A Certain White Christmas Post!

Artwork : 暗猫 @ Pixiv

"Realizing Christmas is coming, I bought you a present but demands Christmas Eve night to be spent with me, so in other words, a date..."
as dere-dere Misaka coyly requests while biting the present in anticipation...

While I undergo an imaginary date with my lovely clone, here's some news (which I have not posted in an age) to warm up this Christmas;


Bill 156 = Law

The most talked about Bill 156 was recently approved by majority of the Tokyo Assembly, seeing the new law regulations on artworks and titles in effect by July 2011.

Words have failed me as I lament yet desire to kick the shit out of anything (or maybe just Ishihara), so I'll pass the role of explaining about the bill to Mr. Dan Kanemitsu, a fellow translator who advocates the removal of the vague Bill 156.

I had the pleasure of watching him live on NicoNicoDouga last Sunday with a live panel on the ordinance amendment bill with other members of the industry. If you've some time, check out the video and do read about what the bill is really about as IT'S NOT A BAN, BUT A RESTRICTION, explained by Dan below;

Bill 156, known under such names as Nonexistent Youth Bill Ver.2, Nonexistent Crime Bill and the Anti-Anime and Manga Bill, was approved by a majority of full session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly.


Self regulation will be mandated from April 1st and sales regulation enforcement will begin from July 1st of 2011. While the amendment does not specify the status of previously published books, specialists believe reprinting of titles published in the past will now be subject to the new restrictions after the above dates.


As you already know, Tokyo already has the power to designate anything that is too sexually stimulating for minors OR too sadistic for minors OR too likely to cause criminal acts among minors OR cause suicide among minors as “harmful material”, and force such material to be treated as adult only material.


With the passage of Bill 156, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will have the additional power to restrict any manga, anime and video games (but not live photography works) that feature any sexual acts that would violate criminal codes or Tokyo ordinances OR sexual depictions between close relatives who could not legally get married to be treated as adult material IF they are presented in “unjustifiably glorified or exaggerated manner.”


To see complete details of the bill, go here.


This is a sad day for anime and manga and video games, but the fight will continue. With the Big 10 manga publishing companies up in arms, the issue is unlikely to fade away any time soon.


I also believe the democratic process suffered a major setback as well. Tens of thousands of formal petitions, large numbers of phone calls, truck loads of letters, and enough email traffic to overflow many legislator’s email servers were reported. As I understand, the vast majority of these were in opposition. Over the next few weeks, we’ll find out more about the numbers involved, but I believe this bill’s legislative process suffered several key missteps that taints its legitimacy.


Will the world end tomorrow? Will anime and manga die after July of 2011?
No, it won’t.


I’ll try to put together a Q & A soon, but please understand I can’t do it right away. I’m not getting paid for doing any of this and this is really putting a strain on my work and real life.


However, something I really do worry about the misconception of Japan as a nation were any and all sexually explicit hard core pornography is unregulated and that child sexual abuse photographs and films (i.e. child porn) are pumped out of Japan. Such myths will be very damaging unless it kept in check.


If you come across articles like that, I encourage people to write and tell its authors that is a very biased and not a very truthful statement to make. Unless people question such reporting, it will become accepted as fact.


I’ve covered that subject here.


In the meantime, this is a moment to remember that even in the darkest moments of a raging storm, you have to stay calm, remain vigilant and keep hope. The purpose of censorship is to instill fear, but fear is something we can fight all on its own.


Good night, and good luck. - Dan Kanemitsu

Tokyo University Sells Beer, Sold Out

A group of students have received the blessings of Tokyo University of Agriculture to brew and sell beer to the public - and have already sold out all stocks.

A 6-pack of 330ml bottles were priced at ￥3,150, with all 500 packs selling out, mainly through advance orders. In response to the such demands, they will produce it again next year, with each year selling a limited amount.

The domestic university is the sole owner of a license to brew beer in a college.








From a Pet's Point of View...

Ever wondered what the world looked like from your dog/cat/hamster or any pet's point of view?
Now you can, as photographed and published by Hiroaki Tamura.

Indeed, the world as viewed by pets are extraordinarily wonderful and bliss...



Chrome for a Cause

From the 15th to the 19th December 2010, with every tab opened in the Google Chrome browser, Google donates to a charity of your choice.

Just head over to their site and download the Cause extension in seconds to start donating.

I don't think Google realizes just how many we have contributed, as I personally open an average of 15 in 10 minutes.




