Views of an Otaku

Changing the layout

2009-01-19T22:55:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to let my readers know I am changing the layout of the blog. That is why everything looks a bit out of place at the moment. The new layout should allow me to post larger photos and also should require less scrolling to read blog entries. ^_^

Wall Scrolls

2008-07-28T01:40:00.001-04:00

I went to a somewhat local Flea market to check out a vendors stock who carries a few things anime. Well I ended up with a few wall scrolls. Which are a good size at around 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 foot.

Also picked up another Anime Magazine. I have been trying to decide which to subscribe to. So I now picked up the two most popular that more fit my tastes. But to those of us here in the USA. We are very limited in what magazines on this subject we can easily obtain. Sure you could go through the trouble of importing an endless amount from Japan. But its very expensive and in Japanese. Which is great if you can read it. Sadly I cannot. Maybe in the future I will be able too.

New Monitor

2008-07-22T22:43:00.002-04:00

As some of you know my Birthday was July 17th. Had a great day. I went bowling and had a few good meals. Well my parents said they would buy me a new monitor. Awesome! So the search was on. I wanted a 24-inch and a good quality monitor with if possible a adjustable stand. So I checked out reviews and more importantly went and looked for myself(many times) I had the HP in mind as I own an HP computer and love it. But it seemed a bit high in the price. I really needed to get it from BestBuy so my choices were a bit limited. I checked out Acer which from playing around and ready reviews I would say is one of the best buys on the market. But sadly BestBuy did not carry it. They were out of the HP and said they would get another shipment Saturday. So I went back Saturday to pick it up but another monitor caught my eye. A 24-Inch Gateway which was a bit cheaper so I bought it. Got it home and it was not the same one I checked out in the store. No adjustment on the stand and a pixel was out. Not to mention the picture quality was not there. So I took it back. Picked up the HP and I am in love. If any of you are in the market in the same price range defiantly check it out. If you are looking for a killer deal check out Acer as I was impressed. On a side: When I took the monitor back to BestBuy they said "well I would still buy it" and put it back out as if nothing was wrong with it. I am appalled by this. That is not acceptable in the least. If I am buying a brand new anything there better not be anything wrong with it. Let alone should said product be put back out for another customer to buy. I also bought a VGA-DVI converter there and guess what it too was defective.

My setup at the moment. Sorry for the horrible pictures but I am feeling too lazy to care lol. I am finally running dual monitors. The monitor on the left is utter junk though.

My new keyboard I just bought Logitech G15.

Two anime magazines I picked up. Too bad I haven't had a chance to read any of the articles yet. They both seem of good quality.

I finally framed one of the posters I got at the con and put it on the wall :)

My room needs a paint job bad. I don't think it has been painted in more than 10 years. My room will drastically change here in the near future as I plan on building a loft bed myself to make more room.

Animal Sounds

2008-07-11T15:47:00.001-04:00

Might sound weird enough but how you might consider describing the sound a dog makes (woof woof, bark bark, ruff ruff) isn't what most Japanese would think. Nope, they normally will say Wan Wan.

You would think animal sounds would be universal but you would be wrong. Seems to be different all around the world.

Here is a somewhat small list of animal sounds from the Japanese point of view. Note may not be 100% accurate as sounds can be seen as a matter of opinion.

Dog	Wan Wan
Cat	Nyaa Nyaa
Pig	Buu Buu
Rooster	Kokekokko
Mouse	Chuu Chuu
Sheep	Mee Mee
Horse	Hihiin
Frog	Kero Kero
Chick	Piyo Piyo
Bird	Pii Pii
Crow	Kar Kar
Duck	Ga Ga
Owl	Hoh Hoh

I am sorry

2008-07-07T16:19:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to apologize and explain my absence. I had been sick with an upper respiratory infection for three weeks. I have been feeling good for a few days now. Just starting to get my schedule back on track.

But all is not bad. Just yesterday I installed a new graphics card(BFG Nvidia 8800 GTS OC 320MB that I got for $100 local and a new Antec power supply that was $99 without tax local) I could have got a slightly better deal online on the power supply. First time for me ever installing a graphics card or power supply. All went well as I kept myself grounded at all times.

