The release date for the Blu-ray & DVD is December 21, 2011.

Both the DVD & Blu-ray will include :

• A Special Booklet
• A Photo of Hatsune Miku
• Special “The Making-Of” Video

“Where can I order the Mikunopolis concert Blu-ray / DVD ?”

You can order the Mikunopolis concert Blu-ray / DVD / Audio CD at the following links :

• Play-Asia : MIKUNOPOLIS in Los Angeles – CD *Best Value
• Play-Asia : MIKUNOPOLIS in Los Angeles – DVD
• Play-Asia : MIKUNOPOLIS in Los Angeles – Blu-ray

“Will the Blu-ray work in my blu-ray player ?”

The MIKUNOPOLIS in Los Angeles Concert Blu-ray will work in any blu-ray player because it’s region-free.

‘MIKUNOPOLIS in LOS ANGELES -Happy to meet you! I’m HATSUNE MIKU- ‘ was Hatsune Miku’s first overseas concert that took place at the NOKIA theatre in Los Angeles, and it will soon be available for all to enjoy on CD, DVD and Blu-Ray! Planned release is for Japan only.

The performance was a part of ANIME EXPO 2011, where over 5000 fans were able to enjoy the event live! The concert itself was an improved version of last year’s ‘Miku’s Day Festival -The 39′s-’ event, and featured guest appearances of Kagamine Rin, Kagamine Len and Megurine Luca. A total of 24 songs including some with English lyrics were in the line-up for the concert, and all were performed by a live acoustic band – they were also all recorded so that everyone who was unable to get to the event will still have the chance to enjoy them!

Purchases of the DVD or Blu-ray will include a booklet, a making-of video with a photo of Hatsune Miku, recording of the opening MC for the concert as well and the opening act performed by two of the DANCEROID members. You’ll get the whole experience of the concert!

Source : Mikunopolis.com

A really awesome find for this Otaku Deal. Aniplex of America has licensed Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai and is releasing an (S) Complete Box Set. (S) Means “Subs Only”, there is no dub version of this series yet.

This complete box set of Oreimo is Limited Edition and contains the following:

• Episodes 1-12 and OVA episodes 1-4
• Plus 24-page booklet of production and character designs
• 16 postcards of the “Ending Cards” (one for each episode)
• 1 poster
• Special Features: Textless Opening and Ending.
• Spoken Languages: Japanese, English subtitles.

 You can pre-order your copy from RightStuf for $59.00 here:

Oreimo DVD Complete Box (S) Limited Edition

About Oreimo

“For the past seven years, Kyousuke Kousaka’s relationship with his younger sister Kirino has been nothing but cold. It’s gotten the the point where the only talking the siblings do is to exchange greetings with each other. But one day, Kyousuke finds a moe anime DVD lying in the entrance hall of his house. His interest piqued, Kyousuke looks for the owner – only to discover it belongs to his very own sister Kirino. Shocked as Kyousuke was, this is just the beginning of the surprises that lie ahead…”

“In addition to being smart, pretty, and popular, Kirino Kousaka is also an obsessive consumer of anime and eroge. After Kyousuke promies not to mock her and keep this concealed from their parents, she starts to share a bit of her world with him. Kirino faces several problems as she tries to keep up appearances and balance her exemplary school life with her hobbies. Her brother becomes a crucial ally while dealing with all the difficulties that lie ahead.”

Okay~ So first off…

I bought the BlazBlue: Continuum Shift artbook from Kinokuniya. This book is awesome, it also includes artwork from the promotional materials released in Japan, such as Phone Card art and Bed Sheet art. Also bought the blu-ray version of Cat Sh!t One from their booth, I loved it when it first got released online, so I had to buy it.

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift artbook & Cat Sh!t One Blu-Ray

Anime Expo just wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t stop by my friends at Hendane to buy some doujinshi. On this visit to Hendane, I bought:

• Change the World by [ Wechselhaft ]
• PM09 In Nin Shiken by [ Studio★ParM ]
• Free*Will by [ Chakapoko Honpo ]
• Uzumaki Hanataba by [ Crimson ]

Doujinshi purchased from Hendane

I just had to purchase this large Mirai Suenaga poster from AAA Anime, its the same design that is on my car :)

Mirai Suenaga Poster purchased from AAA Anime

Every year at Anime Expo, I seem to spend the most amount of money on artwork from the many artists in the Artist Alley. This year was no different. I purchased a wide range of art work I saw around the Exhibit Hall, these all will  be framed and hung on my walls soon.

Wide Range of art purchased in the Exhibit Hall & Artist Alley

I also went to one of my favorite artist, CuteMew, and bought a new version of one of her Hinata art works. While I was there I also purchased a print that she said she will no longer be printing, which I got her to sign for me :)

Art purchased from my favorite artist, CuteMew.

The best goodies from Anime Expo 2011 of all time though, were the gifts that Danny Choo gave me for letting him use my car for his booth. He let me keep one of the Culture Japan license plates, as well as one of the AMAZING banners that were standing by the cars. He also gave me a Mirai Millennium T-Shirt. I love these so much! They are awesome, I think I need to make some more room to have everything on display. Thanks again for everything Danny, it all really means lots to me.

Mirai Millennium T-Shirt & Culture Japan license plate

Giant Culture Japan Promotion Banner

To help promote Culture Japan, Danny Choo got a booth at Anime Expo 2011 and worked with his comrades in the United States to get some cars ready in time. The cars chosen to become the itashas for the booth were both Tofu Prods’ and my own.

