 2004, JT announced that it would bolster its smoking manner campaign efforts in Japan with a new advertising campaign from March 14 until March 31. The campaign was to remind smokers to be more mindful of others when smoking.

"As part of the company's initiative to promote a society where both smokers and non-smokers can more easily coexist, JT has been producing various smoking manner campaign advertisements on TV, newspapers, and on public transportation since 1974. The new ads will adopt a different approach to the issue from the previous ones, which mainly focused on the prevention of cigarette butt littering, in the face of increased demand for smokers to exhibit better manners when smoking.
Click on the top picture to go to the link! =O

Ani-Pock mentioned on Diggnation!

Ani-Pock has been mentioned on a very very popular video podcast!!! We were mentioned on episode 84 of Diggnation, which gets hundreds of thousands of downloads. Find out more about Diggnation here. Then watch the hosts try to prononce the name! XD

Ani-Pock Podcast Episode 012.5

Ep 012.5: "POCKY EATING CONTEST"



Episode 12.5 is here!

Today's topic: Lucy and her cousin Josee having a Pocky eating contest.

Hosts: Lucy and Josee

Well what are you waiting for, click the pink play button to listen, or right click here and choose save as)

Listen to all the previous shows in the archive.

Special Edition Final Fantasy XII DS Lite

(via PlasticBamboo): "Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings will be released in Japan on 26th April, and what better system to play it on than a special edition Final Fantasy XII DS Lite. Released on the same day as the game, it’ll no doubt sell out stupidly quick, much like previous versions have."

Japanese Short Film: Right Place

(Via TokyoMango): "Right Place is a short film about a combini clerk with OCD, directed by Sophia University grad Kosai Sekine. It won the Young Directors Award/Best Short Film at Cannes last year.

It's awesome! It's like watching Monk on ABC, except OCD is much better depicted when there's less talking and less crime and a lot more attention to the aesthetics of film-making."

Cherry blossoms in Tokyo already

(Via PlasticBamboo): "Cherry blossom season looks like it’s going to hit Tokyo a month earlier than usual, as the Sakura in Ueno Park have begun to blossom already. This is apparently down to the unusually warm winter in Tokyo this year; the city is experiencing temperatures 2-4 degrees warmer than the norm for this time of year."

Anime Mini Computer !

(Via TokyoTimes): "For up-to-date PC users wanting to complement their new Vista purchase with a veritable feast of busty and big-eyed Japanese schoolgirls in salaciously short skirts and bulging bikinis, custom computer maker DECORE would appear to the perfect one-stop shop; the japanese company’s eye-catching designs guaranteed to wow even the most ardent of anime fans."

More pictures >>

February 2007

Hey everyone! Although its late, its here! >_<

February 2007 Member List is waiting for all your quotes, so comment and leave one now! =D

Click a picture to go to the members page! =D

Superbowl Funnies n_n

Ultramaaan~
A LOOK A LIKE! XD
Twas' on the Super Bowl XXXXI
comercials

TGIF Doodle Help

Hello! Meyume here on a urgent call for Pocky! =O

He has a student club that is there for saving the earth from bad evil things such as:
+Non-recycle

+Liter

+Paper eating (so says Pocky) O_O

+Wasting of paper

And much more that he wont say cause he's a busy man. -_-

Soooooooooooooooooooo, those of Ani-Pock, that like to draw in their free time, we have givin you a task that you can say "Yes!" or "Ewwwww... No" to. All you have to do is draw this picture (below), on the computer, in color, and make it better than his, which is hand drawn (tis cute though, no?)! n_n The only thing that we ask you do to, specific coloring, is the banner, the background red, and letters white!

Anyone who makes a drawing will get a real Japanese Vending Machine figurine, but, Pocky only has 9, so if your interested, you better get crackin'! n_n
So far, we have one entry (since last night) from "Katie, L" of Dievant Art? (I think) Heres hers! *points down*

Yes, yes, even YOU can be a superhero(a) today,
What --- A --- Deal! =D

send all drawings to: pocky@ani-pock.net

Ani-Pock Book Club

Link fixed!

