Kalafina - new song "moonfesta～ムーンフェスタ～" for Minna no Uta

Cool!!!! Another new song has been announced for Kalafina. :)  I'm not sure if there will be a singles release but it's very possible since this is for Minna no Uta which has a very long history on NHK.  According to wikipedia, NHK started airing these short animated musical fillers since 1961 and I think it's really awesome that Kalafina will participate in Minna no Uta.

I personally really like Minna no Uta.  And like it's mentioned in the wiki, it's often mistaken for a children's program which isn't exactly true.  Minna no Uta isn't really a children's program since, to my knowledge, there is no fixed time slot for Minna no Uta.  What I do know about Minna no Uta is that it's a whole series of fillers which is sometimes aimed at children but isn't necessarily so. I've seen several of these fillers on NHK several times on my trips to Japan and I've seen them air in the mornings and at night.  To my knowledge, these fillers enjoy a fair bit of air-time which would be cool for Kalafina.  While the announce of this new song doesn't come with an announce of a singles release, what is heartening for Kalafina / Kajiura Yuki fans is that many, if not all, of the Minna no Uta songs have been released in some fashion before.  Some as singles and some in compilations of Minna no Uta songs.

While I'm not sure of the other releases, I know that I have had my eye on on of the Minna no Uta releases for the longest time but Kajiura Yuki / Kalafina / FJ have been taking my money so I've never felt that I could afford to get Ayako Ikeda's Kazoeuta single. :)  This is my favourite Minna no Uta song and this release comes with a dvd of the Minna no Uta PV.  For some reason, I really like this song.  I'm not sure why but it could be as simple as it being the first Minna no Uta filler I saw on tv on my first trip to Japan 4-5 years ago.

Aside from the happy news of more Kajiura Yuki and Kalafina, here are the pictures of the soon to be released "to the beginning" single from Kalafina. I got these from Amazon Japan.



The above pictures are the LE with DVD cover, the LE with Blu-Ray cover, the Standard Edition and the LE Fate/Zero Anime edition.

Okay... I really need to sleep now... gosh... it's 345am already... hopefully I will get to writing my Kajiura Yuki Live post later tonight.  Good night. :)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica KEY ANIMATION NOTE Vol.1 - review

I'm going to try and do this real quick since it's pretty late and I'm fading really fast.  I also have to wake up early to play table tennis before I head off to the studio to do some work.  Will then have to try and get my growing stack of Japanese homework done and also try and get the Kajiura Yuki Live Vol.8 post started tomorrow night.  So it's going to be another very busy day.  This will have to be picture heave and I will have to restrain myself from writing too much. :D

I picked this up from Manami in Japan.  I had asked her to help me buy before my recent trip because I wanted to safe on shipping but she very kindly gave it to me as a gift.  Really awesome of her. :)

Okay... let's cut to the chase.  This is the first of a series of six art / animation books  released by Magica Quartet for their hit anime series Mahou Shoujo Madoka. This is unlike the Production Note (link is to my unboxing post) that was released last year. That was more like an artbook and included concept art, sketches, final artwork etc.  The Key Animation Note series concentrates mostly on the art in the anime itself.  And if you're an animation student or have done animation before, especially traditional animation, you might find these volumes of greater interest than the average person.

Volume 1's focus is on the opening theme song's animation.  Those familiar with storyboards and traditional animation will recognize the layout of the pages and the registration peg holes. I think most people don't shoot animation the traditional way anymore. I'm not familiar with the inner workings of the animation industry since I've mostly worked in broadcast tv and live-action films so I'm guessing when I say that they drew the anime on animation tracing paper (sorry, don't remember the correct terminology) and instead of shooting them on an animation stand, they scanned them into their computers to work out the timing of the shots etc.  They have a page devoted to explaining how they did it, I think. But I'm too tired to try and use my limited knowledge of Japanese to work my way through the written Japanese right now.

Volume 1 includes the key poses from the opening theme, storyboard notes and a few pages devoted to the key visuals and some concept art.  If you flip through the book, you can get a sort of flip book animation thing going. Kind of cool. :)



The above scans are of the front and back cover of the animation note.  The cover is very, very shiny and it's a bit of a pain to shoot photos of it..  I kind of like it but it's definitely a magnet for finger prints.  If the scans are place side by side, they almost form a seamless big picture.  But almost only since the spline of the book doesn't continue the visual.



