{"@attributes":{"version":"2.0"},"channel":{"title":"Abyss of Obsessions","link":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/","description":"Abyss of Obsessions - LiveJournal.com","lastBuildDate":"Fri, 23 Oct 2015 18:15:54 GMT","generator":"LiveJournal \/ LiveJournal.com","copyright":"NOINDEX","image":{"url":"https:\/\/l-userpic.livejournal.com\/102059796\/365395","title":"Abyss of Obsessions","link":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/","width":"100","height":"100"},"item":[{"guid":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/656727.html","pubDate":"Fri, 23 Oct 2015 18:15:54 GMT","title":"One Year Later (lol)","author":"maiki","link":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/656727.html","description":"Heya all, it's been a year. Been trying to login here but I kept mistaking my password, which caused LJ to lock me out thus demotivating me from coming back here for a few times already. So I finally reset my password this time.

Life update wise, the webcomic gig went down the drain because MangaMagazine\/Inkblazers closed down and I became busier with my production manager job anyway. I just... overall draw less and less now, so I'm not in the best shape in regards to that. I play games mostly after I finish work but nothing new there.

If you're wondering which games exactly, it's FF14 and some Falcom titles (Zero no Kiseki, Tokyo Xanadu, etc...). I played and enjoyed Tales of Zestiria a lot earlier this year and it finally came to the west a few days ago, so congrats NA and Europe! Enjoy the yaois and debate all you want. I also really like the visual novel series \"fault\"<\/a>, if anyone digs that genre.

Hmm. Work and games. That pretty much describes my life now, I suppose.","comments":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/656727.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/656638.html","pubDate":"Thu, 03 Jul 2014 15:11:16 GMT","author":"maiki","link":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/656638.html","description":"Hello. I recently remembered of LJ and thought I'd give an update for the heck of it since I'm in the mood.

Since my last public post, I worked as a storyboard artist in a local animation studio for 2 years but the project I was mostly in is being broadcasted only in India TV, go figure. After that I quit and focused on freelancing, which strangely became a juggle between illustrating, storyboarding, JP-ENG interpreting and event-managing as volunteer work (we did Comic Art Festival KL<\/a> last June).

I got tired of freelancing\/volunteering though, so now I'm back to having a full-time job as production manager for a 3D production studio. This time no more drawing, just mostly translating Japanese into English. Only worked there for 2 weeks but it's a pretty cool place so far. :)

Last year I've also started a webcomic series called Sorcery Club<\/a>. It's popular enough to give me USD20 per month, thankfully. I'm still playing video games on my PS3 and Vita, I still read manga and watch anime. Besides one personal life drama, not much has changed in the past 3 years. XD I'm still mainly active on twitter<\/a>. (I'm still loudly fangirly as usual)

Hope everyone here is still doing fine. :)","comments":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/656638.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/645852.html","pubDate":"Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:27:36 GMT","title":"Home not-quite-sweet home","author":"maiki","link":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/645852.html","description":"Hello, I've been back in Malaysia for the past 3 weeks. For good.

I've graduated from university but didn't attend our graduation ceremony nor have a graduation certificate to show because my parents decided that, due to aftermath of that M9 earthquake has turned Tokyo into a place that was not quite safe (but seriously, things weren't as bad as they kept exaggerating on CNN), we should leave Japan and get back to Malaysia as early as we could. I didn't want to leave Tokyo, at least not that early but all my arguments against my mother were never heeded.

I had the most hectic last 3 days of my life in Japan. That was the amount of days left we had before our new flight departure time. I had to settle unpaid bills that still wouldn't arrive at the time, went for a job interview, return borrowed items to faraway friends and many more other matters, and this was back when trains were scarce because of the post-quake scheduled power downtimes and more mess. I don't know how I survived those 3 days but I did. At least I had a blast one day by meeting up with one of my favourite mangaka (who happens to be obsessed with Glee too right now).

It feels great how I could catch a breather ever since I reached Malaysia (and actually still laze around for almost a month since, lol) but I still hate life here. I would elaborate more on that but a long life history rant will be needed, and that's not something I wanna do at 2am so I'll spare you from that for now.

Still, life isn't all downsides anyway. Those who know me enough knows that if life gives me lemons, I make ultra sweet lemon juice out of them. Besides living a very repressed life under the same roof as my parents (not right now though, they went on a 10-day pilgrimage at Mecca), I've been job-hunting while also lazing around doing things that make me happy. Been busy meeting up with relatives and catching up with friends too.

