Archive for The Jumping Box
アンパンマン！！！
アンパンマン is a famous cartoon series in Japan. アンパンマン is everywhere. アンパンマン = anpanman.
an -> bean paste
pan -> bread
anpan -> japanese sweet bread or bun filled with bean paste
anpanman -> man with anpan head
アンパンマン is everywhere.
At the end of summer we went to the park near my apartment to light firecrackers. One of the firecracker sets was anpanman themed. It came with glasses through which all light sources turned into anpanman’s head.
Anpanman’s head is removable. When fighting evil, he can give it to friends in need of food. Then a new head is baked. I think by Jam Ojisan (Uncle Jam). Anpanman does not need to eat because his head is a continuous source of food.
Anpanman’s friends are also food related. My favorite is Melonpanna. Her head is a Melon bun…yummy. I don’t know if she can detach it or not. I suggest reading more about the cartoon and its various characters.
This is inflatable anpanman in Asakusa:
but come to Japan and you can find anpanman everywhere.
the new doctor who
You might recall that Doctor Who came back to tv last year. The newly regenerated doctor (Christopher Eccleston) replaced the last timelord (number 8 and Paul McGann in a 1996 television movie) but cut things short and it had to be written that he would die at the end of the season. This year the new new doctor is back - number 10 - David Tennant.
The premiere, The Christmas Invasion, was shown on CBC this past Monday. I was a little skeptical over the new doctor but they did a really good job of easing him in. The first part of the episode concentrated more on Rose, her mother Camille, and ex-boyfriend(?) Noel. Equally distracting from my uneasiness with Tennant was the strong anti-war message put into the show. I recommend watching the episode (if you don’t think you’ll commit to the whole season : P).
In the end I decided that I will like the 10th doctor, he’s actually kind of cute. It must be the confidence and enthusiasm he displays in his role. Much more enthusiasm than Eccleston had. I think the kicker for me was the outfit he chose in the end (he spends the majority of the episode in pjs and a bathrobe). Where Eccleston donned non-descript black clothes and a dark dirty looking leather jacket (I *think* they were trying to appeal to the new millennium?? but I *think* I am off leather), Tennant is much more dashing in his brown pinstripe suit and overcoat. Oh I hope he stays on for a while. They say the doctor only has 12 lives. I wonder if they will write in some issues with the doctor facing his eventual demise.
