All of my time is spent studying these days. We had a revision test after reading week and I got a 95.4/100 that almost made me cry because I thought it wasn’t good enough. I’m aiming for at least 98 if not more. It’s not about the actual grade or being top of the class, all I want is to be really, really good at japanese.

I also have two essays to write before Christmas break. I’ve always been really bad at essays. I’m far too frank to keep blabbing on like these require and reach 2500 words when I can say all I want in 500. I’m doing two academic book reviews, one on a book about anime and one on meiji era literature.

I haven’t done any doll work in ages, save for the ongoing and never ending reroots of death. It’s a good thing I stopped taking commissions when I did for they would be my demise. I am however planning a Christmas custom and new Blythe outfits soon. Keep an eye out!

I am also in the process of thinning out my doll collection because it’s really gotten a bit much. So I will be listing many nice things on ebay soon. By the way thanks to lots of you who have signed up on the mailing list lately, you’ll be getting all the news first! :)

Off to study tomorrow’s kanji now.

I received the new Sopor Aeternus EP yesterday – oh the joy! Been waiting very impatiently for this. I was very happy to find it continues in the style of the two previous records which is by far my favourite Sopor sound. It is part of a trilogy named A triptychon of ghosts (El Sexorcismo de Anna-Varney Cantodea).

My brother had made two predictions – that it would be full electronic and that she’d move away from the camp thematology of the previous two records. He was wrong with both. Apart from some atmospheric synths, it’s all strings, brass and woodwinds as usual and the lyrics include themes like piss and cocks. Haha.

I bet all the pretentious goths must be livid, they’ll want her to go back to singing about death and suicide and cry in every song. Which is quite ironic really because the thematology hasn’t really changed, only the approach.

I got evvvvverything.

It includes a DVD with a shocking epic 10min long video. I was biting my hands not to scream when I first watched it, really affecting indeed.

I feel bad for putting an mp3 up days after it was released but I think more people should be introduced to her wonderful, wonderful music.
Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows – A strange thing to say

The second Shiki opening theme is out! It’s pretty epic though it sounds more suitable for Rozen Maiden than Shiki.

Kanon x Kanon – Calendula requiem

Meanwhile Shiki has become one of my favourite anime ever, though it gets more and more depressing with every episode.

Anime based on a 1976 manga by Keiko Takemiya. Absolutely stunning! Though I didn’t find it remotely as touching as The song of wind and trees.

竹宮 惠子さまはすごいですね。このアニメはほんとうにきれいですが、ちょっとつまらない。「風と木の詩」のほうが好きです。

なっとうがだーーーいすき。

I eat natto almost every morning. I hope it makes me a bit smarter. :P

今年５００かんじをならいます。毎週２５あたらしいかんじを勉強します。

This year we’re learning 500 kanji (25 per week). We must learn 2000 by the end of the course, the accepted minimum in Japan.

かしわぎせんせい！みんなのいちばんすきなせんせい。

Everyone’s favourite teacher and the department’s star, Kashiwagi-sensei. She is so wonderful. I mean, you can even see in this picture how kind she is. She always looks at us this way. I’ve never met such a wonderful teacher. She is so, so strict too. Really makes you want to do well. She is also a genius and really funny.

かしわぎせんせいのへやと宿題のフォルダー。

SOAS is super strict about deadlines and Kashiwagi-sensei even more so. If we don’t hand in the homework in class it needs to go in there by 4 in the afternoon. Every day’s homework must be handed in the next day and you get told off if you do things ahead of time, because everything is designed to such precision and timing is important.

Writingクラスの宿題。

At first glance this looks like it’s full of mistakes but actually those swirly things mean “very good” in Japanese education. It was a bit of a shock when I first saw them.