http://bayanime.com/forums/ San Francisco Bay Area community for fans of anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture en Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:22:18 +0000 http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/deputyproxy-service-shoppingmalljapanbeware#post-1813 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:10:21 +0000 DYRL84 1813@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>For those who do not know a deputy/proxy service will bid/buy Japan-only stuffs for you for a fee and is usually used by customers who 1) do not have friends/family living in Japan, 2) do not want to inconvenience said friends/family, 3) do not plan to travel to Japan in the near future.</p> <p>I am relaying my first and probably last experience with shoppingmalljapan.com (SMJ).</p> <p>shoppingmalljapan.com</p> <p>Many people swear by this service but I feel that they jacked up the shipping rates on me and I just dont trust them and they totally ignored two of my emails requesting that my items ship directly from Japan.</p> <p>The way that their packages travel is as follows:<br /> Seller (Japan) ----&gt; SMJ (Japan) ----&gt; SMJ(Indiana, USA) ----&gt; Customer (USA)</p> <p>I live on the west coast about 20 min away from S.F. Int'l Airport. As a customer I will have paid int'l shipping beyond my California residence all the way to Indiana via "batch shipping". and then have to request shipping from SMJ (Indiana) to me (California). Therefore double backing the parcel all the way back to the west coast as follows:</p> <p>[from Japan] parcel travels beyond west coast (USA) ----&gt; SMJ (Indiana) then,</p> <p>me (California) &lt;---- SMJ (Indiana)</p> <p>So shipping charges = domestic (japan) + int'l (japan) + [domestic (usa) which is an additional shipping charge comapared to other deputyproxy services that normally ship directly from Japan] </p> <p>Essentially, in my case, I am paying for excessive and unnecessary shipping fees and shipping time both int'l and domestic. </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/social-networks-post-your-profile-and-add-some-friends#post-134 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:13:01 +0000 Ann 134@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>TianLord brought up some anime social networks he was on in another post so I thought I'd make a dedicated thread for people to post their profile links to!</p> <p>Here are bayanime's links:</p> <p>Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/bayanime" rel="nofollow">http://twitter.com/bayanime</a><br /> Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/BayAnimecom/26919842702" rel="nofollow">http://www.facebook.com/pages/BayAnimecom/26919842702</a><br /> MySpace: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/bayanime" rel="nofollow">http://www.myspace.com/bayanime</a><br /> MyAnimeList: <a href="http://myanimelist.net/profile/bayanime" rel="nofollow">http://myanimelist.net/profile/bayanime</a></p> <p>And my personal MySpace: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/annoyama" rel="nofollow">http://www.myspace.com/annoyama</a> </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/indie-game-blog#post-2145 Mon, 31 May 2010 21:37:34 +0000 Clover 2145@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>Hey everyone! I've started a blog <a href="http://newgameplus.tumblr.com/" rel="nofollow">http://newgameplus.tumblr.com/</a> as a means to help motivate myself in my indie game endevours and help other indie gamers find resources and ideas. It's all in the beginning stages right now, but I do hope it will motivate other budding game designers to just go for it. There is also a facebook fan page, "new game plus" you can join and receive updates.</p> <p>best,<br /> clover </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/h1n1-sucks#post-1970 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:17:38 +0000 Ann 1970@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>Get your shot, everyone! Don't get H1N1 like I did. It sucks! Boo! </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/official-anime-merchandisewhere-to-buy#post-1742 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:15:08 +0000 DYRL84 1742@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>where does everybody get their stuffs from?</p> <p>bay area stores or online?</p> <p>like official merchandise from jump shops in japan and not fake merchandise.</p> <p>i was just browsing and some of the prices are jaw-dropping for figurines and such. </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/merry-christmas-everyone#post-1947 Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:53:33 +0000 Ann 1947@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>Just got back into town... apparently missed a free Cowboy Bebop marathon at the Bridge Theater last night.</p> <p>How was everyone's Christmas? </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/stuffs-loots#post-1877 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:21:54 +0000 DYRL84 1877@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>October loot: <a href="http://www.figure.fm/post/en/3529/October+Loot+so+far.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.figure.fm/post/en/3529/October+Loot+so+far.html</a><br /> November loot: <a href="http://www.figure.fm/post/en/4997/November+Loot.