Clannad with Clamp

The best way of describing this series is it's a semi-fantasy romantic comedy drama. It is lovely show and it'll make you cry like nobodies business.The story is about the attempt to revive the Drama Club at Tomoya and Nagisa's high school. The anime is based on the popular game visual novel.

The main female characters have their own arcs, Fuuko, Kotomi, Ryou/Kyou, Tomoyo and of course, Nagisa. Its a bitter sweet story in that since only one girl can get the guy, and they all (bar Fuuko) like Tomoya.

As the year goes by the two leading characters begin to realize that real life is more complex than any stage play as new friends and rivals make everything more complicated.A strange visitor with a unexpected message enters to change Kotomi's life forever.

The second half afterstory outlining the 20 years in the life of Nagisa and Tomoya after graduation is available on DVD.

Added 10/30/11

I bought Afterstory but discovered my edition wasn't properly licensed as well as squeezing 12 episodes onto a single layer dvd which resulted in poor picture quality. I have replaced both the Clannad Collection and the Clannad After story with the UK region 2 issues.

Clamp in Wonderland.

Various characters from the Clamp collectives manga and anime series gathered together

Are your dvd's what they seem?

It may seem like a funny question but having been on the NEO forum, it seems a few of my anime titles may in fact be illegal copies something which seems to be rife.
I had my suspicions about a copy of Clannad After Story that was billed as the Japanese Version - well they all are just subtitled - which arrived with a big sticker over from Anime MegaStore which when I peeled it back revealed it was region zero and was issued on two cd's whereas the US version used four so some highish degree of data reduction was being used to squeeze the content into each disc. The discs were made in Malaysia.

I also realized after checking my Haruhi Taiwanese set was bootlegged too as the official set was Region 3 and again spread over four discs. That one had a stop/start problem for several minutes and as the UK distributor has just re-issued their version four discs I've replaced the Taiwanese import with there's although it's in PAL colour.
I have ordered up the first part of After Story as a US import and completed this by ordering part two.

It is my intention that as soon as any other discs of questionable origin are found and authorized replacements have been identified to replace them all.

The funny thing is that some of these titles for all of that compression do look reasonable compared with either Digital TV or 360/480P streamed pictures which suggests the encoders they use are rather good although when you get a lot of activity you may detect the odd artifacts
.
And there is this: Some titles have yet to make a Western Version R1 or 2 or like Cardcaptor Sakura don't have readily available dvd's as they were only out briefly. I can't help but wonder if these bootleg titles exist at least in part because they fill a void in the market that could be tackled through simple bare bones packaged sets issued here or in the US.
One things for sure it's often easier to find these copies in search than anything kosher.

Feminine May

May, that month that forms the bridgehead between the awakening of Spring and the glorious sun of Summer moves forward with its calendar comprising of two bank holidays and for many of us the memories of learning to dance the maypole gracefully weaving a plait with the girls who seemed more co-ordinated than we did. 

 Twenty-ten is shaping up to be quite a year as we work on my feminine presentation such as wearing these La Senza satin high cut knickers with fully elasticated legs.

The rear is sculptured to present my bottom in a feminine way complete with a frilly lace skirt across the cheeks while the overall impression is that of more mature sophistication

It's not even just all that but wearing short pretty skirts with netting like this Hell Bunny goth one as I let my feminine side right out more like a teen would.

Here it is with hold up stockings with pretty bows

I was encouraged to try wear it with stocking and suspenders to take me completely out of my comfort zone so I could see what I could be like.

A Walkin' Miracle!

Video:

YouTube - limmie & family cookin' - walking miracle - totp ...

This isn't the story of my life although that could be regarded as an apt description but the name of a song I really loved back in '74 by this popular soul group originally from Ohio.
The were so popular in the UK the moved on over here!

