Category: Art

  • The amazingness that is going to be Cloud Atlas~

    Just saying.

    There is an 80% chance that I’m gonna love this movie even if everyone else hates it, because Doona Bae cries in the movie. And whenever she cries, I cry coz she’s amazing like that [1].

    If I was pretty pump before, I’m super eager to watch this as soon as possible in the best quality possible. There are big BIG chances that I will buy this in Blu-ray. And I haven’t bought an “American” product in quite a while. Remember when Natalie Portman was attached to this?

    You can check some more info here.

  • The Voice of China May Be Pawning The Voice

    Liu Huan, Na Ying, Harlem Yu, and Yang Kun. I mean, dude- Liu Huan alone would trump Christina Aguilera. LOL And I have a soft spot for Christina Aguilera [1], but imagine participating and singing in front of Liu Huan, and having HIM picking YOU to be on HIS team.

    His pitch-perfect and perfect-toned-singing-Mandarin.

    I would maybe… MAYBE… change Harlem Yu over someone like Wang Feng. But that’s just me. These are all seasoned singers and vocalists (I can’t label Liu Huan as just a singer, sorry).

    So the Chinese version of The Voice, aptly titled The Voice of China (中国好声音, Zhong Guo Hao Sheng Yin), has made its debut about two weeks ago. I’ve only seen the first episode, but I already like the judges selection better because you’re being judged by people already in their 40s or 50s who have been working in the industry for years — not a bunch of people in their 30s who have been barely working for 10 years.

    And Liu Huan has been working as a music teacher for the past 10 years, besides still being a music icon, so he’s perfect. Plus, I’ve already taken a strong dislike to Adam Levine, whom I used to find so attractive. LOL I can’t stand him EVER again. xD How people change.

    My dad is going to be crazy about this one.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaCJVgGtLbA

  • The Most Beautiful Movies Ever Made

    Flavorwire.com made a video titled 135 Shots That Will Restore Your Faith in Cinema, after asking their readers what were “the most beautiful movies ever made.” The result is okay, I guess. I still don’t think that I’m as moved by Terrence Malick films as others are…

    There was also some Zhang Yimou and Wong Kar-wai added in there, alongside Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain — which was one of my picks for most iconic movie images. xD

    In any case, there was some Noboru Shinoda (and therefore, Shunji Iwai) missing. The Hana & Alice ballet scene [1], just as Love Letter, as well as EVERYTHING on Picnic [1], and every single frame in All About Lily Chou Chou — they’re all perfect. LOL

  • Yu Aoi – Kyou, Konogoro.

    Yup. I finally bought Kyou, Konogoro (今日、このごろ。) — roughly translated to Nowadays, Lately. — which I had put off getting for years AND YEARS because… there’s a lot of text. But, damn. I was seriously missing out. There’s not many photos for the book, but there’s TONS of goodies for Yu-chan fans. A LOT of information (movie facts about Yu’s shooting projects, dates, movie suggestions, books she’s given or received, a sorta detailed work around to some of the magazine work she’s done, etc.) — In short, loads of great information for her Wikipedia page. xD

    Having to tell you that my Chinese Mandarin classes are paying off for the Japanese reading. Ha! I’m just gonna have to go through all the text bit by bit. Coz seriously, there’s a lot.

    (more…)

  • The Nubeluz Throwback: Twenty Years Later

    YouTube had been conspiring against me showing me a series of videos of my childhood over the weekend, making me feel older than I should. One of these videos had to do with one of Nubeluz‘ host — aka. a Dalina — her name, Monica Santa Maria.

    Her tragic ending in a bizarre high profile case of suicide wasn’t really registered in my subconscious. Maybe I was too little to understand, but I don’t think I realized she killed herself well into my years. Watching the videos of the case, looking back at those times with my grown mind, all one can really infer is that she had a deep troubled mind… one way or the other, it was going to end up bad. It’s terribly ironic that she never did what she preached — to enjoy life, embrace it… whatever small beautiful things you may get because life was short.

    It’s such a sad thing to see.

