Quick Tips For Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

As everyone probably knows, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire has been released on the 3DS. Of course, the games sold well, as there are many Pokémon fans out there in the world. Although the game seems to be aimed at old players, there are a few newcomers at well. Luckily this time, we can easily connect and help each other out through the internet, as compared to the older days where guides and advice was hard to find. 

With that being said, what possibilities does this open up? First, for both old and new alike, a few aspects of the game can be a little confusing, and there's a few helpful hints that everyone should know. Although there are a whole bunch of guides out there, the game is still new and fresh, so information may not have reached everyone in all corners of the earth. 

So as of now, I'm going to be providing you a few tips and hints on the game. Even if you're a competitive pro, or a casual newcomer, check out this post, as there's a few things you can learn that will hopefully help your Pokémon life!

Use Super-Secret Bases to Your Advantage!

For those of you who have played the old Pokémon games, secret bases were a great addition. We were a little sad not to see them return in the newer games, but with these remakes, they have made another appearance. This time they are even better. With the immense Wi-Fi connectivity of the games, we can visit anyone's base, no matter where they are on the planet. This may not seem like much, but this creates a lot of possibilities for players.

One of the first things bases are used for, are a way to speed up training. Although leveling up is a lot easier than the old games, it can still be a tedious process if you're trying to train many Pokémon at once. What if there was an easy way to level up fast, with little risk or effort needed? Luckily for us, there's a way! 

They're called Blissey Bases! Basically Blissey is an extremely bulky Pokémon that gives tons of exp. It would be hard to defeat this Pokémon on it's own, even harder if there are three of them, but with a convenient moveset and the power of a "toxic orb" it's easy. A group of kind people have created a set of bases specifically for this. You can find many different kinds here, but I encourage you to look around as well. All it takes to get these bases in your game is a QR code, but remember you have to wait until the next day to actually battle the Blissey teams. Plan accordingly! If you're interested in starting your own you can find some advice here.

EV Train, The Smart Way

Don't know how to EV train or what it is? Look here!

Thanks to the addition of super training, and other such things, EV training is pretty simple for anyone to do.  In fact, you can EV train from the beginning of the game. However, the question tends to arise, am I training efficiently? When it comes to super training I would have to say no. For most reasons I would advise against using super training, and I also would advise against EV training towards the beginning of the game.

Why? Well, it definitely becomes easier after you finish the story. You will have access to power items which boost the amount of EVs you obtain, a more convenient daycare for breeding, and access to other items which can be useful in your battling/training/breeding pursuits.

So instead of super training, there is the much better alternative known as horde encounters. Horde encounters are basically the process of battling five of the same Pokémon at once. This is much more effective for EV Training as it's faster and easier, since the chance of horde is now 100%. Take advantage of this and work smart, not hard!

Ever Heard of Global Link?

http://3ds.pokemon-gl.com/

Surprisingly many people don't know about Global Link. It could be due to the fact that it's not talked about much in-game, or mentioned in many guides. No matter the reason Global Link is one of my favorite additions to the game. It should definitely not be overlooked.

As a short explanation, Global Link is an online website specifically for connectivity of Pokémon games. So far, the games using this feature are Pokémon X and Y, as well as Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. You have to create an account on the website to take part in anything it offers. To send the rewards and prizes you win to your game, you must link your game card. 

To link the two, you must go in-game and use the Player Search System on the bottom screen. After you've found that you must hit the button to the left of Wi-Fi which shows a list of options such as battle and trade. There will be one called Game Sync. Click that and you can begin Game Sync to receive a code specifically for your game. Enter that on your online website and you're all set!

Moving on, you might be wondering what is the purpose of taking part of Global Link? Well, it's basically a way to get all the news about new events happening for Pokémon, you can see the top players and online competitions, and also play a few games as well. The games aren't really much to talk about, but by spending Pokémiles. (earned via trading, and doing things in Pokémon) you can get some pretty decent items for you game. So it's best to sign up and take part of this as soon as you can!

That's all for now! I encourage you to take a look at a few other guides and resources for other hints and tips that I've missed. Who knows, you might just become the next Pokémon Master. Until then, enjoy Pokémon!

What Are You Thankful for Anime Fans?

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is not over yet for some of us, and for others it has already ended! Despite this, hopefully everyone is having/had a good Thanksgiving! It's nice to make the holiday about food, but don't forget to count your blessings and spend time with loved ones!

