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Interesting tweets about Yu

February 21, 2011 — 3 Comments

Since I waste a lot of time on Twitter now, one of my searches is spying on what people say about Yu Aoi… though I should really look for her kanji name instead, no? But that’s me filtering the info.

I think this is the first time I’ve seen tweets that go beyond of “just saw ‘name of movie,’ and Aoi Yu is so cute!” So I thought that I could post from time to time about what people say about Yu-chan xD

ToruShoji is talking about the Yogashiten Daisuki Sweets Best 88 Magazine.

For those of you who don’t know who Hailee Steinfeld is, she’s the actress now nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the upcoming Academy Awards (this coming Sunday) for her work on the Coen brothers’ True Grit.

What do you think? Is thessuh right? Steinfeld is 14.

And finally… toshii9245 says Yu Aoi is a beautiful girl… alongside Megan Fox and Avril (Lavigne?). Now, I wouldn’t put Lavigne and/or Fox in the same league as Yu Aoi … would you?

In Celebrity, English, Fun, Japanese, Screencaps, Sharing, Snapshots fandom, social media, yu aoi

Minami he (To the South)

February 12, 2011 — 5 Comments

So… you don’t live in Tokyo? Or you live in Tokyo but don’t have the time or money to spend a couple of hours in the theater? Well, tough luck!

Yu-chan’s at the theater in her brand new play with Satoshi Tsumabuki, as previously reported.

Tsumabuki portrays a seismologist named Minami who is station at the foot of the fictional Mt. Buji, a volcano that is getting ready to erupt. Aoi portrays Amane, a woman found wandering the slopes of Mt. Buji. The only thing is she may not be Amane at all. Aoi’s character keeps changing the story of who she is, where she comes from and even what her real name is.

via J-Film Pow-Wow (Chris MaGee’s awesome, non?)

Check J-Film Pow-Wow for more information and a photo where Yu’s on the side looking different. Then there’s a video of Yu-chan commenting on the play, and inviting all of us (who can’t go) to see the play.

But it’s not embeddable, so head over here for the video.

But really, even if I were in Tokyo… and I had the time and money to go watch Yu on stage, it’d be for nothing! Because I’m not fluent in Japanese. It’d be like a wasted seat on someone who would just stare O_O and that’d be creepy.

So… is anyone going? And does anyone want to share their thoughts on it?

In Celebrity, Clips, English, Japanese, Screencaps actress, interview, japan, satoshi tsumabuki, theater / stage, yu aoi

Old BiBi Interview with English Subtitles

I think this is the only video of Bibi with English subtitles. It’s short, barely three minutes of it… but makes me miss BiBi circa her NOW/WOW albums… which reminds me, gotta review those.

[iframe src=”https://www.tudou.com/v/_H6cID-4vsU/v.swf” width=”480″ height=”400″]

Her last bit singing gives me the shivers.

From the last few performances she’s done, something is amiss. Her voice is quite not right, and I think it might be due to the production of her last album.

*sighs*

Forgive the lack of updates, but then again… you do know there’s YAM, right?

Posted on February 1, 2011 In Celebrity, Chinese, Clips, English, Music, Sharing bibi chow (zhou bichang), china, fandom, fansubs, interview, subtitles

Yu Aoi – Yogashiten ~ Daisuki Sweets – Best 88 ~

I guess I could translate Daisuki Sweets to Sweets that I Love (the best).

There’s a new special issue by Magazine House that has just been released. My understanding is that it’s got write-ups on Yu’s favorite pastries, and stuff like that. I even read something about her grandma’s banana bread?

Obviously, this is to promote her upcoming film Yogashiten Coin de Rue, which opens on February 11th.

Posted on January 29, 2011 In Celebrity, English, Japanese, Photoshoots, Screencaps, Sharing food photography, yogashiten coin de rue, yu aoi

1 Comment

Wow, That Was Good Casting: Grilled Cheesus

January 10, 2011 — 3 Comments

I really meant to post this sooner.

Remember that Glee episode in which we have a flashback of Kurt as a kid with his dad? That was amazing casting, and just to test my theory, I screencapped some bits and showed them to my mother. Her verdict? She thought it was really Chris Colfer as a kid!

So kudos with the casting on this one:
Eric Dawson, Carol Kritzer & Robert J. Ulrich ~~~

In Celebrity, English, Screencaps, Sharing, Snapshots, Television actor, glee, tv drama / tv series / miniseries, wow that was good casting

Yu Aoi x Ayumi Ito for H Magazine

January 9, 2011 — 12 Comments

Please, I finally have found out about this photoshoot. I didn’t really recognized Ayumi Ito on this, since I wasn’t really THAT familiar with her work when I found the pictures, and I was probably too embarrassed to ask anyone about this shoot… because, the photos actually make me feel kind of uncomfortable LOL

And you know I wouldn’t post photos just for posting. I wanted to know, and I finally figured it out.

