#Neon Genesis Evangelion type location

[attackradish]

[warningsine]

Hazuki Izumi (Reno Komine) stands on the edge of a rooftop looking out at the city beneath her. A clutter of competing architecture styles and buildings at various points of development: scaffolding, newly-built, maturing, declining, abandoned, condemned. Traffic lights glow, cars drone, and roads curve. A web of powerlines connects every part of the city. Hazuki is deep in thought, contemplating something or other, almost as if she’s listening to something we can’t quite hear. Her friend Mao (Shinsuke Aoki) notices the rooftop figure and approaches her as he becomes concerned that she might jump. 

This scene takes place in August in the Water (1995) but variations of it can be found in a number of Japanese films and anime of the late 1990s to early 2000s. At the time of release these films and series belonged to different genres and production cycles yet retrospectively we can identify a fascinating pattern of imagery, themes, characters and even locations that recur to form an enigmatic genre called denpa. Little has been written about it in English, so allow me to venture forward.

‘Denpa’ is a Japanese word that means electromagnetic wave or radio wave. Within the genre, characters tune into these waves and feel their effects: they sense things, hear voices and see spectres, indeed the stories of Chiaki J. Konaka begin this way, including his Lovecraft-inspired psychological horror Serial Experiments Lain (1998) and Marebito (2004). The characters are susceptible to the waves due to alienation caused by their oppressive surroundings which is depicted through a distinct, industrial aesthetic: antennas, chain link fences, telephone poles, a web of powerlines across the sky, trains, manholes and sewers, grainy and distorted footage, a muted colour palette. This imagery reoccurs across denpa fiction, from the visionary anime of Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue 1997, Paranoia Agent 2004) to the live-action poetry Shunji Iwai crafts out of adolescent cruelty (Picnic 1996, All About Lily Chou-Chou, 2001). 

These bleak,alienated urban settings raise questions of tradition vs modernisation, mass-communication and a critical look at new technologies. Denpa situates these themes amongst references to folklore and the paranormal such as ESP, hauntings, aliens and spirits a combination explored by both the cult horror favourite Boogiepop Phantom (2000) and influential franchise starter Ring (1998). These supernatural beings are known to inhabit different realms and through electromagnetic waves these beings can cross over to our world, and humans can cross over to their worlds. The blurred lines between these spaces are illustrated with surreal imagery and experimental filmmaking. Such creative innovation can be found in the surreal psychological torment of Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion 1995-7, Love & Pop 1998, Ritual 2000) and in the breath-taking urban dreamscapes woven by Gakuryu Ishii (August in The Water, 1993’s Tokyo Blood). Within this cocktail of urban alienation and supernatural forces are plot points such as rumours, conspiracy, mental illness, and delusion often with cosmic and apocalyptic consequences, best embodied by the hypnotic horror of Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure 1997, Pulse 2001).

So far, denpa has only appeared as a loosely defined genre label on English-language databases for anime and videogames, on the occasional blog post, a handful of letterboxd lists and one lone essay [1]. It is at once both recognisable yet hard to define. I understand it on an emotional level, I can identify it as a vibe, yet I want to tease out the details and define it in more concrete terms: what makes something ‘denpa’?

The genre derives from ‘denpa-san’ or ‘denpa-kei’ a name for a type of person that emerged in the late 20th century. Think of denpa-san as analogous to ‘tin foil hatter’ – someone vulnerable to paranoia, conspiracy theories and delusions hoping that the foil will block out those invasive electromagnetic waves. Or maybe they’re already at their mercy, following instructions heard via the waves and doing unsavoury or even dangerous things. The term initially hit the mainstream consciousness in association with the 1981 ‘Fukugawa Street Murders’ where a 29-year-old man indiscriminately stabbed passers-by, killing several people and injuring more. The highly-publicised trial hinged on the controversial defence of insanity: the perpetrator argued that they were driven to murder after years of torment from electromagnetic waves [2]. Over time the term expanded to become associated with creepy, unpopular people in general, those on the fringes of society with unusual quirks and obsessions. 

It is here that the term overlaps with another: ‘otaku’. A social outcast who obsesses over a hobby to the detriment of their social life. Think ‘geek’ but usually uttered with more contempt. Otaku is typically associated with anime, but contrary to popular belief can be about many subjects from videogames to cars. What ties them together is the negative effect it has on the self. Much like denpa, the term otaku gained traction in association with a horrific crime; in the 1990s it was elevated from merely a pejorative label to the centre of a moral panic in relation to the years-long trial of a serial killer nicknamed by the media as ‘the otaku killer’ for his extensive video collection of pornography and horror films [3]. In the years since, the collective otaku have shaken off the worst of these associations and become a phenomenon as they developed a distinct culture and became a major economic force that has been embraced by the media they obsess over. On the darker end of the subculture some favour the fantasy world of their hobby over the real world and get lost in it, which in itself has become a common denpa narrative with an iconic example being the idol otaku in Perfect Blue.

Critics ascribe the emergence of denpa-san and otaku to society at the time. The Japanese economic bubble burst in 1991 and the decade that followed became known as ‘The Lost Decade’. The population faced a recession which stunted young people as they came of working age. And yet Japan was known on the global stage to be at the forefront of home electronics and new technology. This was in tension with traditions of the past and complicated their national identity as new cultural connotations outpaced traditional ones posing the question: can an old culture survive as a new one emerges?

The development of these new technologies also introduced new issues as they quickly became part of everyday life. Camcorders in every hand, phones in every pocket, so easy to use that soon everyone had one without knowing how they really worked. Life was changing as there was now constant recording, growing access and intimate conversations were now held not in person but via phones and on internet forums. As people became increasingly reliant on these technologies, people began to wonder, what is the existential cost of these new conveniences? 

From moral-panics and national identity crises to new technologies denpa fiction responds to this new cultural landscape. 

The war between tradition and modernization often forms the backdrop of denpa fiction in urban spaces where a dedicated few keep old customs alive, while others push on for progress. Gakuryu Ishii (previously known as Sogo Ishii) depicts the tension of this conflict well in August in the Water where participants of the centuries-old festival in Hakata pulse through the city in historical costumes with traditional matsuri floats surrounded by modern buildings and stopped traffic; Ishii finds strange beauty in the cityscapes that engulf and imprison his characters. Investigations lead Detective Takabe (Koji Yakusho) in Cure to abandoned buildings and disused factories which signal the failure of a once-promising industry. In Love & Pop and Tokyo Blood, supporting characters are construction workers who signify this changing landscape as they meet on noisy building sites that are the eyesore we must endure for another dubious future.  

The rooftop is a recurring location for these films. It can be a place for a clandestine conversation with a confidante, or a place for solo contemplation. The sight of a lone person on a rooftop can be startling to passers-by: the threat of suicide looms and in denpa often does happen. Cinematographically speaking it’s an opportunity to view an urban vista: the buildings, antennas and powerlines that populate the skyline. Again and again characters are drawn to the rooftop where they can get the clearest signal to the electromagnetic waves that mesmerise and influence them. 

Alternatively, the clearest signal can be found by going right to the source. In Serial Experiments Lain we meet Lain’s father (Ryusuke Obayashi) at his impressive 6 monitor desktop and over the course of the series Lain’s (Kaori Shimizu) simple computer set-up evolves to be larger and larger. A soundscape is built from keyboard tapping, mouse clicking and monitors gently beeping. Denpa characters are often found hunched over a desk or workstation in the dark, the only light source being the glow of a screen or the small bulbs of a switchboard that gently whir as a pen scratches while detailed notes are being made. It’s an image with unhealthy connotations indicating obsession and someone losing touch with the outside world. In Boogiepop Phantom, the deskbound character is a videogame otaku finding solace in a fictional fantasy world. In Cure they’re a detective and in Ring a journalist whose respective investigations turn fanatical as they uncover disturbing histories. In each instance the foundations of their worldview will soon be shaken and their mental health questioned as conspiracies and paranormal explanations become more and more likely. Are the characters’ paranoid, or are they seeing things clearly for the first time? 

These paranoid thoughts or deteriorating mental states are often heard through voice-over narration. Depending on the film the voice-over could be the trademark psychological introspection of Neon Genesis Evangelion, or the expansive philosophical musings of August in the Water or even the sinister and somewhat incoherent rambling of Marebito. Though superficially different, what they share is a painfully personal and poetic type of soliloquy.  

