J's Chimes: Touhou Monopoly...

Its bound to happen that the famous board game of all would come into anime customizations with the help of Touhou fan artists. Nicely done I must say and could even be used as a real Monopoly game board... Just simple click on the picture to enlarge and print it out. lol.


Monopoly has certainly come a long way and had most certainly played it when I was a kid. Though the original board looks like this, Monopoly has come into collaboration with many popular titles such as Star Wars to Transformers to create a board game of such. Well whatever the case, the Touhou version kinda looks nice...

J's Chimes: Dead Island

With the success of other zombie or apocalyptic games like Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising to Dead Space, it seems like a new type of survival horror game is in the works somehow. Titled Dead Island, the apocalypse now takes place on an island resort. Not much other details are given though expect that this would be another FPS game.


It is yet unclear when will this game be release but it would be the next best thing in zombie warfare after Left 4 Dead. Hopefully, there would be more reviews on such in the coming days ahead.

J's Chimes: Kaomoji & Emoticons

Emoticons (emotional icons) are used to compensate for the inability to convey voice inflections, facial expressions, and bodily gestures in written communication. Some emoticons are better known as "smileys." Emoticons can be very effective toward avoiding misinterpretation of the writer's intents. In Japan, such emoticons known as Kaomoji Emotions are quite a norm in messages as a better way of expressing one's thought or feelings. Like they say, a picture speaks a thousand words. Some examples are as seen below...

m(_ _)m – I’m sorry. If you look good you’ll see a man nodding his head.

(^_^)/ – I’m excited.

(^_^;) – I’m uncomfortable/embarrassed. A man with a drop of sweat on his face.

(>^_^)> ( ;_;) <(^_^<) – several emoticons together meaning two friends hugging their crying friend, or actually laughing at him.

>_< – Something on my mind.

T_T – crying.

@_@ – puzzled.

=^.^= – a cat.

There are many different variations and types of Kaomoji, some which requires a Japanese Input keyboard to type out the symbols for it. Kaomoji are also commonly use in sites like Facebook or even when talking to your friends. Yup they do originated here....

J's Chimes: Japanese Culture In Other Countries...

Anime and such aren't just popular in Japan, but also to other parts of the world as well. One such example would be Finland where this news and documentary titled Uutimixi tells us about the increasing popularity of this culture in their own country and such has led to fashions such as Lolita outfits and such worn there. Sometimes just thinking about it is amazing... And to think many people weren't very much in tune with the Japanese culture...

J's Chimes: Single On V. Day...

Once again the much dreaded Valentine's Day has come once again to haunt all singles out there and making people like us emo for the next 14hrs (Time may differ from different countries...) So what the heck could you do to make this a pleasant day without worrying over something like this? Perhaps this 10 tips may help you...

1. Stay Home, Stay Home And Stay Home

Perhaps the most effective way of not getting all emo is to stay at home... Valentine's Day is definitely not a day for singles to be walking around crowded streets filled with loving, hugging couples. There is no temptation at home, only your own stuff to keep you from having crazy thoughts.

2. Play A Game, Surf The Internet, Watch Some Videos

Things like playing a game or just surfing the internet for your favourite stuff might keep you from thinking about Valentine's Day. Time flies when you do just that and you'd realize that there are some things better than V. Day... Spoil yourself and play for longer hours to keep yourself occupied...

3. Avoid The News Or Any Other Forms Of Media On This Day...

I for so am 100% sure that something in regards to Valentine's Day would be aired on tv or any other forms of media, whether it is the news or some advertisements. So do stay away from such for just a day and your thoughts will not go wild then.... Rent a video, or just watch YouTube for some other forms of entertainment.

4. Get Busy With Your Hobby

Whether it's watching an anime, fixing up your Gundam model or taking photographs of your anime models, do something you like and continue to indulge in your hobby so that your spirits are lightened. It's never a dull moment playing with your passion...

5. Pamper Yourself, Order Pizza And Do Some Self Maintenance

Pamper yourself for today. Order some expensive food to eat, go to a spa, enjoy yourself as much as you can so that you know you are worth it. Make yourself happy instead of sulking on this ordinary day.

