While the Earth Sleeps

Another introduction of Chara Form (きゃらふぉるむ) (chibi-chara figure) series by empty. Just to give you an idea of what Chara Forms are like.
(*Japanese sites)


**Photos are from my very normal digital camera, at different times of the day, with just room lighting.
This is all just as examples, not useful in any reference to quality/paint job.
**Links are just info and photo reference, not recommendations of where to buy.




First off, 2nd Ieyasu. (First back here)
The previous one's base was a little hard to fit on.

So was this one. Which probably means it's wasn't an individual characteristic-will be present in all.


Not a big deal at all. Screwdriver again.

Again, if you ever find that a part doesn't fit, do not ever try and force it. More than often it'll either crack or break pieces.
Example of what can happen below↓ (Timely!)




CharaForm 002
Ishida Mitsunari

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There we have it. 2nd Chara Form example.
Chara Form (きゃらふぉるむ) series haven't announced much new. There's a Chara Form series coming from Aniplex though. I'm guessing empty's co-production? Or Chara Form wasn't empty's brand-series after-all?
(*Japanese links)

In continuation of this post


DONE!! ☆






Full set, getto!!☆☆



p.s. This is what a can badge is.

→Related to rant back here

Carcinogenic Substance Found in Supplements of Shoujo Manga Magazines (crunchyroll)
Stopped:
・Tanoshii Youchien April Issue
・Tanoshii Youchien Himegumi Vol.33 (*Japanese link)
Recalled:
・Nakayoshi 2015 Jan.Issue
・Ribbon 2015 Aug.Issue
・Otomodachi Pink 2014 Nov.Issue


So, this, we'd had to take off our shelves immediately.
Magazine furoku are special free stuff on magazines -quite frankly the SOLE jem and sales point of the magazine. Publishers spend hours and tons of money getting contracts with makers for special furoku.

Each month there's an average 5 magazines that have furoku we in the U.S. can't sell due to some "hazardous material" restrictions. Some make sense, others honestly don't. Things you put in your mouth, I get. So no-nos to chocolate molds, I get. You eat what comes out of it. That's what you get for following this Japanese phenomenon of girls being forced to give our chocolate- nothing but a concept created by chocolate companies.
But these are things like stickers that get vetoed. And 100% make-ups stuff are 100% ban. Really, Japanese skin really different than American skin?
Each time these furoku get the "NO SALE IN US!" stamp, we take the furoku out and sell the magazine at discount.

Going back to subject at hand. We'd had to take these issues immediately off our shelves. I groaned thinking it be the usual "bah, U.S. being nit-picky and anal...", but hearing Japan recalled these was an amusing eye-opener. Plus "recall" means these were completely banned from sales, completely . Ouch.

China being alot more loose on being careful with materials has been an issue for years, so Japan catching this one's no surprise.
Although the fact that it's 2014 2015 magazines that are being recalled makes it seem there were actual incidents that happened -most "U.S. NO SALE" restrictions are made before anything happens.

It's all the making you'all.

Whistle! Soccer Manga Gets Stage Play Adaptation (ANN)
・Whistle! Stage Official Site


(・_・)??

Say what?

→Adding to this post regarding Animate USA Online

Side mumbling: You know what, I'm suspecting a possibility a bit that they're retracting online not as much because of sales than all the f*cking sales restrictions US has (sometimes, almost looking as banishment of international imports). Their are loads of "hazardous material" laws --which DIFFERS BY EACH STATE. Meaning some states regard something "hazardous", others don't. New Yorkers apparently have different skin than Californians? (・▥・)

Sadly, every so often lawyers find something that doesn't have a required tag on it and sues. We've been having problems with that since last November. Some lawyer found a stuffed animal without a huge "warning" tag on it and filed a lawsuit (not against us). Spooked everybody out.
Former-lawyer-dad commented this is rather against international trade laws, but that's a different dimension.

If Animate figured they couldn't deal with all these, quite frankly POINTLESS laws, and the constant possibility of being sued, I don't blame them.

Animate USA Online Shop




Σ(0_0)!!!!!!!!

Σ(0Σ0;)!!!!!!!!!

Σ(0□0)!!!!!!!!


Animate USA Online, closing?! Aw, no.... One of the best places to get Animate goods.... Supreme quality goods......
We sell their products in our stores, but I'd sometimes also shopped here for products we couldn't stock. Came to check out what may've come, and I see this.

Animate (Official Japanese Site) is a Japanese anime-goods store. Probably the best in Japan. You get loads and loads of anime stuff, can buy without being looked at weird. Majority of their stuff was exclusive too. No matter how much of a closet-otaku, taking them to Animate would release any such futile resistance.
Before online shopping existed, whenever I went to Japan I'd go straight there. Akihabara Animate has 7 floors. Ikebukuro 9 floors of anime goods. Hear me? (・▽・) 6 floors
Yokohama (the one I'd been to the most, been going there since middle school) has 3 floors.