Alongside narration, different psychological states are expressed through surreal imagery and experimental filmmaking, which often leads to a striking use of mixed-media with live-action moments in anime. In Boogiepop Phantom, a drug-addled videogame otaku experiences visions which are depicted by heavily edited live-action footage in a break from the traditional animation of the series. In Serial Experiments Lain there are animated character figures over live-action backgrounds which has the uncanny effect of blurring the lines between the different worlds that Lain traverses. In the case of Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion, the sequence of live-action footage breaks the diegetic barrier between the text and audience, seeming to directly address not only the delusions of its’ characters but its own otaku fandom. 

This subtle sense of self-awareness can be seen in the eerie experience of watching characters watching screens. Frames within frames or looking at a picture within a picture, voyeurism becomes infinite. New technologies allow people to see people through a thick glass lens or a pixelated screen. Distant yet paradoxically seeing each other more intimately than ever. In Perfect Blue this newfound intimacy fuels the obsessions and delusions of both Mima and her otaku fan.

The spectre of denpa is not limited to Japan. The same themes and same motifs can be found in English-language films from around the same time. There is Donnie Darko (2001), Richard Kelly’s film about a schizophrenic teenager who is told to commit crimes by a phantom in a rabbit suit and whose survival of a near-death-experience has apocalyptic consequences. You can find denpa in the films of M. Night Shyamalan: from the delusion of Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense (1999), to the haunting image of mass rooftop suicides in The Happening (2008) and to the potent mix of aliens and religion in Signs (2002). Even in the music video of Eminem’s Stan (2000)– in which a disturbed otaku hunches over a desk under a perpetual raincloud. When I recognise denpa motifs in films made outside Japan, I begin to think of denpa less as a genre and more as a zeitgeist. A restless, nihilistic gen x moan of exasperation. That feeling of living in The Matrix (1999); groaning at the end of the century and looking to the new one with only pessimism. Yes, there are new technologies but there are as many negative possible outcomes as there are positive ones. It seems inevitable that people will succumb to their worst impulses. 

[heartnosekid]

requests are open!

but this time there are some guidelines and changes 🔽🔽🔽

i will only be taking certain requests. anyone can suggest any type of board that does not have media attachment, like name stimboards, animal / bug / sea creature, plant, fungi, etc stimboards, themed stimboards like kidcore, glowcore, cottagecore, etc, and only from media i am familiar with!

please be as descriptive as possible if you have preferences for what you want to see or what you do not want to see in your request (i.e only slime, no long nails, only pink and blue for colors, slow moving gifs only, no hands, plushies, etc)

(i am also very hyperfixated on bugs right now, specifically butterflies, moths, and mantids, but i will make a board for any bug! please just include the common name and the scientific name or perhaps even a picture so i can get the correct bug, and this goes for sea creatures, plants, and fungi as well!!)

don't be scared to send in a request, regardless of what it is, but just bear in mind i will only be able to take the ones i feel i can confidently complete in a timely manner. i also will not be completing requests in the order that i receive them, because i feel that fudges with my creative process. 

i also still take requests for oc stimboards! the guidelines are located at the bottom of this page on my carrd ^^

i hope y'all understand my reasons and that the list in the keep reading is broad enough to cater to several fandoms and folks that wanted to request a media-centric board from me!

here is a comprehensive list of all the media you can request from (please note i am critical of all of this media):

general: 

care bears (all bears, tv shows, movies, etc ; will also do some fanmade bears)

most kids cartoons (nickelodeon, cartoon network, disney, toonami, etc)

any disney / pixar / dreamworks movies / shows and i'll take the ones i've seen (which is quite a few)

sanrio / san-x

squishmallows

beanie babies

pusheen

my little pony (all gens, tv show)

pokemon (all games / movies / tv show)

tamagotchi

video games (as well as phone / computer games):

apex legends (current hyperfixation)

OFF (mortis ghost)

hades (supergiant games)

baldur’s gate 3

destiny 1 / destiny 2

stardew valley

animal crossing (all games)

minecraft

slime rancher

identity v

dead by daylight

genshin impact

nier automata

titanfall

yume nikki

danganronpa (all games)

red dead redemption

warframe

splatoon

neopets

mario

sonic

metal gear 

super smash bros

bloodborne

skyrim

undertale / deltarune

five nights at freddy’s (all games, specifically security breach)

the last of us / the last of us 2 (hbo show included)

overwatch / overwatch 2

cookie run ovenbreak

cookie run kingdom

love nikki dress up queen

among us

cuphead

wadanohara & the great blue sea

gray garden

mothlight

legend of zelda (all games)

hollow knight 

anime / tv shows / movies: 

houseki no kuni / land of the lustrous

cardcaptor sakura

arcane

naruto (no boruto plz)

neon genesis evangelion

claymore

sailor moon

soul eater

blue eye samurai

mirai nikki / future diary

spongebob squarepants

one punch man

kuroko no basuke

wonder egg priority

puella magi madoka magica / magia record

avatar the last airbender / legend of korra

the promised neverland

blue eye samurai

death note

aggretsuko 

yuri on ice

jojo's bizarre adventure

powerpuff girls

ouran high school host club

she-ra and the princesses of power

artiswitch

one piece

bananya

violet evergarden

boku no hero academia

tokyo ghoul

deadman wonderland

chainsaw man

kekkai sensen / blood blockade battlefront

steins;gate

death parade

sabrina the teenage witch (the old tv show)

fullmetal alchemist brotherhood

stranger things

puss in boots: the last wish

everything everywhere all at once

turning red

encanto

coraline (book included)

winnie the pooh

most if not all studio ghibli movies

bands / music:

(not actual human musicians, but i will make specific song / album / music video based boards [also i feel it is necessary i say that these are just bands / musicians i am very familiar with, i will also take requests for artists i can vibe with that i haven’t heard of before, so feel free to send song stimboard requests freely])

vocaloid (this includes songs from artists / producers who use vocaloid as their medium [ghost and pals, kikuo, maretu, etc] as well as the vocaloid characters themselves) 

glass animals 

hozier 

the crane wives

florence + the machine

marina

ki:theory

disturbed 

bring me the horizon 

killswitch engage

motionless in white 

babymetal 

evanescence

ice nine kills (current favorite band)

sleep token (current favorite band)

bad omens

system of a down

shield of wings

honestly i’ll do most songs if you ask me 

comics / books / manga / written media:

(very short list rn, sorry ;-;)

homestuck

the locked tomb series (current favorite series)

kuroshitsuji / black butler (manga only)

tokyo ghoul / tg:re 

iron widow 

any anime that i mentioned above that has a source manga / comic, i will also make boards for them

miscellaneous:

welcome home

indie games are always welcome, i’ll decide based on how i feel about them!

i will add to this list over time, but this is a start!!

- ish 💕

[draftmare]

Summer is here which means that reading always falls a bit by the wayside. There are just sooooo many things taking up my time, and not many of them are sitting in a chair for very long. So, the last time I read anything was on my honeymoon, however I did devour two books while I was there. We did a lot of excursions in Mexico, which meant a lot of time on buses. Once I saw the sights to and from the excursions locations a couple of times, an hour on the bus was the perfect time to dive into a book.

I blasted through Salt by Liz Shipton pretty fast.

It takes place in a dystopian future post pandemic, and post extreme climate change. So you know, basically where we are heading. It’s the slowest of slow burn romances. The book throws some weird left turns at you then wraps up quick to get you on to book two (which I haven’t read yet). It was basically a quick, easy read to pass the time. I don’t know if I’ll pick up the rest of the series or not.

The second book I read was Heavenbreaker.

I bought a physical copy of this book on our way down to Mexico because it was just so pretty without really knowing anything about it. I ended up absolutely loving it. I’m disappointed that this genre type seems to be a one off for this author. Did you grow up watching Neon Genesis Evangelion? Did you love Gundam Wing as a kid? This is the book for you. 10/10 would recommend.

I currently have two unfinished books sitting by my bed. A Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr and A Day of Fallen Night, still. A Remedial Magic I was initially super excited about because it has magic and LGBTQ+ representation, but it just…hasn’t really pulled me in. It feels very much like the author wanted to set up a grungy sex filled Hogwarts for adults, and I dunno. I’m just not feeling it.

A Day of Fallen Night is just….long. I will finish it at some point, it’s just long…

[sexyzentai]

Full Body Suits

Why are Cosplay Costumes So Common Currently?

Full Body Suits

Cosplay is an abbreviation for costume play, and happens to become a trend in which men and women are supposed to dress up as characters from videogames, fantasy movies, anime and manga. It truly is often that a single can obtain Cosplayers, dressed up in cosplay attires like NEON GENESIS EVANGELION Cosplay Costume, is often seen at various kinds of public areas and gatherings - for example several higher profile cosplay parties, nightclubs devoted to equivalent style of dressing, amusement parks and so on. Just what makes these so popular? Discover.

