Differences between Japanese karaoke and American karaoke.

So, I'm sitting here at a local bar doing some karaoke and it got me thinking about the differences between karaoke in Japan and karaoke in America.

Before I get started, I'm not saying that it is better in either country, I'm just noting what's different.

In the U.S., karaoke is held at places like bars and clubs, with a very small few places having a more private setup.  Generally you go by yourself or with a handful of friends and you sing in front of a bunch of random people.  There is a KJ who brings up the songs for you when you request them, and you wait until its your turn to sing.  It's usually free to get in, lasts all night and all you pay for is food and drinks.  It's also a good way to meet people and make some new friends.

In Japan, you usually go to a karaoke box ( is that the right terminology?), and pay by the hour to rent the room plus food and drinks.  It's a fair bit more private as it is just you and/or friends , but it is a great way to build and deepen friendships.  The system is automated and you choose your songs with a handheld style terminal.  It often even has some effects that you can add like applause and such, and can even score you on your singing ability.

Both ways are great for relieving stress or just having fun, and both are clearly different and I would highly recommend trying both forms if you ever get the chance.

Review: Shikabana Hime (Corpse Princess)

"After being brutally murdered along with her family, Makina Hoshimura turns into a Shikabane Hime, a living corpse contracted to the Kougon Sect, in order to exert revenge on the mysterious undead organization responsible for her death. She is assisted in this task by Keisei Tagami, her contracted Monk and former friend. This series follows the story of Keisei's younger brother Ouri, a boy with an unusual attraction to death, who slowly discovers his brother's secret and gets dragged into the world of the Shikabanes."

The other day, a buddy of mine and I decided to watch this series.  It was a terrific anime overall, and was even worth watching dubbed.  The action scenes were great, the comedy was well timed, and the overall animation and story line were done very well.  This is an anime I would definitely recommend to anyone who was looking for some action.

Though the show itself is great, I do have one little complaint... WHERE'S THE EFFING ENDING!?!?!?  Without going too much into what happens and giving anything away, the show basically leaves you hanging in the middle of what could have turned out to be one of the most epic battles in the series.  So if you have a problem with a couple loose ends (From what I can tell, this show only had one loose end), then you may want to take that into consideration before you watch.