Gundam Build Fighters [ガンダム ビルドファイターズ] is an upcoming Gundam anime project by Sunrise [株式会社サンライズ] (Gundam 00, Gundam Wing, Cowboy Bebop). It is directed by Nagasaki Kenji [長崎 健司] (No. 6) and is written by Kuroda Yousuke [黒田 洋介] (Gundam 00, Jormungand, Hayate no Gotoku), with Oonuki Kenichi [大貫 健一] (Gundam Seed: Stargazer, Major) as the character designer.

Gundam Build Fighters will start airing on TV Tokyo [テレビ東京] at 2013/10/07 06:00PM JST.

The story revolves around Iori Sei - a first-year middle-school student who is talented at building GunPla but is only a beginner to the GunPla Battles - a competition that pit Gundam plastic models against each other. Together with an experienced GunPla fighter called Reiji, they aim to win the GunPla Battle world championships.

Main Characters

• Iori Sei [イオリ・セイ] voiced by Komatsu Mikako [小松未可子]
• Reiji [レイジ] voiced by Kokuryuu Sachi [國立幸]
• Kousaka China [コウサカ・チナ] voiced by Ishikawa Yui [石川由依]
• Yuuki Tatsuya [ユウキ・タツヤ] voiced by Satou Takuya [佐藤拓也]
• Yasaka Mao [ヤサカ・マオ] voiced by Fujii Minami [藤井美波]
• Ricardo Fellini [リカルド・フェリーニ] voiced by Nakamura Yuuichi [中村悠一]
• Iori Takeshi [イオリ・タケシ]
• Iori Rinko [イオリ・リン子] voiced by Mitsuishi Kotono [三石琴乃]
• Sazaki Susumu [サザキ・ススム]
• Kirara [キララ]

Visit the official site to view more details about the characters.

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Check out the PVs above. If the video has been eaten, try this search query on YouTube.
The OP is Nibun no Ichi [ニブンノイチ] by BACK-ON and the ED is Imagination > Reality by AiRI. They are slated for release on 2013/11/06 and 2013/12/04 respectively.

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My first entry to Gundam was 0083 Stardust Memory and is my all time fave. Also loved War in the pocket - I cried!

Have not really been following the latest though - I think the latest one I watched was Gundam Seed which was ages ago ^^;

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Whats your fave Gundam series?

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As for Gunpla building - I used to many moons ago. My last one was RX78 - 8 years ago @.@

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Read more about Mirai Millennium >>>

Unbreakable Machine-Doll [マシンドールは傷つかない] (also known as Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai [機巧少女は傷つかない]) is a fantasy anime adapted from the light novel by Kaitou Reiji [海冬レイジ]. The anime is directed by Yoshimoto Kinji [よしもと きんじ] (Genshiken 2) and is written by Kakihara Yuuko [柿原 優子] (Persona 4: The Animation) and is being produced by Media Factory [メディアファクトリー] (Aquarion Evol, Mayo Chiki!, Haganai, Steins;Gate).

Unbreakable Machine-Doll will begin airing on AT-X at 2013/10/07 08:30PM JST, Tokyo MX at 2013/10/07 00:30AM JST, Yomiuri TV at 2013/10/07 02:12AM JST, TV Aichi at 2013/10/08 02:05AM JST, and BS11 at 2013/10/10 0:00AM JST.

The story takes place in the early 20th century, when the scientists were able to develop sophisticated magic in the form of Machinart - magical circuits that can be put into objects to bring them to life.

Akabane Raishin, a student from Japan, is now attending the Walpurgis Royal Academy in England to study the Machinart. He is accompanied by Yaya, his Automaton - a living machine-doll powered by magical circuits who is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and together with her, he aims to get the title of "Maou" - a title given to the greatest puppeteer, by winning the combat tournament for Automatons in this Academy.

Main Characters

• Akabane Raishin [赤羽雷真] voiced by Shimono Hiro [下野紘]
• Yaya [夜々] voiced by Harada Hitomi [原田ひとみ]
• Charlotte Blue [シャルロット・ブリュー] voiced by Takamoto Megumi [高本めぐみ]
• Frey [フレイ] voiced by Asumi Kana [阿澄佳奈]
• Irori [いろり] voiced by Kayano Ai [茅野愛衣]
• Karyuusai Shouko [花柳斎硝子] voiced by Yukana [ゆかな]
• Kimberly [キンバリー] voiced by Itou Shizuka [伊藤静]
• Komurasaki [小紫] voiced by Ogura Yui [小倉唯]

Visit the official site to view more details about the characters.

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Check out the PVs above. If the videos were eaten, try this search query on YouTube.

The OP is Anicca by Harada Hitomi [原田ひとみ] and is slated for release on 2013/11/06. The ED is Kaire! Setsugekka [回レ! 雪月花] by Harada Hitomi [原田ひとみ], Kayano Ai [茅野愛衣], and Ogura Yui [小倉唯] and is going to be released on 2013/11/27.

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Lately I've been consuming and re-consuming a load of content revolving around the concept of robot girls - Koukaku no Pandora, Angelic Layer, Hand Maid May, Ghost in the Shell, Chobits and more - much of this has influenced the direction I'm taking Smart Doll in and look forward to checking out this anime title.

