BatsuとMaru

who are BatsuとMaru? akiko (that's me!) and gixxer are the two members who founded the team. ba-tsu-to-ma-ru is a direct translation from japanese meaning X-and-O, as in tic-tac-toe or could also interpreted as hugs-and-kisses. the name represents the two of us who work together.

we make videos where we interview people in Malaysia who share the same Japanese interests, whether fashion, dolls, cosplay, etc. i do most of the appearance, while gixxer does most of the editing. you can  support us by subscribing to our Youtube channel or Like our Facebook page (or click on Donate button).

so far, we have covered only a few personalities in our videos, namely Herman/Misao (cosplay photographer), half a dozen cosplayers (about how they started and a little on local cosplay future), and two PMCG founders (military cosplayers).

there are several upcoming events the BatsuとMaru team planned to capture in our next videos, but Comic Fiesta is our top priority now. we suspect some chaos will happen somewhere, and we hope we will be well prepared for the estimated 25,000 visitors on 22-23 december 2012!

our purpose of creating these videos is simply defined in BatsuとMaru channel/page description:

"A couple cosplayers from Malaysia, sharing our passion for cosplay, dolls and other Japanese interests with the world." - BatsuとMaru

Christmas of 2010 and New Year 2011

since i was so busy blogging about comic fiesta and maid cafes at the end of december, i shall have to write about my christmas day in january and throw in the new year post as well. XD i wonder what did you do for christmas and new year's eve?

christmas presents!

Already Gone

Already Gone lyrics

Remember all the things we wanted

Now all our memories they're haunted

We were always meant to say goodbye

Even with our fists held high

It would never would've worked out right

We were never meant for do or die

I didn't want us to burn out

I didn't come here to hold you, now I can't stop

I want you to know that it doesn't matter

Where we take this road someone's gotta go

And I want you to know you couldn't have love me better

But I want you to move on so I'm already gone

Looking at you makes it harder

But I know that you'll find another

That doesn't always make you want to cry

Started with a perfect kiss then we could feel the poison set in

Perfect couldn't keep this love alive

You know that I love you so, I love you enough to let you go

I want you to know that it doesn't matter

Where we take this road someone's gotta go

And I want you to know you couldn't have love me better

But I want you to move on so I'm already gone

I'm already gone, already gone

You can't make it feel right when you know that it's wrong

I'm already gone, already gone

There's no moving on so I'm already gone

Already gone, already gone, already gone

Already gone, already gone, already gone, yeah

Remember all the things we wanted

Now all our memories they're haunted

We were always meant to say goodbye

Energy

(ED song)

Ginban Kaleidoscope

"well, about today's Free Program, did we properly fly to the sky?"

"that sort of stuff, without saying it out loud, you'd know it's the best right?" replied Pete.

"really, you don't understand. there are things better off said in words even if you already know how it is..."

"is that so?"

"yeah, there are."

"i guess so. well, then... we definately flew through the sky that time. i think we showed them the best performance. i thought i'd never taste that sensation again. with this, there is nothing that i regret. thank you, Tazusa."

"one more thing... there's something i want to say..."

"what's wrong? with that scary face?"

"seriously, just shut up and listen! i..."



"oh, its snowing."

"really..."

"letting snow fall for the parting scene, god can be easy going for doing this."

"parting...?"

"hey, Tazusa."

"what?"

"it seems my time is almost up."

"w-wait a minute! i still have something to say!"

"a lot of things happened for 100 days, huh? but the time flew by in a flash. i ate the most tomatoes in my life in these past three months, but it had been fun."

"don't go! its okay to share me... well, changing and taking a bath, there are a lot of other embarassing things, but i can endure that any time! so...!"

"being told these things by Tazusa, i'm honoured. but this was decided already. i told you i don't like crying."

"that and this is different."

Pete, Pete, Pete, Pete, Pete...

"Pete, i... about you..."

"i wish you'd see me off with a smile for the last time. Tazusa, goodbye."

"Pete, i love you."

