FAQ
Welcome to the FAQ page. I created this page to help answer some of the things people have asked in the past. This page also tracks entries on my blog that are considered FAQ-worthy. So, without further ado, read on.
Q: What are these block symbols in your blog?
A: These “block symbols” you’re referring to is your operating system’s inability to display Japanese. You will need to install Japanese (or Asian) fonts in order to view the Japanese properly. However, it’s not necessary, especially if you don’t even read Japanese in the first place. If you really want to know the exact process, I might write a tutorial, but for now, look it up on Google. Lots of people have already documented the process.
Q: Why do you love Japan so much?
A: The obsession began when I was a young pup back in 1986, on a family vacation to my parents’ home country of Malaysia, and we had a stopover in Tokyo. I was so amazed at the way Japan looked that I wanted to know more about it. I guess it just escalated this far.
Q: Are you single?
A: Yes, and uninterested. If I ever got into a serious relationship, my entire collection of sexy anime figures and idol DVDs would most likely go bye-bye.
Q: I’m starting to get into Japanese music. Who are some good artists?
A: Honestly, it’s all a matter of taste. Everybody loves different things, and Japan is just starting to branch out into other genres of music never heard before over there. I like the acoustic sound from YUI, the bluesy jazz from Nakashima Mika (before she went all gospel-y), the heavy metal grunts of D’espairsRay, Kuribayashi Minami’s classic anime sound, the goth-thrash of OLIVIA, the sexy R&B of CRYSTAL KAY (who isn’t even Japanese), and even the mainstream pop from Hamasaki Ayumi. So, really, you need to listen to a lot of J-Pop before you find your absolute favorites.
Q: Could you send me videos of XX idol that you talked about recently?
A: If I sent one to you, I’d have to send one to everyone else. Okay, seriously, I get this question a lot, so that’s why I’m posting Japanese Media for direct download from Megaupload/Megarotic.
Q: Where can I buy Japanese media?
A: I like to shop from places like Yesasia, Amazon Japan, J-List, Hobby Search, and mostly Neowing. What it all comes down to is finding a store you really like shopping from, and having a backup plan if they don’t have something in stock anymore. Sadly, Japanese companies are notorious for producing single runs of merchandise and slapping a limited edition sticker on them, so in this hobby, there’s no room for hesitation – preorder it if you want it, and pray that you have enough in your credit card to do so. I would be so bankrupt if I ever went to an anime convention.
Q: Don’t you ever get broke from buying Japanese media?
A: I think the key phrase here is, “constantly in debt”. Thank goodness I have a high paying job.
Q: Do you want Rolexx, Cialixss, or Viagxra cheap??
A: For frak’s sake, stop spamming me.
Q: Can you see this? You could win national lottery!
A: I said, stop spamming me.
Q: How do I download your Japanese media?
A: It’s actually very simple. You can either click the link or the associated image. It will take you to Megaupload (or Megarotic for the mature content), where you have to type in a random three digit key, and then click the Download button. I would recommend using a download manager that supports resuming broken downloads.
Q: What about Japanese media that has multiple parts?
A: It’s no different than a single part file – you follow the same instructions as downloading one Japanese media file for each part.
Q: What do I do once I’ve downloaded all parts of a Japanese media?
A: You locate the first part and extract it with WinRAR.
Q: I just downloaded a video and extracted it properly, but it has a weird filename. What do I do with this?
A: The weird filename is due to Sony’s weird naming scheme for PSP. You have to copy it to your PSP (usually X:\MP_ROOT\100MNV01, where X:\ is the drive letter of your PSP). You can also drag it into iTunes and copy it to your iPod!
Q: I have an iPod Mini/Nano/Shuffle. Can I copy your music and videos to it?
A: Sorry, music only for these models. Video is only supported by the latest iPods.
Q: When I try to copy a video to my PSP, it asks if I want to overwrite it. What gives?
A: This is because I’ve named all the files to start at the first number, so if you’ve already put videos on your PSP before, it will need to overwrite them. You can do one of three things in this case: (a) overwrite them if you don’t want them anymore, (b) backup the videos off your PSP so that the video you downloaded from here can be copied without renaming, or (c) rename the video you downloaded by increasing the number higher than what you have on your PSP (eg. if you have 25 videos already on your PSP, you can rename my video to M4V10026.MP4).
Q: Why don’t you have videos available in standard resolution?
A: That’s because you can find them anywhere. The trend nowadays is to be able to take your music, photos, and videos everywhere you go. Besides, if you don’t have an iPod or a PSP, you should get one – they’re very handy (especially if you commute a lot).
Q: Will you be offering other content besides music and video?
A: If I can afford a new flatbed scanner, I might make magazine scans available in the future.
Q: I like swords.
A: So do I, but that wasn’t a question.
Q: Do you take requests?
A: Requests are difficult to fulfill in my position. I tend to buy things sporadically, and I don’t have complete collections. Also, my upload speed is crap, and it takes a while for me to get my stuff uploaded, even to Megaupload, so I can only do this once a week at best.
Q: So, let me get this straight – you own both an iPod AND a PSP?
A: Yes.
Q: Which one do you use the most?
A: The iPod, mostly. It offers a lower resolution, but it’s not as clunky as the PSP, and it has more storage space. Don’t get me wrong, the PSP is a great piece of hardware, but the navigation isn’t as ingenius as the iPod, and the games take too long to load. Thank goodness for the DS Lite.
Q: Do you think we’ll ever be rid of spam?
A: No, because we still haven’t gotten rid of junk mail and flyers from our mailboxes. Even if you put a sign, there’s always somebody out there who’s illiterate or ignorant. Or both.
Q: Can you do me a favor and put this question at the bottom of your FAQ?
A: Sure thing.
If your question wasn’t answered in this FAQ, leave a comment on a relevant entry and I will answer as promptly as I can.