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.figure.fm/post/en/4997/November+Loot.html</a></p> <p>I wonder what December loot will look like. =)</p> <p>Kudos the the poster!</p> <p>I don't know if this is really a lot since I'm a stuffs noob. The few things that I picked up just recently pale in comparison to the monthly volume of stuffs and loot from this Bay Area collector. </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/capital-onethe-credit-card-of-choice-for-purchases-abroad#post-1814 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:06:45 +0000 DYRL84 1814@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>This information is kinda nerdy but while shopping online for anime stuffs from sites that only accept payment in yen like Hobby Link Japan, I tried to use the best payment options available. Most credit cards charge around a 3% currency exchage fee (ex. $100 charged on a card, fee = $3).</p> <p>Instead of calling each of my credit card companies to ask them about charges in foreign currency I found this article:<br /> <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/latest-currency-conversion-fees-2.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/latest-currency-conversion-fees-2.aspx</a></p> <p>If you compare the bullet "Credit card purchase:" by each credit card issuer you will notice that Capital One has a 0% charge. I have confirmed on my Wells Fargo card that they charge a 3% currency conversion fee and I called Capital One (since I have this card also) and they confirmed that there is NO currency conversion fees (as of the date of this posting) or additional fees charged to the card.</p> <p>Another payment option that was available was Paypal. Usually Paypal will exchange currency at the current exchange rate but will ultimately charge the seller around 3.8% of the transaction's total as a fee which the seller may pass along to the buyer. I'm not sure if Hobby Link Japan does this.</p> <p>I have also noticed that buying anime stuffs is like the stock market. The exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen may fluctuate daily with trends upwards or downwards and "timing the market" comes into play.</p> <p>here's a link to illustrate historical daily exchage rates:<br /> <a href="http://www.oanda.com/convert/fxhistory" rel="nofollow">http://www.oanda.com/convert/fxhistory</a> </p> <p>Disclaimer: For anecdotal purposes only. I have no affiliation with mentioned companies. These rates were quoted for me as of the date of this post. Individual rates may vary. Please contact your credit card issuers and sellers before purchases. </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/star-trek-exhibition-at-the-tech-museum#post-1816 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:11:31 +0000 Ann 1816@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>Just went to this today and was pretty disappointed. I guess I expected to see a lot more actual props, recreated sets, and staff milling about in costume or something. But I didn't get to go through a single door that made the cool door swishing noise. There were no people dressed up. Most of the exhibit consisted of a bunch of uniforms displayed in cases on headless mannequins and informational text on the walls about some kind of Star Trek trivia. The bridge was a scaled down cheap replica. The Borg Cube prop and some of the other props were pretty cool, but I think they could have lit the displays better and at least let you handle some of them.</p> <p>It was lame that they didn't allow you to take your own pictures in there. They had people with DSLRs stationed at the 3 sets, ready to take your picture and sell it to you, but there wasn't any professionally lit setup for the photo opp.</p> <p>Anyway I like Star Trek but I would say that the exhibit is really overpriced (tickets are $25, simulator ride is an additional $6, and IMAX movie is $8) for what it is. </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/hlj-black-friday-blowout-sale#post-1867 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:38:48 +0000 DYRL84 1867@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>Similar to sale before but take 25% off order</p> <p><a href="http://www.hlj.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hlj.com/</a> </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/totally-random-post-kamina-ranka-lee-blue-dress#post-1858 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:11:57 +0000 DYRL84 1858@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>If anyone cares</p> <p>on yahoo japan auction i saw...</p> <p>1/8 scale Kamina sell for Y11300(USED) and Y14500(NEW)<br /> HLJ Kamina: <a href="http://www.hlj.com/product/SIT00209" rel="nofollow">http://www.hlj.com/product/SIT00209</a> </p> <p>and</p> <p>the limited edition 1/8 scale (blue dress) Ranka Lee is selling at Y15000 or more<br /> <a href="http://www.megatreshop.jp/products/em_ranka/index.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.megatreshop.jp/products/em_ranka/index.html</a><br /> HLJ (red dress) Ranka: <a href="http://www.hlj.com/product/MEG71240" rel="nofollow">http://www.hlj.com/product/MEG71240</a></p> <p>Wow! I didn't know figurines would go for that much </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/mochi-manjuthe-bayanimecom-experience#post-1840 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:50:40 +0000 DYRL84 1840@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>Benkyodo in S.F. or Shueido in S.J.? I've been reading yelp comments and comparisons are also drawn to Mikawaya in L.A., and mochi and manju from either Hawaii or Japan.