When Marnie Was There Review

When Marnie Was There Japanese poster

When I realized I would be in Japan while the latest Studio Ghibli film, When Marnie Was There (Omoide no Maanii), was in theaters, I was thrilled. The last time I saw a Ghibli film in Japan was Ponyo, which was gorgeously animated but ultimately a little disappointing for me, so I wanted to see if Ghibli could outdo some of their more recent mediocre affairs. While When Marnie Was There‘s premise of a young sick girl who goes out to the country and becomes friends with another, rather mysterious, girl didn’t seem all that enticing from a plot synopsis point of view, I went in hopeful that I would be getting another dose of Ghibli’s magic on the big screen, well before the film aired in the rest of the world.

Read More

Catch-Up Corner: HaruToki 4, Battle Princess of Arcadias, and Rilakkuma Re-Ments

Now that I’m back in Australia and attempting (and mostly failing) to resume “normal” life, it’s time to get back to my favorite/only weekly column: Catch-Up Corner! If you’re new to Chic Pixel or just forgot since I haven’t done one in a while, the Catch-Up Corner is my attempt to make a space to talk about things I wouldn’t normally write a whole post about – a weekly roundup, if you will. This week, I’d like to talk about two games I started and the latest video on my YouTube channel.

First, after buying my fair share of exceedingly cheap retro Japanese games while I was in Tokyo (don’t worry, I’ll recount my haul very soon!), I decided it was high time to start chipping away at the old Japanese game backlog. I’ve always wanted to play one of the games in the otome series Harukanaru Toki no Naka de, and after buying yet another copy of the 4th installment by mistake because it was 100 yen (you know you have a problem when you can’t remember what games you have in your collection), I decided that was as good a place as any to start.

I’ve only played a couple hours of HaruToki 4 (PS2 version), but so far I’m really enjoying it! The games are developed by Koei, creators of the first otome game series ever, Angelique, but are particularly unique for the genre in that they have RPG elements in the form of battles and character progression. HaruToki 4 takes place in a fantastical setting loosely based on historical Japan, and features one of my favorite story clichés: girl getting transported to fantasy world and turning out to be the people’s last hope/princess/priestess. I’m surprised it took HaruToki 4 to remind me of this, considering I loved The Vision of Escaflowne and Fushigi Yuugi as a youth, but there you have it. I’m having a lot of fun playing a mystical princess surrounded by a bevy of hunky male protectors, so I imagine I’ll be sticking with this one.

Speaking of fantasy princesses (how’s that for a segueway), the other game I dabbled in this week was the new PSN release, Battle Princess of Arcadias! Ever since the game was announced for Japan, I’ve been enamoured by the gorgeous art style, and intrigued by its apparent similarities to Odin Sphere. From my limited experience with the game, I have to say I’m surprised with how difficult it is! I died right in the very first tutorial level, and multiple times in every level since. It’s a 2D action game, which I’ve never been particularly proficient at, but Battle Princess of Arcadias really makes you work for the victories, and so far I’ve determined that you need to be willing to replay past levels to beef up your characters in order to push through each new area. If you want to hear more about what the game’s all about, check out shidoshi’s recount on The Nichiest Podcast Ever episode 10. I’ll also have a full review in the near future, but I’m pretty positive about it despite the difficulty so far, and that’s partly due to just how darn beautiful it is.

Finally, be sure to check out my latest YouTube video, which is an unboxing of my very first Re-Ments! Re-Ments are a brand of Japanese miniatures that happen to come in many cute character-themed sets, the most important of which being Rilakkuma. I grabbed three different Rilakkuma singles and was really excited to see what I got, so if a video of cute bear-themed toys sounds pleasing to you, do check it out!

Apricotsushi Interviews: Foo Swee Chin (FSc)

While most of the influential artists of my youth were undoubtedly Japanese, there is one non-Japanese illustrator I followed from a young age that stands apart from the others for her eerily beautiful style. I’m referring to none other than the Singaporean artist, Foo Swee Chin, who is an all-around amazing creator. I actually had the privilege of meeting her last year at a conference in Sydney, and she also happens to be one of the sweetest professional artists I’ve ever met!

