Hi Aurelie, Sorry it has been so long since our last correspondence. I became enraptured with work. Have have you been? Any update minor or major to report?
Hey hi, sorry for such late reply. But lol nice to meet you, I guess it's fate that you keep on ended up on my profile then :) Nice to meet you btw Ushio-chan ^^
I know, I'm trying to finish Usagi drop, but sadly, I'm so busy these days >_> lol
Sakasama no Patena does look interesting. Also, it's made by the guy who made Pale Cocoon! I think Pale Cocoon was part of why I ran into you in the first place.
Yeah, I know a guy (over the internet, via programming) who identifies as a girl and wears dresses to work, but he got married and had kids after that point, and named a kid Kyon after Haruhi.
Ironically, his code is much more "normal" than mine.
I liked Spice and Wolf a lot. Medieval economics and romance with a magic wolf girl wouldn't have seemed like a good setting before I started watching anime, but now I know better. I also liked Maoyuu Maou Yuusha which is also sort of about medieval economics and romance but very different.
Recently, I've seen...Attack on Titan, and some other stuff that wasn't that good. I was waiting for the season to end before watching stuff, and then I was busy...
Heyy Aurelie! So glad to hear from you :) Don't worry about it, just reply whenever you have time :)
Ohh well I don't know about my english. My father is english, so I suppose that also has influence on me. Still, it's true that even many spanish speaking people here make many mistakes in their own native language, something which I find extremely weird. It's especially strange because, as I told you, I usually speak Basque with my friends and family, so I had to learn spanish at school, and it took me a lot of effort. Fortunately, once I started reading novels and such my spanish improved a lot and once I started high school I was pretty natural at it. What I mean is that I know many people who just speak spanish and still make so many mistakes...and me, and some of my friends, who have it as our second language, don't make those mistakes. It's weird.
As for English, I've mainly learnt a lot by reading, watching TV series, and writing in forums :) As for Basque, yeah, I guess it can seem weird to an outsider, haha. No worries, there're many people here in the basque country who only know spanish and they manage okay so I guess there really isn't a need to learn it. I suppose there aren't many speakers, mainly because the spanish government is quite strict and they only want us to speak spanish. It's quite sad, because I believe that we should encourage people who live here to learn basque, even if not many people speak it. it's not just the language, though, we have our own culture, such as dances, cuisine, history... so many of us feel independent from spain because of that. There're many basque people in the USA, you know?? Those who left Spain during the Civil War. There're what we call "Euskal Etxeak", Basque Houses, where basque people gather and organize activities. I think there's one in NYC :)
Wow NYC sounds so cool!! I just keep telling my mum that I want to go there but she always ignores me... I'll try to go next summer, definitely!!
Oh yeaaah I watched Breaking Bad!! Actually, I caught up after only 2 weeks, hehe, and I've also watched the final episode and woww such a masterpiece!! It's curious how sometimes I'd hate Skyler and Walt, and other times I'd feel pity for them... I kind of expected that ending, you know?? I mean, the second half of the season had so many hints... I get it, the length of some anime can be intimidating, and I'm also put off by it usually, but well, sometimes I surprise myself. I'm glad you're liking FMAB!! And Game of Thrones, too :) I've never read an audiobook but they seem pretty handy, especially if you move around a lot.
School's been fine, I guess. I've started my last year of high school and it's pretty stressful, to be honest, though I've managed to organize all the work. I'm actually seriously considering studying biochemistry next year since I'm really enjoying biology at school :) or otherwise biotechnology. I don't really know the differences... Are you still doing biochemistry??
As for starting an anime club, I still find it difficult since there're no clubs whatsoever in our school. All we do is attend classes, and then go back home at 2:30 pm. I also rarely talk about anime with anyone, it's sad... I've managed to talk some of my friends into watching anime, though, so I don't feel that lonely.
Yeaah I'm doing piano now and I'm quite happy. I'm going to go to a festival in october so we're preparing a song for that. I'm also doing accordion so I'm quite busy, I guess. I love music, though, so it's okay :) I wanted to learn some german too, but I thought it'd be too much...I guess it has been taking me time from anime, but I usually watch series at night, after I've done all my work, so I always get some time. I've been watching Attack on Titan, and wow, it's so amazing!
Oh well, I think I'm going to watch a movie now. I see I've written a lot again. Ahh I just can't shut up, hahaha. Don't worry if you can't reply right away, though I'll be looking forward to it :)
I am so sorry to have neglected our conversation. I have been terribly busy here in Korea. Well, I suppose an update is in order. My day-to-day schedule is quite busy with work, so my anime time has been cut considerably. I can still marathon through on the weekends though, if I don't go to Seoul! Haha.
