27.1.16

This is NOT Greatest Site 100th Anniversary!

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Good morning, folks.

Such is the passage of time, that the day comes when you look over your shoulder and realize you've turned 100 years old without realizing it...and for us, today is that day.

Today, my friends, is the 10th anniversary of This is NOT Greatest Site! We launched on January 27th, 2006. Which means we've turned 100 in internet years, so happy birthday to us!

Conceived in 2005 as a refreshingly ridiculous antidote to all the self-serious and shiny yet content-free j-rock websites that dominated the non-Japanese internet at the time, we also made it our mission to provide an archive of English translations of Buck-Tick lyrics, because at the time, there were approximately none available outside of closed communities on LiveJournal - over at Centigrade-J they had a translation of "Sasayaki" (and "Speed," too, we think...but we can't remember because I'm getting old and our memory's going to hell! But holy shit guys remember Centigrade-J?) and at Hyluko's Buck-Tick gallery (which contained approximately five pictures, one of each band member), there was also a translation of...guess which song...yes you guessed it, "Sasayaki." But if the lyrics to "Sasayaki" read like an intro to Japanese grammar, that's not the fault of Mr. Sakurai. We happen to know that he intended those lyrics to function as an intro to dancing the Masochism Tango.

Anyhow, thus did we begin our work, in the same year that YouTube launched. Over the course of the past decade, we've gone through three different iterations and added numerous features along the way, not least of which is this blog, The Blog-Tick Phenomenon, which launched in 2009 (Blog-Tick is still a seven-year-old baby.) And just between you and us, we'll say that it's a bit of a small miracle that we're still in operation now. Though our love for Buck-Tick has never faltered, there were a few moments in there when we sincerely worried whether it would be possible to continue with this project, especially after the departure of Kame in 2010 and our subsequent complete overhaul. But this project would never have existed without Kame, so if you're going to have a not greatest drink with us, make sure you toast Kame as well.

Anyhow, thank you for all your support, even though none of you emailed to wish us a happy birthday. We're aware that in today's age of social media, it's too much work to remember people's birthdays unless FaceSpace tells you about them, and it's not like we're exactly a person anyway. Plus, your complete and utter silence really is not greatest birthday tribute.

And if you're curious, this is what we looked like, back in the day.

Version 1.0


Version 2.0


Version 2.0 banners






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Now excuse us while we go have some cake.

(mmmm....CAKE!)


...and beer...

(mmmm....BEER!)


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...and if you'd like to join us at the party pictured below, you're welcome.

This is NOT Greatest Site
~~~Celebrating 100 Internet Years~~~




Happy birthday to us!

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18 comments:

  1. Thank you for your great job! Wishing you and “NGS” many more happy years to come!

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  2. Looks like you had a thing for sea creatures back in the day. So, happy anniversary and ваше здоровье! You should go on parade now.

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  3. Happy Not Greatest Birthday, and thank you for all Greatest Translations and Concert Reviews!

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  4. I remember the fishy fishies in version 2.0, and somehow that feels right now a bit of a privilege. Happy bday!

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  5. Happy 10Th Anniversary! :-D Thank you for sharing the BT love!

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  6. Oh my... Happy 10th Anniversary, Cayce (& Kame)!
    Since there is a lot happening right now I almost forgot to wish you a wonderful not greatest birthday and I'm sorry for it!

    May you Parade forever on and bring the Razzle Dazzle in full Speed like you always do. It's a constant delight and if there was no Not Greatest Site and no Blog-Tick Phenomenon I certainly would miss out on many great things.
    So thank you for being you and for working hard on so many reports and reviews. Please continue for many more years in your unique ways! Kampai!

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  7. Happy 10th NGS! I've been keeping up since 2006! Thanks for the wonderful translations that go above and beyond. You and NGS are awesome.

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  8. Lol, I had no idea how the old version of NGS looked like to be honest.
    I intended to write you a birthday mail, but I was too busy studying for my exams on university (good excuse eh)!
    Wish you a happy birthday <3

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  9. Happy Birthday NGS! I think I wouldn't appreciate B-T as much as I do if it wasn't for you work.

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  10. Much credit to the awesome translations if B-T have been in heavy rotation during my teens years. It's hard to get old but let's celebrate hard and stay young.

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  11. Happy 10th anniversary thanks for everything.

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  12. Happy Birthday!
    But hey I'm honestly so upset about not knowing this is not greatest site yet when Justin Timberlake was included in the banner :/

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  13. Happy belated birthday and thank you for NGS! :D Pictures of version 2.0 bring back good memories ~

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  14. Very cool! Congratulations~ ^.^ ♡

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  15. Aaah this is a bit late but hello and happy birthday to you!! (and happy Chinese New Year heehe)I've only recently started reading your website and blog in-depth after coming across it a couple of times over the years and I've found it wonderfully informative, you all sound very cultured! despite the occasional dry humour and slightly elitist comments I really really really appreciate your blog being here ! thank you so much! I am happy to feel as if I finally belong somewhere as a Buck-Tick fan. All the translations and explanations and live reports have been a joy to read!!! Love from London!!!! <3

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    Replies
    1. "I love you despite your dry humor and slightly elitist comments" - what a wonderful Valentine's Day message! You should write a whole series of them, one for each Buck-Tick member:

      "Toll - I love you despite your mohawk."

      "Yutaka - I love you despite your gauche displays of cuteness."

      "Hide - despite the fact that you're an atrociously sexy beast, I still love you anyway."

      "Imai - I love you despite the fact that you play guitar. To be honest, I have never fancied guitarists and still don't. But if at some point in the future I were to change my mind, it would be for you."

      "Acchan - I love you despite the fact that you are a human male who occasionally farts. Also, despite the fact that you have working hair follicles on your face that grow a beard-thing which is, frankly, totally disgusting. But I still love you anyway."

      In conclusion: thank you so much for your love! We're pleased to have you as our fan. Welcome to the elite in-crowd clubhouse. Now let's snort at the riff-raff.

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    2. Ah, I expected no less of a response, thank you >w<
      although I do wonder what makes you think I have any aversion to Yagami-san's stunning hairstyle or Aachan's beard... I think they're both very becoming features~

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  16. I'm an absolute idiot who didn't write to greet you for the anniversary. But let me at least wish you a great Valentine's. Thank you for everything you've done for the fandom. And here are the coolest flowers I could find on the net: www.inspiration-now.com/frozen-flowers-by-makoto-azuma

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How have you been heart feeling?