    ANYWAY. I remember that Nubeluz was celebrating their 20 years — GOSH! — and I ran into this clip of Almendra Gomelsky and the whole cast of the show back together. EVERYONE came back, however big they became… actress Daniela Sarfati, actress Rossana Fernandez Maldonado, twin hosts Anabel and Antuanet Elias, host Maria Pia Copello, and etc. Phew.

    They sound atrocious, but it was damn fun. I don’t think Peru has ever developed as good a show as Nubeluz ever was. It has nothing to do with nostalgia. I don’t particularly think the show translated well into English, but I think they had a really good deal with the concept and songs.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82p_YH-I5TA

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    Part of the Time Machine: Back to the 90′s Blogathon

  • From Hong Kong to the World: Chochukmo – Good Night

    I really REALLY REALLY am loving Chochukmo, and not because I interviewed them. I actually accepted to interview them because I really liked their first album, which you can listen to on Xiami or Bandcamp ;O

    Don’t forget to check out my interview with Mike Orange from the band.

  • Yu Aoi – A Dream by Yoshihiko Ueda – WANIBOOKS

    I know I have been a very bad Yu Aoi fan. First off, I had only a faint idea she was going to release a new photobook via HMV Japan, but since her website didn’t mention a thing, I didn’t think it was such a big deal. In any case, I ran into some of the photographs in my daily runs through Weibo — and voila!

    I thought I should buy it. xD

    (more…)

  • The Girl in the Mirror… was her.

    I have a really special and complicated relationship with Britney Spears. Despite my moving on from fandom in the early millennium, I think… deep in my heart (I know it’s only you, xD) – deep in my heart there’s always going to be a soft spot for Britney. The one side of me that’s always going to get happy when something good happens to her, and the side of me that gets preoccupied when something bad happens.

    I think in terms of ‘true’ Britney fans — you can recognize them by how much they love her ballads. Because Britney is not necessarily famous for her powerful vocals, but her long-time fans love Britney and actually miss her ballads — I actually love I Will Be There with those lyrics of… “when you’re feeling low, baby, let me know… and I will be there.”

    Then there\s Girl in the Mirror — she must’ve sung that song when she was 19 or 20 years old… but there’s an unequivocal innocent… almost too naive character to the song. It’s the kind of inner drama that 15 year old girls used to listen to and have ultimately stopped.

    Despite of the technical qualities of this fan video, it’s a very VERY sad and emotional clip. Especially with its beginning with a very young Britney and showing all those clips. It just… it almost breaks my heart… as if I had forsaken her.

    Time will take us apart, but I will still love you. I promise.

  • Congratulations are in order, Yu-chan?

    I generally don’t talk about celebrities’ personal lives — oh, who am I kidding? I love gossip. I used to spend hours reading gossip blogs until I realized how much time I wasted. LOL

    It started over the course of these few days when Yu Aoi searches spiked — once again — so I went on my customary search when that happens. And voila~

    I don’t think I’ve ever stuck to a specific individual fandom long enough to actually see this kind of thing happen before, so since this is a first of a confirmed relationship from Yu-chan [blog] [1] [screencap], I guess I gotta sorta document it for my future Wiki update [1]. LOL

    Yu-chan is in a relationship with actor Suzuki Kosuke. Omedetou! Throw the confetti!

    Sorry for the really bad graphic. But I didn’t wanna put one picture next tot he other coz then I would mistake it for a collaboration graphic. xD

    After a couple of strongly-rumored-but-ultimately-never-bluntly-confirmed guys, Yu-chan and Suzuki-san have both announced it on their blogs. Nah-huh, can’t get more confirmation than that one. It beats the sneaking around, huh? Good for her.

  • Look Who’s Hot in Marathon-wear!

    I had no idea BiBi would be in London (?) — well, in the UK — to do this (Nike Marathon).

    But my biggest, most shocking, realization was — Bibi’s hair looks different colors from the side (blond auburn hair or highlights) while it’s all dark on the head on front shot. How is that even possible???? It baffles me to figure out the dynamics… because, at first, I thought it might have been two different people. But no, it’s BiBi alright.

    It’s fascinating.

    And she looks like she has super SUPER swag. Especially in the snapshot of her with the sunglasses and her touching of her magical hair. Super chill, waiting, while all those white people at the back don’t look at her ‘coz they’re totally oblivious.