That's all for now I guess. Heh, this turns out to be a boring update. Sorry that I couldn't reply to everyone in the previous entry where I updated on my post-quake status but thank you so much for your comments. :)","comments":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/645852.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/645613.html","pubDate":"Sat, 12 Mar 2011 00:49:12 GMT","author":"maiki","link":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/645613.html","description":"Just saying hi to everyone and to say I'm safe in Japan, along with my parents who happened to be visiting me at this time. It's very miraculous timing 'cause I'm not alone throughout all this confusion and I just happen to be preparing to move out of this apartment so my huge wall of books are already gotten rid of by the time we got that big 8.8 magnitude earthquake.

Anyway, I don't have furnitures in this apartment anymore so I'm staying at a hotel (my parents insisted on it). Couldn't bring my laptop yesterday so that's why I couldn't use the Internet much, but I've been tweeting a bit through my cellphone at least.

Saitama seems to be safe from any big tremors for now. Anyway, gotta go back to preparing for moving now.

Hoping I get to hear from <\/a>festivewind<\/b><\/a><\/span> who's at Sendai but I can't get a hold of her since yesterday. :( Prayers to everyone else getting affected by the earthquakes and tsunami.","comments":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/645613.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/644809.html","pubDate":"Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:38:22 GMT","title":"Glee 2.14 \"Blame It on the Alcohol\"","author":"maiki","link":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/644809.html","description":"Just wanna leave a comment before I leave for errands.

I'm starting to get annoyed over people ranting how this episode was showcasing biphobia when that didn't even come across my mind at all when I was watching it. I know Kurt has said some things but I don't think he meant it in a biphobic way but rather on his personal value towards Blaine, but it's probably just me and people are gonna get sensitive over any fucking thing on this show anyway. >:\/

I was hoping that since they're discussing about bisexuality in this episode, maybe they'd open up a gateway for Finn somewhere but looks like no, so I guess Finn's really gonna stick to being straight and I really should stop looking forward to him turning bi. *sigh* Things were so much easier when you ship two straight guys together in a fiction where nobody's gay...

Besides annoying fan reactions (really, I wonder why I made myself look for them and I just remembered that I initially wanted to see people fangirling over Finn and Kurt finally in the same screen together but alas, people got too sensitive over other matters), I really loved how chaotic this episode is.

Eric Stoltz should direct every Glee episode. Period.<\/a>

EDITTED @ 24\/2:
I found some good articles discussing the bisexuality arguments on this episode so I figured it'd be better to plug them instead:
http:\/\/chrisinthebigcity.tumblr.com\/post\/3477738337\/<\/a>
http:\/\/www.afterelton.com\/tv\/recaps\/glee\/214?page=0,4<\/a>

On the other hand, maybe I'm somewhat glad that Glee 'screwed up' with their take on bisexuality because it caused people to discuss about this. I swear I've learnt a lot more about the bisexual community in the past 2 days than I'd ever find out in my normal life. But I just find it ridiculous for people to start hating Kurt (or the show as a whole) as if he just attacked the whole bisexual community when that's obviously not what he meant.

Don't get me started on how people automaticly blamed Ryan for the bad writing\/treatment on girls when, as usual, IT'S NOT HIM WHO WROTE THIS EPISODE. I won't deny how the show obviously lacks of proper treatment to the female characters but I'm not a feminist myself so I don't really take this personally or anything. :\/<\/small>","comments":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/644809.html?view=comments#comments","category":"glee"},{"guid":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/643383.html","pubDate":"Sun, 02 Jan 2011 14:26:44 GMT","author":"maiki","link":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/643383.html","description":"Happy New Year, everyone! 2010 wasn't a bad year for me and despite some bad experiences, I enjoyed it a lot so here's to hoping that 2011 won't suck in exchange. It's the year of the rabbit after all and I'm born in one, so all hail to me<\/s> I'm gonna positively look at this year for now.

Febby (<\/a>festivewind<\/b><\/a><\/span>) has been staying over my place for the past few days. We're enjoying each other's company. :> This leads up to this awkward interaction of ours today:

So Febby was taking a shower and while waiting for my turn, I was reading this Finn\/Kurt fic<\/a>. In it, Finn was teaching Kurt how to play the drums and as he was describing how to hold the drum sticks, I was enacting it out with my fingers.

Cue Febby's perfect timing of coming out of the shower when I was doing that, so being embarassed, I quickly stopped myself, then minimized the window and was about to get up for my turn at the bathroom. She mistook me for attempting to hide reading smut, though.

Feb:<\/b> Oh, don't mind me! Keep on reading.

