Tekko '10 (Day the First)

(Not to be confused with Tekko X, which will occur in 2012, God willing.)

With posts like this one, I always wonder how much (if any) preface is required before diving into the meat of the post. For the people whom I expect to read this, no preface is necessary. On the other hand, someone else might read it who would benefit from a preface. If nothing else, it gives me a place to start.

Tekkoshocon is a Pittsburgh-area anime convention (ignore the sentai-themed original art, it's a genuine anime con :p), which was held in the big ol' convention center smack dab in the middle of the city for its second time this year. Tekko saw its first year in 2003 (if I've counted backward correctly), the first year I was out of town during the season - thus I was not aware of the con until two years ago (almost three, but not quite). That year ('08), the con was in transition, searching for a new larger space, to accommodate its growing size. It wasn't until the next year (last year), that they secured the big ol' convention center mentioned above, which gives them plenty of space to grow into. At this time, the con is still relatively small compared to the bigger cons in the country (because of my personal experience, I can't help comparing all cons to Otakon), but also a lot larger than the local Comicon from around the turn of the millenium that hosted meager amounts of anime-related programming (and merchandise) before Tekko existed.


Japanese Idol Group AKB48
This year, Tekko, for me, went down much like last year, despite the fact that I found someone to actually accompany me (a decided difference). As the con approached, I began to prepare myself. For my mix "tape" (read: CD), to listen to in the car, I put together a bunch of tracks from my anime music and Japanese idol groups folders. Representing the idol groups, I chose a handful of AKB48 tracks, reinforced by some SweetS and Berryz Koubou. The other half of the disc featured anime tracks, including (but not limited to) three songs from K-ON!, the opening theme to Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan (because it's catchy, and it reminds me of how ridiculous that show is), and Dame! from Hayate no Gotoku, sung by the voice of Nagi-ojousama (Kugimiya Rie). At the end were a couple of classics, songs that I can actually sing and play - Shinken from Love Hina (Aoyama Motoko's character song), and an excellent song from Serial Experiments Lain called Tooi Sakebi. Closing the disc was the ending theme from Chobits (Ningyo Hime) which has a melancholy, minor feel to it that I like.


Hikikomori Princess Sanzenin Nagi
The week of the con I began to adjust my schedule from "nocturnal vampire" mode to "lazy teen" mode (sleeping until noonish), so as to soften the impact of the schedule change and to prevent me from being completely miserable at the con, because I'm not used to being awake when the sun is in the sky. Usually these efforts at schedule readjustment fail spectacularly, but this time it worked out pretty well, with a few minor kinks.

The weather, which was gorgeous throughout the week (going up into the 80s), expectedly (provided you're a pessimist) dropped just before the weekend. Luckily, con-going is largely an indoor activity, so the weather's not terribly important, but festivals are more...festive...when the sun is shining. At any rate, the weather followed last year's pattern in that it was cold, windy, and cloudy on Friday, but a bit nicer and sunnier on Saturday. Weird how that worked out.

So we arrived at the convention center on Friday around noon. I scoped out parking options ahead of time this year and thus managed to squeeze into an open lot just across the street from the con center (the lot attendant put up the "Full" sign just behind us as we pulled in). It was better than where I parked last time which required a brisk trot across the city to go from car to con (and back again). The convention center garage itself was full on Friday, but had space for us on Saturday (also mimicking last year's pattern).

We secured our badges and then took a seat to scour the schedule for interesting programming. There's usually not a whole lot in the schedule that grabs me - I look at cons as more of an atmosphere to experience than a series of specific things to do/see - and this year was no different. I was pleased that the schedule labeled which of the video rooms were dedicated to subs and which to dubs (between the four regular viewing rooms, there were two and two). But, unfortunately, most of the good shows I was familiar with (School Rumble, Gurren Lagann, Claymore, Strike Witches, Record of Lodoss War, Last Exile, Irresponsible Captain Tylor, Lucky Star, Mnemosyne, Revolutionary Girl Utena...) were playing in the dub rooms :/. Still, con-going means the potential for finding new shows is good (although the chance of stumbling upon an especially good one may be slim).