The photos of the cover sheet covering Vol.1 gives you a pretty good idea of how shiny it is.



Kyubey graces the actual cover of the book when the shiny cover page is removed.


The binding is pretty standard and it's decent enough.


These are the freebies that are included with this release. I think one of them is some kind of mousepad and the other is a 3d card.

Here are more sample photos of the contents of the book.


I rather like this release partly because I have done some traditional animation in film school and storyboards and cell animation artwork etc interest me.  I was not particularly good at it but I enjoyed learning how to do it and the process of making it.  It really does give you a very healthy respect for the guys who make animated films.

I'm not entirely certain that this release will appeal to the casual Mahou Shoujo Madoka fan but I think it will appeal to those who fans of the anime and who like the artwork in the series.  While it's certainly not as fancy or as nice a release as the Production Note, still it is a pretty nice release and it isn't quite as expensive as the Production Note.  The paper and printing are all good quality stuff and if you're a fan of the series and it's art, I really do think it's worth considering this purchase. But do bear in mind that this is merely vol.1 of 6 volumes and if you're the sort of person that must have complete collections, this may eventually cost you a pretty penny if you're not all that interested in getting all 6 volumes.  I got mine from CD Japan and will get the rest of them from this online store too.  If you're interested in getting them from the same place I got mine, here is the link.

Okay... I'm going to try and squeeze in a Kalafina related post and then go to sleep. :)

should i go?

I enjoyed Yuki Kajiura Live vol.8 so much that i really want to attend the vol.9 series of lives at the end of August. I have even applied for leave and it has been granted. :)

But truthfully... I am in a little bit of a quandary. I would really like to go to Xian, China too and was suppose to go this year. And after watching the YouTube video of Kalafina at the After Eden live last year, the live that I was fortunate enough to attend, I really miss seeing them live too.

I think i have enough leave to wing it and will have to save very hard if i want to accomplish all these things. I just don't know how to spread out all the possible trips and if it would affect my work. Also... I don't even know if there will be a Kalafina live at the end of the year. But i guess its a good headache. :) just have to think and plan things carefully. :)

I am keeping my fingers crossed that Kalafina will come to AFA Singapore in November and not to AFA Malaysia in June or July... I forget which month. Sorry Malaysian fans :p ... I am being selfish cuz it would mean one less trip for me. :D

Time to go. At my station and off to work. Was blogging to kill some time. Here is hoping i don't have to pull another ultra long day again.... Too many of those lately. :(

one man with a camera

I've just started playing with the camera apps available for the android cameras again. Have been shooting some shots on the Retro Camera and Vignette which are actually my favourite camera apps.

Today i decided to try a new app because it had a really nice name. This app is called "one man with a camera". Great name,yeah? :) I kind of like this app because it offered more Lomo options and i could also easily pick the cross processing option with the camera. It's not a very complex app with a gazillion options but what it does give for free does work pretty well.

The Diana and other multiple exposure camera need more work though. There should be a clearer indication when the other exposures are being taken. I had to guess. Maybe there was a audio indication but since i prefer to shoot silent, i think there should be a visual indication.

The basic camera for mobile phones have gotten to quite decent but because of the limitations of the lens on these mobile phones you can't get super duper good quality even if you push resolutions to 12megapxels.

That said, the best part of mobile phone photography is the capacity for experimentation. Plastic camera, range finder cameras, in camera tricks, post processing etc used to be firmly in the domain of the pro photographer or the enthusiast. But the arrival of camera apps on mobile phones have introduced many to the joys of photography. Not just the snap shot variety but the out of the box variety.

Of course many people who use these apps don't fully understand how it works and often just cycle through the different cameras, apps, processing etc but i don't believe in elitism.

