Complex resolved! Lovely Complex

(tags anime, season 2007/04, Lovely Complex)

Lovely Complex ends with 24 episodes. What a grand adventure. 5 stars!

These two look like they can't go through one more episode, though. Go All-Hanshin Combi!

Mamoru-kun is orz: Rubik's Cube measured times

(tags anime, Rubik's Cube, season 2006/10, times)

I was watching some Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo! (護くんに女神の祝福を！) but its pretty bad. Seiyuu Mikako Takahashi (高橋美佳子) voices the main gal Ayako here, but the only role I liked her in was Ayumi in Hachimitsu to Clover.

Anyways on the cubing front, I did better than last time by not trying to Cube while watching.

----- JNetCube Best Average for Mon Sep 17 21:15:07 GMT+09:00 2007 -----

Average: 2:11.50 (2:47.16 -35.66 last week)

Fastest Time: 1:29.59 (2:14.03 -44.44)
Slowest Time: 3:44.43 (3:46.20 -1.77)
Standard Deviation: 19.48 (11.78)

Individual Times:
2:15.34 R2 B2 L F2 D2 L F2 U L2 D F2 L' B2 U' D B' U R U2 F R2 B2 U' F L
2:08.18 D' U2 L' R' U' F U2 L D R' U2 R B U F U2 D B U2 F' U D2 R U2 R2
1:29.59 U' R B' L2 D R' D' F' L B' U D2 L R2 B L2 B' F U' L R2 U' D2 F2 L
2:29.57 L' D' B2 F2 D F B' U B L2 U2 R' D U' L' U' F L' R B R' U' B' F' U2
2:35.00 B2 U' B2 L' B' F2 U' F U L' B' D2 B' L' B R' L F' L2 D' R U2 D' F U
1:50.28 D' B' D2 B2 F R B2 D L B' U' F B2 L' R2 B L B2 F2 D' U B' D' B2 F2
1:54.25 B2 U D' B' D R2 F B' L' U2 L' B' F' R' B' D' L U2 L2 U' F2 B2 L' D F
2:40.38 B U F' U2 D F R2 B' D U' F' L' R2 B2 F R L F' L F L2 B2 D' L2 B2
3:44.43 B' D R2 D R2 L U2 D2 F2 U2 F' R' D' R D2 B L B L' F' U2 L2 R B' D'
1:59.25 B F' U' B L' F' L2 U2 R F2 L2 B2 F' L2 D' L' F B2 U2 L U' R L2 B F2
2:18.31 F' U2 B2 L2 D' B F D2 F2 L2 F2 U L2 F2 R2 L D' U' B2 U' R U2 L2 B D
1:44.45 D L' R' B2 U2 B2 L' U2 R2 D2 L D L2 F2 U2 D R2 F2 B2 L2 D' L D B2 R2

Another improvement of about 30 seconds this week. I didn't "prune". I just did a straight run without rejecting or rolling over. I didn't even warm up, after resting 2 days from daily practice. I must say my hands don't feel very dexterous, and I "pop" my cube a lot. Over the course of the week I have somewhat mastered those last two Fridrich moves, but I forgot them on some these of the runs, which explains those 3 minute + results.

One thing I allow myself is to look at the cube for as much time as I want. Usually I get impatient but sometimes I try to think about how to move to the cross. I also try to shortcut some moves if I can look in advance. Cubing improvement is all about looking ahead, so if I can "see" the colors, I can get rid of redundant movement.

