Hello Lychee Blog

Hello everyone! The time has come to officially announce that my blog has officially moved to...

http://Hullolychee.blogspot.com

Please visit if you wish to keep following me. I will be deleting this blog soon. Thanks for reading!

Lychee, formerly known as "Kittie."

Steampunk D. I. Y.

So I was brainstorming possible changes in the plot development for my Steampunk roleplay stories on both IMVU and Second Life when I suddenly, and quite naturally, felt the urge to seek out all things Steampunk, and viola! My search turned up these rather exquisite light plates. Now I was most disappointed to learn that they were not for sale, but their creator has made available to us all a nifty little "How-to" if you would like to try and make one of your own.

My personal favorites are the first one to the left on the first row, which can hold a candle to light a room when the electricity is not being used. A perfect and easy way to create an intimate or cozy setting, and the first one to the left on the second row, which sports a long brass cord. With a gentle tug, the light switches of. At least I think it works that way. A clever looking device none the less. Click Here for the brilliant tutorial and more close up pictures for these light fixtures.

Kuroshitsuji comes to Tinier Me!

Citizens of Selfy Town rejoice! Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) collaborates with Tinier me, A social networking site for those who enjoy Japanese animation, music, and culture, to promote the series' season 1 and 2, soon to be released in the United States. Now for a limited time, the Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) fans of Tinier me can collect limited edition themed items for the series featuring several clothing items, accessories, hair, and facial features in the likeness of the main cast via Tinier Gacha. Not to worry for those of you who cannot pinch a penny to purchase the Gacha coins. There is bound to be someone out there willing to trade away their doubles so do not delay, start searching!

Winter 2011 Anime Line-up

Here is the visual guide for the upcoming December 2010 - February 2011 anime broadcasts. So far I can definitely tell you that I am looking forward to Kimi ni Todoke Season 2, and I just cannot believe I have not reviewed such an amazing series yet!

However, I have got to admit my light disappointment as I am scanning through some of the new series' synopsis'. It seems like they just do not make anime the way they used to. Now-a-days you would think they transitioned from the gripping stories and characters we knew and loved as if they were our best friends, as if they stepped out of our very own dreams the way they could relate to our "growing pains." Or even the way they closely resembled the heroes or role models we've always wanted. Now the characters of today are plastic models of what "used-to-be."

Don't you miss looking at the screen, or flipping through a manga and thinking, "That's me," when you watch them actually come to life and grow? I know that I do, and I also know that it is way too early to judge, but based simply on what I have seen in much recent line-ups it just seems to me like the real storytellers have retired, and are being replaced by mere copycats who never really learned from the masters, but blindly imitate them. Please do not misunderstand. The magic of dream weaving was not lost on an unworthy generation. You just have to look a bit harder to find it now, it seems.

Japanfest Atlanta 2010

There has been a slight change of plans. Instead of Anime Weekend Atlanta 2010, I have decided to attend Japanfest 2010. After my mother and I read through the details of this event, I spent some time talking Dezi into attending as well.

JapanFest Weekend will be held on September 18-19, 2010, from 10 am to 6 pm (Saturday) and 10 am to 5 pm (Sunday) at the Convention Center at Gwinnett Center (located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097). Tickets are $8 (free for kids 6 and under) and can be purchased at the door.

JapanFest, now in its 24th year, is the largest Japanese festival east of Houston and south of Washington, DC, and typically draws crowds exceeding 18,000. Organized by The Japan-America Society of Georgia, The Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, and the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta, JapanFest is designed to promote understanding between Japanese and Americans in the Southeast.

- Japanfest Official Site

In light of this year's theme, "Discover Japan," It was much easier for me to make a final decision on what I would wear this convention season, and the choice is... a Yukata, a Japanese summer cotton kimono! Sadly, not the kimono I wished to save enough to buy, seeing as there is just no way to get it in time for the festival. Instead, my father and I bought the materials needed for me to sew my very own Yukata just yesterday.

Wish me luck!

The GazettE - "SHIVER"

Japanese Visual Kei rock band, The GazettE's, newest single, "SHIVER", was released July 21,2010, and was selected as the opening theme for Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) 2.

Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) 2

Or "Kuroshitsuji Sidestory," as I like to call it. This season of Kuroshitsuji shys away from the manga's original plot sequence even more so than the last, and introduces a new master and butler, as well as another staff of servants in their stead.

Picture - Claude Faustus (Left) and Alois Trancy (Right)

Taking place three months after the climax of the last Season, Kuroshitsuj 2 follows the young head of the Trancy household, Alois Trancy. A boy who, much like Ciel Phantomhive, disappeared from his home under mysterious circumstances several years prior to the story, and returned with a mysterious man clad head to foot in black.

His new butler, Claude Faustus, is a demon who assumes the form of a spider and, unlike Sebastian Michaelis, seems very boastful with his supernatural talents as the Trancy butler, yet overall cold and emotionless.

Shortly after his disappearance, Alois' mother is said to have taken her own life. Thus she never lived to see his return. However, his father expired soon after Alois was recovered. The actual circumstances behind the demise of Alois' predecessors has yet to be explored, though Alois himself has stated that his own father was responsible for "rescuing" him from his captors. If so, just what role does the demon play, and what is the nature of the contract that exists between them?

The Series' cast includes recurring characters we know and love from the previous installment, and the new servants of the Trancy household. Hannah Anafeloz, the timid and mysterious maid clad in shades of purple and white, who seems utterly terrified of her young master, and Thompson, Canterbury, and Timber. The triplets who assume the positions of Gardener, Steward, and Cook resepectively. Like Claude, they rarely engage in regular conversation, and if they do speak, the viewer does not hear.

In his home, Trancy is addressed as "Your Majesty," rather than, "Young Master," and the overall atmosphere is darker in comparison to that of the house of Phantomhive.

Somehow the destinys of both Alois Trancy and Ciel Phantonhive are related, and their ultimate fates, or the meaning of their meeting each other in the first place is already a promising adventure in Kuroshitsuji 2!

Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) 2 premiered July 1, 2010.

Anime Weekend Atlanta 2010 - Cosplay Ideas Part 3.

This is "Lalah Sune." A supporting character from "Mobile Suit Gundam," Created by Sunrise Studio's Yoshiyuki Tomino, and the very first series that started the Gundam franchise in 1979.

She is one of several possible cosplay arrangments I have in mind for Anime Weekend Atlanta this September, and quite possibly the one I may ultimately choose. Her overall design seems pretty simple, accept for her eyes, a brilliant shade of sea foam green.

Anime Weekend Atlanta 2010 - Cosplay Ideas Part 2.

No, I am very serious... I may attend AWA as a dearly beloved Pikachu! Lady Dezi is already prepared to make her own poke ball!

The above tutorial was put together and origionally posted by "Secret life of a bio nerd."
You can find this, and more D.I.Y. episodes at Threadbanger.

Anime Weekend Atlanta 2010 - Cosplay Ideas Part 1.

This Sapphire Shrysanthemum Gothic Wa lolita Kimono ensemble from FanplusFriend Garden is my first choice of attire for Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA) this Fall. It costs quite a pretty penny... actually, a whole bunch of "pretty pennies" I do not have right now, but experience has already taught me not to go on without not one, not two, but a series of backups! Its good to be double or triple prepared for an unexpected disappointment, or a last minute disaster, but I still hope to save enough to get that dress by the end of this Month!

Please check back for later posts related to Gothic Lolita Fashion, and Japanese fashion links!

FUNimation Entertainment Announces English Dub Cast of Kuroshitsuji "Black Butler"

Click Here For the cast list!

It seems to me that some of the cast are new to voice acting, which could be either a good or bad thing, if I am not mistaken. To me, it shows that they are putting an effort into finding great voice choices that fit the characters, like Lau, for example. The choice for him was spot-on! His actor is also known as the voice of "Barry the Chopper" from FullMetal Alchemist, and if you've ever seen the dub for that series, you will know what to expect. I also agree with the actress choice for Mei Lin, and for the same reason. Her actress is known for the voices of "Bulma" from Dragon Ball Z, and "Towa" from D.N. Angel among others. If you really know these characters, you would agree that if handled well, these actors could actually portray their personalities we know and love without a hitch (I hope)!

