Sunday, April 29, 2012

Japanese Spring Festival

Japanese dance with a parasol during the Spring Festival

Matsuri dance at the Spring Festival

Wearing my Yukata at the Spring Festival

Taiko Drums at the Spring Festival


The Spring Festival in the Japanese Gardens in Forth Worth Texas.  April 28th, 2012.  Beautiful, really hot, day.  Enjoyed various fun activities, I went fishing for a balloon, painted a fish, played in a lottery that i lost at. Good fun, we had onigiri and tea for lunch and delicious cookie flute desert.  

If you haven't been to a Japanese Festival, I highly recommend it, there is so much culture in Japan that is great to enjoy! Especially if you can go to a Japanese Garden they are very nice, with koi fish and zen gardens very nice.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Leo Con 2012

Texas A&M University - Commerce  has a new addition to awesome events! Leo Con 2012 at the Hall of Languages today! Aprl 14th 2012. 
Come out and enjoy a whole day of sci-fi stuff, anime, cosplay, larping, art, and much more!!!!

Check out the website at leoconn.wordpress.com


Monday, April 2, 2012

Anime Dances

Ok so very popular in Japan are anime dances.  Mixed with a lot of enthusiasm and using usually a variety of hand motions, sometimes repetitive, sometimes not.  I call it a mix of pop and ParaPara, ParaPara veing a form of dancing that uses many hand motions to the beat of eurobeat, popularized by the video game ParaPara Paradise. 
Anyway dancing has always been very popular in Japan especially in anime. Here are a few anime dances that are very popular in Japan and even in the states among anime fans.

 Hare Hare Yukai from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. This is mostly popular as a group dance as shown here 3 to 5 people are best at doing this one seeing as in how each person has a couple of varying moves. You can often find people doing this dance at anime conventions in the United States. This song can be found at the end of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya episodes.
This one is called Motteke! Sailor Fuku, from Lucky Star.  This one is also popular in a large group seeing as in how the girls here are performing as cheerleaders in a squad. This song and dance is performed at the opening sequence of the show, but this particular scene is from one of the final episodes where they perform on stage. This dance is also popular at anime conventions in the States.

This funky dance is Ultra Relax from Kodomo no Omocha also known as Kodocha in the United States.  Its funky and fun, usually done in a group of around four people. You can find this song on this opening sequence of the series. Since this is an older series from 1995 originally, it is not as popular as Hare Hare Yukai or Motteke! Sailor Fuku but it can still be around here and there occasionally at anime conventions.
And last but not least, Caramelldansen.  This is actually a Swedish song that somehow found itself being really popular in Japan and Japanese culture, including anime.  This song is heard very frequently in the anime community with fans doing the little movements shown in the video.  Swaying of the hips with their hands up on their head like ears. This is the easiest dance to do so when its played at conventions everyone usually lines up and starts rocking to the music.

There are your most popular dances in Japan and in the United States.  Of course there are tons more dances and such, and even recently more that have been popularized by the Vocaloid franchise and Hatsune Miku.   There are even people making up dances like these every day.  So go out there and dance!

Monday, March 26, 2012

ROSARIO + VAMPIRE REVIEW

Ok so while I was sick during spring break I watched most of Rosario + Vampire thanks to my wonderful little sister who pretty much became obsessed with watching it. It was very entertaining.  One thing I did forget to mention in the Vlog was that there are a lot of panty shots in this series.  I'm not even joking its like every 30 seconds we see a panty shot!  This is sure to satisfy the perverts who love watching the cute anime girls on screen. And warning these panty shots are from various angles. 
Overall the story of Rosario + Vampire is enjoyably entertaining, its a funny harem comedy where many strange girls fight over a very average normal boy that for some reason is super lucky and has a fan base of girls.

Anyway I give this series a 3 out of 5 stars mainly because some of the episodes did not make sense but it was still an enjoyable anime.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Evolution of Dance

Me and Judson Laipply
So Judson Laipply came to Texas and he was great! Here is some video I took of the experience check it out. It doesn't really have much to do with anime but it Pleases me ;-)
This truly was a really great experience for all the TAMU-C students in Texas who were able to attend this entertaining and fun night.   Judson Laipply said he loves his job for two reasons, he's there to make you laugh and he's there to make you think!
Great times, check out the video below! 

Sunday, March 4, 2012

COSPLAY TIPS!

[COSPLAY Defined:  Abbreviation of Costume Play, where fans of anime, games, and well known characters dress up as the character of their choosing.]