Here is the key visual for the anime.

And here is the cover illustration for the first volume of the light novel.

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Culture Japan Con - our first ever convention that we held this time last month together with Penang Global Tourism. So much has happened since then that it feels like a few months have already passed. Currently planning to do 2 Culture Japan Cons next year.

In the previous write up we took a look at a summary of the event - today we take a look at the shenanigans that went on stage.

The video below is of the guest introduction on Day One and you can see more of CJC from this search query at YouTube.

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Music was provided by guests vividblaze who are Tezuka Miho and Okano Yasunari. They have been making music for Culture Japan Season 1 and 2 and are now currently working on Season 3.

Moekana and Moekanji illustrator Ikkyuu flew in from Japan to mingle with fans and show us how he draws in Moekana style.

Asakawa Yuu is the voice of Megurine Luka (Vocaloid), Rider (Fate/stay night), Motoko Aoyama (Love Hina) and many more who also joined us at CJC.

Sweetie Shirahane Nao-sensei (DMYO) flew in with all the other guests from Tokyo and spent a lot of time with fans and gave a workshop on how she illustrates bishojo style.

"Real Saber" Maridah joined us from the US to meet her legion of fans in Malaysia.

"Real Asuna" Angie joined us alllllll the way from Penang to spend time with her fans too. Today she is cosplaying as our Kanata Hoshikawa.

As for me - I was running around as the Organizer, Stage Manager and Host ><

A few slides from my talk. This slide about our latest Japanese learning product Moekanji.

CJC Touch n Go.

Talking about my inspiration to make my own dolls - Volks Dollfie Dream.

Why have backstabbing friends when you can get a Smart Doll.

And there she is ^o^

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the iDoll."

Now talking about how my dad made shoes for humans while I went on to make shoes for dolls.

Jimmy Choo joins in on the shenanigans - he is quite a fan of Mirai too ^o^

The person who wrote the scenario for all these anime titles wrote Mirai Millennium which we are working on now.

There is more to this story that I will share sometime in the future.

Queues for the autograph session.

The exclusive Culture Japan Con Touch n Go card that nearly cost me my life ><

The Japanese Ambassador joins us.

We decided to do the autograph sessions in such a way so that fans didn't have to queue up many times - line up once and get stuff signed by 4 guests per day.

I had no idea how popular Touch n Go were in Malaysia...

Cosplay and exhibition hall reports soon!

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Culture Japan Con - our first ever convention that we held this time last month together with Penang Global Tourism. So much has happened since then that it feels like a few months have already passed. Currently planning to do 2 Culture Japan Cons next year.

In the previous write up we took a look at a summary of the event - today we take a look at the shenanigans that went on stage.

The video below is of the guest introduction on Day One and you can see more of CJC from this search query at YouTube.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Music was provided by guests vividblaze who are Tezuka Miho and Okano Yasunari. They have been making music for Culture Japan Season 1 and 2 and are now currently working on Season 3.

Moekana and Moekanji illustrator Ikkyuu flew in from Japan to mingle with fans and show us how he draws in Moekana style.

Asakawa Yuu is the voice of Megurine Luka (Vocaloid), Rider (Fate/stay night), Motoko Aoyama (Love Hina) and many more who also joined us at CJC.

Sweetie Shirahane Nao-sensei (DMYO) flew in with all the other guests from Tokyo and spent a lot of time with fans and gave a workshop on how she illustrates bishojo style.

"Real Saber" Maridah joined us from the US to meet her legion of fans in Malaysia.

"Real Asuna" Angie joined us alllllll the way from Penang to spend time with her fans too. Today she is cosplaying as our Kanata Hoshikawa.

As for me - I was running around as the Organizer, Stage Manager and Host ><

A few slides from my talk. This slide about our latest Japanese learning product Moekanji.

CJC Touch n Go.

Talking about my inspiration to make my own dolls - Volks Dollfie Dream.

Why have backstabbing friends when you can get a Smart Doll.

And there she is ^o^

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the iDoll."

Now talking about how my dad made shoes for humans while I went on to make shoes for dolls.

Jimmy Choo joins in on the shenanigans - he is quite a fan of Mirai too ^o^

The person who wrote the scenario for all these anime titles wrote Mirai Millennium which we are working on now.

There is more to this story that I will share sometime in the future.

Queues for the autograph session.

The exclusive Culture Japan Con Touch n Go card that nearly cost me my life ><

The Japanese Ambassador joins us.

We decided to do the autograph sessions in such a way so that fans didn't have to queue up many times - line up once and get stuff signed by 4 guests per day.

I had no idea how popular Touch n Go were in Malaysia...

Cosplay and exhibition hall reports soon!

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Lovecome o Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru [俺の脳内選択肢が, 学園ラブコメを全力で邪魔している] (also known as NouCome) is romance comedy anime based on the light novel by Kasukabe Takeru [春日部タケル]. The show is directed by Inagaki Takayuki [稲垣隆行] (Rosario to Vampire, Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse) and is written by Kanasugi Hiroko [金杉弘子] and is being produced by Diomedea [ディオメディア] (Bleach, Hidamari Sketch x Hoshimittsu).

