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Sunday, May 30, 2010

K-on! love





If someone told me that they didn't like K-on! because there was no plot, and all of it was moe girly crap... I would agree with them first, and then, after they were gone, I'd cry salty, salty tears in a corner, and clutch my electric guitar whilst watching episode 1 of season 1 of K-on! for the 10000th time. Why do I like K-on!? Well, what really grabbed me was the animation. I adore the chubby, squishy-faced style in which all the girls are drawn. I like the fact that it lacks fanservice, unlike most anime centered around girls in uniform... (it has its moments but they aren't really obvious). I like each of the girls' personalities (well, except for Ritsu, but she's just not my type of character anyway) and I LOVE that they drink tea/eat sweets every day. The show makes me feel relaxed and also sometimes inspires me to play my guitar more often. It's a music-lover's moe fest, and I can't get enough of it!




Oh, and did I mention that Volks caught K-on! fever, too?!!?!?!? They released Yui and Mio DDs, which I REALLY wanted to buy. You have no idea how much I would've loved to have had the money just then to buy a Mio doll. X3 Of course, they HAD to be Japan-only exclusives, but what can I say? I love me some K-on! !!!!




Of course, if you're not looking to break the bank (and who is, these days?) there are still some available 25-27cm Azone dolls which have the girls and their guitars. Not as versatile as the DDs, but hey, I think they're more accurate and they're a helluva lot cheaper. XD There are also more of them!!!! Aside from Mio, featured here, the rest of the cast is up for sale - Mugi, Yui, Ritsu, and Azu-nyan are up for grabs.

I've been watching season 2 and I really enjoy it! I'm glad they didn't change it much from 1.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Rewriting Asian Kung-Fu Generation's 'Rewrite'!

So, I've been rewriting the lyrics into English for my boyfriend, using a translation that I found that didn't go with the song musically at all! For those who don't know, Asian Kung Fu Generation is a Japanese band that makes really cute songs, and they had this song in Full Metal Alchemist as the opening :3 (here's the short version that was on the show!).

This is my translation that's supposed to go with the song:

Thinkin that I'll never just let go of these thoughts
Which serve just to show that I'd rather be than not.
The future planned out for me just isn't what I want -
And so I go inbetween these "yes"s and "no"s.

I want to erase those expectations left behind
'Cause I know that I'm heading to a let down of mine.
Reflections just feed the monster of a self-conscious mind,
In calendars days go by but there's still no way to know....

To say "Rewrite Today"
It's pointless - where do I go,
To revive what I used to know?
Just to say
"Rewrite Today!" -
That saying is a nice one to know
It makes you wanna finally
Get up and go
Gooooooo
Whoa-aoh!

And cutting out my aspirations quickly I knew
That mediocre crap is really all that I do
Is that all I've got to show
For all the time I've had to grow...?

To say "Rewrite Today"
It's pointless - where do I go,
To revive what I used to know?
Just to say
"Rewrite Today!" -
That saying is a nice one to know
It makes you wanna finally
Get up and go
Gooooooo
Whoa-aoh!

I tried to keep all the rhyme patterns as well as the syllable patterns throughout the song. ^^;

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Cat Dolls Make My Head Hurt Because...


...I want one so badly.... and I don't know why! Just look at these woefully tempting photos from Piposdoll of their new Midsummer Night's Dream PO-11 line limiteds!!!!!





I love their costumes - I can't even decide which one is my favorite! I really love these creative limiteds! The thing is, I used to have a Pipos Baha and I just couldn't love it as much as my other dolls. I was in a weird place because I loved it so much as a 'toy', but I never treated it like my other dolls, and I couldn't justify its expense (and back then it was around $180 faceupped I think). I sold it way back when, and I've regretted it a few times since, because I realize that I did indeed grow very attached to it, and I miss it dearly, especially now!

Apparently these limiteds have detachable tails and both human and paw hand/feet parts. They also appear to be cast in a greyish resin similar to that used in Soom's limited Onyx (and other dolls since, she's just the one I remember most XD).

I'm confused as to my intensely revived love for cat dolls, though! I adore cats, and that's an understatement, but I've never really liked any sort of anthro... anything. I stop at characters with cats ears and *maybe* tails, and even that is a fading interest. As stated before, I never looked at the anthro dolls as anything but hugely expensive 'toys'...and though that's technically what a bjd is, I somehow could never feel the same about the anthro dolls as bjds in a differentiation between 'toys' and 'character creation/photogenic object'. It's probably why I don't even have photos of my precious Baha.

But these Pipos dolls are getting to me again with their cute faces and the paw sculpts of their hands! I had trouble getting used to the Baha's size and proportions, but it seems like these new Po-11/more Yo-SD sized cats are more like what I'm used to. I'm not a fan of the girl cat's breasts, because it creeps me out a little, but I'm sure they'll offer the other style of girl's Po-11 body as well (the flat-chested one). If they do...that combined with their amazing faceups and presentation is enough to just kill me a little. XD

Must. Resist. Cats.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Mori Outfits





These are just a couple mori outfits that I've worn this week. :3 I didn't intend to make the first outfit pictures so moody looking, but they turned out that way when edited and I didn't want to change them ^^; The second outfit was of course heavily influenced by me watching 'Heavenly Forest' (but I like those glasses anyway XD). The stripes turned out all weird in the picture, but I don't mind the effect.