Currently, I am living in this little kick ass city called Gangneung-si ("-si", is a designation for city, so really it's just called Gangneung). The population is about 280,000, so it's pretty big, but not huge, like Seoul, 12 million...o_O
This city is known for a few things, like the beautiful beaches, the lake, hiking, dak galbi (a seriously delicious dish made from chicken and gochujang and other yummy stuff, all cooked on a flat top griddle, tableside), and more recently coffee. Right now, there is a Coffee Festival going on here. I want twice already. I am poor now... T_T
On the anime tip, I recently finished most of the stuff I started last season, SILVER SPOON, WATAMOTE, and C3. WATAMOTE and C3 turned out to be kind of duds, but SILVER SPOON was totally great. A lot of cool food stuff and honest laughs. Not too over the top with any of the stuff too. Oh, and I finished ATTACK ON TITAN! Man, that show... It was so great and then got awful, like I almost quit, then got so effing amazing again. I don't know. It got picked up for a second series so, I hope it continues to be good. I am waiting for RAILGUN S2 because I love that series so bloody much. Have you seen any of the RAILDEX series? It is like two concurrent series that cross over and share characters. It is really good, and has a huge following. I highly recommend it.
Anyway, I am pretty surprised that CHIHAYAFURU did not stick. I really, really enjoyed it. Sure, it was not super fast or unpredictable, but it had so much heart and character. I really liked the art style too.
KEMONO? Huh? I have heard of that one, I will check it out. Freaking Korean internet is 100 mb/s. Love that.
So how is school going? Still in NYC, right? Cooking much?
I really miss not being able to watch as much anime, but I guess being busy with work is healthier, and more fulfilling. Still though...right???
As for this season of anime KYOUKAI NO KANATA is my first pick so far. I will try to watch three, but who know which other two are even any good. I will wait to see what the Internet tells me. KYOUKAI is pretty good so far, one episode. It is animated by KA, Kyoto Animation, who are my favorite animators to date. They have really grown into a distinct style that is so buttery smooth and beautiful, there is no comparison. Check them out on MAL, I am sure you have seen some of their handiwork.
Ah, School Food Punishment. That's the favorite band of that guy who named his kid Kyon. Hmm, what would that be? Something pop-ish but with more melodic sophistication, with guitar with effects?
As far as Japanese stuff goes, Shiina Ringo / Tokyo Jihen comes to mind, but that's definitely different. I don't have a big list of bands that are really close to SFP.
I'd have to know what games you've liked to recommend something, but some of my favorites are:
platformers -> N, braid
puzzle -> zen bound 2
roguelike -> dungeon crawl stone soup
I wanted to give you a heads up on an anime I just started. It's called CHIHAYAFURU. I think you would dig it. It is about a card game called "Karuta", basically the first half of a poem is called out and the first player to touch the card with the corresponding second half of the poem gets the card. Admittedly, I am only on the second episode but it is really good so far. It is pretty lighthearted, but does take place in a High School. Essentially, the pretty girl is socially inept and wants to be Japan's best Karuta player. Anyways, I thought it may deserve to be a ping on your RADAR.
Hello!! I'm glad that you've had fun in this last month :) You need to get some fun while you can. In the end I haven't gone to Paris, sadly. We've decided to leave it for another time... but when that time will come, that I don't know. It was mainly because I decided I'd rather go to a summer camp in Barcelona. I've never been to a summer camp before and two of my friends are going abroad for 3-4 weeks, so I was really envious... In the end I'll go for a week at the end of July. I really like Barcelona and many international students go to this camp, so I can practice my English, haha. Right now I'm in London, as a matter of fact, visiting my family. I hope to go shopping tomorrow or so, cause there're sales right now... I hope I can get something! The weather's awful, though...
It's curious, because I've always wanted to go to Paris, even though I don't know that much about it. Obviously, I know the famous landmarks and what's typical over there, but not enough to want to go there like crazy. For instance, I've always wanted to go to New York... that's where you live right?? Haha. My mom had promised me to take me there a few years ago, though the promise wasn't fulfilled... I'll probably stay with a family next summer, just like my friend is doing now. Ah, I wish I could have done that this summer! I can't wait to go there. In what area do you live??? Ahh I'm just so interested!! Is it really as busy as it looks in the movies?? With that many foreigners??
Hum, yes, I guess that once you get hooked on anime, you kind of think Japan has to be exactly like it. I don't really buy that. I guess I want to see what the real japanese world is like, what the anime has concealed to us... I mainly want to go there to eat and talk in japanese, though, haha. I hope I can go there when I'm in college, or later on...
I often have high expectations on most of the things... and I really don't like how I end up utterly disappointed. That happened to me when I visited Madrid, for instance... I've only been there once, though, and I only went to the Titanic museum, haha, so I suppose it's not really okay for me to judge the whole city. Still, many people I know feel that Madrid is overrated...
I still haven't started watching any American series... I've been finishing this anime called Gintama which had 265 episodes... I only finished it last week and now I'm just watching a short anime. Yes, I've heard of Dexter, too. I'll probably start with Breaking Bad, though. It was actually when I grew tired of American series that I started watching anime. I was chatting with an online friend about how I was bored, and she just started talking about these "cartoons". I was so suspicious at first! I found out later on that anime is a completely different world. The plot's are so different, for instance. I don't think it's a matter of being an anime, it's just that I prefer their stories over the American ones. If they had anime-like stories on TV, I'd watch them gladly.
I've only read the first three books of Game of Thrones. Personally, I find the books a bit tiring, because they're really long and rather slow. I usually prefer the books over the movies, though, so it might just be that this series doesn't grab my interest as much as others do. The series is more light-hearted, it doesn't show that much blood, violence or sex, and it's easier to follow. I suggest you read the first book, though, because it'll help you get to know the characters, which are a lot, and watch the first season of the series then. You can decide whether you want to keep reading the second one afterwards. If you really liked it, I suggest you read the rest of the books, but as I said, it can be tiring if you aren't hooked on it. Plot-wise, some important things are changed, mainly in the last season... but overall, the series is quite faithful.
