Just arrived back in time to find a just arrived package

Got back about 40 minutes ago from visiting my mom for Christmas to find a box from The Right Stuf in my mailbox.

Inside the box was the new Nozomi Entertainment release of the entire 10 episode Dirty Pair OVA series.

This is a great tongue in cheek science fiction series involving two attractive, female agents who always succeed in their missions. However often with lots of collateral damage. It's fun, action oriented and has some great lines.

Warning contains violence and exposed female flesh.

Handy for the family

In Japan there is a high degree of simple supporting mechanisms for community health. One of them is a simple booklet given to pregnant women to track the development of their pregnancy and the child's health.

This is the:

Boshi Kenkō Techō (Maternal and Child Health Handbook) 母子健康手帳

Arrived today

I was sitting in the living room when a clatter was heard from the porch.

It was the arrival of a box containing 2 DVD box sets released by Nozomi.

Revolutionary Girl Utena Box Set 3: Apocalypse Saga

Utena I have seen in the earlier release from Software Sculptures but this new release is an excellent one which I highly recommend.

The third Utena box includes the movie, "The Adolescence of Utena" which is a retelling of the Utena story aimed at an older audience than the TV series.

Each box in the three Utena box sets also comes with a great little book of interviews, commentaries by the creators, art etc. Nozomi also tossed in the duelist ring that is sent to buyers of all three box sets, a nice extra.


The other title was:
The Emma: A Victorian Romance Seasons 1-2 Complete Series Bundle

The Emma series also also comes with two books, one in each box.

I'm curious to see Emma as it is a show I have heard such good things about. The idea of a romance caught up in the class biases of Victorian England has so much potential as a story I want to see how it was addressed in this award winning tale.

How far have you gone

This week I have another transportation related entry.

This time for the distance markers on the major roads of the Edo Period.

This week's entry is:

ichirizuka (milestone mound) 一里塚

The high roads to Edo

A busy weekend but I have a new entry for the Anime Companion Supplement.

This week I write about the Gokaidō (Five Highways) 五街道. Even today you can still see the marker at the Nihonbashi Bridge that was the starting point for measuring distances on the five roads.

Another yokai book is out.

While poking around in the iTunes store, rather than doing what I should be working on, I found a small book by Mizuki Shigeru. Specifically his Mujara: The Encyclopedia of Japanese Yokai Illustrations and Episodes published by Softgarage.

This is the only one of Mizuki's many yokai related works in this one page per entry format to be translated into English. While the book is limited to 40 yokai the illustrations are delightful and the text informative. The price is also very low at $4.99.

If you like yokai, or are just interested in things supernatural and folklore you should check this one out.

More kabuki

This week I have another kabuki play that I have seen referenced in an anime, this time from the Vampire Princess TV series and relates to Abe no Seimei.

This time it is:

Ashiya Dōman Ōuchi Kagami (Ashiya Dōman: A Mirror of the Imperial Court) 蘆屋道満大内鏡