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Utattemita (the female edition)

Sunday, November 9, 2014 / No Comments
After my last post about utattemita, did you go check out more utaite? :D I recommended my favourite male utaite but if female voices appeal more to you, look no further!

Despite the female avatars, two of them are actually males?!

Here are my favourite female utaite~

"Mozaik Role" by nano
nano is known for her strong, tomboyish voice! As she's bilingual, she covers songs in both English and Japanese! She's also one of the utaite who has released an official album under a label and has even had a world tour. Here's one of my favourite English ones of hers!




"Kuroneko kei joshi" by 96Neko
96Neko caught my attention with her nickname and heavily-pierced ears!

These would be such a pain to remove every night...

Eventually her voice caught my attention too! This song is one which I discovered by accident (yup, I'm referring to Kanseru's version from my previous post about male utaites), then I realised she made a cover of it too.




"soundless voice" Valshe
I really enjoy her low voice! She sounds totally male and if you need any convincing, search for the Detective Conan 37th opening on Youtube! However, while that is more upbeat, my favourite by her is one that makes me feel like crying...




"no title" Reol
For me, Reol is the female version of kradness as she autotunes her songs too (though not as much as he does) and their voices complement each other really well! She also sounds really, really good and here's an original song of hers!




"Isshin Furan" Reol feat. ill.bell and nqrse
To end my utattemita posts, here's a collaboration song! There are actually many collaboration songs out there; a single song by itself can already be covered by many collaborators. This one blends Reol's vocals with ill.bell and nqrse's rap!



I was captured by ill.bell and nqrse's voices immediately! While ill.bell has released many covers, nqrse is pretty new having only debuted last year. Curiously, his avatar is a very gentle looking female... I wonder why! Whichever the case, I hope to hear more from both of them! I love how gravelly their raps are!

Written by Nana

Utattemita (the male edition)

Monday, November 3, 2014 / No Comments
Hello there everyone!

What is this funky title?! I bet that's what you're all asking, right? 歌ってみた何ですか? (What is utattemita?) No worries, Nana is here to give you a utattemita crash course and share a teeny tiny bit of her jukebox picks~ (^o^)/

Utattemita is a Japanese term which literally means "tried to sing". It is a category where utaite upload covers of various songs (most popularly for Vocaloid). Utaites are people on Nico Nico Douga who cover previously released songs! Some utaite have even released albums under official labels!

Some utaite avatars

Utaite have their own online avatars; you'll be hard pressed to find one that reveals his or her face! Even when they upload selfies on social media sites like Twitter, their phones or a graphic is almost always completely obscuring their faces.

If you find the music of Vocaloid too synthesized, covers by utaite are the closest alternative! I'll be sharing a few of my favourites by male utaite~!

"Magnet" clear and Dasoku
Magnet is the first Vocaloid song I listened to and one of my favourites while clear and Dasoku are some of my favourite male utaite! clear has a nice clear (pun fully intended) voice while in contrast Dasoku's voice is lazier and deeper, just my type!





"WAVE" Kanseru
Also known as KanzentaiCell, Kanseru is my all-time favourite male utaite! His voice is deep and cool, and he is one of the few singers who can make my heart go doki-doki with his voice alone *_* Although I have a lot of songs I love by him, if I had to pick one I'll probably go with this!




"HYBRID" kradness
His high voice bordering on the edge of sounding female, kradness has some powerful pipes that he enhances with autotune! Yes, generous autotune. Surprisingly, he sounds really good, especially when his songs are of the electronic rock sort.




"Can You Hear Me?" clear
Last but not least is another one from clear~ This comes from the utaite winter album and it's concidentally the year end now! Here you can hear his clean voice seranading to you the perfect song to gaze at the winter landscape to~



Despite a loyal following on Nico Nico as well as Youtube, none of these utaite have showed their faces to the public! It doesn't matter much to me though, as long as they continue sharing their singing, I'm a happy fan!