I did watch the second movie of Ghost in the Shell :) I liked it much more! I'll probably watch the series someday, though not right away. I like changing a bit, like this I get to enjoy everything more. By the way, I think you've watched Evangelion, right?? I've just realized that there're movies too... I've watched the movies that follow the series (both of them), but there're four others... Are they all new, or are they the same as the series, but in movies??? Just wondering...
Hum... I guess you could say I have a friend who watched anime, though she only watched it if I drag her to my house and watch one of my favorite anime together. She enjoys it, but doesn't love it as much as I do. We have different tastes too, so that might have something to do with it. We usually meet every weekend and watch 5-6 episodes. We watched Monster once, 72 episodes, and it took us 3 months altogether. I was so happy she didn't mind waiting a whole week to watch the next episodes!
I finished the piano classes last week and I'm really enjoying it. I love music and when I play an instrument, I feel at ease. Yes, playing the accordion has helped quite a lot, mainly when it comes to reading the sheet music. They both use the same system, too. As a matter of fact, the main reason why I started playing the piano a few years ago by myself was so that I could learn the openings of some anime, hahahaha. I didn't tell that to my teacher, though :) I think I actually prefer the piano than the accordion, but that might be because the piano teacher is much nicer and patient.
No, Basque is completely different to Spanish, unlike Catalan. It existed before the time of the romans, so the grammar is completely different. Most foreigners say the verbs are impossible to learn, because we have so many different cases! Besides, we have many dialects. In Spain it's considered a co-official language, and there're also Basque people in France, next to the border with Spain. It's a bit sad because the Spanish people always force us to speak in Spanish so many people my age just stop speaking in Basque. It's our culture, so I don't find that fair. I get it that we need to learn Spanish, cause it's much more useful, but still... When I was a kid, I didn't know any Spanish, only Basque, and I remember when I had to start learning Spanish... I hated it, cause I couldn't understand a thing. My father's english, so I learnt English before Spanish. Anyway, I kept mixing all the three languages, haha. In Seconday School, though, I learnt it fast and now I'm completely fluent. Nobody knows where Basque comes from, it's supposed to be really old... We and Japanese people have some sort of connection, says my mother (she's a Basque teacher), and a few months ago a linguistic actually said we have some things in common... I'd say it's mainly the word order, though. For instance, "Kouen ni otoko no ko ga imasu" (there's a boy at the park), would be traslated to "parkean mutil bat dago" (at the park, boy, one, there is). I don't know whether I'm making much sense, haha.
I'm about to finish one online course... and I've bought another book here in London. I also found a dorayaki at the same shop (I used to love Doraemon's haha)
In Spain clubs really don't exist, we only go to school for classes, nothing else. Maybe in college... Haha, I wish I could create one, but I don't know...
Ah, this summer's being wonderful. I haven't really done anything in June, just watch anime, go to the beach, and self-study a few things. I can't even imagine myself going to school in September... thank God there's still time left!
Oh well, I'll be leaving now. I have this tendency of talking and talking, I can't seem to stop haha.
By the way, you can call me Sara :) That's my real name.
No ... I sort of wanted to design something with lithium because that's the popular thing, but liquid sodium just seems better.
If you have a lot of debt, you can get stuff you own repossessed, and money taken directly out of your paychecks.
Huh, I didn't even realize Shinsekai Yori was based on Brave New World.
"
A few weeks ago I re-watched Haibane Renmai with a friend, and it reminded me of the art style in So Ra No Wo To and that you suggested it to me. The best thing about that show is how happy and lighthearted it is. It's the perfect combination with Shinsekai Yori, since that show is so damn dark and disturbing. I like rotating anime like that.
"
Let me know what you think of the ending.
Ryvius is good, but it's not very cheerful.
People keep telling me to watch it, so I watched some Attack on Titan.
Hmm, haven't seen anything too special lately. Nodame Cantabile and Tatami Galaxy are still good.
I will write this right now because I probably will not have time later.
ATTACK ON TITAN is insanely good. I foolishly decided to go with Commie and they are freaking slow. GG gets theirs done so much faster but I am full of eccentricities and abandoning Commie at this point would be heretical. I feel the show (currently at episode 13) has kind of been grinding. "The Battle of Trost" seemed to have gone on forever and the story kind of Dragon Ball Z'd itself. LOL. Shoulder pat if you get this reference (hint it means there is a lot of screaming and yelling, but nothing happens to really move the plot forward, Frieza: GOOOOOKKKKKKUUUUUUU!!!! AHHHHH!!!!)
I would be inclined to agree with you on your opinions of KOTONOHA NO NIWA. Everything about it was done perfectly, aesthetically. The camera work was beautiful, the script was awesome, I learned what a tanka is, just too much good stuff. But I also thought the end was a bit weird. They just starting jumping in time too fast. I wanted to see their personal relationship grow beyond eating and foot fetishes. I also wanted to see society's reaction to their age difference 14 years or something. Eesh.