An example of FSc’s quirky, dark style (source)

☆ When did your first start drawing? Have you always wanted to be a comic artist?

I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. Drawing is a substitute for friends. I wasn’t allowed to go outdoors besides school and the library. So drawing is like a friend. We travelled together. XD
The comic thing kind of happened gradually. I enjoyed making up stories and creating worlds so the best medium was comics. I submitted some drawings and short comic stripes to a student newspapers in my teens. They published them, so I continued to send them more. After that I uploaded some online and sent samples to Slave Labor only because I enjoyed reading the comics they published. I kind of never stopped making comics since.

☆ Many of your fans probably came to know you through your work on Nightmares and Fairy Tales by Serena Valentino. What was it like doing the art for someone else’s story?

You are right, majority of them came to know my drawings because of Nightmares and Fairytales.
Serena was very nice and straightforward. She gave me a lot of freedom so it was quite fun to work on NNF. I didn’t feel very stressed out.
She explained everything very clearly so it wasn’t very difficult.
The only difficult part was that… being used to Japanese comics I found it hard to fit a lot of panels and dialogues into one page. But I got used to it after awhile, and now it is difficult to not over fill a page.

One of FSc’s character designs for Wayforward’s game, LIT 

☆ Is Wayforward’s LIT your only experience working on a video game? Is that something you’d like to do again in the future?

Kind of I guess. I did character designs for interactive games too but I guess that is different from video games.^^)>

☆ Interactive games still count! It’s really interesting that you’ve been able to work on projects in different mediums. You’ve also had the rare opportunity as a non-Japanese to work with a Japanese publisher and have your comics published in Japanese. What was that like?

It was… I was very honoured. I felt very lucky.
It wasn’t easy. Making Japanese manga is so different from making alternative comics. The editor and the manga artists have to work together as a team. I learned a lot from the experience. It made me humble.

A couple volumes of FSc’s comic, MuZz, at Mandarake in Shibuya
(photo taken by me)

☆ Back in January 2013, you spoke at the Women’s Manga in Asia: Glocalizing Different Cultures and Identities conference about being a female comics artist with Japanese influences. However, your style is probably not considered very manga-like by some. Do you consider your art manga?

No. I don’t anymore. I used to, simply because everyone said my comics are very manga. When I went to Japan I was told that my art is very European.
I don’t know anymore. My brain is a mashed potato.

☆ I personally don’t think it matters how you define it… Just keep drawing in your own amazing style! As for the future, what do you hope to be doing in five years?

I hope to get more art related work, at least enough to pay the bills and feed my cats XD
I’m open to any art related work, be it illustrations, concept visualisations, comics or manga, clothes designs, merchandises…  galleries (that is if anyone sane enough wants to see pages and pages of scribbly wiggly black and white line drawings LOL)
But my dream would be to have my own comic/manga series which can support my lifestyle and pay the bills someday. That dream is getting more and more difficult by the second.

She also posts lots of comics about her life on her blog.
Keep at it, FSc! 

A rather melancholy note to end on, but thanks so much to FSc for chatting with me about so many interesting topics! If you’d like to see what she’s up to, you can follow her on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. She always needs the support, so to read or, more importantly, purchase her work, please head over to her website!

Anne in Japan 2014: Rilakkuma Café at Tower Records

And so it begins! In addition to my usual posts, August is going to be dedicated to recapping my two and a half weeks in Tokyo! I went to a bunch of themed cafés, so it only makes sense to get the ball rolling with a post about one of them. I give you… the Rilakkuma Café and collaborative exhibit in Tower Records, Shibuya!

Before I get to the real event, that is, the Rilakkuma Factory Tower Records Café itself, I’d like to briefly recap the cute Rilakkuma x Tower Records collaboration exhibit they had on another floor of the building. It was mostly just a chance for Tower Records to sell limited edition Rilakkuma merchandise, but I got a lot of cute photos!