The reason for the new graphics card is a few games I am looking forward too come out this year. Spore which should be a load of fun and StarCraft 2 which I used to love the original StarCraft. The reason for the new power supply is I needed it for the graphics card as the one I had was only 250watt and that's just pathetic. So in went a new 500watt. Now I have plans to run dual monitors. Just need to pick up a DVI-VGA adapter.

Well that about covers it. Again I am sorry for the long absence. But I am better now and doing good. And to those of you that I talk to personally in PM's and e-mail or those of you that have blogs I am also very sorry about not staying in touch and keeping up with your blogs. Not a very good friend like thing to do.

Small Con

2008-06-14T15:58:00.002-04:00

I went to my first Con today. It was interesting to say the least. Had a laugh or two at some of the costumes people were wearing. I am afraid they only had two small anime/manga booths. Very few figurines so I did not get any :( But more importantly I got some new collectable's :D

That's a wall bank

Now for manga...One of my top favorite anime series MONSTER. So now I just need the rest lol.

For a light novel one of my favorite harem anime's LOVE HINA

Now for small posters :P

All in all I spent around $25 on all of it. $10 For the posters and $15 for the light novel, manga, wall bank.

Sorry for the bad pictures. I was in a hurry to get this posted so lighting/picture quality has suffered greatly.

Meganekko

2008-06-10T21:40:00.003-04:00

So what might Meganekko mean? To put it simply "glasses girl"

Megane for glasses and ko for girl. So meganekko is a girl who wears glasses.

The stereotypical meganekko in anime usually tends to be one or most of the following: smart, bookworm, polite, strict, follows the rules, class president, geekish, prudish, friendly. Most of these will be used to enhance the characters traits.

But those traits are not always followed in anime and defiantly not in real life.

And what do we have here? Hmmm could it be Meganekko nekomimi :p

Would this one be called a Meido(it means maid but we will get to that another time) meganekko nekomimi

Sakura

2008-06-09T01:18:00.002-04:00

No not the pink haired girl from Naruto. But I bet you have seen one or two in anime.

The Sakura I am referring to is the beautiful Cherry Blossom Tree. Japan has a wide variety of sakura with over 200 cultivars to be found. Japanese Meteorological Agency track the sakuras front(zensen) (picture seen below) as it moves north with the warmer weather. The blossoming begins in Okinawa in January and normally reaches Kyoto and Tokyo by the beginning of April.

Hanami festivals are held to celebrate the beauty of the sakura. Hanami literally means flower viewing. Hanami festivals have been held in Japan for many many centuries. The sakuras blooming is something that is very symbolic to some. As it is seen as representing life and death. With their sudden arrival, beauty, and their with their quick departure. As the full bloom only lasts for about a week before the petals begin to fall.

Imperial Japan often planted cherry trees as a means of claiming occupied territory as a Japanese space.

A few popular spots to view the Sakuras in bloom.

Tokyo: Ueno Park, Shinjuku Gyoen, Chidorigafuchi, Sumida Park, Aoyama Cemetery, Koishikawa Botanical Garden, Inokashira Park

Yokohama: Kamonyama Park, Sankeien

Kamakura: Dankazura

Nagoya: Nagoya Castle

Kyoto: Maruyama Park, Philosopher's Trail, Heian Shrine, Arashiyama, Kamogawa, Daigoji Temple, Hirano Shrine, Okazaki Canal

Osaka: Osaka Castle Park, Osaka Mint Bureau

Yoshino: Yoshinoyama

Himeji: Himeji Castle

Tohoku: Kakunodate, Hirosaki Castle

Here are a few more picture of Sakuras in anime.

This is only a small taste of how the Sakura is held in Japanese culture. As with most of the things that hold value in Japanese culture. There is a long and colorful history to be told.

I can only hope my small entries in this blog will make you want to find out more. So that you may find a bit of facts and history you will hold as a fond memory.

Tanuki

2008-06-06T15:25:00.001-04:00

I am sure you have seen these little guys many times if you watch anime, read manga, or keep track of all things Japanese. Tanukis are very prominent in Japanese folklore and culture.