6. Buying Something Expensive For Yourself

Been saving your money for a rainy season? This is the one so it's ok to spurge now and buy something expensive for yourself so that you'd be happy. Get that item you'd always dream of... Pre-order your favourite toys or accessories. So now you'd have something to think of instead of some day like today...

7. If You Have A Pet, Play With It...

Your pets will bring you bundles of joy on this very day because when you show affection to it, it loves you more in return. Perhaps one of the best substitute for the crave of love for the time being. What other living things could give you joy now that you are alone on this very day being single?

8. Clean Up Your Room, Learn A New Skill, Do Something New

A good day to do something new for a change. Learn to cook, clean the house or even do some DIY for your own home. Learning to do something new is fun and obtaining a new skill could help you in your future endeavors through life... You may never know when you gonna need them and could come in handy...

9.Count Sheeps, Take A Nap Or A Good Sleep...

The best way to get through this dreaded day? Sleep! Yup... Time flies real fast when ya sleep. Forget about this ordinary day. Dream something nice. Rest your body well to prepare yourself for the next day....

10. Tell Yourself It Only Lasts For 24 Hours And Nothing More...

What the heck... Let's get this over and done with... Valentine's Day only last for a day and nothing more. It's just an ordinary day, a day that only happens once a year. Ya still got another 364 more days to be happy so why not just ignore this day for once? Perhaps this might straighten you up and look forward to the coming days ahead instead of just this...

J's Chimes: R18 Dubbing Isn't Easy...

Voice over or dubbing isn't an easy task than what you guys would think it is and especially so if it's a pornographic film. Not only do you need to find an appropriate voice actor or actress for the job, you'd need to prepare a script for them and also to timed the recordings for each part due so that the film's lip moments tend to match with the dubs whatsoever... The worse would be the emotions and feelings to be taken to consideration when acting on certain parts...


The differences between dubbings and subbings would probably be obvious due to the fact where subs are only a translation of a certain language in the show into subtitles for us to understand... Whereas dubs would require much more extensive work to be done. Probably the worse type would be to dub in sexual contents where seiyuus would need to act and voice it out... perhaps a shocking video below would explain how its done...

The video below contains scenes of sexual contents so you may wanna refrain from watching if it does offend you in some ways or another...


Shocking as it is, that would probably be how its done... So its is truely amazing what voice actors been through training their voices for such. That's why I really respect them for their really hard work and especially so in animes where exaggerations and emotions can be felt from the actions...


Perhaps the best explanation would be to watch the anime titled Koe De Oshigoto! as it depicts how voice acting of such genres are difficult. Somehow or rather YouTube still have the first episode so you might wanna watch it...

J's Chimes: It Pays To Know Ingrish...

One of the many reasons why knowing how to read and write in English is important not only in our own country, but in others as well. Perhaps some really cool designs or writings may turn out to be what you least expect it it be...


And seriously, do check into a dictionary if you just aren't really sure enough what that particuar word means on your T-shirt. You might offend someone and especially so to people who knows that language...

J's Chimes: Merlion Maddness...

For better or for worse, it seems like Singapore's one and only Merlion has become quite a target for manga artists and even animes. Often these are use in rather comedic moments which somehow amazes even me that it could be made into something... humorous.


Sure is creative for artists to compare drunkards with it... Not an everyday thing to see some Singapore themed items or stuffs used in Japanese mangas...


Once again, this anime titled Seitokai No Ichizon surprises me when the Singapore Merlion and the flag suddenly appears out of nowhere...

J's Chimes: May The Force Be With You...

A Star Wars Parody Commerical too good not to pass... I just love commercials like this don't you? However sometimes I wonder how will Lucafilms reacted to such though. I guess paying tribute to this epic movie certainly has its advantages and had gathered more than 21 million views worldwide in YouTube...

J's Chimes: 2D To 3D Again...

Once again Japan AV Industries decided to copy the anime Mayoi Neko Overrun and make it into an adult film. A rough comparison can be seen as of above and certainly catching the eyes of fans from this anime and genre... Yet again another shima pantsu scene and characters that doesn't seem to match the anime. Not too fond of animes turned 3D and especilly so if its a pron production. 2D animation still looks better nonetheless... With the new season animes out sometime ago with Gosick, Freezing, Yumekui, etc, I would not be surprise if any of those are to become the target of the AV industries yet again soon...

