Japanese TV: Would you eat this pizza?

Poll:

Kirby Snoop Dog Remix

This is pretty good. Fits nicely all along.

Hare Hare Usagi?

Whoo. Since the C-blog has been getting all the attention, I have neglected the worthy Japanese blog here! Never fear, I've been working on a project...

Being the auto buff that I am, I usually like to look at collectible vehicular merchandise.
And this caught my eye.

The 1955, Sports Cars Illustrated. Which, although a magazine about cars, features an article that discusses the sports car phenomenon sweeping Japan, but doesn't much talk about cars. Rather this is the story of a man on a car club race, and his conversation with his honorable, young Japanese navigator, with both of them wondering, "what does HARE mean anyway?"

It's a story about cultural barriers, having fun, sunny days, and... stomach tumors?

Be especially sure to check out the part where the author lists out the Engrish "Rules of the Road"!

You might not be able to write a story like this today, especially with the changes Japanese culture has faced in this, some half a century later.
But, I'll let you be the judge. I have retyped the article as it was written in the pictured issue of the magazine.

Check it out here.

Ani-Pock Gear

Visit the Ani-Pock Gear Shop >>

Let The Games Begin!

Rules:

-All participating members that wish ti be considered for point tabulation MUST have their answer in no later than the proposed due date, and must be sent to LordZaku@ani-pock.net for Zaku's questions, or Kip's email for Kip's questions!
-One submission per participant, if there are more than two answers (this means question + bonus) will void the submission, and you will be forfeit from that round.
-Submissions are awarded points when the correct submissions are gathered, a random submission shall be chosen from those that are correct, that person will be given their points!
-Best of luck everyone! (look and listen for updates on the voice center!)


Level System:

The system grows increasingly difficult as the rounds progress. Levels change when two rounds have been completed out of that specific level. The levels are as such:

-Beginner
-Easy
-Medium
-Hard
-Heroic
-Epic Pocker

Points / Leader Board:

Points increase by level, the harder the question, the more points it is worth overall. (Bonus questions are worth double, unless stated otherwise) The points are broken down as follows:

Beginner - 1 point per answer, bonus 2
Easy - 2 points per answer, bonus 4
Medium - 3 points per answer, bonus 6
Hard - 4 points per answer, bonus 8
Heroic - 8 points per answer, bonus 10
~Epic Pocker - 12 points per answer, bonus 14~

The leader board keeps track of the top 15 participants. Participants with lower than 8 points at the end of 5 rounds (3 levels) are taken out of the game.

Zaku's Resurrection Phial - brings a participant back into the game after answering a skill testing question, be it anime, a Pocker, or a general question. Player comes back with 8 points, or half of what the leader currently has.

Kip's Judgment - a question that will break a tie in the event of one. This question will be submitted by the participants taken out of the game, the top voted question by Kip will be used in the Judgment.


The first questions w/Bonus!

1) This character becomes the leader of the only neutral nation, she is also the sunshine girl for the same nation. What nation / faction and character is being described. Hint: Gundam, Only character that seems to lack berserk.

2) This character appears somewhat late in the series, but spices up the life, and adds to some of the blunt humor of the series. This character is also famous for a lack of clothing. Hint: Bleach

Bonus!

-This anime can often be confused on youtube for an automotive sport track. Hint: Think back pretty far.

Japanese TV: Musical instruments made from recycled things!

Via JapanProbe.com:
A clip of a news report about a contest in which contestants showed off musical instruments they created by recycling household items:

blgupdatevideo
by jpnvideos

Instruments featured in the video include:

• A saxophone made from a pipe, a film case, part of a balloon, and a bit of air pump hose
• A group of printers modded to play songs together
• A combination of disposable chopsticks, aluminum cans, and other items that a kid uses to play the Hanshin Tigers fight song
• Two aluminum cans and a straw create an instrument that can play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
• A set of horns made from plastic bottles, cup ramen containers, and straws

The plastic bottle horns won the competition, with the 49-year-old housewife that made and played them receiving a 500,000 yen check!

Japanese TV: Neko-name

Via JapanProbe.com:
Here’s a clip from a TV show that builds upon the “nekonabe” concept by having a overweight cat pose in various containers (with appropriately themed costumes):

kat
by jpnvideos

Japanese TV: Guide to the Claw/UFO Catcher machines!

Via JapanProbe.com: 
Frustrated by those dumb Claw Vending Machine (UFO Catcher) things you see at video game arcades? Here are a couple clips from Japanese TV in which experts explain how to win prizes!

Coming to theatres this week

From the acclaimed producer of APPLESEED:

VEXILLE- 2077: Isolation of Japan

This anime movie will be shown in US theaters for a limited time engagement, February 14-17, at select locations.

The movie takes place in a futuristic Japan which has closed its borders from the world, in order so that it may continue to develop advanced robotic technologies, despite worldwide regulations limiting such developments.

Learn more about the movie here.
Check here to see if it will be showing in your neighborhood.

ANTronauts Agree to Pilot Worlds Tiniest Space Shuttle

The University of Tokyo has designed a tiny space shuttle made of high-temperature-resistant paper that can withstand a Mach 7 velocity.

The paper shuttle will be "released from the International Space Station, 400 kilometers from the earth, at mach 20, but immediately after entering the earth's atmosphere at an altitude of about 80 kilometers, it would slow to about mach 7," says a Mainichi News article.

Other future plans for the Space Station (currently under construction) include throwing a boomerang within the Station cabin to test the dynamics of boomerang responses in space.

Thanks for the articles Kami. Sorry I was so lazy about posting them.

Japanese TV: Haneru no Tobira

Via JapanProbe.com: "The wacky folks at Haneru no Tobira come back at us with another bizarre challenge! This time they are supposed to swing on the rope and use the rolling thing to aid them in a jump to the yellow platform. Those who fail fall into extremely hot water:"

Japan's largest snow and ice sculpture competition