As for me, I'm very thankful that there are many wonderful people in my life. That includes you, my readers. I'm thankful that people take the time to read my post and give their thoughts. The fact that someone uses their free time to listen to my words is really amazing. I wouldn't have come this far without you all, so I'm very grateful. I hope that I can continue to provide quality content as a way to thank you all.

I am also very thankful for my family and friends. I wouldn't be here without them. They continuously provide me with support and love to help me reach my goals. I cannot even imagine myself accomplishing big feats on my own, so I am very grateful to have such people around.

Lastly, I'm thankful for anime, and Shooting Star Dreamer. Without anime, I wouldn't be typing this post today. Anime has changed my life in so many ways, I might not even be the person I am now. I can't even imagine what I would be doing if such a wonderful thing didn't exist. Shooting Star Dreamer is also another thing I'm very blessed to have. There are many people who either lack the technology to have such a thing, or don't have the time, courage, or writing, to start one. So I consider myself really lucky to have a blog of my own!

On an ending note, thank you again! All that's left now is to ask for your thoughts. What are you thankful for, anime fans?

Blog Update November 2014

Hello everyone! Today's post will be pretty short. I haven't made many updates to my website recently, but I have a lot planned for the future! Please stay tuned, as I plan to do a lot of revamps, and overall make things a little easier to navigate. Any suggestions or user feedback would be greatly appreciated as well!

So for the Blog Update this time, I'd just like to announce that I've finally gotten around to creating a simple FAQ page. It can be found in the top bar of my blog, but just in case you're having trouble finding it or are viewing via mobile, I'll post the link here.

The FAQ goes over a few simple things about Shooting Star Dreamer and me. I discussed what I write about and my post guidelines. I also gave out a few ways to contact me, as well as information for Guest Posts and Blogrolls. It may be a little hard to read, so I might organize it a bit more later. So, if you're a blogger like me, please look into those!

Instead of explaining everything, I think it'd be best for you all to have a look yourselves! So again, please check out the FAQ page, if you notice anything extremely out of proportion please let me know, because it's probably not meant to be that way.

So that's my short and sweet post for today!
Until next time~

Love Live School Idol Festival! Overview

There's a lot going on in regards to anime. We have many new series running and overall I think the season is pretty decent. Although right now I currently have Love Live on my brain. I know people might be thinking, "What? It's just another idol anime!" For some reason though, I'm really drawn to the characters, plot, and overall, everything. 

Although I'm watching the anime now, what really got me into Love Live was the mobile game. The game is called Love Live School Idol Festival, or sometimes just School Idol Festival when on the app store. If you own an Android or I Phone, or any sort of tablet, download it if you can! Please check the bottom of this post for links. 

So you might be asking, what is this game all about? Well, it's basically another anime rhythm game. When most people hear anime and rhythm, they think of Project Diva. Although I really love Diva, I've noticed that many people struggle to play the game and do well. It's just really hard for them for some reason. 

Combining two normal cards...

Makes an idol card!

I've heard many people complain about the fancy backgrounds bothering them and making it hard to concentrate. Others have problems with playing on the PS3 controller or using the tiny PS Vita screen. Lastly, some people just don't like the music. While there are many gripes when it comes to Diva, Love Live luckily gets rid of a few of those.

Following that train of thought, I can easily name a lot of pros when it comes to School Idol Festival. Right of the bat, the fact that the game is free and on my phone is great. I can literally play it anywhere and anytime. I also like that I don't have to pay at all for the game. Yes, there is premium content in the game that can be bought with money, and it may be easier to get ahead if you want to pay your way to victory, but even then it takes skill if you want to get to the top of the rankings.

Aside from those things, the game itself is well put together. The app rarely crashes and runs relatively well even if I'm not on a Wi-Fi network. There's sometimes a little bit of lag, but usually a restart can fix it. One of the main things that makes the game so addictive and fun is the gameplay system that is used. It can get a little confusing, so I'll go into more detail.

Your starter/main idol will find a home on your menu screens. She will provide commentary, random facts or insights to her personality and life, or remind you when you have new information or have received a present.

Sometimes, others will want some attention and steal the spotlight!

As a brief summary, you start the game off by picking a starter idol. Any of the main Love Live characters are available from the start, and you can get them all later on, so there's no need to be too worried about your decision. After deciding, you are given a brief tutorial of how to play and how the game works. 