Written by Nana



♫ Kyary Pamyu Pamyu ♫

Sunday, October 26, 2014 / No Comments
No matter who I've asked, everyone's first impression of Japanese fashion is simply one word: Harajuku. In a land where cute can only be cuter and weird can only get weirder, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is the lovechild of a union between the best of cute and weird.


An adorable ninja, a decora maniac, a... Queen of eyelashes? These are just some examples of Kyart's fashion. Her eclectic mish-mash of adorable fashion in weird combinations, together with her oddly catchy songs, has propelled her to international stardom. Ah. By the way, if you find her stage name strange, I'll have you know her actual full stage name is Caroline Charonplop Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. It's even longer in Japanese: きゃろらいんちゃろんぷろっぷきゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ. It's a good thing we can refer to her as Kyary!

Her real name is Takemura Kiriko and she is 21 this year. Petite with a round face she claims is her charm point, a fateful street snap landed her in magazines and she has never been out of the limelight since! Kyary was never meant to gain so much attention musically; she was the poster girl of casual Harajuku fashion, appearing frequently on magazines such as KERA and ZIPPER.

Some of Kyary's own fashion:




Kyary modeling:



Kyary on magazine covers!




More than any other Japanese pop star, her music is strongly blended with her unique fashion sense~ The best example is of course PONPONPON! Kyary really likes horror stories and movies and she includes "grotesque" elements like eyeballs and monsters in her music videos, although they are so colourful the edge is taken away and you're left feeling only a little disturbed.



Even her dance moves are one and only, as she busts out complicated hand movements while singing with a straight face or a small smile. Her backup dancers are sometimes children! Known as Kyary Kidz, some of them have "graduated" and formed a group called Tempura Kidz. One thing I've noticed about her backup dancers, or even other characters in her music videos, they're always faceless~




One thing I enjoy seeing Kyary in is CMs! Her CMs are all really adorable and feel really fresh, especially when she's endorsing an international brand. You can really see the difference between Japanese and international advertisements! Her latest CM seems to be for Nintendo.



Here's one for G.U. that was shot in Singapore!


And here's one for KFC Krushers~


Whether you're into Japanese fashion, music or simply their wacky commercials, let Kyary lead you into Japanese culture!

Written by Nana

10 Weird and Quirky Japanese Mascots

Monday, September 1, 2014 / No Comments
Japanese mascots, alternatively referred to as yuru-kyara (ゆるキャラ), are created to advertise places, brands and even events. If representing a certain prefecture, the designs of mascots are inspired by the area’s specialty or a unique aspect that the citizens are especially proud of.

Some have enjoyed immense popularity not just in Japan, but on an international scale as well, and are loved worldwide for their distinctive cuteness. For instance, the iconic red cheeked bear Kumamon or Funassyi, the eccentric heavy metal loving pear. (Who travelled to London and even met Cara Delevingne by the way)

With such a wide, ever-expanding variety, what exactly do these magical creatures have in common? You guessed it, they are super adorable! Both children and adults love them, and their appeal is timeless.  

But dig a little bit deeper and you’ll find some unconventional looking ones sporting a different kind of “cute”. You might think twice before hugging some of these. Here are ten cream-of-the-crop mascot picks of the strange or downright wacky:

Tokitama / ときたま (“ Occasionally”)

La la la ~

Hailing from Kagawa prefecture and representing Takamatsu shopping street, we have the duck / egg hybrid Tokitama! Its special charm is the fresh yolk on its head and rather huge lips. It’s so bizarre that it almost borders on looking ugly, but I have to say that the perfectly cracked egg is a genius cute touch.

Okazaemon / オカザえもん

Look into his eyes staring deep into your soul and try telling me you're not scared.

Now this is something you don’t want to see when you’re walking home alone at night. Meet Okazaemon, representative of Aichi’s Okazaki City and quite frankly, the most likely candidate for the title of Creepiest Looking Mascot.

Hokkun / ほっくん

Off for my morning stroll! (It's hard to walk with these short legs)

“I was born from oranges and pears,” chimes the roly poly Hokkun of Yamaguchi prefecture.  It has a cheerful and laidback personality and loves to be stroked on the head! *cues ‘aww’ noises* But I cannot stop thinking how it looks very much like a giant pig’s nose.

