Chic Pixel

Goodness me, I had no idea it's been over a month since I did a Memos from Mamemura post! Don't worry, all two of you who follow this series, I haven't forgotten about my colorful Animal Crossing: New Leaf town. In fact, I'd say I've been playing nearly every other day. With the international release less than two months away, I hope to get back into weekly posts starting next week, so do look forward to that! In the meantime, I've got a lot of ground to cover...

First thing's first: Rocky better watch out! If he's not careful, I might just steal Lobo away...

Doremi and I share a special moment on her birthday.

Easter in Animal Crossing is always a fun holiday, especially if you're too old to do a real-life egg hunt, but I have to say, Zipper T. Bunny is rather nightmare-inducing! I'm not the only one who thinks he's more creepy than cute, am I?

Easter eggs can be found scattered around the town. Bring one of the six different designs back to Zipper T. and he'll reward you with an item from the Easter furniture set. Alternatively, you can eat the eggs, and inside will either be a coupon which you can exchange for a special item, or a piece of candy to eat.

I managed to get Zipper T.'s photo, but I was content with snapping this screenshot and immediately putting it in storage. You can see part of one of the Easter items directly below my character.

It's always fun to run into villagers outside of the main housing area. But wait! What's that Lobo's wearing...?

Why, it's my Swadloon QR design! There's nothing more satisfying than seeing villagers wandering around in the clothes you made. Lookin' sharp, Lobo!

I can't believe I finally unlocked the ability to build the second floor of the museum! After donating more than 20 items, Blathers will appear to be deep in thought, and you can initiate a conversation with him where he'll request a second floor. Of course, you'll have to scrounge up some money to pay for it!

Why did it take me so long to unlock this option? Well, it turns out you not only need to donate 20 different items, but you need to have donated at least one from each of the four categories (fossil, insect, fish, and fine art), as well. I kept ordering items from Redd, but they all turned out to be fakes until now! My word of advice to anyone getting the game in June: buy something from Redd every time he visits your town, or it could take you six months to unlock the second floor of the museum, too! (you need to have the museum to get Brewster's café, so it's definitely worth doing)

I found a four-leaf clover! Apparently these are rare, but I don't think you can do anything with them besides putting them in your hair.

Seeing double?

April Fool's Day features a strange little game where Blanca the no-face cat appears and turns into each of your villagers to see if you can guess which is the real one and which is the fake. You need to guess based on clues given in the dialogue, so it can be a little tricky if you aren't paying attention!

No, you can't write on her face this time

Guess correctly and the villager will be delighted that you knew it was the real them and reward you with their picture. You don't need to guess every single one correctly to get Blanca's photo – as long as you play the game with every single member of the town, you'll get Blanca's picture in the end. Another creepy photo for the storage bin!

Why, it's Tom! I'm happy to say he's the first cat to move into my village.

Cherry blossom season is almost as fun in Animal Crossing as it is in real life! Too bad the villagers don't hold some sort of flower-viewing picnic (a popular pastime in Japan). Check out my new bench and trendy four-leaf clover accessory!

Okay, if you look at the time stamps, I technically took this one before the last shot, but I never said I did these in order! Here's a simple picture of my current house. Notice the cherry blossom petals floating by?

I am beyond ecstatic that I found a QR code for the Mister Donut Hello Kitty donuts!

All good things must come to an end... Well, I'm not sure that's entirely true in this case, as I was never a huge fan of Chuuko! When she said she was ready to see a new village, I decided I wouldn't stop her, as she isn't my favorite villager and I always like to see new faces. I wonder who will move in next?

Why, just when I thought I'd gotten rid of you, Rolf! Apparently villagers that used to live in your town will sometimes come to the shopping district for a visit? This was the first time it's happened to me!

Thought this was pretty cute! Arthur and I are being serenaded by K.K Slider.

There it is, the second floor of the museum! I'll take some screenshots of what's upstairs once I actually purchase an extra display room to put things in (yes, literally everything costs money in this game...).

Thought this was a pretty great picture of the train going by! I'm pretty sure it's random.

Seriously, Rolf? This is the second day in a row! I wonder if it's possible for a villager who used to live in your town to move in again...

Finally, here's a cute little "wiggle" gif of my adorable Lagombi outfit and my very colorful house! You'll notice I actually haven't upgraded my house all that much yet... It's so very expensive! Let me know what you think of the gif – I might make more in the future if it's a hit.

I hope you enjoyed this latest Memos from Mamemura installment! As always, feel free to ask questions in the comments!

I think it's become pretty apparent by now that one of my favorite subjects for Japan Envy posts is the Pokémon-related merchandise that never makes it out of Japan. Well, I'm happy (or unhappy, depending on how you look at it) to report that I continue to have reasons to envy Japan's awesome Pokémon merchandise, as two of my favorite Pokémon goods series are getting new lines in the upcoming months.

First is the Pokémon Tōchi, or Regional Pokémon (literally "Local Pokémon") series. These are designs that are limited to specific areas of Japan, and as such can only be found certain Pokémon Centers. I really like regional goods and am always interested in the unique "local flavor" each city of Japan has, so aside from that creepy Pikachu whose head is far too big for his body, I'm generally all for this kind of series. Here are the newly-released designs:

source

From the left to right, the prefectures represented are Kyoto, Nara, Hyogo, and Okinawa. As I mentioned before, something about that Pikachu really doesn't jive with me, but I think the Meowth and Oshawott designs in particular are very cute. I personally have a special place in my heart for Hyogo prefecture, as that's where I spent a year when I studied abroad in Japan, so the "weathervane-raiding sailor man" Oshawott (that's a direct translation of the description! I can't make this stuff up) definitely speaks to me, but my favorite overall would have to be the pineapple Meowth. Too bad it's only available in Okinawa.

The new Regional Pokémon goods will be available at the Osaka and Okinawa Pokémon Centers from the end of April, with no end date specified. Available merchandise will include keychains, pens, and hand towels (pictured above), as well as socks, which apparently will go on sale in May.

Next we have the second line in the Pokémomo series, which is a collaboration with illustrator Momo Okada. While it's hard to beat the first Pokémomo series, as it featured not only Snorlax, but Plusle, Minon, and Gengar, Momo Okada's weirdly charming Pokémon interpretations just can't be ignored, regardless of the Pokémon she's drawing.

source

The second Pokémomo series will be available at Pokémon Centers nationwide starting from the 11th of May. I hope they make adult-sized socks, because I know I could totally rock a pair or two!

