So here's my updated "Christmas" wishlist... just in time for Christmas! Hahaha, as I've said in my last wishlist entry, this is really for fun -- I don't expect anybody reading
this to buy me anything. I mean, I'm already so happy and appreciative that you are taking the time to read this space... how could I ask for anything more? :) <3
But, just as I mentioned in my last entry, this could give you an idea of some things I like or some things that are currently on my radar. And just like last time, this wishlist is actually good for any gift-giving occasion, not just for Christmas. ;)
I'll mention items from the old blog that still applies, though I will remove all commentary. Check the old blog for commentary on them.
The Always-Good-for-Me-Gifts
Now these gifts are always appreciated because I use / consume these throughout the year.
From the old blog: -Chapters gift card -Amazon gift card -Cineplex gift card -PSN game card
-Potato Chips (nothing cheese-flavoured or spicy / hot)
-USB Keys / Memory-Storing Devices
NEW: -Final Fantasy XIV time cards: Well, until I stop playing the game, I will always need to be in-stock of this, hahaha. I don't feel very comfortable having the subscription charged to my credit card. Plus, it makes it easier for me to take short breaks when the subscription runs out. -Nintendo eShop cards: Now with more games being only released digitally, I need this. Also, I like getting those nifty 3DS themes every now and then. The 3DS themes I have so far and really like are: -AA [Ace Attorney] Trilogy Main Characters -Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker Theme -Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
The Easy-But-Lazy-to-Get
These
items I will most likely get myself down the line -- the big question
is when. And the problem is if I hold out for too long, these could become rare and hard to get. From the old blog: -Persona 4 Arena artbook -Shining Force Feather artbook
NEW:
-Yo-Kai Watch (3DS): I actually thought I had this pre-ordered, but I guess I forgot. Woops, hahaha. I really do want to experience this and see why Japan is crazy about this series.
-Iron Man 1 movie (Blu-Ray or DVD):
I know it's been out for a long time now, but I still haven't picked it up. And I've been kinda itching to watch it again. Out of the three, I like Iron Man 1 the most. Iron Man is still my favourite Avenger. :) (GOT!)
-Dark Pit amiibo: I think he is the last amiibo that I really, really want. Pit just looks cool, hahaha.
The Easy-to-Find-But-Expensive
So this list is really more to remind me of what I still want to get for myself. I never expect anybody to get these for me, unless it came from a group of people.
From the old blog: -Good, warm gloves -Wii U -A good microphone
-Black Lagoon soundtrack
NEW:
-Levi PVC figure: After watching Season 1 of Attack on Titan, I really wanted a figure of Levi -- particularly the one pictured above. It's done by Sentinel.
-Mikasa Ackerman PVC figure: Ditto with Mikasa. I love her character so much! <3 And just like with Levi, I particularly want the figure that's pictured above. It's done by Good Smile Company.
-Persona 3 The Movie #2 Midsummer Knight's Dream Blu-Ray: I placed this here because paying $60 US for a Blu-Ray is -- well -- expensive! On top of that, I don't think any Canadian retailers carry this (correct me if I am wrong!) so I'll have to get it from the US, which means paying shipping plus customs on top of that $60 US price tag. Yup. Expensive! Hahaha. (GOT!)
-A good external computer hard drive: I've been running out of space on my computer for a while now, so this would be really welcomed, hahaha.
The Hard-to-Find
This list will probably always be pretty short. I'm usually on top of getting whatever rare stuff I want that gets released, so long as I can afford it and am aware of its existence.
From the old blog: -Kazuma Kaneko Works III Art Book
NEW:
-Seirei no Moribito soundtracks: There are some really lovely tunes from this anime series --tunes that I wouldn't mind listening to over and over again. Here, have a listen to one of its tracks:
Shikou no Yari.
I really like its intensity.
And *sigh*, the CDs have been out-of-print for a long time. Fingers crossed that I find this during my trip in Japan next year! ><
-Persona Q-themed 3DS XL: Well, it is hard-to-find for me, since it was never released in Canada. And the US retailers won't ship it to Canada (correct me if I'm wrong!), so... I'm pretty much stuck. :( And, as always, Time is still the best gift of all for me.
Being able to create a lovely memory with those I care about -- sharing that Life between us -- it's just priceless. <3 Thanks for reading! What sort of things are on your wishlist this year? Feel free to comment about anything, and have a great week! :)
Language(s) Watched: Japanese with English subtitles; English Dub Licensed? (As of this entry): YES
Genre(s): Comedy, Family, Science Fiction, Action
Overall Impression: It was a very refreshing movie. I highly recommend it!
SPOILER ALERT WARNING!!
This
review will contain some spoilers -- or rather, there will be a
"Spoilers" section at the end of the review to go into further detail
about certain things. There may still be slight spoilers throughout the
review, but I've tried my best to keep them at a minimum.
