Mappy

Hi all, I found out more about Aa! Megamisama and it's starting next month: http://www.tbs.co.jp/megamisama/ although it's on a Thursday at an ungodly hour in the first instance (repeated on Sunday) and I have work I just know I'm going to have to get up to see this!

Fraid I don't know any sites but the building next to Akihabara station where K-Books is has a shop on the second floor that sells BB guns and Idol cards. If you ask someone over here nicely then they might get something for you. mata na, mappy

I'll be going NYO NYO NYO all over NHK when that happens

Got him. At long last, I've got him... Had it not been for "Moe" and her friends at the Pina Fore Cafe http://pinafore.jp/ You may have converted me. It was a close shave for the head of the CGC. Once you get mecha in your soul, its far, far too late, Mappy... (for observers - Mappy and me have different tastes in anime; hes for cat-girls and other devestating amounts of cute, whereas I'm for Peace and Justice as expressed by giant robots... ) There's an exception to every rule, my son, you're now talking to him. Yes, I am very much on the darkside as my Hello Kitty collection shall become legendary in Japan when the TV crew gets to my new apartment (just moved in.) Jcat (the one married to the beautiful cosplay the B'RD) always seems to call F Zero One "Justice san" as he misunderstood Justin. It's an unfortunate mistake which for some reason he's not correcting. mata nya, mappy

Had I not liked Belldandy so much I would be with you on this.

Got him. At long last, I've got him... Had it not been for "Moe" and her friends at the Pina Fore Cafe http://pinafore.jp/ You may have converted me. It was a close shave for the head of the CGC.

Thats for the life-size Belldandy doll, isn't it, Mappy? Nobody told me about a life size Belldandy, I am hoping for a dakimakura tho... . . . >_> . . . . . . >_> . . .

I heard it as a rumour earlier this year but yes, there does seem to be something in the pipework and I'm well happy the original cast is in it People at Gamers said that merchandise for the new series will start being released sometime this month or next so there goes the next months wages.

One of my favourate series that I am pleased to have learned is being continued. Anyone know where I can find information on release dates and stuff?

Don't forget, it gives us something to moan about. Being a grumpy old fart is in our genes. After hearing that the Bandai museum has a massive robot in it, I'm very tempted to go overdrawn just to see it!

Woohoo, we had a nice big one last Friday/Saturday and it was well fun Now I need an earthquake and I've got the set

Want help keeping awake? Well, Tokyo is hit by devestating natural disasters or fires so often (on a geological timescale) that the residents used to call them "flowers of Edo". The Great Kanto Earthquake in the 1920s pretty much flattened the entire city. They get one like every 80 years or so. Yes, that means they're rather overdue... One geologist has called Tokyo "the city waiting to die"...! And thats of course forgetting the rogue ESP experiments, cross-dimensional tears in space/time, military prototypes going berserk, cat-girl invasions, mecha invasions, demon beast invasions, and, of course, the English... I was wondering when you'd turn up with your ever so bright outlook on life If I'm going to die then I'd rather die here than in Reading though I would like to see high winds the challenge that of what we get in England as that would be impressive though sadly, the next typhoon that's coming will (once again) be passing over Tokyo during the evening so I get a lot of rain and mopeyness but not desaster. IT'S JUST NOT ENGLISH! And there's no use looking at the news as Japan has a serious shortage of crime and there's very little to report on. Though it is a refreashing change to walk through the back streets of a city and not get mugged like in Reading >_>

but this has nothing to do with that. I'm annoyed. I just learned that to date I've slept through 2 earthquakes and 1 typhoon! I'm English, I want my doom and gloom

Just wondering who's currently in Japan and who's coming?

I wish I had the money to get one. I've been brain washed by the adverts every other commercial break into wanting one.

It's now become a regular haunt of mine. And there's an izakaya down a back street litterally around the corner that I found where I am now famous for my rendition of Hotel California! Mappy - thats it, you've finally fried my brain! What do you mean finally?! all that fanboi stuff I subjected to you in 2003 should have been more than enough! (Note: CoM have stronger will power than previously expected. Send for more catgirls.)

It's now become a regular haunt of mine. And there's an izakaya down a back street litterally around the corner that I found where I am now famous for my rendition of Hotel California!