This whole 8th floor of Tower Records was dedicated to this exhibit! I love the little streamers they hung from the ceiling. Let’s take a closer look at some of the things they had on display…

Lots and lots of merchandise! Luckily, I wasn’t really tempted by any of the collaboration designs, so I was able to save my money. Since this was only my first full day in Japan, I’d say that’s a good thing!

The best part of the exhibit by far were these great cut-outs of Rilakkuma and his buddies, korilakkuma and kiirotori. This one of them looking glam is definitely my favorite!

Does the little yellow bird have Beatles hair, or so that a beret? It’s a shame I was by myself and too shy to ask someone to take my photo, or else I would’ve gotten my picture taken with at least one of these Rilakkumas.

Hard rock bears! Forgive me if I’ve described any of these musical decades by the wrong name, I’m not to up on my popular music genres… I think the reason why I didn’t really like the designs in this exhibit that much is because Rilakkuma isn’t doing what he does best – relaxing!

I actually wasn’t able to visit the café on the same day as the exhibit, as the line was too long. I ended up coming back during a weekday when it (hopefully) wouldn’t be as crowded. I was also able to meet up with a Twitter pal, @abyssviola! It was great to finally meet her in person, and we were able to get into the café after only waiting about 15 minutes or so!

Here’s the inside of the café itself. I love the industrial look of the ceiling, but it was slightly disappointing not to see more Rilakkuma stuff around! Oh wait, I think I see one now…

At least we were lucky enough to get this big Rilakkuma plush at our table! Each table was adorned with some kind or Rilakkuma plush or another (you can see a small one on the table directly behind my head). That was about it for Rilakkuma-related decor, though.

I was too distracted with petting the Rilakkuma plush to take a picture of the menu, but you can see the different items on offer on this sign outside. Since I hadn’t eaten dinner, I decided to go with the only savory item on the menu, the Rilakkuma vegetable curry. I would’ve liked to try one of the desserts, too, but the prices were pretty steep and I was worried I might get too full from the curry, so I ordered the “Rilakkuma Irish milk” instead.

Here’s the adorable Rilakkuma Irish milk drink! I don’t remember it tasting like anything but milk, actually. But it certainly was cute!

Looking back now, this isn’t really that appetizing of a photo, but there you have it! Rilakkuma curry. I love how they fashioned the rice to look like Rilakkuma is lounging in the curry. His “pillow” was made out of an omelet, and the white and tan parts on his body were cheese.

The drink and curry cost me around $20, which in all honesty, was rather disappointing. It felt quite expensive for the amount of food given, even if it was Rilakkuma-themed, and I left the café feeling pretty hungry! I should’ve ordered a dessert! Just for comparison, I got a curry and drink at another nice local café for about $13, which, while not themed, was much more reasonable. I can understand a slight markup, but an additional $7 for the Rilakkuma “experience” seemed rather steep.

I definitely don’t regret going, but as my first themed café excursion, I was left a little underwhelmed. Luckily, I can say that this was probably just an example of an overpriced themed café, as the others I went to later on in my trip were much better value for money. Still, I’m glad to have been able to go, especially since it was only around for the month of July! Thanks to @abyssviola for joining me!

Announcing the Platformer Community Game-Along

Now that we’re past the half-year mark, it’s time to start thinking about the remaining Community Game-Along themes for the year! While some of you may want to continue your July JRPGs into August, for those ready to jump into a new theme, I’ve got just the thing for you: platformers! On a very basic level, platformers usually feature timed jumping over obstacles as a fundamental aspect of their gameplay. But, since they often cross over with other genres, that means there are near limitless options for games to play this August, so think outside the box and try to find something outside of the usual Mario titles.