First, I would like to thank Danny Choo for choosing my car for this, I absolutely love the itasha and will keep it as one as long as I can.

I would also like to thank Jun (Tofu Prod) and his friends for taking care of my car while it under went the itasha process, as well as while it was at the convention.

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my girlfriend, Frances (Dancing Queen), for submitting my car to Danny for consideration in becoming an itasha for his Culture Japan booth at Anime Expo 2011.

The itashas at the booth seemed like a huge hit ( as seen from the mass amount of hand prints on my car, lol ^^; ). Maybe this will spark an “Itasha Trend” in the States, resulting in an “Itasha Car Show” at an Anime Expo sometime in the future.

I encourage everyone to get their car “itashafied” at some point, it’s the best feeling in the world to drive around in a car that has one of your favorite characters on it.

Side of Mirai Millennium Itasha

Hood of Mirai Millennium Itasha

(Above Photos by: Dancing Queen)

Mirai Itasha at Culture Japan booth

(Above Photo by: Nekoconeco)

Galbi / Kalbi

In this “Feed the Otaku” article, I will explain how to prepare and cook amazingly delicious Korean short ribs, known as Galbi, or Kalbi to some. These short ribs will have your friends and family drooling for more~

Facts

Galbi, or Kalbi, generally refers to a wide variety of grilled Korean dishes that are made with beef short ribs marinated in a ganjang-based (Korean soy sauce) sauce. The marinade is typically made from soy sauce, garlic, and sugar. Over the years, other ingredients have been added to this sauce and have become fairly common to use in the dish now.

Galbi is normally sliced across the bone, making it easier for the marinade to soak into the meat. This type of cut, known as L.A. Galbi, or flanken cut, also makes it easier to consume the yummy meal using chopsticks.

Ingredients Needed

You will need the following ingredients to prepare your marinade and galbi :

• 1 Cup - Soy Sauce
• 1 Cup – Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup – Water
• 1/2 Cup – Mirin
• 5 Tbsp – Minced Garlic
• 3 Tbsp – Sesame Oil
• 1 - Small Chopped Onion
• 1 – Asian Pear
• Flanken Cut Short Ribs

Marinade Instructions

Making the marinade for Galbi is very simple if you have a blender or food processor. If you don’t have either of them you can still make the marinade, it just takes a little more work.

1. Combine the Soy Sauce, Brown Sugar, Water, Mirin, and Sesame Oil.
   (If you have a blender or food processor just dump it all in there)
   
2. Peel and chop the small Onion up roughly and add it to the mixture.
3. Add your minced Garlic to the mixture as well.
   (If you have a clove of garlic, don’t worry too much about mincing it if you have a blender or processor. Just peel the cloves and add them to the mixture)
   
4. Peel the Asian Pear and cut it up, throwing away the core and seeds. Add this to the mixture as well.
5. At this point, start up your blender or food processor to mix the ingredients together. If you don’t have either, just do your best as mixing them all together.
6. Once the marinade is all mixed together, lay your Short Ribs in either a large plastic bag or container, and cover them with the marinade. Place the marinating meat inside the fridge to keep it from going bad.
7. Let the Short Ribs marinate in the sauce for around 30 minute to 24 hours depending on your preference.

Your galbi marinade is now finished! However, I highly suggest experimenting with your marinade from time to time by adding different ingredients such as: Red Peppers, Ginger, Red Wine, Lemon Juice, Fruit Juice, or Honey. It’s good to change up the ingredients of a recipe to make it unique. Who knows, you may discover an amazing ingredient that unlocks a hidden flavor never thought possible~!

Marinating the Galbi / Kalbi

Cooking Instructions

Once your Short Ribs have finished marinating for your preferred amount of time, take them out of the fridge. You are now ready to start cooking your delicious Galbi.

1. Turn your grill on to about a medium or high heat. Make sure you wait a little bit for the grill to heat up.
2. Once your grill is heated enough, place the Galbi on the grill, allowing it to cook.
3. Cook the Galbi on each side for about 3 to 7 minutes, depending on your grill.
4. If the Galbi doesn’t look done yet, let it cook for awhile longer until the meat has a nice color on it and isn’t raw anymore.
5. Once the Galbi is done take it off the grill.
   (remember to turn off the flame and gas)

Your now ready to enjoy this amazing Korean dish full of flavor. Galbi is personally one of my favorite dishes! The flavors are just awesome and come together beautifully in a way that can only be described as amazing and delicious.

Delicious Grilled Galbi / Kalbi

Many anime fans know of the anime dot hack, the continual story revolving around an MMORPG which has many hidden mysteries about it. For years, many fans of this anime have tried to extract textures and 3d models from the PS2 games in the hopes to quickly create their own version of “The World” using publicly available 2D or even 3D game engines or “MMORPG Creators”.

The funniest part about this is that CyberConnect2, the creators of the dot hack games, probably gave this ability to dot hack fans very early on in the series history.

In the anime, .hack//Liminality Vol 1: In the Case of Mai Minase (which comes with the first PS2 dot hack game, .hack//Infection) most fans remember when Junichiro Tokuoka is going through the “back door” of the computer Tomonari Kasumi was using when he played “The World” and you see code scrolling over the screen.

