ssjup81

Aw man! I hope everyone plays the game to hurry up and get rid of him.

So an international school would probably suit you. You'd be able to teach a wide array of subjects, but I think you'd need some experience to land such work. Personally, that was always my goal. To work in an international school in Japan....but, as I pointed out, I never finished my MA. I never even started it. The fact that it was required of me to take math and science over kind of deterred me as those were my most difficult subjects. Well, for this year, it's probably too late for the application. They do interviews in like January and February. I tried applying about six years ago, but was rejected. I didn't even get an interview, but the second year I got over here by other means. I just went with another company....but it did have a bad reputation...but it did get my foot in the door, so to speak. It's no problem at all. I just hope that any information I have can be helpful to you.

It's the hiatuses. I know one hiatus was due to illness, understandable, and another because of marriage and his two kids being born. Who knows why he's in one now.

It seems to be really close. The 1999 series strayed a bit, and is also longer than the 2011 series because more of the manga was out by 2011. The 1999 series ended at the end of the Greed Island arc. There were also things added in, like the beginning of Gon's journey oh and for a brief while, in the beginning, Killua trying to control his killing urge since it was so ingrained. I know some manga fans didn't care for that, but I personally liked it. Oh one ep I saw of the 2011 series was when they were in Trick Tower. The fight against Jonas was slightly different from the manga. . Ironically, the 1999 series kept it the same. Anyway, if you were to check out the manga, you'd probably have to start at about chapter 338. There are only 349 chapters at this point though. Pretty short for a manga series that's been around since 1998.... >_>

Okay, yeah, the manga does go slightly past that point, but not by much. Leorio and Kurapika are back for the manga for the same reason as Gon and his father... *sighs* I wish Togashi would hurry up and continue it. I still can't believe the manga series is even still doing decently, unless Togashi is buying up issues of his own comic. lol

Well, in that case, never mind. That's about where the manga's been (give or take) since about August after coming out of the hiatus in June and before that, Togashi hadn't put out anything since about 2012 and before that maybe 2010. Most fans call the series Hiatus x Hiatus. >< That aside, for where the show ended, what happened regarding Killua and were Kurapika and Leorio mentioned?

Aw, but the songs are so awesome! lol It took a short while for What up, People! to grow on me, but I did become a fan of the group that performed that intro and the ending, Zetsubou Billy (you should check out the music video...awesome!). The manga was pretty interesting, which is what made me check out the anime. The manga was on the verge of finishing when the anime started. As for the live-action films...you either like them or hate them. They do change some things, like Light already being a university student. I've never seen the third film, but I have seen the first two. I caught part of the third one on TV a few months ago...right at the end. lol Anyway, you should treat the films as its own thing as it changes stuff from both the manga and the anime....like with L

It looks really nice there. Nice beaches. My city isn't that pretty. lol I'm from the US. Virginia. Richmond, Virginia....but not much I can say. Virginia as a whole is one of the oldest places in the US as it had the earliest European settlers...so as kids, you can imagine how impertinent History was for us. Not much else I can say, really.

When I was in middle and high school, Japanese wasn't a language option. I hear that it is now, though, as there are more people interested in it. When I was in my second year of high school, there was a Japanese course, but by then, I was already in my third year of Spanish, and I only knew one person who actually signed up for the class. A friend of mine who was a year under me. They stopped teaching it due to the lack of interest. The college near me didn't teach Japanese either...but it had Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Latin, etc. Geez. I went to a place that gave Japanese lessons about 10 years ago. When I tried the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)...I tried for level 3 (back then there were still only 4 levels)...but sucked big time on listening. I haven't tried the test again since. Since coming to Japan though...my Japanese is still at a beginner level due to my being surrounded by so much darn English and not having anyone I can just sit down on a regular basis and speak Japanese with and with my job (which does offer free Japanese lessons), I still couldn't study it much since my schedule may change at the whim of a hat. Here's hoping that at the next place I work (hopefully still here in Japan) I'll have normal hours and can study diligently again. It's kind of embarrassing that my Japanese is so sucky.

I'm interested in old-school gaming...mainly 16-bit era, though. I feel the 16-bit era was the last good era for video gaming...but that's all subjective. The games felt more enjoyable to me and seemed to focus more on gameplay as opposed to graphics, like the later generations.

