Category: Japanese

  • Blog updates~

    Surprise!

    I can’t keep up with two blogs hahahaha.

    So… I’m thinking.

    1. Is there a way – plugin? – that would let me post by writing once? xD

    2. or I could just post fan stuff xD

    The other day I got an email thanking me for introducing them to Bibi. That her voice is very moving, and it just made me feel so SO proud. I know it sucks that I can’t find almost anything on her. And it sucks that I don’t speak Mandarin, to translate the lyrics for you… or read Chinese to hunt for news.

    But I do it for Yu-chan.

    Shall I do it for Bibi?

    I, at least, want to get Bibi’s pinyin lyrics out. I’ll work on that.

    Please, in the meantime~ visit YAM Magazine, and add us to your Yahoo or Google feeds.

  • Word Lens: Spanish to English + Viceversa

    This $hit is amazing stuff.

    But I’m pretty sure I’ve seen some Japanese cellphone that could do that same thing translating on the spot, but in Kanji. Now take that and tell me that’s not amazing? xD

  • 34th Japan Academy Prize Noms

    First, let me get this out of the way: All the foreign nominations are American films, which includes Avatar, Toy Story 3, Hurt Locker, Inception and Invictus. Those along are a mixed bag for me xD Invictus was rather insipid, wouldn’t you say? And to include Avatar in the same list as Toy Story 3 is… hmm, rather a pity xD

    The 34th Japan Academy Prize is led by Sang-il Lee’s Akunin (Villain) with 15 nods in 13 categories. Followed by Yoji Yamada’s Otouto (Yougner Brother/About her Brother) and Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins with 11 nods. Rounding up the best pictures is Izuru Narushima’s Kokou no Mesu (A Lone Scalpel) with 5 nods.

    And forgive the bias, but Yu Aoi got a nod for Supporting Actress xD

    Film
    Akunin
    Otouto
    Kokuhaku
    Kokou no Mesu
    13 Assassins

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  • Finally YAM Magazine Website

    I was beat last night. Full of anxiety xD

    But it’s finally out. Please, visit yam-mag.com leave a comment and subscribe ;P

  • Australian Film Institute Noms, Yokohama Film Festival Awards, Plus Oscar Animated Shorts and VFX

    That’s the longest title I’ve ever written. I think. Not sure, but pretty~

    First, let’s start with Oscar talk. There are 10 animated shorts line-up for 3/5 spots at the Academy.

    • Coyote Falls
    • Day & Night
    • Let’s Pollute
    • Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, A Journey Diary)
    • Sensology
    • The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger
    • The Gruffalo
    • The Lost Thing
    • Le Silence Sous l’Ecorce (The Silence Beneath the Bark)
    • Urs

    (more…)

  • Yu Aoi Film Discussion – Honokaa Boy

    You know what this means right? I finally saw a new Yu Aoi film, so I can move the queue just a little bit. We’re discussing Honokaa Boy first, then Ikechan to Boku… instead of One Million Yen Girl because of the length of roles that Yu had in the films… and we’re leaving Hyakuman-en up on the feature spot for a while… ;P

    First a little about the film~
    Honokaa Boy tells the story of a boy – Okay, a young man – who ends up living in the small Hawaiian city of Honokaa, after he mysteriously falls in love with the place during a failed trip with his girlfriend. In there, he meets a bunch of quirky people that are very likable, who end up having an impact on his life.

    Genre: Dramedy with a bit of Romance
    Starring: Masaki Okada, Chieko Baisho, Keiko Matsuzaka, Jun Hasegawa
    Duration: almost 2hrs

    (more…)

  • Lily Chou Chou – Ether

    This is the best I’m going to get from Lily. A new song.

    For those of you who don’t know, Lily Chou Chou is the fictional singer portrayed in Shunji Iwai’s film All About Lily Chou Chou. Lily was played by Salyu on the film, and there was an album released under that artist name. This is the only new material ever since the film was released… and it’s even rare to get to hear the Lily songs in a Salyu concert.