I don't know why, but I haven't seen a single piece in English on the upcoming BL game No, Thank You!!! since I first wrote about it back in February. Now, I'll readily admit that its title makes it rather difficult to search for information that actually pertains to the game, but I'm inclined to think that this game may be going under the radar of BL fans in general.

As I wrote in my last post, the game is a PC-only 18+ BL (boys' love) visual novel that has an interesting twist – it appears to be attempting to tap into the bara, or gay male, audience, as well. My thesis research is actually centered around BL manga that shake up traditional notions of what constitues "BL," so naturally the idea of mixing BL and bara piqued my interest. When I heard the March 2013 issue of Cool-B, a Japanese magazine for BL games, would feature some new information and illustrations from No, Thank You!!!, I jumped on the chance to learn more!

Please forgive the separate images! The above pictures are of a two-page spread, but I couldn't bring myself to tear apart the magazine so I could get scans that matched up to make one seamless image. The first half at least looks pretty okay on its own, though, don't you think?

The second page features some text that describes a little narrative surrounding this Valentine's Day-inspired scene.

Next is a two-page spread later on in the magazine that details the game further, including a message from developer parade asking fans to be patient and that the game will come out sometime in 2013 (they've been advertising No, Thank You!!! since 2011 at least, which is quite a long time for a BL game, I think).

My favorite part of this page has to be the new CG in the bottom-right corner. Seems like there's quite a food theme going in this game! I can definitely get behind that.

This issue also features the opening scenario of the game, which is that big wall of text you see above. If anyone desperately wants it (or any other pages I have scanned) translated, do let me know! I'd be happy to do so, but I'd much rather know that people want to read it than go to all the trouble to translate it only to find out that no one really cares!

Anyway, the basic premise of the game is that 22-year-old Haru saves a man from being hit by a car, but wakes up with no memories of who he is or what happened. The man, Kouichi Inui (the dark brown-haired older man pictured with Haru in the aforementioned CG), takes Haru back to the bar he owns and offers him a job. Of course, romance ensues! Well, that's what I imagine, but Haru's defining feature is that he wants to have sex with any man or woman he finds attractive... I guess amnesia doesn't effect one's libido?

No, Thank You!!!'s cheeky amnesiac protagonist Haru

Finally, the magazine also comes with DVD featuring a number of exclusive items such as wallpapers and videos, including some for No, Thank You!!!. I double-checked the No, Thank You!!! website and they haven't released these wallpapers yet, so I thought I'd share them with everyone. Follow this link for wallpapers of each main character, available in three sizes each. Hope you like them!

I'm going to go out on a limb and say this recent influx of "Japan Envy" posts is somehow correlated to my upcoming trip to Japan in mid-June. Perhaps that's because every time I see something to be envious about, I actually get to say to myself "Don't worry, Anne, you'll be able to buy/eat/do that in June!"... I'm not sure how healthy this mentality will be for my wallet or my suitcase! Well, I hope you all don't mind a few more "Japan Envy" posts than normal while I've got Japan on the brain.

Today I was browsing Roy Blakely's blog Kotowari (go check it out!), and I came across his recent post about the newly-announced Uniqlo Monster Hunter 4 shirts and boxer briefs. As a recently-converted Monster Hunter aficionado, there's no way I could pass up the chance to get one (or more) of these fashionable designs:

I would kill for this shirt.

These are just a few of my favorite designs – there are a whopping 19 different shirts in total along with a bunch of different boxer brief designs, so definitely go check them out for yourself! Also, if you buy two or more shirts and/or briefs, you'll get one of these t-shirt wearing Felyne keychains:

Adorable! The "MonQlo" series will be available at Uniqlo stores worldwide from May 31st. I hope they aren't sold out by the time I go to Japan!

Have you ever tried a game that you were sure you wouldn't like, only to find out that, lo and behold, you actually enjoyed playing it? I certainly have, and more times than I can count, but today I'm going to discuss the surprisingly fun demo for Pretty Rhythm: My*Deco Rainbow Wedding, a Japanese-only 3DS game that I downloaded on a whim a while back.

Right from the get-go, I noticed two things: there's a whole lot of katakana in the title, and this demo has gone to great lengths to put the "pretty" and "rainbow" in Pretty Rhythm: My*Deco Rainbow Wedding.

Now, Pretty Rhythm is actually a series of arcade games from Takara Tommy that has been adapted into both a manga and an anime series. In fact, the beginning of the demo actually transports you into a Pretty Rhythm arcade machine... Anyway, the basic premise of My*Deco Rainbow Wedding is that you've been transported into a world where Prism Shows, a unique performance that combines dancing, fashion, and ice skating, are the hight of entertainment (I couldn't even write that with a straight face).

Of course, your goal is to become the ultimate Prism Star, but in order to do so you need to use something called a Rainbow Prism to collect seven different Prism Show styles (called "coordinates"). Once you've collected all seven, it's said that you'll be granted the ability to use the legendary "Rainbow Wedding coordinate," which will bring the ultimate joy to viewers of the Prism Show. Who in their right mind would name something that doesn't have anything to do with getting married a "Rainbow Wedding"? Imagine my disappointment when I realized there wouldn't be any dating sim elements in this game!

You're able to create a basic avatar by selecting from a a handful of hairstyles, eyes types, and outfits. My avatar, who I've predictably named Anne, can be seen above.

Every game for girls needs a cute mascot, right? Pretty Rhythm: My*Deco Rainbow Wedding's is Mr. Penguin, the toupee-wearing green penguin pictured above. I love how he needs to lift his hair out of the way with his flipper to actually see anything.

This is just an explanation of how to decorate your Prism Stone (there are a lot of things that start with the word "Prism" in this game, just roll with it) using all the various charms you acquire over the course of the game, which unlocks different outfits for your character. They sure know how to lay on the sparkles!

Here's a shot of what applying charms to the Prism Stone actually looks like... It's pretty straight-forward, you just place your charm wherever you like using the touch screen.

And here's a shot of one of the outfits that came out of one of my Prism Stone decorating sprees. I'm embarrassed to admit that the hot pink sparkle motif might be growing on me...