In short, your idol that you have chosen can be seen somewhat like a trading card. Instead, you're not going to do any trading, but you will level her up and make her the best idol she can be. This is done by something called practice. In practice you use one or more cards to level up another card. Since the first idol you obtain is a rare card, you want to use your common cards to level her up. 

Now you might ask, what are common cards? They are basically cards of various girls, who are easily obtained when completing songs or scouting (scouting is basically equivalent to buying a booster pack). They do not have voice actors, nor special abilities, and are much weaker than the main idols. Still, they all have back stories and personalities that set them apart from each other. Despite these differences, there are some people who even like these characters more than the main cast!

To level up your idol, you have to lose a few members. Don't worry though, you'll get them back!

After you've leveled your idols, you can put together a team. Having team of idols that matches the color of the song increases your stats. Friends can help give you a boost as well!

So say you have maxed out the level of a card using practice, now what? Basically you can special practice. Special practice is an optional way a normal card, usually represented by the character in a normal outfit or school uniform, can turn into an idol. When they become an idol they gain increase to their stats, new artwork, and even new skills. Again, this is optional, so if you really like your card's art you do not have to idolize them.

With these cards you can form teams of idols, and then participate in songs. (Or referred to as a Live Show.) It's a little difficult to explain the actual gameplay, so please take a look at the video towards the bottom of the page as an example. 

When you complete a song you get rewards such as love gems, new story segments, and more. You can also get points to do more scouting and acquire more members. Love gems can be used to refill your LP (Basically stamina, which allows you to play more. It naturally refills over time though.) If you want to keep playing, you're have to keep spending those gems. 

Although others might disagree, I feel that this system is really great, because you have a constant intake of members, and a steady rate of growth for each player. No one can really ascend much higher than anyone else unless they're incredibly skilled or if they use real life money as a boost.

With this, that's all for the brief summary! It probably seems like a lot, but it's easier to learn the game by actually playing it than reading about it. That's why I encourage you all to go out and download the app if you are able to! Before the download links below, I'll post a few pros and cons in case the description above was a little too much to read.

It's also fun to take part in events to get a rare card. Many people wait it out for their favorite idols and go crazy!

You play songs in order to get the special event items and event points. For this event, the items are cakes. You use the cakes to play the special song to earn even more points towards the event. The higher your points, the more rewards you get when the event ends!


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Pros

• Can be easily played anywhere and anytime.
• Graphics and layout are easy on the eyes.
• Free to play, no need to pay.
• Many different characters, so anyone can find a favorite.
• Less complicated system than other rhythm games.
• Can disable animations and popups, for players who dislike distractions.
• Interactions with the idols is great.
• Not too heavy on battery life.
• Each character has background stories, in addition to the main story.
• Events are going on almost all of the time.
• Many different songs.
• Different levels of difficulties for everyone.
• Daily rewards just for logging on.

Cons

• Sometimes there is lag and it can ruin perfect scores.
• If you're someone who likes to play nonstop, you might run out of stamina often.
• The longer you play, the slower the gameplay becomes.
• Small screen size may be difficult for certain players.
• The game doesn't explain everything, might be confusing to new players.
• Limited interaction with the community. (However, it's getting better!)

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Links

Android

IOS

Video

Wiki

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Thank you for taking the time to read this post, please check out a few of my others!

Project Diva: Not Just For Vocaloid Fans?

Now That E3 Is Over...Let's Review

Kare wa Kanojo the Visual Novel

Diversity in Anime

A long time ago, I saw an article that questioned the appearances of anime characters. The writer asked why all the characters looked a certain way, and if anime is made in Japan, why did so few characters look Japanese?

Taking a deeper look at characters in anime, it's easy to see why such a question would arise. We have wacky hairstyles drawn and illustrated in all colors in the rainbow, and eyes that are of hues and shapes that aren't even imaginable. We have certain unique features that character's possess, such as Naruto's whiskers, numerous forms of animal ears and tails, and even tattoos and other body markings.

So while that person may have been stating their opinions in a way that made anime seem limited and set in appearances and personalities, the reality is a lot different. Anime is probably one of the most diverse forms of media that exists today.

