kitsunebi's talking to himself again

[kitsunebi]

I'm always behind the curve. When I had short hair, women fawned over people like Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall. When I let my hair grow past my shoulders a decade later, women loved the messy-haired bad boy look. Now that I'm back to short and scruffy, women want emos and the startlingly effeminate Zac Effron / Justin Beiber soft coiff, neither of which I'm ever going to subject myself to. And don't even get me started on the inconsistency of beard appreciation.

I think I should just move to Japan. The culture seems less finicky, the female population is 98% beautiful, and I could go for a kumi-daiko concert anyway.

Ah, but they HAAAATE beards here. It's a dislike not necessarily ingrained in the culture (like the way tattoos are), but they are currently so out-of-fashion as to be as rare as unicorns. I grew one for a few months, and the closest to a complement I ever got was "...you look like a wild man..." Children are more honest and would constantly tell me to shave it off. But at least they're consistent in their total lack of appreciation for beards.

And if you like taiko, check out some videos I shot in the town where I used to live for 5 years. I've got several on my channel. The group is composed entirely of students of mine (elementary through high school). They win national youth taiko contests on a regular basis. It WILL blow your mind how good they are. In the video I'm linking below, watch the first piece with the three main performers (2 jr. high, 1 elementary). You can skip the part that begins at 3:30 or so (kind of a rest period where their taiko instructors do a little standard festival drumming) and pick up again around 10:20 for the finale piece. So freaking good, those kids...

[miketheratguy]

Lol "you look like a wild man". I'm going to go there and spring this on them, just for the satisfaction of hearing that response.

You're lucky. I'd give just about anything to spend some time in Japan. I love their culture so much. Their language, their art, their music, their architecture, I could go on and on. The only thing is that I couldn't eat any of their food, I'd have to go to the local Mcdonalds for every meal. And I couldn't go clean-shaven, for when I'm devoid of all facial hair I look like some kind of miscreant.

I love taiko. I'll listen to any taiko performance that anyone wants to throw at me. Unfortunately your link didn't have sound for some reason, but watching it on Youtube worked fine. Good stuff, those are some talented kids. Gorgeous vista, too. What a great location to put on a performance.

Have you ever seen the somewhat obscure 1995 Christopher Lambert film "The Hunted"? It's got an amazing soundtrack by Kodo which is even more obscure than the film is. It's got a fantastic opening title track that I couldn't find anywhere, but I managed to locate a track that was somewhat similar. The good stuff begins a minute in.

[kitsunebi]

Lol "you look like a wild man". I'm going to go there and spring this on them, just for the satisfaction of hearing that response.

You're lucky. I'd give just about anything to spend some time in Japan. I love their culture so much. Their language, their art, their music, their architecture, I could go on and on. The only thing is that I couldn't eat any of their food, I'd have to go to the local Mcdonalds for every meal. And I couldn't go clean-shaven, for when I'm devoid of all facial hair I look like some kind of miscreant.

I love taiko. I'll listen to any taiko performance that anyone wants to throw at me. Unfortunately your link didn't have sound for some reason, but watching it on Youtube worked fine. Good stuff, those are some talented kids. Gorgeous vista, too. What a great location to put on a performance.

Have you ever seen the somewhat obscure 1995 Christopher Lambert film "The Hunted"? It's got an amazing soundtrack by Kodo which is even more obscure than the film is. It's got a fantastic opening title track that I couldn't find anywhere, but I managed to locate a track that was somewhat similar. The good stuff begins a minute in.

Weird, the sound on the embedded video works fine for me.

Yeah, my beard was more closely trimmed than that. Yours might cause a small panic, if they don't flip out over the tattoo first (hint: don't even try going into an onsen - you won't be allowed.)

Btw, the closest McD's to that place is over an hour away. The closest movie theater is 2 hours away Nothing like living in the country on a penninsula.