Lonely In Gorgeous

YAZAGAKU FASHION SHOW

while i was waiting for my turn backstage George kept holding my hand. as my turn approached, George's grip got stronger. that moment i felt like i was the one who was holding his hand. since i met George i wanted to become stronger for myself and no one else.

but now it's different.

for George's sake, for my friends' sake, i want to be stronger.

"it's alright. leave it to me. i'll take everyone in this auditorium to paradise."



Lonely In Gorgeous lyrics

Gozen reiji tobidashita
Tobira wo kettobashite
Garasu no kutsu ga warete
DORESU (dress) mo yabureta
At twelve I run out
And kick the door
My glass shoe breaks
And my dress has ripped

Nee akirete iru deshou?
Oikakete mo konai
Namida ga afurete mou hashirenai wa
You're disgusted, aren't you?
You don't even come after me
My tears overflow and I can't run anymore

JERASHII (jealousy) kamo...SE-TSU-NA-I...!!
This might be jealousy...it's sad...!!

"Lonely in Gorgeous" Yeah...
Party night...I'm Breaking my heart
Ima sugu mitsukete dakishimete hoshii
"Lonely in Gorgeous" Yeah...
Party night...I'm Breaking my heart
I want you to find me right now and hold me tight

HEDDORAITO (headlight) ga hikaru
...where are you Bad boy?
Ai no SUKAAFU de namida wo fuite
Nani mo mienai
The headlights shine
...where are you Bad boy?
Wipe away my tears with the scarf of love
I can't see anything

Hoshikuzu wo kaki atsume
Anata ni butsuketai
Naze kamau no?
Jibun shika aisenai kuse ni...
I want to gather stardust
And throw it at you
Why do you even bother?
You only love yourself...

Shitsuren kamo...MAJI nano...?!
This might be a lost love...are you serious...?!

"Lonely in Gorgeous" Yeah...
Party time...umaranai
Anata ga inai to karappo no sekai
"Lonely in Gorgeous" Yeah...
Party time...I can't bury it
When you aren't here the world is empty

Yume no tsuzuki ga mitai
"I miss you Bad boy"
Kirameki no naka ni tojikomenaide
Kowarete shimau wa
I want to see the next part of my dream
"I miss you Bad boy"
Don't lock me up inside excitement
I'll break

"Lonely in Gorgeous"
I'm Breaking my heart
Where are you Bad boy?
"Lonely in Party night"
"Lonely in Gorgeous"
I'm Breaking my heart
Where are you Bad boy?
"Lonely in Party night"

"Lonely in Gorgeous"
I'm Breaking my heart
I miss you Bad boy
"Lonely in Party time"
"Lonely in Gorgeous"
I'm Breaking my heart
I miss you Bad boy
"Lonely in Party time"

"Lonely in Gorgeous" Yeah...
Party night...waraenai
Nani mo iranai tada soba ni ite
"Lonely in Gorgeous" Yeah...
Party night...I can't smile
I don't need anything just be by my side

"Lonely in Gorgeous" Yeah...
Party night...
I'm Breaking my heart
Anata ga nokoshita kirameki no hako no naka de
Kodoku wo daite ugokenai
Nani mo iranai no tada soba ni ite
Hizamazuite watashi wo mite
Ai wo chikatte
"Lonely in Gorgeous" Yeah...
Party night
I'm Breaking my heart
Inside of the box of excitement that you gave me
I hold on to my loneliness and I can't move
I don't need anything just be by my side
Kneel and look at me
And swear that you love me

Note: original song by TommyFebruary6 (Paradise Kiss OP), translated lyrics from animelyrics.com. akiko (yours truly) did not edit the translation this time.

George.

"George!"

"thank you. i felt incredible," George said.

けいおん！[K-ON!] ED

this season, there has been a musical fever that spread worldwide about four girls forming a band in their high school's Light Music Club (kei-on bu). wait - its from this anime called K-on.

before k-on we have several other music-related anime such as nodame cantabile, la corda d'oro, violinist of hameln, beck, gravitation, lemon angel project, and nana. disney's high school musical has nothing to do with this.

from left: ritsu, mugi, mio, and yui.

whats interesting about k-on are the mismatched members (main characters) of k-on bu:

• hirasawa yui - like me, she does not play a particular music instrument, nor able to read music notes (at first), but somehow thought she'd join k-on bu to play the casta- harmonica. no, sorry!! i cannot play that either! yui is the guitarist.
  