PERSONAL STANDING (Pre-exposures, thoughts, etc.)
I actually knew almost nothing about this title. It was on sale about 3-4 years ago during Rightstuf's Holiday Sale, and I bought it after reading a brief synopsis and seeing the generally high ratings on Anime News Network. I don't know -- sometimes that's all it takes for me to decide to take the plunge and try something new. One amusing thing is that the synopsis I remember reading on Anime News Network all those years ago was very different from the actual movie. I... probably read the synopsis to another anime and thought it was for Summer Wars, haha.
STORY
In Summer Wars, Kenji Koiso agrees to help Natsuki Shinohara as Natsuki's relatives gather from all over to celebrate Great-Grandmother's 90th birthday. While there, disaster strikes as the online social network Oz is hacked into, interfering with their celebration plans, and ultimately, endangering the world. More happens, but I will leave it at that. I'll just say that the story, while not what I was expecting, was engaging and interesting.
THE WORLD OF OZ
Welcome to Oz!
Oz is the online world in Summer Wars. I think if such a place existed in real life, I'd probably end up spending a good chunk of my time on there. Besides being able to customize your avatar in what looks like to be a thousand different ways and having access to so much information and services, the idea that any language could be instantly translated to your language -- breaking down what I think is one of the largest communication barriers -- is soo cool.
Showcasing some of the customization options for an avatar in Oz.
ITS REFRESHING TONE
To me, Summer Wars was very refreshing. I think it's due to the overall plot, the characters, and the general lightness in the movie. Even during the hard moments, I still had this small feeling that things will still be okay (I will mention why I feel that in the "Spoilers" section). Also to me, there was this subtlety in character expressions and reactions that felt very genuine. When they were sad or happy, I really felt it. I don't know if I am explaining this properly. It's like... I just felt this light, calm, freeing sensation when watching the movie.
PACING
The first time I watched Summer Wars, I thought the pacing was a bit slow. When I watched it for a second time, I thought the pacing was good. Something is always happening in there.
ANIMATION
I just have to say that the animation is great. The action sequences are so fluid and the little touches to a character's expression (like when a character blushes) are really nice.
CHARACTERS
There are a ton of characters in Summer Wars, the main main ones being Kenji, Natsuki, Sakae (the Great-Grandmother), Sakuma (Kenji's friend), and Kazuma (Natsuki's relative). While not every character gets super-developed, many have their own distinct flair and are generally likeable. I think most of the movie's charm comes from the characters interacting with each other because they are different and carry their own opinions and values.
MUSIC
I love the music in Summer Wars. It's a mix of traditional-sounding symphonic pieces, slow piano, and techno, industrial-feeling numbers. All the tracks did a very good job at enhancing the emotion / atmosphere for their respective scene.
Below are a couple of tracks that I really, really like. I've also listed a couple more tracks in the "Spoilers" section.
"King Kazma"
I really like the first 43 seconds.
"Everyone's Courage"
It's so beautiful.
JAPANESE / ENGLISH DUBBING
I think both the Japanese dubbing and English dubbing are done well. So... feel free to choose whichever dubbing you prefer -- either choice should be satisfactory.
SUMMER WARS AND THE MANGA
I
actually haven't read the manga, so I can't comment on this. I'm just
leaving this as a placeholder until I do (if I ever get the chance!).
BLU-RAY EXTRA CONTENT
There were some extra content on the Blu-Ray version. It's most likely on the DVD version as well, but I can't say for sure.
I am going to say as a blanket statement that the interviews with the voice actors were interesting. They are short enough to check out and all the interviews are English subtitled. One really neat thing was that they showed many clips of the voice actors actually working so you get to see their working environment and what they saw on-screen while delivering their lines. I really liked seeing the clips where almost all the voice actors were present to voice a scene with all the family members. Sooo many people in one room, hahaha.
I have no comments about the Trailers and TV spots.
Interview with Ryunosuke Kamiki (Kenji Koiso) (6 mins) -- He gets pretty animated when voice-acting.
Interview with Nanami Sakuraba (Natsuki Shinohara) (2 mins) -- This was Nanami's first time voice-acting.
Interview with Mitsuki Tanimura (Kazuma Ikezawa) (5 mins) -- I didn't know that Kazuma was voiced by a female, though I am not surprised.
Interview with Ayumu Saito (Wabisuke Jinnouchi) (3 mins) -- This was Ayumu's first time voice-acting, and he was asked to do it.
Interview with Sumiko Fuji (Sakae Jinnouchi [Grandma]) (5.5 mins) -- It was neat when Sumiko spoke about the differences in delivering lines when voice-acting and delivering lines when live-acting.
Interview with Mamoru Hosada (Director) (13 mins) -- This interview was okay. The first half was about film festivals, and the second half was a light comparison between his previous work, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Summer Wars.
