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“Paradise Kiss” Quotes to Take You to Paradise - Part III
Read Part I and Part II for more ParaKiss quote goodness!
And here we are, at last, the final road to paradise! Without further ado, here’s a final list of great quotes from Volume 3 of Paradise Kiss. What parting advice do our favorite fashion designers and friends have to say?
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“Paradise Kiss” Quotes to Take You to Paradise - Part II
And we’re back with more tickets to paradise! Picking off from where left off in Part I, here’s more quotes from Ai Yazawa’s amazing “Paradise Kiss” series, this time from Volume 2 of Vertical Inc’s re-release, that will get you thinking!
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“Paradise Kiss” Quotes to Take You to Paradise - Part I
If there’s one classic series that that defined youth and coming-of-age, it’s none other than Ai Yazawa’s Paradise Kiss. From the creator of NANA came a series that was not only romantic, stylish, comedic and witty, but it was one that really hit home for many teenagers wondering where their lives will be headed after their school lives end.
The adventures of Yukari “Caroline” Hayasaka and her friends had some inspirational quotes that will take one to their intended paradise. Here’s a collection of quotes that really stand out from Volume 1 of Vertical Inc.’s 2012 re-release of ParaKiss.
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A Night of Osamu Tezuka - A Celebration of Manga at Lacoste
The world of Japanese anime/manga culture spread its vibrant aura over NYC as famous clothing brand Lacoste held a party to celebrate its Osamu Tezuka line. What was even better was that Lacoste managed to get Anime Diet to do a panel on the history of anime and manga and how it has emerged to be a worldwide juggernaut.
The party also had a live DJ, catering and some artwork displayed and drawn by NYC-based manga artist, Hiroki Otsuka. Anime Diet’s panel went into a lot of detail about the history of Osamu Tezuka, anime, manga, conventions, cosplay and even pop fashion as well. They brought out a good point in saying if it weren’t for Tezuka, Japanese pop culture probably wouldn’t exist.
While there are criticisms against Tezuka, the fact of the matter is that our precious seiyuus/waifus/doujins/fanservice are his “great-great-great-grandchildren”. He did say comics was his wife and animation his mistress. Who knew tomfoolery could impact the world greatly? Then again, being surrounded by chaos can unlock creativity.
Enjoy the photos! And much thanks to Anime Diet for schooling folks with Anime/Manga 101!
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Counterattack! Announcing the “Attack on Titan” Infographic
During the biggest anime convention weekend of 2013 in North America, I received word from one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter, “Ain’t It Cool News” and Crunchyroll News’ own Scott Green, about a certain tidbit during Kodansha Comics’ panel at Anime Boston 2013 when they spoke about Hajime Isayama’s “Attack on Titan”.
@mangatherapy you’re quoted on Kodansha’s Attack on Titan slides
— AICN Anime (@aicnanime)
This is the 2nd time Kodansha has quoted me on their slides as they did the same back at New York Comic-Con 2011. I feel like it’s time I do something special not just for Kodansha, but for anime/manga fans everywhere in the form of an infographic on the popularity of “Attack on Titan”.
An infographic is basically a visual image of information (data, statistics, etc.) displayed with text and pictures. It is often used as a cool way to present information. Readers tend to love them because it’s easier to process data through infographics than just reading walls of text. Here’s an infographic about One Piece. (Full image can be viewed through the picture below.)
Expect something like this, but with some ugly Titans and human soldiers in sexy uniforms. The series has become a nationwide phenomenon in Japan and all volumes have been selling out over there. Don’t forget about the crazy humor generated by fans!
I hope to have this done by Anime Expo in early July. If you want to provide any interesting pictures, quotes about the series, statistics, or even advice, I would gladly appreciate it!
I know this is a bit of a huge undertaking, but this is something I want to do for the community and show Japan how much overseas fans are inspired by their anime/manga series. Plus, it’s fun. Everyone needs fun and hard-work fun is amazingly rewarding.
With that said, time to get that computer Maneuver Gear ready. Graphic information warfare, GO!
(Also, please follow Scott Green. He posts A LOT of fun anime and manga pictures/information on his Twitter account, @AICNAnime!)
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A Very Fujoshi Thanksgiving in May
Hey, we’re halfway there, right? Also, pretend those hands are those of your favorite ship!
While watching the NBA on TNT recently, sportscaster Ernie Johnson talked about doing a big hashtag trend on Twitter called “#thanksgivinginmay” on Thursday, May 16, 2013. So, I just wanted to say “KYAAA!”…I mean “Happy Thanksgiving” to the wonderful fujoshi I’ve met and spoken to over the past couple of years. Especially a special one in particular. Gin x Shin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve written about the fujoshi in the past and I still stand by my words, that they can make a difference if given a chance. The future is bright for Japan if women can become dominant over there.