And no, I haven't heard of the film. I've sort of had an unintentional aversion to Christopher Lambert in general throughout my life. I don't remember if I've even watched any of the Highlanders all the way through.

[Areala]

Please tell me you've at least seen "Mortal Kombat" though.

*huggles*
Areala

[Sean697]

Unless it's bearded Kenshiro. Everyone loves bearded Kenshiro. Right?

[kitsunebi]

Please tell me you've at least seen "Mortal Kombat" though.

*huggles*

Areala

I don't want to alienate myself as some kind of gaming pariah, but there are two, and only two genres of games I have no interest in: realistic driving games (boooring), and fighting games (because I suck at them). So no matter how beloved they are, I'll never own a Gran Turismo or a Street Fighter. Or a Mortal Kombat for that matter. So I suppose it's that complete lack of interest that probably explains why I've never felt a desire to see the movie versions of any fighting games, either. (God help me if I'm ever forced to watch a movie version of Gran Turismo...)

[badinsults]

I've been sporting a beard for the past four months, never heard anything negative about it (generally, the women always say how かっこいい I am). I keep it pretty well groomed, though. Could be a regional thing, I live in southern Japan.

[kitsunebi]

It definitely shows that you "just don't give a %$&" regarding the status quo, so that can always earn cool points. Your typical Japanese professional man will be unable to wear a beard to work, because it would be expressing too much individualism. If no one else is wearing a beard, then you can't either. It's just like how they send out a memo to all employees letting them know what exact day they are all supposed to stop wearing ties and dress for "cool biz" in the air-conditionless summer months. If you're hot before then, too bad, because you aren't allowed to be the one guy wearing short sleeves just because it suits you. Or hell, if you WANT to wear a coat and tie after that date for some reason, you can't do that either, because EVERYONE MUST BE THE SAME. It's just a part of the culture. These rules don't really apply to the more blue-collar end of the working spectrum, though, and foreigners are more or less exempt and almost expected to buck such trends.

[badinsults]

There are a lot of problems in Japan, and strict adherence to conformity is one of them. It is no wonder they don't put out innovative products that people outside of Japan want anymore. No one is allowed to have independent thought. It reminds me of an interview I read by Shigeru Miyamoto, where he said that under Nintendo's current hiring rules, he would never have been considered to work there.

[marktrade]

There are a lot of problems in Japan, and strict adherence to conformity is one of them. It is no wonder they don't put out innovative products that people outside of Japan want anymore. No one is allowed to have independent thought. It reminds me of an interview I read by Shigeru Miyamoto, where he said that under Nintendo's current hiring rules, he would never have been considered to work there.

I think he was referring to education standards, experience, and things of that nature. I don't think he was referring to creative content. From what I can tell Japan has more creative freedom in gaming than the West does, although part of impression is due to Nintendo's increasingly disruptive localization.

[badinsults]

I think he was referring to education standards, experience, and things of that nature. I don't think he was referring to creative content. From what I can tell Japan has more creative freedom in gaming than the West does, although part of impression is due to Nintendo's increasingly disruptive localization.

Oh, I just gave that as an example. In businesses today, they hire on the basis of conformity to specific standards within the company, rather that giving employees the space to think for themselves and come up with new ideas. Nintendo is probably an exception in this matter, because they allowed their engineers to produce products like the DS and Wii. That is probably a credit to the innovative thinking of Iwata. Just remember how Nintendo was stagnating during the later reign of Yamauchi, where they clung onto cartridges one generation too long, and failed to take advantage of DVD support for the Gamecube. That is a more common occurrence in Japanese business. Also compare the recent innovations of Nintendo to Sony, who's latest consoles are just iterations of their previous hardware, and are ultimately stagnating. The traditional Japanese game industry is almost at an end here. Most of the big name Japanese titles drop off the sales charts pretty quickly (aside from Nintendo's first and second party titles), and the PS4 charts are dominated by foreign titles like Minecraft and Fallout 4.

