Whether it was the fish last night, or a combination of who knows what, my poor wife woke up today sicker than I’ve seen her in years. (I’m usually the one who ends up flattened and miserable on trips.)

Today we were planning on going to Nakano and wandering around Mandarake, but no go. She can’t leave the room.

This morning I shipped two immense and expensive boxes of stuff, one for me, one for Bruce, then I waited around for a visit from Yuricon contest winner, Anna H. She showed a little late, but it was okay, as today’s plans are basically “hope wifey feels better.” Anna received her prize (a spiffy “I Love Yuri” messenger bag) and we sat around for a while, then the wife threw us out so she could sleep.

Anna and I chatted for a couple of hours in a coffee place downstairs, then she left and I’m here, probably for the duration. I’ll actually get to *look* at some of the stuff I bought, LOL (I started last night with a White Rose family anthology and I have bad news for Adam Jones – the story you wanted to write about Noriko and Shimako? Already written. Luckily for you, it’s in Japanese. But it still sounded like you wrote it. lol)

If I get bored, and frankly, I doubt that, I’m very easily amused, I can always wander over to Daiba and walk around in the middle of the shopping frenzy.

In the meantime, I’m going to start reading the next anthology and eating crunch-berry flavored Biz, “For your lucky time”. See ya later.

***

Oh, and here’s one of Anna’s Comiket stories. Anna showed up here wearing an ecletic outfit that proclaimed her lesbian otakudom loudly, with visuals. As she is a lovely young woman, she could easily get away with the outfit. (It looked a bit to me, like she was a walk-on for Mork and Mindy. I know no one but Sean will get the reference, but that’s what she looked like. That or a gay otaku Strawberry Shortcake.) Anyway, Anna wanted to take pictures up in the Cosplay area, but everywhere she went, they kept directing her to where cosplayers should go. She kept protesting that she wasn’t cosplaying. Once up in the cosplay area, she snapped about two pictures before she was mobbed by people who wanted to take her picture. She’s like, sure, but I’m not cosplaying!! LOL In the end, she only managed to get a few pictures of her own. :-) (I got a pic of her today…I’ll upload it along with the others when I get home and have energy.)

We started the day by heading off to Sengakuji, where the 47 ronin are buried. It was a lovely shrine, but more importantly, it was really quite moving. You can buy incense bundles and leave a stick at each stone. There were dozens of people doing that, and it had a cumulative effect that was very powerful.

On the way out we found what are quite possibly the most amazing things I’ve ever seen – Hello Kitty phone straps, 47 Ronin version. No kidding. Every one of the ronin are replicated as a small, beribboned cat, with a matching bell and phone cord. It was breathtaking. We bought a handful, because they were simply too…yeah. I’m keeping Oishi kitty for myself.

Then we took a ride halfway around the city to Ikebukuro, where, as we got off the train I said, “Tadaima.” I love Ikebukuro and once standing in the middle of the hub and bub, I was reminded why. It’s so alive and yet not overwhelming like Shibuya or Shinjuku.

We decided to find lunch, something not easy at lunchtime in the middle of the week, but we ended up at a Denny’s. ^_^ It’s one of my secret vices…I love Denny’s. The wait was long and hot (every single store in Tokyo is overheated to excess, I have no idea why) but we got seated at last and had a really bizarre and eclectic meal that was great – especially the french fries with taromasalata dip. That was soooooo good.

Fed and energized we headed, at last, for our mecca.  Starting at the far end of Otome road, we hit up K-Books comic-kan, where I spent way freakin’ more that I expected to, mostly in anthologies. Then the wife did the BL doujinshi stores, and I watched the steady stream of women pour down from the train station at a regular every three minutes or so, as trains arrived. Bruce and I did a quick stint in the back with the Marimite doujinshi, but I did manage to find an Aria Alicia x Akira book I was really coveting.

Then onto Lashinban and K-Books stuff stores, where some gashapon inexplicably found their way into my bag and, at last, into Animate. Where we spent 2 hours in blistering heat and more money on myself than I usually spend in a year. What can I say…Drama CDs. I look sheepish as I write this, I assure you. I did find the microscopic Marimite section and got a bunch of goods, then ended up with the second volume of Aoi Hana.

There was one small section of one wall that was the “Yuri section” which made me happy. It had all of the Ichijinsha books, Shoujo Sect and a few other related manga that would be instantly recognizable to anyone who reads Okazu. It’s a small section, but hey, it *existed.*

Our bags were so heavy that Bruce asked if we had added some ingots to our anvils from yesterday. :)

Honest to god, I never expected to buy this much…it’s really embarrassing. ^_^;

On the way back to the train we passed an add for coffee “Meister Bland.” So close, yet so far.

We decided, as it’s Bruce’s last night in town, to do something special for dinner. So we went to an Irish pub. ^_^

The whole place was manufactured to look like a smoke-stained Irish pub, with the collected works of George Bernard Shaw on the shelves and Guiness ads everywhere. I had a Strongbow, which made me nostalgic for the UK, and beef and Guiness stew, with enoki and shitake mushrooms, which was delicious. Bruce and the wife had fish and chips. It’s was a little weird, but kind of nice. I wished for a piece of bread, though, to sop up the gravy.

Went back to the room, where were uncovered all our treasures for the day, then Bruce took his leave. Tomorrow, we go to Nakano, where I really, REALLY, don’t plan on buying more. ^_^;

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