Teaser Trailer (1.5 mins)
Teaser TV Spot (0.5 mins)
Original Trailer (2 mins)
Original TV Spots (2 mins)
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Summer Wars is a really lovely movie. If you are looking for something light and refreshing, watch this, hahaha. I just gotta say -- for the longest time, I've wanted to learn how to play Hanafuda. After watching Summer Wars, I really wanted to learn! And just for fun, I'll list some touching moments in the "Spoilers" section.
Thanks for reading! If you want some more input about something I didn't cover, feel free to ask. :)
So I'll do the scrolly thing and the
"Spoilers" section will appear after that. Then I'll add some more
scrolly things after the "Spoilers" section in case anybody wants to
comment, but not see the spoilers.
Even during the hard moments, I still had this small feeling that things will still be okay.
I probably didn't have to put this in the "Spoilers" section but I'd rather you watch the movie and come to your own conclusions first. Even during the hard moments, I still had this small feeling that things will still be okay... because the characters are there for each other. This theme of family unity and support -- of being there for each other -- I really like it. I kinda think this is also why I think Summer Warsis refreshing. I don't remember watching any other anime that focused so much on the strong bond of family.
I've also listed a couple more tracks.
I put these tracks here because I'd rather you hear these tracks as they were incorporated in the movie first. I think hearing it before watching the movie could take away from the track's impact on the scene.
"150 Million Miracles"
This is so nice. Sooo uplifting.
"Bokura no Natsu no Yume" by Tatsuro Yamashita
This is the ending theme, and _yes_ I think it's best to hear this track first where it's placed in the movie (at the end, hahaha). I love this song so much. After watching the movie I went online and
ordered the CD single. I want to try karaoking to this!! <3
And just for fun, I'll list some touching moments.
-When Sakae passed away and Natsuki was asking Kenji to help make the tears go away.
-When Natsuki was facing Love Machine and wagered her family.
-When Natsuki was down to 74 accounts against Love Machine and then a random German user offered his account, which led to millions of users all around the world offering their accounts. Just the idea of strangers putting their faith and trust in somebody else and the idea of global unity -- it really gets to me. :')
That's it for the spoilers. Thanks again for reading and feel
free to comment :D
So
2 days ago (Nov. 6), it was the 4th anniversary of me with this blogging space! Wooot!!I never posted a 3rd anniversary entry last year since I felt I didn't deserve to celebrate it (I was often way too busy with FFXIV to blog much and I didn't like that). Even though I wasn't very active for the first half this year, I think I've been making up for it, so now I can really say "Kudos to me for still blogging!" Hahaha.
I know I've mentioned this before, but I'm usually not very good with doing routine tasks. So me still blogging is something I can feel proud of, especially since it's something I enjoy. Even though I don't get to write much these days, I still love it. So to follow the "tradition" set from the 1st year and 2nd yearentries, here are some of the entries I either took extra pride in or deeply enjoyed writing. I am also going to include some entries from last year. FROM 2014-2015 Kingsmen: Secret Service movie review I think I did a really good job of expressing my love for this movie (and for Harry Hart, hahahaha ;)). My marriages in FFXIV I was pretty worried about sharing my view on marriage, since I don't think it lines up with the "social norm". I'm glad and a bit proud of myself for expressing it in the end. Favourite quotes/moments from Odin Sphere Odin Sphere is one of my favourite video games, so I had lots of fun gushing about it! Fan Expo Canada 2015 blog I think it'd be a sad day if I ever blogged about Fan Expo, and I didn't enjoy blogging about it!
Kodocha: Sana's Stage manga review When I think of this blog, I remember all the love I put into it. This series totally needs to get re-licensed and re-printed. Or the anime needs to get re-booted and follow the manga more closely. I think the world needs more stories like this, hahaha. Some things I'm thankful for blog I really like that I get to really thank my readers here. :)
FROM 2013-2014 My "Christmas" wishlist This was really fun to do. I should make an updated wishlist entry in the future -- though Time will always --always -- be the best gift for me. :) My blathering on my singledom I like how I properly expressed what I was going through after my last relationship (please remember that this was written in early 2014, so it doesn't include relationships I may have gotten into afterwards). Being "one with being alone"... I don't think I'm fully there yet... but then again, I view my being single slightly differently now. I don't think being "one with being alone" is a goal for me anymore. Haha, maybe I'll elaborate on this in the future. My thoughts on time and time travel I think I did a good job expressing my views on time and time travel. I'm still waiting for my friend to beat some knowledge into me about it, hahaha. My day without FFXIV I just really liked spouting about Daigasso! Band Brothers DX. I wish that the 3DS was region-free so I could importDaigasso! Band Brothers P, the next game. I want more random exposures to Japanese music!! lol Mushi-Shi (First season) anime review I think I did a really good job here. Ioften find myself re-reading this entry.