While passing the queue that was forming in anticipation of the initial opening of the Dealer's Room, Audrey (re: The Primatives), a shiriai no hito whom I introduced last year, called out to me. I was hoping I'd bump into her, although there was no second meeting this year. Granted, I wasn't quite as unaccompanied as I was last year.

One thing I like to make a point to do for sure at an anime con is watch some AMVs. We got that out of the way early. It was request hour, and to my satisfaction, they played some pretty good AMVs, including the classic Eva/Engel, and a new (to me) AMV using the Sunscreen song, this time with visuals from Naruto (it was pretty good). There were other less recognizable ones, and some silly ones, but I was happy with what I got to see. I'm kind of torn about the way they schedule AMVs at cons. There's the AMV contest, for which people send in submissions prior to the con to be judged at the con. Those are the AMVs I'd really like to see, but the AMV contest is really popular, and thus there is the potential of not getting in, and plus it might conflict with other schedule interests because it takes some time. The AMV-dedicated room spends a lot of time showing other AMVs - old ones and such, usually based around various themes. Those are good to see, too, but I kind of wish there was more opportunity to see the ones enrolled in the contest outside of the actual contest...

After lunch (at the same Subway I scoped out last year), we spent a couple hours in the Dealer's Room. As usual, I held back on buying anything on the first day, waiting to give myself time to mull over what I wanted to spend money on. Selection was comparable to last year. Lots of weapons, lots of figures (although not necessarily the ones you were looking for), one or two dedicated video booths (though in all fairness, official releases just don't hold the excitement of bootlegs), at least one dedicated manga booth, lots of t-shirts and wall scrolls (obviously biased towards the more popular series), plenty of kawaii mono, various cosplay costumes and accessories, and all the sorts of things you'd expect to find in a Dealer's Room at an anime convention (just, not as many of them as at Otakon :p). I picked up a hentai manga at one point and the vendor shouted at me because he apparently thought I was underage (or something, it was hard to understand him). I should have been flattered, but instead I just became self-conscious. ;_;


Finally escaping the hustle and bustle of the Dealer's Room, we went up to check out the roof. The weather was not cooperative, however. The wind and the cold made it pretty much unbearable, so we came back in promptly. We were wandering about the con, when purely random circumstances directed our attention toward the Fashion Show that was just starting on the main stage. Looking at the schedule, I noted that it was an "EGL" Fashion Show, which only confused me, but I decided that, being a fashion show, it was worth a look. When we got inside, it became immediately clear to me that EGL = Elegant Gothic Lolita (and shame on me for not knowing that, because I distinctly remember learning that once before). Knowing this, there was no question about staying to watch.


The first part of the show was a presentation on Lolita fashion, the different styles, and the philosophy behind it. For obvious reasons, the presenters (as I imagine many who wear the fashion do) made a point to disassociate Lolita fashion from the implications of the original term as penned by Nabokov. An important aspect of Lolita fashion is that of modesty (which is normally something I am opposed to), and so it's clear that the intent is not to sexualize. While I understand and respect this (really, I do), methinks the lady doth protest too much.


The second part of the show was an actual fashion show, featuring a number of models (read: EGL otaku) dressed up in various Lolita styles. As for me, I can go for the Gothic and Punk styles, but I have a bit of a Sweet tooth, and Hime speaks for itself (provided you know that "hime" is Japanese for "princess"). Classic is kind of dull :p. Of course, the best style is Ero, but I get the feeling it's kind of fringe, and straddling the line (which, frankly, makes it exciting).

After the fashion show, I was sufficiently moved, and feeling bold, so back in the Dealer's Room, I finally worked up the courage to actually browse through the various feminine fashions available. Is it weird to wish I could wear these clothes? I feel literally attracted to them. I don't wear them because I know how they'd look on me, but I still want to. I think I know how the ugly girls feel, because I want really bad to be pretty, but I don't have any realistic expectations of fulfilling that desire in my lifetime. Regardless, I'm really tempted to wear a Lolita outfit (complete with skirt/petticoat and appropriate shoes - something really cute - along with hair and, presumably, makeup?) next time I go to a con. There are only two things stopping me: the first is cost; and the second is finding something that would fit me. :(


