Japan : Fish market

En français
Last Saturday morning we got up a 5am to go to the fish market. I really awake suddenly, I was a bit lost for a while when I realize that the time to go was past and dressed up in a hurry. Hopefully I managed to get there as the others were waiting for me. This market is really huge and you can find all sort of fishes and seashells there. At the end we went to the restaurant to eat some really fresh sushi and a soup. おいしい!!
 Travel table of content

Amigurumi : 초고마로 (chocomaro)

En français
















초고마로 is the brown version of 마시 마로. One of the reader asked me a while ago for the pattern to make a 마 시 마로 but I didn't remember how to do it. I made two already one for me and one for my friend but they were different. So I tried to make an other one to get the pattern and I ended up with this version of 초고마.

 Body and headMake an amigurumi ring.
1) 5 sc in the ring.
2) 2 sc in each sc around : 10 sc
3) (1 sc in the next sc, 2 sc in the next sc) 5 times : 15 sc
4) (1 sc in the next 2 sc, 2 sc in the next sc) 5 times : 20 sc
5) (1 sc in the next 3 sc, 2 sc in the next sc) 5 times : 25 sc
6-10) 25 sc  
11) (1 sc in the next 4 sc, 2 sc in the next sc) 5 times : 30 sc
12) (1sc in the next 5 sc, 2 sc in the next sc) 5 times : 35 sc
13-18) 35 sc
19) (1sc in the next 5 sc, decrease once) 5 times : 30 sc
20) (1 sc in the next 4 sc, decrease once) 5times : 25 sc
21) (1 sc in the next 3 sc, decrease once) 5times : 20 sc

Fill up with stuffing
22) (1 sc in the next 2 sc, decrease once) 5times : 15 sc
23) (1 sc in the next sc, decrease once) 5times : 10 sc.
Sew to close.

Arms (make two)Make an amigurumi ring.
1) 4 sc in the ring.
2) 2 sc in each sc around : 8 sc3) (1 sc in the next 3 sc, 2 sc in the next sc) twice : 10 sc
4-10) 10 sc
Finish off

Legs (make two)Make an amigurumi ring.
1) 4 sc in the ring.
2) 2 sc in each sc around : 8 sc 
3) (1 sc in the next sc, 2 sc in the next sc) 4 times : 12 sc
4) (1 sc in the next 3 sc, 2 sc in the next sc) 3 times : 15 sc
5-10) 15 sc
Finish off

Mouth 
Make a chain of 3.
Working in circle.
1) (3 sc in the first sc, 1 in the next.) twice : 8 sc
2) (1 sc in the next sc, 2 sc in the next 3 sc) twice : 14 sc.
3-5) 14 sc

Tail
Make an amigurumi ring. 
1) 5 sc in the ring.
2) 2 sc in each sc around : 10 sc
3-5) 10 sc

Ears
Make a chain of 5.
Working in circle.
1) (1 sc all sc on both side) : 10 sc

To make it a bit more  마 시 마로 like you can make the arms a bit shorter.

千年女優 (Millennium Actress)

En français

千年女優 (Millennium Actress) is an animation movie by 今 敏 (Satoshi Kon) from 2001. 今 敏 also directed パーフェクトブルー (Perfect blue) and パプリカ (Paprika)

When she is still a teenager, Chiyoko Fujiwara hide a painter, but he has to escape leaving behind him a key.
She soon becomes an  actress following him to several place where she is acting.
In her old age, a journalist come to interview her. She relates the story of her search for the painter through her movie in different period of Japanese history.

More information and download on cHinKys mOviE sPoiLer
Cinema, Manga, Animation Content

のだめカンタービレ (Nodame cantabile)

En français

のだめカンタービレ (Nodame Cantabile) is a Japanese drama in 11 episodes from 2006. It is based on a manga. There are also a animation series, a special and two movies.
As my friends wanted to go see the second movie at the cinema one of them gave me the drama so that I could go with them and understand the story. Going to see movie at the cinema without subtitles is really good for my Japanese. (I generally remove the subs anyway).

Chiaki  wants to be a conductor and to meet his master in Europe. However due to trauma he seems to be unable to leave Japan anymore.
Nodame is really good at playing piano but she doesn't like to follow the notes on the music sheet.
As they are both piano students at the university, one of their professor decide to make them play together.

Casting :
 上野樹里 as Nodame
玉木宏 as Chiaki
瑛太 as Mine
小出恵介 as Masumi
水川あさみ as Kiyora
サエコ as Sakura


This is a really funny drama. I like the music and I like how every characters are hilarious and exaggerated.
Cinema, Manga, Animation Content