Todo rokkī / とどロッキー (“Rocky Sea Lion”)

Giving The Rock a run for his money

Todo rokkī is a Tokyo citizen and spends his time promoting Todoroki shopping street. As well as working out, probably. True to his name, Todo rokkī is one seriously ripped sea lion and puts all his fellow ocean residents to shame. But fret not, despite his intimidating stature, he has a fun, playful character and always has a smile ready for anyone.

Daru Daru / だるだる (“The Listlessness Listlessness”)

Single. And ready to mingle.

All I could think of when I first saw Daru Daru was: Evil Domo. Born in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, Daru Daru is actually not as demonic as he looks. He eats curry every day, loves pandas and collects seashells like a little kid. Did I mention that he blogs too? Turns out Daru Daru is pretty knowledgeable with current technologies! Oh, and he’s unmarried. Don’t ask me why I’m telling you that; it was in his profile.

Noriyuki through soup / 出汁之介

I guess too much veggies can be a bad thing.

Representing the Wakkanai Tourism Association, Noriyuki is a lovable looking ombre seal. However, its limbs have turned an eerie green color as it eats too much kelp. I’m not sure if this is funny or disturbing. Noriyuki’s hobby is eating (we all saw that one coming) and his favourite foods include king crab, sea urchin and soy salmon. Pretty refined tastes for a kawaii looking seal.

Human-faced stone-kun / 人面石くん

"I'm totally serious dude, it was THIS big!"

Affiliated with the Iki Tourism Chamber of Commerce and Industry Division, Stone-kun was excavated from the Haranotsuji ruins of the city. He’s in a permanent state of shock and looks like the guy from The Scream painting by Edvard Munch. Or a grey peanut.

Ether King / イーサキング (Doya-gaojan)

Working that facial hair and boss pose

Here’s a handsome face! Presenting Ether King, the charismatic and fashionable mascot of Isa City in Kagoshima Prefecture. He’s bossy, as expected of royalty, but is friendly to children and old folks. Ether King takes pride in his facial care and delights in his beauty. We can all take a leaf out of his book on loving our (good) looks more, and being super stylish!

Ki ̄ bo ̄ / きーぼー (“Keyboard”)

He looks like white mochi but a hundred times cuter

Keyboard is the mascot for the Anjo Tanabata Festival and has an unusual, ethereal look. He looks like a night sky dweller that spends his time taking care of stars and wistfully gazing at the planets. He has a “dopey” personality and enjoys eating candy the most. Keyboard is as pure as he looks!

Victoire Cheval Blanc Muraotoko III / ヴィクトワール・シュヴァルブラン・村男III

Just an ordinary white horse... With big dreams!

Well, isn’t your name a mouthful. No, Victoire Cheval Blanc was not born in France, but originated from a “Pegasus meteor shower” and resides in Hakuba village, located in the Nagano prefecture. He is a self-proclaimed blood type B, likes to say ‘Gamba’ and his charm point is his red lips. Sorry to burst your unicorn bubble guys, but Victoire Cheval Blanc’s wings are handmade and he can’t fly. I feel somewhat cheated. Admirably, his dream is to become a village chief. Let’s all wish Victoire Cheval Blanc good luck!


And that wraps up the list of weird and quirky Japanese mascots. The world of yuru-kyara is truly brimming with creativity. I’m looking forward to discovering new unique mascots in the future! Are you?

P.S. If you'd like to browse more pictures of these mascots, do copy and paste the kanji characters on Google, instead of the English names. That is because most of the mascots featured in this list are covered much more by Japanese bloggers and photographers.


Written by Faelan

Anime and Manga Inspired Clothing: Top Picks

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 / No Comments
I have a thing for anime-ish arty clothes. Despite my love, all I own that is remotely anime is a Ghost In The Shell shirt from Uniqlo. And I’m pretty sure there are better places to get our otaku fashion fix. (Sorry Uniqlo, but you know what. Even as a true One Piece fan, I’m tired of seeing OP shirts) So without further ado, here’s a list of shops that sell cool manga and anime, or just generally Japanese, inspired clothing!