Still, there are people who think otherwise. I stumbled upon a statement that was really appalling. They simply asked "Why are all anime characters white or Caucasian?" They then followed up with certain facts to clarify that viewpoint, such as hair, eye color, personalities, and names. I think this is a little crazy. In my opinion, anime characters don't even have a race unless specifically stated. For reasons such as:

• Hair color/eye color is more of a personality factor than a racial standpoint in anime.
• Many anime characters have Japanese names.
• Race is usually not stated.
• In a lot of anime, everyone tends to speak Japanese and the occasional English.
• Even dark-skinned characters follow the same patterns above, and are not treated any differently.

So these reasons could be taken in a way that makes everyone seem Japanese, or could be seen in a way that clarifies the diversity. From my point of view I don't see any of these characters as any specific race. I tend to judge them by their personalities or interactions with the rest of the cast. Race is the last thing that comes to mind when I watch anime, and for some reason, I feel that is a great thing.

I also think that race shouldn't be something that affects our decisions, and I feel that anime teaches viewers this unintentionally. The mass diversity of anime is what brings such a colorful and accepting group of fans. Anime itself is vibrant and diverse, so it's only natural that the fanbase would be the same way. Being such a way keeps the work from alienating certain groups of people, but still attracting many at the same time.

I think sometimes it's easy to forget the diversity of anime, so we might tend to make statements on things as one way when it's actually another. Although there will be and there are anime out there that can fall under a racist viewpoint, the majority is not.

Since we're engrossed in the beauty of diversity when it comes to anime, I'd like to share with you all a few examples. Please take a look at the pictures below! There are characters of all skin colors, hair colors, eye colors, and other physical appearances. Like art, anime is what you make it!

Diversity in Anime

From Top Left First Row - Bullet (BlazBlue), Killer Bee (Naruto),
Bottom Left Second Row - Momo Adachi (Peach Girl), Noloty Maruchie (The Book of Bantorra),
 Miyuki Ayukawa (Basquach), 

Top Left First Row - Ku Fei (Negima), Hana N. Fontainestand (Hanayamata),
Bottom Left Second Row - Nadie (El Cazador de la Bruja), Ayse Khadim (Ladies VS Butlers),
Mina Kandaswamy (Darker Than Black)

Is MyAnimeList Harmful for Bloggers?

We all know of the website by the name of MyAnimeList. It's a wonderful website, allowing you to make a beautiful list of all your watched anime. It's a great way to keep track of what you've seen, and a useful tool for sharing your tastes with others. For me, the website is really great, because I've seen so many anime that I usually forget most of them!

However, there's another side that comes in play when we make our lists. We can rate anime by a single number score. A few people take the time to write a more detailed review, but others just stick to the scoring system. In conclusion, all of this factors into an average score which is shown on the anime's page.

So this is when personal opinion starts to come in; is this process somewhat harmful, especially for bloggers? I enjoy MyAnimeList as I stated before, but I feel that the act of defining a whole anime by a single number is a bit over the top.

If you think of anime in general, it's basically a work of art. Yes, even the worst anime, are still art forms. Imagine that you were someone who created this art form, and you put hard work, sweat, and tears into it. Then someone comes along who simply does not like it, so they label it with a low rating such as 4 or 5. How would you feel? This might make sense to those who create their work on a daily basis such as writers, artists, etc. Yet, this example may not click with others.

So  get down to the real issue is to move away from the approach of the producer, but to see things as a viewer. We are watching something that is so immense and detailed. It is filled with vibrant art, voice actors, a story, music, and more. There are so many different elements that need to be accounted for when looking at an anime because, believe it or not, all of these things add to the overall story.

In a way, we could say that MyAnimeList can condition us into examining and looking at things in the way of numbers, taking things as a single value, and not looking at the overall composition. In fact, any sort of number based reviewing system could be described in a similar way. I think for a viewer, this might be different, but for a blogger it can affect our entire coverage of an anime.

As an alternative I tend to use such a system as a way to show how much I enjoyed the anime. I just don't feel comfortable rating a whole piece of work on a number, and I don't feel I am in any position to do so. So this way of rating anime is not all bad, it depends on how you use it. Of course, not everyone thinks this way.

To make things more clear, I do not think reviews are bad; they are good at helping people pick and choose what anime they should or should not watch. However, I think I would rather a more detailed review than a number rating scale. Such a system could be a little harmful for a blogger, because it can build bad habits when it comes to examining and analyzing an anime.

