[Intermission] オフ会にようこそ！(Welcome to off-kai)
Well, this is not supposed to be posted here, but I can’t help but writing about a wonderful meeting with the two visitors on my blog. Yes, of course this is my first time having a オフ会[off-kai], I mean, in real world I met two young guests all the way from Singapore. Windbell and double are staying in Tokyo for a week and a bit to have fun. And to my surprise a boy named double is 17. Ouch, ouch, OOOOOOOUCH, I am almost 10 years elder than him, so I am such an オジサン, am I not? orz Meanwhile Windbell is 20. Anyway, young is good…
They already explored not only Akihabara, but Otome Road in Ikebukuro, so there was nothing particular left to show. However, it was Sunday so maybe we could see something interesting on the main boulevard. Yes, I was right. The street was blocked, and there were some 地下アイドル[chika idol] and cosplayers. I think you had better check the blogs of double and Windbell since their photos are far better than mine.
↑She is 有希[Yuki]. Beside her, there was a man who seemed to be her assistant. I guess she might belong to the certain agency.
↑The rumor has it that this cosplayer is actually crossdressing, 女装少年[josou shounen]. WTF, there were any other josou cosplayers, but this one is really hard to tell. What do you think?
This is Windbell. He is a really nice photographer.
This is double. He is wearing a Perusona jacket. This shop behind us is Gee Store Akiba where figures, anime-related items, costumes, and even a maid cafe are available. He has been to Japan a couple of times though he is seventeen. Believe me, I don’t think it’s almost possible in Japan because of バカ親. Parents are not willing to let children(especially under eighteen) go abroad by oneself. Maybe they would follow children together! On a side note, a 18-year-old boy pushed a man to the track since he wanted to kill somebody a while ago. Of course there was no reason he chose the man. His father told that his son was too dependent to do anything without him. He wears the same clothes as his father, and even sleeps together every night! And one day he killed a man whom he didn’t know at all? “I think I have raised my son in a wrong way…” Yes, you have. Absolutely.
After that, we moved to karaoke in Ueno[上野]. Wow, they were naturally singing some J-pop songs such as YUI, Yamazaki Masayoshi, or anything.
It’s only love…It’s only love…もしも願い一つだけ 叶うなら 君の側で眠らせて♪
Ah, it was soooo enjoyable. I heard a lot about Singapore today. If you happen to come to Tokyo, please let me know. Let’s have fun together in the real world[三次元]!
あーもう超楽しかった！！
Japanese words of anime fans, by anime fans, for anime fans 
khim said,
March 31, 2008 at 5:06 am
what a coincidence, I was in akiba too and took some pics of that unknown-gender cosplayer too ^^)
bangin said,
March 31, 2008 at 5:41 am
OMG, are you in Japan now, too?? So the same cosplayer?? (゜д゜)
khim said,
March 31, 2008 at 6:18 am
unfortunately, I’m not a cosplayer, ただアニメを見るのが好きだけ
bangin said,
March 31, 2008 at 8:03 am
ミクシイをやっていたとは！
maaku_sutipen said,
March 31, 2008 at 8:38 am
Fans in Singapore may have it rough. Fansubs are considered illegal there (well is it nor everywhere? hehehe) and possession of it can mean jail time. Local distributors of anime and manga are vehement with lawsuits against fansubbing communities that distribute locally. I also think that ISPs are contracted by the government to filter fansubbed/ raw content. Well, the good side of it is the HMV in Singapore has everything. So, if you have the cash to spare, you do not need to get it from the Internets and just go to your local HMV which is really the best thing to do. Even my friends were amazed. A cd not anymore printed in the Philippines somehow has a copy in HMV singapore. However, that cannot be said to a third world country like the Philippines. It is really hard to buy imported goods from Japan locally and you have to contend with customs, credit card companies if you ever buy online. Hay.
I hope you guys had a great time on your off kai/ EB (in Filiipino KY speak)
w said,
March 31, 2008 at 9:03 am
I think that cosplayer looks very much like a guy… I think the neck area made it really obvious that he’s not female. That and his somewhat awkward posturing.
Ah and of course the rest of us can’t see Mixi images 😦 Man, I wanted to get an account after I heard they relaxed the mobile-phone-number rule, but I’m always too timid to ask my one Japanese friend online and I waste more than enough time online, what am I going to do if I get on mixi? lol.
And I’ve yet to go to Japan, dammit. For one thing I can’t afford it and for another my parents would absolutely refuse to let me go on my own. Maybe not because they’re bakaoya but because I’m a girl or something. Meh, it’s annoying when even in Singapore they kick up a fuss when I come back at 11… well, it hasn’t been so bad since I turned 18 though.
But if I ever turn up there I’ll remember to say hi! Here, let me insert a stupid cute face: ≧ヮ≦ I have a friend of mine who’s now there as a university student, although she doesn’t watch thaaat much anime I think. If I ever go there, more than Akihabara I *have* to visit at least one animation studio or it won’t be worth it!!