Photography is not just for the arty farty. It is, in my opinion, meant to be fun and a means of documentation of one's life and an expression of one's emotions, thoughts and the way one sees the world. I like camera apps on mobile phones. I like it that people shoot much much more these days and that they don't just mess with the basic camera but also that they try out all the other fun stuff available to them. :)

K... I have to go... Mobile blogging this and time to run. Will go thru this post later to fix grammar etc when i have more time. Cheers. :)

work work work

Am on my way to work today... It has been a tiring week and lots of late nights. Oddly i am kind of looking forward to going in on a Saturday, even though there is no monetary compensation.

With so many artists, shots, producers, coordinators etc etc to have to deal with... It gets soooo noisy sometimes during the week. Also as i decide when i go in and when i leave i don't have to chase after trains and run down staircases etc. Sometimes it is just more relaxing and productive to work at night or on a Saturday. Moreover I am not going in to work on my shot. I am going in to work on some Nuke stuff I would like to learn and practice.

There are a lot of things i would like to get done today. Not all are related to work. I still have to work on my Japanese homework and would like to work on the blog a little. I would like to write about the Yuki Kajiura concert as well as the Mahou Shoujo Madoka. Key Animation vol. 1. But for now i will enjoy my relaxing commute to the studio. :)

back to earth

It's my first day at work today and it's back to earth. 11pm and finally on the train home, with no dinner and suffering from Japan withdrawal... it's going to be a tough week.

I am actually beginning to hope for some weekend work now... Some extra pay or leave will come in useful and feel a lot better than hours of OT everyday. With the extra pay or leave i can pick up from the weekend, i can really plan more trips or eat a really extravagant meal or take time off to just relax at home.... Something to look forward to. :)

I really do still like my job... But too much OT can be a bit of a killer even for workaholics. :(

Ah well...enough of the unhelpful whining... Out of my system already. :)

The above is a photo of dawn over the city of Tokyo taken from my hotel room on Monday. Yes, I know, it's another one. but still pretty, yes? :)

i already miss Japan and hope to return in August again. If i didn't like my current job and company... if i didn't have to consider my parents' feelings... I think i would really have tried harder to find a way to work in Tokyo or even another part of Japan. I really don't know when or why or how but i have certainly fallen quite hard for Japan. :)

And yes, this is kind of a nothing kind of post. Just something to while the time away on the train and also cuz i needed to vent a little. Soon it'll be time to get off and change to the bus and finally get some yummy home cooked dinner.

I don't think i will have time to write about the Kajiura Yuki live tonight. Luckily i wrote down most of my thoughts on paper in Tokyo. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow night if i don't return home too late.

K... Time to go...later. :)

Japan trip 4 - Tadaima

Once again... my usual "i'm home" blog message with a phone taken from a cab at changi airport. :) i am hope... Missing Japan as usual but still happy to be home. I think i'll probably skip my Japanese class today... Kind of tired but still okay since i slept very well on the plane on this trip... We'll see. :)

K... Off to enjoy the rest of the trip home. Later. :)

Japan trip 4 - day 5

I am now waiting at haneda airport for my flight back to Singapore. I already miss Japan. I am already beginning to think of my next trip back. :)

Today i did a lot of shopping so am really quite tired. I went to harajuku... walked the length of omotesando... went to akihabara... then went to ikebukuro. Most of my shopping was for other people. but i did find 4 things i would love to own but i resisted cuz i am thinking i should start planning my next trip.

K... I am going to rest a bit and maybe put some of my thoughts of the Kajiura Yuki Live vol.8 on paper. If i am not too tired or busy this week... I would like to post it on the blog.

Bye for now. :)

p.s. The above photo is the view of the sunrise from my hotel room. :)

Japan trip 4 - day 4 part 2

I'm not a huge fan of Disneyland or theme parks in general but i am mostly curious by nature and i wanted to check out what it was like. It's the 10th anniversary of Disney Sea, so when Manami offered to accompany me to the park, i was more than happy. :)

initially i worried that i or Manami would be bored or we would tire really quickly but in the end we had a really good time. Maybe i will try and write a little more about it when i am at the airport later. Now i really need to try and kick start this day... Lots to try and squeeze in on my last day in Japan.

