Finally got my copy of Lucky Star Re-Mix 002. This new remix album has turned out to be much better than the previous Lucky Star remix. It even features a group medley AND nice album art, which by the way, really compliments the better mixes. The only song I took with me from the last remix album was Motteke! Sailor Fuku [Metabo Taisaku Mix], and admittedly the only good one. This album however, was chock full of surprises. The only song that was not worth listening to being the first track: JAM ga Mottetta! Sailor Fuku, which I found to be a pretty annoying mix of otaku wannabe boys trying to sing Motteke Sailor Fuku with passion and flare and lots of unoriginal vocal editing.

Here’s my two cents of the tracks in the album:

1. JAM ga Mottetta! Sailor Fuku
Crap. Boys singing Motteke! Sailor Fuku in the place of the Lucky Star girls. It feels and sounds stupid and annoying.

2. Motteke! Sailor Fuku EX.Motte[k]remix
Hi-fi trance (not progressive at all) which is kinda annoying at first but grows on you. I got this one playing in my car, so I think I’m hooked already. Very annoying if you don’t like constant highspeed bleeping and sawtooth action. Good for parties.

3. Motteke! Knee Socks
Nice original remix with some pretty cool surprises thrown in in terms of beat and some nice familiar melody from Kaeshite! Knee Socks. This one really caught my ear. Playing in the car too so you know I like it.

4. Motteke! Sailor Fuku Electro Otome Chikku mix
Slightly retro 90’s style electronica with some pop style music lots of voice synth. This is doesn’t have the steady techno beat but I love its bluey piano playing mixed in along with its wonderful stop-and-hop bridges.

5. Motteke! Sailor Fuku Bak-Bak-Bakoon! Mix
Oh man this must the best mix of random voice clips by the Lucky Star characters ever. More blues style stuff and a bit of R&B thrown in as well as Tsukasa’s Character Album’s Good Night loop put to damned good use. Nice background upbeat cafe music.

6. Kumikyoku “Lucky Star Douga”
The ultimate weapon! Modelled after Nico Nico Douga’s Kumikyoku (Group Song) and even with the same types of drops in pace and wonderful rendition of the all-too-familiar Kogepan theme played with synth piano immediately after the Motteke! Sailor Fuku chorus in the beginning. Awesome stuff as soon as the drums roll in. The first time I heard this, was probably the best time in my life as far as I can remember from my short memory. Some of the songs are really good techno clips, while others plain silly but familiar and cozy “wawawawasuremono” and some from Akira too. Definitely a must listen.

Well, it’s that time of year again. Most people have a love/hate relationship with this day, for many and varied reasons. Some hate spending today alone, others wish it could last forever because they are finally left alone. Humans are truly intriguing. Although social beings we may be, sometimes culture and seasons demand change, and sometimes it’s Christmas that demands the most change.

It seems almost supernatural to think that during this day, 90% of the people in the world stops in their lives completely and celebrates/does something different. While there must be some essence and reason into why this day is so special, the fact of the matter is that it is one (if not the only) of the very few special days that the entire civilized world observes at the same time.

For those of you who are spending Christmas alone, don’t worry you’re not alone. Hundreds, nay thousands of people are still sitting in mIRC chatting about random stuff. If you feel like it, pop over. As for me, I’m off to a little party. So see you all and have a Merry Christmas!

*runs off with Christmas lights still tied to his feet.

ああ。桜庭だ。です。
Aa. Sakuraba da. desu.

今日はリハーセルな問なので確認程度で気軽によろしく…
Kyou wa Rehearsal na mon nano de, kakunin teido de kigaru ni yoroshiku

おねがいします。
onegaishimasu.

おぉ白石後頼む
oo Shiraishi ato tanomu.

後は基本的に白石に任せるので、何があったらいつけろてください。
Ato wa kihonteki ni Shiraishi ni makaseru no de, naniga attara, itsukero te kudasai.

どうかしたか？？です。
douka shitaka?? desu.

I have never seen someone crossing out so much of their talking. I noticed Strato having a hard ball of a time trying to translate it. Though, its Japanese honorifics we’re talking about here, so only those who know what’s going on would find it funny. So I thought I’d just write out exactly what’s going on in this situation.

Well, in Japanese, there are 2 forms of verbs in general use. One is the polite form, and one is the plain form. The polite sentences end with “desu” or “masu” or “verb-te kudasai”. The plain of casual forms end with “da” or “ru” or “verb-te” or “verb-ro”. So you can see that she’s trying to add stuff to the back to make it polite, although its obvious she wasn’t being polite in the first place.

It’s like saying “SHUT UP… … please”
and “I AM THE KING… … … … … pleased to meet you”

In the first sentence, she tells Akira her name is Sakuraba.
“Sakuraba desu” is polite
“Sakuraba da” is casual. In formal situations it is considered impolite. She is obviously not used to it, so she goes

“Sakuraba da… … desu”

And in the second one she goes:

Yoroshiku… … onegaishimasu.

Which in this context means, I’m counting on you. Yoroshiku alone would be considered casual. Simply adding onegaishimasu makes it polite.

In the 4th sentence, she goes

“Naniga attara itsukero… … te kudasai”

If there is anything just tell him… … please.

“kudasai” can be translated to “please”. Though it is a very low level “please”, it is a very common “please”.

So Sakuraba is just playing the role of a “I’m only polite because I want to, not because of where I stand” character. But I wasn’t sure the translations done by a.f.k. conveyed it all that well, so I thought I’d do my part and explain it.

What stink?

I’m sure all of you have watched Lucky Star and wondered how everytime they start a scene with a conversation already going on, Kagami and friends would usually be talking about something that “stinks”. Every time one of the episodes have this sort of scene, I go back to bed and wonder “what in the world is that stink anyway?”, and find it hard to sleep.

What exactly is this “stinking thing anyway?” What could possibly be the “shit” that Kagami and friends so happened to be talking about everytime we start looking at them? It gets even more suspicious. Why do they stop immediately once the scene begins and changes the subject? Maybe it’s Kagamin’s cake.

/me runs

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This is not something you DON’T blog about the moment you see it. Yes. It’s friggin’ weird. But at least they did a good job doing the scenes, except the boys were… well… out of place. The dancing, well it does feel a little unenthusiastic to say the least. They could have made it livelier. Also, whats with LOL Fang sensei having black hair!? It should be YELLOW. Anyway, I’d really like to see someone try harder XD.

More Live action Lucky Star

I didn’t believe this at first, and I still don’t believe it but…

… alright, for all of you Lucky Star otakus who eagerly await the the sacred day of 23rd May when the Motteke Serafuku is released in Japan as a single, here’s a chance for you guys to preview the awesome opening song of Lucky Star on our great pedestal of awesomeness, Youtube.