Mistakes of Youth: The Blog (Powered by EXCELLENCE!)

Original Post

It happened kind of like this.

[22:42:56] Tatsujin: wah you should totally translate that one into Japanese for laughs
[22:43:09] wildarmsheero: if I knew Japanese

After that the guys who knew Japanese in the channel started translating it out of bordom. Here is Shingo’s translation (of the Heisei Democracy), and here is kransom’s translation (of Welcome Datacomp). Ransom’s translation isn’t very accurate at all, but I feel it really captures the spirit of the comic. And by that, I mean it’s almost all written in 2ch slang. As near as I can tell, anyway. I’ve always considered finding some way to get the comic in Japanese, but I doubt it’d garner much of a readership (according to Google Analytics I have all of 6 readers in Japan), and it’d just make me look like more of a Japanophile anyway. On to the comic itself, I’m mostly happy with the artwork. The only really problem is Rets’ hueg head in panel 3, and the layout for the last two panels. I mostly like the panel layout up to that point, but after that it looks lazy. The thing is, I wanted to put emphasis on those two images, and shrinking them so they’d fit better into the layout would lessen their impact. Who knows, maybe that abrasive panel layout helps emphasize them more. I’ll talk it over with Scott McCloud… You probably won’t get this joke if you aren’t familiar with the current slew of Hayate no Gotoku doujin coming out (it seems to be all Hinagiku…) and Japanese p2p programs with their fake files (lord knows how many times I tried to get a Kanon episode off Winny only for it to be an episode of Naruto or amateur porn.) Share works a little better for me with respect to fake files, but kransom reports often getting scat or viruses. Hence the punch line. This is probably a part 1 of 2.

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Original Post

You know maybe I should get a constant job instead of always worrying about running out of money to spend on useless crap. But enough about that, on to the comic. This is kind of extension of what I was trying to do here, but pulled off better. I was going for the Shinkai look with the sunset, and tried to pull off some neat angles. Panels 2 and 3 didn’t come out as striking as I wanted them too, but the last two turned out a little better than I had originally envisioned, so it all works out in the end. I’m trying to pump as much moe as I can out of Tina lately. I like the design of her shirt, but the skirt is a little on the eh side. Overall she kind of looks like cake, but that’s fine. The writing sounds a bit too much like an advertisement, but I find it hard to make these exchanges sound natural. Maybe because they aren’t Oh well. I promise the next comic is better. I just need to draw it.

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Original Post

Here is a comic. Will update with more in the near future. This weekend has been kinda busy.

Original Post

This comic is pretty terrible. Well, the art is anyway. The joke is fine, I suppose. I don’t see anything wrong with it. Pretty true to life, except for the fact that I’ll be quiting my own job in a day. The drawings are all wrong here, and the backgrounds are pretty bad. I’m not good with things like stores, since they demand a lot of things that look different. Me, being lazy just decided to make everything the same. Yeah, that entire aisle is cans. Cans of what? Who knows… I do kind of like the opening shot. Can you all tell that’s meant to be a fish-eye from the shelf?  I’ll really try to make the next one better, I promise.

I don’t have much to say past this. I haven’t watched any anime today, as I’ve spent all day on this, or putting up 10 Megami posters (just got 88, lots of nice posters.) In my final weeks before school, I’ll try to update the site a bit– update the character section with better drawings, add an introduction, update the reference guide, and some other things. I’ll also try to completely overhaul my artsite and edit up the Otakon podcast.

So yeah, that’s it, later.

Original Post

Was completed on the 7th, but due to a power outage (nice going DC) and me being stuck on my brother’s PS3 until after midnight, it is being posted on the 8th. I am mostly happy with the CG work, even if it didn’t turn out exactly as planned. Tried to go Shinkai with a few panels just to try that out, and it works to some degree. Drawings are pretty bleh. Seems my job has thoroughly ruined my hands. I’ll try better next time. Hope you all can tell that’s Yuuko Gotou and Aya Hirano.

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Original Post

Here is the Otakon comic. Report is now posted to the site, and can be viewed on the blog. Podcasts sometime next week if I can divine audible audio from the recording. Pictures whenever. Someone tell me a good place where I can bulk upload. Flickr?

Don’t really have much to say now. Hayate is good. Nagi is so cute. I think I may like a tsundereko, help. Need speedier Gurren Lagann subs. That’s it.

