In all seriousness I feel like Nisemonogatari was not nearly as enthralling as Bakemonogatari. Sure the animation budget was ramped up (thanks Madoka!) but the pacing and tone seemed a little off. While I enjoyed each episode I was always surprised to see just how little had actually transpired. Bakemono’s reputation for rambling dialogue starts to feel weak in comparison to all the meandering of the second season.
A few months back I marathon-ed Drrr!! over Hulu+. I loved it so much that I then made Evilbento sit down and watch the whole thing over with me again! After that I read all the translated novels I could find and, of course, fell face-first into the gaping chasm that is the Durarara fandom…
I have only seen the first couple of episodes of the Fate/Stay Night anime and I have zero exposure to the various game iterations (although Fate/Extra is on my “to buy” list). Even so I really enjoyed finally seeing some popular characters in action. The war for the Holy Grail is quite an exciting prospect and all of the mysteries surrounding masters and their servants have really pulled me in.
As per usual, Evilbento and I are on staff in the vendor’s room. If you’re going to attend, be sure to stop and say “hi”! I’ll likely be cosplaying Homura from Puella Magi Madoka Magica on Saturday. I know I won’t be the only Homerun-chan cosplayer but I will be the only one with a Staff shirt tied haphazardly around my shoulders! I’ll also be the hostess for the Lolita Tea Party on Sunday so be sure to attend
Also be sure to look out for our cosplay pics as they flow in over the weekend~
Epic eyepatch!Asuka to get your attention 8D Here’s a mini-update to let everyone know we’re still here!
Christmas is almost here! Time always goes so fast…
We’ve been busy with a variety of things and Funny Bento’s been in pseud-hibernation. I’m hoping to change that over the next few weeks of course! Until then, keep your eyes on eBay for our latest updates~ The store here at the site is still 100% functional too so feel free to utilize it
We’re leaving for China this Wednesday the 25th and won’t return until August 2nd!
Even though this blog is technically for our Japan-centric hobbies, I’ll (hopefully) be updating with our various misadventures in China for the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy the variety
ADDITIONALLY
1. The shop will be CLOSED until we return. Sorry for the inconvenience!
2. We’ll be attending Motaku in Kansas City, MO from August 19th through 21st. We hope to see you there
One of the most anticipated shows of the fall season, OreImo managed to push all the right buttons for many frenzied otaku. A flaming tsundere Kousaka Kirino in the leading female role, a mini-harem of cute and likeable girls hailing from a variety of character archtypes – Kuroneko is the adorably sarcastic lolita that serves as a foil for Kirino; Saori is the eccentric girl who’s full of good intentions for her friends; even the sweet, ultra-”normal” childhood friend Manami.
I became interested in OreImo after seeing the nendoroid prototypes (a couple weeks prior to the premier), and I was really intrigued by the plot. In the end, it was Kyousuke’s Kyon-esque role and Kuroneko’s adorable visage that kept me hooked all the way through. The “true ending” just released and of course I love it. Still waiting for the other alternatives
The story of Tsukimi, the Amars, and those Koibuchi boys is almost unreasonably appealing! This show was definitely one of the biggest hits of the fall season and it was not a show full of moe!blobs It also managed to avoid getting sucked into meh-land and left us wanting so much more (no one could really be satisfied by that ending…).
We adored the love triangle between Tsukimi, Kuronosuke, and Shu. The rest of the cast was also a joy to watch. I think it’s safe to say that Kuragehime was our favorite show of fall 2010. Now if only Funimation would do a Bluray release…
Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
パンティ&ストッキングwithガーターベルト
The most controversial member of the fall 2010 line up split the majority of viewers into two equally hardcore camps – the love-its and the hate-its! GAINAX’s foray into “American”-style animation was a total 180 from their previous endeavors, and it was clear that the staff were having fun pushing the boundaries of common decency.
I remained unsure of my position of PSG until episode 6, when the demon sisters made their brilliant entrance. Scanty and Kneesocks were just what the show needed, providing an entertaining break from the Panty-is-a-slut and Stocking-is-a-self-centered-glutton gags that were starting to really drag. By the time the epic finale came around, it was clear that GAINAX had achieved exactly what they had hoped for – a huge hit that got people talking and got the merchandising wheels turning.
The highly anticipated continuation of the Haruhi franchise proved to be an excellent way for KyoAni to apologize for Endless Eight. The serious nature of the Disappearance arc lent itself exceptionally well to the feature film format and the gorgeous animation and impressive musical score made it so much more than just another extended episode!
Having already read this arc in the novels, I was chomping at the bit to see it animated! Disappearance is definitely one of my favorite arcs because of the actual danger that it involves. It brought back the elements from the first season that were sorely missed in season two and proved that the universe of Haruhi still has so much to offer.
A fabulous series of short webisodes that examines what the future might hold for the relationship between humans and their humanoid robot counterparts.
We can’t recommend this enough,especially given the relatively short time it takes to watch the whole show. The animation, writing, and music are all great examples of what quality anime is capable of. Do yourself a favor and welcome yourself to the Time of Eve – you’ll enjoy it
Based on a series of light novels of the same name, this series was quite popular but somehow managed to slip beneath my radar. This slice-of-hyper-active-life school comedy offers a dizzying array of parodies, stereotypes, and general wacky hijinks. It should be due for a continuation this spring.
I loved the characters and the humor was right up my alley, so I was quite fond of BakaTest. Now I need to find the money to acquire some of the adorable figures that have been made as a result… especially Hideyoshi :3
What begins as an innocent school romance quickly descends into the depths of NICE BOAT madness.
Honestly? I was kinda disappoint I was ready to rage!quit this show on a number of occasions, and I probably would have if it weren’t for the fact that I marathon’d the final 6 episodes in one afternoon. In the end, the NICE BOAT provided some level of closure (twisted!) but ultimately failed to make up for the rest of the trainwreck.
The HD version of the game is coming out in English, so I might give it a chance if only to get an ending that doesn’t involve the main character being a total douche.
A series of short arcs involving main character AraragiKoyomi coming to the aid of different girls, each plagued by some sort of ghost or demon. The relationships he forms with each girl carry on into future arcs and provide for some great dialogue and intriguing plot lines.
SHAFT’s Bakemonogatari was the subject of a lot of conflict; many people wrote it off as pretentious and lacking any standard of quality, yet at the time the Blurays were selling in record-breaking quantities. The final TV episodes were actually unfinished when they aired, so the physical releases featured a number of changes. Many were offended by SHAFT’s apparent poor planning and the perceived lack of respect for their otaku audence. Whatever, all I know is that Evilbento and I loved it and we’re okay with whatever that might say about us.
So that’s what we were up to last fall. The winter season has proved much harder for us to follow (so many RL responsibilities…), but we’ve still managed to squeeze a couple things in.
Hopefully I’ll manage to talk about them before they become totally irrelevant ;P
Included in the update are nendoroids from Vocaloid, Fate/Stay Night, and K-ON! We also have Figma Dead Master and FigmaMegurine Luka in stock, as well as the Evangelion Creators’ Labo releases of Rei (version 2) and Asuka. Top it off with Revoltech Yotsuba and Lupin and you’ve got quite the party! Be sure to check them out
More updates are coming this evening, so watch for them too!