(Ms.) Tomo Kimura’s Translation/Tokyo Notes

The shop manager of 6%Dokidoki invited me to visit their store before I saw the show. She showed me around the store, and showed me some of their popular items.

This candy necklace had sold out after Shokotan (the idol Nakagawa Shoko) had mentioned it on her blog:

These candy clips had appeared in KERA:

These ribbon clips were items made for the Visual Show:

And a photo of one of the shop girls who was working that day:

You can see more photos of the show from here. Click on the “アルバムバージョンはこちら” to see larger photos.

I bought a copy of this magazine after seeing a big poster announcing its first issue at the bookstore. It’s out as an “extra issue” of nadesico, which is a street fashion magazine.

There are lolita-related features, such as fashion coordinates featuring lolita items, a guide to the Laforet basement floor, a Japan expo report with reader snaps and Baby tea party photos, and a catalogue of Alice goods.

What’s different from, say, a typical issue of the G&L Bible or Kera are that the cover model is a popular TV/centerfold idol, none of the reader models are regulars who appear in the G&L Bible or Kera (Kokusyokusumire does appear in an article featururing blouses.), reader snaps are girls wearing street fashion, and hair&makeup features look like something you’d find in other teen magazines.

A lot of the coordinates using lolita items are casual/dressed-down.
So for example, you have a model wearing a Baby dress + a sweat parka + lace leggings + silver metallic sneakers.

The impression I got was that the magazines is targeted at girls who might be curious about lolita fashion and its items, but are hesitant to suddenly go for the full look.

On the back it says the next issue will be out in January, but it doesn’t say whether the magazine will be published regularly.

I was at Studio Cube 326 yesterday for this event, yesterday being a national holiday here. The concept of this event is: “Tokyo Alice, an avant-garde state by Tokyo girls for Tokyo girls. A choice cult program which reflects the reality of girls in Tokyo, and fired at this chaotic, difficult-to-live world. A romantic and homey Tokyo Girls’ State provided for girls who have nowhere to go.”

I was there for the second half, so I saw two lives. Zombie Lolita was a death metal band where girls wear lolita clothes and paint their face like zombies. And shout. Urbangarde started out sounding somewhat like Pizzicato Five, but in the next song, the male vocalist started throwing packets of condoms into the audience, shouting “Protect your virginity!” (@_@)

In between was a burlesque show where the dancer ended up in just her purple bra and thong (and you could see a big butterfly tattoo just above the thong on the back). She was one sexy lady (^^)

Together with the DJ time, the event was an interesting mix of various performances.

The second novel is titled “Vampire Knight - The Noir Trap”, written by the author of the first novel. This volume contains three stories. In one story, you get to see why Zero decides to attend senior high after all. The other two stories feature Shindo-san　(the girl who tries to give Valentine chocolates to Zero) and the class rep.

This volume contains four chapters (instead of the usual five) and two side stories. You finally get to read the side story that was published in LaLa DX right after the episode where Shizuka dies was published in LaLa. (The two should be read as a set, as it explains things from Shizuka’s point of view).

Hino-sensei mentions in a sidebar that Part one of VK will end around Volume 9 or 10, and then Part two will start without a break.

I was at Daikanyama Unit for this live on Saturday. This unit consists of KEN.MORIOKA (ex. soft ballet) and Deguchi Masayuki (ex. Grass Valley). At his solo live in August, Moriken-san mentioned that they decided to name themselves this not after the Japan song “Gentlement Take Polaroids”, but because they wanted to do music aimed at an older audience. And the words and music reflected that. The music was a mixture of rock and pop, with some jazzy and latin songs mixed in too. The majority of the audience was late thirtyish-early fortyish, so it looked like they were right on target.

Is out.

maruione will be hosting a “Vampire Knight Anime Fair” from 10/25-11/9 at their event space on the 5th floor. Anime cels and manga illustrations will be on display. 50 “Vampire Knight Coats”, designed by Eigo Takada, designer of ZOESTYLES will be on sale as well.