Very bizarre episode this week. The last time I checked, Reinya was supposed to be the smart one, although the cops haven’t gotten any smarter (apparently the three of them all flunked science class in high school!). I guess living two identities causes one to have their own airhead moments.

Episode three of Kaito Reinya is in circulation, and since I didn’t get to it on Friday or Saturday, we can take advantage of the unintended lag by putting up the subbed version here! (If you’re not already aware, putting up “ICU Subs Kaito Reinya” in your YouTube search bar should bring up all of the translated versions to date.)

And Reina’s character is actually part cat? Funny, I hadn’t noticed the tail sticking out of her ass when she’s in her convenience store uniform… I’ll have to go back and rewatch the other episodes to see!

Episode 2 of Kaito Reinya is already online (well, it was since yesterday). Even without the translations (and I’m waiting on that with anticipation), it’s not too hard to follow the basic plot of these episodes. Watch at the end of the episode for an eyeful of some Kaito Reinya merch, including a Reinya stuffie! (That’s already on top of my want list! CK, next time you’re in Japan…)

A cute cat-burglar. Stupid cops. Flagrant mouse abuse. These are the elements that make up the new anime series that Reina is doing the title character for, Kaito Reinya.

I never got around to posting news of the announcement or press pictures from when her participation in this new anime series was announced, but this afternoon I caught wind of the first episode being posted on the trackers and on YouTube, gave it a full, quick gander… and became hooked. If you don’t have the patience for trackers or YouTube rippers, we’ve got you covered with a handy download link for the full-quality HD file.

If this series ever comes out on Blu-Ray, I am there. Thank god “Region A” for BluRay discs and players covers both the US AND Japan!

reina_t_1111: Hey! Look who finally found his IM program after how long?
minimoniotaku: Hey. Sorry we haven’t talked in so long.
reina_t_1111: Don’t sweat it. We’ve both had a busy 2009, and I know you’ve got something major to look forward to next year.
minimoniotaku: Yeah, I’m already looking forward to the next Morning Musume album. Got my preorder  in the other day in fact.
reina_t_1111: CJ! You mean to tell me our new album is more important than your wedding?!?
minimoniotaku: Well, it is the last MoMusu album that’s going to define the last few months of my bachelorhood.
reina_t_1111: I thought your bachelorhood was over two years and one week ago when you put that engagement ring on Tara’s finger?
minimoniotaku: Well, yeah, but until the gents’ wedding band goes on my finger that’s a technically different story.
reina_t_1111: Gotcha.
minimoniotaku: I’m glad we got to talk a little before the year ends.
reina_t_1111: Me too. And I’m glad you didn’t forget my big day last month. Up until you started that series, I was afraid you’d left me hanging in favor of Meetan.
minimoniotaku: Fat chance. Besides, my partner on the Meetan site, CK, was at your birthday show.
reina_t_1111: Oh, that’s right.
minimoniotaku: And speaking of what you were saying at that particular show, young lady…
reina_t_1111: Oh, shit. You mean the boob job remark?
minimoniotaku: Right. You don’t need it. As far as I’m concerned, you’re fine the way you already are.
reina_t_1111: *blushes* Thank you, Ceej.
minimoniotaku: You’re welcome, Reina. And Happy New Year.
reina_t_1111: Happy New Year to you too. And keep in touch a little more often, will ya?
minimoniotaku: Bet on it.

The big day is here… now that it is officially November 11th here in the USA, we can officially celebrate Reina Tanaka’s 20th Birthday, now that she’s finally “legal” according to Japanese law (two years later than American law… go figure!), as well as the 2nd Anniversary of So Hot She Shits Fire.

While it was a slow year as far as posts to this blog goes, it was certainly one hell of a year for Reina and the rest of the band, especially given that they finally made their American performing debut back in July. I regret not being able to attend, but here’s hoping that there will be many more visits from the band to these shores in the years to come. And since Reina has openly stated in past interviews that she wants to remain in the band for quite a while yet, here’s hoping that I get to witness those American shows while she’s still part of the band.

Reina, here’s to your 20th trip around the sun, and many more to come!

My friend and partner at My Sweet Meetan, CK (also of On The Road To Awesome Island and Chuo Dori fame), is on his way back to the US from another trip to Japan as I write this in advance, and he happened to witness Reina’s 20th birthday concert (given that it’s already the 11th in Japan). His full report can be seen behind the photo above (which is part of the package that came with his copy of the Reina 20th Birthday shirt)… way to go, Chris, and judging from all the posts you made at MSM, Awesome Island and Chuo Dori, you certainly had a good time!

Deciding on what pictures to use for thsi little countdown to Reina’s big day is one of the hardest things about doing this blog because there’s so much good material to choose from. This pic stood up and waved for this post, partly because Reina’s reproduced handwriting on the photo references one of Morning Musume’s catchiest and most underrated B-sides.

Once thought lost thanks to copyright disputes between YouTube and Universal Music, the infamous video where the trailer to Reina’s Alo! Hello video from 2006 is was set to the equally infamous unedited version of Snoop Dogg/Akon song “I Wanna Love You” came back online a few months ago, once Universal stopped being so tightassed when it came to fair use of their recordings. I had put this together in iMovie in early 2007 just for shits and giggles, but when a couple of the lines in the song synced rather coincidentally well with the footage, I just had to put it up on YouTube. My YODC brother Langdon Alger loved it (I think Drifoy did as well) and another now-former contributor posted the video there, but one guy with little or no sense of humor got really upset when he took the clip at face value and posted in reaction, “Wow…you perverts…Reina in NO WAY a stripper of any type, and you guys are jackasses to associate someone like Reina with a [song] made? by Akon+Snoop Dogg.” For the record, I think it’s already been established here at SHSSF that even though I adore Reina, bedding her is another story entirely!.

I don’t know what happened to Drifoy, who used to run 100% Wonkyfied (which he moved from Wordpress to a domain name that has since, regrettably, expired), but some of his OPV tributes to the Wonkylicious One still live on at YouTube, including this piece set to the English version of Edward Chun’s “Give My Love”. Drifoy, if you’re still out there, give your boy a holler!.