True Intentions

Wow it's been awhile since I've said anything on here. There's quite a few reasons as to why, and I won't get into them. My true reason for blogging today, is to explain why I even started this blog, it's really not just to put my two cents about anime out there.

The real reason I started this whole thing, the blog, the store, the facebook page, is because in the end I want Majo Anime to be a real live store. Where I live there isn't anywhere close by that sells anime, and I want to change that. Why? Because as anyone that knows me will tell you, anime is my obsession. It doesn't matter who I'm talking to, what we're talking about, somehow I always find a connection with anime. And I want to share that obsession and passion that I have with others.

Now I know people can just buy anime online, but still I think there's something to be said about actually walking into a store and looking around. For me there's just something to be said about walking into a place and being surrounded by something I love, and I want to extend that to others.

I know there's a lot of difficulties in starting my own business and in a truth I'm not really ready to start on any of them, but this is a dream I've had ever since I first started getting into anime nearly 20 years ago and it hasn't gone away. Sometimes it's gotten pushed to the side in light of other things going on in my life, but it's always a thought running around in my head. Even with all the difficulties that face me with this endeavor, it's still something I want to do.

Besides all the business details and hardships with starting a business, I've faced with more. Most people around me, are very negative about the idea. They'll laugh and joke about it, saying how I'll never be able to do it, or how it's not a good idea because my niche is so small there's no market for it in the area I live. Truth be told, this just makes me want to do it more and prove them all wrong.

Yes, I have big plans and ideas for what I want the store to be, a few people actually know what they are. I don't think I'll go into those details right now, but maybe in a later blog.

I know this wasn't really about anime, but I just thought everyone should know why this page is truly here.

But I think that's all I'll say for now. Until next time everyone.

Attn: Otaku Christmas

Well it's that time of year again. The time when everyone asks "what do you want for Christmas " Well I've been an anime fan (otaku) for most of my life and I've seriously hated answering this question for all of that time. The reason, because every time I tell someone I want this anime, or that manga, or this anime related toy/plushie/figure, I get "no I'm not buying that or what are you talking about." With the exception of my boyfriend and best friend Cat, no one ever listens and I never get what I want for Christmas.

It's not a big deal, usually I'll end up getting what I asked for myself later on. But just once, ONCE, I'd like to be asked that annoying question and actually have someone (besides the two people who listen) to actually get me something I want. I mean why ask if your just going to turn around and not listen anyway.

I know this sounds like a spoiled child ranting, but all in all, I would just like people to listen for once.

Not that I have any idea as of yet which anime stuff I want for this year. But I'm sure in the coming weeks I'll figure it out.

So please to those of you that are going to ask me, or any other otaku out there, what they want for Christmas this year. LISTEN! And if they say something about anime, at least try to get them something they want. Take it from someone now knows the disappointment of not getting that one present you asked for, and imagine how much joy you'll bring that person by getting them something they'll really enjoy this season.

Impractical Packing - Not Bring Anime!?

So one of my best friends and fellow anime addicts is coming home for the summer, and I had to convince her that she couldn't pack all her anime or manga to bring with her. It was hard to do, she's as bad as I am. Had to remind her that I have just as much as she does and most of her favorites are my favorites and that we have roughly the same ones, give or take a few. It's not the same as having her own copy easily accessible but at least it cut her list down. Also there was reminding her that she did need to bring clothes and hygiene things with her as well. Because where I might find it funny that she was naked for a month and a half with only her books and manga, most others may not have gotten the humor.

Still I had to think about if I were in her shoes. Visiting somewhere for a month and a half without my collection. It's absolutely horrible to think about. Not being about to put on my favorite anime, or that random one that just popped into my head for no reason, or maybe just one specific episode because it would make me feel better. And how about not being able to walk over to the bookshelf and pick up that one manga I've already read seven times, but for some reason I decided I wanted to read it once more.

The thought nearly killed me.

How on earth would I do it? Even if I was visiting someone that had them too?

It just wouldn't be the same as having mine sitting there just waiting for that moment I decide I want it. There's the hassle of getting a hold of the other person, then hoping they trust me enough to let me borrow it (not that when it comes to anime or manga that's a worry anyone needs to have with me), then having to give it back again within that time before I go back.

Still logic dictates that taking my entire collection anywhere with me unless I'm moving isn't practical. I just hope that when it's me taking a vacation she's there for me to remind me of this as I have a feeling I may forget it just as she did and need some convincing help to not pack that bag full of books and remember some clothes. At least one days worth. Haha.

Birthday and the Pink Cow

A few days ago I celebrated my birthday. Nothing big and not much happened. I didn't really get anything except the one thing I asked for specifically. My boyfriend is such a sweetheart. He's the only one that actually listened to me when I said what I wanted.

My very own Sebastian (From Black Butler) Cow Plushie. He's so adorable and in the last week he's gone everywhere with me. The only thing I don't like is that he's in a pink cow suit, I hate the color pink, but if it's Sebastian I can live with it.

When my mother took me out to eat a few days after my birthday and I brought him along, she scolded me. Said I was an adult and shouldn't be carrying around a stuffed animal. My only response was 'But he SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO kawaii!.' In which case I had to explain that kawaii meant cute and she still didn't find the humor in it all. Then she had me put him under the table. I felt so bad. IF only Cat had been there with me, she would have understood the importance of the Sebastian Cow.

My two sisters also thought it a little weird when I kept having Sebastian tell them thing, like to stop poking each other and waving this pink cow in their faces. But they know I'm crazy already so it really doesn't matter.

But all in all, I'm happy to have my cow and will continue to take him everywhere with me for the time being. I've gotten use to all the she's crazy looks anyway.

