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Rei Ayanami
- Manga, Japanese comics and pop culture 

This site started already back in 1998, ie. approximately at the time of the dinosaurs. At first it was a pure fan site dedicated to the Japanese character Rei Ayanami from the Neon Genesis Evangelion.

On Wikipedia this can be read about Rei Ayanami:

Rei Ayanami is a fictional character from the Japanese media franchise Neon Genesis Evangelion created by Gainax. She is the First Child (First Children in the Japanese version) and pilot of the Evangelion Unit 00.

... and of the Neon Genesis this:

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Japanese media franchise created and owned by Gainax. Most of the franchise features an apocalyptic mecha action story, which revolves around the efforts by the paramilitary organization NERV to fight hostile beings called Angels, using giant humanoids called Evangelions that are piloted by select teenagers.

Rei Ayanami had (and has) a huge fan base and still to this day a massive amount of pictures, videos and information about this animated star is in motion. As the time passes figures like Rei Ayanami become cult.

Manga, and Japanese pop culture in general, is a well-established koncept and this blog is dedicated to these themes, and to other popular culture from around the globe.

 

Manga

9 Dec 2019

Manga means in Japanese something similar to "free images" and refers to comics in general. The west has become familiar to Manga via certain Japanese cartoons and typical for Manga characters are big heads and big eyes, generally very attractive and appealing looks. Since the turn of the millenia Manga has influenced cartoon creators all over the globe. Read more about Manga on wikipedia.org.

Choosing the right ski

11 Oct 2019

Finding the right length of skis when buying or renting can be the difference in how good it is on the slopes. So, how long should my skis be? There are lots of different factors to consider, but one factor that, after all, means more than all the others is weight. There is schedules online that you can check out. Other things that you need to consider when looking for the right ski is what skill level you have, and if you are skiing fast or slow. If you want to know more about this, you can check out Freeride. They have a lot of good stuff about skiing.

During the old days, long skis were common

In the past, before carving skis made their entrance, it was a great prestige to have the longest skis, preferably 20-30 cm longer than one's length. In the cabin lift, many people put their skis on top of the slalom jumps to make them look even longer! However, with the birth of the carving ski (in the 90's) this has changed, and a rule of thumb now says that beginners should choose a ski between the chest and chin and a more used skier to the nose. What revolutionized the ski market was that instead of making perfectly straight skis, they now began to make them hourglass-shaped. So wider front and back than the middle. It is also said that carving skis have a waist which makes them easier when you are turning.

Create your own comics

10 Sep 2018

Have you ever thought of perhaps trying to make yuor own comic book? If you have ideas, everything else is available to you online: practical tips, layout design and advice etc. Making a comic book can be easy and hard, depending on you skills and imagination. Practically you just need to learn how it's typically done, and then off you go. The pictures are essential in comic books, so you need some drawing skills, and of course - a sense of timing. Have a look at this tutorial, which I think is quite helpful.

Things you didn´t know about swedes

13 Jun 2018

Sweden is well known in Europe as one of the best countries to live in. They have health care for all with no, or little cost. Dental care is free for kids and their king and queen are both respected and loved by all. There are however a few things about swedes not many know. Weird things, things that will make you lift you eyebrow in disbelief. And we will tell you about some of them.

They always look for an excuse to drink alcohol

In Sweden everyone above the age of 18 is allowed to drink at pubs and above 20 they can buy liqour in the store. The drinking culture is well hidden but every chance they get, they drink. At parties to celebrate, at funerals wehn mourning and also at weddings, around christmas and all other holidays. They celebrate the sun with a beer, and drown their sorrows for erain in beer. 

They use tobacco in a weird way

In Sweden they have this thing called snus, or スヌース as it is called in japanese. It is fine ground tobacco that they put under their upper lip and suck on it. The juices always run down their chin and that is also probably why we never see them kiss in public. 

Nudity is no big deal

Around midsummer almost everyone goes to a nearby lake and bathe. Nude. Skinnydipping is as Swedish as pickled herring and no one seems to care. Kids, youngsters and adults all swim together in the suit given by God. If you visit Sweden, don´t let this scare you.  

J-pop - Ayumi Hamasaki

15 Nov 2017

In the musical world Japanese pop music is shortened J-pop and the stars are many. To an amateur's eye the J-pop stars all resemble each other to the point where it's hard to separate them from one another, but that is just ignorance. The popscene in Japan is rich and fruitful. One of the brightest shining start on the scene is Ayumi Hamasaki who over the years slowly has been shifting genre from pop to a more rock like sound. Ayumi is popular even in western countries, which is quite unusual.