Original Post

I actually finished this about a week ago, but didn’t want to post it right off the heels of the last comic, so I decided to wait. Not sure how fresh the news is now, but it’s not a month old or anything, so I feel posting about it is relevant. For those who don’t have the slightest idea as to what the comic is about or what I’m talking about, kindly make your way over here.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is a pretty spectacular just two episodes in. It bleeds with the sexiest brand of negativity I’ve ever seen. I love it! I simply love it! Also, Shinbo’s direction is as experimental as ever. This is probably his best work already. I may actually start blogging it episode by episode and be a true blue cliche anime blogger! Hurrah! Ugh.

Gurren Lagann 16 was all recap. Nothing in the way of newly recorded lines or anything which left me a bit cold. It just felt like a long music video. The ending sequence with all the concept art was real nice though, and the post timejump footage looks promising. I’d really like some of that concept art in an artbook. Here’s hoping.

Ok, that’s all for today. Got some stuff to do. STUFF.

Original Post

Here is a comic. Updated today instead of Saturday because I wanted to get it out while the news is still kind of sort of maybe fresh. With hope a comic about the Eva movie trailer next week. The joke here is rather cliche, but I enjoy the over the top presentation. Also, it’s a Death Note parody, mostly parodying the anime. I think the art turned out better than expected. Would have liked prettier/more of Tina though, but the nature of the comic lent itself to showing Rets more, so I did. Also, here’s the podcast I forgot the upload last week. It’s kinda super old now, as we talk about Gurren Lagann from the point of view of ep 10! Chances are I’ll be recording with another guy about episode 15 and other things.

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Original Post

Was going to post this today but it kind of got lost between my dentist appointment, work and me operating on 4 hours of sleep. Anyway this was written like a week before DtB was licensed and completed just as it was licensed, hence the title. Haruhi-centric comic planned for next week, and I have about 4 weeks of ok comics planned out.

I would write more but I’m gonna write about that new awesome Shinbo show on the blog.

Original Post

Was kind of bored so I just decided to post this comic up. It’s my generic Gundam ranting, with fairly uninpsired artwork. I didn’t really have any ideas at the time, but wanted to make a comic, so I did this. It’s ok, I guess.

Oh, a podcast happened.

Been watching the Tenchi TV series lately, while neglecting new anime like Bokura No and Seirei, because quite frankly I’m not interested in either of them. I miss the look of these old 90s cel productions. They have a certain quality to them that I really dig. Kind of sad that cel animation was dumped right as they perfected it. My favourite part thus far has been the episodes devoted to Kiyone, given she is my most favourite character. The others are quite good and funny, but those Kiyone-centric ones give me warm fuzzies. She was the first 2D girl I feel in love with, after all.

Aside from watching old shows from the mid-90s, I watched Lucky Star episode 12 today. Highlights being the entire Comike part (especially with Tomokazu Sugita’s cameo) and the really surprising Godman reference right at the end. Funny stuff.

Ok, another short one this week. I have like 5000 blog posts planned out, but no time to write them.

Items I’d like to get to:

• Death Note Review
• Mid-season evaluation
• Directing in anime
• Why I love 2D girls

Anyway, that’s all for today.

Original Post

This comic isn’t very funny. It’s just me saying Gundam 00 will suck. Again. But the art is pretty so that makes up for it. Also, I think I’m making some kind of hamfisted point by having Ideon and original Gundam posters in the background but I’m not sure what exactly that point is yet. I don’t have a solid idea for next week yet which is troubling. Maybe I’ll talk about the Bokura No director, or mock Xenoglossia, or talk about Gurren Lagann. I dunno. Oh yeah, got a bit of fanart. It can be found here.

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Original Post and Comic

This comic is pretty good. A lot better than the last one. The only problems are probably the last panel, which is a touch sloppy and Rets’ eyes in panel 3. Overall I’m very happy with it. Not sure if people will get the joke right away… or at all.

A podcast is in the works. I need to edit it down so it doesn’t seem like there was a lot of lag (because there was wireless arg.) Also I just registered for Otakon. Anyone want to do a Mistakes of Youth meetup? If so please leave a comment on this entry and we’ll see about organising something.

I think I almost have a job. Maybe. I’d like to secure something soon and start making money for Otakon 2007. I plan to clean Hendane of its CCS doujins, among a few other series.

Another short rant, but I don’t have much to talk about. Blogging has sucked most rant topics away for the time being.

Original Post

This comic is drawn fucking horribly. I kind of did it in a rush after the Kodomo no Jikan stuff happened. I actually had another comic (about AX) sketched out, but I really had to do something about this. Expect the comic about AX on Saturday. Talking of Kodomo no Jikan, some friends of mine have taken up translating it, and I’m typesetting for them. Expect chapter 6 soon.

