Kill Me Baby! JP anime of the season

Here's a link to the opening sequence of Kill Me Baby, what I have to say is the best anime of the new season.

It's the latest in a long history of random joke high school animes, but it's special because of its strangeness, and what I would almost say self parody of the genre, but it's gone beyond parody into even stranger realms. Like the fact that one of the 4 main characters appears to be just a placeholder in the opening and barely ever appears in the show.

After you watch the video, head to the show's official homepage, where you can watch the even more strange live-action video of the group singing the theme song. I don't know whether it's horrible or genius.

To watch the show, turn in to TBS late night Thursdays at 1:25AM (or so).

Bar hopping - Edo style

I had a chance to head to Asakusa this week, to one of my favorite areas to grab a beer, some old tyme Edo cooking, and chat with random people. The area I'm talking about is a little slice of old Tokyo - styled to look and feel (in many ways without trying) like the little pubs and eateries that used to dot the area right after the war.

The little dining/drink spots may not look like much, but the food they serve is always good and reasonable, and the mix of old Japanese homecooking with Korean influences - as many of the staff and owners are of mixed Japanese/Korean background - makes for a unique and enjoyable experience. You've got hot bowls of nikujaga (肉じゃが - beef and potato soup), yakitori (焼き鳥 - chicken skewers), and buta kimchi (豚キムチ - stir fried pork and kimchi), three of my personal favorites.

I recommend trying out Daikatsu (大勝 - here's a map; you can get there from the temple easily).

The above 2 pics are just general shots showing the area. in winter the little stores all put out plastic curtains to keep in the warmth, and are nice for even a little stop for a beer and some edamame to get you warm after souvenir shopping near Sensoji.

Here's a pic I took of an agemanju (deep fried azuki bean bun) stall near the temple. I always get one or two every time I visit.

And to close, here's a pic of the main temple at Sensoji.

To get there, take the subway at JR Ueno station to Asakusa, and head west down the main street. When you see the gates to the temple compound on the right, you're there. Here's a map of the overall Asakusa/Sensoji area.

Look Up

OK, I didn't take these 3 pics on the same day or anything, but they all seemed to fit together. I really like the 1st one, but the other 2 are decent as well.

I'm looking up at the sky and the leaves and flowers and fruit.

Nice to see a little variety in leaf coloration.

Japan CM of the week - Sony Sonpo

OK, this one's kind of old, but I'm posting this Sony car insurance CM here mainly because the salesgirl, Miori Takimoto (瀧本美織), is just now starring in a TV show, Hungry (Fuji TV, Tuesdays at 10pm). It's a story about a guy who wanted to make it as a rocker but failed, and so now is trying his hand as the chef of a French restaurant.

It also stars the very talented Osamu Mukai (向井理), and seems to be a nice, light-hearted drama, and is worth a peek, if not for anything else than to see Takimoto looking very tanned and actually kinda sexy.

She may not have the best body or most stunning looks, but she's a decent, earnest actress and her eyes seem to draw you in. Just watch the commercial and you'll see what I mean.

Hello supercut

Yes, this may be the best movie supercut ever. Found on animal.

Who says crows aren't smart?

A video taken by a Russian family of a crow sledding on a roof. Who says crows don't know how to have a good time?

Thanks for the find, gizmodo.

The anti-whaling movement's failure

The other day I had my aha! moment. I was watching a Japanese TV variety program with Takeshi Kitano and Tsurube discussing whatever the hell they wanted to talk about in an open discussion format. It was very interesting, mainly because Takeshi is a very intelligent guy, and seeing him able to talk freely like that was a rare treat.

Among other things like the issue of Yakuza infiltrating the media in Japan, the nuke disaster, climate change and the prevalence of poop jokes in late-night TV, the one topic that really got my attention was the issue of whaling.

So what do Takeshi and Tsurube think about whaling, the Sea Shepherd and all that?

Their ideas can be summed up simply: how dare the Aussies and others tell Japanese not to whale? It's our culture!!


And that was it. The argument is done. I had heard similar statements before, but seeing someone intelligent like Takeshi put it so simply, and in such a direct way made it really hit me.

The anti-whaling movement cannot win.

But it's not because of the value of whaling itself. The anti-whaling movement is failing because the way they framed the issue.