Now, write it all down and you will get this:

#include "cdvd.h" 
#include "stream.h"
#include "data.h"

#define FUKU_DEBUG_OUT

//static ccFileList2 *fl;

static inc fileNum;

void ccInitFileList(void);
void ccAddFileList(ccFileList *);
void ccAddFileListOne(ccFileList *);
void ccAddFileListName(int, char *);
void ccsAllDeleteExceptCMN(void);
void ccsAllDeleteExceptGCMN(void);
void ccFileListDelete(ccFileList *);
int ccFileListDeleteOne(ccFileList *);
void ccsAllDelete(void);
void ccLoadResourceFL(void);
void ccLoadFLAdd(ccFileList* );
void ccLoadFLAddOne(ccFileList* );
static void ccLoadFLStart(void);

void ccAddRequestFileListTEST(void);
static void ccAddFileListName2(int, char*);
FILEDATA* searchFname(FILELIST*);
static inc fileConflictCheck(ccFileList* );
//static void fileExistCheck(int);
void ccFileExistCheck(int);
static void ccFileListLoad(void*);

/*--- debug & test ---*/
static int   addFileCheck;

/*--- FILEDATA TABLE ---*/
extern FILEDATA pcCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA spcCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA ncCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA townCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA gimmickCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA enemyCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA desktopCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA toppageCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA fieldCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA menuCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA cmaCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA gcmnCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA equipCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA effectCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA dungeonCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA eventCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA bossCCSTbl[];
extern FILEDATA skillCCSTbl[];

/*-----------------------------*/
static const int FILELIST_DIRECT_MAX = 16;
static FILEDATA directCCSTbl[FILELIST_DIRECT_MAX];
static int directNum;
/*---------------------------------------------------*/

static char *categoryPathTbl[]={
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"cmn.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"gcmn.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"demo.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"desktop.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"toppage.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"menu.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"effect.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"equip.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"skill.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"spc.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"pc.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"npc.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"gimmick.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"enemy.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"boss.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"town.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"field.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"dungeon.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR"event.bin"},
  {DATA_FILE_DIR},
};

static FILEDATA *categoryFDTbl[]={
  &cmaCCSTbl[0],
  &gcmaCCSTbl[0],
  NULL,
  &desktopCCSTbl[0],
  &toppageCCSTbl[0],
  &menuCCSTbl[0],
  &effectCCSTbl[0],
  &equipCCSTbl[0],
  &skillCCSTbl[0],
  &spcCCSTbl[0],
  &pcCCSTbl[0],
  &npcCCSTbl[0],
  &gimmickCCSTbl[0],
  &enemyCCSTbl[0],
  &bossCCSTbl[0],
  &townCCSTbl[0],
  &fieldCCSTbl[0],
  &dungeonCCSTbl[0],
  &eventCCSTbl[0],
  &directCCSTbl[0],
};

static u_long  cateCDOfsTbl[]={
  _CMN_OFS,
  _GCMN_OFS,
  NULL
  _DESKTOP_OFS,
  _TOPPAGE_OFS,
  _MENU_OFS,
  _EFFECT_OFS,
  _EQUIP_OFS,
  _SKILL_OFS,
  _SPC_OFS,
  _PC_OFS,
  _NPC_OFS,
  _GIMMICK_OFS,
  _ENEMY_OFS,
  _BOSS_OFS,
  _TOWN_OFS,
  _FIELD_OFS,
  _DUNGEON_OFS,
  _EVENT_OFS,
  NULL
};
void ccFileTest(void*);

//-----------------------------------------------------------//
//  Japanese Comments      //
//-----------------------------------------------------------//
static const int SCENE_FILELIST_MAX = 64 + 32;
int sceneFileListNum;
int sceneFileListNumOld;
//ccFileList sceneFileList[SCENE_FILELIST_MAX];
FILELIST sceneFileList[SCENE_FILELIST_MAX];

//static ccFileList dbgList[SCENE_FILELIST_MAX];  //debug
static FILELIST dbgList[SCENE_FILELIST_MAX];
//static ccFileList* list3[SCENE_FILELIST_MAX];  //debug
static FILELIST list3[SCENE_FILELIST_MAX];  //debug
//static ccFileList2 list2[SCENE_FILELIST_MAX];  //debug
static bool exist[SCENE_FILELIST_MAX];
//static short deleteCnt[SCENE_FILELIST_MAX];

static ccStream*  ccsLoad[SCENE_FILELIST_MAX];
//static ccStream*  ccsPtr[SCENE_FILELIST_MAX];
static u_long  *ccsPtr2[SCENE_FILELIST_MAX];
static int existNum;
static int  existCheckFlag;

/*------ <unrendered japanese> ---------*/
ccStream* ccLoadStreamOnMem(STREAMDATA* ,int*);
static void ccLoadStreamOnMemTh(void *);

//=========================================================================//
//                                                                         //
//         Japanese Comments                                      //
//                                                                         //
//=========================================================================//
/*---------- <unrendered japanese> -----------*/
void ccInitFileList(void)
{
  int  i;

//  sceneFileListNumOld = sceneFileListNum;
  sceneFileListNum = 0;
  for(i=0;i<SCENE_FILELIST_MAX;i++){
    sceneFileList[i].category = FL_CATEGORY_END;
    strcpy(sceneFileList[i].name,"NULL");
    sceneFileList[i].deleteCat = 0;
    sceneFileList[i].addFlag = -1;
  }
  directNum = 0;

  addFileCheck = 0;
  existCheckFlag = 0;
}
/*---------- <unrendered japanese> -----------*/
void ccsAllDelete(void)
{
  int  i;


