We’re off to Japan for work! Please follow us on Instagram to get the latest street views from Japan :D

Kichitora is different from other joints we’ve tried so far based on one thing: instead of pork, their prime ingredient is chicken. Okay, so you might think, “What’s so unusual about that — chicken mami is a Filipino staple!”. Well to the Japanese it is, as ramen is mostly made with pork stock and topped with pork slices. To some people who shy away from the fatty goodness of pork, Kichitora’s chicken ramen is a great option.

      

The noodles themselves are okay — not exceptional, but not terrible either (think Chinese egg noodles terrible — that’s mami hun not ramen). The soup itself is okay — flavorful enough considering that it’s made with chicken and not pork. Personally, it did not agree with me since I found it too oily and and too salty. It was good for the first few slurps, but as I went through the bowl I began to like it less and less.

That aside, I can forgive the store for serving ramen not to my liking; maybe it’s just not my cup of tea and would be brilliant to somebody else. However, what I could not overlook was the terrible service we’ve had during our visit. The wait staff kept screaming out orders to the kitchen for “The VIP Table”, and bumping off orders from regular diners like us. One of our dishes was even diverted to the VIPs even if we ordered ahead of them, just because they ordered the same thing and they were at “The VIP Table” while we were clearly not.

After an additional fifteen minutes of waiting for our errant order and listening to more “Send this to the VIPs!” and “This is a VIP order please hurry it up!”, our last bit of food finally arrived. It was obviously underdone and clearly rushed to our table without consideration on how it looked like and tasted like. So we just drowned it in dipping sauce, asked for our bill, paid the exact amount, and left without another word.

Would I eat there again? I’m not sure. I guess if one of my friends did and said they would spring for dinner I wouldn’t say no. However, if it were up to me, I’d save my hard-earned money for places like Santouka or Mitsuyado that served ramen to my liking, as well as valued my dining experience as much as they did the dining experience of their erstwhile “VIPs”.

One of our readers have us a heads-up via the Comments section that we were nominated for the Best Otaku Blog at the Pinoy Otaku Fest!

Thanks so much for the vote of confidence <3 We hope you can take your support one step further by voting for us in the Finals! You can vote for us up to five times per day (or five times in quick succession per day, of you are so inclined).

Thanks so much again to our readers, friends, and sponsors for supporting magnetic-rose.net through these years :) Best of luck to us all, and hope we bring home the bacon!

After ohfiftymillionoddyears, groundbreaking Filipino full-lenght 3D animated feature RPG: Metanoia comes to home video on the DVD format.

The RPG: Metanoia DVD can be purchased at Astrovision, Oddysey, and other local outlets at just Php 399.

RPG: Metanoia is about the exploits of a group of children tasked to save the virtual world of Metanoia. The film was an official entry to the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival. For our synopsis and review, click here.

magnetic-rose.net is credited with Japanese translation and localization for RPG: Metanoia.

Day 2 at Maid 2 Travel brings more clear skies and cool weather as the loyal maids and butlers of Baguio City dress to impress their lords and ladies at the At Your Service competition.

Featuring a unique format where cosplayers are scored not just on their outfits but also on their roleplay as stylized anime maids and butlers, the competition was both frightfully serious and unexpectedly hilarious in turns.

      

The stand-outs of the event were not-so-prim-and-proper Akiko-chan and rough-and-ready Maid Guy. Both big and burly men in French maid outfits, they stole the show with their slapstick and tongue-in-cheek humour that left their judges rolling in the aisles gasping for air.

The laughter continued for the rest of the afternoon, as other contests and games were played, including the always funny Facepalm the music, borrowed lovingly from their big brother cons in Manila.

      

Overall the vibe at M2T resembles those of earlier cons in Manila, when the venues were small and all the participants knew each other’s names. That’s not necessarily bad, since it’s a wonderful way of connecting with fellow fans, and that sort of camaraderie easily gets lost in the din of a major Manila convention.

We really enjoyed our foray to Baguio for Maid 2 Travel, and we’d like to congratulate the organizing team for the success of the event. We hope to see everyone again in Baguio City — sooner rather than later.

Photos courtesy of Team Gomen.

magnetic-rose.net is an official partner of Maid 2 Travel.