Hey guys so if you are planning to cosplay for the big summer conventions then you are probably getting your cosplay ready or starting to about this time.  Yes sometimes it takes weeks upon weeks to get that cosplay just right, depending on how hardcore you want to be.
OR if you are new to cosplay and you are not sure about it here are some tips along with some pictures from my collection of cosplayers taken at A-KON  in Dallas, Texas.
Ghost in Shell Cosplay
TIP #1: Be prepared to play the part.   If you want to go all out make sure you are prepared to look, act, and pose like your character.  For example this Ghost in Shell cosplayer is a definitive A+ she looks the part, has a body for the part, and includes an accessory.   If you are going to cosplay a character who shows some skin, you're gonna have to show some skin so if you are shy I suggest you cosplay someone that wears a fur coat or something...
Trigun
Howls Moving Castle


TIP #2: Group Cosplay gets the most attention.  Ok so if you definitively want to be noticed at a convention you want to get a group of at least 3 to be noticed.  Yes those extremely awesome cosplayers may get noticed all alone but if there are 3 super awesome cosplayers versus just 1, that's 3 times more likely that you will get noticed and taken a picture of.

Naruto Cosplay: Kakashi Sensei
TIP #3: Accessorize!  Ok so just having the outfit alone is great, but to add more excitement to it add some accessories!  A plush of a character companion, a weapon, or a book they carry! It really adds a lot to the personality of your cosplay and a lot of recognition when you carry extra items that they would carry in the anime.
Creepy anime face masks


TIP #4: Avoid the creepy anime masks.  They are just flat out creepy and give an alien like quality to your cosplay.  You may think its cute but most people would much rather prefer to see someone with their own natural face on a costume than a fake one, unless of course they are cosplaying a furry then that's the only exception I say to wearing a mask, or if your character actually wears a mask like Ichigo in Bleach.  But just avoid the creepy anime face masks, they are more creepy than they are cool.

Labyrinth Cosplay: The Goblin King Jareth

Fullmetal Alchemist Cosplay: Major Armstrong
TIP #5: The hair matters!  Whoever said that as long as you got the costume the hair is minimal...lied!  If you need a wig use a wig, but make sure its a good quality wig not a cheap Halloween $2 wig.  My personal  wigs have cost me around $50 give or take and they are amazing.  If you want to try your own hair for the cosplay make sure you can do the do. If you are willing to shave your head like this Alex Louis Armstrong cosplayer, go for it the better your cosplay will be, or you can use a nice awesome wig like this Jareth cosplayer above also.  But seriously do your hair when cosplaying!

Inuyasha group cosplayers
TIP #6: LOSE THE GLASSES! Ok guys eye care technology is way awesome now, there are ways to lose the glasses for a day of cosplaying, there's contacts, lasik surgery, or just going blind for the day, or heck better yet, take the glasses off when someone is taking your picture!!!   Unless your character wears glasses there is no need to lose the authenticity of your character by keeping them on if you are trying to be authentic with your cosplay. 

So there you have it, some tips on doing great cosplay.  Just some basics ones of course. I don't generally make cosplay I have it ordered so I can't really say on how to actually make a cosplay, just some tips on things you should or shouldn't do while you are playing the part. 

Happy Cosplaying Everyone!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

SAKEVISUAL!

Yes sakevisual has won me over! I absolutely love this site.  Great games, graphic novels, check it out!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Coming Soon!: Cosplay Do's and Don't's!

Hey guys I am gathering pictures of some cosplays that rock and others that don't so expect a good list and some tips coming up soon! These pictures may come off of my collections or someone else's so be on the lookout!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

PLEASE! Anime website!!!

Ok PLEASE! Anime has a new website where you don't have to go digging around through media stuff like pictures and video that I post and instead you can find it all there ! Even this very blog! Of course you can always come back to this blog to dig through old posts in specifically. 

Check out PleaseAnime.webs.com to check it out!


Monday, February 20, 2012

More Photos from Mini A-Kon V in Denton, TX.

Hey guys here are some more pictures from Mini A-Kon V in Denton, Texas. Check them out at the following link!

Click here for Mini A-Kon V Gallery.

Here is one of the new pictures added to the Mini A-Kon V gallery

Expanding my limits.

Ok so today i was looking into some website creators. I looked through a bunch of Word Press videos on how to make them and stuff and then I did some research for Weebly and Wix. I looked up some stuff about Wix and I went ahead and created an account for Wix.com. I am not sure how to do it yet but I uploaded some graphics and stuff to Wix and now I am lost and I don't know where they went. I will keep trying to figure it out because Wix is really pretty.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Mini A-Kon V video!

