Archive for the 'Japanese' Category

Page 2 of 3

Japanese Catch Up Time!

So during my basketball band absence, I missed a lot of class. In fact, I almost forgot which room one of my classes was in when I came back. Seriously. Anyway, I’ve got tons of Japanese homework to make up, so here I am, writing a blog about it!

Actually, I’ve already done 2 of 6 required homeworks, and my brain is pretty much dead. Learning languages takes quantity studying, not quality. That is, it’s better to study Japanese 3 times for 20 minutes than once for 60 minutes. So I’m gonna slowly catch up.

Japanese People Master T-Shirt Folding. Up Next, Potato Peeling!


That’s right, those Japanese people are at it again. Now they’ve got their sights on removing the skin from potatoes! Marvel as they cut a ring around a potato, dunk it in boiling water, then dip it in ice water! Afterwards, the skin just peels off! This is exactly the same technique I use to flay human flesh! I think the magic lies within the expansion and shrinkage of the potato during the boiling and icing. Or maybe I just made that up.

Seriously, though, I’m curious as to what the Japanese still have behind their sleeves. Cold Fusion, anyone?

Japanese Pick Top 100 Video Games of All Time

Final Fantasy X.jpg
It seems Famitsu (a Japanese video game magazine) ran a poll asking readers to pick the top 100 video games of all time. Next Generation has the results:

1. Final Fantasy X (2001)
2. Final Fantasy VII (1997)
3. Dragon Quest III (1988)
4. Dragon Quest VIII (2004)
5. Machi (1998)
6. Final Fantasy IV (1991)
7. Tactics Ogre (1995)
8. Final Fantasy III (1990)
9. Dragon Quest VII (2000)
10. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

Apparently, Japanese gamers like their RPGs! The whole list is pretty much dominated by RPGs with a Mario game here and a Sonic game there. Strangely, Super Mario RPG didn’t make the list.

Another thing I noticed was that Final Fantasy X-2 sat pretty high at 32nd place. It beat The Legend of Zelda. Think about that. The. Legend. of. Zelda. I think the Japanese have finally lost it. Seriously.

How Japanese See America

tm4-map-annotated.jpg
Over at Yukihime, there’s a scanned map from an old Sega Saturn RPG that was set in the United States. From Yukihime:

This map is basically what would happen if you got a bunch of Japanese guys in a room, got them drunk, and then asked them to draw what they could remember about America on a bar napkin. Hell, that’s probably how this game was originally designed. Anyhow, I feel the map speaks for itself.

This is really distressing. I’m assuming this is some kind of parody thing, but Chicago is some kind of mega fortress, Alaska has an ice palace, Montana seems to be some kind of Neko City, and Saint Paul has a giant one of those bird things that drink water! Most of America also seems to be covered in impassable mountain terrain. At least they had a location from New Mexico: Carlsbad Caverns!

Also scary is the existence of Mexico, but not Canada…

As bad as this is, I have a feeling Americans could probably not do any better.

Shojo Manga! Girl Power!

mangashirt.jpg

So today in Japanese class, instead of having class as usual, we went over to this traveling art exhibit about shoujo manga. Shoujo manga is written for girls, so no guys in the class really admitted to reading any of it, per se. Actually, I don’t read shoujo manga either; I watch the anime…

Anyway, the exhibit goes through three time periods of shojou manga from the 1960s all the way to the present. The art seemed pretty cool, and I was surprised at times how “modern” the stuff from the 70′s looked. I was hoping there’d be more Yuri and less Yaoi, but what can ya do!? We also got to talk to Masami Toku (the director of the project) briefly about the history of shoujo manga.The exhibit runs until around the middle of the month (I think), so if you’re at UNM, check it out at Maisley Gallery.

I also snuck out with a copy of Shoujo Beat Manga Sampler! “Snuck out” not as in stealing (it’s free after all) but as in getting away with it as a guy. Man, can’t they label these manga something else, like “masculine” and “not quite as masculine?” Honestly though, I don’t care if people know I read shoujo manga, I mean, I’m writing about it on my blog right?

Here’s a link to the exhibit’s homepage in case you’re interested.

Books

Hung Truong's  book recommendations, reviews, favorite quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists

Capitalism!