J's Chimes: Sexy Art

And just when you thought this drawing is R18, an artist works a little magic and changes it into something exceptionally amazing... Perhaps next time you could learn from him and do this to your friends too... They may be offended a little but will soon be awed by your amazing 'creativity'...

J's Chimes: Samsung ST100

After an amazing Chinese New Year Celebrations, we went to bought a brand new camera for use with casual photography purposes. So as to say, we needed a compact camera besides the Canon EOS550D DSLR... Stumble upon the Samsung ST100 which is very impressive for a compact camera...


And the best part? Probably because of the New Year Celebrations, this camera is sold at a fantastic price of SGD$399... Yup, we did check around various shops and such and found our that it would be normally price at a retail of at least $450 and above and some were sold at SGD$579 instead... The Samsung ST100 is a 14.2 Megapixel camera with a 5X Zoom and touch screen interface. But there's more...


Yup, the Samsung ST100 has a dual screen capability which allows you to take personal shots from the front. Not only that, you can actually view photos from the front too...


And the best of all would be that the interface is complete touchscreen. The camera also has the ability to edit photos too which makes it so useful and amazing. With HD recording ready, it's seriously worth your money...


One of my personal favs is the editing mode. You could edit the picture using the camera directly. Dun like your current shots? How about spicing it up a bit...


A vignetting edit mode for the Samsung ST100. There are a lot of editing features for this camera and it certainly adds value to it. This compact camera could surprising take closeup shoots too clearly like a DSLR so am pretty happy with the results... Time for a little trial run outside...

J's Chimes: The New Portable NGP

The next generation portable gaming console known as the NGP, will be the next new thing to be released by Sony later this year. As impressive as it is, the NGP comes wih analog joysticks just like the PS3 controller. It is also a bit bigger than the ordinary PSP and features more resolutions that brings about sharper images and gameplay. However, it is been review that such comes with a price...


The NGP does not allow battery changing and is sealed tight just like the Iphone. With its battery life of 4 - 5 hours , many were concern as it does not seemed to last really long as to compared with the 3DS which has an hour more on top of it. That means that for almost every trip out with your handheld gaming console, you'd need to probably charge it frequently and almost daily for that.


However the NGP does come with many new stuff from touch screen gaming and many more.... Perhaps a short video would describe much more than I could say. Whether or not this will take off successfully depends on how Sony is able to convince the public that its well worth it despite the minor issues being address...

J's Chimes: Rise Of The China Gundam

For some ridiculous reason it seems as though the now revamped Gundam in China is gaining some popularity thanks to its amazingly original design... It goes to the point that there are even fan arts of it on websites and forums...


Somehow it has attract much attention because the design are of a mixture of various similar animes put together... Such would be Gouf, Zaku and even Mazinger.


Jokingly, some even mentioned that the actual kit of it won't be far off anything soon... Probably to pay a little tribute or to celebrate the birth of a new Gundam Suit...

J's Chimes: Custom Maid 3D Awes...

Apart from Illusion Soft, Eroge company KISS finally debuts a 3D eroge known as Custom Maid 3D. Somehow or rather, it looks similar to the title 3D Custom Girl but with additional modes as seen in the videos below. Trying to get my hands on it for a better review, other than that the graphics are somewhat astounding. What's even better is that you could customise just about anything you'd want. Perhaps a quick video would show you more...


Seems like the characters are completely customizable with this new game, eroges can't get any better than this... Remembered them being pixels and in 2D in the past but things sure change over the years...


My personal favorite would be the dance scene wich is so much like the Idolmaster style kinda game. All eyes will be on this game pretty soon because of it as Idolmaster fans will soon take notice of it soon enough. Gathering more info about this game so stay tune for more...

J's Chimes: Copy Paste & Upgrade...

Copyright infringement hits in one of China's Theme Park when it erected a complete copy of the Gundam RX-78-2 in Orange. With such, there were lots of criticism and talks about it in forums and nonetheless actions were taken to take it down... However, instead of disappearing from sight, it seems that it was given a makeover...