We left the con early so I could make it to my performance at an Open Stage in the evening (I'm a guitarist, remember?). Unfortunately, it seems like the best 18+ oriented programming was taking place on Friday night rather than Saturday night, which means I had to miss it. Still, I wonder how much I'm really missing, because I can watch hentai at home - it's easy enough for me to procure if I am so inclined - and I can choose what to watch (because honestly, people's sexual interests are highly diverse). Plus, I can avoid the potential audience reaction of "lulz naked anime chicks, isn't this humorously pathetic, guyz?" And if you think I'm just being paranoid about that, then please explain to me why there is an MST3K style hentai viewing on the schedule. :p

Anyway, at the end of the night, I tried to get some sleep to recharge for day the second of the con, but obsessive thoughts of gothic lolitas invaded my mind and tortured me for not being able to be a part of their group, and I wasn't able to rest very well. Still, day the second came no less quickly.

ZML^2 - Rainbow Vibrations

For a brief explanation of Zharth's Music Log (and a link to the archives), see the first paragraph of the last installment of Zharth's Music Log Revisited. Since I like the idea of the music log so much, but didn't have the resources (whether internal or external) to keep it going past a year (and really, a whole year of posting a different song each day is pretty impressive if you ask me, what with the themes and everything), and since I still have some themes leftover that I like enough not to completely forget, I figured I could pull one out every so often when the timing is ripe, and we could all have fun basking in the faded glow of a great idea whose time has come and gone.


And speaking of glowing, what with it now being April, with spring in tow, ready to shower the earth in preparation for the colorful floral bloom that is impending, the theme I bring to you today is one of colors - the vibrant colors of the rainbow. We'll take them in order, following the old standard - ROYGBIV.


Jimi Hendrix - Electric Church Red House [Blues]
Comments: An old standard itself, Red House is a tune that belies its simple blues construction. It's one of my favorite songs in Jimi's repertoire, and among the various recorded versions of it that I've heard, I have yet to hear a bad one. This one is one of my favorites, and stands distinct from both the original studio version, and the more fleshed out live versions scattered around. It starts with some pseudo-inspirational ramblings, and then takes off, wandering far off the path and getting lost in the woods during the solo in the middle, never even finding its way back for the last verse, before it ultimately fizzles out. Wild and unrestrained - that's what it's all about.


The Amboy Dukes - Why Is A Carrot More Orange Than A Orange? [Journey To The Center Of The Mind, 1968]
Comments: Knowing Ted Nugent, you might be surprised to learn that he was a prominent member of a psychedelic band during the later part of the swingin' sixties, but it's true. And The Amboy Dukes, while not as popular as, say, Jefferson Airplane, had a few good acid trips (I'm referring to songs, here) of their own. In this song, the band asks the strikingly poignant question, why is a carrot more orange than an orange? It beats me.


Donovan - Mellow Yellow [Mellow Yellow, 1967 (released as a single in 1966)]
Comments: Popularly hailed as Britain's "answer" to Bob Dylan, Donovan's one song of particular note - to me, personally, that is - is a song done even better by other musicians. That song is Season of the Witch, and those musicians are the ones who stuck around for the Super Session (including Al Kooper and Stephen Stills) after Michael Bloomfield bailed. But Donovan comes back to my attention by way of this song, Mellow Yellow, played - once again - even better by a local musician of no small talent, whom I know personally. ;)


Pink Floyd - Green Is The Colour [More, 1969]
Comments: Here is a track from one of Pink Floyd's oft-overlooked albums, which was actually recorded as the soundtrack to a film of the same name, an arty look at drug addiction and sun worship on the Spanish isle of Ibiza. Despite technically being a soundtrack album, More stands pretty strong on its own, in my opinion, more so if you don't mind atmospheric tracks (something Pink Floyd is known for anyway). But there are also a number of good straight tunes on this album, such as this one presented here.


Cream - Blue Condition [Disraeli Gears, 1967]
Comments: Some colors are better represented in song titles than others. For example, I could only find a single orange song in my catalog. Blue, as it turns out, is a very popular color - and that's true even if you ignore the many songs with the word "blues" in the title. I chose this one, from the album that brought us such classic tracks as Strange Brew and Sunshine of Your Love, because I think it fits well with the other mellow tracks chosen for this theme (excepting, of course, the red song).