SORA NO WOTO is very good. I really enjoy anime like that. Light hearted, and every once and awhile the protagonist does one of those screamy, crying monologues. I love those. I am a sucker for those. I respected SORA for not devolving into a Harem type anime. There are just too many of those. I also have a soft spot for Tsundere types. And loli. ...I have revealed too much.
SHINSEKAI YORI, I started that one, but I did not finish the second episode. It was just too weird. I heard good things and its on the top 50 here on MAL so I will check it out again.
The Koreans here in Sacramento, just play at being Japanese. It is kind of irksome. They always greet you with "Welcome", but can't speak a lick more than that. I once tried to strike up a conversation but to no avail was I treated to a response. There is a legit ramen place where the waitresses all speak a lot of Japanese to people, and I was able to kind of talk with them. It was cool.
Hat tip to you for the tip. ;)
The STEINS;GATE film was a while ago, but they are taking their sweet time releasing it to the public. I know a ton of people waiting for it.
Regarding leaving the country, yes. That is happening. I will be gone for one year minimum, five years maximum. I will still have Internet access, so do not fret. I will be going to the motherland, South Korea! Ah Yeah. 100 megabits/second internet. Freedom!
It does not surprise me to hear there are random naked people out in the countryside of France. Not one bit.
Coq au Vin is a bit out of my wheelhouse. But it is really easy to make. A lot like Italian chicken stew called "Chicken Cacciatore". But the French version is, of course, boozier.
While in China I learned a fair amount of Mandarin. It was not that hard, but the immersion factor was huge. I never studied and was still able to order food and ask for directions pretty easily. I am a really into correct pronunciation of languages, so that was probably the most difficult part. Luckily I lived with a guy from Harbin, the birthplace of Mandarin, so I was able to hear the standard accent. Just as an example, I would order milk tea with pearls (bubble tea) at the local cafe, the correct pronunciation should sound like "jin-joo-ni-chah", but the lady did not understand me, I finally pointed at the menu and she said, "Oh! 'tsin-tsu-nyh-tsah'" -_-*
Some recent anime I have conquered, SWORD ART ONLINE, so totally wicked. But the overall story is very familiar and predictable. Basically, .HACK/SIGN, kids get stuck in a virtual reality where if they die in the game, they die in real life. Amazing first half, pretty good second. I also finished JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE, and that boy is amazing through and through! So over the top, so uniquely "Japanese" you just have to watch it to know what this means. I mean there is a guy who just shouts stuff out as it's happening, and crazy fighting sequences, and melodrama. It is just so fun. Kind of making fun of itself the entire time.
Question: Do you listen to K-Pop? If so, we have a whole 'nother chapter to get to.
I will elect to address topics in reverse order for no other reason than I can.
I hope you have caught up on some of your jet lag. It can really be a killer. I know I always feel super unproductive for like a week whenever I am suffering dramatic time changes.
I lived a China for a few months, in little city called Haikou, located in Hainan, which is located on an island in the most Southern part of China. The climate is sub-tropical so it's hot and humid 24/7. Wicked humid. In Asia, electric drying machines are not really a thing, so you hang dry everything, some times it would take three whole days to dry out thicker items, like jeans, and by then they would be dirty again due to mold and stuff. Oh well to answer your question I went to visit a friend you was living there and help him out with a business he was trying to start. He imported a container of wine from the Napa Valley and was trying to sell it to the myriad wine merchants in Hainan.
Hmm, I am not sure I have done anything cool per se, but I have been playing a lot of badminton and on the weekends cycling. I love badminton. Do you play? I should also point out here, that I will be leaving the United States soon, so I guess that counts as cool!
I am glad you liked LIFE OF PI. I thought it was very well done. Richard Parker was a jerk.
Tough about not having any legit Asian places in your hometown. Sacramento, where I am currently living, has quite a large community of Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese, Hmong, and Thai, but only a handful of truly legit restaurants that represent those cultures. We have a ton of Japanese joints but they are all run by enterprising Koreans. I don't mean to say Koreans cannot make legit Japanese food, but these places can't. LOL.
Please get on TITAN! It has consistently been very good, and will probably make a home in my personal top 5 (if not 3) anime.
Not gonna lie right now, THE LITTLE MERMAID was also my favorite as an infant. LOL. Granted it came out when I was still a tot, but I can remember watching it more than any other Disney film of the 1990s.
You never know when you'll meet some one who likes anime. On my transpacific flights I have always met some one (granted 4 times) who was watching anime. The last time it happened, the person was watching FROM UP ON POPPY HILL, and I said, "Oh, is that the new Studio Ghibili film?" And they just looked at me blankly. After the film was over the woman started to talk to me in a thick accent, and it dawned on me, English was not first language, we were on a flight into Narita (Tokyo's International Airport), and she was not using subtitles, so I should have put two and two together, right? She was really interesting though and new a ton about all the Studio Ghibili films.
I will have to keep my eyes peeled for this mysterious, cute lady. Waiting...
I am so glad you dug STEINS;GATE!!! It really deserves all the credit it is given. So smart. So bold. So well written. I can't wait for the movie's Western release!
Oooh! So you were in France?! That is cool. Europe is such a fascinating place. The markets are where I like to be. So open, so fresh, and everything tastes great! It is a bit cliche but just getting some bread, cheese, and little fruit and picnicking at a park is something I think every one should try once in his or her life. Especially when the food and sights are as majestic as they are in France!