Whenever I see Yu-chan sharing a photoshoot with a co-star — usually male — it’s weird, like really awkward. I always thought it was a Japanese thing… have no chemistry, or barely touching your co-star. It’s something that worked with Ninomiya in that Tekkon photoshoot, because it’s him… and he’s pretty much sexless to me. LOL

I have no idea if it’s because Ayumi Ito is really REALLY awesome, and that Yu Aoi really gets along with her, but this photoshoot made me re-think my whole “it’s a Japanese thing” theory. Maybe it’s because Yu-chan feels more comfortable doing this stuff with girls — because there’s no sexual tension… or if she doesn’t get along with most her male co-stars. Or maybe it is a cultural thing, and it’s wrong in Japan to see her getting cozy with her male co-star for a shoot~~~

Anyone can explain? Enlighten us~~~

In Celebrity, English, Japanese, Photoshoots, Sharing ayumi ito, japan, magazine shoot, yu aoi

12 Comments

The Best Performance on NHK’s 61st Kouhaku? DREAMS COME TRUE

I’m not even a fan, but woman knows how to work that stage. She certainly knows how to close a show! On a very VERY long new year night… imagine having to download 11Gb to watch a roughly 6hr show, Jpop duo DREAMS COME TRUE was the most memorable number of the night — which includes a giant tsuru (crane), and a rock n’ roller tongue-wiggling ojiisan,

[iframe src=”https://you.video.sina.com.cn/api/sinawebApi/outplayrefer.php/vid=44605592_1463781897_Z0LkG3M5B2LK+l1lHz2stqkP7KQNt6nkjWy3vFqlLQdeQ0/XM5GdZtsH5SzfAtkEqDhAQJw5dfsj3h8/s.swf” width=”480″ height=”370″]

Are you kidding me? A marching band (the Kouhaku Marching band) with a lead singer jumping in a kimono? That’s an automatic win. xD Plus, Ikite yuku no desu (生きてゆくのです) is super catchy, the performance just brings it to the level of memorable.

This is the best I can do for the moment, the only clip I’ve been able to find. If/when I find something better, will re-post. Now, if NHK was smart, they’d be posting the Kouhaku performances on their own site for embedding, instead of taking down the performances that make it online…

Posted on January 7, 2011 In Celebrity, Clips, English, Fun, Japanese, Music, Sharing, Television japan, musical/choreography, nhk, performance

The BiBi Discography

January 3, 2011 — 11 Comments

I told you BiBi was going to be my first post of 2011! xD

It’s common knowledge I don’t buy singles… or usually “best of” compilations — unless it’s an artist with too many albums that I don’t want to “catch up” on with.

Julz also knows I don’t do mini-albums.

But I do own all of BiBi’s albums ;P I have named myself her biggest fan living the farthest away. LOL Unless BiBi has a fan living in the Patagonia, I’m taking the title, thankyouverymuch.

Bibi’s latest albums are far from perfect. Really respect that she’s trying to expand her style, her vocal range, as well as her image. Though it sometimes feels like her label doesn’t know what to do with her, like they need to change her style (from Time to i.fish.light.mirror) to sell well in Taiwan and Hong Kong – where she probably did sell well after the change.

I sat today listening to her first album (not counting her EP), Who Touched My Violin String?, and it was really quite good. Very strong, except for maybe two skippable songs.

Her second effort, her double album NOW and WOW — UMPH! They’re a killer combo. After over two years of listening and discovering Chinese pop music artists, I have learned to appreciate NOW a lot more. But WOW blew me away right away for its hard to figure out sound.

In NOW, she is a lot more traditional sounding… a few “Chinese” or I guess zhongguo feng songs, nice ballads with tight vocals, great production values, and lyrics. In WOW, she does the opposite. She’s R&B without sounding R&B, she’s a bit Rock without being Rock, she’s Pop without being truly Pop — she’s got funk, soul… her lyrics are whack, and she sounds like no one else.

If Leehom coined Chinked-out style, BiBi was able to pull it off in WOW.

I really believe those two albums have been the highlight of her career, and hope that her new contract with Gold Typhoon lets her — as an artist — experiment with those styles more.

Hopefully, I will be able to get the pinyin for Bibi’s songs. In the meantime, you can check the one that’s already done for the WOW album. If you’re lucky, I will learn Chinese hahaha… tough luck!