These have become trendy

Whilst these types of costumes originated from Japan, they are particularly well-known now in several nations in the UK and USA. Initially, these had been created for anime characters. Currently, these have already been also adopted by quite a few western communities. You can discover people dressing up in such costumes in holiday events like Halloween, Mardi Gras and so on. These can also be located in use in a lot of private parties. Over the last few years, an increasing quantity of men and women have already been located to be keen on these parties, and as a result - there is high demand for cosplay costumes within the industry.

These add beauty to cosplay events

Low-priced cosplay costumes might be identified to add visual appeal and life to cosplay events. Today, it is possible to uncover celebration costumes in wide varieties within the market. These is usually employed to represent fantasy characters of option quite proficiently with the aid of affordably priced apparels. You can find low-cost cosplay attires obtainable in the market place in varied sizes.

These make themed parties additional fun

Youngsters like to dress up in funny and weird costumes in several celebration events, where they've to dress up inside a varied way. A number of well known firms nowadays are generating a variety of trendy costumes - which could be purchased as per person desires. Cosplay costumes essentially involve attires which might be especially made to imitate numerous creatures, animals, cartoon characters and fantasy movie characters. If you wish to possess the right kind of look, it can be crucial which you select probably the most suitable costume.

For a cosplay themed party to be a accomplishment, you need to choose a character which is suitable for you personally and matches your desires. Character, stature, facial traits, figure and so on are many of the variables which you really need to take into consideration in an effort to select a proper cosplay style. Choose a character that is definitely most comparable to you, and you can have the best effect on onlookers at the celebration event. Visit this website

[a-still-small-vox]

fic writer tag game

Tagged by @aowyn - thanks for the tag!

fandoms: my primary fandoms are Final Fantasy XV, Homestuck, Dragon Age, and No. 6. I have fics for a handful of others, including Miraculous Ladybug, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Voltron

number of fics: 119

fic i spent the most time on: Perchance To Wake (Final Fantasy XV) - it only took me about a month to write, but it has had the most rigorous editing process of any fic I’ve written, and it’s still not fully posted 2 years after it was first written

fic i spent the least time on: one of the shorter ones, no doubt - I couldn’t tell you precisely which one, but a lot of my old Homestuck fics have minimal editing

longest fic: Milky Weeds (Dramatical Murder) - 125,384 words

shortest fic: The Book of Kankri (1:1) (Homestuck) - 245 words

(I’d say that the majority of my fics are between 1,000 and 5,000 words long)

most hits: You Know The Fic (One Punch Man) - 20,843 (yeah my writing was popular for like .5 seconds in the OPM fandom) most kudos: also You Know The Fic - 1,453 most comment threads: also You Know The Fic - 204 oTL most bookmarks: take a wild guess XD (it has 303)

Ignoring You Know The Fic, my fic with the most hits is Fateswap (No.6) with 6,430; the one with the most kudos is Her Own Beloved (Miraculous Ladybug) with 375; the one with the most comment threads is Milky Weeds with 105; and the one with the most bookmarks is Fateswap with 108.

total word count: 715,511 (I broke 700,000 words for the first time in 2020!)

favorite fic i wrote: I have too many fics to really pick a favourite. I have love for most of my children...

fic you want to rewrite or expand on: I would like to rewrite part of Feathers & Firearms (Homestuck) because I think it has a good concept but is very amateurish. That would be a bit of a “draw this again” glow up type rewrite.

share a bit of a wip or story idea you’re planning on:

currently working on a promptis big bang fic, two ffxv exchange fics, and a wip for an obscure british comic. i’m sadly not allowed to share anything from the promptis big bang fic, so here’s a teaser from the next unposted chapter of the coma au (perchance to wake):

Meldacio HQ was inside a tunnel of rock. As they approached, Ignis got the feeling that this wasn’t a safe place to just casually walk into. Perhaps a watcher on the road had called ahead to signify their arrival, because although the street was lined with many dwellings on both sides - ramshackle houses made of wood, more stately houses made of brick, even a few tents here and there - there was no evidence of any human activity. It was as if the entire HQ were deserted.

Until they reached the centre of the tunnel, where a roadblock stood. Aranea was forced to stop the car. Then, from the side of the road, around six people emerged, all clad in bulletproof vests and openly displaying weapons.

“I see we have a welcoming committee,” Ignis commented. His fingers were twitching impatiently again. Was all of this really necessary?

The leader of the group of Resistance members outside tapped on Aranea’s window, which she rolled down.

“How many in the car?” the woman outside asked. She had a scar on one side of her face, and Ignis wondered if she had been involved in the war.

“Three,” Aranea replied.

“State your names and your intentions.”

“Aranea Highwind, Ignis Scientia, and Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. We’re here to see whoever’s in charge of the Resistance at this location,” Aranea said, gesturing at each member of the party, though she kept her other hand on the wheel. When she said Luna’s name, the woman drew back.

“Seriously?” the scarred woman said. “I’ll need to see some proof of ID, please.”

“Sure, sure,” Aranea said, taking Ignis’s driver’s license as he passed it up, as well as something from Luna’s hand. When she handed the items to the girl outside, Ignis saw that it was a gold signet ring. He had to laugh to himself. Royalty.

I know this isn’t the most interesting part of the chapter, but like the entire rest of the chapter is mega spoilers so I can’t post it now! I hope that you enjoyed the preview, however.

tagging: @revasnaslan @kaiserin-astraia and anyone else who wants to do this!

[archive-idium]

OC rambling | Full information of muse head topic: Barnaby content: -- origin  -- profession, current residence -- relationships -- more on his behavior, personality, mentality -- likes and dislikes, with a tint of +18 information

origin:

✦ There is nothing much to be said on his actual origin, only the fact that he could have been born in 1970s. It could be said from his ability to recall some historical events that he may have or may have not experienced; not to be able to mention perfectly recall fashion trends in few countries that he used to reside in.

✦ It’s a fact that his family are all creatures of water; but had a connection to another sea creature that lived among humans (that was most likely a siren, to begin with) and offered assistance, if they where interested.

The family would do their best to have the siren raise Barnaby so he was capable of adapting himself into the human realm. Of a hassle for years, It came to success. He was able to talk human, specifically -- Russian. A bit of English as secondary language, with basic knowledge of it.

Being the age of child (10-11), he capable of forming himself human legs. While there was work to actually functioning as a human and even learn to walk, he was capable of talking as a human. It have impressed his parents the most, and they supported him during the development and process to adapt to the human realm. While they worried about humans -- They where also fascinated in them to a high degree. Wanting to interact with them; but also choosing their life of sea and wanting to stick to it. They came to the conclusion -- That if their son wanted to live at sea instead to reside in the human realm, they will accept his decision. Loving aquatic parents are supportive of all his made choices. -------------

profession, current residence:

While majority of things have been explained in his biography when It comes to what he has studied, how have he reached to the point of studies among land citizens and how he have chosen the field of mechanics -- There hasn’t been much say to WHY he chose this particular field. You would think a merman would consider a field involved with water? He have considered a profession as an underwater entertainer, he despises the idea of it, in reality. He wasn’t much of a fan of children at the time, well aware that the profession he could take in would involve kids.  What brought to mechanics and pyrotechnics? The interest of solving a puzzle, in a sense. During the year of him studying a his final (and only) year at high school, he has met a companion that would be taking much interest to engineering. While his friend would be focused more on aerospace engineering specifically, the fish’s curiosity has been taken more for mechanical engineering. There was something fascinating about being able to drive mechanical cars with your own two legs. Which was coming from a merman who was taught to walk many years ago from that moment, but It never came to his mind to actually take focus on machinery with wheels. Let alone, be able to drive them. Plus, the fact that he could see that you would have to need to assemble miniature (to large) pieces to form into something that would function? Inner puzzle solver has come to seek for that.  ✦ When It comes to pyrotechnics, the interest was from earlier years -- When he viewed fireworks along with his siren of a tutor. But to see that there was an actual field involved with them? He partook the field just as soon he have graduated from studies as a mechanical engineer. [[ Current residence -- A nicely built, incredibly large garage that has partly functionality as a domain. It does suit him best to live there due to instant availability to assist someone without needing to travel a distance. Not to mention, this garage was the location where he started his days as a mechanic, serving as an assistant before being given a degree. It later escalated to -- Him purchasing the garage himself. To his luck, the previous mechanic had some close relation to his young student (father and son -- like) that he had little struggle to purchase this building. The garage sets into two parts. First part on the left side and built an additional wall for the sake of privacy. The right side of the place has become his work shop. ---------------

relationships;

There isn’t that much to speak of this part -- He has a good relationship with his relatives, has good manners when It comes to respect of adults. An open nature tends to bring him an audience that is drawn by his, semi compulsive natura. Speaking of romantic relationships? He is fairly open to any personality of an individual, with having to be able to adapt to any type. More likely infatuated with people that may present a timid, neutral nature, If not ominous.  ---------------

more on his behavior, personality, mentality

It could be guessed by already that his nature would be incredibly cheerful, if not fiery at times. Appearance wise, It is alone to say enough that he behaves as he presents.