My score for the skating routine

Now, this leads me to what, believe it or not, is the goofiest part of the game: the rhythm skating portions. After your character is all glammed up, you'll need to preform a skating routine that consists of some very Sailor Moon-like posing that is executed by repeating a series of button/touch commands a la Space Channel 5. Here it becomes abundantly clear (if it wasn't already) that this game was made with a younger audience in mind, as the rhythm portions are both incredibly easy and, frankly, a little dull if you're used to the likes of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy and Rhythm Heaven. But, if you're like me and get a kick out of magical girl shows aimed at 10-year-olds like Pretty Cure (unrelated to Pretty Rhythm, believe it or not), then you're likely to get a kick out of this, too.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any shots while I was playing the skating portions, but NiNTENDMiNATi0N has a great video of the whole demo! Just skip to 10:50 if you want to get straight to the skating segment:

So, Pretty Rhythm: My*Deco Rainbow Wedding is my definition of a guilty pleasure, and I came out of the demo... kind of wanting to buy the full game? If the goal of a demo is to get the player wanting more, then they certainly were successful with this one! What began as a silly "I'll try this for the hell of it" evening quickly turned into a "when and where can I get this?!" Google searching frenzy, and I only have myself to blame.

If you're as curious to try the full game as I am, you can import Pretty Rhythm: My*Deco Rainbow Wedding here. Note: As with all 3DS games, the game will only play on Japanese 3DS's. The game uses furigana, though, and the language is very simple, so it's a great pick for those who are in the early stages of, or interested in learning, Japanese.

I while back I wrote a post about the lovely Hobonichi Techo, a planner that has quite the following in both Japan and overseas. The community aspect of sharing one's completed pages and swapping ideas on how to fill the immaculately-designed books totally appeals to me, but after some consideration, I came to the conclusion that I probably won't be jumping on the Hobonichi Techo bandwagon anytime soon. See, I have a different sort of planner obsession...

Since 2010, I've made a point of buying a new Rilakkuma-themed planner every year. Not only am I a huge fan of the bear famed for his love of relaxing (I can really relate), but the colorful illustrations and adorable covers have just been too good to pass up.

As you can see, I own two different sizes (I believe these are the only sizes the weekly and monthly planners come in, but there are also thinner ones that are just monthly planners). The large size is great if you want to write lots of notes and/or have a busy schedule, but I tend to get a little discouraged when I "waste" pages by not writing in them. On the other hand, the smaller size is just a tad too small... it certainly makes it look like I'm a very busy and important person, but it also means my writing can get a bit cramped. As such, I haven't decided which I like better! If I keep up my tendency to switch sizes from year to year, I'll be back to a large size next year.

I've always been a fan of cute and colorful stationary – my motto is, if I like looking at it, I'll be more inclined to use it. And boy, do I like looking at these planners! They never cease to put a smile on my face.

In the interest personalization, I usually try to decorate the monthly pages with cutouts and stickers. Here are a couple samples from my old planners:

Each month is themed differently – as you can see, February 2010 had a distinct strawberry theme. The theme carries through to the weekly pages, as well, and generally each week has a different illustration of Rilakkuma or one of his companions floating around somewhere.

The larger sizes also have this monthly planning section that I almost never use, unfortunately. More importantly, look at that Rilakkuma eating a donut! I do believe he's blushing.

And of course, it wouldn't be a Japanese planner without some kind of extra goodies at the back. There are generally a few memo pages, as well as Japanese train line maps (very handy if you live in Japan), a personal info page, and some additional oddities that changes from year to year. Can you guess what the page on the right is?

Well, there you have it. Four years, four planners. Will I buy a Rilakkuma planner for 2014? You can bet on it!

As you may know, I've dabbled in the realm of video game-related podcasts for a while now. I'm a cohost of the Nichiest Podcast Ever with shidoshi and Bryan, I've appeared infrequently on the Video Game Writers podcast, and I even made a guest appearance on the latest Gaymebar function. But, while I love chatting about video games, I've long felt that there aren't many good podcasts out there that conduct discussions on a variety of Japanese entertainment, particularly anime/manga and games.

So, what's a blogger to do? Start her own podcast, of course! My latest endeavor, Chic Pixel Plus, will act as a kind of supplement to this blog, and in it I hope to discuss all manner of fun Japan-related things with each of my bi-weekly guests.

On this week's pilot episode, I'm joined by special guest Elliot Gay of Japanator and the Red Sun Gamer podcast for a discussion of Kyoto Animation's newly-announced anime Free!, what spring season anime we're watching, and a few video game-related tidbits including a discussion of just what is up with Compile Heart's Fairy Fencer F, old-school Ys, and the 3DS eShop game Crimson Shroud. We also get our fangirl on over a rather interesting obsession... Japanese GBA games boxes!

If that sounds up your alley, please give the episode a listen below! You can also download it directly onto your computer, if you prefer.

0:11 - A new challenger appears
3:00 - (fujoshi heaven) Free!
11:40 - Shingeki no Kyojin– Attack on Titan (watch on Crunchyroll)
27:43 – Suisei no Gargantia– Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet (watch on Crunchyroll)
37:18 - Aku no Hana - Flowers of Evil (watch on Crunchyroll)
53: 37 - Video gaemz? Fairy Fencer F
1:02:19 - Ysssssss
1:10:05 - Crimson Shroud
1:12:22 – omg GBA boxes
1:20:12 - closing remarks

Guest: Elliot Gay || Japanator.com, Red Sun Gamer || @ryougasaotome

Opening ♫ Honeybee Manor – Final Fantasy VII
Ending ♫ Guren no Yumiya – Shingeki no Kyojin

Since this is my first time recording and editing a podcast, I'd really appreciate your feedback! Is the sound okay? Are the topics interesting? Do I say "um" too much? Please let me know what you think, and look forward to a new episode with a different guest in two weeks!

I'm not usually one to preorder games. Limited editions, exclusive preorder costumes... none of that interests me, for the most part. Usually, the only reason I'll preorder a game is if it's a title I've been looking forward to for a long time and the publisher is offering an exclusive preorder bonus such as a soundtrack or artbook for no additional cost, or if I'm certain it's going to have a small-print run, as is the case with many Atlus titles.

Well, don't know what it is about 2013, but all of my most-anticipated titles have been getting great preorder bonuses that I just haven't been able to pass up. Not only that, but I've started to branch out into preordering manga and (dare I say it) figurines, as well, making this the year I've preordered the most things to date... and it's only May!

The first preorder I punked down my hard-earned cash for was a copy of Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titans. As the latest entry in the notoriously difficult dungeon crawling series, I was on board from day one, even though I'd never played an Etrian Odyssey game before. When Atlus announced they'd be providing a bonus music CD and design book with all first edition versions of the game, I quickly caved and put myself down for a copy.

Then Aksys Games had to go and announce another otome game, Sweet Fuse: At Your Side. Since Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom is the only game in recent memory that I've actually upgraded to a limited edition for (what can I say, I love my otome games), I was ready to put money on Sweet Fuse the day it went up for preorder on Amazon, no questions about bonuses asked. Hopefully Aksys will announce some kind of extra for those who've preordered, but I'm happy to show my support for more localized otome games through this preorder.