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Original Post

I meant to update yesterday, but was too busy partying and in general, acting like a jackass. Yes, I had something of a birthday celebration yesterday, though my birthday is on the 4th. Here is a picture of the loots from my very kind family.

Original Post

Tried to emulate KyoAni style with this one. Mostly tried to capture Haruhi-esque lighting. I threw in hints of blue here and there, which I think helped. The art in general is fairly good. The second panel could use some work, but overall it’s fine. The joke is kind of lame, but I wanted to expand on the Romeo X Juliet stuff a bit more. I already have the comic for next week completed. It’s pretty good, I think.

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Original Post

Honestly, why can’t they make anime like this anymore? I’d love more shows about aliens “indiscriminately attacking Earth.” Anime today doesn’t have enough APOCALYPSE. Also, I love how crudely drawn that city is, especially considering it gets obliterated a couple frames later.

Romeo x Juliet is such easy prey. The show is so fucking ridiculous and stupid that it’s basically begging to be made fun of. However, in this comic I don’t even poke fun at its absolutely absurd changes and additions to the original story. Rather, I take the easy way out by saying, “hey now people can see Romeo and Juliet fucking in dirty doujin!” Chances are dirty Romeo and Juliet stories already exist out there. Rule 34 and all that. But now there will be Romeo and Juliet anime porn. YAY! I may continue on with this train of thought for another comic, or just drop it. I’m not sure if I like the Part II I came up with. The art here is ok. I like the background for the third panel a lot. I actually sketched this one out two times. The original sketches looked something like Gurren Lagann 4, so in comparison to those these aren’t too bad.

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Original Post

Someone told me that parody falls under “fair use.” So does that mean I won’t be thrown in the slammer for directly copying Death Note dialogue and artwork? I’m quite happy with how this comic turned out. I really like the first panel. It kind of got bogged down by text, but it looks nice on its own. This marks the end of the KyoAni arc. Will go back to regular gag comics now, though the next set of comics do have a hint of continuity also… Don’t worry, I don’t plan on turning this into Megatokyo. It’s just nice to dwell on certain subjects for a little while.

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Original Post

In which I pick up from where comic 40 left off. The end of that comic doesn’t entirely suggest continuity, but hints at it and the title confirms it. I would have finished this arc back in April, but finals, Anime Boston, Gurren Lagann 4 and Genshiken II happened, so all those took priority. I suppose this little series of comics would be a bit more relevant 5 weeks ago, but that’s how things go. I already have part III finished, and that will be posted on Wednesday.

That’s all really. Kind of have a headache at the moment, so I’ll be off…

Original Post

The last two comics have been two panels simply due to time constraints. Last week I made the comic in the midst of finals, and this week I was working on two other things (one being this, the other being the second OTAKU USA comic.) This one is alright. The joke is pretty lame (and old news), but I like the first panel. Tina kind of looks like she’s falling on Rets, but other than that it’s fine. The second panel is just awkward. Totally unrelated, I finally changed the featured site and song. Check ‘em out in the sidebar.

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Original Post

Whoa, cheapshot alert. This comic isn’t very clever at all. I felt I had to do something about Genshiken 2 though, given it is Big News. Yes, I am excited about it, but if it’s going to be the quality of the previous two animated works, then I can’t help but be a little disappointed. The art here is ok, I suppose. I can do better. I want to do something about Gurren Lagann episode 4 next week, but I’m not sure if it’ll be totally Old News by then. Oh well. After that I may continue on with my short Lucky Star arc (which really feels out of date now… do people still hate it?)

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Original Post

Anime Boston sketch dump. Quick and easy. Comics like these aren’t really funny, I guess. They’re just things that happened. You kind of had to have been there to divine any kind of humour out of these situations. I’d write more about the con but I kind of forgot it all. That, and I don’t feel like it. Check this blog post instead. NSFW, btw.

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Orignal Post

I generally don’t enjoy being serious here. In fact, I generally don’t enjoy being serious at all. But sometimes, certain things just need to be addressed. I’m sure by now anyone who lives in the US would have heard about the Virginia Tech shooting. Usually something like this wouldn’t dwell in my mind for too long, but this one hit a little close to home. I have a cousin that goes to VTech. Thankfully she is ok, but it kind of made me realize that these kinds of thing do have a chance happening to me and people I know. It’s kind of a scary thought.

