Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Stuff I've been doing!

I've been dealing with mental illness, which is always fun.  I've been playing Pokemon White.  I've been getting into a new religion, an earth religion with chanting and meditation that's really been helping me.  I just got the new Lady Gaga album yesterday (squeee!). I discovered tumblr (my name is Himemiya, add me!).  I've been reading YA books about dystopian societies (Wither by Lauren DeStephano is so awesome, you should all check it out!).  I've been reading and highlighting and taking notes in my new-religion books, practicing for school in the fall.  I might be a peer support specialist at a place that does Psycho-Social Rehabilitation (classes, outings, socializing, ect for people with mental illnesses).  I currently go there :D

I hope to get back into the "Things I Like" series soon, and make some vlogs ^_^  I missed you guys!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Things I don't like: feeling bad

I haven't updated in months, so I thought I'd give a quick update.

I have a few mental illnesses.  They kind of wrap themselves around each other.  I'm in a therapy program thingie, and going back to school soon.  My school goal is to not drop any classes - which is why I only signed up for two.  There isn't a magic pill, you have to work to "get better", and honestly a lot of people never get better. 

I've updated my vlog some, but nothing exciting.  I really like vlogging, I've tried doing it every day in the spring (fail lol) My latest video is informative (talking about the game Guild Wars), but I'm so down-sounding I want to re-record it.  I'm also on Poupee Girl a lot.

Anyway, so that's what I've been doing.  I'll be moving my inspiration board closer to the computer in the next few days, and will blog more :)  I hope you're still here when I do!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Anime Conventions!

A Lolita blogger I read (Miss Lumpy) talked about Anime Boston in a recent article, and since I’m going to a con for the first time in a few years, I thought I’d talk about anime conventions! Beware, this is a long article.

My con of choice and the one I’ve been to most often is Animazement in Raleigh, NC (USA). I’ve gone for 5 years (not in order - I skipped it for Otakon in 2004), and am very excited to say I’m returning!! It’ll be the first time since 2006 I’ve been, and the last con I went to was in 2007 I think. So I’ve been out of the circuit for a while. The conventions I’ve been to are Animazement, Otakon, Anime Weekend Atlanta, and AnimeUSA (I’m in North Carolina). I’ve gone to two cons a year but never more than that.

I’m so excited about the convention and cosplay and planning and … what? You’ve never been to a convention? Well let me tell you a bit about them!

There are many, many, many anime conventions around the world (here’s a map from animecons.com) And if you live in the US, it’s very probable that there’s a con at least 4-5 hours from you (which sounds like a lot, but lots of people travel further! I have a friend coming to Animazement from NYC!) Anime conventions are on the weekend for 3 days (Fri-Sun) 90% of the time (Anime Expo is 4 days I think, and some cons have pre-con events the night before). They usually officially ‘start’ with opening ceremonies around noon or one pm.

Every anime con has a program, which lists every little thing and what time it is. VERY IMPORTANT!!
Every anime con has a registration fee which is $30-$60 depending on how early you pre-register or if you pay at the door. Every convention will have a weekend badge, and every convention will have a 1 day badge.

There’s lots of things at cons, like guests, panels, Dealers room, artist alley, viewing rooms, AMV contest, cosplay contest, rave/dance… maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.

GUESTS! Members of the industry! Directors, voice actors, producers, authors, very cool people of both English and Japanese versions of anime/manga! They’ll have a panel about getting into voice acting to a signing session, usually both. The Japanese guests have translators of course!

PANELS! Usually they run for an hour. They can be anything from creating a fan forum to “History of [type of] anime” to learning silly dances - I don’t know, everything and anything! About a half to 2/3rds of panels are run by fans. I ran a panel on Jpop girl groups a long time ago, which filled the room! I’d love to do something similar some day.

Dealers Room/Artists Alley! One is people from the industry or anime stores or music stores selling official goods (Cds, art books, phone straps, manga); one is fan made everything! (fan-made comics of established anime/manga called doujinshi, original content, fanart, sometimes lolita accessories. Bring your wallet.

Anime cons have a constant stream of anime running in several suites on a big screen (hence my name, viewing rooms). There's a lot of different types, be sure to check this out!

AMV contest! AMV stands for Anime Music Video, and it's made by slicing pieces of anime into one short video with a music background instead of dialogue. The competition is seriously fierce!

