Japan Crate Review

Hello my dears!! I was lucky enough to take advantage of Crunchyroll (a beloved anime streaming site I use)'s black Friday special - if you signed up for a free 30 day trial of their premium streaming service that weekend they sent you a code for a completely free Japan Crate! Japan Crate is a monthly subscription box that sends you an assortment of candies and snacks imported from Japan. I was SO excited to try this out and the 2 month wait for my crate was nearly unbearable. Japan Crate has 3 levels - mini, original and premium. I was given the original box, priced at $25 a month. They also have another subscription option, the Doki Doki box which consists of all kawaii items such as figures, plushies and accessories. I REALLY want one!

Even though  it takes me forever to get through eating all of my candy, I opened each package and sampled one of each for the sake of this post. I hardy really eat a full serving of candy/Japanese snacks in one sitting; for example when I have pocky I will take 2-3 sticks at a time. I like to savor such snacks, as I don't often get it. As for the box its self, I totally want to subscribe! The only things holding me back are finances and the fact that I'm a picky eater...maybe a box like this will open my horizons.

So what was in the January 2016 Japan Crate?

The box is so cute!! And luckily it came with a little booklet telling me what everything is; contrary to what most weeaboos believe, no we can't read Japanese.

To start with, every box contains a DIY kit, which I was excited for since I love to watch those YouTube videos of people making Poppin' Cookin' and Happy Kitchen kits ( the American counterpart being Yummy Nummies). Sadly there was a problem with this month's Gudetama DIY kit so as an apology I was given these items in the "Lucky Lottery" where each box contained 2-3 items consisting of stationary, plushies, keychains, squishies and some other things. All being twice the value of the DIY kit value. I didn't complain because the Gudetama kit had something to do with eggs....I hate eggs. Based on this alone, I would want to subscribe because this company cares so much for their customers and about sending only top quality products. They sent a few emails and posted updates on the boxes to keep us in the know. Anyway, I got this cute pen and this little squishy bread keychain/phone charm.

Next is Asahi Calpis Gummy

Apparently these gummies modeled after a popular Japanese drink.

How was it really? I really couldn't pinpoint the exact flavor of the gummy. It was sweet and some sort of fruity. I did enjoy it! The texture I had never had from a gummy, the outside a tougher chewy but the inside so soft it was nearly like a jelly.

Milk Chocolate Pocky

These pretty much are supposed to be a fancier version of standard Pocky.

How was it really? Omg these are beautiful. A more chocolatey version of the original pocky.

Hello Kitty Strawberry Pretzel

I love Hello Kitty! I totally spazzed when I saw this. My question is are these like Pretz (which I've never had)? Apparently these are like Pocky.

How was it really? Exactly like strawberry Pocky. Which is sort of confusing since it's called a pretzel... there are no pretzels. 

Ju-C Short Cake

These look hella interesting! They apparently are chip like candies flavored like strawberry short cake. I love all things strawberry so I'm cool with this.

How was it really? So good! I've never had anything quite like it. It was a blast of strawberry flavor. It was like a strawberry flavored disc of sugar that dissolved quickly. I was very happy to discover it was candy and not a strawberry flavored potato chip.

Calbee Usushi Potato Chips

Apparently lightly salted chips? I'm hoping these aren't the Ume (plum) flavor that some people got.

How was it really? I was so relieved to find that indeed they are the lightly salted variety! They taste like any other lightly salted potato chip.

Sparkling Orange Gummy

I thought these were a drink mix at first, but they're orange flavored gummies.

How was it really? They tasted like Hi-C orange juice to me, really good! Based upon the scent in the package, I had expected them to taste more like actual real orange juice.

Fit's Strawberry & Cream (Ichigo Milk) gum

Yay for strawberry! This made me laugh, how random is "Look for Wally" (Where's Waldo in Japan? Oh, Japan....

How was it really? Like any other gum but strawberry flavored. It has that "sugar free gum" after taste to it. It tastes just like a strawberry gum that I have had from an American brand. It's good though! Even better, it doesn't stick to my dental fillings, which is what caused me to stop chewing gum. The flavor does become less intense after 5 minutes or so. So I wouldn't expect the flavor to last long.

Pokemon Pineapple Candy

I was excited for some anime candy! And it's Pokemon!!

How was it really? These are really cute! The wrappers have adorable Pokemon pictures on them too.  They come packaged as gum buy they're a chewy pineapple flavored candy. They are a bit hard at first but become softer and dissolve as you chew.

Yam White Chocolates

These I am most intrigued by...and most afraid to try. It's literally white chocolate mixed with sweet potato. To me it sounds strange!!