I also believe the fact that Madame Red and William's actors have yet to be announced is another example of choice effort, but this is just my opinion.

UPDATE

It was just brought to my attention that the voice actress for Angelina Durless, also known as "Madame Red," has already been decided, and will be Lydia Mackay, the voice of "Trisha Elric" from Fullmetal Alchemist.

I'm Ba-ack!

Greetings Readers,

I must apologize for not updating in the longest. Life and its pressures have finally let up, so it is with great pleasure, and relief, that I officially announce my return.

Hoorah!

I am way behind in what I would have liked to see done with this blog, but hopefully I can turn that around... soon.

Asura Cryin'

Asura Cryin' is a Japanese light novel series written by Gakuto Mikumo and Illustrated by Nao Watanuki. The anime adaptation began airing in Japan Aprill 2009

Picture:- (From left to right) Misao, Tomoharu Natsume, Takatsuki Kanade

Tomoharu Natsume, the series' protagonist, has begun his first year in High school and moved into a house of his own... along with the ghost of his childhood friend, Misao. On the day of the move-in, Kurosaki Shuri, a mysterious woman who can see Misao, drops off an indestructible suitcase. Claiming that Tomo's elder brother who studies abroad sent it especially for him. After wearily accepting the package, Tomo and Misao unwillingly become the center of a strange chain of events bound to spiral out of control!

Only three episodes into the series, and I am already excited about where this is going! Though the overall plot is serious, this anime fortunately has a little bit of everything. Fantasy, Action, Supernatural, School Life, Slice of Life, and I'm not sure... is it too early to spot romance? I think it is... The cast and characters are already showing a dangerous promise for potential.

The manga adaptation by Ryo Akizuki started Serialization is ASCII media works' shonen manga magazine, Dengeki Daioh September 27, 2008

The anime adaptation's second series began airing October 1, 2009.

07 Ghost

07 Ghost is a fantasy anime based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara.

Picture: - Teito Klein (Front)
Ayanami (Back)


The story follows Teito Klein, an orphaned boy captured by the Barsburg empire after the fall of his own country, and made a slave. He is eventually enrolled into Barsburg's Military Academy due to his ability to use "Zaiphon," a rare type of supernatural power, and is considered a star pupil by the chairman, Miroku.

Teito is an amnesiac and remembers nothing of his life before his days as a slave, or a student at the Academy, aside from his mysterious and rather repetitive dreams. But after the passing of his graduation exam, and an unexpected turn of events, including Chief of Staff Ayanami's connection to his past, and the true meaning of one of his dreams finally coming to light, Teito finds himself on the run.

After helplessly wandering, Teito is found, brought to the Barsburg Church, and granted sanctuary, a law that protects even criminals from the military forces.

He later discovers his saviors to be Bishops of the church, as well as the history of the "Seven Guardian Ghosts," and from there, the path to fully uncovering his past and discovering his purpose begins.

I've just recently completed the series' first season, and am proud to say that I was more than satisfied. 07 Ghost's overall theme is that of mystery and fantastic discovery, as Teito struggles to comprehend his life's meaning, and the wishes presented by the ghosts of his past through dreams and visions.

I am still going through the manga, and excited about the series' return for a second season in early 2010!

The Manga first appeared in the monthly shōjo manga magazine Monthly Comic Zero Sum published by Ichijinsha, November 25, 2005, and is still running.

The Anime Adaptation of 07-Ghost was produced by Studio DEEN and premiered in April 2009.

Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)

I promised a review, and here it is! Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) is an anime based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Yana Toboso.

Picture - Ciel(Upper Right) Sebastian (Lower Left)

The series follows Ciel Phantomhive, an orphaned twelve-year-old who becomes head of the Phantomhive household after the tragic deaths of his parents, and Sebastian Michaelis, his butler who also serves as his bodyguard. Excuse me, I meant, his Demon butler.

Sometime after his parents passed, Ciel forged a Faustian contract between he and the demon he presently calls "Sebastian." Sebastian will protect Ciel until the day he finally has his revenge upon those who betrayed his family, in exchange for the boy's soul.

