For this interview, we’ve delved into the depths of absurdity to bring you Shin from Atarashii Prelude. You’d think that a blog named after the Nodame Cantabile OP would be romantic and wholesome, but of course you’d be wrong. Whether it’s using Photoshop exactly as Adobe intended, or making jokes that make you feel guilty for laughing, Shin always brings something new and unexpected with every post. Keep reading to find out how it all got started and how he got those scars.

Deep Thought Questions

How did you get started with Atarashii Prelude and anime blogging in general?

My first real blogging experience began around late December 2006 when I started a now defunct Tsuruya fan blog. Please don’t laugh. I quickly gave up after a measly 3 post run due to general laziness, woefully aggravated by Blogger’s horrendous UI. I eventually returned to becoming a lurker at, of all places, a hentai forum. While they do have some form of anime discussion going on, the community died out and I needed an outlet to spam express myself, and didn’t want to do the whole forum thing again elsewhere.

It was around this time that gaiden suggested that the both of us start our own anime blog. Since there was no pressure in updating or maintaining the site, I agreed to give it a shot. Who knows, perhaps I wanted to see if this whole blogging business could be reinvigorated. Gaining a few readers along the way would be nice too.

What was it like taking over an established site from its founder (gaiden)?

Gaiden was someone whom I respected, not only for the fact she was a senior in college, but being one of the first few people I knew outside my peer group who had a similar passion for anime. It was really thanks to her that I picked up blogging, so when she ceased being a part of Atarashii Prelude due to personal commitments, I felt somewhat disheartened, though not discouraged.

It was also around this time when Evern, who is a co-author and personal friend, offered to sponsor for hosting in order to take the “brand” to “new heights”. Truth to be told, while I was very receptive towards the idea, I lacked the confidence in taking up the challenge. Still, not one to turn down freebies, I eventually took up the deal. Alas, my remaining co-author eventually bailed out on me as well, since he had to make time for his piloting course, to which I promised to sing him Watashi no Kare wa Pairotto by the end of it.

How do you choose which series you will cover on your blog?

I do not adhere to any guidelines whatsoever, and will watch and blog on just about anything. Because of that, a lot of whatever I do decide to cover is done on a whim, with only a select few being mentioned on the blog more than once. For these ‘fortunate’ titles, I guess they tend to share a set of similar characteristics as follows:

• Interest: It’s no secret that I’m a shallow fanservice-driven fanboy who will check out a title just for its lolis. The more the better, I say. Again, I’m pretty flexible here, so it boils down to the next two points.
• Entertainment Value: If I find myself pausing the episode many times to do something else other than to take a screenshot, I know I’m not going to bother with the series later on. Yes, I am sure I want to send [AnY-Conclave]​_[Mahou​_Tsukai​_ni​_Taisetsu​_na​_Koto​_Natsu​_no​_Sora​ _01][x264][1280x720][A58F2AE5].​mkv to the Recycle Bin, thank you very much.
• Blogability: Unlike how I first started off, I have to now weigh this factor even more than ever before as I no longer have the luxury of blogging as much as I would like to. The show must be consistent in invoking positive reactions with plenty of memorable scenes that are worth mentioning for me to write about.

In the end I’d like to emphasis that I’m pretty nonchalant when it comes to series selection, and the pointers mentioned above are really just heuristic approaches.

Your site utilizes a lot of humor in the posts, especially in the form of edited images. What’s your process for making a post really funny?

I think the keyword here is random. Because there are obviously funnier blogs out there, I wanted to make an attempt to go beyond humor in order to really leave an impression. To compensate for my weakness in writing a proper article, I resorted to the heavy usage of images, edited or otherwise, where my origins as an image board denizen really shine through. As such, the cesspool that is my inner thoughts and perversions are expressed through my posts, which people mistakenly pass off as my sense of humor when I’m really just being my disturbingly honest self. I also tend to work around the images themselves, instead of inserting them as an afterthought to complement the actual post. This has worked to my advantage in several ways, mainly how I’m able to make the blog more visually appealing than others as well as attract readers whom do not usually step foot into places like 4chan. As I’ll never be able to invoke a reaction like “Shin wrote an intriguingly, thought provoking article today”, I’m really just aiming for a “LOL SHIN WTF” from readers.

Can you give us some tips for first-time traps putting together their cosplay outfits?

It goes without saying, but you really need to have the balls (or lack thereof) to pull off a stunt like this in public. It doesn’t matter if you look the part or not, because let’s face it, not all of us are born bishounens. The important thing here is to embrace whatever character you’re posing as and not worry too much about what others think about it, since you already are a dude in female clothing anyway.

That said; try putting together an outfit that would match your personality, which was the one aspect which I blundered during my first attempt. Being the relatively stoic person that I was in real life, I had to suddenly take on the role of a supposedly cheerful adolescent female, a huge contrast in character as you can tell. An emotionless Gothic Lolita type like Moyashimon’s Kei would have been a better choice, or so I was told, since I need not smile as much. But between you and me, I really want to try Kagami next.

Regardless, come prepared with a set of fixed routines and poses, because you’re going to be getting a lot of attention from the cameras. Practicing in front of the mirror will be a good idea, as I did with (ﾉゝ∀･)~キラ☆, though I couldn’t overcome my inability to smile properly. Other little pointers include the use of makeup, though be sure not to apply too much, since the idea here is to pass off as a trap, and not a drag queen. Also, be sure to put on the proper type of underwear, and I would advise against boxers, since its advantage will now work against you. Yes, that bulge will become apparent the moment you start getting stiff if you’re wearing a skirt. Trust me on this.

Quick Shots

What’s the one thing you are most looking forward to in the Suzumiya Haruhi sequel?

Kyoto Animation will never go around fulfilling it, but along with other fans of the idea, I want to see the entire cast as their gender-bent selves in at least one episode. I’ll make do with more Tsuruya though.

Are you ever surprised by the avatar that your frequent commenters choose?

Considering they are all handpicked by either me or Evern, the avatars selected by commenters usually come as expected choices. However, there are the occasional funny outcomes from those who are randomly assigned theirs, like Hiromi shippers being given Noe avatars. Actually, now that I think about it, I didn’t think you’d pick Kagami, since I never saw you as a Lucky Star fan, until I read your review of course. Oh, and Setsuna, that Alto-hime avatar was something I reserved for the ladies.

Favorite anime blog besides your own?

Kurogane – having never visited anime blogs of any kind before actually starting Atarashii Prelude, his was the first few that I’ve visited and ended up liking. The fact he’s a fellow countryman is why I aspire to someday drag his ass off his divine pedestal be just as good as him.

Crusader - while I make it a daily routine to drop by at THAT, it’s really Crusader’s posts that I look forward to most because unlike most other bloggers whom I know are basically students like myself, influences from him being an Amerikkkan Conscript can be seen in the posts he makes, giving it a unique flavor and perspective as well. I also learn German through him.

Best part about blogging?

Now that I think about, not having to be confined to the restrains of an anime forum to express my thoughts, which tends to be deemed too risqué by overzealous moderators prove to be the biggest blessing of all.

Worst part about blogging?

The only real drawback I can think of is how letting everyone know about my unhealthy fixation with prepubescent anime females might end up being used against me in court one day.

Who has your support in the 2008 Saimoe Tournament?

Among all the eligible contestants, there are only two characters that had me completely smitten, namely True Tear’s Isurugi Noe and Macross Frontier’s Ranka Lee. I’m definitely rooting for the two, but truth to be to be told, I love the latter a lot more, since she has been very prominent in her series of origin, not to mention having the superior singing prowess. Seikan Hikou > Cockroach Song.