</p> <p>I visited Benkyodo recently but haven't tried mochi or manju from any of the other places.</p> <p>What were your experiences? Likes? Dislikes? Comparisons?</p> <p>I thought Benkyodo's offerings were pretty good. My favorites were the smooth red bean paste, blueberry, and chocolate/marshmallow mochi. The strawberry mochi was either sold out or out of season when I visited so I didn't get to sample that. I think they also offer a sakura mochi closer to the New Year. </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/limited-time-hobby-link-japan-free-express-shipping-promo#post-1833 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:38:26 +0000 DYRL84 1833@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>i just wanted to pass this along since i've been shopping at their site lately.</p> <p>apparently they ran a similar promo earlier this year and this is the second time.</p> <p>promo details link:<br /> <a href="http://www.hlj.com/index.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.hlj.com/index.html</a></p> <p>qualifying purchase link (buy at least one of these discounted items as part of your order):<br /> <a href="http://www.hlj.com/scripts/specialsale/?Count=0&amp;DisplayMode=images&amp;randstr=42n32gdt" rel="nofollow">http://www.hlj.com/scripts/specialsale/?Count=0&amp;DisplayMode=images&amp;randstr=42n32gdt</a></p> <p>*another qualifier for free shipping is paying for the purchase using an established paypal billing agreement (you can set this up at checkout)</p> <p>*additionally the items that qualify for free shipping must be in stock (at the time of order placement) or be ready to ship by the promotion's end</p> <p>*be sure to read the promo details for additional information</p> <p>stuff is selling out at a pretty good pace (well at least some of the stuff that i ordered)</p> <p>i lucked out because an item that i was planning to buy was on the list and i got my order in before it sold out. and i think i was able to get my order in for an item that would usually EMS ship at 12,900 yen before that item went on "backordered" status. </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/new-thread#post-1766 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:19:32 +0000 Ann 1766@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>We need a new thread! </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/what-are-you-all-doing-for-halloween#post-1770 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:30:52 +0000 Ann 1770@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>So is anyone else dressing up as Beardog and going trick or treating? </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/just-curiousany-computer-enthusiasts-here#post-1639 Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:54:35 +0000 DYRL84 1639@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>I know we have some extremely talented computer software gurus here. I was just wondering if anybody out there overclocks their CPUs or GPUs or mods cases and stuff.</p> <p>=) </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/new-people-a-retailers-perspective#post-1601 Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:35:07 +0000 Colin 1601@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>This Thursday I was out touring some bookstores in SF for work and popped by the New People building in Japantown. I wanted to share my impressions of it.</p> <p>First off, the space is quite nice. They've gone for a very modern, open, well lit feel. The "flow" of the building works well. As you go up the elevator, its nearly impossible to resit walking into each space. Everything thing feels more "New York" than San Francisco, but that isn't really a bad thing. I am really impressed with the aesthetics of the first two floors. </p> <p>The trouble with the space, as far as I can see, is they really don't have much to offer.</p> <p>The theater seems to only play anime and movies that are 2-3 years old and its not cheap. I think to make it a viable "destination" they would have to show current titles and update the selection weekly. A membership or "frequent viewer" program would be a huge home run with Japanophiles and would probably be enough of a draw to keep bodies moving into the compound.</p> <p>The cafe on the first floor seems to be severely limited. I can't see why anyone would dine there instead of any other of Japantown's offerings. Again, they need to make it a "destination" and I think this could be easily done by creating a "manga cafe" especially with Manga Cafe Mika folding. Offering free, or free for a limited time, access to the manga selection would pull people in and hopefully you could make up some $$$ with food and drink sales. I would take a page from Borders or Barnes and Noble here and accept that the cafe is really going to run at a loss but it provides a very important cornerstone for the building by allowing people to comfortably hang out or meet up inside. Live music here would be a no-brainer here as well and I'd be shocked if its not been discussed...