I've lived in Japan for 10 years, and it's all a lie. People want to be seen to be working, and this has nothing to do with efficiency and getting things done. There may be dozens of people raoming the floors of a hotel or electronics shop ready to assit you, but try asking them a question. "Excuse me, where are the blank MDs?" "Oh, um, just a moment please!" and off they run. You will be at the checkout with your blank MDs when they and a couple of managers appraoch to breathlessly tell you that they don't stock blank MDs (ie they couldn't find them). Nothing gets done. This country is in lockdown. There is no-one and nothing to challenge the system. Other people in other countries are fighting for their freedom, demanding representation, companies and businesses are searching to find better ways to do things. Artists are challenging the public to look at themselves in a different light. Japan? They like cute bunnies and delicious sweets. A country of 120 million. Can you name one? It's no suprise they love robots.

You arn't just a shittin

I went into a loacal electronics store the other day looking for a 4gb microsd card for my phone. they had the size I wanted but wait a minute... I was looking for a class 6 not the class 4 that was on sale. The chick hands me a card that was akmost three times the price of the one on sale and tells me it's a class 6. I was like WTF... three times the price ? What the hell.... I wanted it so I bought it.

I then get back home with it and being the kind of person I am, I looked the card up online and low and behold... the freaking thing was a class 4. I packed it back in the bag and returned it without even opening it up. the dumb bitch must have figured that since it was almost three times the price of the one on sale... it had to be a class 6.

For any of you that don't know.... Anytime you buy a memory card for either your phone or your camera; while you're looking at the size of it, take a look at what class it is too. Class 2 transfers 2mb a second, class 4 transfers 4mb a second and class 6 will transfer 6mb second.

Mennon:

I've lived in Japan for 10 years, and it's all a lie. People want to be seen to be working, and this has nothing to do with efficiency and getting things done. There may be dozens of people raoming the floors of a hotel or electronics shop ready to assit you, but try asking them a question. "Excuse me, where are the blank MDs?" "Oh, um, just a moment please!" and off they run. You will be at the checkout with your blank MDs when they and a couple of managers appraoch to breathlessly tell you that they don't stock blank MDs (ie they couldn't find them). Nothing gets done. This country is in lockdown. There is no-one and nothing to challenge the system. Other people in other countries are fighting for their freedom, demanding representation, companies and businesses are searching to find better ways to do things. Artists are challenging the public to look at themselves in a different light. Japan? They like cute bunnies and delicious sweets. A country of 120 million. Can you name one? It's no suprise they love robots.

My daughter could name a bunch of Anime artists. Hey, living there, do you have any idea on what the Japanese obsession is with giant robots, people in robot suits, etc.? Is it something that sprung from WWII or something else?

BTW, not holding you to millimetric accuracy here, but if you've got any ideas I'd be interested.

Bondsman,

I think most of the robot centric anime is consumed by the same demographics that drive it here. I saw Iron Man two nights ago, transformers two seems to be doing well and the GI Joe trailer I saw seemed to focus around a robotic suit.