Soshi said,
March 31, 2008 at 9:40 am
Hmmm I think double has more lenient parents – not all parents allow their kids to travel overseas by themselves even when they’re 20, I have some friends whose parents are like that – he’s lucky!!
Yuki… looks like a guy! D: げ－－本当に男みたい！
LOL if I knew about you and your blog earlier I would have asked to do an off-kai with you went I went to Japan last year! You should come to SIngapore soon! All the anime-bloggers here will welcome you warmly!!
@maaku_sutipen: Well, I doubt jail time will be involved. The situation thus far has only called for heavy fines – probably because most of the offenders are minors – so no one has been actually put in jail yet. The recent ruling about possession of licensed material (they don’t discriminate against fansubs in particular now) has sort of put things in our favour because it’d technically cost too much for the Japanese animation companies themselves to prosecute Singaporean offenders.
double said,
March 31, 2008 at 10:52 am
It was great fun meeting you ^^ I’m really looking forward to this Sunday’s meeting!
Oh, and I’m wearing a Full Metal Panic jacket, lol.
bangin said,
March 31, 2008 at 3:31 pm
maaku_sutipen: I see, since I am Japanese, I don’t need to go to a fansub to watch anime. So I didn’t know what is goin’ on out there. But lately, the situation involving fansubs are getting more strict than ever, that’s the only thing I know. So is there any lenient countries about this kind of thing?
w: Around his(?) fingers looks like feminie, don’t you think so?
If you get an account on mixi, you could make more Japanese friends since I know you can read and write Japanese. You don’t need to write on your own. Some people limit their dairies to friends only. So do I. If you do mixi, you can see my boring Japanese blog. lol
No wonder your parents are worried about you since you are a girl. Maybe you had better use a package tour. It would be safer though it costs more than booking yourself. I heard parents are willing to let children go study abroad in Hong Kong or China even though they are minors.
Soshi: やっぱり女装なのかな、この人？？lol
When I went abroad for the first time, I was 21. I agree, double’s parents must be thoughtful and value his independence. I think Japanese bakaoya should learn from them.
Haha, can I cosplay when I go there?? There’s no Japanese cosplayers in EOY, right? XDD
double: Ugh, しまった！Full Metal Panic か！ You said, 17歳はもう子供じゃない…I want 17-year-old Japanese boys and girls to listen what you said. lol
Khursten said,
April 1, 2008 at 3:13 am
Watashi mo bangin-san aitai~~~!! ❤ lol. Will definitely save up for Japan! :3 You guys look like you had tons of fun!!
You have a mixi too bangin-san? Add me! I’m quite unoriginal so my name there is Khursten XD
p.s. My country’s VERY lenient on getting fansubs, because for one, there’s no place that sells original stuff here. So most of the fans buy pirated goods. Only few buy original (either online or select hobby shops with super expensive prices)
bangin said,
April 1, 2008 at 5:30 am
If you come to Tokyo, I would show you around Otome Road and Nakano Broadway. And I would make a reservation for the butler cafe if you want to see the handsome butlers. ^^
Soshi said,
April 1, 2008 at 5:42 am
Butler Cafe!!!! ❤
そうね～あの人の鼻大きすぎる！
ぜひＣｏｓｐｌａｙください！I don’t think there are any Japanese cosplayers at the cosplay events so please come!! X3
bangin said,
April 1, 2008 at 9:54 am
Sounds interesting. 🙂
I have never cosplayed overseas!
何のコスプレしようかな…
Soshi said,
April 1, 2008 at 10:52 am
If you do, I’m sure lots of girls will want to take photos with you!! X3
えと…今シンガポールに大人気のアニメは… Ｄ．ＧｒａｙＭａｎかも？実は私知りませんｗｗｗｗ
bangin said,
April 1, 2008 at 11:15 am
Among cosplayers, D-GrayMan is very popular since this anime has a lot of characters. We often call it D灰[D-hai]. 😀
ルルーシュ said,
April 1, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Oh noes… Cosplaying gone wrong.
キモい～～
クッソーー。僕も日本に行きたいよぉーー！
ああぁーーーーーーーー！！
bangin said,
April 2, 2008 at 12:58 am
じゃお金をためて日本においで。
君一人で来るんなら僕のせまい部屋でよければ泊めてもいいよ＾＾
Soshi said,
April 2, 2008 at 3:08 pm
ＢＬチャンス！！！ （ ＾▽＾）
bangin said,
April 3, 2008 at 9:19 am
Ouch, ouch, OOOOOOOOOOUCH!!
どっちがどうなるの？？How am I supposed to work?
I am not such a bishounen that I would spoil fujoshis’ dream! www
dcal said,
April 3, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Ah… I miss Ikebu and Akiba. It has been two years since my last visit. I went during the peak of the Haruhi phenomenon. XD
Being Singaporean and an avid anime fan, the whole legal issue of downloading anime fansubs was the talk of the town for months. The whole fiasco started with one of the two local anime distributor cracking down on illegal downloaders. Still, hardcore anime/manga/game fans managed to survive~!
