Maguro is:

1) Japanese for tuna

2) The name of an upcoming J-Drama about life on a fishing boat

3) All of the above.

The correct answer is – 3.

Some other TV comments. Couple of nights ago was one of those brilliant variety shows where they make stars do stupid crap. It was a “hidden talent show.” Eight boy band guys were made to do a very energetic and athletic Chinese Lion dance. They were simply spectacular, especially considering they had weeks to practice. The show host ended the show by playing the William Tell Overture on a xylophone. One female star did a kama routine and Beat Takeshi tap danced brilliantly. Is there NOTHING Beat Takeshi cannot do??

Today began very relaxedly, with a few episodes of Major, a baseball anime, then we wandered over to Shibuya to meet Bruce and head out to geek.

So, here was the deal. I was completely convinced that I wouldn’t be buying anything. I mean – I already spent a fortune on doujinshi, what was left?

Then I hit Animate and remembered – light novels. Bruce had suggested we use his room as a HQ in case I bought more heavy anvils than I could carry around. When I staggered out of Animate with a pile of novels, I suggested we drop the anvils back at his room. :-)

We had a short break (shopping takes work, you know it does!) and headed over to where the Shibuya Mandarake is located. On the way we decided to stop at a ramen place, because I haven’t had ramen yet in Tokyo. I’m not sure why I haven’t yet since I like ramen, and I was suddenly in the mood. So we stopped at a place that had three seats (lunctime in Shibuya…you find three seats) and the guy behind the counter, in very good English, explained what I could read on the sign – what ramen was what and which was most popular. We ordered three bowls of the most popular, which was exceptionally yummy.

Then we hit Mandarake. And I remembered that I have several other problems besides doujinshi and light novels. There’s my thing about gashopon…and Drama CDs…I couldn’t stop myself. LOL

For a person who wasn’t going to get anything, I bought an awful lot. Got some light novels, a few manga, some doujinshi that filled in a few holes, the KnM and Onegai Friends Drama CDs, and some of the Marimite soundtracks, all of the last used, so for cheap. Which didn’t make the final bill less gag-a-riffic. LOL

We then headed out to the Meiji shrine, since Bruce hadn’t ever been. To say it was mobbed would be horribly understated, but there you go – it was mobbed. Pattie and Bruce threw money at the god, then we rode the people ride for a while, Bruce tried a stick of dango at the inevitable foods tents, and we crossed the Jingubashi to Harajuku to go to Book-Off. On the way, we passed a zillion food booths, and wifey and I shared a chocolate and sprinkles covered rainbow banana, and I made Bruce drink sweet sake, which tasted like a sake shake. It was kind of weird, and kind of good. (I’ve figured out how to make Bruce do stuff. All I have to say is, “it’s traditional to xxx at yyyy” and he says, “Oh, then I should do it” and does.)

The crowd was incredible, but we finally made it to Book-Off. Where my poor wife crashed. She sat around while Bruce and I shopped, but they really didn’t have anything I wanted. We cut our shopping time, because she was really having issues walking, so we rode the people ride back into the station.

Wifey continued on to our hotel, but Bruce and I went back to his place to get all my anvils, where he (nice guy that he is) pretty much asked if he could accompany me back to help me carry stuff. I carried my own stuff, but he brought a big bag of his own to ship out from here tomorrow. We decided on a combi dinner – those two had curry nikkuman and curry rice and I had the most awesome pasta salad w/peanut sauce and pork.

There is a NY-style bagel place downstairs, so tomorrow for brekkie we’re going to try bagels and coffee NY-style. Bagels are my breakfast every single morning at home, so it feels kind of comfy to contemplate a bagel here in Tokyo.

We started to fade and Bruce left, leaving us watching yet another crack-TV show. Today the stars are cooking (Maguro!, no kidding – it’s a promo for the drama) and one of the women was also on the hidden talent show where she had done that blindfolded kama routine. Now she’s cooking something elaborate and doing a bang-up job. Kama and cooking – I want to marry her. :-) Aoki Sayaka. Expect a proposal shortly. There’s also a woman on this show in kimono and a mohawk. I like the look.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten about a million things I saw today, but this TV show is taking over my brain.

Tomorrow, more geeking and one last shrine. I’ll tell you why tomorrow. LOL