• akiyama mio - for somebody deemed the "dangerous queen" <---spoiler, but you wont know the difference she seems to have a tendency to cower in a corner as to being overly sensitive to a lot of things, like me. hahah~ mio is the bassist.
  
• tainaka ritsu - like haruhi (suzumiya), trademark headband included, she is the president of the club and is the most crazy-slash-active member who always come up with big ideas like working part time to raise funds as club activity(!) and performing live at the school festival. ritsu plays the drums.
  
• kotobuki tsumugi - the fine, graceful and down-to-earth hime-sama (TL: princess) is the sponsor of k-on bu's delicous supply of sweets and tea at club meetings, including club vacation/training's lodging, studio and instruments. mugi plays the keyboard.
  

k-on bu members go to the music store to buy yui's new guitar.

i have been following the series from episodes 1-6 (subbed by chihiro), and i am quite disappointed to find out that the version i am watching, 4:3 actually leaves out some pantsu scene in episode 6, as opposed to the 6:4 version. people, remember to watch the hi-def version if you want mio's pantsu scene! hahah~ XD

overall, i think k-on is like your coming-of-age anime where the girls find their passion and friendship through music in high school. if you miss school days, watch. if you like music, watch. if you play any music instrument, watch. if you like pantsu, watch 6:4 version. hahah~ XD

anyway, what is a good music anime if without a good music compilation? apparently songs from k-on have been chart-toppers in japan, and guess what? i love the ending theme too! so here i'll share with you:



"Don't Say 'Lazy'' Lyrics

Please don't say "You are lazy"
datte hontou wa crazy
hakuchoutachi wa sou
mienai koto de BATA ashi surun desu
honnou ni juujun chuujitsu honrou mo juujuu shouchi
zentoyouyou dashi
dakara tama ni kyuukei shichaun desu
Please dont say, You are lazy,
Because Im really crazy,
Just like how the swans
Kick their legs out of sight.
Faithfully obeying my instincts, I'll accept being tossed around.
Hey, my future is promising -
Thats why I take rests sometimes.

kono me de shikkari misadamete
yukisaki chizujou MAAKU shite
chikamichi areba sore ga oudou
hashoreru tsubasa mo areba joutou
I'll make sure with these eyes
And mark the destination on the map.
If theres a shortcut, thats the best route.
If I had wings to skip over it all, that would also be great.

YABA tsume wareta GURUU de hoshuu shita
sore dake de nanka tassei kan
daiji na no wa jibun kawaigaru koto
jibun wo aisanakya hito mo aisenai
Crap, I broke a nail! I fixed it with glue.
Somehow, thats enough to give me a sense of achievement.
The important thing is to love yourself.
If you cant love yourself, others can't, either.

Please don't say "You are lazy"
datte hontou wa crazy
nou aru taka wa sou
mienai koto ni PIKKU kakusun desu
souzou ni isshokenmei genjitsu wa zettaizetsumei
hatten tochuu dashi
dakara fui ni PICCHI hazurerun desu
Please dont say, You are lazy,
Because Im really crazy,
Just like how wise falcons
Hide their talons out of sight.
I try my best in my imagination, but reality pushes me into a corner.
Hey, Im still growing -
Thats why I go out of pitch unexpectedly.

sono me ni utsuranai dake datte
yaru ki wa MEETAA furikitte
itsudemo zenryoku de yume mite
sono bun zenryoku de nemutte
Its just not reflected in those eyes,
But my willpower breaks out of the meter.
To always dream with all of my energy,
I sleep with all of my energy.