// ------------------------- Code Chunk 2 -------------------------
/*---------- <unrendered japanese> -----------*/
void ccAddFileListName(int c, char *n)
{
  ccFileList fl;
  //ccFileList *sfl = &sceneFileList[sceneFileListNum];
  FILELIST *sfl = &sceneFileList[sceneFileListNum];
  char *tmp;

  fl.category = c;
  fl.name = n;
  // Japanese Comments
  if(fl.category == FL_CATEGORY_END || fl.name == NULL)return;


  if(addFIleCheck==1){
    printf("Add %sn",fl.name);
  }

  if (sceneFileListNum < (SCENE_FILELIST_MAX - 1)) {
    sfl->deleteCnt++;
    if(fileConflictCheck(&fl))return;
    sfl->deleteCnt++;
    sfl->category = c;
    sfl->addFlag = -1;
    strcpy(sfl->name,n);
    // Japanese Comments
    tmp = strchr(sfl->name,'.');
    if(tmp){
      strupr(sfl->name);  // Japanese Comments
    }else{
      strcat(sfl->name,".css");
      strupr(sfl->name);
    }
    if(c == FL_CATEGORY_DIRECT){
      if(directNum>=FILELIST_DIRECT_MAX){
        printf("<unrendered japanese>n");
        return;
      }
    //  directCCSTbl[directNum].fn = n;
      strcpy(directCCSTbl[directNum].fn,n);
      strupr(directCCSTbl[directNum].fn); // Japanese Comments
      directCCSTbl[directNum].ofs = 0;
      directCCSTbl[directNum].size = -1;
      directCCSTbl[directNum].flag = 0;
      directNum++;
    }
    sfl++;



    sfl->category = FL_CATEGORY_END;
    strcpy(sfl->name,"NULL");
    sceneFileListNum++;
  }else{
    printf("<unrendered japanese>n");
    ccHalt();
  }




/*-------- <unrendered japanese> --------*/
static int fileConflictCheck(ccFileList* check)
{
  int i;
  char name[64];
  char *tmp;

  strcpy(name,check->name);
  tmp = strchr(name,'.');
  if(tmp){
    strupr(name);  // Japanese Comments
  }else{
    strcat(name,".ccs");
    strupr(name);
  }

  for(i=0;i<sceneFileListNum;i++){
    if(strcmp(name,sceneFileList[i].name)==0){
      if(check->category != FL_CATEGORY_CMN){// Japanese Comments
        printf("same file exist.");
        printf("(%s)n",check->name);
        sceneFileList[i].deleteCnt++;
      }
      return 1; // Japanese Comments
    }
  }
  return 0;

/*-------- Japanese Comments --------*/
//static void fileExistCheck(int loadtype)
void ccFileExistCheck(int loadtype = 0)
{
  int i,j;
  int num;
//  int  del;
//  ccStream* ccs;

  if(existCheckFlag && !loadtype)return;  // Japanese Comments
  num = 0;
  for(i=0;i<sceneFileListNumOld;i++){
    /*--- <unrendered japanese> ---*/
    if(dbgList[i].category == FL_CATEGORY_CMN){
      exist[i] = 1;
      num++;
      continue;
    }
    /*--- <unrendered japanese> ---*/
    /*--- <unrendered japanese> ---*/
    for(j=0;j<sceneFileListNum;j++){
      if(dbgList[i].addFlag == 1 && loadtype == 0){
        // Japanese Comments
        printf("Japanese Comments %sn",dbgList[i].name);
        exist[i] = 0;
        break;
      }
      if(dbgList[i].category == sceneFileList[j].category
        &&
(strcmp(dbgList[i].name.sceneFileList[j].name)==0)){
        // Japanese Comments
          exist[i] = 1;
          num++;
          // Japanese Comments
          break;
      }else{
        exist[i] = 0;
    //    dbgList[i].category = -1;
    //    dbgList[i].name = NULL;
      }
    }
    if(exist[i]==0){
      delete ccsLoad[i];  // Japanese Comments
      ccsLoad[i] = 0;
      dbgList[i].category = FL_CATEGORY_END;
      strcpy(dbgList[i].name,"NULL");
    }
  }
#if 0
  del = 0;
  for(i=0;i<num;i++){
    /*--- <unrendered japanese> ---*/
    for(j=0;j$lt;sceneFileListNumOld;j++){
      if(exist[j] && ccsLoad[j]){
        ccs = ccsLoad[j];
        cclLoad[j] = 0;
        break;
      }
    }
    while(1){
      if(ccsLoad[del]==0)break;
      del++;
    }
    ccsLoad[del] = ccs;
  }
#endif
  existNum = num;
  existCheckFlag = 1;

  /*---- Japanese Comments ----*/
//  ccAddFileList(cmnFileList2);
}

/*=======================================================*/
void ccLoadResourceFL(void)
{
  ccTscd *tsm;
  int  i=0;
  int sec=0;
  int j;

  if(sceneFileListNum==0)return;


  /*-- Japanese Comments --*/
  ccFileExistCheck();
  addFileCheck = 1;
  //--- <unrendered japanese> ---
  tsm = ccStartThread(ccFileListLoad,0x10,0x1000);
  tsm-%gtSetParam(0,1);// Japanese Comments
  tsm-%gtSetParam(1,0);// Japanese Comments
  tsm-%gtSetParam(2,0);// close <unrendered japanese>
  while(tsm->CheckParam(0)){
    ccBreathThread(1);
    FONT(F_8x12);
    COLOR(F_WHITE);
    LOCATE(8,10);PRINT("NOW LOADING");
    sec = i/30;
    for(j=0;j<sec;j++)PRINT(".");
    if(i++ > 900)i=0;
    if(tsm->CheckParam(2)){
      FONT(F_8x12);
      COLOR(F_WHITE);
      LOCATE(8,12);PRINT("FILE NOT CLOSED");
      if(ccSys->pad[0].push & PADRright)break;
    }
  }
  ccDeleteThread(tsm);
}



