J's Chimes: Review Under Way.

Much have changed in Blogger's Interface and design after a 9 month hiatus from updating this website. Been contemplating whether to update this website or not ever since I've started working. Still it drives me still having to see the counter increasing even after a long halt. Anyway, am back! However I do need to do some reviews and such first because of the many changes Blogger has in placed which does make updating a bit more different now. Thus am also thinking of revamping this site once again once we have all the things sorted out. Until then, here's a nice little video to keep start this new beginning once again.

J's Chimes: It's Been A While...

It's been 5 months since J's Chimes had stopped posting and entered a long hiatus all thanks to the new change of lifestyle am in now. Yep, university is finally over and getting ready to step out to the real world... I believe many would had thought that J's Chimes is long gone, but somehow it's the beginning of a new platform that I would be creating. After much consideration, I had decided to start a new group named 'Japanimation Themes' in Facebook. This new group will focus on all the Japanese anime opening and ending themes from the past till now. It may take a while to fully make this operational but it is under way. Nevertheless, J's Chimes will not be shutdown and would probably be link to the new group depending on circumstances. We do hope that you could join us when the time comes... Watch out for new updates...

J's Chimes: On Vacation...

Yup... J's Chimes is on vacation for this weekend and thus the late postings for the blog. Am at some beach chalet without any computers to update my blog. Will most probably be back tomorrow for more updates so please stay tune...

J's Chimes: Cancelations Galore...

With the disaster that struck Japan, it seems like many things will inevitably be canceled from this month on. From products to television programmes that we all loved very much, it is only now that we appreciate them and take it for granted. Some examples are as shown below:

Animes

Yup, it's nerve wrecking to say this but this season's animes are mostly put on hold now due to the disaster. Even the infamous QB is put on hold in tormenting the magical girls...

Food Products

Mad rush for Japanese products can be seen in Japan to stockpile on food supply. Not to mention other neighboring countries like Hong Kong and China are all in a frenzy to purchase all available Japanese products now in bulks. The situation looks pretty dire... Many countries are dependent on Japan for their products so with the shortage of these, high chances that food prices would increase dramatically...

Miscellaneous Products

From Eroge to Mangas, appliances and electronics, seems like they will all be canceled or postponed to a later launch date and such. With such, imports and exports are grim and low... So we might probably have to wait a while for these to return...

Events and Conventions

Even Ishihara's approval for a Tokyo Anime Fair 2011 is inevitably canceled due to this situation. It is without fail that the Anime Contents Expo will see the same fate as TAF2011... Not to mention the other upcoming festivals like cosplays, animes and manga conventions...

Other

It is however unclear that if the Japan Manga Ban would still take effect in a few months time after this unfortunate incident. Hopefully the disaster would be taken highest priority instead of something like this that can help contribute to the economic. Other cancellations would also include flights to Japan. For now, let's hope for the best that Japan could stand up once again once this situation is over...

J's Chimes: Kaomoji & Emoticons

Emoticons (emotional icons) are used to compensate for the inability to convey voice inflections, facial expressions, and bodily gestures in written communication. Some emoticons are better known as "smileys." Emoticons can be very effective toward avoiding misinterpretation of the writer's intents. In Japan, such emoticons known as Kaomoji Emotions are quite a norm in messages as a better way of expressing one's thought or feelings. Like they say, a picture speaks a thousand words. Some examples are as seen below...

m(_ _)m – I’m sorry. If you look good you’ll see a man nodding his head.

(^_^)/ – I’m excited.

(^_^;) – I’m uncomfortable/embarrassed. A man with a drop of sweat on his face.

(>^_^)> ( ;_;) <(^_^<) – several emoticons together meaning two friends hugging their crying friend, or actually laughing at him.

>_< – Something on my mind.

T_T – crying.

@_@ – puzzled.

=^.^= – a cat.

There are many different variations and types of Kaomoji, some which requires a Japanese Input keyboard to type out the symbols for it. Kaomoji are also commonly use in sites like Facebook or even when talking to your friends. Yup they do originated here....