YARI choi yaseta choushi dzuite kutta
sore dake de nande? haiboku kan
sukasazu ni mokuhyou kahou shuusei shite
juunan ni rinkiouhen shichi henge ga kachi
I lost a little weight, and I enthusiastically ate.
With only that much, why? I feel defeated.
I immediately lower my goal.
Im flexible and I adapt, so my dance will win.

Please don't say "You are lazy"
datte hontou wa crazy
kujakutachi wa sou
koko zo toiu toki bi wo miserun desu
gozouroppu manshin maishin ganbou wa soushin reijin
yuuwaku tahatsu dashi
dakara yake ni ishi kudakechaun desu
Please dont say, You are lazy,
Because Im really crazy,
Just like how peacocks
Charm at the moment they show their beauty.
My entire body works hard to become a slim beauty
Hey, temptation comes often -
Thats why my will breaks down.

YABA masaka Red Point!? iya GIRI KURIA!
sore dake de nante zennou kan
daiji na no wa jibun mitometeku koto
jibun wo yurusanakya hito mo yurusenai
Crap, did I fail!? No, I just cleared it!
With just that, I feel like I can do anything.
The important thing is appreciating yourself.
If you cant forgive yourself, others can't, either.

Please don't say "You are lazy"
datte hontou wa crazy
hakuchoutachi wa sou
mienai koto de BATA ashi surun desu
honnou ni juujun chuujitsu honrou mo juujuu shouchi
zentoyouyou dashi
dakara tama ni kyuukei shichaun desu
Please dont say, You are lazy,
Because Im really crazy,
Like how the swans are
Kicking their legs out of sight.
Faithfully obeying my instincts, I'll accept being tossed around.
Hey, my future is promising -
Thats why I take rests sometimes.

Note: original song by Sakurakou K-ON Bu (Yoko Hikasa, Aki Toyosaki, Satomi Satou and Minako Kotobuki), translated lyrics by unknown. akiko (yours truly) did not edit the translation this time.

the full song can be found here on youtube.

David Archuleta Showcase photos!

since we are all interested to look at david archuleta's photos, here is a brief chronicle of how we (nqw and i) got our fantastic tickets to watch the showcase:

mid march - Hitz.fm announced DA showcase, but no set date yet.

26 march - Hitz.fm DJ rudy phoned (to win four tickets to DA showcase)!

27 march - attempt to win Sony+TheStar's contest to interview DA!

8 april - collected four tickets to DA showcase from DiGi!

10 april - collected four tickets to DA showcase from Astro!

next, lets have a look at what happened on david's showcase LIVE:

date: 11 april 2009
time: 3pm onwards
venue: sunway amphitheatre
twitter updates:

10.23am - going to sunway now!

10.43am - attention to DA concert goers: park at sunway medical hospital!

12.26pm - more people coming in after 12noon. gate opening for bag check!

1.44pm - have got my seat in sunway amphitheatre now. Hitz.fm DJ (on air) reports that DA is taking a shower in hotel room now!

3.05pm - DA fans are screaming as they (stage staff) play with the lighting. Hitz.fm DJ Ean is here!

3.22pm - Hitz.fm DJ JJ is here - fans singing crush. DJs are stalling time. srsly. cloudy at sunway. may rain.

4.01pm - JJ and Ean giving out prizes. opening act by astro talent quest choo hou ren.

4.24pm - two more opening acts by one in a million winner alif and malaysian idol winner daniel lee.

4.40pm - david opens with a little too not over you at sunway amphitheatre!

5.01pm - david continues with touch my hand, dont let go and crush!

