Category: Japanese

  • Yu Aoi + Yoko Takahashi = Portugirl!!!!

    OMGOGMOGMGGMOMOGMG. I just died of excitement. *laughs*

    I haven’t been to Yu Aoi’s website in a while, and not only did I find a new ‘news item’ but also a new ‘message’ – they were announcing the release of Portugirl!! Yu’s NEW PHOTOBOOK!!!!!

    OMG, I’m so frakin’ BROKE. =.=

    Yu Aoi x Yoko Takahashi - Portugirl Photobook

    And  the PB just went on sale on Saturday… according to the website. March 14th ~ which is NOT TODAY anymore. However, the Amazon.co.jp link I found shows the ‘pre-order’ button, instead of the ‘add to cart’ – not like I’m buying through Amazon *laughs* but just something to point out.  Also~~~ HMV Japan has it listed with another title.

    Should I test HMV and not wait for YesAsia to list it? I have $5 off my next YesAsia purchase, but that could expire before the book shows up there~~~

    Anyway!!! Best thing ever~~~ Yu’s back with Yoko *laughs* – to quote Yu on Travel Sand. I LOVE Yoko-san’s world. ALSO… when did Yu got time to visit Portugal??? Yo, girl~~ I’m telling you… you should totally visit this side of the world, and I’m not talking about Venezuela or any of the Guyanas xD

  • Juri with WOWOW~ and with Jiji no e Tegami

    WOWOW + Juri!!!! Exciting!!

    As you know, I LOVED WOWOW’s Camouflage with Yu Aoi. *hearts* So the prospect of a WOWOW project with Juri (before she goes off to Europe to film more Nodame – Julz, this is your cue) is NUTZ. The current working title apparently is:
    GI~TA~ KE~SU no Onna –> A Girl with a Guitar Case, but you know that could change just like Camouflage switched titles.

    As you know, I liked Hito no SEKKUSU (Don’t Laugh at my Romance) and Hyakuman-en (One Million Yen Girl) which had WOWOW attached… of course that might had to do with Yu Aoi as well ~ but these prospects are the same. ^^

    ON OTHER NEWS!

    There’s a trailer out for Juri’s North India Documentary with NHK on the Jiji no e Tegami project, or Grandfather’s Letters… which in case you didn’t know~~~ Juri has a song for… (just like she has Onara Taisou for Nodame).

    The documentary will be on NHK March 20th (Friday) from 8pm to 9.29pm (LOL, 29? haha… sorry). Set your clocks, and I will set my own time… 6am??? GOSH~

    [iframe src=”https://www.tudou.com/v/EDrN434X3SY/v.swf” width=”480″ height=”400″]

    For more some photos and graphics, head over to Juri’s LJ community.

  • Interactive JDramas and Voice-over your Anime!

    Well… ‘interactive’ almost haha

    Hmm… two weeks ago, in fact~~~ On February 25th, I was watching NHK and saw this pretty awesome segment where they showed this JDrama that you could put your face into, the second segment mentioned a new for of ‘karaoke’ to voice-over anime~~~ To tell you the truth, I found it hilarious!

    Anyway, I was trying to find some info on it, but since my Japanese is so limited I couldn’t really google anything. Luckily, I was watching NHK this afternoon and recognized the hosts, so I could go to the show’s website and find out. And so I did!

    The first segment is Sangwoo & my Story – obviously a romantic JDrama aimed at women who want to put their face into the protagonist body. LOL’ You literally scan your face, and they will make it all digital and moveable… they will even give u a digital surgery so your face is not wonky xD ~~~ Then they just paste your digi-most-improved-face onto the body of the person playing the lead, make your digi-mouth move at the proper sync and you got yourself into your love story JDrama. You buy it on DVD, go home to watch yourself on screen with your Asian hunk.

    Sangwoo & my Story - Face Scan and Tweak

    Pretty amazing stuff, really… even if it’s kind of weird. Can’t possibly imagine what the porn industry could do with that… LOL – Can you?