Chaotic at times, friendly, and even then he would show a good nature. During professional conversations he would deem to be more seeking to reassure the other individual to have them comfortable communicating with them.

Although -- There is a minor issue when It comes to his behavior and personality altogether. At times his youthful mentality lead him to be incredibly naive, thus allowing people to take advantage of It, If given the opportunity.

Be it to show Barnaby a bad form or show of influence, or have him be with an unpleasant crowd with ill intentions -- Either towards him, or towards other people.

Additional fact; In the past as he was actually 19 years old [rather his current situation with a false age that does not change with his choice], he settled with few Russian gangsters. He only chose to abandon the group when It began to affect his future.

On a more personal note:

He has adhd [ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ] , which could be more noticeable throughout knowing him for a longer time. Rather than him having one specific type out of two single options, he has a combination of all options.

Few symptoms are hardly present, the rest are most common If It means with something to lack proper focus or have the inability to be at peace -- Otherwise said, he’s always “running on gears”.

Noticeable symptoms in later time:

✦ hyper focus on a single event/hobby/activity that leads to him abandoning other important activities or events. most extreme focus is given when It has involvement with pyrotechnics

✦ constant movement or restlessness, alternatively -- fidgeting, squirming. this can also be said, that he at times can be incredibly impatient;

✦ sudden distress or no ability to focus. while It is said so simply, this particular symptom can lead to him losing temporary ability to have any remote functionality. at extreme situations, he falls into a panic if he is unable to feel in his own body. [ in other terms, fall into having a moment of denationalization ]

✦ impulsive commentary or action without second thought. 

while this particular mental illness has to associate with having problems of memory, he is rather able to memorize a lot without needing to reassure himself on the information he knows of. since his both professions are something he loves to this day, to struggle with it only comes from the fact of daydreaming or hypersensitivity/moments of numbness.

----------------

likes and dislikes, with a tint of +18 information

liked activities:

✦ swimming. which really doesn’t bring surprise. ✦ building miniature toys on wheels, usually built from scraps. something he does enjoy doing during Christmas time, when available. ✦ badminton. an activity picked up with another aquatic friend ✦ visit available aquatic zoos, or zoos in general. most of the time it’s to see goldfishes of other breeds or reptiles. ✦ exercising, working out. he used to attend gymnastics to be able to maintain more flexibility than he had. assisted a lot when needing to position himself to fix parts of cars during work.

✦ sing. he’s a tad bit shy to sing, though. unless it’s a funny song, to which he doesn’t shy to blurt in a high volume for the sake to annoy someone

liked dishes, beverages:

✦ sushi, which is ironic. ✦ herring. mostly the kind that is in vinegar with sliced onions. ✦ lithuanian cold beet soup ✦ also -- a lithuanian dish. meat -- potato dumplings (” cepelinai “ in Lt.)

✦ elk jerky. the ones that come from a swedish brand ✦ alcohol. mainly the sweet cocktails that have an incredibly high percentage

✦ banana milkshake ✦ ramen ✦ anything other that can be spicy ✦ not a dish, but he loves all sorts of berries. yet to find one that he doesn’t like.

other things that he likes:

✦ gundam robots. robotic figures that you need to assemble from incredibly small parts. while not familiar with the show/s involving these robots, he likes the idea of living machinery.

he is familiar with a show of Neon Genesis Evangelion. something that has been shown to him by a friend from a while ago.

✦ sex. it’s no lie that he is fairly interested in sexual activity when given the opportunity with someone that has shown him a fair share of interest to it. that, or seek for a potential partner he would be interested to be with, and also engage in sexual activity.

preference: can be with anyone who share a similar figure type, or are average. avoids incredibly tall individuals for personal reasons. at times he will consider someone who is a bit above average in ... everything.

women are his least interest, but does not mean he wouldn’t fall for one. will give an exception for height for women -- since he has not met one with a bad connection.

✦ fishes, goldfishes. while wanting to have a hobby to keep aquatic pets, he refuses to do it alone. waiting to seek for someone who could share the interest and start it together;

✦ puzzles. mostly the ones that have a bigger count of pieces and some difficulty to it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

disliked activities:

-- they are none, to his opinion. he would rather choose to experience a particular thing for one time and see if he would ever try it again.

that, and so far he has not met with an activity that he didn’t grow to like it a bit better than to despise it.

dislikes dishes, beverages:

✦ fast food burgers, fries ✦ bad quality, cheap sushi ✦ anything involved with tomatoes ✦ whiskey, vodka from polish brands ✦ English cheese cakes ✦ buttermilk

other things that he dislikes:

✦ felines, cats. ✦ large dogs, although not afraid

✦ large tanks or military machines. has almost been put at risk by a tank during a historical event in Lithuania from +- 30 years ago ✦ repetitive or periodic noises in a high pitch, volume

✦ large, bulky men. coming from bad experience with them. though will still interact if they show no threat or need to mock him or his appearance.

✦ cigarettes, electronic cigarettes. anything with tobacco ✦ drugs that are not medication. 

[entergamingxp]

An introduction to Sakura Wars, the RPG series created to save the Sega Saturn • Eurogamer.net

The history of Sega’s consoles is one often written by their competitors. Right off the bat, Sega tried to follow in Nintendo’s footsteps, both in terms of creating a recognisable mascot, and in offering a varied games line-up. Becoming aware of a lack of a strong RPG franchise for the Sega Saturn, Sega partnered with game developer Red Entertainment (then Red Company) to create a series that would be a hit with RPG fans. It was a feat Red Entertainment had previously achieved with Galaxy Fräulein Yuna for the TurboGrafx-16 in 1992 and, more notably, Far East of Eden (天外魔境, Tengai Makyou), a series which in the early 90s rivalled the success of the well-known Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy franchises.

Sega, hoping Red Entertainment could repeat their success, contacted Far East of Eden’s creator Oji Hiroi in early 1994. Hiroi was initially reluctant to agree to a partnership, seeing as his games had until then been Sega’s competitors. However, eventually he pitched them a project he had previously abandoned, thinking it too ambitious in scope – Sakura Wars.

Sakura Wars’ debut outing on the Sega Saturn.

Sakura Wars combines a lot of what made Galaxy Fräulein Yuna and Far East of Eden so popular. Notably, Far East of Eden was the first RPG with animated cutscenes and voice acting, and Sakura Wars is packed full of them. Galaxy Fräulein Yuna on the other hand lends Sakura Wars a plot element in its girls-doing-mecha-combat. Sakura Wars was going to be no less than two games in one – a tactical RPG with combat directly influenced by Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series and a visual novel with dating sim elements. The story is set in an alternate Taisho-era Japan prior to the Second World War, where girls use magical powers to control mechs to uphold peace. To further aid the happiness of the public, the girls also act in the Imperial Combat Revue as a theatre troupe. The ‘Sakura’ in Sakura Wars stands both for the cherry blossom, the symbol of Japan, and for main protagonist Sakura Shinguji. Players never take control of Sakura or any of the other actresses, and instead play as navy ensign Ichiro Ogami.

The series didn’t really double down on the dating aspect until much later, and from today’s perspective it’s a little uncomfortable. A man coming in to take his pick of his female subordinates isn’t a storyline that’s unusual for anime, but it didn’t age well. Thankfully, much like Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Sakura Wars was always plot first, romance second, and it’s important to note that this type of harem storyline was very popular in the late 90s.

The number of systems involved in making a combination of both choice-based visual novel and strategy game are something we now take for granted, but seemed impossible to pull off in 1994. In using both genres, Sega and Red Entertainment set out to make a “dramatic adventure”, as they called it, a moniker the marketing would eventually adopt to describe the franchise. Not only that, Sakura Wars was also the first game to read your save games’ previous instalments, allowing you to continue a previously started romance.

Central to the visual novel portion of the game is the so-called L.I.P.S. system. The name was chosen because of its nice sound, which is often the reason behind random English titles in Japanese, but since the question after the meaning came up a lot, the acronym “Live & Interactive Picture System” was created. L.I.P.S. is a dialogue choice system, the first of its kind with a timer that would rush you to make a choice. The second Sakura Wars game would even go a step further and change your available answers if you waited for too long and allow you to click something on the screen to unlock further dialogue options, both revolutionary ideas at the time.