How was it really? Strangely good. Not something I would ever buy, but it tastes like white chocolate mixed with sweetened potatoes. At first I was greeted with the taste of potato, but as I ate the rest of the piece of candy it tasted more chocolatey.

Lion Rum Raison Soft Candy

For some reason this isn't listed in the booklet. 

How was it really? A bit of an odd taste for me. It was like a sweet raison coated with a caramel or toffee flavor.


There you have it! Which snack would you want to try yourself? Comment and let me know! My favorites were the Pokemon candy and the strawberry shortcake candy. My least favorite? The rum raison.

A Very Sensitive & Personal Post: I am a Victim of Rape and Molestation

Today's post is a very sensitive topic to me and also very personal. As a warning, it may be a trigger to some. I went back and forth deciding if I would even write this then back and forth some more on if I would post it. I originally wrote this a year ago and it's been sitting in my phone untouched since then. I was looking for something to post today and I came across this draft. I wasn't ready to come forward so publicly with something so personal back then. But now, I feel stronger and ready to share my story.

 I am honestly pouring my heart into this post, this is something I haven't been very open about (or even allowed to be open about for some time). I have never been more vulnerable on this blog. Sometimes I wanted to just let it out and others I didn't. I am not posting this to whine or for attention or for anyone to feel sorry for me. Absolutely none of the above is my intention. I am posting this because I thought that maybe my story will help someone else who has been through the same thing. I am still alive and I'm still fighting. I haven't let it take me down. But this is also for me. After years and years of internal warfare and being forced to keep the subject to myself I am allowing myself to finally be free. No more silence! I have also been working my struggle into one of the books I'm writing and if I were to get published this information would come out anyway.

Alright, here it is. I am a victim of rape and molestation. I will not get into the gruesome details, they are very difficult to me to think about let alone discuss and none of you need to know about it. I will only say that I was very young when it all happened. About 8 years old and it went on for about a year. It was a distant cousin that put me through all of this.

I used to stay with my grandma all the time when my parents worked. She lives next door to me so it was always really convenient. At the time when this began a group of distant cousins - two grandparents, parents and their children all stayed in one spare room at my grandma's house. They picked up and moved a lot, getting in trouble with money or screwing people over and every time they came back, they cried to my grandma for help. My grandma has a hard time saying no to people and has a large heart so she allowed them to stay in a spare room until they got a place of their own. They had 3 somewhat children around my age, two girls (3 and 13/14) and a boy (12). I used to play with them a lot after school, especially the boy (I won't use names). We would run around both yards (both connected and large) playing "Harry Potter" and pretending to duel each other. I don't remember exactly when it started happening, but things took a dark turn.

Him and I were often left alone outside together with no adult supervision. When he was positive no one would look for us or bother us he would drag me into the shed in my back yard and force me to do things. It then gravitated from that shed to outside in my back yard. I didn't understand it at all, but I knew it was wrong and I didn't want any part of what he made me do or made me see. I was completely powerless, especially being a young and small girl compared to him who was twice my size and nearly a teenager. He forced me to keep quiet and most probably threatened me. For a year or so I was practically his slave, completely under his power.

Luckily, one day I was freed from him. My aunt (who was probably 16 at the time) somehow found out what happened. We were very close and I trusted her a lot, so when we hung out in her room one day she asked me about it and I completely spilled everything. She was pretty much the person that saved me and she spoke up to end it.

 When two other members of my family found out (who they are shall remain anonymous) I was given a lecture about how what happened was wrong and that I was forbidden to talk about it to anyone. You see, my dad had a very bad temper. He wasn't abusive, he was a fantasic awesome dad. He loved me very much. If he found out what had happened to me, he probably would have ended up in prison for murder. So I did as I was told. The cousin along with his parents, aunts, sisters and grandparents moved away. They were given the option to move or the situation be taken to the police. They moved.

As the years went on, I forgot all about it. My mind blocked it all out, which I am very thankful for and I was able to have a mostly good childhood. But, sadly when I was in middle school and in my early teens it started to come back. Just little bits and pieces at first, I wasn't sure if it was a dream or if it had actually happened. It was a very confusing time. This started my long battle with depression. I tried discussing it with a family member, but I yet again was told that I was forbidden to speak of it. So I dealt with it on my own.

Hell to this day when I try to speak to them about it, it is waved off as not a big deal because a similar thing happened to them and I still am forbidden to speak of it.