COSPLAY CONTEST!! THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART!! The cosplay contest is usually a bunch of skits made by groups of fans to show off their costume and do something cute or funny relating to the anime/game/manga/whatever. Usually comedy, and apparently more dancing in recent years, make this a great thing to go to - or be in! I've been in the cosplay 3 years (My group got 3rd place in our division one year! I have the certificate on my wall!), and it was the best time I've had at a con. I want to be in a cosplay at this Animazement, but want to slide in and not have that stress. GO TO THIS, IT IS SO GREAT!!

Usually a con will have a rave/dance/thing where you can get your boogie on to some serious Jpop/rock!

What anime cons have you been to? Do you hate anime and would never go to one?

Next post will be about how to get ready for a con, and the one after that will be about cosplay!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Vloggy vlog March 26, 2010



I have no idea why it cuts off 1/4th the screen x_x

Friday, March 19, 2010

Things I Like: Pokemon Heart Gold!

image from play-asia.com

So a new/old pokemon came out on Sunday - The original older ones were called "Gold" and "Silver", the re-releases with updated graphics and touchscreen DS-y stuff are "Heart Gold" and "Soul Silver".  I know very little about the pokemon games.  Each game has a "legendary pokemon" (Ho-Oh and Lugia). There's a few pokemon you can get in one that you can't in the other (and vice versa), but other than that I have no idea why they released the two.  I think the maps and people are the same... I don't know.  I probably shouldn't blog about something I know so little about, right?

I got Heart Gold, and am currently running around the Johto region looking for local pokemon to catch and leveling my party - you can catch as many as can fill the huge amount of space in your 'pokemon storage', but you only play with 6 pokemon at a time.  Mine currently are Totodile (the water pokemon you can start with), Rattata (purple rat), HootHoot (owl that stands on one foot), Sentret (squirrel thing that stands on its tail), An Onyx named "Rocky" (I traded for him), and TOGEPI! I LOVE TOGEPI!!  Except he's only level 1 right now so I can't fight him.  I haven't put him in the pokewalker yet to level him.

source unknown

Oh! The pokewalker!  It's a pedometer decorated like a pokeball.  You use wifi to put a pokemon "in" the walker (think tamagotchi), and as you walk around, it gets stronger!!  How cool is that!  I wear mine around the house too, you'd never guess how many steps you take just walking around from room to room!  You can also unlock new 'routes' to walk in, find berries, and even find pokemon (though I'm not sure how to do the last bit).

When I find out more about the history of pokemon, I'll do another post :D  Thanks for reading my ramble-y posts!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Things I Like: Poupeegirl

Awaiting at http://pupe.ameba.jp is a japanese-translated-into-english doll dressup site.  Poupee means doll in french (or something), and is not pronounced "poo-pee girl" (I say it that way anyway).  On the sidebar is my poupeegirl named Himemiya - the widget makes her outfit change when I change it on the website.  The goal of the site is basically to upload pictures of your real wardrobe, and have a 'closet' other people can look through and say good things about your awesome rose-shaped mirror (or whatever XD)

To get new clothes you can do one of six things; earn ribbons from being commented on, commenting on other's real pictures, or uploading a picture; upload a picture (you get a free clothing item per upload, sometimes very bad items); using shells (which you get randomly for going to someone's 'home'

... you know what?  This is getting complicated.  Check out the site, check out the livejournal community , have fun with it!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Things I Like: Flip Video camera

Let me start by saying that I was not paid by anyone to do this entry, I just really like this product.

Ok I've only had this thing for like a week, and I have like 20 small videos of my pets alone (I want to do a music video!!) I've wanted one for a while, and decided to get one when I got my new computer. It was on sale! It was destiny!

A Flip Video camera, or Flipcam as I call it, is a small camcorder with memory instead of tapes. To put the videos on your computer, you just pull down a button, and a USB 'flip's out to put straight into your laptop. I have cords so I can flip it straight into the USB plug that's connected to the USB on the front of my comp.

It's a little bit bigger than the size of my phone or a digital camera, so it fits into my pocket or purse :D The case it came with is a very tight piece of fabric (bleh) so I need to buy a case or make a case or something, I don't like it not having protection. Currently when in my purse it is housed in a sock ^_^;

Here's what mine looks like (this is not my picture, it's from a website called squidoo.com)

See the thing on the side?  Pull down that button thing and the USB arm flips out! 

I totally recommend going to an electronics store and playing with this thing, I love it.  There's also a non-HD version, but I figured as long as I'm getting one, might as well be the nicer one right?

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Vloggy Vlog



I need to add more time at the end so it won't cut off my "See ya later, bye!" x_x

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Things I Like: Anime part 2

This entry will be about my favorite anime!