So to raise the question to readers, whether you are bloggers or not, do you use reviews? Do you feel they can be harmful to an anime blogger? Do you even seen a need for them?

Anime Shows Successful and Unsuccessful Personalities

Hello everyone! Sorry if I haven't been posting as much lately, I haven't been feeling too well. Basically I've been forced to take on a lighter load and get some rest for once! I guess this is just life's way of telling me "slow down!"

Anyways, I just started watching Love Live! School Idol Project. I'm a huge fan of the mobile game, so if you are an owner of an Android or IOS device, I recommend checking it out. It's rhythm based, so if you enjoy those types, by all means download it.

Back to the first episode, it basically starts off with a high school student by the name of Honoka. We get a pretty good glimpse of her personality from the beginning. She's optimistic, energetic, lively, and has so much passion. When she finds out that her high school is closing, she goes near berserk and passes out.

Later, she wakes up and continues her day like nothing has happened, thinking that everything was a dream. She prances around the hallways, much to the amusement and concern of the other students. She then finds out that it really wasn't a dream, and goes berserk again.

Eventually, she tries to come up with a way to save the school. She gets her two friends, Kotori and Umi, to try to help her. Despite their efforts, no matter what they do it seems meaningless. They try to talk to anyone and everyone for help, but they are turned down, rejected, and told that what they are trying to accomplish is impossible.

That's when Honoka discovers that another high school is drawing a huge crowd with idols. Upon seeing them she literally has an epiphany and decides to save the school by forming an idol group. Again she is turned down again by even her friends and family, but is persistent and decided to continue on.

Eventually she gets her friends to change their hearts, and they address the student council in an attempt to start a club. They get turned down, and basically are told to give up on their silly dreams. Of course the episode doesn't end here, the three perform a song for the ending, and decide to keep working hard to achieve their goal.

So what does this have to do with successful and unsuccessful personalities? Well, it's becoming more clear to me how creators pick and chose their protagonists. Most seem to have a few things in common, the sense to lead, and the guts to be different. The main thing is that, without them the story would not progress.

Take this story without someone like Honoka. They are told the school is closing, and they just give up. They make a slight attempt to stop it, but when push comes to shove, they just don't have the persistence to fight for what they believe in. Thus the anime ends without any change, the character never grow or progress, and the resolution is very depressing. This is why someone like Honoka is necessary, and this is why she was the focal character.

Since I have been studying leadership in school, this jumped out at me when checking out this anime's first episode. I had an epiphany just like Honoka! I realized that she is literally a personification of the traits of a successful leader. Optimism? Passion? Persistence? She has all of these traits, and it's very hard to become a successful and positive leader without them.

In contrast we had Umi who was not supportive of Honoka at all. In fact, she basically straight up rejects Honoka's dream. I feel someone like this is a person who we could say lacks a successful personality. A positive and successful person would not stomp on others dreams, they would instead raise those people up. This doesn't mean she is a bad person, it's just a mere difference of personality. Plus, despite her words, Umi secretly wanted to become an idol, just like Honoka. Another instance of this is with Eli, the student council president, who merely turned down Honoka due to her own personal hangups. Yes, she might be in a leadership role, but this does not mean she is a successful leader or a successful person.

So yes, I know it's possible we have protagonists who use different methods and have different traits. They may be successful leaders, but would you really want to follow a person who uses fear and other negative tactics to control people? Again, some people may like that, so it just depends on the person...

Which brings me to my next point! What can we say about people who are attracted to such characters? I know this isn't 100% true for every person that walks this earth, but many are drawn to characters who they can either relate to, or admire. So there are people, like me, who are drawn to Honoka. There are others who cannot stand her. I know many people who love Umi to death. The big question is, what do people's likes and dislikes say about their personality?

To sum things up, I realized that anime is such a great way to showcase the clash of different personalities and which ones could be interpreted as successful or desirable, and others which may be considered unsuccessful or undesirable. When I say this, I'm talking in regards to life, not mere opinions. With Umi's personality, there would have been no progression or movement, something that is necessary to succeed or go far in life. We need the desire to break free of comfort zones and achieve the unthinkable. The power to dream big dreams, and not give up on what we believe in.

I feel by looking at things like this, it becomes clear to us why certain characters are protagonists, and why others are simply pushed to the side. It all boils down to mindset and personality.