Mai:<\/b> Oh? OH, reading wasn't the problem. The problem was my enacting out the fingering part--

Feb:<\/b> WHAT!?<\/font> OMG HAHAHAHAH *cracks up*

Mai:<\/b> --OH! OHH HAHAHAH OMG NOOO THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT<\/font>

Feb:<\/b> Oh my God, Maiki, I didn't need to know THAT! There are some things you should keep to yourself-

Mai:<\/b> NO OMG NOOOOO! FINN WAS TEACHING KURT HOW TO PLAY THE DRUMS. HOW TO HOLD THE STICKS. I WAS JUST TRYING TO FOLLOW THE DESCRIPTIONS OMG FEBBY I WOULDN'T DO THAT<\/i>!<\/font>

Feb:<\/b> Ohhh, you sounded like you were doing that<\/i>!

Mai:<\/b> I TOTALLY REALIZED THAT AFTER SAYING IT, BUT YOU WERE THE ONE TO JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS OMGGG OTL<\/font>

And we kept on cracking for awhile.

... Let's just say it was an awkward yet funny moment of misunderstanding. 8T","comments":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/643383.html?view=comments#comments","category":"glee"},{"guid":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/643113.html","pubDate":"Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:21:34 GMT","title":"Glee Event @ Shinjuku","author":"maiki","link":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/643113.html","description":"
<\/center>

Today they had a Glee \"private showing\" at Shinjuku's Meiji Yasuda Seimei Hall as celebration of the Japanese DVD release (Jan 7th 2011). You need to register and hope you get chosen by lottery for an invitation to this event, so I applied at all 3-4 different venues that offered invitations.

I funnily won twice, and received 4 invitations in total so I brought <\/a>jen_kat<\/b><\/a><\/span> and 2 friends from school along with me. XD;

The event started with greetings by the chairman, Sascha Boeckle<\/a> (found out through twitter) and Becky<\/a>, the official \"Glee cheerleader\" in Japan. I'm confused on what's her purpose here but I guess it's Japan's way of promoting foreign TV shows here by using popular idols. And then it turns out our surprise guest for the event is the geinin duo \"Hibiki\"<\/a> (the left two) who are part of the \"cheering party\" for Glee.\u3000I really don't get why they can't get Charice as a guest considering she IS in Japan right now doing her concert tour but I guess these Japanese celebrities are just here to expose the show more towards the Japan public.

They then showed a trailer of the show as an introduction (the short trailer that's on the official site) and then a \"publicity report\" video, which is a trailer showcasing the whole Glee phenomenon that's happening around the world (their award sweeps, huge fan reactions on TV shows and events, the flash mobs, their live performances at the White House, Super Bowl, concert tours, etc). This video is new to me and it made me so happy and proud to watch it because it reminded me of this fanmade tribute video<\/a>. :)

They also had exclusive video messages by Lea Michele (who was wearing a very nice green blouse I haven't seen her wear before, but the background of the video is the usual library setting they have in their BTS\/interview videos) and Matthew Morrison that were specifically for Becky herself. Matt greeted with \"Sumimasen\" (Excuse me) so that was awkward and the Japanese idols jokingly commented on that. XD But when Matt said \"can't wait to see you all in Japan!\" I was screaming in the inside thinking \"I HOPE HE'S HINTING THAT THE GLEE CASTS WILL<\/i> BE VISITING JAPAN IN THE FUTURE.\"

We then had a game of jankenpon with the whole audience against the 3 celebs, but with scissors being replaced by the \"Glee sign\" (the L sign). XD My friends and I lost, sob, and the remaining 17 winners each got a free Glee t-shirt! After they're done with some talks, they took photos with the audience crowd for the presses, gave some last words and then left.

Finally they showed the first two episodes of season 1 with Japanese subtitles. The sound system was very good but too bad the video's a bit blurry on the big cinema screen. Still, it's my first time watching Glee with this many amount of Gleeks under the same roof, so it was a fun experience to be able to watch and laugh in a huge crowd. :) There was a middle-aged American man among the audiences today and I think it was him that always laughed at the jokes that were lost in the translation when nobody else laughs (which is half of Sue's lines, sadly).

That's pretty much it. Once episode 2 ended, the lights turned on and that's the end. Although Jen's already following the series, it was the first time for my other 2 friends to watch Glee and they seem impressed, so I'm glad they enjoyed the show and hope everyone else in the hall did too. :) Here's to hoping Glee's DVD rental\/sales will be good and the fanbase will grow a bit here. I really think it's something Japan can enjoy too.

