Motion Graphics - Kinetic Type

So Project 2 for Motion Graphics is a kinetic type movie. We were to choose a poem or song and create moving type to try to portray the feeling of the words or capture the meanings.

I chose a song from DDR Revolution 5th Mix, Hot Limit, as my song since it is notorious for it's mutilated lyrics, I thought I could make a funny video with it. Since all my projects for this class have to be related to my gaming channel PlayTV, it was perfect. And besides, I'm not really into the "cool" or "slick" style anyway... I'd take the fun route any day! =)

Hope you like it!

Upcoming releases: Nintendo 3DS and Trine 2

Trine 2 is coming out and it's giving Hien incentive to finish playing Trine with me... hehe. Trine 2 looks really pretty~ o_o; The background goes in much deeper and is very, very atmospheric. I thought the first one was pretty too and the game is fun and you have to come up with creative solutions to get across the stage. I guess Hien just got fed up playing with me cause I'm slow. xD

Also another upcoming release that's been in the news for a year now is the Nintendo 3DS... I guess I wasn't planning on getting it anytime soon so I wasn't particularly paying attention to them... but what I didn't know was that the game system comes with a bunch of AR (augmented reality) cards too! O_O The AR cards are special cards that when you place on your table, and use the 3DS camera to view the card, you will see 3D cube(s) pop up and you can play a variety of mini games that utilize the 3D aspect of the console! It may transform your tabletop into a mountain range, cut a hole into your table where you have to stand up in order to look down into, or pop up a little dragon! =O They make me wanna get the system, but I guess I'll just try to fight it and play with Hien's when he gets it. xD




I'm also hoping that they will come out with more colours if I wait a bit... like... mint green please? xD

June release: Sengoku Basara Pullips

Woot, some new Pullips coming out (June 2011 release) with an interesting license... Sengoku Basara! (? o_O) Which is weird cause I thought this would be a title more geared towards guys, as it's a hack & slash game. It's quite fun, and I enjoyed it a bit more than the Dynasty Warrior titles, but it's just interesting cause they're all male characters but they're gonna be in the Pullip line now!




And isn't it just a little weird that the Dal is topless?? I know she's supposed to be a guy but... o_O;;

I like the Chousokabe Motochika (Taeyang) and Date Masamune (Pullip)... I think the Pullip is cute, she doesn't look like the character, just looks like she's a fan and decided to cosplay as Date with a giant helmet and stuff. x3

Whoops, Dal is actually wearing a nude coloured tube top. Haha.

Pullip Profile - Nero Ruhe

. P R O F I L E .

. n a m e . - Nero Ruhe

. p u l l i p . t y p e . - Nero

. b i r t h d a y . - December 7 (2006)

. c o l o u r s . - Creams, Earthy colours, Greys/Black

. f o o d . - Lasagna, Carrot Sticks & Dip

. o c c u p a t i o n . - Interior Designer

. t r a i t s . - Calm, Sophisticated, Creative, Has girlish moments, Loves plants.

. h o b b i e s . - Reading, Writing, Traveling, and Gardening.

. q u i r k s . - Has to travel to a place she's never been to for vacation, once a year. =3

. f e e l . l i k e . s o . - Reading by the window seat as the train speeds past lush landscapes... Feel like so.

Nero was my second Pullip, but first one that I bought for myself, hehe. I really liked her when I saw her because she had that classy elegant look (her till coat and tights, and boots x3), and I loved the pale, almost mono-tone palette of her hair, face-up, and whole ensemble. Hien didn't like her as much, he says her face looks odd or something. ^^; But sokay, I still like you Nero! x3

[ BACK TO MASTER LIST ]

. P H O T O S .