I forgot to ask, how often do you visit Japan? When is your next visit here? I think it's awesome that you have a job where you can legit visit Japan. Wish I had one stateside that could do that. lol

Wow, this is a nice aspiration. I hope you manage. What subjects are you interested in teaching? In my situation, I never did go back to finish my teaching degree. I only have the Bachelor's, I never continued on to the Graduate program. I'm doing English teaching here in Japan...but it can be easy to get trapped inside an English bubble, like I have since I work for an eikaiwa as opposed to a regular school (like my first time here where I always had to use Japanese). Which part of Japan are you interested in living and working in? Oh, and if you don't mind it, you could always try out for the government-sponsored JET Programme. It'll be ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) work, but if you can get into it, your flight is paid for. You'll probably only need cash to hold you over until you get your first paycheck. You can stay on the program for 1 - 5 years. What some people do, they join the program and then maybe before the year is up, they seek out employment elsewhere and it's easier for them because they're already in Japan.

I meant to reply to this thread a while ago. lol I'm glad you didn't hate It's a shame that many people did because they were such adamant Hey, did you notice a pattern with the second intro of the series as Light was walking and they were showing all of the characters? Welp, either way, glad you enjoyed the series. Oh, btw, have you read the manga or seen either of the three live-action Deathnote films?

Is this the 1999 series or the remake that came out back in 2011 which is supposed to be much closer to the manga? The 1999 series had its main series, and then two OVAs to continue it (up to a point). It covers up to the end of the Greed Island arc and ends there. The 2011 series starts the series off fresh, but I'm not sure how far it's gotten, but I know it covers the stuff the 1999 series didn't and does go beyond that point. Despite my love for the manga (and my bias for the 1999 series, which is flawed, yet I still love it), it's constantly in a hiatus. That's why the 1999 series ended in the way that it did...and to my knowledge, the 2011 anime series may be in kind of a limbo because of the lack of source material at his point. So yeah, it just depends on which version you're watching. The 1999 series ends on a cliffhanger, whereas the 2011 series goes beyond that. Out of curiosity, what happened in the last episode?

Sorry for bumping, but I just found this to be a very interesting thread. I'm not too certain, but my first video game in my conscious memory, was probably Duckhunt and Super Mario Bros for the original NES. It was still pretty new at the time. Edit: Wait, never mind. If computer games count, probably either the original Oregon Trail (can this game even be beaten? lol), Number Munchers, Word Munchers, or the first Where in the World is Carmen San DIego game.

The only Pokemon games I've played are: Pokemon Red Pokemon Blue Pokemon Yellow Pokemon Trading Card Game Pokemon Gold Pokemon Ruby (couldn't get into it) Pokemon Stadium Pokemon Stadium 2 Pokemon Heart Gold Pokemon Black Pokemon Black 2 (but...couldn't get into it) Pokemon X (Ironically, I never finished it...just, lost interest, despite having one gym leader to go) I'm not sure if it's just bias, but...personally....I just prefer the Gen I games. They were simpler, more straight forward, and to the point. Seriously, I HATE the mega evolution thing in X. I just feel it's so unnecessary and it feels much to gimmicky. I just find the first 151 Pokemon more memorable I guess...same with some of the Gen II Pokemon. To be honest, outside of Gen I and to an extent, Gen II, I have a hard time remembering the names of most of the Pokemon, English and Japanese. lol

Hm, for me, I usually lean towards the water starter or the grass, although, for X/Y I went with the fire starter. I tend to just go with the one I feel is the cutest. I'm actually pretty casual when it comes to Pokemon. Most people are all about stats and EV and IV or whatever you call it (and I still don't understand it), but for me, I go with the one that's aesthetically pleasing to my eye. Let's go with the original three from Red/Blue/Green. I liked all three....but I went with Bulbasaur...but, I wouldn't let it evolve higher than Ivysaur because Venosaur to me is just...ugly. Same with Blastoise. Charizard is okay. Gold/Silver...I chose Waninoko and I've never evolved it past that stage...although granted, I didn't care for either of the Gold/Silver starters. Ruby/Sapphire I just couldn't get into the games in a general sense....but I think I chose the water starter. Diamond/Pearl...same as Ruby/Sapphire...but if I had to choose, it would be Pochama, but I don't like the looks of its higher forms. Black/White...I chose Mijumaru and haven't let him evolve higher than Futachimaru. It was tough to choose, though, as I liked the designs of all three. Pokabu is just too adorable!..but I only like the first forms. Didn't like the higher forms for neither Tsutaja or Pokabu. For X/Y...Fokko was the only one I actually found cute...but I don't like the looks of its higher forms at all. So yeah....it's all about looks for me. ^^ Oh and sorry about using the Japanese names. Outside of Gen I and II, I've had more exposure to the Japanese versions than their English versions.