The actual 1/1 scale statue of the Gundam RX-78-2 was built in Odaiba as part of Mobile Suit Gundam’s 30th anniversary celebrations back in July last year. And now you could see the total resemblance of it from above.


And so it seems like they got a little creative and began gearing more accessories up... Some even said that it looks like a combination of Mazinger + Zaku with the Gundam Suit... Looks pretty weird... An so the infringement becomes invalid and a new original Gundam is born...

J's Chimes: PainStation

PainStation was created by two German designers. It’s almost a normal Pong game. But when you lose you don’t just feel the disappointment, you also feel pain. Your left hand is positioned on the Pain Execution Unit. And missing the ball results in different types of pain. You may feel heat, punches or electroshock of varying duration depending where the ball hits. The game ends when one of the players decides that he had enough pain...


A typical design of the PainStation console which is pretty much exaggerated due to its bulky unit just for a pong game... Just when you thought you could get all comfortable wriggling your joystick of your PS3, wait till you try PainStation instead...


I wonder who still wants to play Pong... One fo the most pixellated 2D classic game where you'd prevent the ball from flying out of your court... And when that happens, you get tortured in the process... Not worth it for the pain you'll be experiencing... Perhaps if you are a Sadist or Masochist, this may be something you've been looking for...


The execution unit aren't a pretty sight too... Guess you gonna get burned, electrocuted or beaten up by a machine you will soon come to hate... This game will create riots in a way or another...


And how bad were the wounds...? A little black, bruises and cuts will soon be coming to you soon playing this without fail... So maybe perhaps you might wanna expert this so that you could become a pro in torturing people without the need to do it yourself, but through a friendly little game of Pong...

J's Chimes: The Dead Are Back For More Space...

Once again the popular Survival Horror game titled Dead Space is back with a second installment. More gruesome and intense than ever, Dead Space will surely make you scream and go crazy while fighting for survival. Released on the 25 Jan 2011 this year, Dead Space 2 features both singleplayer and multiplayer mode to fight the monsters known as Necromorphs.


Engineer Isaac Clarke returns in Dead Space 2 for another blood-curdling adventure in the sequel to Dead Space 1. After waking from a coma on a massive space city known as "The Sprawl", the lone survivor of a horrific alien infestation finds himself confronting a catastrophic new nightmare. Battling dementia, hunted by the government, and haunted by visions of his dead girlfriend, Isaac will do whatever it takes to save himself and dominate the gruesome onslaught.


The game's pretty cinematic and gives a great and deadly ambiance of the infested station that crawls with the many necromorphs that roamed the place. Not every moment is calm or a safe haven as the second installment releases more terror than ever before, leaving you at the mercy of those flesh ripping monsters. Dead Space 2 currently retails at approximately SGD$58 and above so you might wanna grab a copy because its a recommended game for this year...


Yup, whatever you might see here is the actual footage and gameplay of the game. If you have yet to know what Dead Space is about, there's even a recap mode in the game mode. Or you could even simply purchase Dead Space 1 and play it as it's now a platinum hit which is priced at SGD$39.90 each. You can also visit the website here for more info. Time to survive the horror once again...

J's Chimes: McD Will Scare The Sponge Out Of You...

A certain Japanese Advert for the McDonald's Happy Meal set that was aired in Japan became a sensation all for the wrong reason. It shows some kids turned hysterical over some Sponge Bob Square Pants Toys and scream for joy in a very exaggerated way. The advertisement is high in such a way that its excessive shouting and madness has been criticize by many people that it may well scare kids away from buying a Happy Meal and the product...

J's Chimes: Ads To Touch For...

Advertisement boards are now made to touch with a seemingly eye-catching part for people to grope and laugh out loud. Guess its a promotion of a new eroge game nonetheless which explains the protruding part...


Attention getting it is, it's kinda creative in a way as we normally wouldn't thought of something like this for an ad. However due to the fact that it is placed in a seemingly dangerous area where all eyes are watching you groping a signboard...


Putting such at the electronic sensors isn't such a good idea too since people would be walking through the entrance and would be really strange to be caught groping such items in public... perhaps you should navigate to somewhere else safer?