Search Words of Interest # 1

                                            Interesting Search Words #1
     

      Hopefully this will be at least a bi-weekly "column". It will consist of the more interesting search words net surfers have used leading them to this blog. Here's a few from last week.

1. how does Lucys' dress look in Charlie Brown - I assume the searcher meant "look on" Charlie Brown. Judging by Charles Shulzs' "simple" art style, I imagine Charlie would look pretty much like Lucy but without the hair. I also imagine this particular net surfer to be a little on the "strange" side.

2. azumanga daioh osaka shocked - Fans of Azumanga Daioh are pretty much aware that the Osaka character looks rather "shocked" just about all the time.

"What 't heck you starin' at!?" Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga

3. osaka drag show - I assume this to be another Azumanga search. Or maybe it's in reference to an Initial-D spinoff? Or ..... an all male revue in southern Japan?

4. sandy fantasy porn actress - I have no idea how this could have led someone to this blog. Well I do mention hentai on this blog but not in favorable terms.

That's it for now. There'll probably be some more next week.

Go to Main Page here.

Azumanga Daioh: Well THAT Was Dumb

Don't know what ad this is a parody of. Also didn't know Minamo & Yomi were
 "Stoners". L-R: Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga, Chiyo-chan Mihama, Kagura, Sakaki,
Kaorin, Yukari Tanizaki, Minamo Kurosawa, Tomo Takino, Koyomi "Yomi"
Mizuhara. Character Credit: J C Staff

                                   
      No. Not the show. What I did.

      I like Azumanga Daioh. Cute. Funny. Sometimes simple. Other times sophisticated. It doesn't try to offend or insult your intelligence (Eg. Upskirt shots of underage characters every five minutes, etc.). It was one of the first of the post 90s "schoolgirl" genre & undoubtedly the best. As it's not my usual kind of anime, I had initial misgivings when I first You Tubed it, but then left by episode three. I like it enough to own but not enough to shell out the bucks for new DVDs.

      While browsing at the Bethel Rd. Half Price Books (Columbus, Ohio), I came across disc 3 in the series (Sakaki cover) & snapped it up. Two weeks later, I found discs 1-3 at Half Prices' Reynoldsburg store. The covers (Pre-opening "jump ups" before the opening credits.) didn't "match" the previous #3. As I didn't want to "break" the set, I bought all three, leaving me with an extra # 3.

      Almost a month later, I'm "leafing" through the clear plastic cases & examining the extra info/illustrations on the other side of the slip covers (Nothing like little extras to make something more than complete.). Funny how the "inside" of disc 3 looks like the outside of .....

      Well THAT was dumb. In any event, the local colleges' anime club is getting a freebie this fall.

Go to Main Page here.

A couple of Azumanga articles:

Where Are They Now?

Azumanga Daioh Abridged: An Episodic Review

DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

Azumanga Daioh, the Abridged Series An Episodic Review

                                       Azumanga Daioh, the Abridged Series

                                                     An Episodic Review

                                                                  by

                                                                     Jay Agan

      This is a short (5 eps), sweet (Each less than 5 minutes.) little parody that got more than a few laffs out of me. Azumanga Daioh screams Parody Me! & there are more than a ton of them on You Tube. This has to be one of the best.

      1. Day One- We're introduced to the main characters. High points:

      Chiyo: "I'm supposed to tell you I'm a prodigy student but lying makes me feel bad inside."

      We find Osakas' original nick-name was Xanax at her old school because of episodic reactions. Tomo promises her quite a hazing in the next ep.

      Tomo: "Kill ya tomorrow newbie!"

      Osaka: "The more things change, ..... the more they suck!"

      2. Initiation- Osaka tries to concentrate on avoiding "that hyperactive girl" but is distracted by the posterior of a male student at the blackboard ("Oooo! Osaka likeee!"). Tomo & the others finally latch onto her &: Cafeteria food (Barf!), motor skills (fail), chugging (More barf!), & the old standby, beatings.

      Sakaki: "Oh! You guys started without me. Thanks a friggin' lot!"

      Osaka: "If it makes you feel any better, they haven't broken my spirit! My chest plate maybe ..... but not my spirit!"

      Yomi: "I admit. I thought you'd lose conciousness or start crying like a baby ..... like the ten year old."

      Osaka realizes they did it out of love & "..... for everything you've done to me, I promise ..... REVENGE!"

      3. Spending Time Wasted- Chiyo explains her wealth comes from a school tax exemption. Yukari starts a fire at school so she can leave work early & get drunk.

      Minamo: "..... stop dancing in front of children like that. It's disgraceful!"

      Chiyo: "You can start pole dancing for all I care. Just let me go back to my old school!"

      4. Master Plan- Chiyo attempts to drown Yukari. The kids find out Kimura's a pedo & plot to land him in jail but he "buys them off".

      Chiyo: "I'm sure glad I'm not you girls. There's no way he'd be interested in someone my age ..... right?" (Just goes to show, being a genius doesn't necessarily mean you're smart!)

      Tomo: "Yomi, you've compromised our safety for the next three years. But this ice cream is pretty good."

      Yomi: "Yeah. I'd say it was an even trade."

      5. Excursion- Instead of going to Sea World, the teachers decide to accompany the kids to Chiyos' summer home instead. Chiyos' little monologue on how she spends her wealth & spare time is a hoot & and a half.

      Yukari: "Who wants to ride with their favorite teacher?"

      Osaka: "The scent of death is on this car ..... It's fresh!"

      Osaka: "She tries to play on a Game Boy! While drivin'!"

      There are too many more yucks n' chuckles in this last ep so I'll leave them to you to experience.

      Chiyo: "Osaka tried to kill me with a firecracker! I wanna go home!"