5.07pm - david's keyboard rendition of thousand miles and angel!
The End.

finally, all that you have been awaiting for! photos of david performing at his showcase with my camphone:

parked at sunway med hosp.

hitz.fm and era.fm cruisers stationed at the entrance.

the first few in queue (reportedly arrived at 8am!)

the bag check station and rules at the entrance.

this is the queueeeee behind me (and theres more until the end which was a bent-U end)

DA showcase security staffs (dont you want a piece of that tshirt?)

temporary mini booth selling DA merchandise (album, postcard, poster, lyric book)

our beloved sponsor-aka-#1fan nqw very hot by noon. XD

ATV rides! (no lah... just cruising staffs.)

mizuiro and i at our very-the-proud seats.

just want to show how the amphitheatre stage looked.



food there was expensive; choice between KFC or pizza hut. drink lagi expensive; choices of bottled water, 100plus, coke.

half of the massive crowd turn up. yeah, half (coz it was shot from where i was seated, quite centre-middle).

well, of course we had pizza for lunch! background top-left: not with us. XD

in pic, bottom-right: free DA paperfan for the first hundred or two in queue.

well, the photos above were apparently all about DA showcase as i doubted my camphone's ability to focus on such a faraway subject. and the below here are all the (hopefully better) photos i shot with my digicam!

my orange jacket and freebies~ (they still try to brainwash us until the entrance)

the (still empty) stage!

wee~ our view.

big ass dslr. thestar photgrapher (coz his telescope lens got label thestar).

who is he?! i think ive seen him somewhere before! (television?)

8tv interviewers & the blonde and brunette.

jj reading the DA placards made by fans in the crowd~

ean giving out prizes directly to the fangirls! (can you spot him? i wonder if he got groped in that sea of people.)

hou ren sang two songs. (but i dont pay attention to chinese language songs.)

alif performed two songs. one was (please) jangan nakal; and the background light created an accidental heart!

daniel lee also performed two songs; one made famous at malaysian idol mimpiku.

david archuleta enters!

david archuleta playing the keyboard as he sings~

photo sequence of his first song performance a little too not over you.

[ editing video clips from DA showcase ]

that's all from yours truly, akiko! (sorry for the delayed report, but still) i hope you enjoyed the photos (though there werent many).

ACGC 2008.. [belated]

"anime comics games convention 2008" at the berjaya times square (or BTS), long-awaited event after GACC, ACG, HGAF, and SONY-PSP 2008 (all of which i missed) was, as i quote Aoshi_88, "eclipsed by games booths" - cabal's malaysia launch, WoW, GE, gonzo rosso/ran online, etc. according to kclee, the main organiser is a game company (which i left to my selective memory). sure enough, on day1, i saw a whole bunch of game booths (cabal online was flooded worst - the queue to the booth was blocking public traffic since the venue was) on the 3rd floor open central area.

Lineage II booth models (the white-dressed one is pint-sized cute).

day1: 22 march 2008, saturday
what i supposed would be a very quiet event, i was proven wrong for day1. i went there in hopes of an ACG event, unknowingly it turned out to have generated a large following of games visitors and little did i notice, people who leech with their laptops. >_>

the rather accidental death note group (clockwise from top left): mello, matt, near, and misa.

i still cant believe i went all the way to BTS without a means of communication. (that means, no mobile phone for me.) once i arrived, i quickly got changed into misa amane's costume. then, i kept an eye out for kindness. yes, kindness.

i managed to bump into a death note antagonist group (L coser left before i got into my costume) and borrowed mello's mobile phone to call ywsmokona. see, kindness found you ywsmokona, dear~ lol. and indeed i met her (or she found me) while the death note group was being wildly photographed (nah, just exagerating). unfortunately, she had to leave (together with sean, dianne, yi lyn).. i had to look for kindness again at the end of the day.

once in a while the senior emcee would announce something random, and being random that it was, i did not catch a word because i was happily taking photographs of cosplayers (and some game models), posing away, and catching up with fellow (some long lost) cosplay acquaintances. sorry i could not update anyone about my non-existent mobile number. TAT

forgive the poor quality of this shot - zoomed too much in the dimly-lit venue.