Bye for now. :)

Japan trip 4 - day 4

I'm scheduled to go to Tokyo Disney Sea today. :) i can't say that i'm that big a fan of Disneyland but i thought this trip would be a good trip to check out what a theme park in Japan might feel like and since there is only one Disney Sea in the world... Why not? :)

It rained all day yesterday and i got wet quite a bit. Not really great for someone who had just recovered from a cold. My "sing a song" music score also got a little damp. :(

the above is a photo of the scene just outside the music hall, just after the Kajiura Yuki Live yesterday. I kinda like this photo. :)

After spending the whole day sharing Itsuko's umbrella, i succumbed to my more cautious side and bought an umbrella just before i returned to the hotel. I know in the end i may have wasted 500 yen but i was a little worried about today. I don't really fancy running in the cold rain to the train station again.

Wish me great weather for today and tomorrow. I need to prepare to leave the room soon. Meeting Manami soon. :) bye.

Japan trip 4 - Day 3 part 2 (Kajiura Yuki Live Vol.8)

I am getting kind of tired but I really want to write a bit about the live before I sleep.

Today I attended the live with Itsuko and her friend Megumi. Megumi also attended Friday's Live which she said had quite a different setlist from today's live and it made me really envious. I wish I attended friday's live too because I was in tokyo already and I really could have. :)

I can't remember all the song titles but I know there was music from Fate Zero, Historia, Parallel Hearts, Mai Hime, Mahou Shoujo Madoka, Noir and Hack... I think.

Because there were two guest sopranos, Itou Eri and Tomaru Hanae, my impression is that Kajiura seemed to have re-arranged the songs to accommodate that. Hence, my impression is that Keiko was often used to play up the juxtaposition of the high sound of the sopranos against her low husky contalto voice in songs that didn't use to highlight or have a significant presence of the contralto. I loved it not just because I like keiko best but also because it mixed things up a bit and made it interesting. And in Kajiura's skilled hands, it was not merely interesting, it was heavenly. :)

I really liked the Parallel Hearts and Mai Hime sections. As Mai Hime is my favourite anime of all time, it has of course been a long cherished dream to hear Mezame live and it was AWESOME!!! I suck at song titles but I think they started with Himeboshi and then something with Duran in the title and then Mezame and it was epic and the crowd loved it. More people started standing up and lots of people around me were bobbing their heads etc.

Oh a special mention must be given to Stone Cold. I like the studio version but it isn't my favourite FJ song. But this live version is amazing. They all sounded fantastic together and all of them danced from one end of the stage to the other. Kajiura Yuki was on her feet as she played the key board and, get this, she was singing along at points. It was fantastic. It really had a lot of energy. :) Megumi said that they didn't dance from one end to another on Friday and I think she liked today's performace of Stone Cold more.

Oh... they also sang Hoshikuzu which is great because I really really like that song too. :)

I would like to talk about one bit of the MC that Itsuko translated for me after the concert but I am really tiring. So I will leave that for next time. :)

Before I go I just wanna say that I bought the spoon and I am glad I did because it seemed to mean so much to Kajiura.

And I am also super happy cuz Itsuko helped me buy the FJ club exclusive single "sing a song" and the "sing a song" music score. Sooooo cool. Of course I can't listen to it till I get home.... I can't wait. :)

K... my fingers hurt from typing and I have to get up early tomorrow. Will write more about the live in another entry and also post more photos of the merchandise aanother day. :)

P.s. seems like the tv ad for the impending release of Kalafina's After Eden dvd & bluray is getting some heavy rotation on animax since I keep seeing it... but it could also be because I am bias and only notice it when their ad plays. :)

P.p.s. i am seriously considering coming back to Tokyo for the just announced 3 day special Kajiura Yuki Live Vol.9. :) really really going to try. :)

k... that's it.... night night. :)

p.s. I have started to write my full re-cap of the day of the concert, as well as my full impressions of the Live itself.  If you are interested... click me. :)

Japan trip 4 - day 3 (Kajiura Yuki Live Vol.8)

I have just returned from the Kajiura Yuki Live vol.8 concert and i LOVED it. It was AWESOME. Kajiura Yuki announced that there will be a three day vol.9 Live this year on the 31st Aug, 1st Sept and 2nd Sept. I really want to go. I loved the concert. I need to shower now. It was raining all day and i need to keep warm. Later :)