Japanese industry is currently being overtaken in a big way by Chinese, South Korean and Taiwanese industries (and probably soon by Vietnam and Indonesia as well) that produce better products at a lower price. A big part of that is an inability to change in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Nobody will take charge, a problem that goes all the way to the top of the high levels of government.

[kitsunebi]

Well, my comment about beards being currently unfashionable in Japan has certainly taken a turn for the dour.

Listen, what you're saying isn't something I haven't heard a million times before. It's a common sentiment amongst the expat crowd, who like to consider themselves the experts on what is best for a country they only think they can ever fully understand (this applies to any country, so I'm not simply swallowing the stereotypical line that Japan is unique in its inscrutability). The truth is, what is "best" for Japan is their own business, and so long as it isn't violating human rights, shouldn't be judged by you, me, or anyone else (if you are native Japanese born and raised there, I apologize and stand corrected.)

As westerners, sure, we usually tend to look at Japan's emphasis on conformity as a shortcoming, because that's what it is in our culture. In Japan, though, it isn't a flaw, but one of their strengths, and an important part of what defines every aspect of their lives. To consider the essential character of a people to be flawed because it doesn't reflect the ideals of one's own culture is proof that one doesn't understand or care about Japanese culture at all.

And while it might be true that some of Japan's cultural traits could make it harder for them to remain a competitive leader on a world-wide stage, asking a country to change its nature to appease the outside world is no small thing. Sure, it might mean their companies can be more profitable, but the cost to it's people could ultimately be more than can be defined by just dollars and yen.

As for the game industry, yes, consoles are becoming less and less popular. And it is somewhat true to say that a great many Japanese games are more or less reiterations of games that have come before in the same genre. However, unlike western gamers, most gamers in Japan like games in the same genre to be somewhat consistent and familiar. I've read many interviews with Japanese game developers who talk about how western game design has shifted its focus to giving the player lots of freedom to play the game as they wish in open sandbox worlds, which your average Japanese consumer finds off-putting, craving instead a more linear experience, like they are used to. It may seem like stagnant game design from an outside perspective, but it's what the consumers desire. And if console sales are flagging, it's simply because most of those consumers are choosing to play on handheld systems these days. The 3DS and Vita are hugely successful, not to mention smartphone gaming, and despite the popularity of the odd western title like Minecraft, the majority of game sales are, as they have always been, of domestic products (if anything, there is still an unfair prejudice against western titles.) Is Japanese game design becoming less popular in the West? Perhaps. But despite the huge sales market that the West represents, Japan has always developed with its home audience in mind. Developing titles that appeal to western gamers will only hurt domestic sales.

Anyway, long story short, don't cry for Japan. And don't look down on it, either. Different strokes for different folks.

Now, if you wanna lament their impending labor crisis due to the low birth rate, well, the Japanese government is with you on that one. Got any hot tips on how to convince Japan to get busy with the baby-making? There was talk in another thread a while back of naked pictures of E-Day being circulated. Maybe we could send those over as part of a humanitarian mission of sexy-time induction?

[badinsults]

Heh, I guess I should have made the disclaimer that I pick apart problems in every country I have lived in, including my native Canada (the problems there were so bad that I decided to leave). It is just my nature. But I love Japan, it is a fabulous place to live, full of wonder and friendly people. There are not many places where I can walk up to a hill and see two active volcanoes spewing out steam (I'm a geologist). I'm moving to Germany in just over a month, I'm sure I will find problems there too, but I imagine it will also be a really nice place to live.

[kitsunebi]

I'm moving to Germany in just over a month, I'm sure I will find problems there too, but I imagine it will also be a really nice place to live.

Anyplace where a decent beer costs less than water is OK with me lol. I've only visited, but Germany seems like a really nice country.

[kitsunebi]

Was cutting up another issue to prepare for scanning and got the crap scared out of me for half a second by some 25-year-old graffiti. Damn kids and their white-out...

[Areala]

Was cutting up another issue to prepare for scanning and got the crap scared out of me for half a second by some 25-year-old graffiti. Damn kids and their white-out...

