A Glimpse of Me (Posted by Sekira-chan)

March 05, 2009

A Glimpse of Me
By: Sekira-chan

In Japan, it is a common practice, if not almost a social obligation, to introduce oneself to your neighbors using a pre-determined set of procedures when you move in to a new house or apartment. Basically, you knock on the door, politely bow as your new neighbor answers the door, introduce yourself as a new neighbor, and ask for their ‘blessings.’ This ‘kaiwa’ concludes with you presenting a small token to your new neighbor with the hopes of their hospitality rewarding your token in return – be it new handkerchiefs, an assortment of fruits, or a set of new towels wrapped neatly into a package.

Today, I knock on the community’s door and present myself as the new blogger for Animax Asia. My name is Sekira-chan, and it is a pleasure meeting you all. I am also one of the moderators of the ‘old’ Animax Asia Forum and have been for around two years now.

I am not a journalist, nor have I studied under that field, but I have a keen interest in Japanese Culture like everyone here. My interests are writing, photography (well, admiring photography), and of course Japanese Culture. And almost like everyone, I have been introduced to Japanese Culture through its most popular medium – anime.

It was around the 5th Grade when I first caught a glimpse of anime (particularly because I made no distinction between Japanese anime and Western cartoons before the 5th Grade). Watching it on the local channels, I quickly became interested in anime, not to mention became a big fan of the seiyuu ‘Sakamoto Maaya’ who debuted as the heroine and performed the theme songs for the series ‘Escaflowne.’ Although I don’t follow much on her anime roles recently, I’ve always been keen on being updated with her music career. (At the moment, I’m saving up some money to buy her latest album).

So, after a few years of watching anime and following Sakamoto Maaya’s music career, I stumbled onto Animax Asia. It was a perfect delight for every anime fan to have. And it was a particularly nice move of Animax bringing in old classics like ‘Slam Dunk’ back on air. Watching ‘Slam Dunk’ again made me remember the times my friends and I would rush home after school just to catch the show. Then, around 3 years ago, out of pure curiosity, I joined the Animax Asia Forum. It was then that I met online some of the friends I have right now who share the same interests as I do. I don’t have a ‘favorite anime series’ list like most because I quickly lose interest in a series after I’ve watched it entirely for the first time for some reason. But, I do track any updates by ‘Type-Moon’ – the creator of Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Fate / Stay Night, and their most current work ‘Kara no Kyoukai ~ The Garden of Sinners.’

Aside from anime, writing and photography share the spaces of my passion. Being a fan of anime, it was inevitable that one would stumble upon the world of fanfiction. All the ‘what if’ possibilities and seemingly outrageous scenarios in the fanfiction world fueled my own creative juices, even though I write mostly private poetry locked away in dusty journal under my bed. I am particularly intrigued by Takashi Rumiko’s ‘Ranma ½’ for quite a long time now. As one of the popular classic series in the anime world, a lot of people have their own take and ‘what could’ve happened’ scenarios in the series. I too tried to get into the act until somehow I realized that I’m a bit fickle with one idea, and quickly become very intrigued with another. In the end, I could barely write a story from start to finish.

Anime, and with other Japanese Media such as dramas and movies, have a unique delivery in telling stories with regards to scenery. As an example, everyone has probably noticed a character’s fascination with the sky whenever he or she contemplates something important – the camera would pan from the characters towards the blue, cloudy sky as they utter their memorable lines. Watching a lot of these scenes from anime, dramas, and movies sparked my interest in photography, particularly landscapes. I couldn’t afford the books containing the pictures of different landscapes, so whenever I get the chance, I would steal some time off and head to the bookstore. I was happy that the bookstore allowed people to view their books without buying. Eventually, I picked up my digital camera, and snapped the nicest spots around University and other places I frequent to; they’re all stored in my private collection for select friends to see.

I can’t say that my interest revolves around anime, but it was this medium of Japanese Culture that introduced me to other things that helped me define who I am right now. Writing and photography will always extend further and further into new things…

Blogging… it’s no different than journaling, other than the fact that I’m facing the computer screen with my fingers across the keyboard, compared to a humble pen and blank paper. This is my first time blogging publicly so I am a bit unsure, as I have always written in a journal, but I did agree to take on this challenge. I humbly ask everyone for their ‘blessings.’ With this short introduction, I conclude my first entry. Once again, my name is Sekira-chan, the new blogger for Animax Asia, and it is a pleasure meeting you all.