J's Chimes: Single On V. Day...

Once again the much dreaded Valentine's Day has come once again to haunt all singles out there and making people like us emo for the next 14hrs (Time may differ from different countries...) So what the heck could you do to make this a pleasant day without worrying over something like this? Perhaps this 10 tips may help you...

1. Stay Home, Stay Home And Stay Home

Perhaps the most effective way of not getting all emo is to stay at home... Valentine's Day is definitely not a day for singles to be walking around crowded streets filled with loving, hugging couples. There is no temptation at home, only your own stuff to keep you from having crazy thoughts.

2. Play A Game, Surf The Internet, Watch Some Videos

Things like playing a game or just surfing the internet for your favourite stuff might keep you from thinking about Valentine's Day. Time flies when you do just that and you'd realize that there are some things better than V. Day... Spoil yourself and play for longer hours to keep yourself occupied...

3. Avoid The News Or Any Other Forms Of Media On This Day...

I for so am 100% sure that something in regards to Valentine's Day would be aired on tv or any other forms of media, whether it is the news or some advertisements. So do stay away from such for just a day and your thoughts will not go wild then.... Rent a video, or just watch YouTube for some other forms of entertainment.

4. Get Busy With Your Hobby

Whether it's watching an anime, fixing up your Gundam model or taking photographs of your anime models, do something you like and continue to indulge in your hobby so that your spirits are lightened. It's never a dull moment playing with your passion...

5. Pamper Yourself, Order Pizza And Do Some Self Maintenance

Pamper yourself for today. Order some expensive food to eat, go to a spa, enjoy yourself as much as you can so that you know you are worth it. Make yourself happy instead of sulking on this ordinary day.

6. Buying Something Expensive For Yourself

Been saving your money for a rainy season? This is the one so it's ok to spurge now and buy something expensive for yourself so that you'd be happy. Get that item you'd always dream of... Pre-order your favourite toys or accessories. So now you'd have something to think of instead of some day like today...

7. If You Have A Pet, Play With It...

Your pets will bring you bundles of joy on this very day because when you show affection to it, it loves you more in return. Perhaps one of the best substitute for the crave of love for the time being. What other living things could give you joy now that you are alone on this very day being single?

8. Clean Up Your Room, Learn A New Skill, Do Something New

A good day to do something new for a change. Learn to cook, clean the house or even do some DIY for your own home. Learning to do something new is fun and obtaining a new skill could help you in your future endeavors through life... You may never know when you gonna need them and could come in handy...

9.Count Sheeps, Take A Nap Or A Good Sleep...

The best way to get through this dreaded day? Sleep! Yup... Time flies real fast when ya sleep. Forget about this ordinary day. Dream something nice. Rest your body well to prepare yourself for the next day....

10. Tell Yourself It Only Lasts For 24 Hours And Nothing More...

What the heck... Let's get this over and done with... Valentine's Day only last for a day and nothing more. It's just an ordinary day, a day that only happens once a year. Ya still got another 364 more days to be happy so why not just ignore this day for once? Perhaps this might straighten you up and look forward to the coming days ahead instead of just this...

J's Chimes: R18 Dubbing Isn't Easy...

Voice over or dubbing isn't an easy task than what you guys would think it is and especially so if it's a pornographic film. Not only do you need to find an appropriate voice actor or actress for the job, you'd need to prepare a script for them and also to timed the recordings for each part due so that the film's lip moments tend to match with the dubs whatsoever... The worse would be the emotions and feelings to be taken to consideration when acting on certain parts...


The differences between dubbings and subbings would probably be obvious due to the fact where subs are only a translation of a certain language in the show into subtitles for us to understand... Whereas dubs would require much more extensive work to be done. Probably the worse type would be to dub in sexual contents where seiyuus would need to act and voice it out... perhaps a shocking video below would explain how its done...

The video below contains scenes of sexual contents so you may wanna refrain from watching if it does offend you in some ways or another...