Sakura Wars 2 would also later find its way to Sega’s Dreamcast.

Sakura Wars wasn’t only supposed to be a mech RPG, but also a musical adventure, as Hiroi’s initial inspiration for the game came from watching a takarazuka play. The Takarazuka Revue, named after its location in the city of Takarazuka near Kobe, is an all-female theatre company, established to counter the many traditional forms of Japanese theatre that allowed only male actors. In Sakura Wars, the real Grand Imperial Theatre in Tokyo serves as the base of operations for the Flower Troupe, both a takarazuka term and the name for the military division you join at the beginning of the game.

It was difficult to find voice actresses who could sing and also act, but Hiroi, who worked mainly in anime, wanted something similar to anime series such as Bubblegum Crisis, in which music supplied by the voice actresses was a central part to the appeal of the show. Sakura Wars was also the first game to consciously attempt to make the voice acting match the animated lip movements of each character, making both departments work in tandem.

When it came to anime talent, the search for high-profile contributors didn’t end there: artist Futoshi Nagata, who would go on to work on art for titles such as Code Vein and Vanquish, designed the steampunk mechs for Sakura Wars, while manga artists Kosuke Fujishima (Oh! My Goddess, the Tales franchise) and Hidenori Matsubara (Neon Genesis Evangelion) also joined the project. In the end, Sakura Wars would become Sega’s most expensive project to date, but the investment paid off: it became a sellout success, and a driving force for sales of the Sega Saturn in Japan as planned.

However, as is often the case, the game was deemed too Japanese for a Western audience and hasn’t been localised to this day, save for a fan translation. Work on the sequel began almost immediately, but to tide waiting fans over, another strategy from Galaxy Fräulein Yuna was adopted, releasing an anime for the series. While the game never made it to the west, the direct to video anime and later the TV series did so in the early 2000s, and put Sakura Wars on the map with those who wanted mecha action in a cute comedy package. Since it caught the wave of mecha anime popularity in the west led by titles such as Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion and The Vision of Escaflowne, the anime did reasonably well globally.

In addition to the anime, the voice actresses took to the stage, becoming a real-life takarazuka troupe that would put on new shows for each new Sakura Wars release – and there were a lot of them, chief among them Sakura Taisen Columns, a Puzzle Fighter-type game with a story mode that utilised the L.I.P.S. system, and throughout the 2000s even titles designed for the Gameboy Advance, using Pokemon-style combat.

So Long, My Love saw a rare western outing for the series.

All that was still never enough to convince Sega to make an attempt at bringing the series to the west, a decision also directly linked to the poor sales of its consoles outside of Japan. While the second Sakura Wars game was still released for the Saturn and lengthened the console’s lifespan in Japan at a time when western audiences had long switched to Sony’s PlayStation, the Dreamcast had such a short shelf life that development on the fourth Sakura Wars game had to be rushed so that from a sales perspective it would still make sense to release it at all. A storyline was scrapped, and assets from previous games had to be reused in order to deliver the game on time. There’s more romance too, but Sakura Wars 4 had initially been designed to end the series and unite Ogami with the woman of his choice, as it was clear that Sega wouldn’t produce any further consoles.

However, the franchise would attempt one last hurrah in the form of Sakura Wars 5: So Long, My Love, in 2005. Developed for the Wii and later ported to PlayStation 2, Sakura Wars 5 employed a storyline originally intended for protagonist Ogami, whose story ended in Sakura Wars 4. In Sakura Wars 3, Ogami travels to Paris to assist the Combat Revue there. Red Entertainment had originally envisioned for his travels to take him to multiple parts of the world, and so Sakura Wars 5 tells the story of his nephew, taking his first steps at the Combat Revue in New York. This made So Long, My Love feel like a soft reboot for the franchise, as none of the characters from previous games make an appearance here.

While this made it seem like a bit of a cop out to longtime fans, this was finally a title that could be brought to the west – Sega was convinced both by the success of Persona 4 and the fact that Sakura Wars now used a western setting. Persona is an interesting series to consider in this context, as the series took elements from Sakura Wars – chief among them the aspect of getting to know your fellow characters and having to manage a limited amount of time to work on your skills and relationships. Sakura Wars 5 is a good game, switching between beautiful visual novel segments and 3D fights in all-new mechs, but it wasn’t the success Sega was looking for, neither in Japan nor the west.

Bringing a Sakura Wars soft reboot to Western players thus constitutes a new leap of faith for Sega. looking at the success of the Yakuza and Persona franchises, they know by now that players enjoy games they previously thought of as ‘too Japanese’, but ‘New Sakura Wars’ as its simply called in Japanese, also starts off with a all-new cast and a new battle system – not even heroine Sakura is the same as before. Releasing later this month, Sakura Wars comes with new action combat but the same mix of visual novel, anime sequences and musical numbers. It did well in Japan, coming in behind Pokemon Sword and Shield during its first release weekend, but it remains to be seen if this is a one-off or the grand revival of an influential series.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/04/an-introduction-to-sakura-wars-the-rpg-series-created-to-save-the-sega-saturn-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-introduction-to-sakura-wars-the-rpg-series-created-to-save-the-sega-saturn-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

[recentanimenews]

Learn About WIT Studio's Upcoming Anime GREAT PRETENDER in Our Interview!

  At Anime Expo 2019, WIT Studio surprised everyone with the premiere teaser of their upcoming anime, GREAT PRETENDER. This anime of con men really left a big impression on me, and I was honored to have a chance to sit down with WIT Studio after the panel and pick their brains about this exciting project. If you’re curious about who Dr. Google is, how Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Yoshiyuki Sadamoto got involved, where the jazz fusion soundtrack came from, and an interesting debate about the difference between short anime seasons versus long ones, read on!

Hello, and thank you for speaking with us today. Could you please introduce yourselves for our readers?

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: I am Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the main character designer for GREAT PRETENDER.

Hiro Kaburagi: I am the director, Hiro Kaburagi.

George Wada: And I am George Wada, the president of WIT Studio.

Ryota Kosawa: I am Ryota Kosawa, the writer of the screenplay, including all 23 episodes.

One of the first things that I noticed about the GREAT PRETENDER is the scenes of LA. I remember that Kaburagi-san mentioned in the WIT Studio panel that details about LA were Googled, but how long did you research these locations for the series?

Hiro Kaburagi: It’s hard to say how many days. But in creating the scenario we really thought it was important to give a good, strong feeling of Los Angeles and, of course, we have the amazing resource on the internet! And so, I consulted with my… friend Dr. Google (laughs) and we kinda shared the information with all these different scenes of LA and thought: “What can we show to really give a feeling of Los Angeles and make people feel that that was the setting?”

There’s gonna be other locations all over the world, as well. Would you say the same thing for all the other world-wide locations? 

Hiro Kaburagi: Yes, of course, and in addition to researching, we will also be traveling to those places in person as a group and taking actual photos with our cameras. I think that actually going there and experiencing the place is important, as well.

There are quite a few anime about thieves and other types of underworld types. But the con man angle is pretty new. What caused the decision to be made for the protagonist?

Ryota Kosawa: I really just liked the concept. I liked the idea of a character that cons these bad rich people of the world. Not so much with just action or weapons, but through his own skill and his know-how. The idea of this con man that is taking advantage of these evil rich people around the world is something that was very appealing to me.

The water purification scam and issues with water quality were an interesting theme to see. Will that play a larger part of the overall series or will there be more of a variety of schemes that will come into play?

Ryota Kosawa: There are going to be many different scams and the scale of those, I think, is going to grow over the series in many different ways. So, please keep watching! The water purification scam was really the smallest and the most realistic, but it’s just the start!

I love when music is a big part of an anime’s image and the jazz fusion being used here seems really fascinating. What led to the decision of jazz for the series?

Hiro Kaburagi: Yamada-san is a very young and skilled creator. And it was actually Yamada-san’s proposal that jazz would be a very good fit when we’re talking about a story with con men. And so we talked about it and we thought: “Yeah this is a really good fit!” Of course, we’re going to have not only jazz but other popular genres like rap and genres of music. And the important thing, I think, is to give the music, a good feeling that feels cool but also fits the anime.

During the WIT Studio panel, Akira Shimizu and Yuichi Fukushima, from CloverWorks stopped by. Are there any potential hints that you could give us on what that might involve? Like any new possible projects?

George Wada: We think by creating bonds between the studios will give us the opportunity to work together in the future and sharing information that makes all of us stronger. So, next year, we will include MAPPA and creating these stronger intra-studio connections we think that this will bleed to more interesting projects and better work, which will give better quality and a better experience for everyone.