The End of Naruto

Hello everyone! Today is a very important day when it comes to anime/manga. Naruto has finally come to an end with chapter 700. I am very happy with the ending, and things played out just as I had expected. I am really thankful that I had the chance to watch and read Naruto, as well as grow up with him together. It's been a long time, but it's finally over.

I'm not going to discuss any spoilers, but I just wanted to type a few words since my favorite series is over.

So where should I begin? Naruto was the series that got me into anime. Without Naruto, I wouldn't have this blog, I most likely wouldn't consider myself an otaku, and I wouldn't have gotten as interested in Japan and it's culture. I have to thank Naruto for all of these things. Even though it was just the starting part, it has remained as my favorite anime to this day.

Secondly, I've learned so much. I know a lot of knowledge is gained through experience and real-life settings, but I think that Naruto has taught me more than I can imagine. Since I grew up with the series, it basically shaped me as the person I am today. I've realized the importance of peace, forgiveness, and most of all, friendship. All these things are valuable and we shouldn't take them for granted.

Despite this, there's one lesson that has really stuck with me no matter what. The guts to never give up. When it comes to any sort of situation, I feel that I will never give up. I won't even think of uttering such words. I feel that this is probably the most important lesson that can be taken away from this story. If you never give up on your dreams or what you believe is right, you can achieve anything.

So yes, we can say that Naruto is finally over. It literal terms it IS over, but for me it is not over. I will continue to hold the values and teachings I have gained from Naruto, and carry them with me throughout my life. Naruto will always be in my heart, years after the end. The will of fire will live on inside of me, and inside of all the fans. This isn't an ending, it's a new beginning!

I can say that it was a great run, and I look forward to seeing the movie. There is just something magical about seeing this one boy; starting off as a failure and outcast, evolve into the ninja he has become today. Just seeing Naruto in action makes me feel like I can accomplish my wildest dreams. That's what makes him so inspirational!

Naruto will live on, inside of our hearts.

Teachers of Japanese

Almost everyone in life has had a teacher of some kind. However, the level of importance that a teacher has is different. Some people remember certain teachers for life, and others don't think of their teachers at all.

For me, I cannot say that I have had many good teachers or many bad ones. I have had a mix of both, but I feel this has benefited me in a way. Now while I talk a lot about Japanese, I don't think I have ever discussed the experience of having an actual Japanese instructor. Taking Japanese formally in class is a lot different than self study. It's the perfect thing for some, but a burden for others.

For me, the experience has been somewhat in between. I've struggled a bit in Japanese through my classes, yet I don't feel I would have reached my current level without any help. Still, I practice self study because I want to become the best I can be at Japanese. Regardless, I am very thankful for my teacher.

To make things more clear, I take Japanese at my college. I am in part three as of now, and hope to continue and take all the parts during my college years. I started with the basics of the basics in Japanese, going in thinking it would be hard and incredibly difficult to learn. Throughout my classes, I found that Japanese can be easy if it is taught in an easy way.

We learned and perfected our language skills with many methods, ranging from songs, story books, and skits. Our exams were somewhat tough, but with enough studying I was always able to make a good grade. Aside from this, numerous cultural values and stories were added in the mix. I began to realize that even though I came in simply thinking I was learning a language, I began to take away more than that.

The most significant trait of class that I can think of, is the fact that we work with a partner nearly everyday. This is usually decided on where we sit during class, so a few people catch on and sit near their friends. Others, like me, prefer to be thrown into a mix of new people. I've made many friends with this class alone and most of them are people who think like me, and enjoy the same things that I'm passionate about. It's such a great feeling.

In the end, the point I'm trying to make is that none of this would be possible without my teacher. When it comes to remembering Japanese words, her voice rings in my mind. When it comes to learning and recalling certain cultural facts, I remember the stories from class. When it comes to simply picturing Japan and the Japanese language, I simply remember my teacher.

I can't even imagine my college life without Japanese. I feel it would be a lot less colorful if my school didn't have it. So even though people may think teachers do not do much, there are some who do. I for one will remember my Japanese teacher, and all the things she has taught me. The amount of work she puts into teaching us is impeccable, and different from every other teacher I have ever had.

My question for you all; have you ever had a teacher who stands out above all the rest? Do you prefer self study or formal study when it comes to Japanese?

