Wednesday, 10:00

Before I talk at great length about Haikyuu, I want to talk about deputy shopping services. I have been using Noppin for years (since they were Crescent, even) and have been happy with them. At the end of December, however, just as I was getting ready to place a bunch of bids on Winter Comiket doujinshi, Noppin closed for a week for the holiday and server maintenance. I panicked and started looking for a different deputy service, because what if I missed all the Comiket doujinshi?? But I soon calmed down and realized that 1) everyone was going to be closed at least for a few days for New Years, and 2) I already have a sizable deposit at Noppin, and it's kind of annoying to have to make a deposit elsewhere as well. So I decided to be patient and wait out the holiday, and of course I didn't have any trouble getting anything I wanted.

The reason I tell this story is that while I was panicking, I found a service called Goody Japan. They don't have real time bidding the way Noppin does, so I doubt I'll be using their auction services. BUT their fees for shopping services are way cheaper (¥400 + 7% vs ¥1000 + 10% at Noppin), and placing orders is much easier compared to Noppin's clunky message board. (Since I mentioned the deposit above, I will say that with Goody's system, you make a deposit for each shopping order, and then it's subtracted from the final total you owe, so they don't keep money for you the way Noppin does for their auction service.) Frankly, it makes it dangerously easy to order things from Animate, or Tora no Ana, or any number of shops. They also were super fast in getting my things packaged and ready to ship out (Noppin can take days to get a package ready, especially when apparently they think your package is going to get confiscated because it has freaking udon noodles in it), and everything was packed perfectly. I kind of laughed that they made a big deal out of the air pocket padding, but the box really did seem lighter compared to just newspaper. Anyway, I will definitely be using Goody again--in fact, I just placed another doujinshi order this weekend because Haikyuu!! (Those exclamation points are in the title, but they are also the punctuation for that sentence.) This is...as good of a segue as any, I guess?

( let's talk about volleyball )

*keyboard mashing*
*incoherent flailing*
( *silent screaming* )

This just came out, but I'm already anxious for the next one. *gasp* I love this series again! Yay!

OMG JUST KISS ALREADY

Love, love, LOVE how happy Sousuke is to see Shino at his proper age. And when he comes back from making tea and sees Shino as a kid again, don't tell me he wasn't thinking he should have kissed Shino when he had the chance, HE TOTALLY WAS.

Also, this scan is probably really confusing taken out of context. OH WELL.

Sadly, despite Abe Miyuki's move to Kadokawa, her notes at the end of volume 10 make it sound like there's not going to be any kissing any time soon. Specifically, she says that she's been allowed to "continue the series with the same flavor," and I assume that means a no-kissing flavor. (Maybe I'm wrong and she means "more focused on fantasy plot than romance" flavor, though, who knows?)

( blab and obligatory THINGS I LOVE list )

( alskh;dfoijs;l )
I will say, though, that I'm relieved to see that the story's not over. I was a little worried this might be the last volume.

The Sakashita family is officially the cutest family EVAR. I love this volume because not only do we get Noboru and Yuuki being a ラブラブバカップル (is that redundant?), but Noboru being all protective of his brothers is SO adorable. And the 王子様ごっこ at the beginning of chaper 8 = LOVE. Also, Yuuki's older brother and...damn, I won't say anything, but Hee! Okay, I lied. I will say: I don't know if I should be slashing the twins with Kazushi or Hiroya. One for each? I'm so, SO sad that this is the last volume. MORE! See icon for proper "MORE!" facial expression. (mangaroo, do you have this one yet? If not, WHY DON'T YOU HAVE IT YET?) I have the first two drama CDs--will have to get the third one (and the inevitable fourth one) to quench my thirst. It's impossible to say if the twins are cuter as pictures or voices.

This week, I've also been reading this two part series, (though I won't do a proper review because I'm not done yet). It's kind of driving me nuts, because I don't know that I actually like it (I want to kick the main characters--both of them--way too often), but I can't stop reading it. I mean, literally, I stayed up until four in the morning the other night, and I've started reading it while walking to work. I'm pretty sure that's not healthy.