I hope you got some good food while at your grandparents' place. Do they make Coq au Vin? That is my favorite French dish. So good!!!
I submit to you the most beautiful anime I have ever seen: KOTONOHA NO NIWA. Everything about is stunning. There are so many establishing shots, some wide, some up close, everything. The rain! Cooking! Just absolutely breathtaking. It's a short film so get it while its hot. Can't say enough good things about it.
All Comments (61) Comments
-David
I know, I'm trying to finish Usagi drop, but sadly, I'm so busy these days >_> lol
Ironically, his code is much more "normal" than mine.
Ah, Shiina Ringo is probably (at least sometimes) closer to SFP than what I linked, which is why I mentioned it first, but what's on youtube is limited, and I couldn't decide what to go with. So...
http://grooveshark.com/#!/profile/Tokyo+Jihen/22181521
http://grooveshark.com/#!/profile/Shiina+Ringo/22198645
You mean...this song?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg8Jahz6RM4
...but recently I've been listening to stuff more like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG7rQUv8ltQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLhCgM1Rmjc
I liked Spice and Wolf a lot. Medieval economics and romance with a magic wolf girl wouldn't have seemed like a good setting before I started watching anime, but now I know better. I also liked Maoyuu Maou Yuusha which is also sort of about medieval economics and romance but very different.
Recently, I've seen...Attack on Titan, and some other stuff that wasn't that good. I was waiting for the season to end before watching stuff, and then I was busy...
downloading the Patema videos now
Ohh well I don't know about my english. My father is english, so I suppose that also has influence on me. Still, it's true that even many spanish speaking people here make many mistakes in their own native language, something which I find extremely weird. It's especially strange because, as I told you, I usually speak Basque with my friends and family, so I had to learn spanish at school, and it took me a lot of effort. Fortunately, once I started reading novels and such my spanish improved a lot and once I started high school I was pretty natural at it. What I mean is that I know many people who just speak spanish and still make so many mistakes...and me, and some of my friends, who have it as our second language, don't make those mistakes. It's weird.
As for English, I've mainly learnt a lot by reading, watching TV series, and writing in forums :) As for Basque, yeah, I guess it can seem weird to an outsider, haha. No worries, there're many people here in the basque country who only know spanish and they manage okay so I guess there really isn't a need to learn it. I suppose there aren't many speakers, mainly because the spanish government is quite strict and they only want us to speak spanish. It's quite sad, because I believe that we should encourage people who live here to learn basque, even if not many people speak it. it's not just the language, though, we have our own culture, such as dances, cuisine, history... so many of us feel independent from spain because of that. There're many basque people in the USA, you know?? Those who left Spain during the Civil War. There're what we call "Euskal Etxeak", Basque Houses, where basque people gather and organize activities. I think there's one in NYC :)
Wow NYC sounds so cool!! I just keep telling my mum that I want to go there but she always ignores me... I'll try to go next summer, definitely!!
Oh yeaaah I watched Breaking Bad!! Actually, I caught up after only 2 weeks, hehe, and I've also watched the final episode and woww such a masterpiece!! It's curious how sometimes I'd hate Skyler and Walt, and other times I'd feel pity for them... I kind of expected that ending, you know?? I mean, the second half of the season had so many hints... I get it, the length of some anime can be intimidating, and I'm also put off by it usually, but well, sometimes I surprise myself. I'm glad you're liking FMAB!! And Game of Thrones, too :) I've never read an audiobook but they seem pretty handy, especially if you move around a lot.
School's been fine, I guess. I've started my last year of high school and it's pretty stressful, to be honest, though I've managed to organize all the work. I'm actually seriously considering studying biochemistry next year since I'm really enjoying biology at school :) or otherwise biotechnology. I don't really know the differences... Are you still doing biochemistry??
As for starting an anime club, I still find it difficult since there're no clubs whatsoever in our school. All we do is attend classes, and then go back home at 2:30 pm. I also rarely talk about anime with anyone, it's sad... I've managed to talk some of my friends into watching anime, though, so I don't feel that lonely.
Yeaah I'm doing piano now and I'm quite happy. I'm going to go to a festival in october so we're preparing a song for that. I'm also doing accordion so I'm quite busy, I guess. I love music, though, so it's okay :) I wanted to learn some german too, but I thought it'd be too much...I guess it has been taking me time from anime, but I usually watch series at night, after I've done all my work, so I always get some time. I've been watching Attack on Titan, and wow, it's so amazing!
Oh well, I think I'm going to watch a movie now. I see I've written a lot again. Ahh I just can't shut up, hahaha. Don't worry if you can't reply right away, though I'll be looking forward to it :)
-Sara-
I am so sorry to have neglected our conversation. I have been terribly busy here in Korea. Well, I suppose an update is in order. My day-to-day schedule is quite busy with work, so my anime time has been cut considerably. I can still marathon through on the weekends though, if I don't go to Seoul! Haha.