NouCome will begin airing on TOKYO MX at 2013/10/09 01:00AM JST, Sun TV [サンテレビ] at 2013/10/09 02:00AM JST, TVQ Kyushu at 2013/10/09 02:40AM JST, Gifu Chan [ぎふチャン] at 2013/10/10 01:45AM JST, Mie TV [三重テレビ] at 2013/10/10 02:20AM JST, BS11 at 2013/10/11 03:00AM JST, while tvk, [Chiba TV [チバテレビ] and Teletama [テレ玉] at 2013/10/13 at 00:30AM JST.

The story revolves around Amakusa Kanade, a boy with a curse called "absolute multiple choice", where a question alongside a series of answer options will suddenly pop out inside his mind and he is forced to answer it, and whatever option he chooses will become a reality. This time, Kanade is given another choice: (1) a pretty girl will fall before him or (2) he will fall from the rooftop wearing girls clothes. He chooses the first option, and a beautiful blonde girl named Chocolat suddenly falls from the sky.

Main Characters

• Amakusa Kanade [甘草奏] voiced by Toyonaga Toshiyuki [豊永利行]
• Chocolat [ショコラ] voiced by Sadohara Kaori [佐土原かおり]
• Yukihira Furano [雪平ふらの] voiced by Kondou Yui [近藤唯]
• Yuuouji Ouka [遊王子謳歌] voiced by Tsuji Ayumi [辻あゆみ]
• Douraku Utage [道楽宴] voiced by Yajima Akiko [矢島晶子]
• Hakoniwa Yuragi [箱庭ゆらぎ] voiced by Oozora Naomi [大空直美]
• Kokubyakuin Seira [黒白院清羅] voiced by Igarashi Hiromi [五十嵐裕美]
• Reikadou Ayame [麗華堂絢女] voiced by Matsuzaki Rei [松嵜麗]
• Yawakaze Konagi [柔風小凪] voiced by Misato [味里]

Visit the official website to view more details about the characters.

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Check out the PV above. If the video has been eaten, try this search query on YouTube.
The OP is S.M.L by Afilia Saga [アフィリア・サーガ] and is slated for release on 2013/11/13. The ED is Taiyou to Tsuki no Cross [太陽と月のCROSS] by TWO-FORMULA and is scheduled for release on 2013/11/27.

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Afilia Saga and TWO-FORMULA who will sing the OP and ED theme.

Read more about Culture Japan girls >>>

Coppelion [コッペリオン] is a sci-fi military action anime based on the manga by Inoue Tomonori [井上 智徳]. Coppelion is directed by Suzuki Shingo [鈴木 信吾] (K) and is written by Nakamura Makoto [中村 誠] (Princess Lover!) and is being produced by Starchild Records [スターチャイルドレコード] (Appleseed XIII, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha series, Mawaru Penguindrum).

Coppelion will start airing on AT-X and Animax at 2013/10/02 09:00PM JST and BS11 at 2013/10/04 11:30PM JST.

The story takes place in 20XX when a nuclear accident has left Japan contaminated with radiation and killed about 90% of its population. The 3rd Division of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force has assembled a special forces unit called "Coppelion" that consists of three highschool girls: Naruse Ibara, Fukasaku Aoi, and Nomura Taeko. These three girls have been genetically engineered so that they are impervious to radioactivity, and now they have been assigned a mission to rescue the survivors in the ruins of Tokyo.

Main Characters

• Naruse Ibara [成瀬荊] voiced by Tomatsu Haruka [戸松遥]
• Fukasaku Aoi [深作葵] voiced by Hanasawa Kana [花澤香菜]
• Nomura Taeko [野村タエ子] voiced by Akesaka Satomi [明坂聡美]
• Kurosawa Haruto [黒澤遥人] voiced by Suzumura Kenichi [鈴村健一]
• Ozu Kanon [小津歌音] voiced by Horie Yui [堀江由衣]
• Ozu Shion [小津詩音] voiced by Sakamoto Maaya [坂本真綾]

Visit the official website to view more details about the characters.

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The OP is ANGEL and the ED is Tookumade [遠くまで] - both of them are sung by Angela [アンジェラ]. The single is slated for release on 2013/11/06.

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Here are some cover illustrations of the manga.

Find out more about the Culture Japan girls >>>

I had a bad feeling that I forgot to post something from the last Wonfes - the dealer booth stuff ><
In todays post we take a lookie at figures and artworks displayed at the Wonder Festival 2013 Summer dealer booth area.
Booths include Atelier SBM, NAGAE Art Production, T's System, Mii Lab & Chicken Duck EX, Jet X Some, Plastic Garden, Mameshiba, Genrei Koubou, Kuni20xx, Takorasu, Bake Neko Yashiki, Poly-Toys, Melbox, Atelier Hiro, Burivary System, Dai Nihon Giken, Sagawa Electronics and more.