OMOCATSHOP

Started in 2011, OMOCAT SHOP is an online shop that sells original designs by the artist OMOCAT. I absolutely love her art so having her work on posters, books, accessories and apparels just seemed fantastic to me. I also like how her apparels’ designs are more ‘subtle’; they are a tribute to the cuteness and style of Japanese manga art but are executed in a tasteful and very wearable way.







APPAREL K

Based in Mexico, Apparel K sells clothes a bit on the grungy side. The clothes are distinctively street-style, but just Japanese inspired. Also, there’s a lot of black. You can’t go wrong with black though, so that’s always a good thing.

Additionally, if you’re an NGE fan, Apparel K might just be your favourite store. You’ll find a good range of Neon Genesis Evangelion inspired shirts and jumpers. (They even have Eva leggings, I’m not even kidding. How awesome is that?)






666 yen (previously 'waddupharajuku')


But maybe the dark side isn’t so much of your thing. If you’re going for ultra-cute with an attitude, all shades of pastel and pretty sparkles, check out 666yen on Carousell! She brings in Harajuku style clothes, accessories and bags at affordable prices so you can deck yourself out in streetsnap worthy outfits without burning a hole in your pocket. Little Twin Stars, Pikachu, Sailor Moon – you’ll find it all here.



KULTRUNIZED STORE


I also like the charm of simple, screen-printed shirts. They’re more casual, go with everything and are a great way to show your love for a certain series/character. Of course, you can scout for a local t-shirt printer and bring your own pictures to them, but KULTRUNIZED STORE has some pretty sweet pre-selected mangacaps. Try channelling the dark, surrealist vibe with their Shintaro Kago and Oyasumi Punpun range!


Katawear Clothing


Saving the best for last (based on personal opinion), I present self-proclaimed seapunk designer Katawear Clothing. This one’s a gem! Their clothes are like taking a dip in psychedelic anime dreams and they’re definitely not for the faint of heart. I didn’t even know seapunk was a thing till I stumbled upon their site. Like a lot of contemporary creative subcultures, seapunk is a tad hard to box up in a single descriptive term. In general, the fashion is defined by multi-colored pastels, vibrant hair and make-up and sometimes futuristic elements. Combine that with the forever evolving, forever strange but delightful world of manga and anime, and you get Katawear Clothing.





This has been a somewhat short list, but I decided I should narrow my choices down to the very best. Hope you enjoyed! Plus, if you have a store to recommend, why not drop a comment? 


Let’s keep on keeping the otaku fashion alive. Peace out.

Written by Faelan

Vocaloid

Thursday, July 17, 2014 / No Comments
If you're into Japanese pop culture, you'll have at least heard of Vocaloid once. It is a singing voice synthesizer phenomenon that swept Japan off its feet and it never became the same after it was set down again. This is not pure hyperbole, as I am pretty sure Japanese pop culture would be pretty different without Vocaloid!


I couldn't find any group official art, so this is from zerochan
First, let's delve into its technicality! It is a software that enables users (such as us) to use it to imitate singing. By imputing lyrics and melodies, specially recorded voices of actors and singers can become an entire song! The software can even add effects such as vibrato and change the dynamics and tone of the voice. It's amazing~


Vocaloid software box


Strangely enough, I never did notice the widespread love for Vocaloid (especially Hatsune Miku) even though I've been to Japan twice and have watched anime for more than a decade. My first contact with Vocaloid was through Youtube, when I stumbled upon this song.



Japanese music-wise, I admit I only usually listen to the rock and metal bands, so this was a deviation from my norm. However, the beginning notes and anime art made me pause when I wanted to close the window. When I heard the first singing notes, I thought it was just bad autotune, but I realised it sounded more like a robot trying to sing (quite the heartwarming image)... My curiosity was piqued!

After ALOT of googling and more confusion, I finally realised what Vocaloid is. Of course, I stumbled upon the wealth of Hatsune Miku songs and merchandise. She's definitely the one who's responsible for Vocaloid's popularity.