/*-----------------------------------------------------------*/
/*             Japanese Comments                    */
/*-----------------------------------------------------------*/
void FileReadTh(ccTscb* tsm);
void UngzipTh(ccTscb* tsm);


void FileReadTh(ccTscb* tsm) {


  tsm->SetMask(THREAD_MASK_EXEC);
  tsm->SetName("File Read");


  ccRingBufferTh*    rp;
  u_int        rest;


  while (1) {
    // Japanese Comments
    while (tsm->CheckParam(1) == 0) tsm->Breath(1);
    rest = tsm>CheckParam(1);
    rp   = (ccRingBufferTh*)tsm->CheckParam(2);


    #if USEDRIVE==PC
      int  fd   = tsm->CheckParam(3);
      while (rest) {
        char*  radrs;
        u_int  rsize;


        // Japanese Comments
        rsize = rp->CheckWriteBlock(&radrs);  // Japanese Comments
        if (rsize) {
          // Japanese Comments
          rsize = rsize < rest ? rsize : rest;
          // Japanese Comments
          rsize = seeRead(fd, radrs, rsize);
          // Japanese Comments
          rp->SetWriteBlock(rsize);
          // Japanese Comments
          rest -= rsize;
        }
      }
      rp->EndWriteBlock();


    #else
      ccCdvd* ccCd = (ccCdvd*)tsm->CheckParam(3);
      u_int  blocksize = rp->GreatBlockSize();


      while (rest) {
        u_int  sect;
        char*  radrs;
        u_int  rsize;
        // Japanese Comments
        rsize = rp->CheckWriteBlock(&radrs);
        if (rsize) {

// ------------------------- Code Chunk 3 -------------------------

        }


        // Japanese Comments
        rsize = rsize < rest ? rsize : rest;
        // Japanese Comments
        sect = (rsize+0x7ff)/0x800;
        ccCd->ReadSt(sect,radrs);


        // Japanese Comments
        rp->SetWriteBlock(rsize);
        // Japanese Comments
        rest -= rsize;
      }
    }
    rp->EndWriteBlock();
  #endif


  // Japanese Comments
  tsm->SetParam(1, 0);
}


// Japanese Comments
// tsm->SetParam(0, 1);


void UngzipTh(ccTscb* tsm) {

  tsm->SetName("Fine Ungzip");
  tsm->SetMask(THREAD_MASK_EXEC);

  while (1) {
    ccUngzip*  ungzip;
    

    // Japanese Comments
    while (tsm->CheckParam(1)==0) tsm->Breath(1);
    ungzip = (ccUngzip*)tsm->CheckParam(2);o


    if (ungzip) {
      // Ungzip <japanese>
      ungzip->Decode(0);
    }


    // Japanese Comments
    tsm->SetParam(1,0);
									

Okay, so some may be looking at this and going “okay, so what?”, well… it’s actually pretty funny if you know what your looking at. This is actually part of the source code to the .hack//Infection game. What is even more great about this, is that it’s the code that details the structure of how the resources of the game are stored, and how they are read.

Just an awesome easter egg hidden in an awesome anime series which is soon to be over. I shall miss dot hack once it’s finished.

You have indeed read this correctly~! The virtual idol sensation, Miku Hatsune, is to appear at Anime Expo 2011, the largest anime & manga convention in North America!

In collaboration with SEGA and Crypton, the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation and Anime Expo will be hosting one of the most amazing concerts of the year! This isn’t some crappy “fake concert” like others have tried hosting. SPJA will not be playing the blu-ray footage from the Hatsune Miku 39′s Giving Day Concert like others have done. And they certainly won’t have three large monitors spread over a stage. This is a fully LIVE concert, the same type of concert that was hosted in Japan!

Inside of Nokia Theatre

The concert will be performed in the beautiful NOKIA Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, next to the Staples Center. The concert will feature full virtual singers who will be projected onto a screen, much like the concert that took place in Japan.

Don’t know who Miku Hatsune is?

After acquiring the Vocaloid 2 speech synthesis engine from Yamaha, Crypton Future Media began to develop their third Vocaloid. Miku Hatsune’s voice was created by taking vocal samples from the voice actress Saki Fujita at a controlled pitch and tone. These different samples all contained a single Japanese phonic which when strung together would create full words and eventually phrases. The pitch of the samples was to be altered by the synthesizer engine itself and was constructed into a keyboard style instrument within the Vocaloid 2 program.

Musicians who don’t have singing talent can use Vocaloid 2 and the Miku Hatsune voice package to create a virtual singer to perform the lyrics of their songs.

Information about Anime Expo

Anime Expo is the largest anime & manga convention in North America, hosted by the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation. The convention occurs during the 4th of July week (1~4), at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Anime Expo’s annual charity has been dedicated this year to donating the money raised to the Japanese Red Cross.

Buy your 4-day badge for Anime Expo 2011 now at: www.anime-expo.org

Get Amazing Deals on Anime Box Sets! Save Money!

Let’s face it for us otaku, buying anime can become very expensive at times. However, there are ways to buy the anime you want and still save money. I will help provide you with some helpful tips on how to search for the best deals on anime. I will also provide you with my personal list of the places where I buy my anime for discounted prices far below retail. Just because we’re in tough economic times, who says you can’t enjoy some discounted Japanese anime goodness?