Fan Expo Canada 2014 blog Umm... read my comment on Fan Expo Canada 2015. This will be kinda my staple blog to call out for these anniversary entries. ALL my blogs on Japan! Going to Japan was like a dream come true!
I still have places to check out, like the Ghibli museum, more video game-themed food places, viewing the sakura falling (yes -- falling. I want to see the sakura falling more than see the sakura in full bloom)... and I'll get my chance next year! Yes, I'm planning to go back to Japan next year <3.
If you ever would like to suggest something for me to blog about, feel free to let me know! On the right side is a Contact Form box thing that will go straight to my e-mail (it does not get posted on the site or anything). It's been there for a long time, but I keep forgetting to mention it.
Thanks again and have a good rest of the weekend! I'm gonna go celebrate -- by playing video games and watching anime! Hehehe :)
Before I start this blog, I'd like to say "Congrats!" to myself. Including my end-of-month blogs, this is my 200th entry. Woot! Next week I will have another thing to celebrate, haha.
GENJI SUSHI
Location:2899 Steeles Avenue West, North York, Ontario (close to Keele & Steeles) Google Map
Price Range (for a main dish): Mid-High (Around $10-$20 for lunch sets; California Rolls: $5.95; Dynamite Rolls: $9.95; Salmon Sashimi [3 pieces]: $4.95)
Restaurant Size: Small
Recommend? Yes
Brief Impression
Well, this impression has been long overdue. I've actually visited Genji Sushi multiple times now and my sister even made a custom order with them for her bridal shower. All-in-all, I've been satisfied every time.
The decor is kind of like any other sushi place -- wooden tables, wooden chairs, wooden other things -- but it is nice and has an elegant touch.
From what I've tried, the food is very yummy! The adjectives that often pop in my mind are: light, fresh, smooth, yummy (of course, lol). Often when I visit I order their maki so I can't comment on their other items like u-don, donburi, teriyakis, etc. One of my favourite items is their kani salad (crab salad).
There is no question I would visit them again. I kinda wish they were situated more downtown since then I'd be able to go more often.
(Some of) What I Ate / Drank ...
Kani Salad -- I love this dish! It is so smooth and delicious. This is one of my staple orders when I visit. Salmon Sushi Pizza -- This was really good! Dynamite Roll -- This was really good, too!
Kani salad. This is sooo yummy! The serving size is a bit too much
for me, though, so I always have to share it when I get it.
WVRST
Location:609 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario (close to Bathurst & King St. W.) Google Map
Price Range (for a main dish): Low-Mid -- ($6.50-$9 for the sausage; $3.5-$8 for the fries)
Restaurant Size: Small
Recommend? Yes
Brief Impression
WVRST has a communal / cafeteria-like atmosphere. Most of the dining area is made up of long rows of tables and benches. There are also a few separate tables, but I think they are mainly used for reservations (somebody please correct me if I am wrong). When you come in, you don't get seated -- you can pretty much sit anywhere that has an open spot.
When I first entered the place, two employees handed me a menu and explained how to order (I told them it was my first time there). When you know what you want, you go to the cashier and make your order. You also pay there. Then you are given a number and your food will be brought to you. There is also a bar area if you wanted to order any booze.
While I'm not a big fan of a communal atmosphere (you know -- because I'm shy and don't meet people very well), I do like that I can sit wherever I want. Even after sitting down, I can move to another spot if I wanted to. That also means, though, that if you come in with a group, somebody should stay sitting while the rest orders food so nobody swoops in and commandeers your spot.
Food-wise, WVRST pretty much offers sausages, fries, a few sides, and ice cream. It doesn't seem like much but there are many varieties for the sausages, and there are a lot of dipping sauces to go with the fries. I have no comments on the bar area, but according to their website, they seem to offer a variety of ciders and craft beers.
I have to say that there is some noise level. Unless I'm going deaf, I found it difficult to have a conversation at my regular volume.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience at WVRST and would totally go back.
What I Ate / Drank... Danger Dog with Currywvrst -- I think this is a standard beef sausage wrapped in bacon. The currywvrst is some piece of bread with tomato curry sauce. The sausage was okay. I really liked the bacon and curry sauce. Duck Fat Fries -- I honestly don't know how to compare this to regular fries. It kinda tastes like regular fries, but with some added smoothness and saltiness. I can say that I really enjoyed it. I ordered it with honey dill sauce, which was an interesting flavour.
The Danger Dog with Currywvrst. I was kind of expecting this to be a hot dog, but I guess this is how it's presented with Currywvrst. I really enjoyed the tomato curry sauce.
Thanks for reading! If you have any comments or want to know more about anything, feel free! :)
