Matt Alt and myself managed to invade the Bandai Hobby Center in Shizuoka last week: the factory slash holy ground where Gundam model kits are forged out of tiny plastic pellets by robot drones painted like Mobile Suits while human workers are forced to cosplay in Earth Federation uniforms in order to earn their keep. Nothing can ever be the same again, nor should it be.
Look for a you-are-there “Hot Tears of Shame” podcast of the fun hopefully soonish. In the meantime, Matt has struck first on his AltJapan blog with a detailed write-up accompanied by many sexy photos of our electrifying twin journey into Plamo madness, powered by mysterious Minovsky particles!
Sample quote:
Patrick and I really did it, I think to myself, pressing the shutter for what has to be my first-ever photograph of a urinal. We've penetrated the inner sanctum. This is where the people who design Gun-Pla relieve themselves.
Check it out here.
OMG you got the GOLDEN TICKET, Patrick-san!
It's like being invited to Willy Wonka's factory, only in REAL LIFE!!!
I cannot WAIT for the next HTOS-cast. Too cool.
Posted by: Ms. Geek | November 11, 2006 at 10:09 PM
Somehow I find plamo totally unappealing. Possibly because mecha sucks.
Posted by: Marielle | November 12, 2006 at 07:47 AM
Well Marielle, you're a girl (at least I'm guessing) so you probably would say something like that. But to ignore the importance of Plamo to the otaku world (i.e. the rest of us) would also "suck."
Posted by: Patrick Macias | November 12, 2006 at 06:04 PM
"Mecha sucks."
Wow. I've never heard those 2 words used together. It makes me all twitchy reading them.
Posted by: hillsy | November 12, 2006 at 06:12 PM
Sadly, a lot of people think so. There are even people who don't like rock music. Some people don't even eat meat.
Posted by: Patrick Macias | November 12, 2006 at 06:30 PM
While one would think Moe is the antithesis of mecha love, is it not true that there are those who are Moe OVER mecha?
Could not the current trend of loli girls with airplane or tank parts covering them (reborn from the '80s MS Gal concept) be seen as either the Moe fans trying to co-opt the mecha world, or vice-versa? Or maybe some unhealthy, nay, unholy merging of the two?
Can I be any more pendantic? :")
Posted by: Steve Harrison | November 12, 2006 at 06:47 PM
I guess I'm just gender typical. Except that I really don't like yaoi. And my hentai collection is generally considered to be impressive.
I wasn't implying that you should ignore plamo and focus on the girly things. Obviously you hate goth loli and you managed to get through a segment of it. I like figures, but I just never really got into mecha and therefore plamo. Just expressing my opinion, that's all.
Anyway, didn't anyone ever tell you not to feed the trolls? :P
Posted by: Marielle | November 12, 2006 at 07:55 PM
Opinions are fine. So are Gothloli. I don't "go" that way myself, but I respect it and certainly studied the heck out of it for my next book and for NHK. Why just yesterday I saw Choco-nyan in Harajuku and we high-fived each other...
Posted by: Patrick Macias | November 12, 2006 at 08:05 PM
Mecha + moe = hilarity (more hilarious if you're a haruhi fan)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=u12gN1s6lik
Posted by: Marielle | November 13, 2006 at 06:53 PM
So are Gothloli. I don't "go" that way myself
Let it be proclaimed, that from now on, any time you do a segment on a girlie subculture, you must strive to understand them better by adopting their style.
Posted by: Keith | November 14, 2006 at 11:57 AM
"Why just yesterday I saw Choco-nyan in Harajuku and we high-fived each other..."
Athletes pat each other on the butt, but run into a familiar Gothloli and it's a high five? Those should definitely be reversed...
Posted by: hillsy | November 18, 2006 at 09:55 PM
It should now be pointed out that actual Japanese Gothloli girls who hang out in Harajuku are actually quite friendly and genial, whereas foreign girls who follow the scene from afar tend to be a bunch of miserable elitist cunts.
Posted by: Patrick Macias | November 18, 2006 at 10:11 PM