    Anyway~~~

    The second segment was a feature on JoySound.com – who have released a type of Karaoke machine to dub anime, so otakus can go… knowing all their favorite anime lines, begin recording with a passion, and then watch their masterful over-dubbing~~~ Funny stuff considering I could sit with my friend and play Harry Potter PoA while watching the film~~~ I find this one more funny, than impressive though… The above ABOVE idea was crazy.

    Now, if all dramas could be like that~~~ let’s start with Japan. Can you imagine being in Nodame? Or Osen??? Can you imagine put your face into Eita’s body and get to hug Juri playing Ruka. LOL Can you imagine that in a western show… or I mean, your favorite American or English show?

    I know a few that will probably considering being on FRIENDS… Well, I know many will likely do the karaoke-voice-over thing with it anyway.

  • Three-Year Friendship Anniversary, Julz!

    Yo~~~~~ I’m pretty sure it’s not March 8th yet in Sweden. In fact, according to my iPod it’s barely 9pm there at the moment, but hey! we’re here to celebrate!! Celebrate that faithful e-mail you sent 3 years ago! Wow, how much you’ve changed and evolved, Julz~~

    Truly! Most improved! Remember? You didn’t know how to call avatars, let alone make them~~~ Now! Now you run your OWN website… make graphics, and are all over many things Asian. Very very amazing~~~ you’re Singing in Korean (Colbert joke in here) xD~~~ Of course~~~ singing in Japanese! And you are about to witness Japanese Entertainment industry’s history~~~~

    Julyssa & Amy
    Was this T-Centralen? July 2007? xD

    Loca!!!! Happy Friendship-versary!!! LOL’

  • Rookie of the Year Award for Yu!!

    Yu Aoi - 2009 - Rookie of the Year Award CeremonyRookie? LOL’ I don’t think she’s a ‘rookie’ perse but okay… I’ll take it!

    The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan has named Yu (in the fields of Media and Fine Arts) their Rookie of the Year Award (Movies).

    On why they are giving this award to her, they talk about her debut on the Shunji Iwai film All About Lily Chou Chou, and her steady career throughout the years mentioning Hula Girls. They also mention her work on One Million Yen Girl the past year, as well as her natural talent. Finally, they close their paragraph saying that Yu’s future is expected with much anticipation.

    Or something like that…

    Also named there in the field of Public Art, Shiina Ringo!!!! Like… Rookie?? Again~~

    Sorry, no photos~~

    *update March 30th* – Added a photo from Yu’s site.

    *update May 20th* – Added a link to video. Check it out after the break…

    (more…)

  • Jugemu, the Tongue Twister

    In October last year, I posted an extra from the Hana & Alice DVD, in which the cast did a rhyme or a “rakugo” – which by the way wasn’t on Wikipedia back then – and I took a while to get what they were saying, but now there’s information!

    The rhyme is called Jugemu, and it’s one of the most popular rakugo for its featuring on NHK’s Nihongo de Asobo segment… which was the program I quoted last February, when I posted a comment with the romaji for it. Jugemu tells the story of a man picking a name for his newborn baby. When the priest gives him a list of auspicious names, the man decides to use all of them to give his child a lot of luck in life, resulting in a super long name.

    The Japan Forum

    The Tikki Tikki Tembo story is also kind of funny~~

  • Casual Yu > Fashion Yu

    I never ever really talk about Fashion, since I don’t consider myself fashion~ tees and slacks are my thing~~

    So… how do I go about this? Let’s see~~~

    Casual Yu is the BEST Yu.

    Casual Yu Aoi

    Be it wearing an oversized tee, slacks, baggy shorts, a sweater, a beanie, truck caps~ sure, sure~ most of the pics above are magazine shoots, or photobook pics, and even the seldom movie still~ but there are also 5 candid shots from project sets~~ completely adorable on that Don’t Laugh at my Romance on-set shot with the white/creme beanie. Even that theater-personnel uniform shot is pretty cute.

    Now, don’t get me wrong~ modeling Yu is pretty great – I LUV LUV LUVVVV Travel Sand and Dandelion. And I think Yu and Yoko Takahashi should come over to Peru for some great shots in Machu Picchu, and all the many ruins in here~~ plus, loads of food.

