Foxy Food

This week I do two food items which are so similar that the wording is almost identical.

kitsune soba 狐そば or 狐蕎麦
kitsune udon 狐うどん or 狐饂飩

Gotta order some the next time I'm in Japan.

Ticket to see ya off

This week I have a transport related item.

I don't have an actual instance of such an item being bought, seen or used but there are many cases were one had to have been used.

The item:

nyūjōken (platform ticket) 入場券

Babes, Gals and School Girls

I opened the door Saturday evening and there it was. A humble box which when opened reveals a small treasure.

Three DVD box sets from Nozomi:

Dirty Pair Part 1, Super Gals The Complete Collection and Maria Watches Over Us: 4th Season.

I of course started with the Dirty Pair TV series, a title I had been waiting for someone to license for about 2 decades. I was not disappointed, the TV show is pure Dirty Pair, sure some of the stories are a bit cramped and could have done better as an OVA or two parter, but even so there is plenty of fun for fans and those new to the series. Serious science fiction fans will have fun picking out the references to other works scattered throughout the series.

I watched Super Gals when it was first released in two box sets, the first season by ADV and second by The Right Stuf, I am planning to re-watch it again in this new release of the entire thing in one box. AND WHAT A BOX, the case is clear plastic and curved on the right and left edges so it fits your hand nicely as you hold it. You open it like a book with each season in it's own half of the case in hinged leaves. Whoever came up with the idea for the case being like this did a great job.

And the 4th and final season of Maria Watches Over Us, quite the contrast to the other two series but a sweet series of school years in a Catholic girl's school in Tokyo. Yumi now has to choose her own sœur. When I first started watching Maria Watches Over Us it was out of curiosity but I was soon drawn in. With the great characters in this series it is hard to stop watching.

So many discs and so little time.

Sticky prep

Here's one for you food fans.

mochi-tsuki (mochi pounding) 餅搗

I'll leave the comments at that. I've been fighting a nasty cold/flu since Saturday and only just got the entry up. Usually I have it up much earlier in the day.

Kalendars and Keepers

Gads. The fact that it is November has sunken in.

This year I'm planning to start my end of year cleaning early so it will be done by the New Year. I figure if I do something each week, preferably each day, there will be little to do when the calendar clicks around.

This week for the Anime Companion Supplement I have another official position that of jōdai (keeper of a castle) 城代. Ever wonder who took care of stuff like castles when the boss was gone? This is who.

Dirty Pair TV Series DVD Collection 1

The first of two boxes for the Dirty Pair TV Series is out. I'm too excited to wait until they arrive in my mailbox to write about them.

If you are a newer fan and have not heard of the Ditty Pair you are in for a treat. This is pure unpretentious, tongue in cheek, science fiction action.

A few days ago Brian Ruh posted a review of the two Dirty Pair books that are available in the US in his column on the Anime News Network website. Brain Diving: A Lovely Angel.

Hopefully my box will arrive soon and I can do some serious viewing.

Then there is the official Dirty Pair web site.

Slicin'

This week I have a martial arts related term.

I had done most of the work on this one but had to lay it aside while I was waiting for a book on the subject to arrive.

tameshigiri (sword test cut) 試し斬り, 試し切り, 試斬, 試切