Good gawd, that's some serious "Ringu"-level creepiness there.

*huggles*

Areala

[gwmac223]

Good gawd, that's some serious "Ringu"-level creepiness there.

 

*huggles*

Areala

Yeeesh, that is creepy

[kitsunebi]

OK, it's obvious I don't use this thread to inform anyone of what I'm up to.  Why should I?  Who would care?

 

What I will continue to do is use it to highlight some of the great stuff I discover in these mags as I scan them.  Case in point, a hitherto unheard of game (to me, anyways):

TOILET KIDS

 

I assume that after battling shit-spewing Japanese squat toilets and toilet slippers, the shit-god featured in the ad is the final boss?

 

Why would they think this game couldn't be successful outside of Japan??!

 

 

ALSO,

I usually try to fix scratches and tears and whatnot during editing, but I'm not gonna touch the brilliant work of The Graffiti Kid who originally owned these mags.  This guy is an effin' genius.

 

[kitsunebi]

One might think that the main draw to the issue of Famitsu I'm currently scanning might be the exhaustively researched 16-page feature story on adult mahjong games (you can really tell when magazine editors have a passion for a particular article), but no.

 

I've got to give the nod once again to The Graffiti Kid, whose masterful artistry will now live on forever and finally reach the audience it deserves.  Digital never dies, long live the Graffiti Kid.

[kitsunebi]

Oh hai, WIP thread!  Long time no see.

I normally don't use this thread because I don't see the point in posting about what I'm doing, since most people are only interested in what's actually available for download right now, not what might be coming at some indefinite time in the future (even worse would be to make empty promises that never get fulfilled).  And there's really no danger of someone else working on the same thing at the same time, since hardly anyone out there is scanning mags in the first place.

However, since the site is still on lockdown, I'm in the unusual position of having a finished mag to upload and no permission to do it. 

So, err...PlayStation Magazine Issue 106 from September 3, 1999 is finished and will be made available as soon as it can be made available.  I can't upload the cover here either, but nobody said I can't use an outside image hoster, so here's a preview:

This is the only issue of this mag I have, and I doubt I'll get any more, so I'm not gonna bother creating a database for this, but the download category is already created.  And waiting...

[Areala]

On 8/14/2016 at 7:33 PM, kitsunebi77 said:

OK, it's obvious I don't use this thread to inform anyone of what I'm up to.  Why should I?  Who would care?

 

What I will continue to do is use it to highlight some of the great stuff I discover in these mags as I scan them.  Case in point, a hitherto unheard of game (to me, anyways):

TOILET KIDS

 

I assume that after battling shit-spewing Japanese squat toilets and toilet slippers, the shit-god featured in the ad is the final boss?

 

Why would they think this game couldn't be successful outside of Japan??!

Would "Kami no kuso" be an appropriate translation of 'shit-god'? Because, if so, I think I have a lovely new insult to hurl at people...

*huggles*
Areala

[kitsunebi]

Close.  That's "god shit" or "god's shit."  Switch it to "kuso no kami" to mean "shit god" or "god of shit."

So glad I could be of service.

[Areala]

Gawd, I'm never going to get the hang of Japanese grammar... *hangs her head in shame*

*huggles*
Areala

[kitsunebi]

Just uploaded an ad I found for a 1993 Japanese arcade game.  I draw your attention to the following screenshot:

And now I draw your attention to the following trailer:

And now I hang my head in shame of this country I chose to live in...

[Areala]

9 minutes ago, kitsunebi77 said:

Just uploaded an ad I found for a 1993 Japanese arcade game.  I draw your attention to the following screenshot:

And now I draw your attention to the following trailer:

And now I hang my head in shame of this country I chose to live in...

*snerk* 'Hentai Kamen'...

*giggle*

New resolution: I must see 'Hentai Mask'. Immediately. If not sooner.

*huggles*
Areala