Strapya Bio Tech Plant Cell Phone Charm

If you think that earpick charm was the weirdest thing ever, you're wrong. Strapya has much more than that.

For those who check Strapya often, this is old news, but for those who don't check it at all, here's something the West has probably never thought up: a living plant cell phone charm.

Here was where the photos were taken and the charm can be ordered.

This is perfect for anyone plant obsessed. My dad, being a plant obsessed asian might even like this!

There's no maintenance involved. That pink and blue liquid there is fertilizer, so like Strapya says, it's "stress-free".

I love the colours of the bio fertilizer! I know one friend who would love that as a present. This could be a prospective present for their birthday! That is, if I can find something like it at the nearby asian mall.

Today's Kawaii Item(s)! (Day 1)

Today's kawaii items are...

Ran  and Yuki chibi dolls!

Ran (Shugo Chara) belongs to my sister, and Yuki (Vampire Knight) belongs to me.

While people collect ball jointed dolls, I like softer ones you can cuddle with.

I got Yuki at Anime North 2010. My sister got Ran at an anime store.

I'm hoping to expand this "small collection" soon. Characters I'm hoping to get are Sailor Moon (especially the one from season two), Kaname and Zero (Vampire Knight), and Su (Shugo Chara). I really want these, but I usually spend my money on Hello Kitty stuff. Maybe one day I'll have to hold off on the Hello Kitty for these kawaii chibis!

Mangakas: Arina Tanemura

Arina Tanemura is one of my favourite mangakas! She wrote so many wonderful series, and I hope she continues to do so.


She was born in Aichi, Japan, and began her career in 1996 by publishing some stories in Ribon.


Tanemura has a really big worldwide fan base. She has been to San Diego, and I remember reading in her side panels that she also has been to Germany. She probably wrote about other countries she's visited in her side panels.


In my eyes, I find her to be one of the best because she always pushes herself to the limit. Her artworks are extraordinarily detailed, and her art itself is fantastic! I really like the storylines too. They're very original, and with her main series, the concept isn't typical. Throughout the years, she has kept on improving her work, both in the art sense and story sense. If she can improve what she has now, I wonder what fantastic work she'll bring to the otaku world.




Titles of her works are:

• The Style Of Second Love - 1996 (Japanese title: Nibanme no Koi Katachi) 
• Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne - 1998 
• Short Tempered Melancholic - 1998 (Japanese title: Kanshaku Dama no Yuutsu) 
• ION - 1997
• Time Stranger Kyoko - 2000 (Japanese title: Jikuu Ihōjin Kyoko) 
• Full Moon o Sagashite - 2001 (Japanese title: Furu Mun wo Sagashite) 
• The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross - 2004 (Japanese title: Shinshi Doumei Kurosu) 
• Mistress Fortune - 2008 (Japanese title: Zettai Kakusei Tencshi Misutoresu Fochun) 
• The Legend of Princess Sakura - 2011 (Japanese title: Sakura Hime Kaden)

*The years above are years of English release, if released in English at all.

If I had to pick a favourite out of her works, I would have to say "The Legend of Princess Sakura", which by the way is coming to North America really soon! I'm looking forward to buying the series! When I read this series online, after finishing each chapter, my brain screamed, "NEXT CHAPTER, NEXT CHAPTER!" There was definitely suspense there. I screamed this all the way to chapter 12, where, at the time, there were no more updated scanslations. This was last year, and since then, I haven't kept up with the updates. I don't plan to either, since I found out that it was coming in English. Reading it online would just spoil the surprise for me when I read it from an actual manga. I really do hate that. Although I hate spoilers, there is one series that I always check for updates - Hadashi de Bara wo Fume, or in English, Stepping on Roses. 

I will continue to support Tanemura sensei, and I hope that others will too!




So far, this is all I have by Tanemura-sensei:

*I should really start taking pictures with a real camera instead of cell phone (cries).

I can't wait for The Legend of Princess Sakura!

Angelic Pretty: Wonder Cookie Print Dream

I found this dress on Angelic Pretty's website a while ago, and it's become my dream dress! Sadly, Angelic Pretty doesn't sell it anymore, but it still remains my dream dress.

I still can't decide on whether I like the pink or the blue one more! 

