In the great tradition of silly box anime performances, this Initial D video is amazing. Brilliant and funny. These guys are for real!

Technorati Tags: anime, box, cars, drift, Gundam, gunma, Initial D, run

The basics of the show I’m sure are widely known and not really worth mentioning. I watched it in broadcast order (“Kyon Order”) and thoroughly enjoyed the series. I think みくる (Mikuru) is a manifestation of 80-90′s cyberpunk future アニメ characters. ナガト (Nagato) is pretty much レイ (Rei) from Evangelion. I could totally relate to Kyon, but what red-blooded man wouldn’t? I laughed, I cried, and a good time was had by all.

Then I thought about it. It has really be 5 whole years since I saw any アニメ at all. Well, stray 宮崎 (Miyazaki) films aside. Oh, and starring in that one. But really, I used to watch tons of it in high school and college. Once I moved to Japan, I watched Initial D because I lived in 群馬 (Gunma). But soon enough, I stopped watching it all together. Why would I stop watching アニメ once getting to Japan?! Seems counter-intuitive.

But really, it makes perfect sense. My group of friends changed. I had friends in the states who enjoyed アニメ, and after watching something, I had people I could talk to about it. When I moved to Japan, my friends were more interested in sports and cars and music and alcohol… It wasn’t really your アニメ watching crowd. So even if I did watch something, no one could relate.

Now that I’m back in America, I have started reconnecting with old friends. But more than that, I’ve become a huge ニコニコ動画 (NicoNicoDouga) fan. It’s different than being an アニメ fan, since ニコニコ動画 already has people who you can talk to about the videos built in and in real time. And also, those people are the kind of people who watch アニメ.

So, I am back in the community. Next series I will be watching is らき☆すた (“Luck Star”).

Just have to keep my mouth shut about アニメ when talking to the wife! Wish me luck.

Technorati Tags: anime, おたく, アニメ, キョン, ニコニコ動画, ハルヒ, ヲタク, coming of age, community, gunma, life, NicoDou, NicoNicoDouga, otaku, reflections, wife, 涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKEdqFLrENs

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNelOp6-tio

There must be something in the air… Burning rubber?! Luka and DaRC are out at 日光 (Nikko) Circuit interviewing people out for a drift tournament. It’s pretty much 10 minutes of awesome cars. You can watch the second video if you just want to see cars being awesome without the interviews, but I really liked the part where they ask people about what kind of upgrades they’ve done.

Let’s roll!

Don’t forget all the other eps. of Shin Yamato Damacy: Ep. 1, Ep. 2, Ep. 2.5, The Mountain, Ep. 3

Technorati Tags: 180sx, AE86, しげのエフェクト, カローラ, スカイライン, スープラ, ソアラ, ドリフト, マークII, ラーメン, ローレル, blogs, C34, cars, Corolla, 群馬, DaRC, Dr. Luka, drift, drifting, DrLuka7, 頭文字D, FC3S, gaijin, gunma, Initial D, interview, JDM, Laurel, Luka, Mark 2, Nikko Circuit, R32, R33, R34, racing, Ramen, S13, S14, S15, shin yamato damacy, Silvia, Skyline, Soarer, SR20, Supra, tochigi, Turbo, video, vlogging, Zip ties, 日光サーキット. シルビア, 栃木

www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4_Cr078sX8

The opening movie for 頭文字D ARCADE STAGE 5 is up on NicoDou. I love Initial D, but another arcade game doesn’t get me super excited… But the opening movie has a sweet manga effect (called the しげのエフェクト in the tags) that you have to watch this video for. I bet it is somewhat inspired by the Street Fighter IV effect, but I really hope that it is actually in the game.

Technorati Tags: しげのエフェクト, cars, 群馬, drift, drifting, 頭文字D, gunma, Initial D, manga, manga effect, racing, sega, video games

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k2Hhkbdx_g

Japanese Version:

Speaking of Luka, looks like I totally missed the upload of a brand new production of Shin Yamato Damacy! “The Mountain” is a search for gold atop… The Mountain. That’s the name! Really, my guess is that it is filmed on 妙義山 (Myogi-san), which really is the scariest mountain EVAR. Yes, it is also a famous ハシリヤ course, but the hiking is also freaking epic. This is the only mountain I’ve ever climbed that gave me nightmares.