Currently, I am living in this little kick ass city called Gangneung-si ("-si", is a designation for city, so really it's just called Gangneung). The population is about 280,000, so it's pretty big, but not huge, like Seoul, 12 million...o_O
This city is known for a few things, like the beautiful beaches, the lake, hiking, dak galbi (a seriously delicious dish made from chicken and gochujang and other yummy stuff, all cooked on a flat top griddle, tableside), and more recently coffee. Right now, there is a Coffee Festival going on here. I want twice already. I am poor now... T_T
On the anime tip, I recently finished most of the stuff I started last season, SILVER SPOON, WATAMOTE, and C3. WATAMOTE and C3 turned out to be kind of duds, but SILVER SPOON was totally great. A lot of cool food stuff and honest laughs. Not too over the top with any of the stuff too. Oh, and I finished ATTACK ON TITAN! Man, that show... It was so great and then got awful, like I almost quit, then got so effing amazing again. I don't know. It got picked up for a second series so, I hope it continues to be good. I am waiting for RAILGUN S2 because I love that series so bloody much. Have you seen any of the RAILDEX series? It is like two concurrent series that cross over and share characters. It is really good, and has a huge following. I highly recommend it.
Anyway, I am pretty surprised that CHIHAYAFURU did not stick. I really, really enjoyed it. Sure, it was not super fast or unpredictable, but it had so much heart and character. I really liked the art style too.
KEMONO? Huh? I have heard of that one, I will check it out. Freaking Korean internet is 100 mb/s. Love that.
So how is school going? Still in NYC, right? Cooking much?
I really miss not being able to watch as much anime, but I guess being busy with work is healthier, and more fulfilling. Still though...right???
As for this season of anime KYOUKAI NO KANATA is my first pick so far. I will try to watch three, but who know which other two are even any good. I will wait to see what the Internet tells me. KYOUKAI is pretty good so far, one episode. It is animated by KA, Kyoto Animation, who are my favorite animators to date. They have really grown into a distinct style that is so buttery smooth and beautiful, there is no comparison. Check them out on MAL, I am sure you have seen some of their handiwork.
So...let me know what's up?!
Best Regards,
David
P.S.
SHERLOCK returns in February.
Ah, School Food Punishment. That's the favorite band of that guy who named his kid Kyon. Hmm, what would that be? Something pop-ish but with more melodic sophistication, with guitar with effects?
As far as Japanese stuff goes, Shiina Ringo / Tokyo Jihen comes to mind, but that's definitely different. I don't have a big list of bands that are really close to SFP.
Other things that aren't really the same as SFP at all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUDuB0i0WNA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9dWMhSJq0c&t=1m16s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P2OdxKSvNc
You write so infrequently. :-(
http://doujinstyle.com/
If you're looking for a shmup game to play, you could try Diadra Empty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NruZaABN6E
I'd have to know what games you've liked to recommend something, but some of my favorites are:
platformers -> N, braid
puzzle -> zen bound 2
roguelike -> dungeon crawl stone soup
Recently, I've played some Infested Planet.
Proper response to follow shortly.
It's curious, because I've always wanted to go to Paris, even though I don't know that much about it. Obviously, I know the famous landmarks and what's typical over there, but not enough to want to go there like crazy. For instance, I've always wanted to go to New York... that's where you live right?? Haha. My mom had promised me to take me there a few years ago, though the promise wasn't fulfilled... I'll probably stay with a family next summer, just like my friend is doing now. Ah, I wish I could have done that this summer! I can't wait to go there. In what area do you live??? Ahh I'm just so interested!! Is it really as busy as it looks in the movies?? With that many foreigners??
Hum, yes, I guess that once you get hooked on anime, you kind of think Japan has to be exactly like it. I don't really buy that. I guess I want to see what the real japanese world is like, what the anime has concealed to us... I mainly want to go there to eat and talk in japanese, though, haha. I hope I can go there when I'm in college, or later on...
I often have high expectations on most of the things... and I really don't like how I end up utterly disappointed. That happened to me when I visited Madrid, for instance... I've only been there once, though, and I only went to the Titanic museum, haha, so I suppose it's not really okay for me to judge the whole city. Still, many people I know feel that Madrid is overrated...
I still haven't started watching any American series... I've been finishing this anime called Gintama which had 265 episodes... I only finished it last week and now I'm just watching a short anime. Yes, I've heard of Dexter, too. I'll probably start with Breaking Bad, though. It was actually when I grew tired of American series that I started watching anime. I was chatting with an online friend about how I was bored, and she just started talking about these "cartoons". I was so suspicious at first! I found out later on that anime is a completely different world. The plot's are so different, for instance. I don't think it's a matter of being an anime, it's just that I prefer their stories over the American ones. If they had anime-like stories on TV, I'd watch them gladly.
I've only read the first three books of Game of Thrones. Personally, I find the books a bit tiring, because they're really long and rather slow. I usually prefer the books over the movies, though, so it might just be that this series doesn't grab my interest as much as others do. The series is more light-hearted, it doesn't show that much blood, violence or sex, and it's easier to follow. I suggest you read the first book, though, because it'll help you get to know the characters, which are a lot, and watch the first season of the series then. You can decide whether you want to keep reading the second one afterwards. If you really liked it, I suggest you read the rest of the books, but as I said, it can be tiring if you aren't hooked on it. Plot-wise, some important things are changed, mainly in the last season... but overall, the series is quite faithful.