Cat Photography






These are some treasured pictures that I have of Justice M's cats. The two on the top are Mio, and the bottom one is George. There are two other cats named Sammy and Millie, but Millie's didn't come out well and Sammy was nowhere to be found. :( I really like how these pictures came out, and they encourage me about my photography! I hope to do more black and white in the future - I've always been afraid to use it because I think that people abuse it often.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Unisomnia/Suzumebachi's Doll Photography - One pic NSFW, underwear!




I really love Unisomnia's doll photography! Here's her precious Miyu, Misei. She makes me want a Miyu so badly!!!!! She's Suzumebachi on DoA, and I found her through her gallery post 'We're Just Angels with Enemies'. Here are some pictures from the shoot:



I really love the way she plays with simple lighting, focus and setting to create a specific mood in her pictures. That's the stuff of great photography! You can see more of her dolls on her Flickr (where she also posts her great pictures featuring non-doll content). There's also her Deviantart, which is more doll-focused. I think she's underrated (with only 8,000 pageviews in 2 years), so give her some well-deserved love for her photos.

I know, I'm really lovin' on the Shushus. What can I say, they're so pretty!

Korone and Strawberry Resin

I was just cruising on through the DoA gallery when I came across a lovely shoot featuring this doll, Milk. Curious and hoping to see more pretty dolls, I clicked on a number of the user's (Korone's) links.

What I found was that I must be the only person in the world not knowing who she is! I discovered that she was the one that had taken this famous picture on Deviantart! It was one of the pictures that made me, and I'm sure thousands of others, investigate what a bjd was. I started looking through the rest of the gallery, and found a number of bjd pictures as well as colorful, interesting graphic art as shown below.


She also takes faceup commissions here on DoA under the shop name 'Strawberry Resin'. Her faceups are colorful and somehow very sensitive-looking. I really admire her skill, and I hope she takes more frequent pictures of her ball jointed dolls!

But be warned, her gallery is full of yaoi and toplessness. I just wanted to let you know that most of it's not worksafe. ><; I personally do not prefer the yaoi and toplessness in her pictures, but I really admire the skill that's in the pictures, and the excellence with which she produces them. I'll keep watching her primarily for her less sexy works. :3

Some Photography



I snapped these pictures at my sister's 18th birthday party. :3 Tell me what you think of them!


Saturday, May 22, 2010

Pure Neemo Dolls




These photos were taken from the Pure Neemo Flickr Group. I discovered Pure Neemo dolls after I got into BJD, so they weren't as appealing as they might have been (or I might now have a collection of Pure Neemo instead of BJD! XD). But their cute faces and adorable clothing, priced at only a fraction of BJD clothing, continue to enchant me and I always find myself lurking in the flickr group.

What are Pure Neemo Dolls? They're around 25-27cm, and they're made of vinyl. Their hands and legs are interchangeable for different poses, although some have different bodies which resemble that of Volks' 27cm dollfies. There are 7 different 'main characters' in Pure Neemo (kind of like standard models which are sometimes released with limited hair and outfit combinations). Each have a different face. Then, there are the other limited characters -- like the girls from K-ON! I really wanted one of them. X3 They're so cute!

They run around $100-300, depending on how rare the model. You can find them and clothes, shoes, and accessories on ebay or hobby japan!
Let me know if you have a pure neemo doll, or post a picture! They're just too cute.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Cute Long Skirts for Under $30

Okay, so more Yesstyle.com surfing, but I have some other stuff, too. xD
I really love long skirts, especially since they're so 'mori'. I think that just wearing one with your own everyday fashion can make you stand out from the crowd, and long skirts are actually more flexible coordination-wise than most people would immediately think (in my opinion). But they're often expensive (both to make and buy, depending on the material and the fullness of the skirt!). So here I've compiled some cheaper options for long-skirt fans. :3 I might do a feature on more pricey skirts (just because they're so pretty! O_O) but that's in the future (and I might forget. ><)



This adorable t-length skirt by VeJanie is floaty and great for the spring or summer, for those days when you know you might be walking a lot and you don't want a lot of material around your ankles. It comes in this color and in black. It's only $16.50!


This skirt is plain in design, but the best part is that it's full and comfortable looking, and you can dress it up in a cute way, like the girl in the picture! It also comes in a ton of colors, all of which you can see on Daily Pink's page here,




If you're a size xs, you can find a really cute vintage skirt here at Etsy for $17.



There's another vintage skirt here at Etsy for $18, and the person has a lot of other nice vintage finds on sale in the shop.