It’s a little unusual to see a long series like these lately, where most anime runs from 12 episodes to 13 episodes. What brought about the decision for GREAT PRETENDER to be 23 episodes long? 

Hiro Kaburagi: That was really the plan from the beginning, wasn’t it? (everyone laughs)

George Wada: 12 or 13 episode animes tend to be character dramas that are very focused on the characters. But in terms of this team format where we’re creating a team that’s going to have all these different adventures, we wanted to make sure that we were able to continue into the future and we really thought that 23 episodes were needed in order to tell that story.

Hiro Kaburagi: Don’t you think we need 23 episodes? (everyone laughs) It was hard but, I think it’s the right decision! I’m glad that we’re able to have that length, so that we’re able to have that story span.

Ryota Kosawa: We have a number of different protagonists, main characters, and this gives us the flexibility to show lots of different cons in the story, and this gives us the flexibility to tell all these different stories. And I think that if we only had 12 or 13 episodes, it would have been difficult to fit everything into that number of episodes. 

George Wada: So, they’ve put a lot of effort into portraying the characters as full characters and giving them time to develop, and so we think that the fans will fall in love with these characters and really enjoy watching them develop over the series.

I got a real crime noir vibe out of the story, from the music to the settings to the characters. Are there any films or other media that influenced the idea for the series?

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: It may sound strange but I actually don’t spend as much time watching other anime series. But personally, I also watch lots of TV dramas. And so, recently in Japan, it’s becoming much easier to experience drama shows from all around the world via things like Amazon Video or Netflix. We’re able to see these TV series in Japan, shows like Game Of Thrones or Breaking Bad. I can’t say exactly how those drama shows that I’ve seen are reflected in the series, but I do think that there may be some influence there.

Sadamoto-san, you’re a very famous character designer with many of your designs from Neon Genesis Evangelion being iconic these days. What led to your involvement in this project?

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: I really think that for this project, it was the strength of Kosawa-san’s screenplay, along with also knowing the strength of the studio that I would be able to work with and the quality that they would be able to produce that I really thought: “There’s no way I could turn this down!” This is something I have to do and see what I can contribute to this project. So, um, I really felt that this was definitely something that I needed to do.

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today! As we finish up, is there anything that you’d like to tell our readers before we go?

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: I’ve been doing character design for a long time with original works, but this is my first kind of unique chance to contribute to such a TV series and I hope that the characters that I’ve helped create will be characters that the fans can enjoy watching them grow and love these characters for a long time!

Ryota Kosawa: GREAT PRETENDER is a good series. Check it out and enjoy it! I hope that the fans will really enjoy the storyline; it’s really easy to get hooked with its involving and compelling story. Don’t miss out because it’s a life-changing experience. You’ll regret it if you miss it!

George Wada: WIT Studio has been involved in this project and they’re very happy to have brought their various strengths of their team, including Takeda-san from Bamboo Studio as the art director. This is the third in the series that they have started back in 2016 and they’ve really put a huge amount of effort into it, and so they hope that everyone enjoys this work.

Hiro Kaburagi: So, while this is a story about con men, it’s not a dark story. There are lots of laughs, there are places where you’ll cry; it’s a great story that will appeal not only to fans of Japanese anime but many other audiences, as well. And so, please enjoy going on these adventures with Edamame!

After our interview, I have to admit that I’m even more excited for GREAT PRETENDER than I was initially! Thank you so much to the WIT Studio team for sitting down with us and letting us pick their brains. I’m still quite curious what WIT Studio and Cloverworks might whip up for us in the future, so you can be sure that we’ll keep our eyes peeled for any interesting developments from this working relationship between two amazing studios!

Are you excited for GREAT PRETENDER? What are you looking forward to the most in the series? Let us know in the comments!

    ----

Nicole is a features writer and editor for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[randyjeter57-blog]

Fantastic Present Ideas For The Anime Fan

Whether you need a gift for Xmas, a birthday celebration or other event, anime fans could be difficult to acquire for, particularly if you know little regarding the world known as "anime". There are additionally adult anime collection, with even more grown-up themes and also content. There are likewise lots of different thematic styles of anime, including those centered around robots (called mecha), charming anime, combating anime as well as so on. In order for you to pick a fantastic present for the anime follower in your life, you initially require an idea of exactly what anime series or at the very least what type of anime series they enjoy. Discover out by perusing their DVD collection or checking what they see on TV. As soon as you understand the series they like, right here are some recommendations for guaranteed gifts for anime fans: Manga Manga is merely the Japanese version of visuals books or comic publications. Many anime series are based upon a manga collection. Any kind of anime fan would certainly like the original manga their favored anime is based on. For original Japanese manga, you could usually discover some on eBay as well as at Japanese importers like JustManga and also Manga.com. For the most prominent anime collection, like Inuyasha, you can find English translated manga books at several significant book shops. Live Action and also Japanese Drama DVD's. Some anime and also manga collection have a live action version, like Seafarer Moon, that a Seafarer Moon fan would likely be interested in. If your anime follower appears interested in Japanese culture, after that consider obtaining them some Japanese TELEVISION drama series. Check out Nodame Cantabile, Hana Yori Dango and Gokusen, each was based on anime or manga collection or both. Toys. Some anime series, like Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion and also others, have several playthings offered. If you actually intend to get a special gift, try to obtain several of the playthings that are imported from Japan. Toys offered include action figures, lorries, packed playthings, dolls and designs. You can discover playthings for the most prominent anime collection at significant toy shops, but also for not so popular series, attempt eBay, YesAsia and also various other import websites. Video Gamings. Most of one of the most preferred anime collection like Naruto, Inuyasha and Bleach additionally have computer game based upon them. This is a terrific present suggestion since what anime fan wouldn't desire to play a game as their favorite personality? Ensure to learn just what game system they have so you could obtain a game for their certain console or portable. Songs. Many anime followers come to be interested in Japanese society with anime, specifically given that preferred Japanese artists and also bands are made use of on the soundtracks to the bulk of anime collection. You can obtain them the soundtrack to the collection or even a few JPOP or JROCK CD's. Collectibles & Decorative Products. There are likewise attractive things and also many antiques readily available for some series. If you loved this informative article and you want to receive more details relating to how to cosplay (www.animationcosplay.com) please visit our web-site. Think about animation cells, minimal edition playthings, picture cds, calendars, posters and more. Find these at YesAsia as well as eBay. Garments & Apparel. Some anime followers enjoy sprucing up as their favorite character, this is called "cosplay". Search for out who their favored character is and obtain them a costume or accessories. As an example, an Inuyasha fan would certainly enjoy a necklace like the one Inuyasha wears or a play sword like he makes use of. Or go for it and obtain them a complete costume similar to their preferred character. Language Publications or Software Program. If your anime follower has a serious passion in Japanese culture, after that consider getting them a book or sound understanding set to help them discover, check out as well as create Japanese. If you're having a difficult time locating gifts from their favorite anime collection, this is a superb gift alternative. This is likewise a gift you could really feel excellent around, since learning a brand-new language is a very beneficial ability for their future. Food. From sushi to Pocky, if your anime follower has a passion in Japanese society, they could prefer to try a few of the food they have seen consumed in animes and also dramas. Some pointers consist of a sushi making package, Japanese candy as well as gum tissue, Pocky (a pretzel covered with delicious chocolate), strange flavored Japanese variations of candy bars like KitKat and also much more. You could find several kinds of Japanese candy at AsianFoodGrocer and other Japanese food import websites. Whether you require a gift for Xmas, a birthday celebration or other occasion, anime followers could be hard to get for, specifically if you understand little about the world recognized as "anime". There are also lots of different thematic styles of anime, consisting of those centered around robotics (called mecha), enchanting anime, combating anime as well as so on. In order for you to choose a superb present for the anime fan in your life, you initially need a concept of exactly what anime series or at least what kind of anime series they enjoy. Lots of anime followers end up being interested in Japanese culture with anime, especially given that preferred Japanese musicians and bands are made use of on the soundtracks to the bulk of anime series. From sushi to Pocky, if your anime follower has an interest in Japanese society, they may such as to attempt some of the food they have actually seen eaten in animes and also dramas.