Being around fujoshi helped me come to terms with my sexuality to a certain degree. There are times where I’ve been a bit uncomfortable with how effeminate I have acted. I can say now that I will make as many suggestions as I will like and behave as I please. It is still frightening to see gender roles being ruthlessly enforced in all aspects of life. Fujoshi see a bigger picture of the world of men and the world of sexuality in general beyond gender stereotypes. Men do have feelings and if they want to cry when they’re in emotional pain, then don’t hate them for that. All that matters is if they have what it takes to succeed in life.
In a world like this, the fujoshi must break FREE! Enjoy those juicy rib cages today!
What are you thankful for so far in 2013?
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Finding Humor in the Darkness (Attack on Titan)
To quote a Tumblr user on the rise of Attack on Titan to the mainstream anime/manga community, how did something so horrifying end up being so hilarious?
As many of you may know, Attack on Titan has become a beloved juggernaut to fans all over the world and some creative folks have responded with great enthusiasm. Social networking feeds became bombarded with wacky pictures and funny video parodies featuring the Titans and the Scouting Legion. One has to wonder if humor truly comes from seeing misery.
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Down in the Dumps of Happiness
If there’s one mantra that’s always told to everyone, it’s that money can’t buy happiness. There is some truth to all of this. An interesting article I read at World of Psychology focused on garbage pickers who are very optimistic about life despite their living standards. Folks who go around collecting trash don’t seem to worry too much about food or money. They have good relationships and believe that the future will be bright for them.
Reading this article made me think about poor characters like Tohru Honda (Fruits Basket), Hayate Ayasaki (Hayate the Combat Butler, before he was taken in by Nagi Sanzenin), Jin Kanzaki (ZETMAN), the Yorozuya (Gintama) and many others. All of them have gone through situations where they struggle to get by, yet still enjoy the nuances of life.
Yes, being poor isn’t the greatest thing in the life. But neither is being rich. When you have people being pressured to act like complete big shots just to stay ahead, you wonder if it really is worth it to make a lot of money.
For anyone who’s poor, you’re more motivated to take on your dreams. Do you really have anything to lose? Not much, given you have nothing to begin with. You also get the best thing money can’t buy: emotional support. Almost every poor anime/manga character out there has a wonderful supporting cast of characters that push them for the better. Of course, there are exceptions, but those characters develop and gain a better understanding of what truly matters when everything is all said and done. One great example is Gintama’s “cell phone” story and its critique on how the joy of technology that may not be affordable to many can affect relationships to a huge degree.
Isn’t it time to get some dirt on your hands and grow an inner garden for your soul?
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The Greatest Contract in the World
For those who wonder about fandom unlocking the power of creativity in others, this should be a shining example of that power. While attending the 2013 Sakura Matsuri in Brooklyn Botanic Garden, I happened to run into a Sayaka Miki (of Puella Magi Madoka Magica fame) cosplayer and took her photo. After taking her photo, she gave me this form - which I thought was some permission letter. But it turned out to be something I always wanted. A chance to be a Magical Girl and bring peace to the universe while being a emotionless husk!
Rights, responsibilities, terms of agreement, applicant information, yup. All right there. Incubators, Inc., huh? Sounds super-legit to me.
Even though fandom is often stereotyped by the media, let’s really look at the greater picture behind fans and see how much they let their creativity shine. Behind the wackiness is a foundation being set to develop problem-solving skills. Yes, many efforts do turn out bad. But failure leads to growth. No one gets it right the first time.
A big question going forward is how to transfer fans’ creativity into skill sets that they can apply to real life in school and work. We need more success stories, such as the case with Chris Needham, a key board member behind AnimeUSA and someone who has been able to use fandom to be successful outside of it. The person who made the contract could be an amazing content creator in a world where both content and context matter.
You know, a real-life Incubators, Inc. doesn’t sound so bad. Incubation does spark creativity.
Kyubey = trolling for the win?
(Pictures can be enlarged when you click on them so you can see the supa-kawaii-sugoi details and the ONE wish I really want granted.)
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Attack on Stress - Overcoming Your Titans With Optimism
“I have a dream…it’s to exterminate the Titans and leave this cramped walled-up world. My dream is to explore…the outside world.”
We got ourselves a little Martin Luther King, Jr., don’t we?
Stress - it happens to everyone. We all have our moments where things get rough and we groan, sigh, & possibly fall into despair. Stress is inevitable as long as you walk on the road that is life. Yet what if stress needs to be viewed more positively instead of the general consensus view? When you look at a character like Eren Jaeger from Attack on Titan, you witness how a young man takes the stress of his past and channels it in a way to bring him strength to fight for the future.
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