Animate as of now doesn't have an independent store in the States, they've retailed their merchandise in our Kinokuniya Bookstores. Thus yours truly has a deep connection with them. We've had their stuff, 3 years? I think?

Giving insider info, it is true the pace of their goods delivery had slowed down this last year. Before we'd get order forms every 2 months and uzuhi would be inapproachable as she's too excited ordering. It'd slowed down to 3 months, then 4 -the last one we'd had was last October. (figures are separate. Those come at same pace as other suppliers). Delivery time was uzuhi's bliss...
The #1 product was clear files. In my age it was shitajiki (pencil boards) (still have a huge stack), now it's clear files. Use alot at work too.

This is too bad.... I hope they're okay. USA Online shop closing... If this was indication of opening a store on their own, it'd be so good (uzuhi chooses otaku-ness over work-site's sales). Doubtful though. Hopefully their Japan site will start overseas delivery?

Hope I don't hear anything else at work tomorrow (・_・)

Mame Sengoku Basara4 Can Badge Collection (AmiAmi) came in last december.

And, what else to do, but get early choice? (=▽=)

Mame Sengoku Basara (Amazon link) is a 4-koma series by Sumeragi (Twitter) (*Japanese links) featuring Basara mini charas.
Of course it's absolute adorable, having both comedy and sincere episodes.

Can badge collection of Sengoku Basara 4.
There's 14 in all, but, I'm just going to pick 2 random one's.

Here we go!!


First draw:

Ieyasu + Matabe
Σ(0o0)?!!! Ieyasu!!!!! The one I wanted most!! And Matabe! Cool!


Wow, what luck! Let's do another 2!


Second draw:

Mitsunari + Ieyasu
T,tono?! Really?!! (*Ieyasu from second box-ie 1 box includes only 1 Ieyasu). Sekigahara!!!! What's goin on my luck?!


Let's see...... oh why not another 2!


Third:

Masamune + Sakon
Hitttooooooo☆!!!!



Can't stop now (=ｗ=)
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(*****there are 14 in each box. I picked 2 out of a different box. thus 2 are doubles↑)




So there we have it. 12 out of 14 of Mame Sengoku Basara 4 Can Badges.




Each one is approx 4cm. Size comparison with 1/8 Scale figure:




Look for them!! They're' adorable!!

Higurashi tv drama, okay! The live action movie, no comment. But go ahead, keep Higurshi going!

..................................................wtf is this? ................................NGT48...audition....?.........................

(*takes deep breath)


(*courtesy smile)
There's this trend lately of using
AKB48(+spin off) idols in horror movies.
And it's FLIPPIN FRUSTRATING.

I don't like the 48 series as is. The initial concept was okay. "Local mudane girls to be idols fans can interact more closely with" (paraphrase, not verbatim quote). Now though it's an "I'm cute! Look at me I'm cute!" session. Most frustrating, they claim to be "singers". Talking with a melody is not singing!! That's me at karaoke. So, yes there are lots of other artists that "sing" like that. But they don't basically commit fraud with addons and falsely attain "top selling records". (←UARAAAAAAAAAAA (o☒o) regarding that)

So they're "idols" but the thing is they're AMATEURS. Whenever they're used on tv (basically every show) they don't know how nor try to do much. While the commedians are trying to liven things up, even letting these girls speak "--chan, what do you think?!", all they say is "ah, hai" or "sugoidesune".
I'm not much of a fan of their creator Akimoto Yasushi either. His lyrics are really boring... I used to translate lyrics, and his were always very very very very unimaginative. Probably written like so, so that they'll be easier to remember. But boring is boring.

Moving on.

My fit with 48series in horror movies begins with Densen Uta (The Suicide Song). I was looking forward to it since it was the same writer as Chakushin-Ari (One Missed Call) (yes, I'll give him that). It's categorized as "J-horror", but it ain't horror. It's just a AKB48 vehicle. I repeat, it's not a horror movie.