Doujin Work is orz: Rubik's Cube measured times

(tags Rubik's Cube, times, anime, season 2007/04)

I was watching some Doujin Work, a season 2007/04 anime, and even though my favorite seiyuu Masumin (浅野真澄) is voicing the main character, the whole story just bites hard. Thumbs down. So I busted out my Rubik's Cube while glancing at the episodes. To tell you the truth though, I couldn't concentrate on doing both, so I repeated a set of 12 solves after it was done. The scores for this week:

----- JNetCube Best Average for Sun Sep 09 22:27:20 GMT+09:00 2007 -----

Average: 2:47.16 (3:16.43 -29.27 last week)

Fastest Time: 2:14.03 (2:17.57 -3.54)
Slowest Time: 3:46.20 (5:51.78 -125.58)
Standard Deviation: 11.78 (28.76)

Individual Times:
1) 2:45.73 U' L2 D' F D B2 L' B2 L U2 R2 D2 R B U2 B D2 U2 L' U B F R B' L2
2) 3:08.45 U' F2 L B U D2 F' B D F D R D2 R2 U' F' U L2 D' U' B' L2 R D' F
3) 2:53.28 U2 B2 L2 F L F2 R2 D F R2 D' F2 R2 B' U2 F D F' U D' B U2 D' F2 L
4) 2:38.46 D' U' F2 U F' U D2 F R' D2 B L2 R' B2 L2 B2 U2 F' U F2 R2 U' L2 D2 F
5) (3:46.20) D F2 B L R B D L2 U D2 R' B2 D2 B F' U' D B R' U2 R' F D F D
6) 2:50.26 D F' L R' B' L' U2 F B L2 R B' U2 F B' D' R2 D R D' L D B2 F2 R'
7) 2:52.29 D2 L R U B' F2 U L' D2 U F' D' L' D' F' B' L2 D2 U B' L2 R D F D'
8) 2:48.46 U' B2 D L F R2 U' R B F D2 F' U' L F B' U R' L F U F2 L B2 F'
9) 2:21.84 R' B' L U' F D2 U' F U' B2 R B F2 R' F2 D2 B F' R' U' R L' B' F' U
10) 2:47.28 U B2 D2 F2 D2 U R2 B' D' B U D2 L R U2 F R L' D U2 B2 U R' F R
11) (2:14.03) R2 D' F2 B2 U L R2 D' U2 B L B L2 F' D2 F U2 R2 L' B' F L B F' D
12) 2:45.53 B L F2 U2 R' L' B D R2 U R' F2 L B2 L' F D2 U R B2 F' U R F2 R2

Well an improvement about 30 seconds, but last week I didn't "prune" like I did this week. I'm still using the same method, but I think my hands are getting used to spinning the cube.

I have come to the conclusion that the Heise Method is for advanced Cubists, so I have given up on it. I still need the crutch of matching colors to absolute positions. I have switched to doing Blue side first, in a method similar to Fridrich but only 3 of the edges at a time. Still I haven't learned how to do the simple version of Friditch PLL corners and edges, even though I've practiced them a number of times.

Behind you

(tags anime, season 2007/04, Lovely Complex, Manabi Straight)

Today I bought Manabi Straight DVD 6 and watched episode 11. Well it was okay.

Then I watched episode 18 of Lovely Complex for a second time.

It's grand.

This is Lovely Complex

(tags anime, season 2007/04, Lovely Complex)

Riding behind the boy that she loves, you wouldn't believe her heart is breaking right now, would you?

This is one of those rare points where they put some quality in the animation of Lovely Complex.

I skipped episode 12 a while back because I didn't have it. But there was no loss of quality, ha. I just finished episode 18 right now, actually. Its great. Its so great I wonder what they are going to do for a finale.

Teary eyes: Mr. A-Z and Lovely Complex

(tags music, English, anime, season 2007/04)

Two things today made me melancholy. Jason Mraz's Mr. A-Z album which I just ripped today, but I seemed to have played countless times. Especially "Please Don't Tell Her". "That I'm crazy like the rest of us.../and I'm crazier when I'm next to her." Aaah. Japanese release has printed English lyrics with Japanese translation. w00t.

And I started watching the anime version of Lovely Complex (ラブコン), with the trajectory of manga to movie to video game (PS2). I watched episodes 1 to 9 non-stop and I loved every minute of this romance comedy with Osaka manzai. It feels like the first arc is over though, so I wonder how it will turn out in the second half. I feel guilty though, since I have the PS2 game since last year but I haven't played it.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't grab episode 12 of Lovely Complex. I'm hating myself.