    If you haven’t watched All About Lily Chou Chou, it is a rough experience.

    Visitor Uzaigaijin kept me posted on the status of her concert ticket, and she messaged me saying she got one! So she will be writing a review of Lily Chou Chou’s concert this week for YAM Magazine. ;P

    I’m excited and jealous. xD

  • Asia Pacific Screen Winners 2010

    They were held today at my worst possible timezone. I only made it to the Best Actress award… barely. I was already nodding off, but I had to stay up for that one.

    I knew Yun Jeong-hee was pretty much a shoo-in for Best Actress for her amazing role on Poetry — what’s up with all these Korean ahjumas, they are fierce! — but I was secretly rooting for Fan Xu on Aftershocks because her role left me emotionally drained.

    Also~~~ APSA > Oscar – why?

    Please, awarding Aftershocks, Poetry and Caterpillar? Anyone who awards these, it’s on my good list — even if it’s not an “official” category, Shinobu Terajima winning the Jury Award is big. Oscars will never EVER nominate Shinobu Terajima for Best Actress — unless they surprise me. Please, surprise me  — and they will never ever nominated Yun Jeong-hee either. Considering Japan and Korea chose other films to send…

    Anyway! So many awards, eh? Check the sidebar to keep up to date with the Award Season~~~

    (more…)

  • Juri Ueno as Gou on NHK’s 2011 Taiga Drama

    You know, I was watching the last episode of Ryomaden on Sunday’s afternoon before lunch. Sorry, Ryoma-san ~~~ I didn’t feel ya. But I did feel Teruyuki Kagawa’s Iwasaki — frienemy of Ryoma. Just like I enjoyed Kiyomori’s grey relationship with Yoshitsune.

    There’s something about not so good characters in history that’s just wayyyyy more interesting than the heroes. Heroes are boring. That’s why Atsuhime was so good! She was actually sent to manipulate the Shogun in favor of her clan… then she married the Shogun, and not-really turned on her family, but she didn’t do what she was sent to do.

    Looking forward to Gou… as well as Kenichi Matsuyama’s starring on the 2012 NHK Taiga drama about the life of Kiyomori. That’s all sorts of awesome considering he’s gonna battle it out with Hiroshi Tamaki playing Yoshitsune’s father, Minamoto.

    Yup, I just showed you all my samurai / taiga drama knowledge right there.

    It’s like I know history! I feel knowledgeable ~~~

  • FLOWERS Review at the 14th Sydney Japanese Film Fest

    If you remember, there was a negative (and the only) review for FLOWERS that I ran into. I didn’t look for more… because I was lazy, and I forgot. However, I ran into this info:

    The 14th Sydney Japanese Film Festival is showing FLOWERS and Otouto.

    As I rant that every film festival gets more up-to-date stuff than my local festivals… I also read a sweet quite glowing positive FLOWERS review, which resembles uzaigaijin‘s thoughts on FLOWERS.

    But the single biggest thing that makes “Flowers” so remarkable is the authenticity of its feel from a cinematic viewpoint. It is an experience tailored to the psychology of moviegoers as a class. As such, it functions as a tribute not only to the growth of Japan as a society, but to the development of movie-making in general.

    And I love that they mention that Yu-chan is one of the most talented and bankable actresses. (see Why Raiou Needs to Reach #1, which it didn’t)

    Koizumi-san, at least, shares his vision of the 1930s in gorgeous antiquated tones as he beautifully captures Yu Aoi, one of Japan’s most talented and bankable actresses, in crisp black and white. Aoi-san comes across delightfully in vintage; the part well suits her subtle and subdued acting style. She flawlessly looks the part of the Yamato Nadeshiko, resplendent in various kimonos and decked out in traditional bridal regalia. One of the most memorable scenes in the film sees Aoi-san running through a sakura (cherry tree) grove in full bloom with mountains visible in the distance, a wide shot reminiscent of some old time silver screen epic.

    You can read the full review over at the Japanese Film Festival blog.