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

I had a bad feeling that I forgot to post something from the last Wonfes - the dealer booth stuff ><
In todays post we take a lookie at figures and artworks displayed at the Wonder Festival 2013 Summer dealer booth area.
Booths include Atelier SBM, NAGAE Art Production, T's System, Mii Lab & Chicken Duck EX, Jet X Some, Plastic Garden, Mameshiba, Genrei Koubou, Kuni20xx, Takorasu, Bake Neko Yashiki, Poly-Toys, Melbox, Atelier Hiro, Burivary System, Dai Nihon Giken, Sagawa Electronics and more.

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Kyoukai no Kanata [境界の彼方] is a fantasy anime adapted from the light novel by Torii Nagomu [鳥居 なごむ]. It is directed by Ishidate Taichi [石立 太一] and is written by Hanada Jukki [花田 十輝] (Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!, Robotic;Notes, Steins;Gate), and is being produced by Kyoto Animation [京都アニメーション] (K-ON!, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu, Lucky Star).

Kyoukai no Kanata will begin airing on Tokyo MX at 2013/10/02 00:30AM JST, TV Aichi at 2013/10/02 02:05AM JST, ABC TV at 2013/10/02 02:43AM JST, BS11 at 2013/10/06 00:00AM JST, and Animax at 2013/10/18 10:00PM JST.

The story follows Kanbara Akihito, a highschool sophomore who is also a member of the literature club and although he looks like an ordinary boy, he is actually half youmu who has the ability to heal his own wounds quickly. He encounters Kuriyama Mirai, a first-year female student who is about to commit suicide by jumping off of the school rooftop - afterwards a series of troublesome events begin to unfold.

Main Characters

• Kuriyama Mirai [栗山未来] voiced by Taneda Risa [種田梨沙]
• Kanbara Akihito [神原秋人] voiced by KENN
• Nase Mitsuki [名瀬美月] voiced by Chihara Minori [茅原実里]
• Nase Hiroomi [名瀬博臣] voiced by Suzuki Tatsuhisa [鈴木達央]
• Shindou Ai [新堂愛] voiced by Yamaoka Yuri [山岡ゆり]
• Inami Sakura [伊波桜] voiced by Toyota Moe [豊田萌絵]
• Shindou Ayaka [新堂彩華] voiced by Shindou Naomi [進藤尚美]
• Ninomiya Shizuku [二ノ宮雫] voiced by Watanabe Akeno [渡辺明乃]
• Fujima Miroku [藤真弥勒] voiced by Matsukaze Masaya [松風雅也]
• Nase Izumi [名瀬泉] voiced by Kawasumi Ayako [川澄綾子]

Visit the official website to view more details about the characters.

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Check out the PVs above. If the videos were eaten, try this search query on YouTube.

The OP is Kyoukai no Kanata [境界の彼方] by Chihara Minori [茅原実里] and is slated for release on 2013/10/30. The ED is Daisy by STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION and is going to be released on 2013/11/27.

This post contains a poll, click here to view.

Some magazine scans picked up from Google image search.

And here is the key visual for the anime.

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

They have just been released and seem to be quite popular - the Mirai Suenaga LINE stickers ^o^

For those of you who are not familiar with the communication tool LINE - check out this post to find out more.

As promised at AFAID, the Mirai Suenaga LINE stickers are now available - for free.
But there is a catch which has been decided by LINE and the regulations they have in place - they are only available for 90 days ;-;
If you want them to be available permanently then we need to get a few million downloads.

LINE have only officially released the stickers to folks in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore - again this was *not* my decision ><

BUT! There is actually a way for anybody to download any stickers regardless of their region - read on to find out how.

My current LINE account has just passed 1 million followers - folks who want to get hold of the Mirai Stickers for free need only add me.
If you like Mirai but not her manager - then just add me > download stickers > block me ^^;

Using your mobile device just scan this QR code which will take you to my LINE account. If you got no scanner then just use the following link - it only works on your mobile device if you have LINE installed though.
http://line.naver.jp/ti/p/@dannychoo

The Mirai Suenaga LINE stickers are available here > http://line.naver.jp/R/shop/detail/1290 (only works on mobile device with LINE installed).

If you do have a QR code scanner and LINE installed then you can just scan this to get to the Mirai Suenaga sticker download page.

When you get to the page, if the button is grayed out then it means that you are not in a region that LINE wants you to be in for you to download the stickers.

If you want to be able to download any stickers from any region then just read on - just get ready to jump through a few hoops ><

Please proceed at your own risk - if your phone blows up or you loose data then its Daves fault - not mine!

First up you need to go to your LINE settings > accounts. Most of you will have your phone number associated with your LINE account. This gives you away as the app knows what region you are in based on your phone number - even if you use a VPN to change your IP ^^;

What you need to do is disassociate your phone number with your account.
You do this by connecting your LINE account with Facebook - just click the link button.

For Android - go to Manage Apps > LINE and then clear data and cache - this will wipe your account details from your app.

iOS users will need to completely uninstall and reinstall LINE again ><
Its things like this which have made me stuck with Android which I talk about extensively here.

Do note that this will wipe all your chat history and probably images that you have not saved. Your contact list is kept on the LINE servers so that will be restored when you login again.