sometime after the cabal launch (which i popped a mini confetti thing with the rest around the cabal online stage) towards the end of the evening (4-5pm perhaps?), i so happen to be standing next to the emcee counter. and so happen, the senior emcee just announced to queue up for the mini game to win the long-awaited 8GB thumbdrives~

i took one step to my right, and *poof* i was first in queue. but i did not want to stay first in line after he explained the mini game (supposedly open to cosplayers only, because the rules said so; i was wondering why there were only cosplayers in queue.. XD)

the mini game was guess-the-anime-song. but. they will only play it secretly to one person in frontmost (namely, yours truly) and s/he will have to hum the song for the rest to guess. what i was horrified at was that i had to perform it on the mini stage. (its not stage fright - its having to almost sing in public!) i hear people cheering and shouting "sing!!!" i turned around one last time to puppy-eye anyone to take my place. alas, i end up on the stage, yet won myself two 1GB thumbdrives. (someone actually recognised something from my vocal.)

oh, about the thumbdrives.. i had decided that there was no such thing (unbeknownst to me, there is a brand of such i found out much later) as 8GB thumbdrive. so it did not come to me as a shock when the emcee told us "the lorry transporting the 8GB thumbdrives got stuck on the highway so-and-so.. so we are gonna give out 1GB thumbdrives, eight at once to make up 8GB!" (the crowd was excited over the quantity which seem to have mattered more to them, while i stood there in anticipation of my turn at the microphone.)

very well, after that, i had to leave for i had promised to get home around 6-7pm. i looked out for kindness again and found a satan666, ironically. although i failed to arrange my transport home and wanted to make another phone call, i decided not to "..use my sex appeal" (as i quote misa amane) to take advantage of people.

(misa hardly does enough for her own good; most, if not all the time, its for raito~) i did want to stay for dinner with them, but i was next-to-broke. and it wasnt even the final weekend of the month! i managed to get home soundly, fall on my lofty bed, forget about completing my day2 props, and dreamt away..

a press conference for a local game methinks is BM-based or a new chinese mmorpg. i was patient enough to stay for two different conferences, so this photo i forgot belong to which. as you cannot see, the projector slide is outside the frame to the right of the photo.

day2: 23 march 2008, sunday

lateness~! i woke up groggily as if i just had a painless hangover, wondering what time was it. oh noes, my props! the gold and silver craft paper and red ribbon were still lying on the floor next to me.. the cosplay competition sign up was limited to the first 30 registered cosplayers only. i quickly draft out the gold-silver case for eclair's lipstick whip and attached 2.5m ribbon to it. by lunch time, i should be heading to BTS but i was just starting on the gunbelt.

(yeah, i know i have made these props for eclair before - but they seem to have disappeared or i left it behind at an event a long time ago. the gold lipstick case was the worst loss - it was an actual emptied-out estee lauder lipstick! TAT)

i arrived at BTS and got into costume, around 3pm; the cosplay competition sudah pun tamat. (everyone awaiting the result at 5pm.) i saw yori from far before i changed, but once i got back to the venue in costume, she was no where to be seen.. ah, i was really looking forward to see nami (one piece) moving on, i bumped into friends again~ *waves to relyss/hitokiri, kikyo/ayase*

the popularly funny gintama group..

yuffie cosplayer~ i'll give her honourable mention award. XD

these below are a couple photos which i noticeably edited for fun, of which i have miserably made badly and dared to upload them:

this is a candid shot which i requested from them (satan666 on the right)

jigoku shoujo: enma ai offering me the doll in a very good mood..

next, i decided to try out the few features on the canon powershot A430 for the first time. i selected widescreen-like view:

the group of cosplayers who felt that they had to show off each weapon and carefully not slicing/shooting one another accidentally (..it'd be a blood bath!)

at the end of ACGC 2008, here at the winners of the cosplay competition earlier.

before i headed home, my growling stomach and thirsty throat failed me, so i gladly accepted relyss' invite to join her, hitokiri, connman (i inspected him as alucard, and he inspected me as seras >///<) and someone (sorry, i dint catch your name!) for dinner in BTS. i forgot the name of the restaurant, but its on the same 3rd floor as the event.

i ordered a delicious steaming hot cheese pasta and -insert drink name- which came in a very lovely jumbo size glass. prices worth the meal. then, i happily took the lrt home-bound after hitokiri offered to drop me there (eventhough the car was full) x_o

btw, this is the link to ACGC day1 dance performances on youtube, and this is the link to the photo gallery.