J-horror with AKB(+spin offs)48 that I've watched:
・TekeTeke
・Kotsutsubo
・Kuchisake-onna Returns (not related to previous versions)
・Hitorikakurenbo
・The Toshi-Densetsu x Merry-san No Denwa
・Kokkurisan
・Tomie Unlimited
・Joker Game (not to be mixed up with the 2015 one)
・Sukima-Onna
・Kuroyuri Danchi (The Complex)


Some of these ↑ were watchable. TekeTeke was okay, Kuchisake-Onna Returns was average (although it had absolutely zilch to do with the urban legend) :/. Watchable movies were 100% dependent on the base story or directors. ex:Kotsutsubo's story was by Yamada Yusuke.
Yet still too many times whenever whatever idol girl appeared the scene tension dropped cold. Largely because they were obviously made up to look "cute" (goddamit human hair doesn't hang like that!) or acting was horrible. There's acting that is being down-to-earth to be relatable, then there's just acting that is recognizable to pros and amateurs alike as bad.
Absolute worst imo was Hitorikakurenbo. OH MY GOD WAS THIS GIRL'S ACTING MAD. No, not calling it acting. It's mumbling to your friends that you're thinking about taking a nap. These movies BARELY made it through as horror.
......Not looking forward to Nozokime this year.
(I love urban legends.... can't resist wanting to see renditions of them)

At the same time though, there is the fact that these girls cast listing adds "(AKB48)" to their name. Kind of reflects something. Like "yes this girl's not an actor"? (=o=)

Okay, so using "idols" or famous people to gain attention is nothing new nor limited to AKB. ---Such as using "actors" instead of seiyuu in dubs (do not ever watch Japanese dubbed Titanic). Probably what frustrates is my disdain for them being categorized as "singers", over exposure, and shoving them into my dear J-horror genre.


Going back to what I wanted to comment on--
Higurshi No Naku Koro Ni movie. Right. Didn't do the series justice. Was not scary.

And, we, are, making, drama, series, with 48series idols.



(´･ω･`)

(´=ω=`)

L(ﾟ皿ﾟﾒ)｣

I wish I could stop sounding so mocking to customers whenever I get asked off questions... I mean I very desperately hope I DON'T sound sarcastic, but I worry. Since in my mind I might be muttering "..........".


"Do you have manga 'Yamada'?"
---"um, is there a subtitle? 'Yamada' is basically 'Smith' in Japanese"
→She was asking about "Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches". How's she to know that's a name and not just a title?


Where are your calendars?"
---"yeah! If you look a little but to your left, that's what we have left"
(*customer turns all the way around) "Where?"
---(*points) "er, if you look down from there about a 30% angle you'll see em"
(*customer turns left) "Where?"
---"ah here" (*walks up right in front and points)
→I'm my mind I'm thinking "Just LOOK AROUND, okay?"


"Where is your help desk?"
---"If you look straight inside from the entrance you'll see it"
(*our store's inside a larger market place)
(*customer turns to our store entrance "Where?"
---"ah, yeah, if you go to our market building entrance and look forward"
"I thought that's just a gas stand?"
---"...n,no, you look INWARDS from the entrance"
"That's a supermarket"
---"...........if you walk STRAIGHT in from the entrance and walk STRAIGHT you'll see it IN FRONT of you"
→I'm my mind I'm thinking "Are you serious???"


"Do you have mAnJA?" (←very common question during Christmas season)
---".........about 1/3 of our store's manga, is there a kind of series you're looking for?"
→If you don't know what MAnjGA (manga) is of course you wouldn't know it any different from a pack-of-credit-cards.



Most common one is, our credit card machine requires you press "Yes" before swiping. 90% of customers don't read the display it and swipe then put away their card right away. When that happens--
---(*presses button from behind the counter) "Can you swipe again?"
→In my mind I'm thinking "Just READ what it says....?".
Before, I used to say "Can you press Yes before you swipe?" but got tired of it and just do it myself.
At least adding "Sorry, our device is so tedious" just to be polite.


I will admit in these instances I am a-bit annoyed, but retail means patience with customers.

Really, I apparently show my emotions easily, I REALLY hope I'm doing so at these times (=_=;)

Not that anybody asked, but, I'd like to say something.
I'm not naive enough to think anyone's reading here.
It was fun, but I'm very aware people on my friends list have moved on from LJ. As does it seem like 90% of this population

But hey, blogging is all about self-satisfaction.
Reading other's blogs (and twitters for that matter) is hearing other's self-serving. Am I right?

Been here at LJ 10 years. Been both healed and massacred here. No point in looking for somewhere else to babble to myself. It's still a "network" here too.
For the record-esque posts here. If anybody ever finds here, welcome, hope you find something you can kill time with.

Not being cynical, at all. Really! I'm just noting that I know what I'm doing here (=ｗ=). Anybody comes back I'll likely still be here.

If anybody ever finds the hobby posts as of any use, my dream will have come true. Then join me in seiyuu mental stalking.


Tis continues a xx-year old otaku/ultra-nerd, Us/Japan blooded American living in US currently working at a Japanese bookstore's babbling.

Literally, hello world! (>▽<)