Here are online articles on the event along with some photos:
http:\/\/www.tvgroove.com\/news\/article\/ctg\/2\/nid\/4198.html<\/a>
http:\/\/eiga.com\/news\/20101224\/22\/<\/a><\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/643113.html?view=comments#comments","category":["japan","glee"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/642858.html","pubDate":"Sat, 18 Dec 2010 16:20:58 GMT","title":"Wow, finally a proper life update.","author":"maiki","link":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/642858.html","description":"Well then. Today was the final graduation project inspection day. Ups and downs aside, I passed. I'd elaborate more about my graduation project but the whole situation wasn't really pretty, so let's just focus on the fact that I do get to graduate after all but not allowed to have my work showcased in our graduation work exhibition, which I don't mind that much anyway<\/s>.

I know some of you have asked to see my work, but uh, it may be over 150MB and I still wanna fix a lot of errors I left behind in the game, so I'll try to consider those obstacles first... It was quite cute when my Summon-Night-loving classmates fangirled at my game for looking like Summon Night though, heh. :)<\/small>

There are still a few more things I need to do to finalize my graduation but anyway, yaaaaay. No more pressure! But I'll still have pressure from job-hunting and Guriha for the next couple of months so let's see how things turn out from here.

------------------------

<\/a>skuldnoshinpu<\/b><\/a><\/span> kindly gave me the heads up that Saleh may likely be in TotW: Radiant Mythology 3<\/a>. I may have stopped becoming a Tales fan for awhile but after the announcement of Tales of Xillia and HO MY FUDGECAKE GOD, MY<\/s> SALEH<\/b> IN RADIANT MYTHOLOGY 3!!??<\/font> I pretty much have my attention back to the Tales series again.

........

OMG SALEH SALEH SALEH SALEH SALEH SAL-- \/shot","comments":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/642858.html?view=comments#comments","category":["tales of rebirth","school","radiant mythology"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/642681.html","pubDate":"Sun, 12 Dec 2010 04:33:51 GMT","title":"Glee 1x18 - probably a very slow and late observation","author":"maiki","link":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/642681.html","description":"Still slowly going through my Glee season 1 BDs. So I got around to episode 18 \"Laryngitis\" today. Anyway, extremely late observation on the episode. I bet half of the fandom already saw this, like, back in spring, but I wanna put my thoughts down anyway.

\"Just seeing you, the way you are with Finn... How easy it is... It breaks my heart.\"

I broke down and cried here. I never did before this. I mean, this episode was heart-breaking but it was never an episode to make me cry. But somehow I seem to have missed out on the double-meaning this episode has.

I've always thought this episode was more about Kurt wanting to be the perfect son for Burt but I just realized now that it was also showing how Kurt was jealous of his father for being able to bond with Finn a lot easier than Kurt could ever be. Not only was his father choosing Finn over him but Finn was also choosing Burt over Kurt. OTL Ouch man.

You see, I've always figured out that Kurt has given up on Finn ever since \"Ballad\"(1x10). Kurt's lines to Rachel in \"Hairography\"(1x11) pretty much emphasised(sp) on that. But wait, what about that whole pairing up Burt and Carole in \"Home\"(1x16)? You see, after finding out in season 2 that Kurt does<\/i> know about Finn and Santana's fling in \"Power of Madonna\" (1x15), it kinda made sense why Kurt took drastic measures in 1x16.

Finn was slowly slipping off his hands, you see? After all that bonding in 1x10, Finn still chose another woman over Kurt. Add the fact that Finn never shared that bit of Santana with Kurt either. It shows that Finn still doesn't see Kurt as a close friend, and that's like a second heart-break for Kurt. Even if he couldn't get Finn as a boyfriend, Kurt still wants to be close to him, even as a friend or maybe a brother. I'm not sure if he ever thought as far as \"brother\" but either way, this was the start that got him to push Burt to Carole.

And instead, his father and Finn end up bonding with each other more than Kurt could ever bond with both of them. :( And realizing this just makes this episode so much sadder for me...

Or, I don't know, maybe I'm just being a bitter Finn\/Kurt fan and seeing everything in that way<\/i> everytime I rewatch season 1 now. OTL<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/642681.html?view=comments#comments","category":["glee","americantvdrama"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/642491.html","pubDate":"Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:14:22 GMT","title":"Glee: The Japanese Dub","author":"maiki","link":"https:\/\/maiki.livejournal.com\/642491.html","description":"It turns out FOX Japan has put up the Japanese-dubbed version of Glee's season 1 Pilot for some time already, but it's only accessible through Japanese cellphones. If you have a JP cellphone and have enough disk space, go to the barcode in this site and download the files: (add the h to) ttp:\/\/bit.ly\/fpyUIP

Of course, I jumped at the chance of downloading the episode as soon as I found out!

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