When I boot up LINE again, I need to login but I do so with my Facebook account instead. LINE does not know what my phone number is so the only way they know my region is due to my IP - lets fix that issue.

For Android, I download the free app Hideman VPN.

iOS users need to download VpnOneClick and change their IP address to Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia.

All I do in Hideman VPN is to change my IP to Malaysia - you can choose Indonesia or Singapore too.

And then after a few seconds...

I'm sure in the future it will be this easy to travel rather than spend a few hours on the plane ^^

Now when I go to the Mirai Suenaga sticker page I can see the big green button ^^;
Even though I'm the creator of the stickers - I had to jump through these hoops as we are based in Japan ><

Mirai-chan get!

Now I spam all my friends ^^

The Mirai stickers are so cute! Do send them to as many of your friends (and foes) as possible - the more downloads there are the more chances there is of LINE letting us keep them ><

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And here are the full set of stickers illustrated by Japanese illustrator Ikkyuu-sensei.
The plan is to introduce more once the 90 days are up.
I'm also looking into making stickers available for Facebook too.
If there are any other communication services that you want to see stickers for then let me know.

Looks like our Smart Doll is also installing the stickers on her mobile ^^;

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

AFA 13 is just around the corner which also means Culture Japan Night the day after ^o^

CJ Night is where you come to mingle with like minded folks - make new comrades who will enrich your life with friendship and opportunity.

Venue Details (same as last year)

Culture Japan Night Singapore 2013
Date: 11 November (Monday)
Venue: Kallang Theatre, Orchid Room (1 Stadium Walk, near Stadium MRT)
Time: 3pm to 8pm
Entrance Fee: $5 or free*

*The entrance fee is to help us cover the cost of the venue. BUT, because Joanna who works at Kallang Theatre is a huge fan of Mirai too, she promised to give anyone who comes wearing a Mirai T-shirt free entry.

So if the hole in your wallet accidentally got too big liao over 3 full days at AFA, just remember to wear your Moekana T-shirt on Monday and come join in an extra day of fun and games absolutely free.

Contents

As most of my time has been taken up with Smart Doll of late, I haven't had the chance to invite a load of guests like last year ;-;

That does not mean its going to be boring though ^^; Good Smile Company will be there to display goodies and we will share details on how Singaporeans can work with Good Smile Company.

I wont be giving a stage talk at AFA due to my MC schedule so instead I'll be talking at CJ Night instead where I will talk about my latest and future projects.
I'll also be hunting for talent as usual ^^;

There will be display tables for your dolly daughters and also tables for TCG and Moekana tournaments with the usual prizes.

If you plan to attend then please fill out the following painless form below - its an embedded Google Doc - the direct link lives here.

Thought we'd do one of those flashback thingies - these couple of photos from the first CJ Night back in 2010 which was held at Lau Pa Sat.

Back then there were a handful of dolls on display.

We usually take the group photo at the end but the problem is that most are gone by then ><

In 2011, we held CJ Night at the AKB48 Cafe.

Number of dolls on the increase ^^

In 2012 we had the largest number of attendees out of the 3 years. The event was held at Kallang Theater and we had a load of industry guests. Photos from the event live here.

The number of dolls have multiplied by gazillions ^^

Snap!

And here is the key visual for this years event.

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Its that time of year again - Asia's biggest anime event Anime Festival Asia takes place at the Suntec Convention Center next Friday 8th November.
I will be there with the Culture Japan team and bring a load of Mirai Suenaga goodies to sell at our booth.

A quick overview of what we have lined up for the Culture Japan booth this year. To commemorate the 1 year anniversary of the Moekana T-shirt series, we will be launching the first ever white-based full-body-print T-shirt at AFA13 ^^
More details about each product and discounts below.

Through working on the continued expansion of the Moekana T-shirts, we have been able to reduce our costs by streamlining production processes. This means that we can give back savings to our consumers.

This year our T-shirts will be sold at $35 each and just $30 each if you buy more than 1 piece.
Those of you who bought the very first version of Moekana T-shirts at AFA last year will hopefully notice the increase of material and print quality.

This first design is called "Kimono."

As the series expanded, the designs of the shirts became more varied as well. This design is for fellow retro game enthusiasts out there.
This design is called "Retro."

I love our Moekana style illustrations but I also love our girls in Bishojo form too which is why we have the "Girls" T-shirt that has only been sold at Anime Expo 2013 so far.

And finally, the brand new full body print T-shirt. This is the first white based T-shirt in the Moekana T-shirt series, illustration by DMYO-sensei.
You will probably see me wearing this the most - not because I'm smelly and don't wash it but because I've hoarded a load for myself ^^;

It took quite a few months to develop and had to jump through many hoops to get it right but it was worth it - it looks great!

Here's a size chart so you know which size to get. The sizes are based on US measurements and I wear the S size cos I like em tight n kinky.

For those of you who still don't have Moekana, here's your chance to get them at event limited discount prices - $18 a pack and $15 each if you are buying 2 or more.
As Moekana and Moekanji are meant to be used together for Japanese learning, we will also be selling both Moekana and Moekanji as a set discount at $40.

If you are alone - just ask somebody in the queue if they would like to buy together so that you can save.

