In a brilliant attempt to circumvent me running out of steam doing a day-by-day recount of my trip, this time, I’ll be writing just one post featuring only the juicy bits – Akihabara, Comiket (doujins) and more!
I’ll organize this post by sections that go in chronological order. At the end of the recount, will be a section that is dedicated to all the acquisitions that I got during my trip.
Without further ado, here we go!
(Warning! Image intensive and somewhat NSFW. Also, the changing aspect ratio of the pictures is due to the fact that a number of them were taken with different cameras.)
I can’t believe it. It’s like I’m still in a dream.
A couple of months back, at the recommendation of my teacher, I took part in the annual Japanese Speech Contest that’s organized, supported and sponsored by some of the most distinguished and renowned companies and organizations.
After two months of hard work and instruction by my dedicated teachers, I am glad to say that I have managed to come away from the Grand Finals with the top prize in the tertiary category this past weekend. One of the prizes is a trip to Japan and home stay in Shizuoka which I will be going for at the end of the year. In addition to that, I shall be extending my stay for about a week.
Once again, I really do have to thank the wonderful teachers from the National University of Singapore’s Center of Language Studies for all their guidance and support. I would definitely have not been able to achieve this without their help. Personally though, it’s not the prize that makes me happy, but the fact that I was able to do my teachers and parents proud gives me the greatest satisfaction.
…and with that, I wonder where I should go this time round. One thing’s for sure. Considering the fact that my speech was essentially a thank you letter to anime for playing an integral part in my life, Akihabara will be undoubtedly be a priority on my itinerary.
With my opinions on the movie already covered in the previous post, it is time to chronicle my experiences at the movie premiere itself! Get ready to relive an epic tale of tragedy and triumph!
Alrighty. I just had the honor of being one of the first in the world to watch the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 2nd A’s and here are my initial impressions on it.. I’m actually writing this in a Starbucks outlet just next to the movie theater and my thoughts are all over the place. So I apologize for the not-in-order point form writing in the ‘impressions’ part. (Yeah, it took awhile to get this on to the net… internet access here is not that readily available to a foreigner…)
As always, THERE ARE SPOILERS! While the main plot remains practically the same, there were quite significant changes made to the events. So, if you don’t mind spoilers, do feel free to read on. (^.^)
Update 1: Proofread the post and updated some of the points.
Update 2: More fine-tuning, expanded and clarified some points, added a couple of design comparison pictures and everything is now in chronological order.
Yup, as of writing this, it’s 9:45pm and I have arrived in Japan. Well, more accurately, I arrived more than 12 hours ago. Gonna keep this post short and sweet because I’m dead tired.
If you are an Otaku, other than Akihabara, chances are you’ve probably heard of Nakano Broadway, home of Mandarake. For those of you who don’t know, Mandarake has a whole series of shops with each one dealing with a different type of good. These shops have a ton of second hand stuff that one can usually find terrific treasures at amazing prices. Usually, the ‘opened/used before’ item will yield a lower price. Of course, there were other dealers there selling their wares.
The Singapore equivalent of Nakano Broadway would be China Square Central, just about 7459235326 times more awesome. Or was it 7459235327 times?
Evidently, someone has applied a photoshop makeover to one of the pictures I took at Comiket 77 of this Remilia Cosplayer. Well, that’s the internet for you. Don’t know whether it is an honor or an insult. At least they could have left the watermark. (^.^;)
Next stop on my Lucky Star pilgrimage is Kasukabe where Kyoei/Kyouei High School, the real-life high school that Lucky Star’s Ryōō High School is based on, is located!
Saying that it was a surreal experience being at the school would be an understatement. I really wonder how the school would be like during regular school days. Since it was the New Year, everyone was off on their holidays. I guess that this was all for the best. Didn’t want any awkward stares. However, according to numerous sources, the town should be pretty used to that by now. (^.^;)
In this installment of Actar’s Road Trips, follow me on my Lucky Star pilgrimage as I travel to Saitama, home of Lucky Star! To usher in the New Year, our first stop is none other than the shrine where Hiiragi sisters work at as Mikos, Washinomiya Shrine!
Disclaimer: It is not my intention to offend any person or religion with this video. This video is meant to introduce the wonders of Japanese Culture and Tradition to others. Comparing the Anime scenes to the real-life counterparts shows how accurately Japanese Anime is able to portray and convey one’s culture to others. As with any religion, I understand and honor the traditions and rules and abide by them respectfully.
Posted by Actar 
Actar's Otaku Life 