Examples of a Japanese Speech (Part Three)

No, I haven't forgotten about this series! The speech this time is concerning the topic of favorite places. It was really hard for me to come up with a favorite place, much less describe it. I ended up picking the place I love the most, this world that we live in!

As usual, I will post both the speech in Hiragana/Kanji/Katakana and Romaji. Towards the end I will include a rough translation of the speech. I hope you all enjoy this series, because it's a way to bring the formal speech of Japanese to my readers. We hear informal speech all the time in anime, manga, and the like, so I think this a nice breath of fresh air. With that in mind, here we go!

私の好きな場所

私の好きな場所はせかいです。せかいでたくさん人々がいます。そうして、たくさん人々やさしです。私はもっと友達がほしので、もっと人々にあいたいです。でも、私はがいこくごを話すのがじょうずにならなければいけません。

また、せかいはきれいと思います。たとえば、おきい山やきれいうみがあります。私は色々なばしょにいきたいです。

人々が好きだし、せかいはだいじだし、私はせかいにとてもきょみがあります。

みんなさん、せかいはたいせつですか。

Watashi no Suki na Basho

Watashi no suki na basho wa sekai desu. Sekai de takusan hitobito ga imasu. Soushite, takusan hitobito yasashi desu. Watashi wa motto tomodachi ga hoshi node, motto hitobito ni aitai desu. Demo, watashi wa gaikokugo o hanashu no ga jyouzu ni naranakereba ikemasen.

Mata, sekai wa kirei to omoimasu. Tatoeba, okii yama ya, kirei umi ga arimasu. Watashi wa iro iro na basho ni ikitai desu.

Hitobito ga suki da shi, sekai wa daiji da shi, watashi wa sekai ni totemo kyomi ga arimasu.

Minna-san, sekai wa taisetsu desu ka?

The Place That I Like

The place that I like the most is the world. The world is full of many people, and many of them are nice. I would like to make more friends, but I need to meet more people first. In order to do this, I need to become better at speaking foreign languages.

Also, I think this world is beautiful. We have many beautiful places in nature, such as big mountains and beautiful oceans. I would like to go to many of these places.

Because I like people, and the world is important to me, I'm very interested in the world. 

Everyone, is the world important to you?

So that's pretty much it guys! Hopefully you learned something from seeing this, or enjoyed it. Maybe it was a good way to brush up on your Japanese? Who knows! I just hope to have helped someone in some way or form!

That's all for now! See you all soon!

Halloween Fest Has Ended, Now What?

Hello again everyone! I guess you could call this my second Halloween Blog Update. Yesterday, Halloween Fest went on and I think things went really well. I wasn't able to do exactly everything I wanted, but I still liked how everything turned out.

That being said, I would love to do another event like this again for another holiday. Since there isn't much to do for Thanksgiving, stay tuned, and you might see something for Christmas. Next time I will probably ask for some assistance, as doing everything by myself was a little hard!

Right now I would like to take any suggestions on what to do the next time I have such an event Feel free to leave a comment here and let me know. I also would love to have some sort of way to receive anonymous questions and suggestions, but I'm not sure how to go about that yet. If anyone knows more on that please tell me!

A few things that I will try to do better next time.

• More things going on, to appeal to a wider audience.
• Host some sort of giveaway, I'm not sure how and what.
• Definitely plan ahead, I came up with this idea too close to Halloween.
• Start providing pictures/wallpapers before the holiday date, since people didn't really have time to put them to use.
• Recruit a few helpers to lessen the burden. 
• Attempt to send a better graphic around at an earlier date and multiple times.
• Find something that works better with my Facebook Page. 
• Really go deep in customizing my many outlets for the holiday, and at an earlier date.
• More interactions with the community.

If there's anything else that should go on this list, I'm all ears. I will keep note of this post and use it for reference, so any suggestions will be added here.

As promised, I have collected mostly everything that went on during Halloween Fest. There were quite a few pictures posted on my blog, as well as music on Twitter/Facebook. A few anime recommendations went through as well! I also released a wallpaper pack here on Halloween. Here's everything in a neater fashion.

Halloween Fest

Music

Recommendations

Can Be Found Here

Pictures

Can Be Found Here

Wallpaper Pack

Can Be Found Here

Hopefully everyone had a great and safe Halloween! I'll see you all soon!