Shocking as it is, that would probably be how its done... So its is truely amazing what voice actors been through training their voices for such. That's why I really respect them for their really hard work and especially so in animes where exaggerations and emotions can be felt from the actions...


Perhaps the best explanation would be to watch the anime titled Koe De Oshigoto! as it depicts how voice acting of such genres are difficult. Somehow or rather YouTube still have the first episode so you might wanna watch it...

J's Chimes: The Dead Are Back For More Space...

Once again the popular Survival Horror game titled Dead Space is back with a second installment. More gruesome and intense than ever, Dead Space will surely make you scream and go crazy while fighting for survival. Released on the 25 Jan 2011 this year, Dead Space 2 features both singleplayer and multiplayer mode to fight the monsters known as Necromorphs.


Engineer Isaac Clarke returns in Dead Space 2 for another blood-curdling adventure in the sequel to Dead Space 1. After waking from a coma on a massive space city known as "The Sprawl", the lone survivor of a horrific alien infestation finds himself confronting a catastrophic new nightmare. Battling dementia, hunted by the government, and haunted by visions of his dead girlfriend, Isaac will do whatever it takes to save himself and dominate the gruesome onslaught.


The game's pretty cinematic and gives a great and deadly ambiance of the infested station that crawls with the many necromorphs that roamed the place. Not every moment is calm or a safe haven as the second installment releases more terror than ever before, leaving you at the mercy of those flesh ripping monsters. Dead Space 2 currently retails at approximately SGD$58 and above so you might wanna grab a copy because its a recommended game for this year...


Yup, whatever you might see here is the actual footage and gameplay of the game. If you have yet to know what Dead Space is about, there's even a recap mode in the game mode. Or you could even simply purchase Dead Space 1 and play it as it's now a platinum hit which is priced at SGD$39.90 each. You can also visit the website here for more info. Time to survive the horror once again...

J's Chimes: STGCC Photographs

And so the Singapore Toys, Games and Comics Convention had come to a close yesterday. Finally here are the photographs that I've taken in the convention and they can be viewed by clicking on the links given below... Or you can also simply find the link located on the right taskbar labeled photographs and video clips.

Photograph links:
General Event
Cosplays

Unfortunately the End Of Year Cosplay Event 2010 clashes with the STGCC. Hopefully some passionate photographers will be able to post for us some photos online so that we could take a little peak at what's going on there...

J's Chimes: STGCC Day 2

And so today would be Day 2 of the Singapore Toys, Games and Comics Convention. This time the convention starts at 11am and I would believe that there would definitely be a bigger crowd today because of the weekends. Having said that, the STGCC 2010 has been quite overly hyped up with its publicity and advertisements. However in my opinion, there weren't really much to see than last year. Hopefully I'm wrong as the major events will be held this weekend that will boost back my morale again soon... More info on STGCC coming soon.

J's Chimes: Preview Of STGCC

A little sneak peek at the layout of the Singapore Toys, Games and Comics Convention. The convention will be opened today at 12nn so by the time you see this post, I should be there lining up for the entry... In any case, the location seems bigger than before but only time will tell once we reached there... (Click on pics to enlarge)


And here are the stage performances for the convention... Does seem nothing of interest though until I've seen it. This is for day 1 and there certainly are a lot of programmes going on on Friday. Guess it's bad luck for those who are working that day...


There are also a couple of freebies up for grabs in the STGCC so you might wanna take a look at the main website for more of these details by clicking here. Hopefully its enough to satisfy your entrance fees though...


For those still interested to go, I suggest you'd leave your house now and go line up for the tickets at Suntec City Convention Center. Might be a big crowd lining up for it. It would cost a bit more than expected thus be prepared with some extra bucks for your shopping too...

J's Chimes: Chips Hand

Hate to eat chips because it dirties your hands when picking it up with your fingers? Well I guess some creative guy came up with an idea of an amazing tool that will help solve your problems...


This interesting gadget helps you to grip any chips in your nag without dirtying your fingers. Works pretty much like a torch where you press down a button on the handle to activate the device.