Hey everyone so I put together this great video of some footage I took at Mini A-Kon, I pretty much was there for the whole thing, since the doors were shut till they started cleaning at the very end. So yea I put together a few clips of some happening places over at the Mini A-Kon V in Denton, TX. I don't know how I should feel for the public library though, it was pretty messy when everyone left and over 1,200 people were there.  But i do know for sure, everyone that was there sure did love it! Enjoy!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

TODAY! Mini A-KON V! Denton, TX! PICTURES!

Mini A-Kon at the Denton Public Library was packed! I was amazed at the number of people that showed up, I was seriously only expecting a few hundred people to be at this thing and when I arrived almost 200 people had already been waiting there! By the end of the mini convention over 1,200 people had checked in!!!  That's a lot of people in one day for a small public library!   Of course it was crowded and many people were there with their cosplay! here are some pictures from Mini A-Kon V, February 18th, 2012.  Check back to this site because I'll be uploading some video soon!!! ^_^



Got my picture taken with a Furry
Got a poster for The Secret World of Arrietty, came out in theaters yesterday!



Saw some anime dances being performed


Some pretty cool outfits

Pachinko Machines!


Amazing cosplay

Adventure Time!

Bulma from Dragonball

A Princess, ^_^

Sweeney Todd characters

Gunslinger Girl and Kingdom Hearts

K-ON

Pokemon

Black Butler



Friday, February 17, 2012

What a weekend this will be!

You got The Secret World of Arrietty coming out tonight! Plus the fun gets even better with Mini A-Kon in Denton TX!.  Keep coming back to PLEASE! Anime for exclusive coverage of it all!


Sunday, February 12, 2012

Valentines Day in Japanese Anime!

Ok so you might have seen some anime in the past or just got into some where Valentines Day occurs in one of the episodes.  So what's up with that?  Girls are the ones that give the guys the chocolate? I don't get it?
So the thing is, in Japan Valentines day is actually a day where women express their feelings towards people they care about or a guy they like. They either make chocolates or buy chocolates for their loved ones and give them the chocolates on Valentines Day.   Some say that this has been a gimmick that chocolate companies did, and well if it is, its been working, because chocolate sales have a huge boosts right before Valentine's day.

So what about the guys?
Yes the guys do have a day when they give gifts to the ladies too, but its not Valentines day, that's a ladies giving day.  If a guy wants to return a gift to a lady they do it on White Day, which is a month after Valentine's day on March 14th.  Guys usually give gifts like handkerchiefs, teddy bears, rings, and necklaces.  So it turns out Valentines day and White day are in corralation to each other.
Quite a different custom than in the states, ne?

Princess Jellyfish, February 28th, 2012!!!

Coming to DVD and Blu-Ray on February 28th, its Princess Jellyfish!   Ok so the name of this anime doesn't sound like something amazing, but its actually a really cute series.


It all starts with jellyfish lover Tsukimi Kurashita, when trying to save a jellyfish at a store meets Kuranoske Koibuchi who is introduced as Kurako a very fashionable girl, who helps her save the jellyfish.  That night Kurako goes home with Tsukimi and in the morning Tsukimi finds out that Kurako is actually a guy who likes to cross dress!   No one in Tsukimi's apartment must find out because they are all big geeky anti-boy unemployed girls.
Kurako keeps coming around to Tsukimi's apartment and little by little they become friends and Kurako earns everyone else's trust as well.  Until one day when they find out that the apartments need to be sold because the area is going to be under construction.   The girls and Kurako must do all they can to buy the apartment complex so that it won't be torn down.

This series is hilarious, you got your little geeky girl who doesn't believe she is beautiful trying to be as average as possible.  But when Kurako gives her a makeover she becomes a lovely princess.  She believes jellyfish are beautiful and that she is not.  I personally enjoyed the lovely parts, the hilarious scenes, and the inspiring story of these friends growing up and trying what they can to save a place that's important to them.
Although I thought the series was a bit short and a few things were left unanswered it was still a very enjoyable series.
It's definitively worth a check, special features include:
Princess Jellyfish Heroes (Parts 1-4)
Go, Sisterhood Explorers! (Parts 1-6)
Tsukimi and Jiji’s Octopus Tour
The Princess Jellyfish Field Guide
Episode 1 & 11 commentary
Promotional videos
Textless songs
Trailers

Or if you just want to check it out you can check it out subtitled on Hulu.com


I gives this series 3.5 our of 5 stars just as a series itself.