This little fellow is a real Tanuki(Nyctereutes procyonoides) or Racoon Dog. That's right not a racoon at all. In fact this is the last extant species in its genus. Tanukis are often called racoon's or badgers by mistake. So be sure to smirk the next time someone calls them a Racoon because you now know the truth.

Tanuki statues are often found outside of temples, restaurants, and businesses in Japan. In metalworking, tanuki skins were often used for thinning gold. So the critters became associated with gold and other precious metals. So tanuki statues are a charm to bring luck and wealth. Giving rise to one of the savings about how the Tanuki has large kintama meaning gold balls.

Which brings us to another colorful thing you may have noticed with the statues and in the stories about these little guys.....They are normally always shown as having large testicles.

There is a school yard song that goes

Tan Tan Tanuki no kintama wa,

Kaze mo nai no ni,

Bura bura

Roughly translated, "Tan-tan-tanuki's testicles, there isn't even any wind but still go swing-swing-swing"

Why you might ask. Well the real tanukis have rather large ones. So the story tellers and artists depicted them this way to add humor along with artistic flare to these interesting creatures.

Even our friendly neighborhood plumber has been seen in a "tanooki" suit.

Why is it that tanooki Mario changes into a statue? Well that's another great legend about the tanuki. They are said to be shape shifters.

Which brings us to the popular tale Bunbuku Chagama.(info from wikipedia)

The story tells of a poor man who finds a tanuki caught in a trap. Feeling sorry for the animal, he sets it free. That night, the tanuki comes to the poor man's house to thank him for his kindness. The tanuki transforms itself into a teapot and tells the man to sell him for money.

The man sells the tanuki-teapot to a monk, who takes it home and, after scrubbing it harshly, sets it over the fire to boil water. Unable to stand the heat, the tanuki teapot sprouts legs and, in its half-transformed state, makes a run for it.

The tanuki returns to the poor man with another idea. The man would set up a 'roadside attraction' (a little circus-like setup) and charge admission for people to see a teapot walking a tightrope. The plan works, and each gains something good from the other--the man is no longer poor and the tanuki has a new friend and home.

In a variant of the story, the tanuki-teapot does not run and returns to its transformed state. The shocked monk decides to leave the teapot as an offering to the poor temple where he lives, choosing not to use it for making tea again. The temple eventually becomes famous for its supposed dancing teapot.

But there are many many versions of this story.

Kemonomimi

2008-06-04T17:57:00.001-04:00

I am sure you all have seem them in plenty of anime's. But may have been unaware of what they are called. Well you guessed it those cute anime girls with the animal ears and tails are called Kemonomimi. Kemonomimi meaning animal ears. Kemonomimi characters normally appear for the most part human with some animal traits like Horo from Spice and Wolf pictured above and below.

Horo is considered okamimimi > Wolf

Then we have the common nekomimi > Cat

usamimi > Rabbit

inumimi > Dog

kitsunemimi > Fox

You will find more but that covers what you will normally see.

First Blog, First Entry

2008-06-03T16:19:00.002-04:00

Hello my fellow blogger's,

With this first entry I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Adam Johnson. Some friends call me AJ. My forum name is normally KnoxSe7eN. So you may know me :)

Here is a picture of the Otaku in question

I decided to start a blog because of a thread/club started on a great anime site/forum I visit Anime-Planet Thanks to the great looking blogs started by forum members Otaku Dan: The Life of a Anime Fan and Nomad's Otaku Corner. I suggest you check them out if you get a chance. As they make my blog look downright lame in comparison.

I hope you will continue to check out my blog now and again. I hope to get into the swing of things and post something new on a daily or every other day basis. Please bare with me as I am new to the blogging thing.

I plan to post all things that interest me. So expect all a manor of dorky(I mean this in a loving way) things such as anime, manga, all things Japanese, video games, computer games, movies, conventions, photography, cars, motorcycles, trucks, animals, and cryptozoology.

Also let me introduce you to my blogging buddy Myth. I am sure you will be seeing a lot of her as time goes on. She is a very smart Black Lab. She just turned 5 last month :)

Well that's all for now. Hope to see you around. And expect more Otaku related posts in the future.