[alinaletcher43-blog]

Fantastic Gift Ideas For The Anime Follower

Whether you need a gift for Xmas, a birthday or other celebration, anime followers could be tough to acquire for, specifically if you know little regarding the globe known as "anime". First, let me clarify a little about anime. Anime is a sort of animation that began in Japan. Primarily, you can call it a Japanese version of animes. Anime has some big differences. Where American animation has a tendency to be tailored primarily to kids, there are actually many types of anime, tailored for several ages and also passions. There are anime collection targeted squarely at young boys, young girls, young females as well as so on. There are also adult anime collection, with even more grown-up themes and also web content. There are likewise several various thematic designs of anime, consisting of those centered around robotics (called mecha), charming anime, dealing with anime and so on. In order for you to select a fantastic gift for the anime fan in your life, you first need a concept of just what anime series or at the very least what type of anime series they delight in. Figure out by browsing their DVD collection or inspecting what they enjoy on TELEVISION. As soon as you understand the collection they like, below are some ideas for guaranteed presents for anime fans: Manga Manga is just the Japanese variation of comic publications or graphic books. Lots of anime series are based on a manga collection. Any kind of anime fan would love the initial manga their favorite anime is based upon. For initial Japanese manga, you can normally discover some on ebay.com as well as at Japanese importers like JustManga and also Manga.com. For the most prominent anime series, like Inuyasha, you could find English translated manga publications at several significant book shops. Live Activity and Japanese Dramatization DVD's. Some anime and manga collection have a live action version, like Sailor Moon, that a Seafarer Moon fan would likely have an interest in. If your anime fan appears thinking about Japanese culture, then take into consideration getting them some Japanese TELEVISION drama series. There are many Japanese drama collection aimed at tweens and also teens that typically take place in school or senior high school. Examine out Nodame Cantabile, Hana Yori Dango and also Gokusen, each was based upon anime or manga series or both. Search for these series at areas like YesAsia and also on eBay. See to it to obtain the English subtitled versions. Toys. Some anime series, like Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion and others, have several playthings readily available. If you really want to get an unique present, try to obtain several of the playthings that are imported from Japan. Toys readily available include action figures, cars, packed playthings, dolls and also designs. You can find playthings for the most preferred anime series at major toy stores, yet for not so preferred collection, attempt eBay, YesAsia and also other import sites. Video clip Gamings. A lot of the most prominent anime series like Naruto, Inuyasha and Bleach likewise have actually computer game based upon them. This is a fantastic present concept given that what anime fan wouldn't wish to play a game as their favored personality? Make certain to learn just what game system they have so you could obtain a ready their particular console or handheld. Songs. Lots of anime followers end up being interested in Japanese society through anime, specifically because popular Japanese musicians and also bands are utilized on the soundtracks to the bulk of anime collection. You could obtain them the soundtrack to the collection or also a few JPOP or JROCK CD's. Collectibles & Decorative Products. There are additionally attractive products and many collectibles available for some series. Consider computer animation cells, restricted version playthings, photo albums, calendars, posters as well as even more. Locate these at YesAsia and also ebay.com. Apparel & Garments. Some anime fans enjoy dressing up as their preferred personality, this is called "cosplay". An Inuyasha fan would love a locket like the one Inuyasha puts on or a play sword like he utilizes. Language Publications or Software Application. If your anime fan has a serious rate of interest in Japanese society, after that consider getting them a book or audio understanding established to aid them learn, check out and also compose Japanese. This is an exceptional present alternative if you're having a difficult time finding gifts from their preferred anime collection. This is additionally a present you can feel excellent around, given that learning a brand-new language is a very useful skill for their future. Food. From sushi to Pocky, if your anime fan has a rate of interest in Japanese society, they may want to attempt some of the food they have actually seen consumed in animes as well as dramatization. Some tips consist of a sushi making package, Japanese candy and also periodontal, Pocky (a cracker covered with delicious chocolate), strange flavorful Japanese variations of sweet bars like KitKat and also extra. You can locate lots of kinds of Japanese sweet at AsianFoodGrocer as well as various other Japanese food import websites. Whether you require a present for Xmas, a birthday celebration or various other celebration, anime followers could be difficult to acquire for, especially if you know little concerning the globe understood as "anime". There are additionally numerous various thematic styles of anime, including those centered around robots (called mecha), enchanting anime, battling anime and so on. In order for you to select a fantastic gift for the anime fan in your life, you initially require a concept of just what anime collection or at least what kind of anime series they appreciate. Numerous anime followers end up being interested in Japanese society with anime, especially since prominent Japanese artists and also bands are used on the soundtracks to the bulk of anime collection. From sushi to Pocky, if your anime fan has a rate of interest in Japanese society, they may like to try some of the food they have seen consumed in animes and dramas For more information about animation cosplay look at our own web page. .

[vrheadsets]

The Virtual Arena: From Silver Screen to Silicon Dreams! (Pt 2)

In the second part of his feature, (click here for part one) looking at the impact that the movie business and prominent Intellectual Properties (IP) have in steering new commercial entertainment VR business. Digital Out-of-Home entertainment (DOE) industry specialist Kevin Williams charts the major develops shaping this emerging new sector. One of the technologies gaining a strong interest from the deep pockets of this sector is the untethered backpack VR experience (Arena-Scale VR). The technology seen as the perfect medium to immersive the guest in the selected movie IP like-never-before, even some investors seeing this as a natural successor for the representation of the movie experience.

One of the most promoted developers of this approach has been The VOID, championing their ‘Hyper Reality’ concept. After many twists and turns the company opted to enter the race by presenting their technology within the Ghostbusters: Dimension attraction. Sony Pictures in partnership with operator Madame Tussauds investing in a walk-through waxwork attraction with a backpack virtual reality (VR) experience in support, commissioned from The VOID. The whole experience created as part of the marketing effort for the reboot of the famous Ghostbusters franchise, with the 2016 film.

The opening of the New York venue, though critically acclaimed and reported as seeing crowds, has yet to see the proposed roll-out at other Tussauds venues; but The VOID has opened a standalone Ghostbusters: Dimension attraction at JBR’s The Beach in Dubai. With a third installation charted for their new flagship entertainment facility in Utah, Nevada, scheduled to open to the public in July.

The growth in interest in movie properties having their own backpack VR experience was evident during CinemaCon 2017. New start-up Nomadic is an immersive entertainment company creating tactile VR adventures, and promoted at the conference their backpack VR experience (Arena-Scale), aiming to occupy a 20-foot-by-30-foot space. Not only seen as “Lobby Entertainment”, but targeting the existing screening rooms (auditorium), to be appropriated as standalone entertainment offerings with their own recurring revenue stream.

Major movie IP’s that have embraced Arena-Scale VR technology have started to reveal their plans thick-and-fast over the last few months – major movie studios such as 20th Century Fox, through their theme park arm (FoxNext Destinations) revealed that they are in the process of developing a 2,000 sq.,ft., multi-player VR experience based around the Alien movie franchise. FoxNext working to develop a ‘free-roaming’ VR experience undergoing secret testing. This new development building on the work creating a free cinema pop-up 360-degree VR journey called Alien: Covenant in Utero; the promotional lobby entertainment developed by FoxNext VR Studio in partnership with AMD Radeon and DELL.

Another major movie franchise receiving VR attraction investment was revealed to be in develop in partnership between Hasbro and DMG Entertainment, (through the recently established DMG VR division). The planned Transformers Experience Center is based on the popular Transformers IP that over the last 30-years has expanded to include comic books, animated series, films, video games and consumer products, the recent film properties generating $850 million internationally. The first interactive Transformers digital simulation experience center, scheduled to open in China this summer.

The application of arena-scale VR has been charted beyond the cinema landscape, with already Zero Latency establishing a growing number of locations for their multi-player backpack VR platform. The game system complimenting family entertainment centers and karting locations. A constant iterative process the operation launching their last multi-player backpack experience called Singularity with a play duration of 30-minutes in this space station exploration narrative. While at the same time announced that they were working on eight-player simultaneous experiences – while also planning to open the largest free-roaming virtual arena in America in the Boston-area later this year, and Philadelphia in 2018.

As previously reported the Asian amusement scene has jumped into out-of-home VR applications with both feet, in Japan investment in this approach has increased and Zero Latency, saw the first commercial installation of their system through a deal with SEGA at their JOYPOLIS site. Building on this, and a new location for Arena-Scale VR experiences opened within the brand new ‘SEGA VR Area’ location – taking over the top (6th) floor of the famous Club SEGA Akihabara amusement venue in Tokyo. The venerable Japanese amusement factory the latest to dip their toe into the waters of dedicated VR based out-of-home entertainment.

The first VR installation in this new space sees SEGA partner with Korean based Skonec Entertainment installing their new Mortal Blitz For Walking Attraction – a three player, backpack VR shooting experience, (using the Pimax 4K headset), opened to the public at the end of May. This destination facility approach following the work that the other amusement powerhouse BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment achieved with their first VR Zone: Project i Can temporary installation; BANDAI announcing that they will be opening a second version of their temporary VR Park in a matter of months in the Tokyo area. (Editor’s Note: For more about this check out two recent VRFocus stories about the experiences on offer including ones based on Mario Kart, Neon Genesis Evangelion, the Gundum franchise and Dragon Ball Z.)