I only have some really old photos I took of Mercu off my old old old phone camera, which are kinda awful and a half, so I'm going to have to update later with some new pics. ^^;

Momoko - Alice & Sarah

So ever since I started collecting Pullips about 5 years ago, there were also these other dolls that were really cool but kinda expensive at the time, called Momoko. I never got them because starting another doll collection was rather dangerous as the Pullip collection was already getting out of hand. ^^; And not to mention the Momoko dolls were running at around $200 each while Pullips were only $100 (haha). There were a few times where I came really close to getting one because the site that I usually buy my Pullips from also started carrying Momokos. But I didn't. So after many years of getting Pullips as Xmas and birthday gifts from Hien, he started to think that it wasn't as special since I usually get them myself anyways, so he decided he'd be the one to get me Momokos instead. Hence started my Momoko collection. =3

The first Momoko I got was Outdoor Boyish for last year's Christmas present (2010). She's a spunky short haired Momoko with a fun, 80's coloured wind breaker, denim mini, black tights, leg warmers, and fuzzy earmuffs. I never got around to taking pics of her, only displayed her for a while at Hien's place before I took her home. Then this year I got a Miss Weekday, Bitter Version for my birthday! She's the alternate version of Miss Weekday, sporting an all black ensemble. She's a classier Momoko, with a nice black medium-length jacket (with a fur hood), short-sleeved mock turtle-neck, till business skirt, and knee-high boots. She has long hair with bangs, tied neatly in a half ponytail.

Once I got the second Momoko I decided I needed to take pics! And here they are! I've named them Sarah and Alice respectively, and they're sisters. xD

For Miss Weekday Bittersweet, I noticed the footwear has a slit at the back, like how Barbie does, which I found interesting. And because she has all black clothes, Alice had some staining on her hands. The picture isn't that clear, but it's more visible in person. I'm used to it from Pullips, but it is sort of unfortunate. = (

And that concludes the mini photo shoot for my Momoko sisters Alice and Sarah! Hopefully you will be seeing more of them as summer break is approaching. Mwahaha...

Motion Graphics - TV Bumper

Doing homework and I'm procrastinating a little... haha. I procrastinated all reading week! Well I thought I would post some work I've done for class and then get back to work... Really!

Here is a motion graphics commercial bumper I made for my make belief gaming TV channel: Play TV. I spent way more time on it than it looks... T____T

My teacher kinda liked it and Ghostface Pizza Kid kinda likes it too, so I guess it's a pass! =D I used After Effects to create it. Animated gifs are credited to =cezkid on Deviantart. Background music: Mega Man 2, Password theme.

If you'd like, you can follow my YouTube channel since I post everything there, but only the work I like will get another post shared here... ^^; I will post some more later on... should get some work done again. .____.;;

Pullip Profile - Mercu Verrassen

. P R O F I L E .

. n a m e . - Mercu Verrassen

. p u l l i p . t y p e . - Mercu

. b i r t h d a y . - November 17 (2006)

. c o l o u r s . - Purples, Blues, White

. f o o d . - Cupcakes, Apples

. o c c u p a t i o n . - Sergeant within the I.G.P. (Inter-Galactic Police)

. t r a i t s . - Clumsy, gets sidetracked, observant, vast memory, loving.

. h o b b i e s . - Movie Buff, Collects Ink Stamps, Reading mystery & detective novels.

. q u i r k s . - Talks to her food before eating it. o__o;

. f e e l . l i k e . s o . - Stop! Stay right there! +pew pew+ Ooo... a cupcake... +stops to munch+ Feel like so.

Mercu was my very first Pullip and also a gift from boyfriend Hien as an early Xmas present! She was one of the Pullips I was saving up a whole year for (I had no job then and had to pay tuition) and she was everything I hoped she'd be and more! She's super dainty and pretty~! x3 I was so surprised and so happy I couldn't wait to take her home and dress her up. =D

[ BACK TO MASTER LIST ]

. P H O T O S .

I only have some really old photos I took of Mercu off my old old old phone camera, which are kinda awful and a half, so I'm going to have to update later with some new pics. ^^;

Takoyaki

So it was my birthday about a month ago, and Sindy brought me and my sis to this new food court she now frequents... the reason? Takoyaki. (dun Dun DUN!) Apparently they have an authentic Japanese vendor there that serves it and it's good... well according to Sindy. lol So we went and we ordered two 8-piece servings and waited. It took quite a while for them, since they make it fresh for you on the spot.