One day it just hit me hard and I remembered a giant chunk of it. I didn't know what to do and I just lost it. I felt so lost and like I was spiraling out of control. I was constantly thinking about it and crying myself to sleep. I blamed myself and felt disgusting. I dealt with it in bad ways. Although forbidden, I tried to discuss it with a few people but they didn't understand. One girl I used to be friends with had the audacity to pretend that she was raped for attention and made it all about her (I know for a fact, because she always pulled stunts like that and was exposed as a liar).

I did get through it though. One day, I just decided that I did not want him having so much power over me. I didn't want him controlling my life anymore and I was so sick of being terrified and depressed all the time. So I slowly picked up the pieces. I told myself that it wasn't my fault. That I shouldn't be scared anymore, he is gone from my life and can't hurt me anymore. That it's all over with. So as time went on, I thought about it less and less. And it bothered me less and less. I found myself not losing it every time I did think about it. I was able to carry on with my life and not let it control me. I am a survivor.

A few months to a year after my dad died, his grandparents and their son came back. When I saw them in my driveway, visiting with my grandmother I had one of the worst panic attacks of my life. I was so terrified, thinking that he would be back. He is the one person on this earth that I am absolutely horrified of. Just seeing him is a nightmare for me let alone having to talk to him. Around that time I had found him on facebook and that took me days to recover from.

Luckily, I never saw him again. I found out that he had done the same thing to another girl and was put in prison for it. Sadly, I never got justice and because of the way it was handled I never will. He lives in Tennessee now and is free. I am also pretty sure he has a daughter.

I am not completely over it, I still at 22 still struggle with it. I doubt I will ever fully be over it. It is a very traumatic and difficult thing to go through let alone at the age that I did. It's horrifying when I remember bits and pieces and think of how badly my innocence was stolen and how little I was able to comprehend the situation back then.

 Anyone that has been through a similar situation will tell you that you never truly get over it. But it is easier to deal with. I still have my moments of weakness just like anyone else. I do still get random new pieces of memory coming back to me. The scene towards the end of Sword Art Online where Asuna is molested and nearly raped by Sougou was a gigantic trigger to me, it caused a very bad series of flashbacks and it was the last time that a new piece of memory came back to me. Sometimes if I am watching a show or movie with a rape scene (the more graphic, the worse it is) it will act as a trigger to me and cause me to have flashbacks. I really can't watch scenes like that even in anime. This is why I am always saying I can't handle scenes like that.

I still can't go into that shed without having problems and sadly I get forced to retrieve things from it anyway. I can however finally be in my back yard and see the shed and be totally fine.

Now, I am not sharing this for attention or for any of you to feel sorry for me. I am discussing this because I don't EVER want anyone to go through what I did. If someone has done something to you without your permission, please speak up! Even if you are told not to, go to a friend, a trusted adult or even the police. Do not keep it to yourself. Go after the piece of shit! Do not let anyone tell you that you are not allowed to talk about it. Do not be afraid, you are not at fault. Please, learn from my mistakes and reach out for help. You don't have to deal on your own. If anyone in this situation or in any situation needs to talk, I will gladly listen. One of my philosophies in life is to be there to listen to anyone in need. I spent so much of my life suffering and battling my demons on my own. I don't ever want to see anyone else feeling that way if I can help it.  You can and will get through it.

Thank you so much for reading this. It was really hard for me to write. For 14  years I have kept silent with this and told maybe a few people, but I don't even think I have ever told anyone everything. After not being allowed to talk about it for so long (my family still either 1.won't aknowledge it or 2. Refuses to discuss it) it does give me some anxiety discussing it. I admit I had some terrible anxiety after originally  writing this a year ago, just thinking about posting it. But now it feels like a weight was lifted. It means a lot that you read this, it's a huge deal for me that I finally broke my silence and I guess it proves that I'm stronger.

Xoxo

Heather Zombie

You are stronger than you think <3

My Favorite Anime Movies

NOTE:  This post was written before the holidays, I meant to post it but the blogger app was being evil. Anyway, here it is in its original form!

Hiiiiiiii!! I'm baaaackkkk! I finally got a chance between my abundance of work and projects to write a new blog post! I thought why not go back to basics today and since most of my readers enjoy anime I thought why not discuss an anime related topic? If you're like me then you love having movie marathons during the holidays. I love turning on the lights, curling up with a blanket and tea and delving into an awesome movie.

Without further ado, here are my favorite anime movies:

Sailor Moon R: The Promise of the Rose

Let's be real, does this surprise anyone? Out of all of the SM movies, this is my favorite one. I was obsessed with it growing up. I didn't own it myself but I frequently rented the VHS from Blockbuster and borrowed my best friend's copy a lot.  Yes, children before redbox and Netflix we had to venture out to a store to rent movies!