    However, I prefer seeing Yu all casual and relaxed than Fashionable Yu. You know, the one on the red carpet at some event, or modeling on a photoshoot to some high fashion magazine.

    Fashion Yu Aoi

    I must admit though, I dig her bangs on the bottom right pic, which I’m pretty sure is a candid from a photoshoot. Crazy bangs, I know… kinda off, but I think works with the pic.

  • Happy Two-Year-Using-WordPress!!

    Today, two years ago, I began using WordPress!

    I’ve gone through… several WordPress updates (some of them messing up with the website), many CSS styles~~~~ and a LOT of topic changes AND even MORE~~~ category additions~~~ and of course, one of the first proper posts was a rant, coz Amy loves ranting. xD However, in those days and age~~~ Amy ranted about many topics into one post~ the rant turned from a Dixie Chicks forum heated discussion, to how crappy Jennifer Hudson winning an Oscar was. LOL I still feel the same way though~~ Rinko Kikuchi so totally kicked major butt there~~~

    Topics haven’t changed much actually… I still rant about Oscar, and AM so into Japanese films. Haven’t seen much Rinko Kikuchi since then though… as I am still waiting for Brothers Bloom to come out anywhere I might be able  to watch.

    Similar to today, a year ago… well not exactly today, since I didn’t blog on March 3rd 2008 –  but 7th, I blogged Julyssa’s Greta Garbo’s book gift. WOOOOOOO – Julyssa!!! It’s been a year since that gift!! Thank you SOOOOO much. Greta Garbo photographs are sooooooo AWEsome. Ne? xD

    So thank you, WordPress~ Two years together! xD

  • Salyu Madness, News and Music Links

    I must have died and gone to heaven… xD I’m listening to Salyu, who just released a two-track single titled Corteo/HALFWAY, which you can download over at the Salyu LJ Community… which I just found. Heaven!

    There, I also found out that Salyu’s turn as Lily Chou Chou on the Shunji Iwai film of the similar name (where Yu shows up) that sprang a double album… including Breathe (Kokyu) has been re-released. Why is that GOOD? Well, because Kokyu was totally sold out online… and it’s probably one of the finest contemporary albums out there. So now I just gotta get money to buy it hahahahaha.

    CD Japan – $24.26
    YesAsia – $27.25
    Amazon.co.jp – 2.500 Yen

    Also, apparently… she also released Mercmal in THREE different editions… the regular (of course!), one limited edition with a DVD of a concert in Yohohama, and another limited edition with and extra album with her collaboration work. Call me crazy, I want just the DVD with her collaboration work, I think. I’m split! I think I want the concert more… since apparently the other only has 3 tracks? I’m not sure I want to pay +$30 for a greatest hits album… I’m undecided!!! LOL

    Let’s see…
    Amazon.co.jp has the two limited edition out of stock, and only has the regular one at 3000 Yen.
    CD JAPAN has the limited collaboration edition at $32.99, and the regular edition at $29.11.
    And YesAsia still has the limited with DVD edition at $40.25, the regular edition at $31.25.

    I’ll leave you with the Salyu Merkmal 2009 Tour pics. Wish she’d come here xD

    For some of Salyu’s discography, check this post.

  • Woah, March Already?

    Gotta be careful, I could yawn and it will be December next. LOL’

    So award season is over… but that only means it’s time to begin the hunt once again~~ Posts on February reached the +40 mark… in fact, I matched my December record of 44 posts. And considering February has less days, well~~ Here come the quiet months though… March, April, May. They kill me.

    Also, don’t forget the BackStreet Boys…

    Plus… Yu Aoi Film Discussion~~~ Next up is Otoko-tachi no Yamato – or Yamato for short. Still there, haven’t found the time to re-watch that ++++ Hachimitsu to KURO~BA~ or Honey & Clover. Haven’t forgotten…

    Today though… next to last episode of The L Word, which ends next week with a 2hr episode… not looking forward to IT per se, but AM looking forward to just finish once and for all. LOL’ To ger your Sholly (Shane+Molly) fix – do your thing.