Merry +mas 2010

It's that time of year again, where droves of (ronery) couples in love fall prey to Konami's latest campaign, Merry +mas 2010.

In 2009, we saw the Great Wall of Ronery People form as hundreds, if not, thousands queue at selected cake shops all over Tokyo to purchase a limited edition cake from your Love Plus waifu, with much success as everything was polished from the shelves.

This year, a "Love Plus X JOYSOUND" collaboration has been formed for a limited period. JOYSOUND, a karaoke chain store, provides millions of amateurs a facility with tools to sing their heart out while possibly messing your partners eardrums and mental state.

But with Love Plus wife's, they'll sing and dance for you in a private room for DS lovers on 23rd Decemeber 2010 at selected JOYSOUND outlets. Bookings for couples end today (17.12.10) at 23.50 tonight with admission charges of ￥3,150 + one drink with souvenirs

Here's what to expect at the private rooms of couples madly in love;

Love Plus Analyzes Boyfriend's Love Power

A new Love Plus app update on the 15th Dec not only fixes bugs with several improvements, but includes a new feature; Boyfriend Biorhythm (彼氏バイオリズム).

The feature uses your date of birth, knowledge, sensitivity and calculates your love power on a daily basis, with a voice feature from each of the girls to each their messages accordingly.

Such a deadly feature represents a threat to most boyfriends who'd chance their luck everyday at getting closer to their lovers, not that it will have much effect anyway...



My Little Sister Can't Be Getting An Application!

Brought to you by Namco Bandai, the Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai is getting an iP application, with (obviously) Kousaka Kirino as the main on the interface.

Released on the 4th Dec, the app allows interaction with Kirino such as tapping, flicking, pinching with a wide variety of reactions or simply telling the time, all for ￥0.

Yea guys, it's free. So grab her here with iTunes



Itabeya Goes into Nanoha DIY Mode

Owing to the BD release of the Nanoha Movie, Itabeya has gone and outdone himself again with DIY products of Nanoha. Like always, he continues to impress me with his creative ideas and products.

First we have a Nanoha Windowed Display Case.

Using a display case, he's changed it into a case for displaying Nendoroid Puchi in a very attractive manner with changeable backgrounds. Head over to his site to find out how he did it

His latest work has astounded me; a Nanoha Curtain.

Using a plain curtain with high quality printed illustrations, he's got himself a ita-curtain.
Head over here to view build instructions.

Unrelated to Nanoha, but it's definitely so easy make, you could make it in seconds!

An ika-hat! Itabeya demonstrates how to properly make one and fit on all your dolls ^^


Boa Hancock Proves Unattainable

The latest figure from the One Piece franchise comes in the form of a prize figure by Banpresto with a superb figure renderation of pirate, Boa Hancock.

Striking a very beautiful, dominative pose and flaunting those delicious legs of hers while baring her chest for all as her pet python coils around her legs and rests upon her shoulders, she is one of "the" most gorgeous Boa Hancock figure out there.

But it seems, she is not easy to procure at all. Locked away in a Sega UFO Catcher prison, with only a pathetic two-grip bounty catcher that seems to fail every time you hire it, Boa Hancock is only worthy for those who strive to attain her. Even if it means standing there and wasting ￥100 coins for hours ....

If you're impatient and desperate, one could always head to the nearest hobby store and procure her at an average of ￥9,800 or at some other price as it continues to fluctuate till today.

Before trying your luck, I suggest watching this video of how to use the UFO Catcher effectively;



And I'm still wondering how the hell am I going to get her????
Any kind soul heading to Japan, could you bring her back on my behave? I'll pay you!


Sequel News

Ton's on sequel news have popped up out of nowhere. Could be the end of the fiscal/year that prompted the industry to announce it this time around? Or could it be a certain bill, turned law that accelerated some studios plans?

Maria Holic will grace our TVs with a 2nd season somewhere in the future. They'll be going back to SHAFT as they workout the animations.

Personally, I'm looking forward to this as my favourite, Kobayashi Yuu will be given another main role to star in.

Bakuman will get another season, continuing the animation of two middle schoolers striving to become the No.1 mangaka

Lactating anime Seikon no Qwaser will get another season, despite the recent law that makes such shows even harder to get approval.

Nurarihyon no Mago will enjoy another continuation, as announced through Shueisha's Weekly Shounen Jump.

Looking forward to Fukuyama Jun's role continuing, even thou I've stopped watching it ^^"

Finally, an old favourite of mine, Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru is set to receive a 2nd anime adaptation from the game.

Really, after so long....... Well, better than never =D