      

What makes Maid 2 Travel different from your typical con is the casual hospitality and chill vibe that the entire event emits. There are no horrific lines, no jam-packed aisles, no money-grubbing attractions, and no high-strung fellow con-goers that ruin many Manila cons.

What you get instead are lush outdoor locations perfect for shoots, friendly competition across three different contests, and an informative series of workshops and demos — including an onstage talk by TOrCH 2012 Champions and AFA 2012 Philippine Representatives Adventure Team, on the basics of performance and stage presence.

      

One of the other workshops conducted was our very own lady’s yukata demo called Yukata Kitsune, which brought in participants from both Baguio and Manila (incidentally, did you know that Baguio City is a great place to look for second-hand yukata and kimono?).

The day’s competitions include a cosplay competition and a traditional Japanese attire contest. We were asked to judge the participants for the traditional attire contest, alongside veteran cosplayer Jin, and representatives from the Japanese community in Baguio. The judging was fast and furious, and the winners definitely deserved their wins!

Continued in Day 2.

magnetic-rose.net is an official partner of Maid 2 Travel.

To join our promo, just access our Rafflecopter app below, and follow all the instructions. Easy peasy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner will be picked randomly via Rafflecopter on 5th May 2013, and will get to take home an MGR: Revengeance tee from Uniqlo (mens medium, random design). Good luck everyone!

This promo is not connected to or endorsed by Uniqlo or Konami.

In celebration of its first anniversary, the L’Arc~en~Ciel Philippine Street Team invites everyone to the L’Acoustic Jamming Session and Pool Party!

The L’Arcoustic Jam Session and Pool Party will be held at the rooftop of Elan Hotel in Annapolis, Greenhills on 28 April 2012.

Tickets are at Php230 each inclusive of food and drinks. An additional Php100 is required to access the pool.

Acoustic performances are slated from the talented members of the #LArcMNL community:

Aria
Asterysk
Christian
Gringoria
Hackt
Irozuki
Jam
Jen
Leu
Maigensai
Miho Octoberbloom
Raz
Trizois

The L’Arc~en~Ciel Philippine Street Team was formed April 12, 2012. Since then, it has spearheaded activities promoting L’Arc~en~Ciel’s music locally under the banner of the #LArcMNL campaign. Led by a core group of volunteers, the campaign is now fueled by the passion of Filipino L’Arc~en~Ciel fans here and abroad.

To support #LArcMNL, please vote for Manila, Philippines at the L’Arc~en~Ciel NEXT WORLD TOUR Voter Registration page (http://www.larc-en-ciel.com/voter/vote.php).

magnetic-rose.net is an official partner of Maid 2 Travel.

Is the summer heat frying your brains in ye olde Metro Manila? Then it’s time to pack your bags and head for the Summer Capital of the Philippines Baguio City, for a unique take on your local anime convention: PNKY Travel Cafe and Gomen’s Maid 2 Travel!

Maid 2 Travel is a special weekend themed event divided into two delicious courses: Japanese Cultural Day on Day 1, and the Maid & Butler Cafe on Day 2. The event will be held at scenic PNKY Travel Cafe on 13 Leonard Wood Rd., Baguio City.

Aside from contests such as Cosplay Runway, Banzai Kimono Brigade, and Photo Finish, there are also workshops on cosplay (overseen by The Tux Team) and yukata kitsuke (overseen by magnetic-rose.net).

Admission is at PhP 150 per day and PhP 250 for both days. The ticket grants you an entry to the raffle and serves as a coupon for any consumable meal from our special menu for that weekend. See you guys there! :D

magnetic-rose.net is an official partner of Maid 2 Travel.

The Japan Foundation Manila is issuing a call for applications to the 2013 Japanese Language Program for Outstanding Overseas Students.

The deadline for submission of the duly accomplished application forms and JLPT Certificates (at least Level 3 or Level N4) will be on 30 April 2013. Qualifying examinations and interviews will be held on 4th May 2013 at 8:30 AM onwards.

The program is intended for exceptional students of the Japanese Language at the college or university level. Selected participants will be awarded a two-week study tour (28th August 28 to 11th September 2013), hosted by the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute in Kansai.

For additional information, please get in touch with the Japan Foundation Manila via their website.