Yes, it did. In Japan it's just called "Dragon Ball" which includes the events of DBZ. The anime uses the "Z". Going back on topic, sorry I can't suggest anything, since I've never read/seen the series mentioned. I don't know what I can suggest. I was going to suggest +Anima but I don't think it'll fit the genre you're looking for, especially since people mentioned FMA. I know of it, never seen or read it though.

This seems interesting enough. Let's see how many of these I can actually answer. I'm not too certain, but probably first generation Voltron, even though I didn't really like it much. I was forced to watch it. It was very popular at that time and my older cousin was really into it. He had five years on me. A four-year-old girl had no chance against a nine-year-old boy. lol I like quite a few, but my all-time favorite pairing period is definitely Izumi Koushirou x Tachikawa Mimi of the Digimon series. It's definitely my OTP. This is a tough one. I've heard many songs over the years, some I didn't even know were used for anime series...but for the sake of this poll, I'll say, ALMATERIA by Kawai Eri from Tales of Symphonia. The first OVA. RIP Ms. Kawai... I'm sure a few years ago I would've been able to answer this way easily. Hm, maybe...Makoto and Minako from Sailor Moon (not Crystal), Mimi, Koushirou, Jou, from Digimon (you know, if the same age and stuff), Kenji from Pokemon maybe....seriously, I dunno. lol Not sure. Probably Nuku Nuku Dash. It really isn't all that great of a series...but I have a soft spot for it...but I'm not embarassed about it either... Nothing's coming to mind. I'm not into the whole cosplay thing, but I like to see other people do so. Workout buddy? No idea. Makoto from Sailor Moon...I guess. lol Ironic because I've already gotten it. Detective Conan and Lupin...but to add onto that, I want a Detective Conan x Lupin III x Magic Kaito crossover to happen. That would be epic...and hilarious. I can honestly say that I've never had an actual crush on an animated character. More like, "That character is so adorkable." Nothing's coming to mind for me... I have nothing against either. I like some yaoi pairings (usually non-canon) as well as maybe...one yuri pairing I can think of. Haruka x Michiru from Sailor Moon. This is a tough one, but I will say this. The series that got me the most curious about Japanese music was Digimon Adventure....no, maybe first gen Pokemon. Kanto...but Digimon totally got me into it. Well, I do have some favorite voice actors...but they've done roles for non-Japanese animated programs, like Jim Cummings, Rob Paulsen, June Forray, etc. Hm, maybe Mona Marshall for a voice actress and for seiyuu....maybe Miki Shinichirou...dunno. lol Hate is a strong word. For me, it's very difficult to "hate" a character of any medium. I may be bothered by a character's actions, but don't outright hate them. Dislike would probably work better. I tend to dislike characters who come across as selfish or like they feel as if they're better than others. I also sometimes dislike characters for other reasons, but I'll put it under a spoiler tag since these are the only ones I've actually have "disliked" for years. Well, at the time, maybe the fight against Galaxia in Sailor Moon Sailor Stars. I have to think about it. Hm, maybe...um...um... Ken x Miyako of Digimon? I've liked man ships over the years...the majority being Digimon ones. *Points to What do you like thread in the Digimon section* Just like with the opening question, I've listened to songs that I didn't know were used in anime series...but I'll pick one of my favorites... Kirei na Kanjou by Akino Arai from Noir. Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (Ronin Warriors) I always forget what that term means... Um, I haven't seen many harem series aside from Tenchi Muyo (if that counts), Love Hina, and Mahou Sensei Negima (but I was reading the manga of this but did check the anime out). Out of these, I'll go with Tenchi Muyo. Subs, definitely. Like I said in the other thread, regardless of where a program is from, I want to hear it in its original audio, and this goes for live-action programs as well. Um...I forgot which shows were done by Studio Ghibli. I've never been bullied. No one comes to mind, but Sumire from Kimi wa Pet comes to mind...but I don't think this has an anime counterpart. Only a live-action drama. I almost cried during that scene where they flashed back to Nakago and his mother's capture in Fushigi Yuugi, and the soldiers raping his mother (implied) was very disheartening. I almost broke down at how traumatizing that is for a kid to witness and for his mother to endure. Maybe Bannou Bunka Neko-Musume DASH! (All Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku DASH!)? Only those I know who like some. Wow, just can't be done. I don't have an overall favorite. Um...maybe Yoroiden Samurai Troopers.

These are all pretty cool. I hope more people decide to post in this thread. I wish more people would post in the culture section.