So we kinda milled around and looked at all the food stalls they had to see what other goodies were around. They had a Korean place (serving bibimbap, bolgogi, sundubu, galbi dishes, etc.), a couple of Chinese places (fried noodle, fried rice dishes), and a Congee place. The Japanese place that we ordered the Takoyaki from also had a variety of other authentic dishes: okonomiyaki, takoyaki, gyoza, ramen, udon, curry rice, korokke (croquettes), oden (pre-orders only), and another dish which I forget now, but it started with an 'M'. ^^;

All in all it seemed like a pretty tasty food court although small (only 5 different vendors). I was getting super hungry looking at all the yummy foods... but finally our takoyaki were done! I looked at my dish and the bonito were moving! It was really odd, but interesting. And that's when I pulled out my phone to take a video of it...

They were served in wooden boats made out of thin sheets of wood folded and glued together. And the verdict? Delicious. =3 I need to go back there again... get more takoyaki and maybe try their other dishes too!

Konapun!

So a recent obsession of mine (and Sindy's xD) are these miniature food making toys from Japan called Konapun. You use the little tools and equipment they provide in the "kitchen" sets to make small mini dishes of Japanese foods using their magic powder and adding water. Think Easy-bake, except smaller, non-edible, and no heat required.

They first came out in 1983, and then they made a come back in 2006 (with periodic releases up until 2009) introducing some new sets that created even more realistic miniature replicas of tasty foods. Mmm... Apparently the Konapun powder mainly consists of powdered sodium alginate (alginic acid?) which is contained in seaweed and dissolves easily in water. Each food powder also contains different ingredients to make the color and consistency needed for the different types of foods (I want to find these out and make my own powder! xD)

Each kitchen set comes with a mini kitchen counter (or shelf display for the older ones) complete with cooking necessities such as stoves, ovens, etc. depending on the set you get, as well as tools and utensils such as a knife, spatula, strainer, scoops, etc. Some sets come with special equipment that is unique to the foods that it makes (such as the takoyaki pick tool). Supplement sets, Kits, and Tool sets are available for powder refill or replacements for lost tools (or if you want to get some tools without buying the corresponding kitchen set). The extra sets require you to have one of the kitchen sets for the rest of the tools needed to create those dishes, or you can use household items to make the Konapun. 1 cc = 1 ml and there are approximately 5 cc per teaspoon and 15 cc per tablespoon. I will be posting English instructions and household items you can use later on in case your Konapun only comes in Japanese, or you don't have a kitchen. I know Konapun are hard to come by since they are discontinued. ^^;

Enough talk! On with the pics! ლ(╹◡╹ლ)


I'll start off with the kitchen sets. These sets come with a small mini-kitchen, kitchen tools, stickers (to decorate your kitchen or accessories), mixing bowls, pots/pans/appliances/etc, plates for serving the food, and various food powders (depending on the kitchen set you get).


This first set is the Cooking Studio kitchen set, it was my first Konapun which I got last Christmas from my sister, who bought it during her trip to Taiwan! x3 I'll make other posts later with detailed pics and videos when I use them. =3
It comes with everything shown and can fold into a handy little carrying case. It comes with the food powders to make Omurice, Tempura, Chicken Nuggets, and Melon Jelly as shown in the picture.


Next is the Burger Kitchen set, it's my next target for Konapun! Along with the Cooking Studio Kitchen set, these two make the largest kitchen sets for Konapun. This set simulates the kitchen of a burger joint and their deep fryer comes with a basket and a rack to strain the 'oil' from the foods. Their oven is also different in that it is a detachable unit. This set also comes with a butcher knife (xD) and a grill/fryer for burgers instead of a pan. This set makes burgers, fries, and hotdogs as shown.

Next on my hit list is the Rilakkuma Dessert Cart (by the way these are not really the official names, it's what I call them x P) This is like a collab as this set comes with Rilakkuma stickers to put onto your cart/kitchen and tools. This set comes with an oven, storage space inside the cart, serving trays, mixing bowls, tools, and moulds. It makes Rilakkuma desserts: cakes, pudding, cookies, etc. ALL shaped like Rilakuma! Want... this... @___@;;




The next one I'd get after I get all of the above (haha, I know... >___<) the Takoyaki Kitchen set! This set makes Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, and Taiyaki foods as shown. This set also comes with tools and moulds that are unique to create these foods! They look so good....! Dx Then I'd get all the kitchen sets below in any order: Crepe Kitchen, Cookie Kitchen, and Soft Serve Ice Cream Kitchen!