Anyway, moving on to more pleasant matters…

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Orginal Post

I didn’t notice until this morning that in the orginal version of this comic, Rets had six fingers in the last panel. I hastily fixed that a little while ago. It looks a little strange, but it’s better than him being a six-fingered oddity. Aside from that, I’m more or less happy with this one. Not necessarily specular, but not bad. The comic is making fun of AnimeTV. If haven’t already had the, erm, privilege of seeing it, you’re not missing much. I wrote about it on some other guy’s blog. There may be a short follow up to this comic.

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Original Post

This comic has +100 wish fufillment points! Seriously, I drew a good half of this comic entirely with my penis. I don’t know any girl anime fans, but I’m sure they don’t all have nice bodies and dress in next to nothing. Sorry. I let my imagination get the best of me! orz

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Original Post

Whoa hey, another comic! Weekly updates are kind of normal again! Too bad the artwork mostly sucks. I am mostly sad over Rets’ expression. I wanted him to wear a serious face, but each time I drew that he just looked angry. What I eventually got down is kind of weak. Ah well. I do really like how the background in panel 1 came out though. And yeah, we have lockers at our art school. They are quite handy.

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Original Post

I would so write something if I wasn’t sick of everything right now. I’ve literally been working since I’ve woke up and I’ve properly gone mad. Making this comic did calm me down a little, though. I’ve made Tina extra moe in this. Twin tails, pink hair ribbons and nail paint? MOE RIGHT. MOE. I drew up some different hair styles for her, which I am thinking of alternating between comics. Should be fun. This comic is actually funnier without the text, I find. Well, without Rets’ and Tina’s lines. Their expressions are enough. But yeah, this one is a bit of a cop out. Just one proper drawing. I’ll try to churn out something by next week, but the schedule’s looking tight…

…and I still haven’t watched Kanon 24 subbed yet. Seen it raw, though.

Related quote: “I’m surpised people are dumb enough to listen to bands like Maximum the Hormone” — TheGreatSG

Original Post

Yeah, I don’t feel like making an avatar for this week.

I think I’m allowed to be stupid every now and again. I mean, I’m not going to lie, this comic is fucking stupid. Certain comics have been stupid, but this is just… really stupid. Why is Tina even crying? That site had little to nothing for girls. Please, take this comic as a very “what if” situation. Which is to say, pretend that it didn’t really happen. Or something. Though, I did really wanted to do something about danbooru, given its significance to US Otaku culture. Sure, we have sagubooru now, but danbooru was the original, and must be remembered. Anyway, writing woes aside, I do like the artwork. I especially like how Ikeda’s face came out in the last panel (also, yes, he did make an appearance in a previous comic.) I enjoy drawing men in suits for some reason, so the guys were fun to draw. I had fun drawing Tina, too. I don’t know much about dresses, so when it comes to drawing them, I just draw something sexy that I’d fap to, which is exactly what I did here. Sexual fantasy ftw :3

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Orignal Post

Sorry for the delays. I’ll try to make a comic by next week, but I’m swamped with projects… Oh, you want to know about Mistakes of Youth being published, don’t you? Ok. I take it you all read Patrick’s blog (and if you don’t you suck.) Well, if you do read his blog, you’d know that he is now the editor in cheif and an upcoming magazine called Otaku USA. What does this have to do with me? Well, I’ll be making a comic for each issue. They didn’t really put any creative constraints on me, so I think it’ll be fine so long as each comic is funny. So, with that in mind, I’ve just decided to make it a print version of Mistakes of Youth. Now, the comics in Otaku USA will not be the comics on the site for a variety of reasons. One reason is, the size. When I make comics for the site I do the comic construction work in 72 dpi (character art is done in 300 dpi though.) For the magazine, I have to do everything in 300 dpi. Also, given this is a general audiences magazine, the jokes can’t be as obscure as they are here. Sure, I’ll still be rude and angry, but I’ll just talk about more general anime related things. It’s kind of like what Ian did for Inside Mac Gaming a few years back. I’m in the dark as to what the rest of the magazine will be like, so I’ll be as surprised as you all are when it first hits. Please check it out once it hits in June!

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Not sure how “weekly” updates are going to be, though. There are some standalone pieces of art I want to get done, and doing those will eat into comic time. I don’t want to have Mikuru opening her ass on the front page of my site forever!

I have four weeks worth of comic ideas ready to go! I’d like to get eight, but four is good! But, I still need a break. Just in general. Expect regular updates in a week or so.