This is the very first Sailor Moon movie. When Mamoru, Usagi, Chibiusa and friends are visiting a botanical garden their day of fun is interrupted by the appearance of a strange man. The man turns out to be the childhood friend of Mamoru's - Fiore...oh yeah and he's an alien. Fiore is obsessed with Mamoru and is extremely jealous of Usagi and Mamoru's relation. So he is determined to wipe out the senshi and keep Mamoru for himself. As usual, Mamoru is kidnapped and Sailor Moon of course has to save him. That's just a very brief summary of the movie.

Why do I love this particular one so mush? I love learning about Mamoru's past, which is something we don't know all that much about. Personally I find this the strongest movie out of the three. Plus one of my all time favorite scenes in Sailor Moon history occurs in this movie. Usagi transforms into Princess Serenity to save Earth from being destroyed by an asteroid. Though I haven't seen it in Japanese...I prefer the English dub of it. The song "The Power of Love" played in the English version of this movie absolutely made it! I wish Viz would do a remake of the song and slip it into their release. 

Nevertheless I can't wait for Viz to release this and sob when I finally have it in my hands, for that day a childhood dream of mine will have been accomplished.

Inuyasha The Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler

I think every Inuyasha fan can agree that this is the best Inuyasha movie. Inuyasha's father had three swords - Tetsaiga (given to Inuyasha), Tensaiga (given to Sesshomaru) and Sounga. Sounga was a very powerful demon sword. So powerful that its power possesses Inuyasha when he obtains it. The sword was tossed into the bone eater's well and the sheath upon it sealed. The seal however is broken and Inuyasha must re-sheath it. Only the sword ends up in the hands of Takemaru - a human the sword resurrects and posssses who hated Inuyasha and Seashomaru's father. He is intent on killing them both  as well as doing Sounga's bidding. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru must work together to bring down their enemy.

This movie has the best story line out of all of the Inuyasha movies. I love how we get to see Inuyasha's parents and get a glimpse into his childhood. The best thing about it though is the two brothers with a mutual hatred of each other must put aside their differences to work together.

Summer Wars

I first saw this on Toonami a few years ago and immediately loved it. It is a wonderful story and the animation is stunning!

It's about a boy who agrees to pretend to be his friend a girlfriend and accompany her to her grandmother's 90th birthday. While there, he receives a text with a math equation and his attempt to solve it results in a hacking of Oz - a major online platform that not only controls people's social media, but also their finances and their jobs! Think Google if they controlled your bank account. It results in a virtual reality war against the hacker and may result in mass real world destruction.

It is a fun story to get lost in with a good mixture of action and comedy. It shows the bond of family unlike any anime I have ever seen before which is refreshing.

Naruto Shippuden: Road To Ninja

This is actually the only Naruto movie I fully enjoy (save for the one where we get glimpses of Kakashi as an anbu). In this one, Naruto and Sakura are transported to an alternate universe where pretty much everything is reversed. Naruto's parents Minato and Kushina are alive while Sakura's parents died to save the village. Hinata is tough and possessive of Naruto instead of her sweet, shy self. Kiba hates dogs, Shikamaru is an idiot and Rock Lee is a pervert. My all time favorite reversal is that of Kakashi and Gai. Kakashi is basically Gai, but amplified. He is spazzy and over enthusiastic. It's adorable!! On the other hand Gai is lazy.

It is a fun little "what if" type movie, if you're a fan I highly recommend checking it out though it isn't essential to watch.

Howl's Moving Castle

Okay, I could include all of the Studio Ghibli movies here, they're all wonderful. But I narrowed down my choice to just one; my favorite, Howl's Moving Castle.

This movie is about a young girl named Sophie. Her family own's a hat shop and she is seen as the sort of "plain Jane", timid, responsible daughter working at the shop while her sister is gorgeous and adored by men. One day the witch of the waste happens into the shop and Sophie makes her mad, so she curses Sophie - turning her into an old woman.

Sophie goes on an adventure to find the witch so that she can reverse the curse placed upon her. Along the way she finds herself in the moving castle belonging to the "evil" wizard Howl as Howl's cleaning lady. But this isn't a typical fairy tale. A war is ongoing and the king is using magic to win it. Howl must fight for what is right and Sophie must in a way help him to find himself again.

As with all Ghibli films this is a wonderful adventure flick and will surely capture your attention. It's fun and clever too. I just love it so much, even more so than their ever popular Spirited Away.

That's it! I hope you enjoyed this post and that my summaries weren't too horrible. What are your favorite anime movies? Comment and let me know!!

Xoxo

Heather Zombie ❤