Anyway, there a really awesome tie-in to something else in here, but I won’t ruin it for you. Check it out! There is also a Japanese Dub on both ニコ動 and YouTube.

Technorati Tags: ザ・山, blogs, drift, friends, gaijin, gunma, hiking, Mt. Myogi, racing, shin yamato damacy, The Mountain, video, vlogging, 外人, 妙義山

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuD3VdSID-4

This was always my dream when I would go race around the 峠 (touge) of 榛名山 (Haruna-san)… that someday, an ojisan in a 軽トラック (kei torakku) would come drifting around the corner.

And it wolud look just like this:

[via Japan Probe]

Technorati Tags: ドリフト, cars, drift, 軽トラ, gunma, IKZO, Initial D, music, NicoNicoDouga, nicovideo, ojisan truck, racing, trucks

I hope she wasn't inspired by the colors of autumn...

Well, a 14-year old girl living in 東吾妻 got arrested for setting fire to her house. Wow. Apparently she needed an anger release. Very glad to hear no one was hurt in the incident. Sad to hear the house was burnt down. Funny thing is, I betcha I know the girl’s English teacher!

Anyway, I don’t normally like to post about JP crimes since it gives a skewed view that Japanese people are crazy. But I’m making an exception because I love hearing about my old digs… even if it is about the local teenage arsonist… @.@;

Technorati Tags: arson, 群馬, fire, girls, gunma, higashi-agatsuma, Japanese girls, odd, teen angst, teenagers, wtf, 東吾妻

The only problem? She is the Minister of Birth Rate Decline. The official “Special Missions” (特命) that she is in charge of are counter plans for birth rate decline and gender equality.

Lisa over at TokyoMango pointed out:

The job title “minister of declining birth” is kind of horrendous—it takes a lot of power out of her hands already by defining what her role as the person in charge of gender is. Women don’t get to choose their path in life, they just need to have more babies. That’s kinda how that title resonates with me.

Now, Yuko Obuchi is married and has a 1 year old boy. My guess is that appointing her is a 作戦 (sakusen) to show women can have children and hold careers as well.

I don’t think that directly translates to struggling middle class folk, not to mention, there really seems to be more issues with the declining birth rate than just the traditional “career” vs. “family” argument.

In any case, I wish her all the luck in her position and with her tasks. Oh, and by the way, maybe one way to combat the declining birth rate is to make immigration easier. I’m just saying.

Technorati Tags: children, girls, government, gunma, society, Yuko Obuchi, 小渕優子

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgmX5-hANbA

Go see the first part of this Blind Date episode if you haven’t already.

This episode it a little long, but totally worth it. I remember using pen and paper a lot to when my wife and I first started going out. なつかしい！

Luka’s style really comes out in this video. Luka is way better at letting things happen and filming it. I was more of a gonzo journalist. So I could have never made an episode like this.

Not to mention that sound effect. Whenever I hear that sound effect, I think of Luka. If you don’t know what I’m taking about, go see The Legend of Ultraman or Vanity Project 2.

Excellent episode. I can’t wait to see what’s next for SYD!

Technorati Tags: friends, gaijin, girls, gunma, Japanese girls, shin yamato damacy, video

Anyway (*sniff*), the following clip is about this place in my old digs, 群馬県 (Gunma-ken) in 嬬恋村 (Tsumagoi-mura, literally “Wife (Mistress?) Love Village”) where you can stand on a platform in a cabbage field (Gunma is known for growning cabbage) and yell out your love for your wife. In the video, they call it キャベツ畑の中心で、愛をさけぶ, or Crying Out Love, In the Center of the Cabbage Field.

I thought this was cute. The couple featured is a little odd… but I totally dig it. The 80-something year old was the cutest by far.

This seems to be a popular thing for Japanese guys… they won’t say 愛している (aishiteiru) or 好き (suki) on a daily basis, but will yell it out at certain special moments… or at least, the dramas have me believe such.

Technorati Tags: cabbage, gunma, inaka, love, marriage, society, video