Led Zeppelin - White Summer/Black Mountain Side [Coda (bonus track), recorded in 1969]
Comments: Since indigo is an illusory color that doesn't really exist, I figured I'd do a "black and white" sort of a thing instead. And how convenient that we have Led Zeppelin's White Summer and Black Mountain Side (really only variations or parts of the same song to begin with, at least how Page played them) together in one track! You can check out the roots of Led Zeppelin for more info, but White Summer was first recorded by Jimmy Page back in the Yardbirds, and Black Mountain Side appeared on Led Zeppelin's debut album. During the band's later tours (1977 on), the piece worked as a counterpoint and unsuspecting intro to the much heavier and hypnotic Kashmir.


The Blues Project - Violets of Dawn [released as a single, 1966]
Comments: Violet is another color that's hard to find, although a little bit easier if you allow purple. But I didn't want to do two Jimi Hendrix tracks for this theme (and I've already used that song for another theme, incidentally), and I don't own any Prince, I'll tell you that. Anyhow, it's fitting that I was able to find an actual violet song, as opposed to simply purple, even though I think the song may be referring to the flower. But that's okay, because isn't the flower named for its color anyway (or maybe it's the other way around)? Well, in any case, this is a nice light track to close the theme, from a great little known band that I will tell you is not adequately represented by this track alone. Check out their performance at the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967 (the Summer of Love), if I've got your curiosity piqued (or, try this on for size).

And with those thoughts of flowers and summer I leave you. Until next time.

Confessions of an MTV Generation Traitor

Those who haven't heard the story before, and know what a big part of my life music is these days, might be surprised to learn that I didn't even start listening to music until at least halfway through high school, when I finally turned on to the music my parents had subconsciously planted an appreciation for in my head, by playing it throughout my formative years. That, of course, would be the music of their generation, focused on the late 60's and early 70's. Guitar-based rock n roll, with a heavy blues flavor (which is a refinement I later picked up on).

As for the music of my generation, it never really hit me. And I also, to an extent, consciously distanced myself from it because I've always associated it with my peers, and I never felt particularly like I could relate to my peers. But that doesn't mean that a song or two wasn't able to break through my defenses now and then. I have, in fact, (a while ago now) collected a disc's worth of those songs together in a compilation that I'm not especially vocal about having - because, although I might "like" these songs (albeit not on the same level as the songs I'm more vocal about liking), I don't want to give people the impression that I like this kind of music, because I don't especially, and I'm not exactly eager to get a bunch of like-minded recommendations. After all, these are mostly songs I noticed before I realized what it was I liked about music (which also implies that these songs don't have it, at least not nearly to the same extent (and if I had to take a guess as to what "it" is, I would say compelling electric guitar leads)).

But in the spirit of Satanic Thoreau's recent foray into pop music, I thought maybe I'd dust these songs off and pull them out of hiding, once and for all. Though instead of pop, most of these are probably what would be called "alternative".

Ironically, this collection is titled "Modern" even though, by now, all of these songs are at least a decade old. I guess nothing stays modern for very long. I'll take suggestions for a new title if you've got any.


No Doubt - Don't Speak [1995]
To me, this was a powerfully emotional song. Just in the way it sounded and the melancholy lyrics and all. "Don't tell me cause it hurts." Unfortunately, whatever respect I may have once had for Gwen Stefani was tossed out the window with Hollaback Girl. I don't know what a "hollaback girl" is, all I know is that I want her dead.

Garbage - Push It [1998]
And this is what I thought of as an "intense" song back in the day. I always liked the line (and the way it was presented in the song), that goes, "this is the noise that keeps me awake; my head explodes and my body aches", and then bam! "Push it, make the beat go harder."

Pearl Jam - Do The Evolution [1998]
Despite my stance against admitting Pearl Jam into the pantheon of Classic Rock this is one song by them that I've always liked. It's a pretty good rocker, and I like the vocals, and I remember it having a pretty neat amazing animated music video that caught my attention once upon a time. "It's evolution, baby!"

Rammstein - Engel [1997]
German band with a kind of "industrial" flavor. It's a pretty good song, and I like the dynamic that exists between the male and female vocals. (I won't mention the topically relevant Eva AMV).