There was also a special released for the Soft Serve Ice Cream set... Mamegomu Soft Serve! x3

And then there are these other kitchen sets that I think might be slightly older as their formats are completely different. They're more like store fronts or front counter displays than 'kitchens'. These are the Cake Kitchen Special Edition, Cake Kitchen Regular Edition, Pizza Kitchen, Sushi Kitchen, Parfait Kitchen, Ice Cream Kitchen, and Donut Kitchen! I think I only really want the Parfait Kitchen or Ice Cream Kitchen... I like the oven for the Pizza Kitchen, and fryer for the Donut Kitchen but I can live without it. x P And the foods (like the sushi) are really cool, but I can get those from the Supplement sets... hehehe.

Each kitchen set usually only comes with enough food powder to make a few dishes, once you use up the food powders that come with your kitchen, you won't be able to make anymore! But that's where the Supplement sets come in. They are essentially refill packs that require you to already have the corresponding kitchen set, in order to use the equipment and kitchen tools such as the measuring cup, mixing bowls, moulds, etc. to make the foods. As far as I know, these sets do NOT come with any serving dishes or tools, only powder. Once I get my hands on some, I'll verify this. ^^; But for now, here they are: Burger Supplement/Refill, Jelly Cake, Cookie, Donut, Cake, Ice Cream, Crepe, Sushi, Parfait, Pizza, Pudding, Soft Serve Ice Cream, Takoyaki, Rilakkuma Supplement/Refills, and Mamegomu Supplement/Refills.

There are also other sets, which I like to call "Kits". They are similar to Supplement sets as they sort of require a kitchen set to make the food (if you ONLY want to use Konapun hardware =D), but these sets also come with serving plates and dishes, and decorations for the food. You'll notice they have a variety of plastic decorative fruits or veggies, plates, bowls, trays, etc. Some even come with different moulds that aren't available in the kitchen sets! Dx There are: Bento, Cakes, Curry Rice, Hamburg Steak, Omurice, Parfait, Spaghetti, Pudding, Shortcake, Sushi, Tarts, and Tempura Konapun!

And then there's this extra special Kit that's called Kuru Kuru Mixer and Raku Raku Pot set, it has a water dispenser that you can easily fill your measuring cup and an egg-beater that will mix your powder and water! Both utilize good ole button pushing action. xD Also comes with a mixing bowl, moulds, and food powder to make a jelly cake! Super deluxe Kit!

You still here? lol Well there are just a few more things I've found, so bear with me... (as you can tell, I'm only slightly obsessed...) Next up are the Tool Kits. Know how the Supplement sets only had food powder but no tools or decorations? Guess what Tool Kits have? You got it! Only tools and decorations, BUT no powder. (I swear they're just out to get us...) Here they are: Cake Tools, Shortcake Tools, Donut Tools, and Ice Cream Tools!

Found some more! More obssessed searching has yielded two other kits called "Konapun Trial Kits" (that's what it says on the box!) and this type only comes in two different kinds: melon jelly and strawberry jelly. These two came out somewhat early in the Konapun line, in September 2006. One of them has a star shaped cake mould that I don't think is available in any other set. Have a look!

Now just for fun, I also found some of the really old Konapun sets... they were released in 1983 so they are quite old and rare! Take a peek:

And that concludes my research on Konapun. ^^ There may be more things I don't know or haven't covered, so I will edit this post as I get more pictures or information! Thanks for reading! =3


Updated 04/22/11: Added Melon & Strawberry Trial Kits info and images, also added original Konapun boxed kitchen picture.
Updated 04/08/11: Added stock images of Shortcake Kit, Ice Cream Kitchen, Supplement Sushi, Donut, and Cake (2). Added Special Edition Cake Toolset and Special Edition Cake Kitchen Set. Updated images of various kitchen and supplement/kit sets.
Updated 03/27/11: Added Ice Cream Kitchen, edited Raku Raku Pot set image, added Tool Sets section, and Original Konapun section.
Updated 03/20/11: Separated Supplement Sets from Kits. More supplement sets and kits added.