Underlining the interest in using VR as an audience experience akin to a movie theatre or planetarium approach, and Japan has seen the launch of the VirtuaLink. A pop-up paid entertainment experience that has multiple guests sharing a virtual space, with a specially created 360-degree 3D video. Several locations around the Tokyo area will be turned into viewing theaters accommodating some 26 special seats (Wonder Pods) – the VR experience presented on Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) Playstation VR head-mounted displays (HMDs). The concept the closest seen to being a ‘virtual-planetarium’ experience, constructed by Konica Minolta Planetarium Corporation.

From those commentators entrenched outside of the out-of-home entertainment business, we have seen some wild and contradictory statements regarding the perceived impact of this business on the application of their hopes for VR – statements ranging from if VR is confined to public spaces there is a risk of stunting the growth of the medium, too comments that state to love to see these types of themed [VR] centers popping up around the world. A level of ignorance of the DOE market revealed in superficial research of the scene.

This confused speculation, illustrates the disquiet by some as their promised consumer sector slows, in the shadow of the growth (and revenue generating) out-of-home adoption; best illustrated by the growing numbers of consumer platforms pivoting to destination application. Along with HTC, we see OSVR (The VOID, Zero Latency) and StarVR (IMAX VR) deployment in VR arcade settings; it was recently announced in Japan of the new Virtual Gate platform developed by Techno Blood; allowing VR content to be enjoyed at the countries host of Internet Cafes, the platform partnered with the once consumer facing FOVE eye-tracked HMD – already operational at 33 net cafes in the country.

The commercial entertainment industry has proven an uncomfortable enigma to many that had previously invested in a promised consumer approach to VR. To educate and promote, the Digital Out-of-Home Entertainment (DOE) sector has invested in a unique conference in September, partly supported by my consultancy (KWP) and a major exhibition organizer. Based in Las Vegas, the Future of Immersive Leisure convention will bring together operators of the latest immersive entertainment technology, as well as developers of the hardware, and investors shaping the latest developers.

This new event will be the launch-pad where several new projects will reveal their thinking behind entering the commercial entertainment against previous interest in consumer investment. It is the ability to have direct access to the revenue stream, and a believable business model that has drawn both established operations and new start-ups to the DOE business for VR. Expect reports on the build-up to this event and industry developments in following columns.

from VRFocus http://ift.tt/2rnHPqx

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: Found in Translation - Let's Take a Trip through Akiba

Akihabara, the Electric Town. Perhaps you’ve been there. After all, it is the mecca of the anime world. Japanese otaku even call it their 聖地—“Holy Land.” In Akihabara (or Akiba for short), you can find all sorts of anime-related goods proudly on display, and even young girls in maid outfits walking the streets. It’s the kind of place where you can imagine anything could happen.

    Akiba’s Trip The Animation promises to take its viewers on a trip through a fantasy version of Akiba, where vampires roam the streets and the only way to defeat them is to expose their skin to sunlight by stripping them of clothing. This sort of fantasy reimagining of the town makes complete sense for a fictional story, considering that its real-life counterpart is also larger than life. If there’s one place in the world where you can imagine anime characters coming to life, it would be Akiba.

  In today’s “Found in Translation” column, let’s go on a trip through Akiba. Not the real-life physical location—that’s Wilhelm’s specialty, not mine. Instead, let’s go on a brief trip through history and find out how Akiba became the mecca of the anime world.

  The Electric Town

  You could say the story of Akiba is a microcosm of Japan’s economic success story after World War II.  Historically, the area that is now known as Akihabara was burned to the ground during the Great Tokyo Air Raid of 1945. Funnily enough, this wasn’t even the first time the place burned down. In 1869, a fire tore through the area, creating an opportunity for the newly established Meiji government to step in and remodel the place. In fact, Akihabara gets its name from the Shinto shrine the government built to ward against flames, which the locals called “Akiba” (秋葉, literally “autumn leaves”). Right from the very beginning, Akihabara was a town that was built from the ashes.

  During the early 1900s, Akiba became a popular place for vendors, especially as Tokyo’s railways and infrastructure were developing. But Akiba didn’t become so famous among consumers until after the war, when resources were scarce and black markets thrived. As you can imagine, what people needed more than anime figurines in those days was useful electronic appliances like refrigerators and washing machines. For years, Akiba was known for precisely this sort of thing.

  How did this happen to Akiba in particular? Put it down to convenient timing and location. Akiba is situated between the Chiyoda Ward and Taito Ward, and the train station is right at its very center. Merchants selling electronic parts began to gather in this hub right from the early days of the postwar reconstruction. But what really encouraged them to set up shop in Akiba was an order from the General Headquarters in 1949 to outlaw open-air vendors. In those days, the United States was still occupying Japan, and they were attempting to regulate the markets by forcing vendors to play by their rules. Understandably furious, the merchants responded by lobbying the government. In the end they were given land on Akihabara’s station ground. At first, the merchants set up stalls around the station, and from there they gradually spread outward, until the city became what we now recognize as Akiba today.

    From Radios to Computers to Anime

  These days, the town’s reputation for electronics still holds, and outside of anime fan circles, Akiba is well known as a place for buying electronic goods. But the type of goods that Akiba specializes in has changed over the years as the consumer market in Japan has evolved.

  In the immediate postwar years, radios were all the rage. Many young tech-inclined people would build their own radios out of military parts and then sell them in black markets. This was pretty cutting-edge geek stuff in those days, and you can see in the radio nerds the prototype of the anime nerds who would one day conquer Akiba. Over the years, Akiba managed to maintain its culture of technological innovation even in the 1970s when household appliances fell into decline. When radios and fridges fell out of vogue, the young Akiba nerds latched onto a different kind of electronic technology: personal computers.

  At this point in time, personal computers were a niche product. While stores in Akihabara could not compete with the new electronics stores setting up in Tokyo’s suburbs in terms of price, they could compete by appealing to a niche and by marketing themselves for their “edginess.” The strategy worked, because by 1994, the total revenue of computer sales in Akiba exceeded that of household appliance sales. Things only escalated from there after the internet boom.

  By then, there was already some crossover between computer nerds and anime nerds, but it was only when Neon Genesis Evangelion became such a huge cultural phenomenon that the demand for anime character goods raised among the general public. It is really difficult to overstate how important Eva was in the history of Akiba and otaku culture in general. What’s particularly important to note about Eva was that it succeeded as a media mix—not only was there a television series, there were also games, pachinko machines, and all sorts of other weird merchandise. The two main specialties of Akiba—cool gizmos and anime—came together with Eva, and it has been that way ever since.

    (Note: If you’re interested in the history of otaku in general, I wrote about the subject in previous “Found in Translation” columns: 1, 2, 3.)

  Akiba as a “Cutting Edge” City

  As you can see, Akiba initially became a city of otaku subculture without any deliberate government planning. This has allowed the “cutting edge” image of Akiba to prevail in the 21st century, whether it was through the innovative electronics or the anime goods being sold there.

  Ironically, now that Akiba has become such a popular tourist destination, some Japanese anime fans choose to shun the place altogether. There are stories of tourists going “otaku-hunting” and harassing Japanese men. And if you’ve been there before, you may probably agree with me that the streets are a bit too crowded.

  Yet even though Akiba may have become mainstream in a very obvious way, it still remains “cutting edge,” perhaps because it lies on the cusp of so many different worlds. Design-wise, Akiba combines the futuristic look of an electric town with the downtown area of old Tokyo. The stores are multi-leveled, and you’ll find shops dealing in electronic parts, household appliances, computers, and niche anime goods coexisting with a peculiar kind of harmony. Akiba has had a long and diverse history, and it shows.

  All the tourism has its upsides too. The streets abound with international and domestic tourists; in fact the number of Akiba “locals” is probably relatively small. Because there are so many different types of people in town every day, Akiba never becomes stale. You’ll never know what you’ll find in a place where so many different cultures intersect.

    This brings me back to the fantastical setting of Akiba’s Trip, and why it all makes sense considering the history and influences behind Akiba culture. For all the ridiculousness of its premise, Akiba’s Trip taps into that sense of wonderment when it comes to Akiba. You might not find vampires in the real-world Akiba, but the general “mood” of the place is faithfully retained. Akiba really is like a portal to another world.

  And so, even if you can’t go to Akiba at the moment, it’s very possible to take a trip through Akiba this season. Take care, and have fun!

  ---

  Kim Morrissy is a freelance writer and translator. He writes about anime, light novels, and Japanese culture on his personal blog. You can also follow him on Twitter at @frog_kun.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com