Moekanji is the follow up to Moekana - a pack of 87 fully illustrated color cards that help you learn first grade Japanese kanji.

Moekanji will be available at discount too. $30 a pack, $25 each if you buy 2 or more. Remember to make friends in the queue so that you can get discounts if you are alone.

Deck cases to protect your brand new Moekana and Moekanji - $12 each or $10 each if you buy 2 or more.
There are other ways you can use the cases - here are some examples.

And finally, 7 different poster designs to fill your room up with cute girls. $10 each or 3 pieces for $25.

The quality of the posters are completely different from what we sold at AFA 12 last year which was the first year we attempted to make posters.
The posters last year had waterproof coating which meant you could stick them up in the shower but also meant that they curled up at the sides when on the wall ><

I will also have the latest prototype of Mirai Suenaga Smart Doll on display at our booth. Unfortunately I cant bring the robotic version as its in the lab right now ><

See you soon!

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Anime Festival Asia - Asia's biggest anime event takes place this weekend (8 - 10th) at the Suntec Convention Centre in Singapore. Is your body ready?

This is the content list for AFA13 - too much to handle for one person so bring your friends to help!

Anisong, experience zones, industry guests, cosplay and more ^o^

The exhibition hall - will leave a hole in your wallet big enough for you to climb inside it. Take note of the Culture Japan booth placed in the best Fung Shui spot which harnesses the energy from Saturn's 7th orbiting moon.

And this is what we got at the Culture Japan Booth - also known as the Mirai Kopitiam.

I have a feeling that the Summer T-shirt will be gone in a jiffy ><
To be sold first at AFA13.

The best thing I enjoy about AFA is the Maid and Butler cafe's produced by Uncle Pei Pei and co.
Here are the lovely maids.

And here are the handsome lads.

Would you like to cuddle up with Haru-kun?

Or how about have an intimate dinner with Hiroshi-kun?

Maybe spend the evening staring into Kaede-kuns deep eyes?

Or a night on the town with Kyoichi-kun?

Or how about watch Ren-kun beat up your foes in front of you?

If you ask nicely then Shou-kun will undress while you eat.

Or maybe have Takuya-kun undress you instead.

And lets not forget about Yutaki-kun who will do all the above for you with both hands tied behind is left ear.

Mio-chan will transform into Mirai at your wish!

Miyake-chan will eat you alive - and then eat what you ordered for dessert.

Momo-chan has ability to power up your meal but not your salary.

Rie-chan likes to play games - loose and you pay for all the customers meals.

Rin-chan likes to do cartwheels - in your food.

Ask Rina-chan to serve you dessert before your main course to unlock her special abilities.

Do a handstand for 20 seconds in front of Rina to unlock her special powers.

Sing the Nyancat song for 20 mins to unlock Tora's special move - a slap to your face.

Yuna-chan does a good impression of Harrison Ford - just ask!

And then on Monday the 11th after AFA is Culture Japan Night.

Date: 11 November (Monday)
Venue: Kallang Theatre, Orchid Room (1 Stadium Walk, near Stadium MRT)
Time: 3pm to 8pm
Entrance Fee: $5 or free*

Details here.

See you soon at AFA and CJ Night!

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

*Haruka is often also referred to as Haruka-chan, where "-chan" is a suffix which expresses that the speaker finds the person endearing.

MoeManga Japanese Learning

Here are some of the keywords you may want to remember for your Japanese studies.

妹

妹 [いもうと (imouto)] - younger sister. When referring to sisters, you would write it out as "~姉妹".

彼女

彼女 [かのじょ (kanojo)] - she/her. It can also refer to one's girlfriend.

責任感

責任感 [せきにんかん (sekininnkan)] - a sense of responsibility. "責任" means "responsible" and "~感" means "a sense of". "~感" can be mixed with wide varieties of kanji to express feeling or emotion.

• 義務感 [ぎむかん (gimukan)] - a sense of duty.
• 焦燥感 [しょうそうかん (shousoukan)] - restlessness.
• 親近感 [しんきんかん (shinkinkan)] - a familiarity or affinity.

強く

強く [つよく (tsuyoku)] - to be strong. Note that the kanji can have a different meaning when used with a different kana suffixes (送り仮名 okurigana). The plain adjective is 強い [つよい (tsuyoi)].

• 強める [つよめる (tsuyomeru)] - to increase/emphasize.
• 強いる [しいる (shiiru)] - to enforce/insist.

成績

成績 [せいせき (seiseki)] - grades/performance/result.

優等生

優等生 [ゆうとうせい (yuutousei)] - an honor-roll student. The antonym for "優等生" is "劣等生" [れっとうせい (rettousei)].

電子工作

電子工作 [でんしこうさく (denshi kousaku)] - electronics or electric work. "電子" means electrical and "工作" means arts & crafts.

得意

得意 [とくい (tokui)] - to be skilled or gifted in a particular field. "得意" is also used when someone talks or behaves in a prideful manner. It may also refer to customers or clients when used with "お~" or "~先".