Since the Gabbly has been looking a little dead recently I have proposed a book talk. But not just any book talk. Manga talk!

Next Saturday, February 17th at 7:00 PM Greenwich Meantime (Subtract five hours for East Coast US, add twelve hours for Japan), Ani-Pock will discuss volume one of My Name is Zushio. If we liked it we will read another volme and discuss it a week after our first read and so on. It's only three volumes long, and really short. I read a little bit of it. It looks like something shojo and shonen can both enjoy.

If you are interested in the book discussion please leave a message here so that we have a good idea of how many people will be on gabbly.

Here is a WORKING link to the manga. See you next Saturday!

Grave of The Fireflies

Grave of The Fireflies, is a Studio Ghibli film about World War II, and the effect it had on the comminity in Japan. Its a great movie, I would know, since I just finished it; and no doubt will it not leave an effect on you. Heres the summary:

Taking place toward the end of World War II in Japan, Grave of the Fireflies is the poignant tale of the relationship between two orphaned children, Seita and his younger sister Setsuko. The children lose their mother in the firebombing of Kobe, and their father in service to the Imperial Japanese Navy, and as a result they are forced to try to survive amidst widespread famine and the callous indifference of their countrymen (some of whom are their own extended family members).

The movie was created from the semi-autobiographic novel by Akiyuki Nosaka, who lost his sister due to malnutrition in 1945 during the war. He blamed himself for her death and wrote the story so as to make amends to her and help him accept.

Ah, by the way, there are 9 parts to this movie. If you stick to the same person who uploaded it (ShiningDete), you should be able to view it all. ;_;

Love-love Day(s)

Hey Ani-Pock, its February! And with February, for many cultures, is Valentines Day ! =O Now, in America, both boys and girls give chocolates, stuffed things, balloons, and such. Now, in Japan, as I'm sure many of you know, they have 2 different days to show your feelings for those around you!

First, for the girls, they give chocolates (normally) and other red-pink-white products, to the boys of interest. This takes place on February 14th, whereas the boys show the returning feelings on White Day, March 14th! n_n

Yes, you give chocolate to the ones that you care about, but sometimes the girls might give chocolates and presents to a boss, colleague, or boy-friend that you have no interest in what’s so ever. That’s called 'Giri-choco' (obligation chocolate)! True love chocolate, is called 'Honmei-choko.'

So, boys and girls of Ani-Pock, who have romantic-ish feelings, as I know many of you do (said in Podcasts, and noticed by the people of Ani-Pock), remember that you can go the American way for Valentines day, the Japanese way, or any other! Be prepared ahead of time, cause time literally does run right past you!

Heres some valentines meat! XD

20 slots for Ani-Pock Webmail up for grabs!!!

Hey all! Want an @ani-pock.net email address?
I've got 20 more slots open now!

All Ani-Pock Webmail accounts feature an amazing 2.8GB (2,800 MB) of mail storage! Ani-Pock Webmail is totally safe, and NOT even I will have access to your passwords!

Ani-Pock.net Webmail is powered by Google's Gmail.

So want that @ani-pock.net address? Just email me at pocky@ani-pock.net! -Pocky

Ani-Pock News Cast!

You you read right!

Look above the Gabbly Chat for A-P News! Short for Ani-Pock World Now!

Host Kip Kippington will deliver the latest Ani-Pock world news with entertainment and weather reports.

Yes, you can finally know the Ani-Pock Weather!!!

Gooooooo!

[Thanks Kip!]

Smap?

Kami sent this to me, and I really liked it, since I'm obsessed with Backstreet Boys and such. n_n
A japanese band (unknown to me) singing and talking with the members of Backstreet Boys~

*Edited by Kami to include 2007 performance.

                                    ||

                                    V

More J-Pop

W-inds and Kawabe Chieco! n_n
Enjoy?

And and, Kami: I dont like them for their looks, I like the singing. Looks are an add on! XD

The Rin Game!

For Rin et all! Click image to play!