Next, I preordered something that wasn't a game, but still very near and dear to my heart. The item in question is actually a manga by the name of Utsubora, by one of my very favorite manga authors, Asumiko Nakamura. Now, I wouldn't have preordered this just for the sake of supporting the release of one of her titles in English, especially since I get pretty much all of my manga in Japanese now. Unfortunately, however, the publisher Vertical tweeted that Utsubora was not getting many preorders at all and would subsequently be having a very small print run. Not only that, but they later mentioned that Amazon cut its order in half to account for the lack of preorders! How could I not show my support (and possibly get a very rare manga in the process)? The rest, as they say, is history.

Finally, we come to my latest preorder, which also happens to be the winner of the "strangest thing I've preordered in 2013 thus far" award. Rather then explain further, I think I'll let the following picture speak for itself:

Yep, that's a Sailor Moon figurine. I've never been one to collect figurines, let alone preorder them, but I've heard this series, S.H Figuarts, can out of stock very quickly, so I had to make sure I got one for myself. Considering Sailor Moon has had such a huge impact on my life and she was my role model throughout much of my youth, I thought it'd be very appropriate to have a mini Sailor Moon to cheer me on from my desk. Plus, all preorders get bonus faces (apparently they're interchangable?) and a Luna figurine, as well.

Believe it or not, those four things are all I've preordered so far this year, and that's still leagues beyond the one or two items I've preordered in past years! Not only that, but there are many other games I'd love to get, but just haven't brought myself to preorder yet. The main ones I'm tossing up at the moment are Shin Megami Tensei IV, which comes with a bonus soundtrack and guidebook, and Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD, which comes with a bonus artbook. Oh, my poor wallet!

I've decided that as long as I find cute QR codes for Animal Crossing: New Leaf, I might as well keep posting them! Luckily it's been confirmed that QR codes will work cross-region, so international players can rest assured that these codes will all work with the game when it comes out in June. So, without further ado, here's what I've been swooning over lately...

Head here for the full QR codes

I think I've worn the above outfit more than anything over the past few weeks! It's beyond adorable, and goes quite well with the turquoise harvest furniture set pictured above, don't you think?

QR codes here

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but the designer for the two pieces above is one of my favorite QR code creators. I definitely recommend perusing her blog if you're looking for some feminine additions to your wardrobe or cute tiles and signs for your village. The gardening outfit above is her most recent piece. I almost like the room decor as much as the outfit!

source

I really love when creators make a whole matching set with a hat to go along with it! This steampunk getup, complete with goggles, really takes the cake.

QR codes and alternate
styles here

I know I usually only post dresses, but that doesn't mean there aren't some great QR coes out there for those who want a male avatar, as well! Admittedly they're a little less common, but I'll make a point of getting more male garb in the future.

Anyway, I've never really understood the appeal of wearing a fanny pack over your shoulder, but I can't deny its appeal in the ensamble above. Be sure to check out the link to see other shirt variations! Unfortunately, there aren't QR codes for pants, so you'll just have to match it with something from the game.

Get the dress here

You can also do umbrellas, as well, which is perfect for lolita ensembles such as the one above.

source (other Pokémon tshirts available at that link, as well)

Now it wouldn't be a Chic Pixel Animal Crossing: New Leaf QR code roundup without some nerdy designs as well, right? The above Chansey tshirt may be rather simplistic, but it's certainly iconic!

source

It's Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service! I love how they added her pouch, and Jiji, her cat, is peaking out of it! This is definitely going to be my next outfit. I found the above piece via this link, and I highly suggest heading over there if you like Studio Ghibli films – you might find another QR code or two that's up your alley!

Thanks for reading, and if you have any requests for types of QR codes you'd like to see in the future, let me know in the comments and I'll see what I can do!

Note: I've decided to change the title of this series from "My Design Extravaganza" to "QR Code Extravaganza," as I think that will be easier for people to recognize. Also, whenever possible I do not post full QR codes, as many of the Japanese bloggers do not wish them reposted on other sites, especially without credit.

You know what I like? Japan. Oh, wait, you already knew that? Okay, you know what else I like? Coffee. Oh... you knew that too? Well, what if I told you this Japan Envy post combines both of those things into one unprecedentedly awesome Chic Pixel update?! That was obvious from the title?? Okay, moving on...

Catbus and mini Totoros! (source)

Believe it or not, I don't think I ever witnessed the standard heart or leaf drawn in a fresh frothy coffee drink until I went to Japan for the first time. That may be because I went to Japan for the first time when I was 14 and can't imagine that I even drank coffee before that, but let's pretend I come from the wilds of Vermont where we're under the constant threat of being attacked by bears and barely have time to pour a cup of joe, let alone draw hearts and flowers in it.

Tonberry! (source)

Recently, I've been seeing more and more amazing "latte art" popping up on the internet, and let me tell you, the vast majority of it comes from Japan. Just one more reason for me to be envious of the land of the rising sun, I suppose. The pictures posted above are by my current two favorite latte artists, and I highly suggest following them on Twitter and Instagram if you can, as they update with new creations every day.

The first fellow, George (real name Kazuki Yamamoto), doesn't use any color, but he crafts some amazing pieces that actually utilize the foam in some pretty crazy ways. He also does famous people along with anime, manga, game, and some Disney characters, which isn't as common in the latte art I've seen.

Sugi, on the other hand, does mostly anime and game characters with a few cute mascot characters and other designs thrown in. Unlike George, she actually uses color, which really makes her pieces stand out (all edible, too!). She has her own YouTube channel where she's recently started uploading videos of her making some of her creations, and it's really amazing to see how she makes them. Check out this amazing Card Captor Sakura one, which took 15 minutes for her to make:

Now, join me in drooling over these awesome designs:

Cobra by Sugi

Goldeen by George

Little green man by George

Sailor Venus by Sugi

Such talent! Now I'm inspired to make latte art of my own... But I'd have to learn how to make a proper latte first!

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's another episode of Chic Pixel Plus! To the surprise of everyone, including me, I've managed to get the second episode of my new podcast out the door on schedule. Sure, considering I called the first episode the pilot this technically is only episode one, and I managed to completely botch my opening and closing remarks, but we all have to start somewhere, right?

Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory

This week I'm joined by Matt Sainsbury of DigitallyDownloaded to discuss a particular niche of Japanese games often dubbed "otaku games." Together, we hash out what makes these games appealing, why they tend to have a bad rep outside Japan, and what our favorite otaku games are. Of course, with the recent Xbox One reveal, we couldn't help but add some of our thoughts, and I took the time to gush about the recent Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- announcement. Even if you're not a fan of otaku games, be sure to tune in – you might learn something new!

Time codes:
0:00:25 - introductions
0:01:48 - what are otaku games?
0:09:00 - Love Plus
0:19:15 - Photo Kano Kiss + Photo Kano anime
0:34:00 - Atelier series (Arland trilogy + Ayesha)
0:46:10 - Hyperdimension Neptunia series
0:59:45 - hurdles of publishing otaku games outside Japan, Mugen Souls, otome games
1:09:40 - upcoming otaku games (Time and Eternity)
1:13:48 - news! Xbone, Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, BlazBlue anime, Freedom Wars
1:26:21 - closing remarks

Anne Lee || Chic Pixel || @apricotsushi
My Xbox one thoughts are included in this compilation of staff impressions at VGW

Matt Sainsbury || Digitally Downloaded || @DigitallyDownld
Matt's Xbox one reaction piece

Opening ♫ Koi suru lens – Photo Kano
Ending ♫ Dimension tripper!!!! - Hyperdimension Neptunia The Animation

This time around I used a different program to record the audio, and unfortunately I don't think it turned out as well. Since I'm still getting the hang of all this, your feedback would be greatly appreciated!

In honor of the recent announcement that Touch Detective 3 will be coming to Nintendo 3DS sometime this year, I thought now would be as good a time as any to talk about more Funghi merchandise. Honestly, I never thought I'd say I'm a fan of Funghi, but I do think the phallic little mushroom is warming on me! There's something charming about his lack of cuteness, I suppose, or perhaps I'm just morbidly fascinated by the fact that he's so darn popular in Japan right now. Just like Hello Kitty or Rilakkuma, Funghi, or Nameko, as he's known in Japan, has spawned numerous lines of stationary and other goods, mobile games, and even a puzzle game for the 3DS!

The official Funghi portal site also features some adorable comic strips, among other things:

Funghi planting rice

Anyway, the latest Funghi-related goodness comes from the convenience store chain Lawson, which will be stocking special Funghi food products from the 6th to the 17th of June. The campaign just happens to occur when I'm in Japan, so you can bet your cartridges that I'll be seeking out a Lawson shop to try them out!

The first tasty treat in the series is Funghi-branded Tirol candies. I don't believe I've actually had a Tirol chocolate square before, but I can tell you I'm already getting hungry looking at some of the delicious flavors shown on their website! The two Funghi flavors are mitarashi dango (a traditional Japanese desert that consists of three glutenous rice balls on a skewer, covered in sweet soy sauce) and strawberry. I think it's safe to say I'll go the mitarashi dango route, though the strawberry Funghi is pretty adorable!

Next up is the "neba neba" Funghi soba, which of course consists of a number of toppings including okra, seaweed, and some of Funghi's nameko mushroom brethren. Try not to imagine you're eating poor little Funghis when you dig in! "Neba neba," by the way, means "sticky," or "gooey," which probably is an accurate description of what eating the above soba dish would be like. For a great writeup on "neba neba," go here!

Finally, anyone who purchases two of the Funghi food products at once (you could get two Funghi neba neba sobas, but should you?) will get one of five exclusive Funghi x Lawson clear file folders. I have to admit, I'd probably make all sorts of weird food purchases if it meant obtaining limited-edition goods. I'm particularly partial to the yellow folder on the bottom left – I love all the different Funghi characters in the background and the fact that the Funghi in the foreground is carrying a Lawson bag!

Well, I know what I'm adding to my list of things to do in Japan!

Look how the time flies! The North American release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf is but a week a way, meaning I'll have a whole new bunch of pals to share this heartwarming game with! I know I mentioned that I wanted to have my town all decked out by the time others started playing so I could show off my digs, but unfortunately I've been lazy and haven't really gotten my act together in that regard. The fact that Jenni of Siliconera has already built the café after having the game less then a month (through the mayor ambassador program) when it took me six is, honestly, a little depressing... But Animal Crossing is a series that's meant to be played at your own pace, so I'll just keep on enjoying it at my own speed! Even with that in mind, there's still a lot that's happened over the last month in Mamemura!

Afternoon bulletin board viewing with Lobo

Donning the Children's Day paper samurai hat (Boy's Day in the western version)

Believe it or not, this was my first time making a custom item! This is a music box, which is made using one of K.K Slider's songs and a white scallop shell.

This is, without a doubt, my biggest achievement for the month of May in Mamemura – Brewster's café! Don't mind the random fruit on the ground... I had to cut down a few trees to make room for it!

Sitting down for a cuppa with Lobo

You may have noticed her in the café inauguration screenshot, but Britney (Pancetti in English, she's new to New Leaf) here is one of two new villages to move to Mamemura this month. For some reason I'm not a big fan of animals that look like they have human-like hair on their heads, but I've never had a pig villager before, so the more the merrier, I say!

Rebecca the squirrel (Pecan in English) was the second villager to move in this month. She's actually my 10th villager, making this the first time I've had the maximum 10 villagers at one time, I believe! Nine is the max that can move in "normally," but if you have the campsite or visit other towns you can entice a 10th resident to move in.

As an aside, don't you think it's funny that both of the villagers I got this month have western names in the Japanese version, but names based off food in the English version? Too funny!

Here I am visiting @LachyStar, who was kind enough to hold on to a silver slingshot for me after I lost the only one I've ever found in my town due to forgetting to save (and I never forget to save!). Look at this awesome room! Cakes, coffee... I'm in heaven!

He also has this lovely snow-themed room. Check out that custom Kirby stained glass design!

But I didn't just visit other towns... I also got a few special vistors who have early copies of the game. Here I am relaxing with none other than my Nichiest Podcast Ever co-host shidoshi!

Jenni also stopped by to give me some of her custom-made clothing designs in exchange for some of my fruit! Aren't they great? I love the Yuna dress I'm wearing in the above screenshot, and the Boo t-shirt just to the left of my speech bubble is equally amazing. Of course, the rest are great, too! Hopefully she starts sharing her QR codes soon.

You can read all about her adventures in the English version of Animal Crossing: New Leaf over at Siliconera. I highly recommend you go check it out, especially since yours truly makes an appearance in the latest update!

"Are you in there? It's me, Rocky!" (bonus: my messy house)

I also had another visitor... One of my own villagers! That may not sound all that exciting, but I've never had a villager come to my door when I was in my house before.

Well look at that, Rocky just invited himself in! It's amazing how, after months of play, I'm still surprised by the occasional new event in Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

Finally, can you guess what dream village I visited? Why, it's the Game Center CX town!

Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot in the town itself that evokes the Game Center CX television show, but there are a few quirky references here and there. The real highlight, however, is inside...

Arino's jacket! I want one! Unfortunately they weren't sharing the design

Check out the scrolling banner!

And there you have it, my five minutes of Game Center CX hosting fame. It may not look like much, but the trained eye will recognize that this setup is a reproduction of Arino's gaming room in the actual show! It's definitely worth a visit for any fan of the series.

Well, by the next time I post a Mamemura update, the rest of the world will have their hands on the game! I'm so excited to finally be able to share Mamemura with all of you! If anyone who is planning on getting the game wants to swap friend codes, feel free to let me know in the comments. I look forward to seeing you in Animal Crossing: New Leaf!

Now, this is unexpected! An episode of Chic Pixel Plus is actually up early?! No, it's not a dream – due to the fact that episode 3 contains some pre-E3 speculation, I've decided to go ahead and post it a few days ahead of schedule with the hope that everyone has time to listen to it (or at least the pre-E3 portion of the discussion) before all the new announcements start rolling in. So let's get right to it, shall we?

Beautiful retro game boxes by The Gay Gamer

For this game-tastic week (sorry, anime fans!), I'm joined by a very special guest: Bryan, one of my fellow podcasters on The Nichiest Podcast Ever, and the curator of The Gay Gamer! We cover a whole range of topics, including our localization announcement hopes for E3 and what it's like to be a gamer learning Japanese. I also take the opportunity to blab about all the games I'm planning on buying during my impending Japan trip, and I ask Bryan the ultimate question: if you could only buy one retro game console in Japan, what would it be? And somehow the GameBoy Advance manages to sneak its way into the conversation once again!?

Also, you may have noticed something a little different about the site... That's right, I've got my own domain! I'll also be hosting all future podcasts on my own server from now on, and will try to get an RSS feed and iTunes downloads set up as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience!

Download [HERE]

Time codes:

00:00:32 - Introductions

00:01:40 - News (Cave, Time of EVEKickstarter, Class of Heroes 2)

00:07:15 - Pre-E3 speculation (Localizations! Next gen consoles! Who needs next gen consoles?!)

00:24:26 - Nerds learning Japanese

00:44:08 - Anne's upcoming trip to Japan (PC Engines, Guru Logi Champ, Ys, GBA games...)

01:16:00 - Closing remarks

Opening ♫ - Trader - Ys I & II Chronicles

Closing ♫ - Results Music – Guru Logi Champ

Thanks for listening! Any and all feedback is always appreciated!

If the search terms leading to my blog and my Twitter feed are any indication, people are excited for Animal Crossing: New Leaf. I'm certainly not complaining - it's wonderful to finally be able to have my American, Australian, and European pals visit my town and gush about the game together!

The release of a game in new territories is always exciting for the new fan art and products it inspires, too. And it just so happens that the fine folks at Culty are celebrating Animal Crossing: New Leaf's NA release... with a new addition to their store: an Animal Crossing-themed "Hit the Tracks" tote bag!

Looks like they're also celebrating with some wine!

I absolutely adore the "earthy" feel of this design and how so many different aspects of Animal Crossing have been incorperated in subtle ways! The fact that the illustration is reminiscent of an Aztec calendar both evokes the fact that the game works in real time and the way the map itself is rounded, too! I also particularly like the little train cars along the edge and Mr. Resetti's angry mug at the bottom.

Look at all that detail! Though K.K Slider's DJ garb is specific to his appearance in New Leaf, the rest of the design encorporates familiar Animal Crossing icons such as the various tools and collectables in the game such as fish and everyone's favorite gyroids.

Now that's a tote bag! Any tote fan knows that having multiple bags in multiple sizes (including favorites such as "lunch bag" tote to "single book and maybe small laptop" tote) is a must. Wait, I'm the only person who does that? Moving on...

Seriously, though, the large size makes this tote perfect for shopping or the busy student! And the design is subtle enough that it would compliment a wide variety of outfits, if you're the kind of person who likes to cordinate your tote bag with your outfit like me! (I'm the only one who does that, too? Oh...)

But Culty aren't the only ones celebrating Animal Crossing: New Leaf with sweet new merchandise. Fangamer also has an amazing tshirt up for sale, and I'm sure there are many other great new products popping up for us rabit Animal Crossing fans to throw our wallets at. Is there any new merch that's currently tickling your fancy?

If all goes according to plan, by the time this post goes live, I'll be soaring over the Pacific Ocean! My destination? Japan, of course!

Since this is my first time back to my home-away-from-home in four years and I'll be attending my host sister's wedding while I'm there, this trip is a rather big event for me. You know, I always refer to the family I stayed with when I lived in Japan for a year as my "host family," but more accurately, they're my Japanese family - we may not be blood related, but they hold a very dear place in my heart, and not only did they make the trek down to Australia for my wedding, but we have kept in touch over these past four years, which I think says a lot! I consider myself very lucky to be able to call them my second family.

Host mom helping me put on a yukata

But enough of that! What else is on tap for my trip? Well, lots of shopping and eating and visiting all of my favorite places, of course! Here are just a few things I'm particularly looking forward to (all photos from my last trip, 08-09)...

A necessary pilgrimage for any fan!

Awesome signage

My favorite local bar

Crazy tie-in merchandise and campaigns

Weird advertisements...

And, of course, good eats

Unfortunately, I haven't planned any additional posts for while I'm away, but I'll be posting pictures of our travels in real-time. If you want to stay updated, be sure follow me on Twitter and/or Instagram! I'll be posting all pictures to Instagram for archive purposes, but everything will be cross-posted to both.

Finally, I hope to do a few round-up post throughout my trip of particularly noteworthy events, which will consist of photos taken from my Instagram feed and some additional commentary. Of course, I'll also write up much more in-depth posts when I get back at the end of the month, so please look forward to them!

Two weeks sure flies by when you're having fun! As I mentioned in my last post, I've been off enjoying the wonderful land of Japan, where my days were filled with (mostly) eating and shopping. But I did manage to sneak in a couple of other activities, too! Thanks to all who followed my adventures on Twitter and Instagram, and I'm very sorry I wasn't able to upload at least a post or two while I was away. Alas, the internet did not cooperate! But now that I'm back, I have all the resources I need to give many photo-filled accounts of my adventures... starting with this post!

My plan of attack is to publish a series of themed posts that will likely consist mostly of a few places I visited and items I purchased (you can expect a full Pokémon Center Osaka report, for example), but I wanted to start by doing a brief overview featuring a few of my favorite events and photos from the trip!