• 得意分野 [とくいぶんや (tokuibunya)] - one's field of expertise.
• 得意がる [とくいがる (tokuigaru)] - to boast about something.
• 得意先 [とくいさき (tokuisaki)] - a client or a customer. Usually refers to a regular customer who frequently buys product/service from you.

だが

だが [daga] - a sentence connector that means "but", "however" or "nevertheless".

的外れ

的外れ [まとはずれ (matohazure)] - to be off track/point. "的" means "target" and "外れ" means to "miss".

行動

行動 [こうどう (koudou)] - action/behavior.

多い

多い [おおい (ooi)] - to be in abundance.

いたずらっ子

いたずらっ子 [いたずらっこ (itazurakko)] - a prankster. When you break it down, "いたずら" means "prank/mischief" and "~子" means child. "~子" can also be mixed with different kanji to create a new meaning.

• 江戸っ子 [えどっこ (edokko)] - a true-born Tokyoite.
• 駄々っ子 [だだっこ (dadakko)] - a spoiled brat.
• ぶりっ子 [ぶりっこ (burikko)] - a girl trying to act cute and innocent.

~でもある

~でもある [~demoaru] - to also be something.

Keywords from previous MoeManga posts are as follows.

• 良い
• 人知れず
• 戦う
• 戦士
• ~こと~
• 一員

More MoeManga listed up below:

• MoeManga 003: Lucky Kitty
• MoeManga 00A: Mirai Suenaga
• Introducing MoeManga
• MoeManga 001: Lost your phone?
• MoeManga 002: Brain Power
• View more

Learn more Japanese Kanji with Moekanji Japanese Kanji Learning Cards >>

Find out more about the Mirai Millennium girls >>>

Don Quijote [ドン・キホーテ] (known in Japan as just "Donki") is a chain of stores in Japan which sell pretty much anything and everything - the following photos of their Akihabara store shows you exactly what I mean with hardly any wall space visible.

Whether you are after daily life products or otaku goods - Donki is certainly worth dropping in when in Akihabara - just walk along Chuo Dori street - you can't miss it.

The same building is also home to the At Home Maid Cafe.
〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田4丁目3-3
View location with Google Maps

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Today was Day One of Asia's biggest anime event - Anime Festival Asia which is being held in Singapore at the Suntec Convention Centre. This is the first time we are having the exhibition hall open for 3 days. We expected attendance to be fair given that its still a school day - we were wrong.

We sold out of our white full print Mirai Suenaga T-shirts - BUT are having more shipped in for tomorrow morning as we speak - should have some Sat morning!

The Exhibition hall was packed and expect the hall to be 3 times (at least) the number of people today - make sure to bring some sort of armor as you are most likely to end up being squashed ^^;

The maid and butler cafe was packed and we've already been having a great time on stage with some of our Anisong artists which include MAY'N and LiSA.

The organizers SOZO x ZEPP X Dentsu have really done a great job on a slick, spic n span event so far built upon 6 years of producing AFA around Asia.

Will leave you with a wall of photos as I need to go and get some kip - we got an early morning tomorrow.
I'll either be on the main stage or mini stage MC'ing or at my booth so please do drop along.

If you don't see me for any reason remember that you can come and see me at Culture Japan Night this Monday - free entry when you wear any Mirai Suenaga T-shirt ^o^

Today's MoeManga idea was contributed by Ryan Huff! If you would like your 4koma ideas turned into fully illustrated MoeManga strips then check out this post.

MoeManga Japanese Learning

Here are some of the keywords you may want to remember for your Japanese studies.

かわいい

かわいい [kawaii] - cute/adorable. The kanji for "かわいい" is "可愛い" and its katakana form is "カワイイ". "かわいい" can be combined with other adjectives like below:

• カッコかわいい [かっこかわいい (kakko kawaii)] - cool and cute at the same time. "カッコ" is short for "格好いい" [かっこいい (kakkoii)] which means "cool".
• キモかわいい [きもかわいい (kimo kawaii)] - disgusting but cute at the same time. "キモ" is short for "キモい" which means "disgusting".
• エロかわいい [えろかわいい (ero kawaii)] - sexy and cute at the same time. "エロ" is short for "エロい" which means "sexy" or "erotic".

猫

猫 [ねこ (neko)] - a Japanese word for "cat". Its katakana form would be "ネコ".

幸せ

幸せ [しあわせ (shiawase)] - happy/lucky/fortunate. Its antonym "unlucky" is written as "不幸せ" [ふしあわせ (fushiawase)] or "不幸" [ふこう (fukou)].

むにっ

むにっ [muni] - a derivative for "むにゅ" which is an onomatopoeia commonly used when you press something soft or squishy.
Like with "むにゅ", the pronunciation is a quick "moon-ni" and not "mun" as in "munchy".

にゃーん

にゃーん [ny-an] - cat's meow.

無視

無視 [むし (mushi)] - to ignore. "Mushi" is pronounced like "sushi".