                                        Article copyright © 3-31-2011 Jay Agan

Episode 1: Azumanga Daioh the Abridged Series here.

Azumanga Daioh, Too ..... Much ..... Cute here.

Where Are They Now? The Kids of Azumanga Daioh here.

Go to Main Page here.

DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

This article (only) may be copied in whole or in part. Please cite proper credit & backlink.

Azumanga Daioh: Too.....Much.....Cute

Azumanga Daioh "group shot". L-R Koyomi "Yomi" Mizuhara, Ayumu
"Osaka" Kasuga, Chiyo-chan Mihama, Sakaki, Kagura, & Tomo Takino.
Credit: Kiyohiko Azuma, Dengeki Daioh, J. C. Staff & ADV

                                
                                                               
                                  Azumanga Daioh: Too.....Much.....Cute

                                                                by
          
                                                                   Jay Agan

  One of the shows I've put off bothering with (Not my kind of anime.) is Azumanga Daioh. On glancing at articles & seeing illustrations in passing, I concluded it was another of those insufferably cute shows for girls. Having just aquired hi-speed internet & nothing better to do, I decided to take this one in. Glad I did.

  The show is about several young women going through grades 10-12 & the situations (surreal & otherwise.) they encounter. Summer/winter semesters with their attendant classes, sports/culture fests, holidays/vacations & general "slice of life" high school experience. This story arc is repeated for each grade. While one might think this to be boring, there is more than enough variation keeping this series interesting throughout. The characters themselves keep things moving, lively &, at times, have you busting a gut laughing.

  The "cast" members are stories unto themselves:

  Excrutiatingly cute child prodigy, Chiyo Mihama: Top scholar in class but still with the mind of a child. Doing her best socializing with classmates five years older. Her "cooking is so fun" segment from episode one almost had me calling the EMS over what I feared was a sugar OD. This seemed to innoculate me for the rest of the series so I was able to continue.

  Remote, alienated Sakaki: Taller than most of the boys at school & quite self concious of it. Everyone misreads her detatchment as "being cool". Oh yes. She wants a kitty.....so.....bad (Can't have one. Parent allergies.). Cats don't seem to like her much. One in particular almost always puts the bite on her when she tries to pet it. You'd think it would occure to her the critter might be rabid.

  Sadistic, hyperactive, ritalin deprived, Tomo Takino: I'm against drugging children to make them compliant in school, but in this case, maybe they should put this one to sleep! LOUD (!) with a capitol loud & always roughhousing or ranking on someone (Usually Yomi.). Also likes messing with Chiyos' mind. ("Okinawa! OH KIN AH WAA!" "Oh! Shut up!")

  Studious, sensible, weight concious, Kayomi "Yomi" Mizuhara: A stabilising force in the group. Good for giving an occasional sock to the jaw of the hyperactive one. In spite of her exasperation with Tomo, they're actually good friends.

  Athletic go-getter Kagura: In a one sided sports/coolness competition with Sakaki. Not above participating in some of Tomos' stunts.

  Spacey, other worldly, Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga: Originally from (Where else?) Osaka. Her mind, from somewhere beyond there.

  Whacked language teacher, Yukari Tanizaki: You'd think she was related to Tomo, the way she acts. Likes playing head games with everyone. Her teaching "style" is unique to say the least. Also drives like a freakin' maniac!

  Caring, attentive, phys-ed teacher Minamo Kurosawa: Another stabilising force & guardian of the kids, standing between them an a certain "strange" litt. teacher.

  Obsessive, lesbian wannabe, Kaorin: Has a crush on Sakaki (Who is either oblivious or just very good at ignoring it.). Constantly "beating herself over the head" about it. (Geez kid. Get a boyfriend or three. Find out what it's like on the "other bank of the river".)

  Unsuccessful pedophile, litt. teacher Kimura: This guy needs to be locked up! As the kids know what he is from the start & avoid him like the plague, the character is played for laughs. I had to keep reminding myself that Japanese humor is a little.....uh.....different.

  The latter two characters would pretty much keep this show off saturday mornings here & on Adult Swim. I admit, I laughed my butt off over some of the situations they were in. Howsomever, the scenes of Kimura focusing his attention on Kaorin are creepy to say the least. (Is it any wonder the kid is such an emotional basket case at times?)

  While not rushing out to buy the show (Again, not my kind of anime.), I must say I enjoyed watching it & even got a little sad when it concluded. It is, with some reservations, I recommend it to an older crowd.

  So. Do Kaorins' dreams come true? (Oh for cryin' out loud!) Does Kimura Score? (Good Lord! No!) Do the kids graduate let alone pass their college entrance exams? And, most importantly, does Sakaki finally reconcile with the little, gray, piranha kitty? (This is what had me follow this series to the end.) See the series & find out!

                                       Article copyright © 11-18-10 Jay Agan

Addendum: Some months after I wrote this article, I "broke down" & bought this series. Why? It's cute, funny, simple yet sophisticated & doesn't try to insult ones' intelligence. The only bad thing about this series is the ending. You DON'T want it to end (The graduation scene is a minor tear jerker!). The only recourse is to start the show over. Rats!

Azumanga Daioh article: Where Are They Now? here.

Azumanga Daioh, The Abridged Series: An Episodic Review here.

Azumanga Daioh: Well THAT Was Dumb here.

Azumanga Daioh X Peanuts: Some Ruminations here.

Beyond Wrong & Wonderful: An Evangelion/Azumanga Daioh Crossover Fan Fiction here.

Not So Oblivious: An Azumanga Daioh Sakakai/Kaorin Fan Fiction here.

Wikipedia review here.

Go to Main Page here.

DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.