Japan trip 4 - Day 2

I need to head out really soon... Meeting Itsuko for lunch and the concert after. But wanted to put in a quick note before left. I didn't go to tsukiji yesterday morning cuz i was really tired from the flight and as i just recovered i didn't want to push my luck. So went straight to ikebukuro to my hotel. Left my bag with them... Got breakfast from the 7-11... took a nap in the lobby.... Walked around in ikebukuro .... Went shopping in shinjuku... Came back to ikebukuro and bought gifts for my friends.... Checked in.... Crashed out on the bed so didn't make it to harajuku.... Took revenge for missing lunch by eating something like 18 pieces of sushi in Meguro... Hang out with Manami till 4am chatting in a nearby family restaurant ... Took an expensive cab ride back to he hotel... Slept in and now i have to run. Later.... :)

Japan Trip 4 - Day 1

Well... I suppose it is sort of day 1 even though i am still at the airport. I'll only reach Japan early tomorrow morning. And this time aside from the Kajiura Yuki Live Vol. 8 and Disney Sea ... I have no concrete plans.... It should be interesting. I haven't had a trip like this in a while... the kind where i kind of decide as i go along. :)

k .... Here's hoping for a safe and enjoyable trip to and back from Japan. :)

Kalafina After Eden blu-ray cover & concert collectibles

It's funny but now that I'm on medical leave I actually have time and even the inclination to blog a little.  :) First up, the Blu-ray and DVD cover art for the After Eden Special Live has been released.  So far I've only seen small thumbnail type jpegs on Amazon jp and CDJapan.  Still... it's better than nothing.

Also, CDJapan has also listed 10 items for sale from the After Eden tour.  I already have the T-Shirt, the poster and the pamphlet.  The poster is still in Japan with Itsuko, I will collect that from her when I see her this Saturday.  I did take pictures of the T-shirt and did a small review of the pamphlet in another post.  Here is the link to that post if you're interested... click me. The pamphlet is really more like a photo book than a pamphlet in the strictest sense so if you're a fan and you like photo books, then this photo book may be worth getting.

Here are the direct links to the merchandise that Itsuko helped me buy on CDJapan's website.

Pamphlet

Poster

T-shirt

They also have the t-shirts in white and in the ladies sizes as well as a towel.  I didn't get any of those and I don't think I'll be getting them either.

Alrighty, it's time for my last dose of medication for the day and then it's off to bed.  Good night. :)

:( missed the concert

At the time of writing, the J-Live organized concert featuring Weaver and Applicat Spectra is happening right now at the Scape Warehouse in Singapore.

I had to give my tickets away because I developed a fever late last night and am on two days MC. :( :( :( Now i am just hoping i make a quick and full recovery so that my trip to Tokyo will be smooth going.

Going off to mope some more. :(

Posting from my vita 3

almond jelly kit kat, a photo by kiasukid2000 on Flickr.

i am still busy playing with the vita and trying to figure out how i can best get it to work to cater to my specific needs. Now i am testing posting photos to the blog using flickr. i wasnt v successful using picasa.

This is a photo shot using the vita's back camera. it is a photo of an almond jelly flavoured kit kat... just one of the many funky and fun flavours to come out of japan. :)

Mahou Shoujo Madoka KEY ANIMATION NOTE

For fans of Mahou Shoujo Madoka, this shouldn't be new news but I have some free time so I thought I would talk about it for a bit. :)

After agonizing over what I should spend my monthly budget on non-necessities on, I finally decided to get all 6 volumes of the Mahou Shoujo Madoka Key Animation Note. This is the follow up to the Production Note which I already own. The Production Note is a really beautiful release and worthy of a place in any fan's collection. Here is the link to my post on the unboxing of this gorgeous art-book.

I was trying to decide which of the following I rather have:

Would I like to blow some cash on the Limited First Press Release of the Mahou Shoujo Madoka game?

 

Or would I like to spend an insane amount and use up all my points on this blu-ray set cuz the figma of BRS is really awesome:




Or would I rather all 6 volumes of the Key Animation Note Link to all the printed material available on Mahou Shoujo Madoka on CDJapan ?