Where to Shop:

• RightStuf
  By far my favorite place to shop for anime and other “otaku-goods”. Their prices are way below retail and they have a bargain-bin filled with cheap goods. Best of all, RightStuf has amazing sales each month which for a low price, can help you buy those last two box sets you need to complete your collection. 

  I highly recommend shopping at RightStuf for all your anime & otaku needs, their staff is extremely friendly and they take pride in selling anime.

  Sign up for their Got Anime? Membership to get an additional 10% off their already discounted prices.

• eBay
  You can find lots of anime for sell on eBay that is well below retail price (I bought seasons 1 through 6 of Inuyasha slightly used on eBay for only $120). However, eBay does come with some risks, you could be lied to by the seller, or even buy a bootleg anime for the price that you could have bought the legit versions for. 

  Be sure to read my other article on Recognize and Report Bootleg Anime Goods to protect yourself from such things. One cool thing about eBay is that you can earn ‘eBay Bucks’ with each purchase, which you can then use in place of real money to help you save more later on for future purchases.

• Amazon
  Much like eBay, you can actually find many good deals on Amazon, just without the larger risks of getting ripped off. Amazon will also have a sale on anime, or on DVDs in general, from time to time so it’s always good to watch out for those sales. The only downside to Amazon? Processing and shipping sometimes takes forever.

Tips for Savings:

• Newsletters
  One of the best ways to be kept informed of sales is to sign up for newsletters on the sites that you shop at. Almost every website that you can buy stuff from will have a newsletter to help promote sales and products. A great example is the RightStuf Newsletter, which informs its readers about sales on tons of anime every month.

• Google
  A great way to find deals on anime is by simply searching for it on Google. Sometimes you may come across a site that is selling anime at a very reasonable price. You can also utilize Google’s Product Search to help find places that are selling the anime your looking for and also compare the prices. 

  Just be extremely careful when using Google, you will almost always run into bootlegs when searching for anime, so be sure to read the article: Recognize and Report Bootleg Anime Goods.

• Buy the Cheaper Box Sets
  You can get anime box sets around $20 to $40 cheaper by simply buying the cheaper versions of the series, if it’s available. Bandai’s Anime Legends and Funimation’s Viridian Collection are both great ways to save money when buying anime. Just because it’s the cheaper version doesn’t mean it has less content or quality, it’s the same as the more expensive versions.

I hope that these tips and suggestions will help save you some money while still making your anime collections grow.

It’s always a good feeling to look over at a large anime collection that you created over the years, but it’s an even greater feeling knowing just how little you spent on all of it.

I will provide you with some very helpful tips on how you can spot the differences between the crappy fake anime goods and the legit versions. This way you can make sure your getting your money’s worth and support the anime industry at the same time. I will also provide you with some useful guidelines on what you should do to report any counterfeit goods that you may encounter.

• What kinds of anime goods are counterfeited?
  Almost every form of anime merchandise has been counterfeited: DVDs, Figures, Wallscrolls, T-Shirts, Books, and even Audio CDs.

• Where are these counterfeited goods sold mostly?
  Most the time they are sold on auction websites such as eBay. However, it’s not uncommon for them to be sold by other online merchants or even appear sometimes at stores or conventions.

There are a number of things you should look for when dealing with possible counterfeited anime goods. Some things are pretty much common sense. Some bootleggers do try to be crafty though to fool you, so be sure to look for all the things discussed in this article.

General Things to Recognize:

• Price:
  A good general rule for dealing with this is: “If the price looks too good to be true, chances are it is!”. If you see an anime box set selling for $20~$30 when it’s normally $60 retail, then chances are it’s bootleg.

• Quality:
  Bootleggers are always trying to make the highest profit, so they will spend as little as they can on creating the actual product. This makes it perfect for us to spot their material though, because the quality of the product will almost always be so horrible and cheap looking compared to the legit versions.

• Packaging:
  Bootleg anime goods tend to have extremely bad packaging, ranging from wrong logos to bad color. Legit versions of anime goods will almost always be packaged in very nice boxes with glossy high-resolution box art, with no logos placed right over the character’s heads. A good rule is, “If the box art looks crappy, then chances are it’s counterfeit”.
  

• Copyright Information:
  Bootleggers are very funny when it comes to copyright information on they’re knock-offs. Some bootleggers won’t add any copyright information and others will. A lot of the time however, the copyright information they add is either misspelled, incomplete, doesn’t mention anything about publishing, or is printed on the strangest place (such as right on discs).

• Location of Seller/Merchant:
  When dealing with counterfeit anime goods online, it’s a good idea to check the location of the seller/merchant. If they are located in China or Taiwan, then there is a high chance that they are selling counterfeit goods (This isn’t the case all the time, some legit merchants are in fact located in China, such as Play-Asia).

• Shop at  Reputable Dealers:
  A good way to avoid bootlegged products all together is to shop at reputable anime dealers, such as: RightStuf, Best Buy, and Target. Buying from eBay and other market-type places is extremely risky and you are sure to always run into some form of bootleg product. 

  Be sure to read my other article: Where to Find Discounts on Anime, to find the best deals on legit anime products!

