Starting in January (the 14th?), TBS (Tokyo, not Turner) will begin airing Shinsengumi Peacemaker, adapted from the manga Shinsegumi Imon Peacemaker. Still too early for many details or an official site.

Known cast: Suga Kenta (Tetsunosuke), Furuhata Yuta (Tatsunosuke), Yanagishita Masaru (Okita), Izaki Yusuke (Harada), Araki Hirofumi (Yoshida Toshimaro), and Sakakibara Tetsuji.

Original articles: Hochi yomiura, Mainichi

This should become available on d-addicts, but no guarantees as dramas are getting more difficult to acquire. Also, no news on if it will be picked up by a fansubber if the raws are available. (The drama announcement was made only yesterday.)

The Courtship of Lady Tokio is back!  While epic story was set in the Rurouni Kenshin universe the author began to develop and independent "world" which readers will really enjoy.

This post is a continuation on the topic of the influence of Japanese architecture I started [here].

If you can't make it to Japan today or long for the Meiji Era I'd like to recommend this location in Pasadena California.

The GAMBLE HOUSE demonstrates the ripple effect of Meiji Japan's display at the Chicago Exposition 1893 (Columbian Exposition) on American art and architecture.  It's remarkable that affluent Americans of that era and soon a good portion of the middle-class thought it very fashionable to live in bungalows and estates with an "Oriental" touch.

Check out the history page and enjoy the pics.

Update 9/12
I took the tour.  WOW.  There are so many details one would miss by just walking through the house without a docent.  What I found fascinating is the Greene brothers used the tsuba, sword guard, as a theme throughout the house aside from other Asian motifs like cranes, stylized mist and also simple carvings one of which was Mt. Fuji.
The home didn't feel like sloppy "fusion" architecture or interior design.  Two samurai swords displayed in the sons' bedroom were removed from the home by the owners and were replaced with Civil War sabres though.  It was incredibly elegant without being too luxurious and does deserve to have the title of being an architectural gem.   

Interesting fact.  Two USC architecture students are chosen to live in the house and ofcourse we were not allowed into their rooms.

Recommended the Greene and Greene brothers wiki entry.

Then I have the book for you....

AVAILABLE TODAY !!!!



( Read more... )

Something different and free!
Check it out...

Comic Con really does reach the fans because I'd never find this title on my own on the net.

House of Five Leaves

I attended a panel introducing this work but no other details about the plot, other than the blurb on the site, was given.
I was told it was "outstanding" and to learn more I'd have to read the story.

Again like many stories we have yet another struggling ronin.

One day there will be a story about a struggling untouchable or something (^_^).

Interestingly, NHK is making a documentary about NEO-VICTORIANA.
Let's hope that this "connects" to some creators to think back to Meiji Era steampunk.

Edit: continued from this post.

Here on Comicspace.com !  I actually can't view any of the images because I -have- to block everything with firefox because I just can't stand having to clean spyware off my computer again.