In the end... after looking at the wiki site for the Key Animation Note, I decided to go with the art-book. Ultimately, I think I would enjoy the art-books more and I would probably find them more useful in the long run. I can also space the purchase of all the volumes over a period of months and I'll be picking up Vol. 1 from one of my friends in Tokyo when I visit the city later this month which would save tons on shipping. Hopefully it'll be cool... my Vol.1 is already in my friend's hand so after I return from Japan, I'll write up my thoughts on what I think of the first volume of this set of art-books. :)

K... time to go get some coffee and finish up my homework. I just felt like writing more this weekend, I guess cuz 1) I wanted to make up for me not being able to surpass my all time high in number of posts last year :-( 2) also to make up for me not having the time to post much at all since the start of the year 3) to procrastinate cuz I felt kind of lazy to do my homework. :P

But now it is time to go do sometime more productive. cheers :)

Posting from my vita 2

I have now successfully posted a photo to blogspot via the vita's browser. But in order to do that i had to use the html tab instead of the compose tab to upload the photo. This pulls up one of the older interfaces used to upload photos to blogspot and uploading using a wifi connection was quick and simple. After that, you can go to the compose tab to work further on the post if you like. The photo will show up like they usually do and you will be able to select thumbnail size and add captions etc. Unfortunately there is no copy and paste function yet and i hope they will add that in the future as it is a pretty important function to have for emailing and blogging etc. The left and right trigger buttons on the shoulder of the ps vita will move your cursor left or right. I really like that. It is much easier than stabbing at the left and right trianges on the left and right of the spacebar. K.... Am going to take a shower soon. Btw the photo above is a screenshot from uncharted from my vita while i was playing it this afternoon. :) ta ta. :)

posting from my vita

this is a test post from the sony vita to see how well it works with blogspot. actually, i rather like typing with the vita. i just set it down flat on the table and type with two fingers and  typing is quite fast. i think i may use this to do most of my mobile blogging when i go on my trip later this month.

so far, i have played uncharted on the vita and it is quite fun. i am really bad at the game since i am mostly a traditional rpg gamer and i prefer 2d platform games and racing games in general.  i haven't had the need to use the back touch pad yet so i m not sure how well that works.

i have used the front and back cameras which are ok and relatively easy to use.  the quality isnt great though and i really prefer the quality of the photos from the samsung galaxy s II. i had to do a system update to get two additional functions on the vita.  now i can shoot video which is once again not as good as the samsung galaxy s II but is adequate enough for simple blogging etc.  there may be quality settings for the camera that i dont know about... i have not explored that yet.

what i do like is the screen capture function which can be activated even while i am playing a game. The screen is beautiful too and touchscreen is responsive. It is a little heavy for a handheld and the it doesn't play the latest flash on he web. also, i haven't figured out how to upload photos to the blog yet which may be a bit of a bummer for mobile blogging.  and also need to figure out how the vita's web browser works as it doesn't seem to understand frames v well.

k will update with photos later.  now to post this test how well blogspot works with the vita browser.

 but so far i am loving this machine. :)

Sony vita - my newest toy :)

I think my free time outside of work will be taken up by my new toy for now. Meet the Sony Vita. This new handheld console has just been released in Singapore and is a surprise gift from my boyfriend. :) :)

I was thinking of getting the nintendo 3ds soon because the price drop late last year has made this handheld v attractive and i will need to replace my ailing DS Lite soon. But with the vita... I think i will delay that purchase till when the English version of the phoenix wright and prof. Layton game is released later in the year.

I was thinking of doing a proper unboxing thing... But am too lazy to. :) cool. With this i can play the Madoka game that is coming out soon. :) (edit: I am an idiot... I forgot that the Madoka game is on the PSP which I can play anyway... my first generation PSP still works. :) ).

This is awesome... It takes away some of the disappointment of me not going to the Larc en Ciel concert in Singapore . It is a long story but suffice to say i gave up my ticket so that two people can go together. I can still get tix i think but they won't be the best and i won't have anyone to go with. Good thing it is only Larc... If it was Kalafina or FictionJunction.... You'll have to pry those tickets from my cold dead fingers. :)

k.... I am off to play on my vita and do some homework .... It has been v busy at work and i aim to have a good weekend to get ready for the coming week. Have a good weekend everyone. : )