Before all the hub bub about the Sea Shepherd and all that there were 2 distinct arguments you could use to attack whaling:

1. Whaling is bad because whales are noble/intelligent/sentient/whatever creatures. Whales feel pain. Whaling is morally wrong.
   
   Or, the very different stance:
   
2. Whaling is bad because many species of whales are still in danger of going extinct, and whaling as an industry is so hard to regulate that it can drive others to dangerous levels as well.

Which of these arguments is stronger?

Obviously the second argument. That is the one I've always been in favor of, but not just for whaling - there is as much concern for many of the ocean's resources, whether they be whales, tuna, sharks or whatever. Over-fishing (and whaling) is a real problem, and it must be addressed.

But the problem is that the Sea Shepherd and other anti-whaling activist groups have focused so much on the cultural/moral aspects of whaling that they have ruined their own position. And that's because not only can you not win a argument like this, making the argument itself weakens your ability to argue.

And it's because the cultural/moral argument is so easy to defeat:

If you say you shouldn't whale because whales feel pain/fear and that they're smart creatures, then what about pigs and other farm animals? Pigs have to be killed in private or it'll cause others watching the slaughter die of heart attacks (making them unusable for human consumption). Takeshi brought that argument up. What about chickens? I've personally seen a chicken recoil in fear from a camera after having a flash go off in its face. Obviously they do learn/react/maybe think about the world around them. So is it OK to keep them in tiny pens, waiting to have their necks broken? I don't think so.

So how can you say people shouldn't whale because it's cruel, when other practices are just as bad?

And while the Sea Shepherd people will then counter with a we're vegetarians so that doesn't apply to us comment, they've still lost, because in admitting that there's cruelty in other areas of agriculture that they're not attacking, it makes their anti-whaling stance seem more and more like cultural elitism (which it is, really, if you look at it from the Japanese point of view).

So the argument is lost before it's even started, and not only that but making anti-whaling arguments from the point of view of moralism only will back whaling defenders even more into a corner. You get people who don't really even give a shit about whaling defending it, because they perceive their culture being attacked.

So please, people, stop saying that killing whales is bad because of the morality point of view. It doesn't matter what the whales feel, the argument cannot win.

A-Lin, live in Taipei

Here are some pics I took of the Taiwanese artist, A-Lin, while she was giving a free concert. Here's a link to her official page (which seems to have some problems), and her videos online.

It wasn't a long concert - only 3 songs - but put on a good performance despite the cold, and gave a long interview to her fans and gave out tons of autographs.

I didn't get close enough to get a signature, but I did get nudged into buying her new album, 我們會更好的, which is pretty nice.

A month with the Galaxy

OK, it's been about a month, so I think it's time for my review of the Samsung Galaxy S2 (screen cap taken above). So how has using this dual-core android 2.3.5 beast been? Let me give you a rundown.

I like:

Using the phone has been mostly a treat. Here's a list of the good points I've found so far.

1. The hardware: The screen is absolutely brilliant, and tho it is 4.3" the slim bezel makes the phone pretty easy to hold on to, and the right side position of the power button is just perfect for left handed holding. The glass on it is also gorilla glass, and it does well in durability tests, so not having to worry about breakage is a nice comfort.
2. The little extras: Samsung's TouchWis interface may not be for everyone (I dumped it and loaded LauncherPro after a week, much better), but 2 little features they added to the phone are really nice. First, as you can see in the pic to the right, when you pull down the notification bar, it also has a spot to turn on or off various settings, like Wi-Fi and GPS. Not having to keep a widget loaded to do that stuff is nice. Samsung also copied borrowed the screen capture feature on iPhones - just push home + power and you're taking pics.
3. The speed: this phone is fast. Tho still not as smooth as an iPhone 4S (me and a friend tested side-by-side), starting and transitioning between apps is quick and painless, and since I've been using it it hasn't bogged down or froze once.
4. Battery life: yes, it is pretty amazing. When I was using the pre-installed TouchWis interface I was getting a full day's usage with about 50% battery left when I go to bed, but now that I switched to LauncherPro it's even better. The lowest I've ever got it down to was 30% and that was after using maps, reading tons of shit, and watching videos while in bad reception.
5. Wi-Fi: this deserves special mention. I just went on a trip to Taipei and when I got to the hotel I turned on Wi-Fi for the 1st time. And holy crap, does it connect fast. Not only does it find hotspots quickly it logs in to remembered spots almost instantaneously, waay faster than my old HTC Desire, and much faster than when I was using an iPhone 3GS.

