Continuing the trend of spotting these things in shows which I wouldn’t expect, this one comes from the fifth episode of Highschool of the Dead. One of the few shots in the show which isn’t saturated with anything remotely resembling egregious service too, which is just as well given the standards to which I hold contents posted to this very blog.

(Yeah, I know I should stop procrastinating and post a bit more regularly, but there’s really not been much I’ve felt like posting about recently…)

From Volume 3 of the Yen Press print of K-On!, though I guess I may be being a little presumptuous here. It’s not the first time I’ve noted such things being translated, but on this occasion I don’t own a Japanese copy to refer back to in order to ensure I’m correct.

Honestly, I do kind of wonder what the thought process behind translating such things is – it’s not like it’s significant in terms of establishing the setting, rather it’s entirely inconsequential as to what is going on. Are there really people so allergic to the appearance of Japanese text that publishers feel the need to remove every trace of moon-runes from sight? It just serves to make my work more difficult, as entirely pointless as it actually is.

This one comes from Calaggie (who gets bonus Waffle points for sporting a Ritsuko icon) on the Twitters, taken from episode 6 of Mawaru Penguindrum. Seizon Senryaku and all that.

Speaking of Ikuhara, I’ve been watching Utena recently, thanks to the Rightstuf/Nozomi re-release that’s presently ongoing. I’ve seen Utena before – I’ve had all the less-than-ideal CPM disks since they put them out, but calling that release staccato would be being generous. It wasn’t exactly the ideal circumstance under which to watch such a dense show.

Though, honestly, I’m not entirely sure I can really blame the release pattern for me not entirely getting Utena (in a comprehension sense – I love it as a show). It’s a show that simply makes me feel dense, painfully aware of the limitations of my own intelligence. Actually, it’s the people write about Utena who make me feel dense – I just can’t comprehend media at the kind of level some of these people can. I read an explanation of the Nanami cowbell episode once that blew my mind.

(Also I’m pretty sure that people who can not only fully comprehend the Utena movie, but also explain it to other people in a manner that makes sense, are actually Newtypes, or maybe JAM).

From episode 8 of the soon-to-be-sequeled Working!! (Or Wagnaria!! if you are looking at the US boxart), from Yamadas fabulous penthouse apartment (or, rather, the loft-space above the restaurant).

Yes, I realise it doesn’t actually say Mikan, but I’ve claimed far more ambiguous examples in the past. That familiar blue-stripe makes me inclined to think it’s definitely a Mikan box rather than a container for some other, more boring variety of citrus fruit.

(It’s strikes me that I’m glad that Yukiho doesn’t take her androphobia to quite the same extremes as Inami – things could get very bloody very quickly were she to start striking every man she passed with that shovel of hers. Very bloody indeed…)

(I actually spotted this one a couple of weeks ago, but neglected to post about it at the time. This procrastination resulted in me being placed in something of a predicament as I failed to remember exactly which episode it was in. The lesson here is… never blog. I think).

Whilst this seasons crop of anime may be proving disappointing in the most important of aspects, thankfully my manga backlog is proving more fruitful, as this panel from the fourth volume of 20th Century Boys displays. Good series, that is.

I wish I could say that this was me catching up with the huge stack of manga I bought at MCM a couple of months ago… but this was one of the volumes I had before hand, meaning that this is merely the preamble to that. They’ve released another volume of 20th Century Boys since then as well – I just don’t have the time at the moment.

Which might explain why I’ve not updated ‘Waffle much recently. The absence is absolutely not intentional in any way. Honest, Guv’nor. Definitely not just me pulling a Berserk and playing iDOLM@STER.

(Oh, and if anyone knows better about the lack of mikan boxes this season (sans Bakatest – I kind of feel that one is almost cheating in terms of saturation, if the first season was anything to go by) feel free to let me know, preferably with pictorial evidence…)

((Fruitful was an entirely accidental pun))