Every cosplay event, you will see at least two different Mikus. There are so many versions of her that now I'm just thinking I should do an entire post dedicated to her!

If you dig around a little, you'll discover a wealth of Vocaloid franchise, from ranging from accessories to figurines. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find a T-shirt emblazoned with the face of your favourite Vocaloid! Would you like a matching wallet with that? Vocaloid PSP skins? Plushies? Phone dust caps? Been there, done that!


Someone needs to tell me where I can get these ASAP!


10/10 would hug to sleep!
Speaking of merchandise, we definitely can't miss out the Vocaloid figures! While it'll be delightful if Miku wasn't the only one getting half a dozen new figures a year, her figures are super cute indeed! The cutest of all would be the Vocaloid Nendoroids though!




Octo-Luka is so cute!!!
Companies are not the only ones giving Vocaloid a lot of attention, fans are too! The sheer amount of fanart and merchandise is staggering, at cosplay events Vocaloids are hot favourites, loved by photographers and cosplayers alike, and I'm pretty sure there's Vocaloid doujinshi (fan manga) too.

I could go on and on, but the Vocaloid phenomenon should be experienced, not read about, so head to Youtube and start by sampling their songs now!

Written by Nana



King Ghidorah: Life Lessons

Friday, June 13, 2014 / No Comments
Our founder is undoubtedly a kaiju enthusiast, and his vote for Godzilla's ultimate victory remains undisputed regardless of the heroic or villainous nature in the movies. Before my previous article on Biollante, I had told our founder my uncertainty towards the creature's seemingly indistinguishable character. Since Biollante was still after all mankind's creation which might in turn threaten and affect the environmental forces, even with the humanistic element in the form of Erika's genes being implicated, it would probably be more sensible to regard Biollante as the antagonist. Ironically, the same could be said for Godzilla particularly his origins (which was why he had also appeared as the bad guy in many movies). Anyway, it's always been nothing but great joy watching monsters struggling (?) to have the longest end of the stick. It's also rather easy to forget about the underlying messages in the course of the storytelling. As a kid, it was usually more of the entertainment factor. I was pretty much clueless about what was truly behind each movie. But I did have quite an impression of Godzilla being the bad guy.

Over the years, my exposure to the kaiju has become considerably wider. It's a lot of fun trying to piece together the many different memories of watching those grand, fearsome, colourful, destructive and [insert your favourite adjective here] monsters on screen. The deeper meanings have also started to surface. For example, Hedorah had risen because of the effects of heavy pollution. Hedorah's lethal powers were possible because mankind had neglected the consequences of their actions. Due to the extremely humanistic themes, Godzilla vs. Hedorah remains a difficult piece to watch. While I've never had nightmares of Hedorah, I used to look up to the skies half-wondering if Hedorah would just glide past the buildings.


I've come up with my own interpretations of the various life lessons that we might take away from watching the Godzilla movies. Of course, they are still primarily entertainment, yet those life lessons could come in handy when one is feeling a little thoughtful or something. More importantly, they provide timely inspiration for a writer who is easily prone to mind blocks like me. Anyway, the kaiju that I've chosen to be the first in line is none other than King Ghidorah. Grab a pen and some paper if anybody would like to take notes. The class is starting!


First and foremost, King Ghidorah represents the core of what humans really think about and desire for. Those thoughts and feelings merge to become a main switch for execution. In the case of King Ghidorah, his three heads probably contain different subsets of human characteristics yet they seem to complement one another. However, over time whatever that might seem peaceful would just cave in because after all there are simply too many elements which couldn't really render support and end up conflicting. That brings me to the second point which is self-control. King Ghidorah was made to obey the commands of others. His complete lack of self-control coincides what a lot of people might be facing in their everyday lives. Even though humans are individualistic and unique, under various circumstances they can be forced to act upon many things against their own wills. The constant manipulation of someone to achieve something (whether ethically or not) is relatable. Thirdly, King Ghidorah represents the calamities in our world. If you ask me, I would think that his three heads represent starvation, war and environmental destruction. 