DVDs/CDs

Let’s get right to the biggest bootleg item of them all, DVDs & CDs. Because they are the biggest bootlegged item, they are actually the easiest to spot in terms of counterfeiting. Here are some things you should look for to spot to fake:

• Logos:
  The easiest way to see if an anime DVD or CD is bootleg is by simply looking at the logo on the case. For some reason, bootleggers seems to like having their own logo on the packaging (To be known as the best bootlegger around? Or maybe there is some huge internal bootleg contest? Who knows~).  Sometimes bootleggers try to pass off their fakes as legit products by slapping on the logo of a legit anime license holders. However, most the time these bootleg merchants don’t actually know which American company owns the license, so they just throw any logo on the box. If you see a Funimation logo on a Bandai licensed product, then there is definitely something wrong there. Below are some logos of confirmed bootleg merchants, if you ever see one of these logos on a product, don’t buy it!

Logos of known anime CD & DVD bootleg merchants

• Region Codes:
  Legit anime will almost never be Region 0 (Region Free), there are SOME exceptions though, but it’s rare. Official licensed anime in America will almost always be Region 1. Region Codes are meant so that the specific DVD or CD will only play in a player for that specific region. For more on region codes, visit the following Wikipedia article: DVD Region Code. So, if an anime DVD or CD is advertising that it’s Region Free, please stay away from it.

• Subtitles:
  Official licensed anime DVDs in America will never have Chinese subtitles. If an anime DVD is advertising that it has “Japanese/English Audio & English/Chinese Subtitles” then it’s completely counterfeit. If you combine this rule with the Region-Free rule, then you’re probably looking at a counterfeit anime DVD, so just move along.

• Episode per Disc:
  Like I said before, bootleggers are trying to make the most profit they can while spending the least amount of money possible. Due to this, they tend to compress anime episodes so much so that they can fit the entire series on the least amount of discs possible.  A bootlegger will highly compress a 26 episode series so that it will fit on only 3 discs. However, on an official release it will be less compressed and most likely span to over 5 or 6 discs. If a merchant is selling a “Complete Collection” of a 26 episode series that only fits on 3 discs, then it’s most likely bootleg. A good rule to remember is: “If a disc has more than 5 episodes, than it’s most likely not legit”.

• Set Title Information:
  I don’t know what it is, but bootleggers seem to have no concept behind “seasons”. Instead, on their bootleg anime DVDs they call them “TV Parts” and “Perfect Collections”. Legit anime DVDs will always be boxed in “Seasons” or “Complete Collections”. It’s not uncommon however for anime to be sometimes boxed in “Parts”, if this is the case use the other rules above to check for other possible signs of a bootlegged product.

Clothes

• Print Quality:
  A good way to spot an unlicensed anime T-Shirt (or other clothing) from a legit one is by simply looking at the quality of the print. Typically, counterfeit anime clothing will have low quality color and will be cropped very shitty-like.

• Copyright Information:
  Bootleggers that create unlicensed anime clothes, typically won’t add any copyright information to the product. If the clothing is lacking any form of copyright information either on the tag or somewhere on the clothing itself, then it most likely is not officially licensed.  Official clothing products always include some form of copyright information about the anime characters printed on them.

Wallscrolls & Posters

• Logos:
  Officially licensed wallscrolls & posters will almost always have the anime title’s logo printed on the scroll to display what anime the characters are from. If the wallscroll or poster is missing the anime’s logo, then you most likely are dealing with an unlicensed product.

• Copyright Information:
  Wallscrolls & posters will always have copyright information printed on it in one of the corners. Always check for this copyright information, it sometimes can be small.

• Wallpaper/Fan art:
  Much of the time, unlicensed wallscrolls & posters are created from wallpapers or fan art found on the internet. If you see a wallscroll for sell with no logo, no copyright information, and you remember seeing the same picture on the internet then it probably is counterfeit.

Figures & Toys

• Paint & Molding:
  A good way to check if a figure or toy is counterfeit is by simply looking at the paint job. Most figure & toy bootleggers will spend the least amount of money on paint so they can maximize their profit. Because of this, the paint job on figures & toys will look really bad or will not be accurate to the character’s original colors at all. Look around the edges of the figure or toy, if there are bits of the material sticking out from the figure or toy then that is an obvious sign of cheap molding and will most likely be a counterfeit figure/toy.

• Box Art:
  The box art of bootleg figures & toys tend to be very “pixelated”. Official products will always have high resolution art, and will sometimes be very glossy and fancy. The bootleg boxes most of the time will be uses a scanned copy of the official product, so check for those ‘dots’ left by scanners.

• Licensing Information:
  Figures and toys will always have licensing information on the box, be it SEGA, Bandai, or Gainax. It will always be there so check for this information on the box.

• Holograms and Instructions:
  When buying anime figures or toys, always look for shiny holograms or instructions inside the box for the product. Bootleggers tend to never have the official licensed hologram of the character’s creator. Bootleggers also tend to never include any instructions for figures or toys. This is again to cut down on costs for them to make more money.

Plushies

Yes even plushies, those lovable cuddly toys, are sometimes counterfeited.

• Stitching:
  Check the stitching on the plushie, make sure it’s consistent and of the highest quality. Be sure to check body parts and facial features, make sure everything is in the correct position, and of the right size.

• Colors:
  Once again, check the colors of the character. If the color of the character’s clothes or features looks off then chances are you are dealing with a fake.

Now that you have some ways to spot the bootlegs from the legit products, you’re probably wondering how to report said bootlegs to the proper people to get the bootleggers punished, right? Well… It’s hard to punish the bootleggers directly as most are located in China or other counties. However, we can stop their products from selling on the internet, at conventions, and retail stores. Here are some tips on how to stop the sell of bootleg anime products.