My apologies if I panicked anyone - Japans reputation for being expensive is probably a result of thes 80s boom years. I was trying to imply that its not exactly "cheap" as people usually define the word, but it doesn't have to be very expensive either - especially if you cultivate contacts over there, as Mappy has done, and who very generously allowed me to take advantage of the hospitality they gave him. Mappy - sorry to disappoint you, but there already are specialised tours. Of course, if you need some advice on how to get into the back offices of the Studio Ghibli Museum, I'm your man (you'll need a limited edition Kiki portrait and a dodgy credit card, though...!). Still, a specialist mecha fan tour... hmm... ("...and this is Tokyo Tower, destroyed in Mecha Death Gun Machines I, II, II + and Zeta... ") As for presentations, all I can say is... "CHEERI-O!" (sorry, everyone - very private joke shared between me, Mappy, a nice American exchange student and a class of Japanese schoolgirls... ) Knowing some Japanese can be a great help - its not strictly speaking necessary, I've done Japan twice without being able to speak a word - but having certain people around who can is a big help, even if they insist on involving you in the great Hello! Kitty conspiracy... Fair enough on the specialised tours, I'm happy with my Panda Z Gacha Gacha pon set so ner to you F Zero One! Speaking of Tokyo tower tho, I went there the other week and found that they were selling swords there (blunt but look very good O_o;) Now that my bounty hunter costume is finished, I need one of these swords. And as for the presentation thing, I'm pleased to say that I'm spreading the "English" style already. The Sawanoya Ryokan has 2 kids and I've taught them to give the thumbs up like the kraggies! My former Japanese teacher is also going to try to arrange for me to visit her old private high school (all girls) to talk native English to them. I plan to go to several schools to do this but I hope there won't be another "Cheerio" incident. During the question and answer part of FZO and I's visit to a high school in Miyagi ken, we got grilled on our love life by a total of 80 cheeky school girls and a few boys (English is apparently not a boy's subject.) We were asked "What do you think of Japanese girls?" and FZO just said "This is your question I believe" and I made the mistake of saying "They're (in my humble opinion) the most beautiful in the world" not noticing this American exchange student sitting at the back. How was I supposed to know she was there! I go to a Japanese high school, I don't expect to find any foreigners actually studying in a Japanese high school but I was caught out. Going back to Miyagi ken later this year to visit another school. mata na, Mappy

First to reply to Space Priate Neko, couldn't have put it better myself. Get over here and then worry because you'll soon realise people who've never been here talk a lot of bollocks. To Peter, sure thing, just give me a shout next time you're here.

Ok, now that F-Zero one has everyone panicing, let me point out, I'm living here. If you want to come to visit then it's a damn site cheaper! I worked out that you can come here for 10 days on a budget of 1000 pounds sterling (including flights, accommodation and food but not anime spending.) This is if your flying out of England through my mate's travel agent and staying at the recommended ryokan. The president of this company (and an aquaintance) owns a travel agency. Being a piking job master, I've suggested I help with the travel agency since I've been all over Japan and I've got contacts all over the shop in the travel industry. He sounded quite interested and told me to get a presentation together that I can pitch to the staff and the head of the travel agency. I can hear F-Zero One laughing like a maniac right now as he knows how bad I am at presentations, but if I can get this then I'm going to set up anime tours for anime fans. Will have to make specialised "Mecha fan" and "Fanboi" tours. Edit: white drew carey: you don't know the half of it. Mappy has an extraordinary ability to get to know nice girls like this... F-Zero One: You know it took me several (very shameless) years to acquire that skill! It's the only one I have which is of any vague use and I'm bloody well going to use it! If you can speak basic Japanese you can get out of the big cities, away from the high prices and go to some village in the mountains and chill out with the locals. I'm planning to do that for a weekend in a couple of months. When I have the money and the time off...

It's is expensive (400 quid a month) but I've finally got a job that will pay enough to cover that and my anime.

Also want to point you to this message: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...ST&f=26&t=11062 mata na, Mappy

Hi there, Not got net at home yet so sorry for the late reply everyone. rikiryou: She has a lovely personality as well, ask F Zero One. The food there is ok but you don't get much as it's a cafe and not a restaurant. FZeroOne: I did tell you but only after you got back. When you say "Getting along with" does that include gratuous amounts of slobbering? As there was plenty of that. And she didn't tell me she was in a bikini as I have another male friend to testify, she only sent me a message on my phone asking me to go there as she had a bag of Hello Kitty stuff waiting for me Monkey-N: Likewise if and when you come up to Tokyo. Send me a PM and I'll give you my telephone number. Wabbit: They're everywhere over here and it's rather hot weather so the skirts are disrespectfully short. EXO: I'll get on the case. Went to Harajuku a week yesterday in my bounty hunter costume and got photoed but also swcoped out the talent. A lot of gothic lolita costumes but some "Normal" ones that would apply to the thread. I had 4 hours sleep last night and now I've got another 7 hours of work to do so I'll sod off for a bit. Mappy

Hi everyone, Ok, I got over here at last and now I'm working my knackers off in Shinjuku to earn enough money to buy all the anime stuff I have my eyes on! Anyway, this place: http://www.ro-bo-ta.com/ I went there with an English friend I was with 2 weeks ago as my mate Karin: http://www.ro-bo-ta.com/page002.html (on the left) http://drabbit.fem.jp told me she was working there. She is a fanboi in disguise and I am not going to mention the doujin she draws. No, she didn't warn me that she was working in a bikini and I don't like to be distracted from my food so it was uncomfortable eating. HOWEVER, I would like to ask "What happened to the old Church of Mecha conservatism?" The cafe was fekking heaving with mecha fans (and they were the sterotypical Japanese mecha fans, just looking at them could tell you they knew every staff member of every mecha anime ever made.) It was like the Cure Maid Cafe (http://www.curemaid.jp) only the blokes didn't bother bringing their girlfriends and they were playing some sort of anime projected on the wall (which was a nice touch.) Oh, and there was a shead load of mecha models everywhere. When I say everywhere, I mean all up the walls, in the corners, everywhere! The owner of the shop looked like he actually bought them all! Mata na, Mappy

If those things had a heads up display inside the massive head, then they'd be cool. Otherwise, they're just going to give me nightmares...