Radiohead - Paranoid Android [1997]
Radiohead - Karma Police [1997]
These Radiohead tracks were added later on, as I have no recollection of being aware of any Radiohead songs specifically when Radiohead was fresh (although I do recognize the video for Karma Police (the video for Paranoid Android just confuses me - and not in a good way - but the song is good)). My only connection to them really is through a guitarist/friend of mine I knew in college. I didn't quite agree with him that Radiohead was the logical progression in bands to listen to after the likes of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd (generation gap, anyone?), but I certainly don't hate these songs. (Fake Plastic Trees came a little bit later still).

Natalie Imbruglia - Torn [1997]
It's funny, because this song also turned up on Satanic Thoreau's Immaculate Pop collection (linked above). The one thing about this song that really stands out is the lyric "lying naked on the floor". That was all it took for me. Also, though I don't usually go for the short hair look, I have to admit Natalie is pretty cute in the video. Interestingly, I remember when she first came on the scene, and in an MTV news break, Kurt Loder (I presume) came on to inform us all that the 'g' in "Imbruglia" was indeed silent.

Madonna - Frozen [1998]
I was too young for Madonna's first wave, but I remember her "comeback". Although I've never invested much time or attention into Madonna's music, I always quite liked this particular song. I remember at one time thinking that it could be enhanced with some passionate guitar licks over top (or even in place) of the humming. I still think so. Beautiful video, by the way. "You only see what your eyes want to see; how can life be what you want it to be? You're frozen, when your heart's not open."

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun [1994]
In truth, this is a good song, but even if it wasn't, I'd still like the title, because it's a fascinating concept. I recall the music video being pretty surreal, which adds to the appeal. But the idea of the sun, giver of all light, changing into a black hole, to suck everything away, is deliciously fatalistic. "Hang my head, drown my fear, till you all just disappear."

Orgy - Blue Monday [1998]
I would say that this is merely an okay song, but the driving beat and repeated line "how does it feel" is pretty infectious. Also, I like the distortion. Very fuzzy.

Fiona Apple - Criminal [1996]
This was, hands-down, without a doubt, the sexiest music video I had (and still have) ever seen. For a long time it was a guilty pleasure not because I didn't want to admit to liking the song, but because I was afraid to admit to watching such a sexy video. But damn. Ok, so it's kind of sleazy, but wow is it hot. And the truth is, the real point of this entire post was to give me an excuse to admit that. Yep, I just had to come clean. "What I need is a good defense, 'cause I'm feelin' like a criminal." And I'm not even kidding.

Fastball - The Way [1998]
I don't even remember the first time I heard this song, but during the Summer of [Shattered] Dreams, it was played in my presence, and to my surprise, I recognized it, though I knew not from where. Regardless, it's not a bad song. If it has a kind of dull, plodding atmosphere, the lyrics make up for it. Nothing like the dream of picking up your bags and heading off into the sunset in search of "eternal summer slacking".

Metallica - Nothing Else Matters [1992]
Being in the "metal" vein, which I've always eschewed for rock (even before I got into rock) Metallica is a band I've never really gotten into, although I have come across some songs of theirs that I like. This is one of them, and like the Radiohead songs, it came in a bit later than the rest. I also like Fade To Black, which I heard two guitarists perform at an Open Mic at college, but it's this song's lyrics that spoke to my sensitive heart during my "unrequited love" period.

Bush - Comedown [1994]
I recall hearing this song on the radio in a half-sleep daze, and getting stuck on the chorus - "I don't wanna come back down from this cloud; it's taken me all this time to find out what I need". For some reason, I was caught on it, so I hunted down the song. It's not a bad song. Strong bass line.

Godsmack - Voodoo [1998]
Ok, this is a pretty repetitive song, but like the snake's venom, it sinks into your veins and you just can't get it out. The repeated lyric ("I'm not the one who's so far away...") is like a chant that refuses to cease. I had it stuck in my head a long time ago, then I forgot it, then I heard the song again in yet another half-sleep daze, and it got stuck in my head again, so I had to seek out its source. It's kind of hypnotizing.