I did watch the second movie of Ghost in the Shell :) I liked it much more! I'll probably watch the series someday, though not right away. I like changing a bit, like this I get to enjoy everything more. By the way, I think you've watched Evangelion, right?? I've just realized that there're movies too... I've watched the movies that follow the series (both of them), but there're four others... Are they all new, or are they the same as the series, but in movies??? Just wondering...
Hum... I guess you could say I have a friend who watched anime, though she only watched it if I drag her to my house and watch one of my favorite anime together. She enjoys it, but doesn't love it as much as I do. We have different tastes too, so that might have something to do with it. We usually meet every weekend and watch 5-6 episodes. We watched Monster once, 72 episodes, and it took us 3 months altogether. I was so happy she didn't mind waiting a whole week to watch the next episodes!
I finished the piano classes last week and I'm really enjoying it. I love music and when I play an instrument, I feel at ease. Yes, playing the accordion has helped quite a lot, mainly when it comes to reading the sheet music. They both use the same system, too. As a matter of fact, the main reason why I started playing the piano a few years ago by myself was so that I could learn the openings of some anime, hahahaha. I didn't tell that to my teacher, though :) I think I actually prefer the piano than the accordion, but that might be because the piano teacher is much nicer and patient.
No, Basque is completely different to Spanish, unlike Catalan. It existed before the time of the romans, so the grammar is completely different. Most foreigners say the verbs are impossible to learn, because we have so many different cases! Besides, we have many dialects. In Spain it's considered a co-official language, and there're also Basque people in France, next to the border with Spain. It's a bit sad because the Spanish people always force us to speak in Spanish so many people my age just stop speaking in Basque. It's our culture, so I don't find that fair. I get it that we need to learn Spanish, cause it's much more useful, but still... When I was a kid, I didn't know any Spanish, only Basque, and I remember when I had to start learning Spanish... I hated it, cause I couldn't understand a thing. My father's english, so I learnt English before Spanish. Anyway, I kept mixing all the three languages, haha. In Seconday School, though, I learnt it fast and now I'm completely fluent. Nobody knows where Basque comes from, it's supposed to be really old... We and Japanese people have some sort of connection, says my mother (she's a Basque teacher), and a few months ago a linguistic actually said we have some things in common... I'd say it's mainly the word order, though. For instance, "Kouen ni otoko no ko ga imasu" (there's a boy at the park), would be traslated to "parkean mutil bat dago" (at the park, boy, one, there is). I don't know whether I'm making much sense, haha.
I'm about to finish one online course... and I've bought another book here in London. I also found a dorayaki at the same shop (I used to love Doraemon's haha)
In Spain clubs really don't exist, we only go to school for classes, nothing else. Maybe in college... Haha, I wish I could create one, but I don't know...
Ah, this summer's being wonderful. I haven't really done anything in June, just watch anime, go to the beach, and self-study a few things. I can't even imagine myself going to school in September... thank God there's still time left!
Oh well, I'll be leaving now. I have this tendency of talking and talking, I can't seem to stop haha.
By the way, you can call me Sara :) That's my real name.
See you!
No ... I sort of wanted to design something with lithium because that's the popular thing, but liquid sodium just seems better.
If you have a lot of debt, you can get stuff you own repossessed, and money taken directly out of your paychecks.
Huh, I didn't even realize Shinsekai Yori was based on Brave New World.
"
A few weeks ago I re-watched Haibane Renmai with a friend, and it reminded me of the art style in So Ra No Wo To and that you suggested it to me. The best thing about that show is how happy and lighthearted it is. It's the perfect combination with Shinsekai Yori, since that show is so damn dark and disturbing. I like rotating anime like that.
"
Let me know what you think of the ending.
Ryvius is good, but it's not very cheerful.
People keep telling me to watch it, so I watched some Attack on Titan.
Hmm, haven't seen anything too special lately. Nodame Cantabile and Tatami Galaxy are still good.
I will write this right now because I probably will not have time later.
ATTACK ON TITAN is insanely good. I foolishly decided to go with Commie and they are freaking slow. GG gets theirs done so much faster but I am full of eccentricities and abandoning Commie at this point would be heretical. I feel the show (currently at episode 13) has kind of been grinding. "The Battle of Trost" seemed to have gone on forever and the story kind of Dragon Ball Z'd itself. LOL. Shoulder pat if you get this reference (hint it means there is a lot of screaming and yelling, but nothing happens to really move the plot forward, Frieza: GOOOOOKKKKKKUUUUUUU!!!! AHHHHH!!!!)
I would be inclined to agree with you on your opinions of KOTONOHA NO NIWA. Everything about it was done perfectly, aesthetically. The camera work was beautiful, the script was awesome, I learned what a tanka is, just too much good stuff. But I also thought the end was a bit weird. They just starting jumping in time too fast. I wanted to see their personal relationship grow beyond eating and foot fetishes. I also wanted to see society's reaction to their age difference 14 years or something. Eesh.
SORA NO WOTO is very good. I really enjoy anime like that. Light hearted, and every once and awhile the protagonist does one of those screamy, crying monologues. I love those. I am a sucker for those. I respected SORA for not devolving into a Harem type anime. There are just too many of those. I also have a soft spot for Tsundere types. And loli. ...I have revealed too much.