The following picture was found here. 

The following picture was found here.

In my opinion, this has to be the cutest print Angelic Pretty has released! 

If I ever get my hands on a Sweet Lolita dress, I hope it's this print.

I also had a weird dream that I went to a loli's house to watch a movie, and in her house, lining the walls and hallways, were petticoats. In particular, I saw a green petticoat. Another thing I saw was the light blue Wonder Cookie! I'm wondering now if the blue one really is my favourite. The loli in my dream was really touchy about anyone who touched her loli stuff. 

Maybe that dream was telling me the future? 

Only time can tell what will happen. 

Expanding Your Manga Collection on a Budget

We all like to save money, even if it's only a few dollars. Here's a few things I've learned over the years about buying manga a little cheaper:

1.  Use an Irewards card! (Or any other book membership card!)
If you shop for your manga at Chapters, Coles, or Indigo frequently, this is ideal for you! This has saved me and my friends a lot of money. Irewards saves 10% on every book bought, so you can imagine the savings when you've bought a lot of mangas!

2. Buy at Anime Conventions!
Buying at anime conventions has saved me and my friends lots of money. When I mean lots, I mean a lot. They're much cheaper here. Anime Conventions have been known to sell mangas for as low as $5. These $5 mangas are usually second hand, but they do seem in good enough condition. In Canada, anime conventions have also sold manga for US price, in pristine store-like condition. They are in perfect condition. In the past, my friend, Anna has bought the $5 mangas, and was quite happy with the condition they were in. Being a picky person myself about the pristine condition of mangas, I have bought from Shojo Beat sellers, who sold their mangas at US price. Buying at anime conventions also can find you some rare mangas that you can't find in bookstores anymore!

^Anime North 2010's Dealer room

3. Buy from second hand stores.
My friends and I bought some mangas from Planet Hobby, which does keep their mangas in a quite fair condition.  I bought Happy Happy Clover volume 2 there, and it was definetly in pristine condition. There are mangas there in conditions I would call poor, but this is coming from a picky otaku! There are some there that I would say are in very good condition, and that I myself would buy.

4. Wait for promotions that come up!
Chapters has some promotions once in a while. They have a sale a few times a year where you buy three books, and the fourth book bought is free.

5. Buy from friends.
Some of your friends may want to get rid of some manga, and may sell it to you at a lower price.

Those are ways of saving manga that either myself or my friends have tried. I'm sure I'll have more ways of saving manga in the future. When I have more, I'll post them on here.

Strapya Samurai Earpick Cell Phone Key chain

Japan has come up with yet another invention that I don't think anyone else would have thought up of - the "Samurai Style Earpick Cell Phone Strap".

The pictures below can be found and the charm itself can be ordered here.

It's a weird and wonderful world we live in.

Daily Life of an Otaku: Buying Mistress Fortune

I bought more manga recently! Sadly, just one (cries). I went shopping with my friends Anna and Julie, who also bought manga! Who bought the most out of the three of us? Of course, Anna, who LOVES her books. She bought seven of them today. She has been known to shop for fifteen in a single day. Crazy, isn't it?

*Sorry for the poor cell phone quality!

Left to Right: Julie's pile, Anna's pile, and my pile. Ha, mine and Julie's aren't even piles.

^There's Anna's pile of manga! She's known for buying 15 in a day. Shocking, isn't it? She decided to tone down on the costs lately.

^Left to right is Julie's, Anna's and mine. We exhausted the store's supply within a day!


The sypnosis at the back reads:
     
       "Fourteen year-old Kisaki Tachikawa has psychic powers. She works for PSI, a secret government agency that fights aliens. She's in love with her partner Giniro, but PSI won't allow operatives to get involved. Just when Kisaki thinks she may be getting closer to Giniro, she finds out she's going to be California!"

It's by the famous Arina Tanemura! Of course, in my opinion, it was awesome! I give it a rating of 4 out of 5. My sister loved it, and I think a lot of people would too, because of its humour and story. I reccomend this manga to everyone! (Especially since the graphics are cute!)

Here's a couple of pictures of the posters at the back: (Again, I apologize for the ugly cell phone quality.)

I love Tanemura-sensei's art!

I'll be posting more updates of mangas I buy in the future!