In the various appearances of King Ghidorah, the only time when he could finally break free from all those restrictions had to be 'Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'. Yes, the title is a bit of a mouthful. In this movie, King Ghidorah played the guardian of the sky, and fought against Godzilla alongside Mothra and Baragon. It should be noted that this movie happened to be the first and only time for King Ghidorah to act as a protagonist. It's a little depressing if you ask me. Even though King Ghidorah does look menacing, I would like to believe that he's got an unwavering determination to cross beyond those obstacles which mankind had imposed on.  


Anyway, those are just my own interpretations of the underlying themes behind King Ghidorah's manifestations. Other fans might have varying opinions about King Ghidorah. What's yours?


Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪       

Biollante: A Fatal Attraction

Tuesday, June 10, 2014 / No Comments
Some days ago, I was conversing with our founder and he popped a casual question; he asked if there were any other kaiju that I would be familiar with. I joked that I might have to dig around their graves for a bit. While I'm not quite the paleontologist, I get by (?) with a bunch of old memories watching several Godzilla films. Thanks to the wonderful internet, I could readily support those memories with extra findings. Those monsters could easily annihilate an entire planet inside out. They are mobile across many different media: Air, land, sea, space...flowers. Yes, you saw that right. Flowers. Our founder had a laughing fit, but I simply supported my statement with...


Biollante. I suppose I could be fancy and help give it a full name - Biollante Erika Shiragami (nope, not Shinigami). How does that sound? Biollante definitely deserves a little more spotlight because she's covered several important milestones in the Godzilla franchise. The first and foremost being the fact that Biollante was the first in line to fight Godzilla as the franchise entered the Heisei era (1989 onwards). She's also the first kaiju to be infused with Godzilla's DNA samples. Even though Biollante served as an antagonist in the film, behind her creation was a rather tragic story of unforgettable love, loss, denial, manipulation and paranoia.


Why did I mention the name Erika Shiragami? What's the connection between Biollante and her? The backstory began with an unfortunate incident which had robbed a young woman's life; the young woman was Erika Shiragami. Before Erika's death, a research team had been looking for Godzilla's tissue samples. Several scuffles then happened along the way, and ultimately led to the unavoidable fate of Erika when her father's research facility got destroyed. Heavily traumatised by his daughter's death, the researcher Dr. Shiragami began living a neurotic life. The unfortunate turn of events had also inevitably triggered his secret creation in time to come - Biollante.



Biollante existed in two forms; she first took on the appearance of a gigantic rose with sharp teeth, tentacles and vines. There was also a huge sac resembling a tummy right at the centre of her rose form. Even though she looked disgusting (though not as much as her final form), I had actually preferred the rose. I mean, roses are still supposedly pretty and a pleasure to look at. The rose head (for lack of a better term) had a somewhat seductive lining. The image of Rose Biollante floating peacefully in the middle of the sea felt like a unique tourist attraction.


                    The Poseidon Biollante could have eaten Godzilla for breakfast!

Biollante's final form had to be the most disturbing mutation among the kaiju that I've seen. It didn't quite help that she was supposedly a part of Erika, since Godzilla's DNA would probably generate a much stronger integration. In her final form, Biollante resembled a dinosaur attached to the wrong ends of an evil giant tree (I had wanted to go with a merry-go-round because for some odd reason the swaying tentacles had that sort of impression, but never mind). Naturally, the fact that she was still a rose became blemished. The fearsomeness peaked climactically as Biollante put on an intense battle against Godzilla in her final form. It kind of reminded me of Jurassic Park gone wrong without the great escape (even though Jurassic Park was made in 1993).



Anyway, I believe that Biollante became the second monster to be female in the Godzilla franchise. The cool factor about Biollante is that there's a human element in her, even though it didn't quite matter as everything else in the story had eventually grown out of proportion (pun intended). On the other hand, Mothra is more magical and in line with the ups and downs of nature.

I've named this article 'A Fatal Attraction' because it just seems natural. I'm certain that there are people who can't help but being drawn to Biollante. Yet behind that gigantic rose head lies a lethal weapon and much more...

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep