Remind me to never, ever write posts in the default LJ client again. Accidentally exited the tab that it the small review for last weekends Shinkenger and Decade and it failed to save it.~.~; And now I can't be half-assed to do it over..>.>;

But Shinkenger 20 is one of my favorite episodes(Chiaki's frustration at the situation is my favorite, with the Takeru and Kotoha scene tailing behind). This weekend it's preempted for Women's Golf, which finishes intime for Decade.

Decade 23 was also a decent episode, although Junichi's actor scares the ever living fuck out of me and some part of me wishes they used some of the CGI budget used for Albino Joker/Fourteen so then Kivaara can stop going from a toy, to CGI, and then to a toy again.

This week, we get Decade and Shinkenger all smushed into one when Decade lands in Shinkenger's World, and this seems to be cannon as episode 21 of Shinkenger still shows the Decade group being there.


...also, shinkenger last week is making me contemplate buying Ebi Origami. I originally was going to pick up Ika with the Candy-Toy Shinken-Oh for the emblem forms, but I really like Ebi Origami.

New OP for Shinkenger is awesome. There are some people who wish it was a more traditional Sentai OP(Magiranger), with the cast breaking the fourth wall and smiling and waving to the viewers. However, I really like it this way(I especially like 0:19-0:25 in the video) because Shinkenger is supposed to be a serious series(and not a fun silly one like Go-Onger). Hell, Shinken(真剣) can mean seriousness or earnestness, and Shinkenger is a play on that word. To be fair, it's also used for 'real sword'(one that's metal and can be cut, unlike a Shinai , which is blunt), but it's also used for seriousness/to do something seriously. A play on both meanings, really.

New OP for those who are too lazy to look for it on Youtube(HD Version):



Shinkenger itself this week was a fairly entertainning episode. We didn't go anywhere really plotwise and it was more of a character understanding episode between Genta and Ryunosuke; although the two really seem destined to fight most of the time. Genta spyed on Ryunosuke by dressing up as a Kuroko, which was pretty funny. This was also the first episode that Shitari was in the real world and started to experiment with real humans, which moves us just a slight step closer(I suppose that Shitari/Dayu/Doukoku/Juuzo can survive longer without water than Ayakashi) to a Doukoku appearance.

Next weeks episode looks like we're getting back onto the plot, with Juuzo in his human form and confronting Takeru. Kotoha seems to get deadly sick from the MoTW's poison, and by how Takeru sounded and said in the preview; he's fairly determined to save her(maybe Juuzo gives him the antidote?). I'm kinda...meh that it's not Chiaki who's determined to save her; however with it being Takeru, it'll show how much he really does care for the wellbeing of his vassals.

This weeks Decade was interesting. It's Kaito's homeworld, which seems to be an Alternate Universe of Missing Ace(Blade movie). Everyone seems to be creepily happy, and Kamen Riders seem to be outlawed despite them being the protectors of this world - this seems to be tied to Glaive betraying L'arc and Lance. How Daiki fits into this, I don't know...but his brother is creepy as FUCK.(edit: FFFFFFFFUUUUU Glaive in Missing Ace is Kaito's brother in Decade!@.@; *goes back to watching MA*)

I also finished Kamen Rider Blade over the course of Friday, Saturday, Sunday. I have Elements stuck in my head and it's my favorite Rider OP by far now. Also, the series itself is now one of my favorties, just about tieing in with Agito.(Agito=Blade>Faiz>Kiva>Kabuto>Den-O) Kenzaki is one of my favorite leads, although Tachibana is really fucking annoying most of the time and Mutsuki's arc could've been resolved in a shorter span(though it took the back burner a lot). Kotarou and Shiori are my favorite sidekicks, although sometimes I wanted to punt Amane-chan through the window.>=/. I really recommend Blade to anyone who hasn't seen it before; it takes a few episodes for everything to feel right but it's a really good series. I have yet to see Missing Ace though, but I doubt it'll change my view on the series as a whole.

Orthopedist is tomorrow.@.@ if i have to have surgery, i hope the date isn't too far off. I've had to take time off of raiding and I don't like it.;/

Also, I forgot this. I'm deeply saddened(and fucking angered at fate) for the passing of Billy Mays(and MJ..). I still can't believe they're both gone...

Remember that strings piece I absolutely fell in love with from the episode Ryunosuke was controlled by an Ayakashi and had to fight Takeru(that was episode 9..I think)? Well, the first OST for Shinkenger is out, and it's the first time in a while where I've only had instrumentals on my playlist. The piece in question is really sentimental and..well, my favorite piece on the OST by far.;p

Also, WTB LESS FUCKING RAIN for NY.

Change in journal title is because Silver Birch by the HIATUS is stuck in my head. ALL DAY.

I went to the doc yesterday due to a few things, one of them being the results of a MRI I had done for an orthopedist(but the closest appointment I could get is the 30th and I'm impatient for results~). I apparently tore cartilage somewhere(lol my sillly PA was all "Like I know where the hell that is!") and have two ganglion cysts..where I thought I only had one. Since cartilage doesn't heal easily..I may have to have some outpatient surgery on it as well as the cysts. I'll know more on the 30th, of course.

Switching to green tea soon from soda in hopes of cutting some calories(actually, I only drink diet due to my stomach hating anything really sugary)(but keeping my precious caffeine). Gonna brew a lot, save it in the fridge and put some orange slices in it(cheapo version of lipton's diet citrus green teas~).

Icon's for 11-20[for shinkenger] should come around 21. ALSO, Shinkenger World for Decade is confirmed! It's definitely going to be interesting..although..doesn't that mean the Hikari Studio can not only travel through worlds, but universes? So OP. ;p

Since I'm avoiding WoW atm Since I'm bored atm, I suppose I'll get what I've wanted to do out of the way now: We're closing in onto the 20th episode of Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, which should air June 27th(28th in Japan). During these 20(well, 19, I won't try to predict the next episode despite that Genta will get some development as well as prob. Ryunosuke) episodes, how have our modern day samurai grown?( 5 Modern Day Samurai )

A long..long while ago, back when Ubuntu was in the 6's(so, this would make it 3 years ago?); I liked messing around and playing WoW on WINE. At the time I gave Photoshop a big F-UUUU so I didn't care about it not meshing well with the kinda-sorta windows wrapper, but it was because of Ventrilo that I put Windows back on my laptop of...4? 5? years. That laptop had 80GB of space, so dual booting wasn't much of a thought..

Until nao, with a 150GB HDD. Though, I mean't to get to this sooner.

Basically thinking I can get away with..maybe..3 partitions. One is Linux, one is Windows, and another is a swap that I'll put all my media(I have a music folder on my desktop Windows wise for new crap, and my external for stuff I like. Typically the former never gets into the latter because I'm a lazy ass) in as well as WoW so I don't have to install it two times. I'd have to redirect the launcher in Windows and then just run it under WINE in Ubuntu, me thinks. It's been a while so I'll probably have to tinker around with it.

ALSO, ffs, the US Open(golf crap) is..a few days from now? Something like that, and I'm almost sure it's on Long Island. Which pisses me off..because..uh...Super Hero Time isn't on this week? T.T I'm sure I'll make through it, haha.

Random Japanese Study thoughts...

• Studying 10-15 kana a week seems decent enough, given my shitty shit shit..fucking shit, memory. I figure once I'm done with that, and move onto Kanji, I'll do maybe 5~10 a week depending on how many strokes they have combined. While working on my kanji, I'll write furigana for it ontop so I can get more kana practice.
• Work on my own flash cards..buy my own flash cards..

Shinkenger this week was touching and slightly silly, however it wasn't as silly as the last episode and it got a bit serious when Mako was sparring off with Takeru. I honestly kinda thought Ryunosuke would get along with Genta since they're both a bit overdramatic, but I guess because Genta is just hyperactive and Ryunosuke probably doesn't know better(trainning for samurai+kabuki = not being around society for much, so he's kinda overacting in hopes of fiting in. People complain a bit about this aspect of Ryunosuke and think it's Aiba Hiroki's own fault; but Kobayashi probably intentionally made Ryunosuke that way because of his upcoming of being a kabuki actor and working hard for both and not having time for society.) and is fairly serious.

Although, their relationship kinda reminds me of Eiji+Masumi from Boukenger. Since the next episode is a focus episode of the two(hurdur, one of the core 5 doesn't get along with the newbie, they fued for an episode but find common ground.), they'll probably get along much like Chiaki and Ryunosuke now.

Chiaki and Genta getting along was a little unexpected, but I suppose both are childish in their actions(Chiaki is immature for some part, and Genta acts like a 12 year old given a tub full of rock candy).

Decade this week was nice, although I swear to god the animation for Complete Form's henshin was hilarious(INIFINITE CARD~) and he still looks like a walking talking card binder. The suit was ok in motion too..so it'll probably just take some time to get used to. Also, it seems that Nega World originally was some sort of parralel world to Natsumi's, however some sort of bug-monsters took over with the Dark Rider suits and I suppose kinda copied the denizens of the world(in the sense that they're like worms). The Natsumi I thought was the 'real' one last week is an original citizen of this world and isn't a monster yet, which is why she was hunted down; and our Natsumi isn't a negative of her.

I was kinda happy yet slightly sad that Tsukasa didn't get his memories back when he used the K-Touch(and go and kill Blade,Ryuki and Kiva).

Next week...Kaito's world! Don't have much to say but it looks like some rider's(and their actors) are coming back to portray their rider roles from the Blade movie here. Hmm...

Trip to the Mall day was pretty fun! Despite the fact that I did it in 3..4hours sleep. The only thing helping me the whole way? Incentive of Pocky and Bawls. THE TWO MESH SO WELL, YES?Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ (If you can note, I've been using japanese emoticons lately because...well..I can.)

I ended up with Tuttle's "A Guide to Writing Japanese Kanji and Kana - Book 1". Mostly because it was $30(..and..$20 on amazon fffuuuuuu) and has all the kana and 750 kanji compared to another that maybe had...300, for 20$? The only thing I lament is that I'll be writing/erasing/writing in it, but maybe I'll find a better alternative once I get the hang of it. I'm still looking into kanji flash cards though, and while I can make my own..again, I'm not sure how well I'd be with it.

I got my hair cut too small. ＿|￣|○ My aunt apparently said I look like a pixie with it now. Sooo..hopefully I'll grow into it.

Heading to the mall today, hoping to stop by the bookstore and pickup one or two japanese learning aids. ATM I'm working on my grammar with this, but I'd like some sort of flashcards for kanji. If anything, I can make my own, but..I'm not sure it'd be for the best since my handwriting sucks.

That being said, when I started this journal sometime ago, I wanted to go into college for computer networking and sciences. However..with a lot of thought into it - I get pretty pissy whenever someone interupts me while I'm working on something computer-ish - I'd like to instead major in East Asian Studies(and maybe minor in computer sciences or human relations..). This wasn't fueled by my love of toku and anime, but my love for multi-god mythology+religion(shintoism) and interest in the way kanji is written and how it evolved(stroke order...for one). But, this is saying a lot. I need to motiviate myself more to do more things in real life and to help push my anxieties away. I'm hoping by the end of this year to quit WoW for good..for the most part, or atleast dwindle my time down to something much more casual. However, first I need to work on my confidence! I won't give up~

諦めない！

That being said, I'm looking forward to this weeks Decade, Shinkenger and Power Rangers RPM.

This just in, RAIN SUCKS. NY is set to get quite a bit today and tonight and FUUUUUUUUCKKKKK I hate it so much.

Also, going to play around with layout in hopes of expanding it's width a little.

Music is from Kamen Rider Kiva, if you didn't know. It is not a name of a band but a collection of 4 people from the organization during the series(Nago, Megumi, Yuri, Otoya)