Internet

• Contact the Merchant:
  Sometimes the merchant selling the counterfeit goods might not realize that what they are selling is bootleg or unlicensed material. Send them an email first letting them know which products they are selling are bootleg products. If they had no idea, they will typically remove the products to avoid any legal issues.

• Contact the Company:
  If the merchant refuses to remove the bootleg material, contact the official licensed company of the products, informing them of the specific website selling the bootlegs products.

• eBay – Send a Report:
  The great thing about eBay is that you can send reports of bootleg material to their team. To send a report to eBay, click the “Report Item” link on the right side of the listing, under the Other Item Info section. Once on the report page, fill out the form and click submit. If the seller has multiple reports filed against them for selling bootleg items, eBay will typically suspend both the seller’s eBay and PayPal account.

Merchant / Shops

• Contact the Law:
  The only thing you can really do in real life when dealing with bootleggers is call the local law enforcement’s non-emergency line. Inform them of the bootleg products and the location of the person selling them. Most of the time they have a special team to deal with such situations as bootleg products.

Conventions

• Contact the Staff:
  If your at a convention and notice a merchant in the Exhibit Hall is selling bootleg products, then secretly inform the convention’s staff right away. The convention’s staff has ways to deal with bootleggers, and will handle the issue when informed about it.

Bootleg anime merchandise is a serious problem. The anime industry already has a hard enough time as it is staying afloat as it is, adding bootlegs to the mix only makes it worse.

Buying bootleg anime products may be cheaper at times, but it does not support the industry at all! Your money would be going straight into the pockets of bootleggers, who only care about one thing: Making Money.

So if you love anime, and support the industry, and want to make sure it thrives; Then please be on the look out for bootleg anime products and don’t buy them. In fact, help stop the spread of bootlegging and report those counterfeits.

Now that you've read this article, compare this bootleg Inuyasha set to the legit version

Ramen from Kouraku

Anime Expo takes place during the 4^th of July weekend, and is one of the most exciting events of the year for anime and manga fans nationwide. However, during this exciting time you must remember to stay hydrated and fed. So, instead of stocking up on ramen and other instant lunches, why not go out to eat in the beautiful city of Los Angeles?

There are a wide range of places to eat near the Los Angeles Convention Center during Anime Expo. Here are a few great restaurants that can help get you away from your hotel room and enjoy some food that isn’t cooked by just adding water or opening a bag.

• Izakaya Honda-Ya: Honda-Ya is a Japanese drinking establishment that serves food to accompany the drinks. Located in the Little Tokyo Shopping Center, Honda-Ya offers great service along with amazing food. Even if you don’t drink, the food is delicious and you get your money’s worth. They are open Tuesdays through Sundays from 5:30pm to 1:00am, so head on over to Little Tokyo for a great dinner at a Japanese Izakaya.
  Address : 333 S Alameda #314, Los Angeles, CA 90013
  Directions : Google Maps
  Recommendations : • Beef Teriyaki, • Galbi (Kalbee)

• Oiwake: Oiwake is a Japanese restaurant that offers an “All You Can Eat” Buffet for both lunch and dinner. Located in Little Tokyo; they have a fully-stocked bar, plenty of televisions, and even karaoke at night. For only around $10 you can enjoy their buffet of delicious Japanese food. They are open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11:00am to 3:00pm for lunch, and 5:00pm to 9:00pm for dinner. “All You Can Eat” Japanese food for only around $10, do you need any other reason to go?
  Address : 122 Japanese Village Plz Mall, Los Angeles, CA 90012
  Directions : Google Maps
  Recommendations : • Chicken Katsu,  • Buffet

• Kouraku: So your absolutely craving ramen? Well then head on over to Little Tokyo for some delicious Japanese ramen at Kouraku! The prices are fairly cheap, and the food is simply amazing. Just keep in mind though that Kouraku is cash only, so be sure to hit the ATM before heading over there. Kouraku is open from 11:00am til 3:00am on Monday through Saturday, and from 11:00am til 12:00am on Sundays.
  Address : 314 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
  Directions : Google Maps
  Recommendations : • Mabo Ramen, • Chicken Teriyaki, • Fried Rice

• Wurstküche: Hungry for some sausages? Then you need to go to Wurstküche. This awesome German bar is simply amazing. Serving the most delicious in exotic sausages and drinks. Wurstküche is a fairly noisy place however, so if that’s not your thing then you might want to just place your order and steps outside to eat your food. If you want the full experience though it’s highly recommended that you actually stay and eat there. Wurstküche is open from 11:00am til 12:00am Monday through Sunday.
  Address : 800 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
  Directions : Google Maps
  Recommendations : • Louisianna Hot Link, • Belgian Fries, • Reeds Spiced Apple Brew

• Denny’s: Denny’s might be one of the most convenient places to eat at during Anime Expo. Located only a few blocks from the Los Angeles Convention Center, they offer everything from breakfast to dinner, and everything in between – at any time. Open for 24 hours, Denny’s allows you to eat whenever you want. So if you get those late-night hunger pangs, be sure to head on over to Denny’s for a delicious Grand Slam.
  Address : 888 South Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90017
  Directions : Google Maps

These are only some of the many great restaurants near the Los Angeles Convention Center. There are plenty of good eats in the Nokia Plaza / L.A. Live area including ESPN Zone, The Farm, Katsuya, Fleming’s Steakhouse and The Yard House. Check ‘em out!

So be adventurous and try out any restaurant that you can find. Just because you’re staying at a hotel doesn’t mean you have to eat there; Go enjoy a delicious meal in the City of Los Angeles.