I don't like:

If that was all there is to the phone, I'd say get one now, immediately. But, alas there are a few little quirks I've found that make it not quite so perfect.

1. The GPS: Um, does this phone even have a real GPS chip? In Japan when using my cell signal + GPS it seems to work OK, tho still not as quickly or as accurately as my Desire. But the Galaxy's GPS failed me a few days ago, in a situation where it was really needed. I was in Taipei, a little lost and tired and wanting to go back to the hotel. I pull out my Galaxy and check the maps. No can do. I sit and sit under the clear night sky and can never get a location. Meanwhile my friend next to me pulls out his iPhone 4 and we get a bearing almost instantly. And note: neither one of us had a data connection and were both working on cached maps. This is kind of a huge letdown because my Desire never had a problem with this. I'm hoping an update can fix it.
2. The strange signal failures: This is kind of an odd problem. It doesn't happen a lot, but it does happen every once in a while. It says I have a data connection, but it just won't do anything. I can't download anything and can't send or recieve email. If I turn on airplane mode and then switch the data back on it always fixes it. Odd. And irritating.
3. The phone is slick: no, I don't mean performance-wise (tho it is). I mean the phone is physically slippery, to the point that I was afraid enough that I might huff the phone just by pulling it out of my pocket that I went and got a grippy cover for it. Which kind of irritates me since personally I prefer to let my phones run naked and free, like God intended them to be.

But that's about it. OK, I should also mention that while the camera seems nice, it isn't as good as the iPhone 4S's cam... but that's not a huge one.

Overall, I have to say it's a great phone. And I would recommend it 100% to anyone wanting a high-end android handset that also can last through the day without having to plug it in to a wall.

I also think every other android maker has to start adding in features like Samsung has in the pull-down menu. That one little menu above the notifications bar saves tons and tons of time in actual usage, and really is a spot where Samsung shows their design skills.

Game of the Week - Princess Punt

OK, I usually don't talk about mobile games or apps, but this one is too good to go without mentioning.

The game is called Princess Punt (Kerihime Quest in Japanese - ケリ姫クェスト), and it's just damn fun.

At first glance it may seem like another cheap copy of Angry Birds, but it's so much more. It has good artwork, nice RPG-like elements, and a simple funny story.

The game can be summed up simply: you play a princess on her quest to find Prince Charming, but along the way a bunch of ugly enemies stand in your way. So what do you do? You find a hero to punt at the enemies and chop them down.

Your hero starts as a swordsman, but equip a bow on him and he becomes an archer. Put a wand in his hand and he's a mage. As you find new equipment you unlock new classes and new ways to battle your foes.

The game is free (for at least the first 5 areas I believe), so download it now on the android market.

Japan CM of the week

A Mitsuya Cider commercial featuring the always great, always beautiful Keiko Kitagawa (北川景子).

Hey Moon!

It looks like the clouds are coming in to blanket the moon like that. Kinda cool.

Japan CM of the week - Katsunori

I'm not sure exactly why, but I just dig this commercial. OK actually I do know. It's a rare chance to see Katsunori Takahashi (高橋克典) acting like a goofball.

He may be unknown in the US, but he's a damn good actor, usually doing serious stuff like Akuto - Serious Crimes Unit (悪党〜重犯罪捜査班), a series I highly recommend that's kind of like a Japanese version of the Shield.


Click here to see more of Hagoromo's commercials.

Pakuri Tengoku... Japan (?)

There are only two things you can count on when watching Japanese TV.

1. Every variety program, if left without a main topic for more than a few weeks, will eventually turn into a show where you watch talents eating food, exclaiming how awesome it all is.
2. Every news program seems to be required by law to do a special on Chinese fakes, usually with the subtitle 中国：パクリ天国？ (China - Ripoff Kingdom?)

For the most part I have to agree with them. Just walking around China and you're sure to find a bunch of fakes (this pic is from Hong Kong - and while it's not an exact ripoff you get the idea).