If I were to add another song, I might consider Nine Inch Nails' Closer, just for being so damn ballsy (it's better with the equally ballsy video). Going back and watching all these videos, I should make this a DVD compilation of video clips rather than a CD comp. I'm actually impressed with how much the dates for these songs matched up. They're all from the 90's, with the majority from around 97/98. Which makes sense, as that was about the time - plus a year or two for the songs to get airplay - that I discovered classic rock and switched over, never to look back. Maybe at that time, even before I switched on, my body was craving music. And these were the best I was stuck with until I found what I was truly looking for. Interesting.

I'll also mention here, since it's relevant, that I'm a fan of Alanis Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill from 1995. Although I like a good female vocalist (see Janis Joplin), this isn't really the type of music I listen to, but the conviction shines through on this album and it really makes a difference. Ironic is probably the popular pick from the album, but my personal choice would be You Oughta Know.

Also, there was a time when I enjoyed listening to Mariah Carey, believe it or not. I've heard her get a lot of flack from people who like the kind of music I listen to, but I liked the way she sang. And I thought she was pretty attractive too. It's strange, because that whole aesthetic isn't really my scene, but for some reason she was an exception. I recall a particularly interesting video involving a jet ski chase.

More than anything, MTV teased me with a glorified view of having a social life - with shows like Real World and Road Rules, even if I don't like to admit I ever watched them, and the idealistic dream world of Spring Break, where it's warm, you're on the beach, watching a live outdoor concert, and you're surrounded by bikini-clad beach babes, and people are doing crazy things that often involve getting naked, and Girls Gone Wild is probably somewhere nearby, too. I simultaneously despised that world - the social world - and I desired it. I blame biological programming, but I've never been satisfied with the loner life I've lead out of necessity. For the little bit of time that I let it, MTV gave me a chance to be a tiny bit closer to that world that I was missing out on.

But there are better worlds, after all, to discover. Worlds I am more suited to.


[Postscript: Reading the comments on these videos is enlightening. Hearing people wax nostalgic about the 90's and how today's music ain't got the same soul really puts my own 60's/70's elitism into perspective. There's no question that the music from those decades had something that's lacking in most music today, but that's not to say that today's music isn't as good (except, of course, on a subjective level), it's just different.

And of course, growing up with music really helps to imprint it on your mind. I wonder how I would feel about the music I love if I hadn't listened to it as an impressionable infant. And yet, I'm mad about bluesmen like the three kings, and I'm pretty sure my parents weren't blasting records by them, so there's some element to my taste in music that isn't purely nurture.

Perhaps I was just lucky to be exposed so early to music that complemented my tastes so well. I suppose it's just a shame it took me so long to realize that. If I had gotten into music earlier, it might have changed the whole course of my life, potentially. I might have had a band in high school! :o

They flutter behind me, my possible pasts...]

Still, Waters Runs Deep

I was browsing photos of pretty girls on flickr, and I came across one that was titled Empty Spaces, which, incidentally, gave me a craving to listen to the song of the same name (I haven't really listened to Pink Floyd a whole lot in a long time). Anyway, because the live version of Empty Spaces is more complete, and I love the What Shall We Do Now? part that doesn't show up on the studio version, I loaded in the live version of The Wall to listen to. And at the end of The Thin Ice, I thought of two things. The first is that, in perfect counterpoint to Gilmour's fluid leads, Roger Waters has a great talent at writing lyrics (and singing them in such a way) that makes them very singalongable. The other thing I thought, while listening to the final lines in the song:

Don't be surprised when a crack in the ice appears under your feet. You slip out of your depth and out of your mind, with your fear flowing out behind you as you claw the thin ice.

was that Roger Waters has an uncanny ability to describe quite horrific experiences in not only a poetic language, but he sings them in a way that almost belies their terror. Not to say that Waters' voice isn't capable of matching the horror of his lyrics (it certainly is, and frequently does), but then there are cases like this one, and when he sings about nuclear holocaust in Two Suns in the Sunset (the meaning of which would have completely escaped me, by the way, if it weren't for my brother's more lyric-oriented approach to listening to music) -

Like the moment when the brakes lock, and you slide towards the big truck (oh, no). You stretch the frozen moments with your fear. And you'll never hear their voices (daddy! daddy!), and you'll never see their faces. You have no recourse to the law anymore. And as the windshield melts, my tears evaporate, leaving only charcoal to defend.

which is sung in an astonishingly calm voice (once you realize what's really going on). And that's just part of Roger Waters' charm, itself only part of what makes Pink Floyd such a great band. And with that thought on my mind, I can't help thinking that I really need to learn a good David Gilmour solo once and for all.