Yes, I know that two new eggs are up (Mimi and Sora's). What information do you hope they'll reveal once they're hatched? I'm hoping for some plot, seiyuu, music, or 02 character information. Like for the 02 group, will they be in this series only taking a backseat.

Hey guys, just wondering...what info do you hope will be released next for the egg thing?

I decided to go back to my Digimon Adventure RPG game, which I never did finish, due to many distractions. I hadn't played since August. I'm up to VenomVamdemon now.

I just realized I never did mention how I got interested in Japanese stuff. It's slightly different from some of yours, though. It all happened back when I was either 4 or 5. Like usual, my father and I were watching VH-1. During the 80s, both my parents watched MTV and VH-1 a lot, so I picked up on it as well. When it comes to those two particular stations, the 80s were great. They actually played music videos. I don't know what happened to those stations. They're both awful now, imo. Anyway, my father and I were watching VH-1. A music video came on. I'd never heard of them before. The group was called Hiroshima. The name of the song was One Wish and it was new. I loved this music video! The only thing I remembered about the video, before finding it again a few years ago, was a lady dancing with fans and the instruments. I assumed the dance was Odori style after all these years when trying to recall what I'd seen from a child, but as I was able to check it out and ask, I learned that it was Nihonbuyo. Anyway, for some odd reason, I was mesmerized by the simplistic dance and found it incredibly cool and interesting. I liked the kimono too, and the fans. The music was also very nice, and fit very well and I saw an instrument I'd never come across before (Koto or Japanese harp). My father told me the name of the music group, since I couldn't read it at the time. So yeah, this is what got me interested in Japanese culture, but as a kid, I didn't have an outlet for it. No place did anything remotely Japanese around me. I didn't finally get an outlet until maybe 15 years ago when I first started using he Internet. Anywho, here's the music video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJEzRA_FbFo

Yeah, compared to other Asian countries, English in Japan is poor, despite the fact that people are stuck studying it throughout junior high and senior high school. The way it's taught is pretty bad. A lot of subjects in Japan, seemingly, is mostly taught with rote memorization in mind. English classes are taught with kids memorizing the examples for tests and stuff like that. They don't write speeches and such (I know in my language classes in high school we had to do that) or write out original content in the language they're learning, they don't speak it in class very much, and despite having six years of studying it, they're still below a beginner level at most. The classes are pretty much taught for them to pass tests (entrance exams) as opposed to actually communicating. They also use WAY too much Japanese in class. I studied Spanish in middle/high school altogether for four years. My last year was horrid though as I just couldn't get it...but never mind. I don't know about other places, but for my school with our language classes, each year, our native language was used less and less by our teachers, and the target language was used more and more so we would get used of hearing it. By the fourth and fifth year there's no English used at all. In Japanese schools, it's pretty much translation translation translation. The government here is determined to get everyone good at English by the time 2020 comes around. Yeah. If people actually TOOK a vacation instead of waiting around for national holidays, places would be less crowded. Here's some info I heard. Every month in Japan has at least one national holiday...other than August, but the government came up with a new national holiday that I think will go into effect 2016 or maybe this year. It'll be called "Yama no Hi"...Mountain Day. I heard they do this because it's an excuse for employees to actually have a day off since some people just don't take vacations because they feel obligated to work. It's like, the mentality here is that you "live to work" as opposed to its being working to live. Lots of issues regarding that...but never mind about all the social junk here (even though I've always been interested in it myself). Let's talk about the fun stuff. Actually the hanami time isn't particularly crowded. Depending on where you are in Japan, the bloom takes place later in the spring or early spring. It's just another trip to the park, really so it's not particularly crowded. The Hanami viewing is part of the season, so you can go on a workday and not worry about there being crowds. In Tokyo, the cherry blossoms usually bloom in late March and early April, I think. The more north you go, the later the cherry blossoms bloom. Where I am, usually they bloom sometime in May, so yeah, that shouldn't be a problem. The most crowded times of the year to probably go anyplace in Japan is August (because of Obon and many kids being off from school) and Golden Week. Now, as for festivals....I think those will always be crowded. lol Oh, I forgot to answer your initial question. Yes, I have experienced a Cherry Blossom viewing. The year before last, I went with a couple of friends, so there was a festival going on and since it was in the park/shrine area there were also lots of cherry blossoms. Some people have viewing parties. Just have a picnic in the park under the cherry blossom trees and appreciating them...but people also do a lot of drinking. My friend and I (she's from the US too) went, and it was crazy! These drunk dudes asked us to join their party. It was hilarious. They then wanted to do photos and stuff, like everyone does at viewing parties with friends. So yeah, I have, but it wasn't crowded. lol