There are probably tons of other skirts all over Etsy that are worth a look!
Happy skirt hunting! Also, if you have a long skirt, take a picture and post it here when you comment if you want. I like seeing long skirts and how people use them without looking frumpy.

Heavenly Forest (Or Tada, Kimi wo Ashiteru)




I just watched this movie, and I think it's absolutely lovely! I really like the main girl character, and the guy isn't so bad either. I found it reading Mori Girl's blog (big surprise!). The story is kind of typical of asian romantic movies, but the acting is very cute and the way in which the story is presented is really nicely paced and interesting. I think that all of the characters' emotions came out clearly and in a sensitive manner. I rarely like "chick flicks" in America, yet I do have a proclivity for both good and bad Asian romances, so I don't know how much my opinion is worth. It features both photography and mori fashion, so I don't know how much I could ever hate a movie with these things. XD
You *could* buy it off of Amazon.... or you could watch it here on Youtube.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The Magic Hour








All of these photos are from the Magic Hour PV "Last Waltz", a highly creative and imaginative, well shot, amazingly prop-tastic set of photos for their BJD band, Amorly. The PV set of photos have the look, feel and tone of a popular band's music video, and there's plenty more where this came from!
The Singapore-based group 'The Magic Hour' is magic indeed, seeming to transform their lifeless dolls into gritty, shadowy characters whose personalities seem to glow from within the confines of their excellently vignetted frames. They have a blog-type livejournal which they update, and you can join the group and watch for new things from them. I wish they had a webshop where I could buy their jewelry and fashions, or have my doll's faceups commissioned. So far, they seem to concentrate mostly on their Singapore-centric fan base, and I haven't seen any plans to really expand their market as of yet.
I know that they're really popular on DoA for their beautiful photography and extremely well-stocked sets, so I think they'd definitely have a niche already if they decided to foray Westward with their creations. But I digress!

Monday, May 17, 2010

yuumei on Deviant Art and her Comic




This inspiring image was drawn by yuumei on Deviantart. I found it while browsing through popular pictures, and there's no doubt as to why it's so popular.

The picture itself contains the feelings of a young girl whose parents have divorced; however, underneath even the picture lie the chaotic feelings of real people who have experienced their parents' divorce, and that is what makes this picture such amazing art. I believe that this is what art is made to do - to let people feel what they didn't know they felt, and to let them discover new things about their self.

I have never understood the great pain which accompanies divorce. My parents are still married, but there have been many, many times throughout my life when I'd wished for them to separate. I could sympathize with those whose parents had divorced, but I could never truly understand because I wished for it so vehemently in my heart. I watched one of my best friend's parents divorce, and her pain was agonizing; I knew of another friend's parents divorce, and though I was too young to have seen it, I could see the result and its pain echo throughout her life.

However, this picture, along with the beautifully fluid webcomic that was inspired my a commenter's quote, has made me understand divorce and its effects a bit more fully. Reading everyone's comments and feelings about it, I gained an invaluable glimpse into what divorce is like for some people. I still think that separation is necessary in some cases, but, as yuumei said, I also wish that people wouldn't seem to take it so lightly in cases where they know that it will severely affect others' feelings. The most important message is to understand a commitment before you make one, and to carefully consider others' feelings in your decisions, especially if you're a parent!

I'm a psychology major, and in class I learned a lot about divorce and things that people can do to make divorce less painful for their children.

-Try not to drastically change the child's environment
-Do not argue in front of the children
-Do not use the children as messengers
-Do not badmouth the other spouse when divorcing
-If the child is older, let him/her participate in as many decisions as possible
-If it is safe enough to do so, regularly let the child/children see the other parent.
-Above all, be warm and responsive to the child/children at all times. No matter what the circumstance, warmth and responsiveness of parents may help children cope with chaotic upheaval and even other bad environmental conditions.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

hiu.yu on Flickr





All of these images are from hiu.yu's Flickr, where she photographs her wardrobe, her travels, her food, and the rest of the world in vintage-tinged, beautifully pale detail. I'd have to say, out of all of her clothing photographed, I'd love those rainboots -- they're just amazing! :3 She seems like a true mori girl from head to toe, and I love her light pastel coordinates. Undoubtedly, she has an eye for color and is hardly afraid to use it.
She also has her own website, where you can see her works.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Recent Kumiho Photoshoot




Just a few experimental shots in dark light, taken with a flash and then edited. I know that the second one is grainy and too saturated, but it was a junk picture to begin with and I thought it looked really nice as long as it wasn't full-viewed.
As always, concrit appreciated!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Second Attempt at Mori


My second attempt at Mori fashion.

LanWu




I found the artist LanWu through Deviant Art, although you can follow the artist on his website here as well. I love his use of smeared, paint-like digital art, and the mood of his works ranges from moody and dark to cheerful and colorful! His works have many themes as well, like the abstract 'Jellyfish' (first pic), and story theme (third pic is Red Riding Hood, and there are Alice in Wonderland pictures as well as the Seven Deadly Sins). The imaginative backgrounds and amazing use of space make his pictures dynamic and full of motion.