Some Classic Shoujo - Sailor Moon is a favorite of mine (if any shoujo fan says they didn't like it, they're lying); Card Captor Sakura (Oh Tomoe, your unrequited love with Sakura is so cute!); Magic Knight Rayearth (I've never seen the whole thing, but I just ordered the whole series woohoo!)

Revolutionary Girl Utena - My favorite anime ever!  Roses and honor and duels and girls fighting - how can yo go wrong?  It's about this girl (Utena) who finds herself in the middle of a dueling game to win possession of - a girl, Anthy!  Utena protects her and more drama unfolds!  I like Anthy because I think she's a lot smarter than one would think.

Ikkitousen - So not shoujo.  Ok, it's a little ecchi, but I really like this show!  Minus the exploding shirts and panty flashes, there's a really good story. It's a fighting anime set in modern day japan, where schools have politics which rule the region. Students advertise themselves as fighters with a magatama stone earring (it looks like half of a ying-yang) it's based on the 12 kingdoms stories - fighters challenge each other with the power of a previous life.  I like it because girls fight (and win!) and not to save the world or their boyfriends.

Escaflowne
- Classic! My second real anime ever.  I started watching it right before Gundam Wing came out on toonami.  It features Hitomi, a girl with fortune telling ability. Hitomi gets channeled to a different world called Gaia, where they refer to earth as The Mystic Moon.  There's fantasy, sci-fi, some mechs (woot for steampunk Mechs!) and even a little romance.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
- I. Am. Haruhi.  I run around looking for people to join my club.  I convince other members to do activities.  I get bored easily,  And I am some sort of god.  Ok, not the last part.  This show is told from the male lead's perspective, Kyon.  We watch all of Haruhi's antics from the outside!  Also in the show is some sci-fi stuff, but don't tell Haruhi.

Others I love:
My-HiME - Girls with magical skills and weapons fighting evil!  Lots of drama!  I love it.  It has a sequel, My Otome, but I don't like it as much.
Maria Watches Over Us - Schoogirls and beauty and student council and roses! But no magic or dueling this time, just school drama.
Pokemon - ... don't ask.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Things I Like: Anime part 1

Things I Like: Anime (part 1)

I've been into anime for about 10 years now, and every time I'm like "oh I've grown out of it" I get the urge to watch some more again.  I used to be all up on downloads episodes (I do not condone downloading shows that have been licensed), watching five or six series at a time that way.  But it's a lot of work, and everything now comes out in MKV files and neither of my computers play MKVs (I've tried every codec and file and nothing works, I think my comps are just too old), so that leaves me with streaming, which I haven't gotten into yet.

BUT! I've bought a lot of anime!  Not always when it first comes out, I usually buy the box set (easier to hold all the DVDs, less "omg where did I put disk four?!") I totally recommend RightStuf.com, they have better princes than... everywhere. And free shipping if you order over $50!  (rightstuf did not pay me to endorse them, I doubt they've seen my blog at all)  A trick I used a lot - instead of buying the expensive box set, first see if they're selling individual DVDs, how much they are, and if they have them all.  I got all of several series because the individual DVDs were cheaper than buying the box set (like $5-7 each).  I guess they're trying to get rid of individual DVDs so people will buy the box sets, and everythings going to bluray soon anyway.

SO!  Here is my collection!

titles L-R, using the english names unless they go by the japanese:

My Hime, Air, Ikkitousen, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Read Or Die the TV
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Maria Watches Over Us, The Gokusen
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Escaflowne, X, Princess Princess, FullMetal Alchemist, FMA movie, Azumanga Daioh, Rumbling Hearts, Genshiken, Kujibiki Unbalance, Lain, Howl's MovingCastle, Read Or Die oav
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Sailor Moon movie collection, Chobits, Sakura Wars movie, DiGi Charat, Paradise Kiss, Noir, Death Note, Ai Yori Aoshi, Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi, Nurse Witch Komugi, Haruhi first DVD box (I only have the first DVD, I can't decide if I should buy the other 2-3 or buy the box set)
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(Not really anime but on my shelf) Cosplay Encyclopedia, Suicide Club, L'arc~en~Ciel Live in USA (I WAS THERE!!!) Under17 concert, Morning Musume Green Live, Battle Royale 2 (I lost the first one), Moonchild (Gackt+Hyde=win), My Z Hime (My Otome), too much Pokemon

Here's some random bad artsy shots:
 
And here's Earl the cat on the shelves all my anime used to be on