If aren’t familiar with my Community Game-Along events, the “rules” are simple – just play any game that fits the theme and talk about it with others! Feel free to post write-ups of your experiences on your own site, record a podcast, or use #PlatforMonth on your preferred social media. Of course, how you choose to share your experiences (or not), is up to you! If you’re having a hard time picking a game to play, here are a few suggestions: 
Klonoa: Door to Phantomville (PSone) – If you’re looking for a cute, iconic platformer that doesn’t feature a chubby Italian plumber, why not check out the Klonoa games? The original, Door to Phantomville, was remade for the Wii and is also available on PSN, making it really easy to pick up if you don’t have it already. 
Drill Dozer (GBA) – Drill Dozer is another adorable platformer, but unfortunately it’s a little harder to get hold of, as it was only ever released for the GameBoy Advance. As one of the few non-Pokemon games developed by Game Freak, though, making it a unique, quality title that will be sure to please if you decide to go out your way to find a copy. 
source
Dynamite Headdy (Sega Genesis) – Yet another colorful, yet obscure, platformer, Dynamite Headdy has been released for a variety of systems, including Xbox 360 and PS3 in Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection and even Steam. The game’s central mechanic involves using the protagonist’s own head as a weapon, and the puppetry theme is very reminiscent of the recent Puppeteer on PS3 (also a reasonable choice for this month’s theme!). 
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? (PSP) – Many of you are probably familiar with Nippon Ichi’s strategy RPG series, Disgaea, but did you know that the adorable Prinny penguin mascot characters have their own action platformer title? While the original is only available on UMD, its sequel, Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! is also on PSN and can be played on the Vita. The games are notoriously hard, giving players 1,000 units to complete each mission, but fans of Disgaea‘s art style and humor might want to check one (or both) out. 
Of course, there are tons of other games that fit the platformer theme, including indie PC titles such as They Bleed Pixels and Eryi’s Action. I highly encourage you to seek out lesser-known games and share your experiences with everyone so we can give some love to platformer titles that haven’t seen much critical discussion! As for me, I’ll likely be trying out my copy of NIS’s htoL#NiQ, so look forward to my impressions later this month. 
Happy gaming! 

Catch-Up Corner: Tokyo Coverage 2014

I’ve been really, really bad about updating the site while I’ve been on my trip, and I feel horrible about it! I had all these grand plans to be covering things as I experienced them, but unfortunately I’ve been so busy that I’ve only had the energy to do quick Twitter and Instagram updates as I go along, for the most part. But to keep you all from thinking the site is dead, here’s a very overdue Catch-Up Corner to get you up to speed with some of the things I’ve been doing!

Me with this awesome Free! mural in Akihabara!

First of all, if you’re still not following me on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook and want to keep to date with everything I’m experiencing in Japan as it happens, please consider doing so! While I’ll do more long-form coverage of some of the more standout things I’ve done over the course of the past couple of weeks once I get home in a few days, there will still be some photos/information on my social media that you probably won’t see here on the main site.

While I was initially considering doing some out-and-about video coverage, I’ve found that I’m just too shy to film most things… Luckily, I’ve been able to take a few short videos, and have posted a couple of things I filmed from my University of Tokyo dorm. The video above is an unboxing of a Gatchaman Crowds rubber strap blind box. I was so excited to find some Gatchaman Crowds merchandise!

If you only have the time/tolerance to watch one video of me today, though, make it this one – it’s an Apricotsushi Samples straight from Japan! Better yet, it’s of some random “hangover remedy” drink I was handed in the streets of Tokyo, so you’ll get to hear me talk about that whole experience, too.

Finally, I did a very short impromptu Apricotsushi Samples video of me trying lemon ginger foat ice cream on my Instagram, since it was too hot to carry it home to film properly. The video is available in two separate parts, so be sure to watch both! I suppose you also get to experience some of the summer Tokyo atmosphere – namely, cicadas and my sweaty face.

Well, there’s a whole slew of video content that will hopefully keep you busy for a little while, if you haven’t seen them already! I’ve got many more Apricotsushi Samples on the way, including posts about my various experiences, such as the Square Enix and Rilakkuma cafés. Sorry for the wait, but I hope you’ll look forward to them!

