Tina in Japan

Totally gonna go try to see it this weekend

http://i.gizmodo.com/5284821/tokyos-life+sized-gundam-is-just-about-finished

GEEKED OUT <3

MIX SPEAKERS INC., The Script, and LM.C. in a span of a month or so. Not deaf. Yeah!

MIX SPEAKERS INC. I watched with Yilan in Saitama, Tokyo. Yilan sent me some of their stuff a little before she came here so I could get an idea of their stuff. They’re a very fun band. Very catchy stuff . At the concert it was so insane with the audience since everyone did para-para like hand motions with the band, headbangs, running across the room, all IN SYNC. It was so amazing and fun. XD

The Script I watched with Jamie and Junki in Shibuya, Tokyo. They’re a band from Dublin Ireland and they were amazing. Jamie sent me some of their stuff a while prior to going and they were great, but after hearing them live/in person I am moreso in love with their stuff now. Very very nice <3

LM.C (Lovely Moco-Chang) I watched in Hibiya, Tokyo with Jamie. It was very fun and very hot pink and black striped. Maya and Aiji were adorable<3 They played songs from both of their albums (Super Glitter Loud Box and Gimmical Impact!) There were giant LM.C balls thrown into the audience so everyone can throw them around like beach balls. Maya and one of the Denki-Man went around the middle of the auduience with a walking stand while Maya was singing. Very entertaining concert <3

I snuck a picture with my cellphone from afar of the stage before performence started :X

I love how in Japan, you see something as simple as like say, a cat sleeping on a tree, a group if not hordes of people crowd around that tree to take pictures of the cat(s) sleeping like the paparazzi. What’s great is that this has happened more than just a few times since I’ve been here. Kind of makes me feel happy to know I’m not the only one around that’s easily amused by these things.

When Yilan and I were walking in Ueno Park during the Sakura Festival there were these really cute cats in a pack of three sleeping on one of the Sakura tree branch. It was a huugge crowd of people just wanting to take a picture of them sleeping with their cellphones and cameras. It actually took me a while to just get to the front to take a picture myself! It was indeed really cute though, it was worth it =P

Here you can see some of the other cameras and cellphones before I was able to get a pic of just the cats lol.

On Sunday March 8th was a doujinshi Athrun x Cagalli ( from Gundam Seed) doujinshi event held in Tokyo called
恋のオープンボルト/Koi No Open Bolt! It was my first doujinshi event that I have ever attended so far in Japan that was specifically for a particular pairing, and what best way to start off but be of my most favorite pairing.

The event was CROWDED. Sooo many people were there, I heard that there was well over 200 people under one hour. I was an hour late after the event started and there was still a huge crowd of people outside waiting to get inside. It made feel a bit happy inside to know that even after 3-4 years since the series finished and being toned down there’s still a huge horde of fans for the pair.

The coolest thing for me was seeing a convention friend c2lan/phi again and meeting an online friend of a few years Midoriyuki for the first time. The two with two other artists did a collab doujinshi and sold it at the event, they sold out in under an hour! (congrats!)

It was so cool to meet and see many artists in person of whom I have admired their works for a long time. It was a really ecstatic feeling.

Lesson learned for next time: bring a tote bag or a backpack. My arms were dying carrying everything.

During the last hour of the event, there was a questionaire of the two for prizes. They were all 50/50 chances questions but omg, some of the questions were extremely ridiculous to the point where one would have felt a bit shamed to call myself a fan. Some of them were like ” In episode 24 when they first met, Was the amount of times that Cagalli shot at Athrun more or less than 7 times?” or ” In episode 41, when Cagalli is showing Kira the photo of them as babies, how many times does Cagalli say “cho cho cho” to Athrun, asking him to stay? Is it 3 times, or 4 times?” and more. Many of the crowds reactions were like ” eehhhh?! o.O” and some of the questions totally killed off like half of contestants, it was fun.

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Just saw this yesterday Feb 28th at the 15:00 showing. It was amazing.

When I went to get the tickets mid-January when it started selling, it sold out in under four hours, then I found out from sources online that it actually sold out in under ten minutes or less. Takarazuka Revue is a highly acclaimed performance group, then you add the hype with the Gyakuten Saiban series into the pack and it becomes a double whammy to get those tickets.

I was able to get tickets from Yahoo JP Auctions, had to pay almost double the amount it was being sold as, but it was worth every yen. I was able to get spot A2 from the balcony, which is the very front of the top balcony, and honestly still very good seats.

The play was great, the props were very well done and like the game. For the overview of the story here is a link with the outline of the story so I don’t have to rewrite it =P but it was basically to me: First game, the last case except with a twist of a love story.

Random quirks I loved XD

- When Phoenix picked up an item it makes the same sound effects as the game, including showing a huge image of the item picked up on the stage with voice overs of Phoenix’s thoughts played in the background. Even for items that don’t become official evidence, he would comment like ” A green lamp, omp this is heavy” or ” a pen, ouch it’s sharp”.

- The opening sequence and dance! It was like an opening you would watch with a show, they did a prior made video that introduces all the characters flashing their names and you see them playing at the beach. While that is playing there is also a dance done, the ending poses of their group montages ends with their famous poses of the game or of an official image.

- Naruhodou and Mitsurugi both have a solo and duet XD and original music of the game is used tooooo.

- Costumes were also, ooh and the scene where Mayoi was giving Coffee to Mitsurugi I was it was the brown Godot mug from TGS2008 :3. That scene was funny.

- At the end of the show Takarazuka came out and had everyone in the audience do the objection “Igiari!!” pose XD Everyone did it.

Totally made me happy watching this, I’m glad to have been able to see this live. <3

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This made it, I think the 3rd time I’ve been to the tower. It’s still so much cooler at night.

This was during when Anthony was visiting shortly after Christmas and right before the New Years. There were Christmas decorations and some statues outside of the tower prior to the entrance. As always the top view was very pretty.

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maybe it was 3+ weeks.

A lot has gone on the last 3 weeks that I haven’t really been able to post anything nor really had access to a computer because I’ve just been up and about.

During the 3-4ish months I’ve been here, I have gotten sick constantly and sometimes happening one right after the other. Stomach problems twice, cold/flu twice, some weird body function problems, and now I have a cold again with the potential of pink eye. Grrr! I’m thinking to go to a doctor tomorrow, Leslie mentioned that me constantly getting sick may possibly be due to internal stress from living in another country even if I’m not aware of it or feel it.

The past 3 weeks have been fun. Anthony visited, went around places in Tokyo which will be posted later. Also went to Jump Festa 09 and Comiket 75. Just the previous weekend went to Kyoto/Nara/Osaka with Leslie.

Better load the pictures to the computer and start posting~!

“Happiness…is a warm puppy.” This was at the Cashier.  Christina had me remember that was a quote from You’re a good man Charlie Brown. I watched the Peanuts films when was really young so I don’t quite remember them. I should rewatch them someday.

Where I found those rainbow colored Elmos was also a Snoopy town. I remember when I last went to Harajuku the main Snoopy Town store was closed down =(. I discovered on my most recent trip that it just moved in with a store called Kiddy Land and is the 3rd floor of the store. It was a really cute store =)

With Christmas lurking up, a lot of the merchandise was Christmas related. The Snoopies were really soft =)

Watching I think it was “You’re a good man, Charlie Brown” in Japanese on the T.V. there was amusing.

I went to Harajuku in Tokyo on Monday, went into a “Kiddy Land” Store (XD), and saw this right at the entrance.

Holy crap rainbow of Elmos. I guess Japan really likes elmo, in different colors too.