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June 19, 2006
Osaka Otaku
That's what I was over the weekend, visiting the host family (who really ripped into me in a hilarious fashion for still not having a girlfriend) and Dillon Brown in Wakayama. But most of the time was spent at the two Mandarakes (one in Umeda, one in Nihonbashi) and the other fine nerdy establishments in Denden Town, hunting for comics and toys to sell in the States next month.
The theme of this weekend was, "Ben makes peace with his otaku-ness." I've always been vaguely ashamed of being an anime fan and especially of buying anime stuff, but lots of cash and a good excuse ("I'm selling them in the US!"... riiight) helped me realize that if I stop worrying about being a loser I can remember how much fun this was in the first place.
Though I did not go to one of the maid kissa (just like a regular cafe, but with women waitresses dressed in 19th century garb calling the customers "goshujin-sama," or "master"). The ladies are all probably very nice but the whole submissive thing just kind of freaks me out.
Anyway, I officially love Mandarake now. They had Faces, an art doujin by Abe from 2001(?), as well as both Haibane Renmei doujins, AND Yakkyoku no Pochiyamasan. (They also had the Haibane storyboards in book form but those don't do much for me.) A more detailed list is below.
It basically turned into a "buy all the comics and art books I've ever really wanted" trip.
Abe Yoshitoshi:
Haibane of Old Home doujin Vol. 1 & 2
Yakkyoku no Pochiyamasan
FACES (art book) -- two copies
not found -- two copies
K.S.M.E. -- two copies
lain illustrations
Haibane Renmei hardcover artbook
something else the title of which I forget but it looks similar to not found
Koji Morimoto:
Orange scrapbook (This is an INCREDIBLE piece of work-- highly recommended)
Murata Range:
One of those huge metal-bound art collections. I always wondered what kind of person would pay $80 for one of these things, but then the store clerk took it out and showed it to me, and I realized that kind of person is me.
Kawamoto Toshihiro:
Cowboy Bebop Illustrations - The Wind
Misc:
The Art of Only Yesterday
70 Years of Japanese Theatrical Animation art book
robot Vol. 6
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu manga Vol. 1
Too many SHnY doujins
The only book I wanted but couldn't find was a good copy of was Cannabis Works, Tanaka Tatsuyuki's art book. Next time.
Other stuff:
Hare Hare Yukai CD single
Hirasawa Susumu's new album, Byakkoya
Some Samurai Seven figures (I had to buy these -- there's one of Kurosawa himself!)
And I'm supposed to SELL this stuff?!?! It's going to be hard to part with it.
I discovered the joy and the curse of gashopon as well. It's really just like a slot machine. You stick in the 200 yen and a toy comes out, and if it's not the one you want, the voice in your head says, "IT'LL BE NEXT!! PUT IN MORE!!!" I got a bunch of Naruto lanyard figures (they were 100 each) and I got some of the Gainax series (which was also 100, though the sign said 200-- whoopee pricing errors, got me a FLCL Haruka), plus most of the Kamichu figures and a bunch of Range Murata figures (which are the same as the ones in the boxes but 100 yen cheaper if you get them in the gashopon machines). Plus got some full-size Naruto figures, some Eva full-size and SD and some Bleach figures because I know that's popular (though I wasn't sure how well I was doing because I've never seen it--the orange-haired guy is good, right?).
Aaand picked up some Eva figures in boxes and some Seven Samurai figures because they existed, and I had to have them (I hope I get the Kurosawa one). And the new Hirasawa Susumu album (which will get its own entry one of these days as it is so awesome).
So anyway, incredibly awesome weekend and the first day of the rest of my otaku life.
Plus, my host mother knew all the old Japanese songs from the 50s that I've been memorizing for use at karaoke. (When I told my host sister about this and started singing with my host mom she said, "See? THIS is why you don't have a girlfriend." But if having a girlfriend means giving up overly sentimental postwar Japanese ballads, then maybe I don't want a girlfriend.)
Posted by b-applegate at June 19, 2006 4:07 AM
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Comments
Now I feel a need to rediscover my interests.. Googling names of the artists you mentioned brought memories of fun techno-punk drawings I used to be interested in.. and just drawing in general. I thought: "Right! That's why I was interested in drawing!" or "Right! That's why I was interested in anime."
Posted by: Augusto at June 20, 2006 10:34 PM