Transformers Animated Megatron (Cybertronian)

Ok, enough of the less-than-bright trio of dinobots. I'm going to take a short break from Autobots and focus on my more preferred faction of metal monstrosities - the 'Cons. Where better to start than with two more Megatrons? Pardon his funky looking alt mode - does it strike a bell with those who've purchased the ROTF The Fallen figure? - this seems to be a trend that forgoes any attempt to imitate realistic vehicles for a more articulated robot mode.

Transformers Animated Dinobots collage

Transformers Animated Swoop

The third and last Animated Dinobot. He's a bit small for a Deluxe class toy, and doesn't speak a word throughout the whole series as well. Up next will be a montage of all three Dinobots!

Transformers Animated Snarl

More Animated dinobots! This time it's the triceratops, Snarl. He doesn't get even one line in the whole show, corresponding to his beastly roots (?).

Alter Rozen Maiden Shinku

Ah, Rozen Maiden. What more can I say? At first I was highly apprehensive of this series, thinking it was another shoujo piece, period. However, after I watched the anime and read the manga, it seemed quite the contrary. A hybrid blend of shonen, shoujo, otaku and gothic lolita elements coalesced and presented itself nicely in this series. Characters were pronounced and memorable too: there's the web-phenomenon creating Suiseiseki (Desu), the paranoid sadistic Suigintou, the traumatized teenage protagonist Jun Sakurada, and of course, elegance embodied - Shinku. The perfect tsundere, intelligent, compassionate and strong, Shinku is one of my favorite heroines of all time; in part, she strongly reminds me of that person, so far away now. As a side note, to those who aren't aware, a new manga serialization by Peach-Pit is currently running, and the story takes a twist from where it left off in the anime's second season, Traumend (not the first manga series).

Yoichi 10yo

Yoichi either attests to the fact that technology is in its essence disseminative and operates on piracy and copying, or that the Japanese are just too darn good. If their 1987 20yo Cask Strength Single Malt winning the title for "World's Best Single Malt Whisky" in last year's World Whisky Awards - beating Scottish heavyweights like Laphroaig and Talisker in the process - isn't enough of an indicator, I don't know what will be. More than Suntory's crown jewel single malt, Yamazaki, I prefer the products of this distillery, especially its "peaty/grilled" distillery character. Most definitely, when I return to Binghamton in August, I'll smuggle the bottle of 15yo stored in my closet for the harsh winter.

Distillery: 余市(Yoichi), 北海道(Hokkaido), Japan

Color: 淡琥珀色，但稍偏銅褐色。

Nose: 上段中充滿誘人的香甜麥芽，是一股Creamy且宛若太妃糖般的甜味。再來是燒烤泥煤與焦糖的氣息，最後以濃郁的乾棗以及圓潤的雪莉香收尾。

Body: 酒體飽滿、如奶油似地滑順。

Palate: 甫入口是大量曬乾的柑橘類酸甜，以及薄荷的清涼感，而泥煤隨之在鼻梢擴散。這股泥煤和燻烤麥芽、棗子的甜味緊密結合，其中躲藏著一絲線香的蹤跡，或許這支酒在日本橡木製作的桶子中待過？最後清爽的海鹹味將這些豐富的味道整理了起來。

Finish: 感覺溫暖，「燒烤」的印象十分濃厚，各種味道集中在鼻腔上方久久不散。

2/20/08

Transformers Animated Grimlock

Here's the second Grimlock in my possession...please look foward to the last! This guy's transformation remains faithful to his G1 counterpart, and is perhaps one of the best Animated figures out there. Who wouldn't consider a T-Rex with an underbite cute?