Details of it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odex
The way I see it:
Anime Downloaders –> buy anime merchandise, figurines/DVDs/Shitajiki/etc –> spread the love for anime to their friends/through online blogs –> more people get into anime –> more money contributed to the anime industry indirectly from us crazy fans who visit Japan when our pockets are full.
^^
bangin said,
April 4, 2008 at 1:05 am
Oh, have you been to Ikebukuro and Akiba, too?
Whenever I see a foreign otaku shopping around in Akiba, he would carry a big bag which is full of anime-related stuff. I can’t see how much money he spent! I really wonder how much persentage of the total sale per day on otaku stuff foreign otakus account for.
dcal said,
April 4, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Yup. ^^ I felt quite proud of myself when I found my own way to Otome Rd which much help. There was also a time when I had no money (i was one of those foreign otaku with the big bags) to take the train back to the student hostel I was staying at that I had to walk from Akiba back to Asakusa-Bashi (?). I give my thanks to whoever thought of putting road maps on the corner of almost every street. I prevent me from getting lost. ^^
Soshi said,
April 4, 2008 at 5:20 pm
dcal: げっー そうしてはいけませんよ！That would be spending too much!! LOL. As much as I’m an otaku, I think that that’s too much!
It’s scary how much people can actually spend. O: Where do you all get your money from?!?!
bangin: 私腐女子じゃないから… BL があまり好きじゃない。 Hahaahah, I think fujoshi’s dreams won’t be spoiled!
dcal said,
April 4, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Soshi:
*lol* Travel in Japan is expensive ne. (Didn’t buy the one day pass for the yamanote line because I spent the whole day in Akiba and it wasn’t worth it) The money I saved on the train ride could feed me for two days. To be honest, I didn’t spend as much on anime merchandise as I could have because I spent bulk of my finances at Harajuku buy second hand clothes. -_-”
And the funny thing is that I spent the least on that trip, compared to my two travel companions. XD I can’t read Japanese well (and Chinese translated versions are cheaper) so I saved up from buying manga.
bangin said,
April 6, 2008 at 1:03 pm
dcal: Asakusa-bashi…let me guess, your accomodation was K’s house, wasn’t it? Windbell and double are staying there.
人気のあるゲストハウスなのかな？
They are leaving tomorrow.
また来て欲しい！
dcal said,
April 6, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Bangin: I think so! I can’t remember -_-“”. My travel mate made all the travel arrangements as she could speak,read and write Japanese. My knowledge of the Japanese language was very limited then. (I’m slightly better now, i hope) 恥ずかしね！>_<
bangin said,
April 7, 2008 at 5:42 am
Since double mentioned my blog on his, some Singaporean have visited here. And they are all learning Japanese!
日本語ってそんなに人気があるんだぁ・・・
私も頑張って英語の勉強しよう^^
khim said,
April 7, 2008 at 1:04 pm
AFAIK K’s house is the most popular youth hostel among backpackers
日本語がそんなに人気なのは何のおかげだと思う？
bangin said,
April 8, 2008 at 2:28 am
Last year when a friend of mine came to Japan from Toronto, he stayed there…I guess it would be hard to make a reservation, no?
えっと…アニメとかマンガとか…あと日本で仕事したいから…とかなのかな？
でもアニメやマンガだけでペラペラになった人を何人か知っているから、その影響も強いのかも？？
0ne said,
April 11, 2008 at 1:29 am
“Believe me, I don’t think it’s almost possible in Japan because of バカ親. Parents are not willing to let children(especially under 18) go abroad by oneself.”
Erm….kids less than 18 years old are piloting Gundam?
bangin said,
April 11, 2008 at 5:32 am
Or piloting Eva! XDD
I think it’s not a bad thing that children can go further by oneself.
khim said,
April 11, 2008 at 6:44 am
be a 担任先生 for all girl high school class is more interesting i think ^^)
bangin said,
April 14, 2008 at 4:19 am
lol
AVPlaya said,
April 16, 2008 at 7:37 am
Looks like bangin-dono is a Internet Celebrity now! So I guess you speak English as well as you write it neh? Singaporeans? So now bangin-dono know how to speak Singlish like that one lor? Can speak now leh? No I’m not from Singapore but I speak it with friends. WWWWWWW
If I move back to Asia again I’ll definitely go visit you too! Arg… I’ll just leave my daibijin wife at Daikonyama and totally otaku-out for at least one day! Actually my wife is pretty cool.. she watched Lucky Star with me and now knows she’s a tsundere. I’m really lucky I guess… oh and she looked like an anime character too, which she hate to hear from me…. then says “bye-mi” to me when we part. Oh well.
bangin said,
April 16, 2008 at 9:18 am
They sometimes speak Chinese(?) as well. Not everything I could catch, but somehow I could communicate. If you come see me, please be patient for my English.
Daikanyama is such a fabulous town that I have never been there. To get a new clothes, I usually go to Shibuya.
I hope I could catch a glimpse of your tsundere wife. 🙂