Saturday, January 28, 2012

Coming Soon! The Secret World of Arrietty

I'd like to share with everyone the trailer for the The Secret World of Arrietty. 


This is another amazing movie brought to you by Disney and Studio Ghibli, the same people that brought you other great movies like Ponyo and Spirited Away.
Hayao Miyazaki does a great job of bringing the world of the borrowers to anime.

Arrietty is a borrower who lives with her family under the floorboards of a house. The first time she goes out borrowing with her father she is seen by a young boy who is at the house.  The boy causes no harm and actually tries to become friends with Arrietty, but the other big people of the house are suspecting things and it forces the borrowers to take extra precautions and plan a move from the house.
Check out the Secret World of Arrietty coming to theaters on February 17th, 2012 in the US.



Thursday, January 26, 2012

Mini A-Kon V in Denton, TX.

Exciting news for anime followers of the DFW area. There will be a Mini A-kon in Denton coming on Saturday, February 18, at the Denton Public Library North Branch from 10am to 4pm. 
Of course you can expect anime, manga, cosplay, contests, and panels!  This is a great treat to get con-goers back into the spirit of anime conventions. Mainly because the large conventions in Dallas don't happen until the summer, this is a good midway point to meet while you wait for the summer conventions to start up.
For more information on this awesome local DFW event please visit this link http://www.a-kon.com/bm/latest-news/mini-a-kon-february-18-2012.shtml


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

ASIAN KUNG FU- GENERATION Best Hits Hit the US!

Last week, Asian Kung-Fu Generation also known as AKG or Ajikan released their best hits album in the US.  
In case you don't know who Asian Kung-Fu Generation is, let me refresh your memory.  One of Naruto's opening sequences features the song "Haruka Kanata" translated into English as "Far and Beyond."  Also in the best hits CD will be "Rewrite" from the original Fullmetal Alchemist series, as well as other great songs by AKG.
My opinion, if you are new to the AKG scene this is definitively a CD to get, it has a lot of favorite tracks for sure. But if you are like me and already have over half the CD then maybe just downloading the tracks you don't have might be a good option.  That is if you plan on downloading less than 8 tracks, currently Amazon.com has the entire 17 track album for sale at 8.99 compared to downloading each separate track at .99 a pop.   Definitively an amazing price for a great album! Of course some of use are used to seeing these prices at like triple this amount. Why is this so cheap? Because its a US release not an import!

I give this CD 5 out of 5 Stars.



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B GATA H KEI: Yamada's First Time

DVD Box Set Release on January 31, 2012  
This is definitively one you don't want to miss!   Episodes for B Gata H Kei are available streaming directly from Funimation.com.

My Review:

Yamada is a young high school girl who is in search for the perfect cherry. She finds it in a boy named Kosuda and that's where the crazyness starts.  Yamada tries to get near Kosuda but he is too dumb to notice her advances thinking that she is out of his league.  
Honestly this series is out of your chair laughter every episode.  Recommended mostly for anyone 13 years of age and older for sure. Some of Yamada's crazy antics are a bit risque, actually everything she does is pretty risque but that's what makes this series so enjoyable!
If you enjoy series like School Rumble you will enjoy this series as well, if you don't mind the perv level being taken up a couple of notches.

I give this a 5 out of 5 stars. 


"The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya" Appears Awesome!

It has been a long awaited arrival for fans of the Haruhi Suzumiya anime and light novel series. But at last the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya has hit the shelves.   I definitively took the time to check this one out.  Here's my review:  (no spoilers)

Great story starting at the beginning with your average Haruhi filled crazyness until one day when Kyon wakes up and finds that no one seems to know who Haruhi is. 
This movie is like one super episode where everything is twisted up. With a 164 minute movie plus extras on the DVD.  Plus we get to see a different version of Yuki Nagato who is absolutely adorable!

Additional features are:
  • DVD Features: Interactive Menus / Japanese 5.1 Audio / English 5.1 Audio / Optional English Subtitles
  • DVD Extras Disc: Location Hunting / BGM Recording / Special Screening in Tokyo / Special Screening in Kyoto / Cutting, Dubbing, Editing / PV Making / Teasers / Trailers / Commercials / ASOS Brigade Episode
Plus there's a DVD/Blu Ray Combo pack that is also worth a check if you have a Blu Ray disk player. 

I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars on this DVD release.





Monday, January 23, 2012

Please! Anime

Welcome to Please! Anime your online source for the newest in anime news, up front and personal!