Two Cent Anime Advice

Okay, so I have a little advice for those just getting into anime.... actually a few points of advice, and of course these are just my thoughts and are by no means something you have to do, but I'm throwing my two cents out there anyway.

So number one, don't be afraid to step away from you comfort zone and watch something new. I watch a lot of reverse harems, shoujo or josei, dramas, and ones with bishounen, but it's by no means all I watch. These and yaoi are my comfort zone animes. But I can't just watch those. I mean, I'd get bored with just that selection even if there are tons to chose from. And there's no guarantee that I'd like all of them. So I do tend to watch some regular harem, and even the occasional shonen, just because it somehow caught my attention. So just to say again don't be afraid to try something new. Maybe you watched an anime that had a tag you never watched before, if you liked it, branch out from that first category and try some more in the new one.

Second, and this kind of related to the point I made above. Shonen, or shoujo are directed towards boys and girls respectively, but that doesn't mean a girl can't enjoy shonen or a guy can't watch shoujo. It's just not the target audience, but there's nothing saying that you can't watch either or. And your boyfriend, or girlfriend might enjoy watching them, so that's always a thought for watching something new. Mine is a Cowboy Bebop fan, yet he still sat and watched and enjoyed (at least seemed to) Ouran High School Host Club with me. So just because it's an anime aimed and one gender or the other, doesn't mean you can't watch it.

Next, is to not be afraid to admit what you like. If you say got into anime because of a sister, and your a guy, and she had you watching things like Fruits Basket and Chobits, but you enjoyed them and started watching more anime similar to these, that's perfectly fine and there's nothing wrong with it. And don't let anyone else tell you differently! You're your own person and are allowed to like whatever you want.

Fourth, there's no such thing as being too young or too old for anime. There's stuff out there for any age just like everything else. Like I've said, I'm nearing thirty and still find anime to watch and enjoy. And I know there are plenty of people out there that are older than I am, and still watch it. It's okay, no matter your age.

The next thing I'm going to say is, that when starting a new anime to remember that usually the 'meat' of the story doesn't happen until at least the fifth to seventh episode, so try not to drop something until you've given it a chance. Now sometimes it just may not appeal to you after the first episode, but keep in mind that you haven't really seen what's coming yet. And we've all heard the phrase you can't judge a book by the cover, well don't try to judge an anime just on the opening credits, you're not going to have much of an idea of what actually happens just from the opening. Now there are always exceptions to this, and if something really doesn't sit well with you after one episode don't force yourself to keep going on it. There have been plenty that I won't watch or have dropped for one reason or another.But do try to give things a chance before you outright drop them.

I think the last piece of advice I have for today is this, just because an anime is old, doesn't mean it's not good. There are plenty of newer anime out there, but it all started somewhere. And even if something it more than five years old, doesn't mean it's bad. And remember, it may have been really popular when it came out. It may not be as fancy as the stuff coming out today, but that doesn't make it inferior. I still enjoy Ranma 1/2, and Fushigi Yuugi and Gundam Wing are still two of my favorite animes despite them coming out in the nineties. So don't be afraid to try out those 'old school' animes.

I'll end my two cents here for now. Until next time.

HotD... Anime Love, Zombie Fear

Well the other night I finally decided to watch High School of the Dead. It may not seem like anything to most people, but this was important for me. I'm terrified of zombies, irrational I know, but it's true. And while I've tried to watch everything with zombies in it to help reduce this paralyzing  fear of the irrational, which has worked to some extent, I was still hesitant to watch this particular anime.

It was nothing against the anime itself, which turned out to be very good. The animation style was one that I found pleasing. And the story was alright to me, but then I've watched some bad zombie movies so this was better than those. My boyfriend absolutely loved the fan service and panty shots through the whole season.

The only thing that had held me back on watching it for so long was that it mixed what I love, which is anime, and what I fear the most, zombies, together. It took me awhile to be able to wrap my head around this concept and actually sit down and watch it.

But I'm glad I did. If I can handle seeing zombies in my favorite thing (anime) then I can handle them in anything... well maybe not real life...

Anime... Where?

So, we talk about picking your first anime, how my anime life started and I even shared a story of introducing my own sister into it. But now I'm going to tell you some places to get your anime.

Firstly, try you're local library, with the grown interest in anime, they started carrying some as well, so this would be the place to start just to get a feel for what you're looking at. The library is a great place to start getting familiar with titles as all you need is a library card. Though, some down falls could be their selection or what you're looking for may already be out by someone else and you'll have to wait for it.

Second, you can find them in some of your local retail stores. Usually stores like Best Buy carry a limited selection of anime titles. You can also get them right here. That's right, right from this page. It has it's very own store, Majo Anime, just for all things anime. And it's just waiting for you to pick your next title.

There's also streaming sites for anime. Crunchyroll, is an example of this. Stream your favorite titles right from your computer.

If you have a Netflix account, this is another way to see your new interest as they too have anime. Just click on "Browse DVD" tab and then selection "Anime and Animation" and you can start watching instantly. A note though, not all anime titles on Netflix may show up this way, so if you're looking for a specific series, you might have to do some searching or manually type in the title to see if it's there.

There's also The Anime Network. Check your local listings to see if this is available to you.

And there's always ebay. This is a good place to go if you're looking for something hard to find, or out of stock somewhere. With this option, always remember to check the seller's credentials to make sure they've completed transactions in the past. A good portion of my own collection has come from ebay and has always been in great condition. Even the slightly used complete manga collection of Sailor Moon I bought a few years ago for nostalgia reasons was still in good condition. It arrived before I'd even made room for it on the shelf!

And I feel I should say, since you'll probably find them anyway, there are places to get your anime from illegal downloading. But you won't find me telling you how to find them.