Raptors ate the hall monitor!

I had a dream last night that involved an infiltration mission into my old high school, after it had been infested by dinosaurs. Interestingly, among the people in the team that were headed into the danger zone were some of my college professors. The infiltration was as scary and as exciting as you could imagine. I had to dodge and try to outrun velociraptors in the hallways, using decoys and such. Some others seemed to have an easier time outrunning the raptors ("you just have to lead them on and keep ahead of them"), but I wasn't very confident in my ability to out-velocirate a velociraptor. At one point, I ducked into a small room to hide from danger, and found a rather large kitchen knife (larger than any kitchen knife I'd expect to find in real life, but still in the style of a kitchen knife). Turns out that room was Party Guy Marty's hideout, who I had passed previously in the hall (he returned while I was in the room).

That dream gives a whole new meaning to the term "hall monitors".

Anime Chekku

What with a certain anime convention coming up in just under a month, I figured it was a good time for me to watch some anime to really get in the mood. Here's what I've been watching recently:

Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
First up is the fourth incarnation of one of my favorite series, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. I've been waiting for the right moment to watch this since it aired, before the holidays. As expected, Zan is on par with the rest of the series' incarnations, and is very much more of the same (which, if, like me, you like the same, is a good thing). If you're unfamiliar with Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, it is, in my opinion, the perfect blend of social satire, cynical humor, psychological disorders, and adorable moe. And if you think that last element sounds out of place, you may be right, but that's precisely the reason I adore the series so much. And because the art is so good (and the girls so cute), here are a few more screen caps:












Moving on...

Mongolian Chop Squad
Er, that is, Beck. Despite the premise being quite obviously right up my alley, and in spite of the recommendations I've received, I've been slow to catch Beck, and the reason is in the title. Although I could see it being a reference to revered guitar god Jeff Beck, the fact is, my first reaction is to think of a decidedly different Beck who, though I'm not actually familiar with his music, kind of turns me off. In fact, even within the anime series, when the band debuts in America, they have to come up with a different band name (which ends up being Mongolian Chop Squad) for (I think) that very reason.

In any case, it was a good series, about the initial tribulations surrounding the formation of a Japanese rock band. Featured in the band is a hot young guitarist who spent some time in New York, and played alongside another musician currently in a more popular band, and a high school student who turns out to be something of a musical prodigy. Together with the other members of the band, they struggle to make it both as performing and recording artists. Though I liked Chiba's character, his hip hop approach to the vocals wasn't really my style. Koyuki's singing style was better, but still more ballady. What that band needed was a rock vocalist.

The liberties taken with the story of the guitar Lucille are hilariously patchy, though I'm sure that was intentional. But Sonny Boy Waters? The character with the best taste in music was the guitar teacher/humorously awkward old guy, who is a fan of old British rock - he even mentioned the Yardbirds! There were a few minor time jumps in the story that felt a little awkward, but it was nice to see the passage of time that was covered. I wasn't really satisfied with the stilted development of Koyuki and Maho's relationship, though. For the characters who spoke some English, the accents were (mostly) expectedly bad, which was kind of distracting. And to end on a good note, the band's performance at the music festival near the end was really inspirational.

Toradora!
Toradora! is a story of romance, involving a fragile-looking but aggressive girl named Taiga (tora = tiger), and a boy with a mean face but a gentle heart (representing the dragon = doragon). It's one of the many series featuring a tsundere character voiced by Queen of Tsundere Kugimiya Rie, who also voiced hikikomori (and yes, tsundere) Nagi-ojousama from Hayate no Gotoku, who I am rather fond of.