ぷいっ

ぷいっ [pui] - an onomatopoeia commonly used when someone turns their head away and looks in another direction to show disinterest. Its pronunciation is a quick "pooie" but doesn't mean poo ^^;

More MoeManga listed up below:

• MoeManga 00B: Haruka Suenaga
• MoeManga 00A: Mirai Suenaga
• Introducing MoeManga
• MoeManga 001: Lost your phone?
• MoeManga 002: Brain Power
• View more

Learn more Japanese Kanji with Moekanji Japanese Kanji Learning Cards >>

Find out more about the Mirai Millennium girls >>>

The world's largest robot trade show - the International Robot Exhibition 2013 - was held at Tokyo Big Sight recently and today we take a lookie at the many types of machines that change and aid our lives - industrial, recreational and support/assistive robots. Approximately 100,000 visitors and 334 exhibitors gathered for the 4 day event and this year marks their 20th anniversary.

A report on some of the exhibitors at the show in the video below.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

As you know, I'm now producing robots and have been networking with many in the industry while learning as much as I can to help me roll out our up n coming product Mirai Suenaga Smart Doll.

I've got a backlog of photos taken in robotics shops and at other events that I owe you which I'll post soon together with the latest n greatest on Smart Doll.
The next Smart Doll update includes 2 surprises:-
1.Outer Space
2.Battle arenas
^o^

I'll likely be setting up Mirai Robotics as a separate company and will need a few engineers who are willing to move to Japan to work on our projects - if you have a portfolio of robotics projects then I'd love to see your ninja skills.

This post contains a poll, click here to view.

And as for our Mirai Suenaga Smart Doll - she couldn't make it to this year's Robot Exhibition as she's preparing for her first ever public motion demo at Comic Fiesta 2013 ^o^

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

This photo taken yesterday at Narita Airport when arriving back to Tokyo from Singapore. Its as if our Mirai-chan is welcoming us back to Japan - which is exactly what she will be doing officially from now.

Yep - our Mirai Suenaga is now officially a mascot for Japan in a collaboration with Japan Tourism ^o^

I've been working with the Japanese government for a few years now and this year I was appointed as a member of METI's (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) "Creative Industries Internationalization Committee" [クリエイティブ産業国際展開懇談会] (CIIC).

Through my relation with METI, I hooked up with the folks at the Japan Tourism Agency, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport - this photo taken recently at the one of their offices in Kasumigaseki.

Soon after our first meeting - we started to formulate our first collaboration. This photo taken at the JNTO offices in Ginza.

Announced at AFA13 and Culture Japan Night Singapore, our first collaboration will be a series of printed maps of Japan. As you know, our Culture Japan mascot character Mirai Suenaga was born and bred in Japan - through the map she will guide you to her favourite spots throughout the Land of the Rising Sun.

This photo shows the WIP version of the map so far which is subject to change - some of it (esp the food) are just placeholders.

If there is something you feel should be on the map then please leave a note below!

The Japanese government and I will be distributing these free printed maps globally starting this December.
Following this map of Japan will be the Greater Tokyo Version.

JNTO and I are going through a list of ideas of how Mirai-chan can contribute to the amount of inbound visitors to Japan. As it stands - Japan is still very low on the list of countries that folks want to visit and we want to change that.

There are many misconceptions of Japan which may be contributing factors - things like "Japan is expensive" "Japan is radioactive" to "its difficult to get around in japan" etc. Are there any other reasons that you hear around you as to why folks don't particularly fancy Japan as a place to visit?

If you have any good ideas then do share in the comments - if your answers are of Ninja level then you should be working for us ^^

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

This photo taken yesterday at Narita Airport when arriving back to Tokyo from Singapore. Its as if our Mirai-chan is welcoming us back to Japan - which is exactly what she will be doing officially from now.

Yep - our Mirai Suenaga is now officially a mascot for Japan in a collaboration with Japan Tourism ^o^

I've been working with the Japanese government for a few years now and this year I was appointed as a member of METI's (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) "Creative Industries Internationalization Committee" [クリエイティブ産業国際展開懇談会] (CIIC).

Through my relation with METI, I hooked up with the folks at the Japan Tourism Agency, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport - this photo taken recently at the one of their offices in Kasumigaseki.

Soon after our first meeting - we started to formulate our first collaboration. This photo taken at the JNTO offices in Ginza.

Announced at AFA13 and Culture Japan Night Singapore, our first collaboration will be a series of printed maps of Japan. As you know, our Culture Japan mascot character Mirai Suenaga was born and bred in Japan - through the map she will guide you to her favourite spots throughout the Land of the Rising Sun.

This photo shows the WIP version of the map so far which is subject to change - some of it (esp the food) are just placeholders.

If there is something you feel should be on the map then please leave a note below!

The Japanese government and I will be distributing these free printed maps globally starting this December.
Following this map of Japan will be the Greater Tokyo Version.

JNTO and I are going through a list of ideas of how Mirai-chan can contribute to the amount of inbound visitors to Japan. As it stands - Japan is still very low on the list of countries that folks want to visit and we want to change that.

There are many misconceptions of Japan which may be contributing factors - things like "Japan is expensive" "Japan is radioactive" to "its difficult to get around in japan" etc. Are there any other reasons that you hear around you as to why folks don't particularly fancy Japan as a place to visit?

If you have any good ideas then do share in the comments - if your answers are of Ninja level then you should be working for us ^^

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>