SHINSEKAI YORI, I started that one, but I did not finish the second episode. It was just too weird. I heard good things and its on the top 50 here on MAL so I will check it out again.
The Koreans here in Sacramento, just play at being Japanese. It is kind of irksome. They always greet you with "Welcome", but can't speak a lick more than that. I once tried to strike up a conversation but to no avail was I treated to a response. There is a legit ramen place where the waitresses all speak a lot of Japanese to people, and I was able to kind of talk with them. It was cool.
Hat tip to you for the tip. ;)
The STEINS;GATE film was a while ago, but they are taking their sweet time releasing it to the public. I know a ton of people waiting for it.
Regarding leaving the country, yes. That is happening. I will be gone for one year minimum, five years maximum. I will still have Internet access, so do not fret. I will be going to the motherland, South Korea! Ah Yeah. 100 megabits/second internet. Freedom!
It does not surprise me to hear there are random naked people out in the countryside of France. Not one bit.
Coq au Vin is a bit out of my wheelhouse. But it is really easy to make. A lot like Italian chicken stew called "Chicken Cacciatore". But the French version is, of course, boozier.
While in China I learned a fair amount of Mandarin. It was not that hard, but the immersion factor was huge. I never studied and was still able to order food and ask for directions pretty easily. I am a really into correct pronunciation of languages, so that was probably the most difficult part. Luckily I lived with a guy from Harbin, the birthplace of Mandarin, so I was able to hear the standard accent. Just as an example, I would order milk tea with pearls (bubble tea) at the local cafe, the correct pronunciation should sound like "jin-joo-ni-chah", but the lady did not understand me, I finally pointed at the menu and she said, "Oh! 'tsin-tsu-nyh-tsah'" -_-*
Some recent anime I have conquered, SWORD ART ONLINE, so totally wicked. But the overall story is very familiar and predictable. Basically, .HACK/SIGN, kids get stuck in a virtual reality where if they die in the game, they die in real life. Amazing first half, pretty good second. I also finished JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE, and that boy is amazing through and through! So over the top, so uniquely "Japanese" you just have to watch it to know what this means. I mean there is a guy who just shouts stuff out as it's happening, and crazy fighting sequences, and melodrama. It is just so fun. Kind of making fun of itself the entire time.
Question: Do you listen to K-Pop? If so, we have a whole 'nother chapter to get to.
Nice talking with you as always.
Best Regards,
David
I will elect to address topics in reverse order for no other reason than I can.
I hope you have caught up on some of your jet lag. It can really be a killer. I know I always feel super unproductive for like a week whenever I am suffering dramatic time changes.
I lived a China for a few months, in little city called Haikou, located in Hainan, which is located on an island in the most Southern part of China. The climate is sub-tropical so it's hot and humid 24/7. Wicked humid. In Asia, electric drying machines are not really a thing, so you hang dry everything, some times it would take three whole days to dry out thicker items, like jeans, and by then they would be dirty again due to mold and stuff. Oh well to answer your question I went to visit a friend you was living there and help him out with a business he was trying to start. He imported a container of wine from the Napa Valley and was trying to sell it to the myriad wine merchants in Hainan.
Hmm, I am not sure I have done anything cool per se, but I have been playing a lot of badminton and on the weekends cycling. I love badminton. Do you play? I should also point out here, that I will be leaving the United States soon, so I guess that counts as cool!
I am glad you liked LIFE OF PI. I thought it was very well done. Richard Parker was a jerk.
Tough about not having any legit Asian places in your hometown. Sacramento, where I am currently living, has quite a large community of Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese, Hmong, and Thai, but only a handful of truly legit restaurants that represent those cultures. We have a ton of Japanese joints but they are all run by enterprising Koreans. I don't mean to say Koreans cannot make legit Japanese food, but these places can't. LOL.
Please get on TITAN! It has consistently been very good, and will probably make a home in my personal top 5 (if not 3) anime.
Not gonna lie right now, THE LITTLE MERMAID was also my favorite as an infant. LOL. Granted it came out when I was still a tot, but I can remember watching it more than any other Disney film of the 1990s.
You never know when you'll meet some one who likes anime. On my transpacific flights I have always met some one (granted 4 times) who was watching anime. The last time it happened, the person was watching FROM UP ON POPPY HILL, and I said, "Oh, is that the new Studio Ghibili film?" And they just looked at me blankly. After the film was over the woman started to talk to me in a thick accent, and it dawned on me, English was not first language, we were on a flight into Narita (Tokyo's International Airport), and she was not using subtitles, so I should have put two and two together, right? She was really interesting though and new a ton about all the Studio Ghibili films.
I will have to keep my eyes peeled for this mysterious, cute lady. Waiting...
I am so glad you dug STEINS;GATE!!! It really deserves all the credit it is given. So smart. So bold. So well written. I can't wait for the movie's Western release!
Oooh! So you were in France?! That is cool. Europe is such a fascinating place. The markets are where I like to be. So open, so fresh, and everything tastes great! It is a bit cliche but just getting some bread, cheese, and little fruit and picnicking at a park is something I think every one should try once in his or her life. Especially when the food and sights are as majestic as they are in France!
I hope you got some good food while at your grandparents' place. Do they make Coq au Vin? That is my favorite French dish. So good!!!
Well, I hope to hear from you soon.
Ciao,
David