To my surprise, Toradora! featured a number of other familiar voices, including Maria (Tanaka Rie) - also from Hayate no Gotoku (and to my complete surprise, also the voice of my beloved Chii) - as the sensei. I recognized the distinct voice of one Nonaka Ai, who plays Kafuka Fuura in Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, as one of the minor characters. One voice I [shockingly] didn't recognize was that of Horie Yui, playing one of the supporting characters, who also voiced two characters I've had my eye on in the past - Sawachika Eri from School Rumble (<3), and Narusegawa Naru from Love Hina (now I'm showing my age ;_;).

I kind of didn't want to like Aisaka Taiga at first, because to me, she was just a character trying to usurp the voice of Nagi-ojousama (like how Kannagi's Nagi usurped her name), but I got to like her in the end. Although I missed Nagi's usage of "zo" at the end of her sentences. Even though I have the impression that it's more of an aggressive male pattern of speech, I always thought it was cute when she used it. But Taiga doesn't use it.

I think the thing I like about tsundere characters, is that I can relate to their reluctance to show their feelings, especially when those feelings are embarrassing (which usually involves admitting that you like someone). And while I may not have the violent or downright standoffish fronts associated with tsundere characters (at least I hope not), I find that attempt to shield their vulnerabilities immensely attractive (at least in fantasy).

But hiding one's feelings can have painful consequences, for yourself and for those around you. And the way in which this series deals with those consequences is what lifted my appreciation for it above merely a fun show to watch. When I got to the end of the "intervention" scene, it was so good, I went back and watched it three more times in a row before continuing on (I'm not sure I can even remember the last time I've done that). The ending may not have been perfect (or completely satisfying), but that confrontation was worth the price of admission alone.

A couple Neil Young lyrics

Yesterday I heard a cover of Motion Pictures by an unfamiliar band on the blues radio stream I like to listen to. It was a pretty faithful cover, I'd say. It's not really my style of song - kind of "country mellow" - but hearing it on this station, surrounded by blues songs, and covered by a blues band, reinforced my feeling that it's a good song. Of course, having heard my brother perform the song in the past has helped to polish my appreciation for it, as well. Although it still doesn't hold a candle to the other songs from On The Beach that I like more (especially the title track). :p

Switching gears, let's talk about a lyric from Cowgirl in the Sand, a song I've been playing regularly for years, before which I spent some time listening to it obsessively. While playing the song recently, I got to the second verse, where the line about "rust" comes into play. But it's the part just after that that I want to talk about:

After all the sin we've had,
I was hoping that we'd turn bad

Sometimes I'll sing or listen to a lyric for a long time and not really think about it - whether I understand what it means or not - and then suddenly the line will hit me. Well, I've always been slightly confused about this particular line (and it's not the only line in this song that's confused me). It's just - I'd think to myself - if we've had all this sin, then are we not bad already? Isn't the reason we've partaken of all this sin because we turned bad in the first place?

Or perhaps it goes something like this. We tried out all this sin, just for the fun of it. And then we were expecting it to turn us bad. But it didn't. We remained good. So maybe we turned out not to really like the sin all that much in the end? Maybe we ultimately found out, to our disappointment, that we weren't cut out for the sinful life after all?

Well, the "revelation" that hit me the other day, was to take the phrase "turn bad" as having the connotation of spoiling, like with food. We tried out all this sin, hoping that it would turn us bad, in order to reinforce our beliefs - handed down to us through religion - that sin destroys man. Sort of a proof that sin is bad. But after trying all this sin, we didn't turn bad. We were perfectly fine. Which actually disproves the religious angle, and instead suggests that sin isn't all that bad, isn't a big deal after all. It's not something we have to avoid, because it's not going to turn us bad...

The other lyric I wanted to mention is from the song The Last Trip To Tulsa. I've had this thought more than once while listening to the song. It has to do with this part:

I was driving down the freeway,
when my car ran out of gas.
Pulled over to the station,
but I was afraid to ask.

The service men were yellow,
and the gasoline was green.
Although I knew I could not,
thought that I was gonna scream.

When I hear this part, I can't help thinking that it's a perfect description of social anxiety. You've gotta get gas but you're too afraid to talk to the men at the station. Anxiety creeps in, and you start noticing the little details - like the color of the gas. The stress overwhelms you and you feel like you wanna scream, but you know you could never actually draw attention to yourself like that.

I know the feeling. And it's the fear of it that keeps me from taking trips to Tulsa more often.