But then again, walk around Tokyo and you can find the same thing. Maybe not as blatantly, but head back into Ameyoko in Ueno and you'll definitely see stacks of Rorex watches among other obvious fakes on sale. It has gotten a lot better - when I first got Japan you could find fakes near just about any major station and now you really have to look - but they're still there.

Listening to the news programs, you hear all the time about the billions of dollars lost to people buying fakes, and so on and so on, but is that really the case?

What I mean is, is China's seeming propensity (according to the news) to copy everything in retail and as a government turn a blind eye to it, actually so bad?

I don't think so. And there are 3 simple reasons.

1. Not every fake sold is a a loss for the real maker. Just because you have some guy in China buying an iPhone 5 (?) that looks a lot like the real iPhone 4S before it went on sale, doesn't mean that guy would've bought a real Apple phone instead had the fake not existed. He probably couldn't afford it, and if he could, he would've bought the real thing, because half the point of owning luxury products is to show off that you have them. No one feels proud showing off a fake Rorex on your wrist - you feel like a dumbass.
   
2. Fakes are free advertising. When someone sees a fake Gucci bag and how cool it is, what do they yearn for? A fake of their own? I don't think so. They want the real thing. If they never have enough money to get one they won't buy one anyway, so the fake didn't hurt the real company. But if they do get enough money they buy the real one - meaning Gucci just benefitted from the fake. The same is true of any item.
   
   Apple has complained a lot about Samsung and others copying the iPhone (to the point of suing them), but it's the same thing in many ways. When someone sees a cool-ass Samsung Galaxy (which I own, and to me does feel in many ways like an iPhone imitation - I won't go so far as to say copy), what do they think in their mind, if they don't know anything about phones? I know they don't think man, I need that cool Samsung Galaxy. What they're thinking is man, I need a smartphone. And to people new to the market the biggest selling item defines the category - hence the Galaxy becomes an advertisement for an iPhone because it's the one they see ads on TV for and it is the best known model.
   
3. A fake that stimulates the market benefits everyone. Take Meizu. It started out making blatant copies of iPhones. But their newer products now are better in some ways than the real thing. Being one-upped by a "fake" has got to hurt, and it forces Apple and the other top dogs to keep going. The Meizu now is a really high end phone that's got enough of it's own direction that you can't really even call it a fake.
   
   But even with outright copies, the existence of these cheap fakes make more and more people able to buy them. This makes the market grow, often in areas where there was no market to begin with (China didn't get iPhones for 2 years but fakes were floating around since almost the get go). And as in any industry, the bigger the market, the more the top players benefit.

Ok, so this post has gotten a bit long now, so I'll wrap it up. Are fakes a problem? When they take away from actual sales, yes. But I've heard several times on Japanese TV that fakes are going to eventually kill the Chinese economy. Sounds like a lot of crying about something that isn't that big of a problem. IMO if anything the "holy shit fakes are ruining the economy" crowd should instead focus on game, movie and music piracy - which tho also very highly overblown, is a problem but also one that can be addressed.

Japan TV program of the season

This is the opening of Shinya Shokudo (深夜食堂, season 2), now airing on TBS Tuesday after midnight. It's now in the second season, and it's well worth watching if you have the chance.

The show is about an all night eatery in Shinjuku - Tokyo's old entertainment district, that was once the place to hang out, but is now seen as kind of shady and shabby, where you go to get away from the world, maybe find a hooker or a pachinko parlor, and drink your time away.

The proprietor of the little bar/restaurant (played by Kaoru Kobayashi) is a friendly guy who seems to know everyone, and is probably ex-yakuza. Kobayashi plays the part well, giving the owner of the shop (known only as "Master"), a nice laid back feeling. You get the idea he's seen a lot and knows how to deal with all kinds of people, and he frequently can be seen giving simple life lessons to the pimps, dancing girls, wandering musicians and others who stop in.

Shinya Shokudo is only a half hour long per episode, but it is shot with an exactness and attention to timing and scenes that it feels like you've been watching it longer. The night city scenery is also shot with a crispness and high quality that really draws you in.

And... I just like the show. It reminds me of a different Japan that I wish I'd seen, but now doesn't really exist.