It's not battery operated and works with a mechanism lever inside. And the Japanese even dubbed it as NBCS (No Broken Clutch System) which makes it sounds so professional... Interestingly, you would need to exert little force to grip a chip but would crack it if you push the button harder.


An example of a perfect grip... feels kinda strange though. Eating a chip not with your fingers but fingers that work using your fingers to control it...


Well if you really got some money to spare or so, perhaps you might wanna buy this... other than that, what's so difficult to just wash your hands clean after a snack?

J's Chimes: Anime Facebook

Fiddling around in your facebook these days and realized that some of your friend's pictures are replaced by animation characters instead? That's because a new social media campaign known as Childhood Cartoon Faces hopes to raise awareness of violence against children by encouraging Facebook users to ditch traditional pictures in favor of the cartoon images. This campaign would end on the 6 Dec 2010 which is today. Hopefully you too get to replace your pictures for an anime version type in support of this campaign. And then again who says anime are childish? Now this may be a big step towards spreading the wonders of anime. At least you know who likes anime in your friend's lists in Facebook now...

J's Chimes: Have You Bought Your Tickets Yet?

The Singapore Toys, Games And Comics Convention is drawing near and will start on the 10 - 12 Dec 2010. You can get those tickets online at Gatecrash or call their hotline number to order one. Also, you can actually purchase them at AXS or SAM machines located around Singapore. Had mine purchased yesterday and it cost a whooping $25 for 3 days entry. Well, this event only happens yearly so I guess we do not really have a choice... Buy now to avoid disappointment and lining up over at the convention area just to get the tickets for entry...

J's Chimes: The Singapore Toy Games & Comic Convention

With the end of the Anime Festival Asia this month, another big event will be held once again at Suntec City Singapore on the 10 - 12 December 2010. Known as the Singapore Toys, Games & Comic Convention, this event once again showcase the various toys and stuff from all over the world. Then again there will also be cosplays and special guests which includes AKB48 who will be coming for the event. Somehow or rather, the entry fee is $10 per day and $21 for all 3 days into the event. Interested viewers can preorder their tickets online at the nearest AXS or SAM in your neighbourhood or simply visit their website here for more details...

- Exclusive Highlights On AFA X -

Base on the photos as per uploaded by Danny Choo, it seems the layout of the AFA X would be something like this from the brochure. Thought the convention may look kinda small, but there are a couple of things worth looking for like for example AFA X has decided to bring in Itasha for display too. (Though am not really fond of Odex being in the event due to its previous incident.) Anime is to be enjoyed by others and brings in joy and happiness and without so, there wouldn't be stores selling anime goodies in Singapore now if people don't watch new animes.


For those interested to know of the programme highlights and performances, you can take a look at this event schedule. There are also a couple of exclusive merchandises for purchase and could be seen below...


First of all would be the AFA exclusives. This book features past AFA images and exclusive special guest images. It is a picture book with limited quantity and retails at $12.90 at the AFA shop located on the left of the convention hall... I will be grabbing this first as stocks are limited.


Another exclusives will be from the Good Smile Company which brought to you Nendoroids and scale models. They would be selling some straps, keychains (K-On!) and I believe posters of Black Rock Shooter. Would be trying for a Mio and Azusa Keychain and Black Rock Shooter posters... Prices are not shown so probably had to find it out right there...


Cospa will be selling some T-Shirts and keychains in their booth beside Good Smile. The Misaka Mikoto shirt is a must have... Prices are stated accordingly.


Other miscellaneous T-Shirts.


That Windbreaker with the Nerv Logo from Evangelion seems nice...


Some exclusive straps available at the Cospa's booth. Pondering whether to get the K-On! straps or those from Goodsmile.


Other exclusives would include School Days Cafe poster. Not not really sure whether you'd need to dine inside in order to purchase this.


AKB48 casts from the love dating simulation game will be performing today at 6.30pm at the Suntec City Convention. Enlarge the picture for more info. Tickets selling at $68 and $88.


Catch Danny Choo, Aira, Kaname, Clive, Alodia, etc at the main event and at the cosplay competition.