Now the purpose of the "Phantomhive" is to keep the dark streets of London, otherwise known as "The Underworld," under control so the Queen, Victoria, may rest easy. Another role passed onto Ciel after the death of his predecessor, Vincent Phantomhive.

The story takes place in Nineteenth Century England (Victorian Era). Although not every detail is accurate, Ciel and Sebastian find themselves in the center of actual events that took place around that time. One such case, is the "Jack the Ripper" Mystery.

This is my first ever anime review, but let me tell you. You will NOT be disappointed! Both the anime and manga are amazing. The story keeps you interested and the characters are just bubbling with personality and potential development.

Supporting characters are, Bard the American chef, who cooks everything with a flame thrower, Meirin the maid, who is overly clumsy and has an obvious crush on Sebastian, Finnian, the gardener, who does not seem to possess any real talent for that at all but he does manage to have freakish strength almost equal to Sebastian's, and Tanaka, the senior butler who served the previous head of the Phantomhive household. Now-a-day's he's kind of just... there, but there may be more to him than meets the eye...

They all live together in the Phantomhive's manor house on the outskirts of London. Now that makes for one hell of a good watch, don't you think?


The manga first appeared september 2006 in Square Enix's monthly "GFantasy." (Gangan Fantasy or Gangan Comics), a Japanese shonen manga magazine, popular for FullMetal Alchemist!

Kuroshitsuji's anime adaptation premiered in October of 2008. The first season ended March 26, 2009, but the series is scheduled to return for a second season!

Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA)

Shown here, is my little treasure brought back from Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA), the first Anime Convention I've ever attended! I first heard of it through my friend, Dezi, and ultimately ended up making plans to go with her and her mother. Upon arrival, I was totally psyched. It was like being in my own natural element. At first, Dezi was moving a bit too fast for me. I caught up eventually, and boy was it a scary thing when we actually began to learn our way around the calamity and excitement!

We had just recently been totally obsessed with a new Anime, "Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)," and were completely bent on finding some goodies. Fortunately for us both, Dezi's eyes finally spotted a bazaar showcasing the series' merchandise. After going through almost everything, we finally decided on the Chain Necklace you see above. The "Phantomhive" Family Crest!

I will post a review for the series I wrote a while back.

AWA was a really awarding experience. I enjoyed how culture was up close and personal, and already wish it were next year!

Hello Kitty Bento Box

Look at this adorable Hello Kitty Bento!

Bento - A Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box;a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware.

Src:- Daily Bento http://www.dailybento.com/

It has always been a dream of mine to make one of these and make it right! I can just picture how mine would come out already. Fun, sweet, and oh-so romantic depending on my mood. Bento boxes are a definite work of artistic expression!

Thats a VERY good question Mr. Hashish

Yes, a very good question indeed. I never explained what DOMO (Dream of mirror online) was all about. DOMO is an mmorpg (Massively multiplayer online role playing game) based on chinese mythology. The story is built around an ancient artifact called a "Kunlun Mirror." According to legend, the Kunlun mirror not only created the world, but also has the power to destroy it. The mirror world begins to suffer imbalance and the twelve mirror kings (The worlds rulers) need you (The player) to help them restore it. You choose your race and map out your goals, destiny, and complete quests as you exist in the mirror world.


That, in a nutshell, is what DOMO is all about. You can learn more about the game here here,

http://domo.aeriagames.com/info/introduction

Tadaa!

Onegai Sensei T.T

Here we are with one of my students, IcarusM. Peanut and I were helping him train in the dungeon under Town Hall.

Darkdale memory

After lots of training, I finally turned lvl 20 in my Shaman job. Peanut and took a trek all the way to Darkdale to get me a new uniform. Here we are posing with some infamous mooing sheep.

Peanut Porridge and I

This is my pets birthday. In the mirror world you can have your own pet that can be leveled like you :P No, they cannot get jobs, but I'd like to think whatever I am, they are too. Like I'm a Wizard in this picture. I'd like to think Peanut as my "apprentice" or "Mini Wizard." This shot was taken right after Peanut hatched from his egg. Didn't think to take shots of egg, so Peant has no baby pictures. Oh, yes his name is Peanut Porridge. "Peanut" for short.




Posing motherly with Peanut