Waiting for the JR train to take us to Yasu after a long flight. Sure, it's not the 24+ hour trip that was required to get to Japan back when I lived in the US, but it's still tiring! The flight from Brisbane is nine hours, but luckily there's only a one hour time difference.

We had a relaxing first day seeing the sights in Yasu. This is a lovely cafe that looks right out onto Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake.

My host family's new house is surrounded by beautiful rice and barley fields!

Japanese signs are always so fun. I don't think you need to understand Japanese to get the meaning of this one!

First of many candy hauls. Check out the Funghi and Animal Crossing: New Leaf gummies! I was disappointed by the Kit Kat selection, but still managed to find a few interesting flavors. The yellow bag pictured is passionfruit "otona no amasa" Kit Kats. I'll be sure to write full reports on all of these candies (and those not pictured) over the next few weeks.

I never thought I'd say this, but I actually went to a live-action Doki Doki! Pretty Cure show! Pretty Cure is a long-running series of magical girl shows for young viewers (think Sailor Moon, but for a slightly younger audience), and Doki Doki! Pretty Cure is the season currently airing in Japan. I wouldn't say I'm really much of a fan, since I've never even watched the show, but as a massive Sailor Moon buff, I thought it would be a waste not to go see this local show where the performers act along to pre-recorded audio while wearing some ridiculously creepy masks that make them look like living anime characters. I even recorded some video!

Yep... creepy, but still fun!

I had to take a picture of myself in front of the famous Glico man when we got to Osaka.

Shaun putting his Einhander skills to the test at a retro game shop in Den Den Town.

Of course, seeing a Takarazuka Revue show was at the top of my list for this trip. I wasn't initially excited to see yet another rendition of Romeo and Juliet, but I actually quite enjoyed it!

It goes without saying that we ate lots of delicious food! I'm a big fan of grilled mackerel.

Went to the Kyoto International Manga Museum to meet up with some ladies I met at a conference in Melbourne. Also got to see this amazing Katsuya Terada exhibit, including this piece that was drawn specially for the museum!

The big event of the trip was my host sister's wedding. I'm so very happy for her! The ceremony was lovely. For a moment Shaun and I wished we did an all-out wedding like theirs, but it was a fleeting thought! I'm happy just to attend someone else's.

I also met my Twitter pal @Zolbrod, who you may remember penned a great write-up of his Hello Kitty donut experience for me back in April. It was great to chat over lunch and play this whacky rhythm game together at the local arcade! It even had some Sonic songs.

What's your guess for what this sign is trying to convey?

And of course, Japanese signs still can't manage to use anything resembling proper English. Are you even trying, Japan?! (let's not forget the "duck meal tea"...)

Well, there's definitely more to cover, but I'll stop here before I overwhelm you all with too many asinine photos. I'm sad to be back in Australia, but I have high hopes that I will get back to Japan in the next year or two! In the meantime, I have plenty of games and manga to keep me busy...

One thing I adore about Japan is the fact that, unlike the United States and Australia (and many other countries, I assume), it still has a very active arcade scene. Every large city, and even many of the smaller ones, have at least one or two arcades equipped with all the latest machines, ranging from titles westerners might know of such as Time Crisis to more obscure Japan-only interactive card strategy games, rhythm games, and crazy immersive Gundam games that look like something taken straight out of a sci-fi film.* While the rest of the world seems content to game at home, I was happy to see that even in 2013, the arcade business still appears to be booming in Osaka. The Taito Game Station in Nipponbashi above, for example, has multiple floors, each dedicated to a different genre of game, making it easy to find your favorites.

My absolute favorite arcade game!

As such, I made sure to hit up as many arcades as possible during my two weeks in Japan! Of course, the first thing I did was make a beeline for my favorite arcade machine: Pop'n Music. The series has gone through quite a few iterations, but all of the machines I saw during my stay were of the Sunny Park variety, which is the most recent machine in the series, having been launched in 2012. I don't have time to discuss how the game plays at length here, but if you're interested in learning more, check out the beginning of this post.

Card on left is from Pop'n Music Sunny Park, cards on right are from a strategy
card game called Sengoku Taisen (grabbed for free from the discard pile)

Some of the Sunny Park machines actually had a card slot at the bottom, which meant you could select the option to play one song and get a random character card for 100 yen (approximately $1) instead of the usual 4 songs for 100 yen. I decided to try my luck at getting a cute card, and I wasn't disappointed! Well, all of the character designs in Pop'n Music are drop-dead adorable, so it wasn't much of a gamble...

My husband and I also spotted this Rhythm Heaven machine, which, from what I gather, features the same rhythm games as the GBA title by the same name. The only difference here is that the whole package is bigger and louder, and there's an option for a two-player mode.

one of Amane Nishiki's victory poses from BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma

I don't mention BlazBlue all that often on this blog, but I'm what I'd call an "advanced casual fan." Okay, that doesn't mean much of anything, but though I like the look of the games and enjoy watching skilled fighters play, I've never been compelled to learn how to play it outside of some lighthearted button-mashing. But, when I heard a cross-dressing male character by the name of Amane was going to be in Chrono Phantasma, the latest game in the series, I just had to see him in action in the arcade. Luckily, the arcade version has a cheater's mode that enables you to mash buttons and pull off all kinds of neat combos that shouldn't normally be possible, so my husband and I were able to make it all the way to the end of arcade mode with only one credit. I'm definitely going to pick up a copy of Chrono Phantasma when it comes to PS3 – Amane is just too fabulous!

Though not directly related to arcades (though often found at or around them), toy capsule machines, or gatchapon, are another favorite way for me to spend a few of my extra coins in Japan. Many shopping centers have walls of different machines filled with everything from Pretty Cure toys to Alien figurines!

I grabbed a few of these Animal Crossing: New Leaf snow globes as souvenirs – they were quite the hit.

On hindsight, I probably should've grabbed one of these adorable Pikachu toys. I love the one wrapping a leaf around his head on the left!

Yes, Funghi really is as popular in Japan as the various campaigns and merchandise lead one to believe. I was amazed to hear that even my host mother knew who Funghi (aka Nameko) was! The machine above is related to the toy gatchapon, but instead of spitting out a capsule, it distributes a sticker sheet out of a slot for the fine price of 100 yen. I couldn't pass it up!

Of course, we couldn't pass up a Rilakkuma sticker sheet, as well. Please excuse the blurry photo, but it's the only one I got of the machine in action!

Here are the fruits of our labor! The Rilakkuma and Funghi sticker sheets were quite extensive, but unfortunately the Hunter X Hunter one pales in comparison. I could barely stop myself from trying to get all the different sheets!

Now, these aren't exactly gatchapon either, but when you buy one of these special boxed figurines (generally sold at hobby stores and in the candy isle at grocery stores), you have no idea which figure will be inside. There's something fun about the excitement of opening a toy and not knowing what you're going to get, but it's always disappointing when you get one you don't really like! Luckily, these Monster Hunter Felynes are all kinds of adorable.

The shop that was selling the boxed Felyne figurines was having a promotion where you'd get one free sticker for every Felyne product purchased!

Finally, let me relate a fun arcade experience from my last day in Japan: in an attempt to kill some time and get rid of our extra 100 yen coins, my husband and I headed to a local arcade to try our hand at the crane games. Now, let it be known that I've never won anything from a crane game. This time, I was trying for the particular Funghi plush pictured above... the hand of the crane plummeted downwards towards the toy, barely scraping the one I was aiming for. Suddenly, a voice on a loudspeaker exclaimed (in Japanese, of course), "So close!!"

It turns out the arcade had a woman going around helping customers while chattering loudly about their successes into her microphone as a sort of promotional thing. She asked which one I was aiming for and promptly opened up the machine to put it in such an easy to reach spot that I'd have to be totally inept not to get it on my next try. Well, knowing me, that'd be possible... but as you can see from the picture above, I got it!

While I was never expecting to get anything from the crane machines, especially on my last day, it was a sweet gesture and a pleasant surprise. Have you had any memorable arcade experiences in Japan or your home country?

*technically Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senjō no Kizuna is available outside Japan, as it has been made available in a couple of Asian countries, but it was never brought over to the US

Now that Animal Crossing: New Leaf is finally out worldwide and most folks have probably unlocked the QR reader function by now, I'd say it's high time for another QR Code Extravaganza post! As always, this is by no means an exhaustive list, but rather me highlighting some of the designs that have caught my eye recently. And let me tell you, there are plenty...

Let me tell you, that is one fine tush! I'm glad Tumblr user bhakri filled this gaping hole in Animal Crossing: New Leaf QR codes. Now, to decide where to put the booty...

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Here's a great set of QR codes for all the Revolutionary Girl Utena fans out there. I love how it comes with a dress version of Utena's jacket and two different shirt variations. And Anthy's dress is gorgeous! Click the source in the caption for the full QR codes!

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I have a few Japanese QR code blogs that I check regularly, and the Hiyoko's My Design Blog is definitely one of my favorites. The above yukatas are part of her summer collection, and I just think they're adorable! I can't wait to have my character wear one during to a festival this summer.

Hiyoko has also written a few My Design tutorials, which I highly recommend checking out if you're having a hard time making your own designs. I particularly like this menu sign one... I might even try my hand at it, myself! Don't be intimidated by the fact that it's in Japanese – the diagrams make it easy to follow along.

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I recently stumbled upon Pixiv illustrator Meyu's work, and not only am I completely enamored with her illustration work, but her QR codes, as well! She mostly does patterns, and though I don't normally use wall/furniture patterns, I think I'll have to go out of my way to find a use for these. They're just too cute!

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And here's her second batch of equally-adorable patterns. I think they would look great in a café-themed room!

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Madam Luna's leather harness is a fun "shirt" design for the slightly more adventurous! I'd love too see a screenshot of someone wearing this outfit in a room plastered with the "butts" design I shared above. Maybe I should take it upon myself...

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After seeing this, I realized that I haven't found very many matching outfit sets, but I think it's great idea! I'd love to see more outfit sets with different themes in the future.

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And finally, it wouldn't be a Chic Pixel QR code roundup without a video game QR code, now would it? I'm so glad someone made the shirt the wanderer wears in the The Shadow of the Colossus!

For more Animal Crossing: New Leaf QR codes, be sure to check out parts one, two, and three of thia series!

It may sound cliché, what with the many Final Fantasy games being highly regarded for their soundtracks by nearly everyone in the gaming community, but I definitely count Nobuo Uematsu as one of my very favorite composers, regardless of genre. Though he hasn't been composing nearly as many game soundtracks in the past few years as he did in his Final Fantasy heyday, I still like to keep an eye out for his latest projects. As such, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the news that he would be publishing a picture ebook, and in English, no less!

This is definitely a guy I'd like to meet someday!

As it turns out, the recently-founded jack-of-all-trades localization company acttil (stands for "acceptance," "creativity," "teamwork," "trust," "innovation," and "love") will be publishing Uematsu's ebook, titled Blik-0 1946 on iOS devices next month for $9.99. The entire picture ebook was written by the man himself, and the iOS version will include three musical tracks to give the while experience that real Uematsu feel (the upcoming Kindle release will not include the songs). The illustrations are by Uematsu's colleague Hiroki Ogawa.

Even robots love to read!

The story is about a robot built to feel human emotions that tries to make sense of the world around him. While the premise doesn't sound particularly revolutionary, I really like what Uematsu has to say about the book: "I wanted readers to recognize the happiness you can find in everyday life, which you often ignore because they are too close to you, and the importance of kindness and respect to others." Sounds like a heartwarming story that should be a pleasure to read! I can't wait to hear the tracks he composed to accompany it.

If you want to stay updated on Blik-0 1946, you can do so by heading over to its Facebook page.

Memos from Mamemura: Weeks 17-22

Japan Envy: New Pokémomo, Regional Pokémon Goods

March 2013 Cool-B No, Thank You!!! Scans + Wallpapers

Japan Envy: "MonQlo" Monster Hunter 4 x Uniqlo Apparel

Demo Impressions: Pretty Rhythm: My*Deco Rainbow Wedding

I'm slowly amassing quite the Rilakkuma planner collection

Introducing Chic Pixel's new bi-weekly podcast, Chic Pixel Plus!

2013: The Year of the Preorder?

Animal Crossing: New Leaf QR Code Extravaganza Part 3

Japan Envy: Nerdy Latte Art

Chic Pixel Plus: Episode 2 "Otaku Gaming"

Japan Envy: Funghi x Lawson food and folder campaign

Memos from Mamemura: Weeks 23-27

Chic Pixel Plus Episode 3 – Countdown to E3 and Japanland

Time to add Culty's Animal Crossing bag to my growing tote collection

The 2013 Adventures of Anne in Japan Starts Now!

Anne in Japan 2013: Vacation Recap

Anne in Japan 2013: Arcades and Gatchapon

Animal Crossing: New Leaf QR Code Extravaganza Part 4

Nobuo Uematsu wrote a picture ebook, and it's coming out in English