Celebrating Geekness Day at Chic Pixel

The other day, I was approached by the cloud storage provider SingleHop to participate in some Embrace Your Geekness Day festivities by sharing a little bit about how I celebrate my geekness with the world. Imagine that! I had no idea July 13th was an international geek holiday, and having them reach out to me specifically was quite the pleasant surprise! I’ m more than happy to use Geekness Day as an excuse to talk a little bit more about myself than I usually do on this blog.

Me being… geeky, I guess?
First, I have to get this out of the way – not that it really matters much in the grand scheme of things, but I’ve never once considered myself a “geek”! In my mind, a “geek” and  “nerd” are two very different things, with “geek” usually having the connotation of someone who is more into computers and tech, for whatever reason. On the other hand, I’ve always considered “nerd” to be someone who is just really into one or more, probably obscure, things, kind of like the Japanese term “otaku.” But that’s all silly semantics (and probably my own made up definitions at that), so and I’m happy to be thrown in the geek camp if I get in on this cool holiday!
So, when did I start to become aware of my own “geekness”? I don’t think I’ve ever really been “mainstream” with my interests, but I didn’t really have a name for my weirdness until I got into anime through watching shows like Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z as a young kid. Games were in my life from a young age, to an extent, too, but I didn’t really fall in love with gaming until I played Final Fantasy VII and realized the potential games had as a storytelling medium (what a cliché!). It soon became pretty apparent that everything I was into was coming from Japan, and I quickly fell into the colorful world of otaku. Soon I was searching the internet for fanfiction of my favorite series and trying to teach myself Japanese words and phrases with a rudimentary English – Japanese dictionary. I was (and probably still am), the textbook definition of a weeaboo, your friendly neighborhood Japanophile.
Book from a shōjo manga event I had the opportunity to present at
This can be interpreted as a good thing or a bad thing, I think, but from that point onward I was always driven to find ways to allow my hobbies to cross over with my school endeavors, whether it be analysising a Japanese song for my high school English class (true story) or grabbing a group of friends and convincing the librarian to offer a special one-semester course on graphic novels so I could do a presentation on manga for credit (also a true story). I was also highly driven to study Japanese as much as I could, so once I’d burned through the Japanese my high school had to offer, I started taking college courses in Japanese so I could be as far along as possible when I entered university myself. My parents were always very supportive of my interest in Japanese, probably since it crossed over with my academic pursuits, so I also had the wonderful opportunity to go to Japan to study not once, but twice in high school.
Some people say it’s bad to mix your hobbies with your career, but that’s one thing I’ve always been really passionate about, personally. As a result, I’ve pushed forward in my pursuit of Japanese “fluency” and managed to be a perpetual student up until this point, where I’m currently writing this on a plane to Japan for a intensive workshop related to my PhD topic on boys’ love manga! It’s hard to believe how far I’ve come, and though I’m not exactly sure what path my career will head down once I finish my thesis, I know that my love for Japanese popular culture and media will be essential to whatever it is I end up doing.
Me with my host mom in Sydney. I’ve meet so many wonderful
people through my hobbies that I would’ve never met otherwise!
One of the questions SingleHop asked me to consider is what my proudest moment as a geek has been, but I honestly don’t think I can pick just one. I’m extremely self-critical and a perfectionist at heart, so it’s hard to say I’m genuinely “proud” of anything without heavily critiquing myself, but I think I can say with utmost sincerity that I’m proud that I stay true to myself in pursuit of my interests, as well as my attempt to share those interests with all of you through this blog. If I could give any words of advice for Geekness Day, it would be to never let anyone make you feel bad for liking what you like, and to pursue what makes you happy with all your heart, whatever that may be (as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else, of course!). If I keep doing that for as long as I live, I don’t think I’ll have any regrets!

What about all of you? Do you have any geeky stories you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them, so please sound off in the comments! Again, thanks very much to SingleHop for inviting me to celebrate Geekness Day, and I hope you all find a way to celebrate your hobbies in your own unique way. If you’re interested in learning more about SingleHop, have a look at their private cloud hosting page.