</p> <p>The retail space seems like the biggest strike out. They have an extremely limited selection of products which seem to be aimmed at arty hipsters. One would be better served by popping over to Super 7 where similar, but better, goodies can be found and at more reasonable prices. Who is the customer that this space is intended for? I spotted a small selection of art books and "After the Quake" (presumably to tie-in with the Super Frog gallery upstairs), a humidifier that seemed more like it was for dropping your weed in, so over priced and over sized figurines, and plenty of things that couldn't really be given as gifts and yet aren't the types of things that one would really buy for their self. I can't see this shop ever becoming profitable let alone recouping its build out costs. The staff to shopper ratio was like 3 to 1 in favor of the staff! Ouch.</p> <p>The gothic lolita store, or whatever one calls it, is strange to say the least. I understand there are some out there who love these outfits, but really, are there enough people in the area who can afford to pay $300+ for their offerings? This is niche which is REALLY at the short end of the tail. Consumers who are interested in these sorts of things would probably be better served by an online shop so prices can be kept down and volume made up. Again, I can't see this being profitable.</p> <p>The Super Frog gallery, while I love the obscure Murakamki reference, seemed bare and lacking in any real pizazz. Instead of a space which complimented the works on the walls, the overwhelming whiteness and lack of furniture seemed to detract from the art. There was also a distinct lack of selection. Music here wouldn't hurt, either. As an event space, you would have to pack a lot of bodies in the room to make it feel like something was really "happening."</p> <p>Knowing how retail in SF works, especially when minority "cultural" shops enter into the equation, I can see that New People sort of got hit coming in the door and going out. On one hand, I am sure the city loves have a "cultural center" as they are hugely in love with such things. Whether or not New People really counts as anything beyond Japanophile-hipster culture is debatable, but I think most would agree that French maid outfits and giant, plastic, Legomen-ish statues aren't really accurately representing modern Japan culture. The real pickle that New People are in is that I am sure they cannot overlap with the mall across the street. For all its flaws, many of the shops in mall have sort of "cracked the code" as best as anyone could, for now, when it comes to retailing Japanese themed goods. Obviously, toys are a huge money maker for the shops. You just have to look around the mall to see that all the shops are fighting to get them in. Many have the same selection now even. Antiques still sell to upper-class San Franciscans. Ramen is good. Books, manga, some dvds, etc. But New People can't stock these items except in the very limited selections which are more than likely stipulated. Its the same with the movie theater: if their theater was too big with too new of movies, its going to cut into the Kabuki...erm SUNDANCE across the way.</p> <p>It will be interesting to watch and see how much New People evolves. From a retail manager's perspective, I see lots of red flags and would venture a guess and say that they will need to make some dramatic changes if they are to remain for longer than five years... unless they have some sort of massive grant or private funding. </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/bayanime-podcast#post-1326 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:10:06 +0000 Stythys 1326@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>I was thinking about this awhile ago, but never really got around to organizing anything, but I want to see how much interest there would actually be in this. I originally thought a videocast would be better, but we can start with a podcast before organizing anything like that. Basically, we'd just do things like anime reviews, maybe some ongoing ones of the anime shows airing this summer, recaps of the various events meetups we do, anything else we can think of related to Japanese culture around here, or heck, and in the future maybe we can even go into some other subjects as they're brought up.</p> <p>But to do this we'd need a couple of people to regularly do the shows. Anyone with me? =D </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/itasha#post-1340 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:07:18 +0000 Colin 1340@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p>"Itasha is what happens when you combine people obsessed with manga, anime and video games (referred to as otaku) with unsuspecting cars."</p> <p><a href="http://jalopnik.com/5320386/itasha-japans-creepiest-car-fetish/gallery/" rel="nofollow">http://jalopnik.com/5320386/itasha-japans-creepiest-car-fetish/gallery/</a> </p> http://bayanime.com/forums/topic/giant-gundam-spotting#post-1249 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:52:28 +0000 Ann 1249@http://bayanime.com/forums/ <p><a href="http://www.auto-otaku.com/home/2009/07/that-gundam-thing.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.auto-otaku.com/home/2009/07/that-gundam-thing.html</a> </p>