A WALKIN' MIRACLE
(Hugo Peretti / Adam Levy / Luigi Creatore / George David Weiss)

Trio Essex


(Ooh, ooh)
(Ooh, ooh)

Did you ever see starlight come rushing from the sky
Heading for home in the stars in someone's eyes?
Uh-huh-huh, That's my baby, talkin' 'bout my baby,
And I love him - He's a walkin' miracle.
(Ooh, ooh)
He's a walkin' miracle
(Ooh, ooh)

Did you ever see sunshine come pourin' out of space
Just to be part of the smile on someone's face?
Uh-huh-huh, That's my baby, talkin' 'bout my baby,
And I love him - He's a walkin' miracle.
(Ooh, ooh)
He's a walkin' miracle
(Ooh, ooh)

And you should see cherries do flips, oh yeah
When they're picked to be the taste on his lips, oh yeah
And I know how happy his clothes must be,
'Cause that's how I feel when he's close to me
(Close to me)

Did you ever see lovin' that really rings a bell,
Kooky and crazy like Romeo himself
Uh-huh-huh, that's my baby, Talkin' 'bout my baby,
And I love him - He's a walkin' miracle.
(Ooh, ooh)
He's a walkin' miracle
(Ooh, ooh)
He's a walkin' miracle
(Ooh, ooh)

And you should see cherries do flips, oh yeah
When they're picked to be the taste on his lips, oh yeah
And I know how happy his clothes must be,
'Cause that's how I feel when he's close to me
(Close to me)

Did you ever see lovin' that really rings a bell,
Kooky and crazy like Romeo himself
Uh-huh-huh, that's my baby, Talkin' 'bout my baby,
And I love him - He's a walkin' miracle.
(Ooh, ooh)
He's a walkin' miracle
(Ooh, ooh)
He's a walkin' miracle
(Ooh ooh)

Rozen Maiden

There are two strings to this story: That of an exquisite doll that wants to meet her maker and that of a young boyand his exquisite doll as they strive toward helping each other.

Sakurada Jun is suffering from depression and is out of school. His life revolves around the internet an ordering stuff thast he returns just in time to avoid payments. Through this he meets Shinku a living doll of the Rozen Maiden series and becomes indebted to her. She was made by a mysterious but very talented doll maker.

I'm currently enjoying this part two of the first series of Rozen Maiden released this month in the UK.

This sees Jun repair the damaged Shinku, Suiseiseki and her twin sister Souseiseki as they deal with Souseiseki's Master plus the manipulative Suigintou.

In the final three episodes centre around Shinku and Suigintou's final confrontation.

This the region 1 US issue of the second series of Rozen Maiden on Geneon that arrived here recently.
If I'd of know the UK distributor, MVM were going to issue it soon which they are I'd of held off getting this import as the US edition uses three discs with four episodes per disc compared to 6 over here. If you enjoyed series one you'll need this.









*Updated May 16 2010 by Tammy.

Going back

I had been very unwell for a period in connection with my role in a local authority for a period now and I have had what is called 'Leave of absence' which means I need not attend any meetings although I will be kept up to date with anything important which given my role is  the next most important after the Clerk obviously does matter.

Put very simply I am going through a nervous breakdown, throwing things, walking pensively for ages ready to explode or bursting in tears crying for ages not just at home but at work who are trying to help me. I simply could not cope with what I have been left to do, working all hours even losing part of my vacation to council business doing things others want but won't do themselves.

I feel I have hit the end of the road at least in so far as anything beyond work and family responsibility goes and more over it seems to me at least this attempt at trying to be more of a public grown up figure when in all honesty I'm more childlike.

Back then I knew very much who I was, what I was to do with support which to be frank I don't get anymore although I need it and there was a clear cut break between school time and free time.

While talking by email with the clerk, I decided to take a step backwards from now on and outside of work I'm going draw up a timetable like I had at school and ensure time outside of it won't be spent chained to the telephone and computer.

I have also decided to put together a school type uniform to wear when I'm not working, being at home as the kind of structure, routines and discipline of that era is what I badly need and this with more support from my folks is what I do need.

I just cannot cope with full on adult life.