WOOOOOO!! A freakin’ year~~~~
Today a year ago, I was introduced to Yu Aoi’s work on Shunji Iwai’s All About Lily Chou Chou, and the Shunji Iwai-related Rainbow Song. Little did I know that the characters that interested me the most in the films were played by the same actress. Nine days later, I watched Hula Girls, and a month later I was completely hooked with Yu Aoi, and yet another Shunji Iwai film… Hana & Alice.
Let’s start with what the film is about:
Tekkon Kinkreet is an animated film adaptation of the Black and White manga series by Taiyou Matsumoto, directed by Michael Arias (Animatrix). The name of the film is a pun on “Tekkin Concrete”, the Japanese term for reinforced concrete. It tells the story of two street kids, tough Kuro (Black) and innocent Shiro (White) living in a fictional city known as Treasure Town, a city that is filled with crooks and the yakuza.
Genre: Animation, Drama, Comedy, Action with violence.
With the voices of: Kazunari Ninomiya, Yu Aoi, Yusuke Iseya, Kankuro Kudo
Duration: nearly 2hrs
Spoilers ahead! Of the film and manga~~~
Hey, people!! For those of you just beginning to read this blog, the 6-Month-Mark refers to how long my interest seems to last.
I’m sooooo happy to say that it’s almost a year since I first saw All About Lily Chou Chou, and Rainbow Song. In fact, I’ve got my timeline all figured out (thank you, FB hahaha) – It will be a year on the 16th… since I got Asian (Japanese) cinemaphiled… a year of complete Yu Aoi also.
I’m preparing a ‘special’ post for that day, hahaha ‘coz it’s been a long time since I had found a subject to last this long… 3 years, give or take of fluttering fandoms. And because Yu Aoi fandom seems scattered, or very idol-craze sometimes… I have taken as my ‘job’ to create a place where we focus a lot on projects, and work less on icons, banners and graphic making. A place to discuss films, the seldom ‘crazy good’ photoshoots and NOT focus on personal life. LOL
As much as I love reading Lainey every weekday… I will not be blogging about Yu’s personal life. I have decided~~~ Now, you can blame that on two websites I visit (two actresses… one I’m a frequent visitor, and the other I’m even ghost staff almost hahaha). I’ve been taught to respect their privacy, and so I will. *sighs*
I will not be re-branding my site… this will still be my blog, and I will post about any other subjects that I want (specially during Award Season)… but hopefully I will have a good amount of Yu Aoi postings monthly. You may have also noticed that some links to Yu Aoi films are not working anymore, and I doubt I will be posting any film on my own… they are quite easy to find through Google.
I’m not against downloading stuff for distribution sake, I’m also in favor of fansubs… but if you love one of the films, and a release with the subtitles of your liking is officially available, go ahead and buy it. Buy photobooks… and other merchandise you feel like getting as long as it is to support an actor and their work. Don’t go around saying you support someone if you haven’t ever bought one of their films (in any region), or haven’t even gone to the theater to watch their films (in case the film is distribute theatrically), or even spent $20 to buy their ‘official’ calendar.
Yes, I know. Photobooks are pricey, so are Japanese region DVDs (and some don’t even have subtitles!!), but there are other ways you can support someone. American fans can go watch Tokyo! in theaters… they can buy Hana & Alice
As a final note, you can pre-order Tokyo! (if you liked it, I’m not making anyone buy anything against their will) on DVD
Hold your breath, otherwise you’ll pass out with this Academy-Award-studded film~
Starring: Double Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis, Academy Award Winner Marion Cotillard, Academy Award Winner Judi Dench, Academy Award Winner Sophia Loren, Academy Award Winner Nicole Kidman, Academy Award Winner Penelope Cruz
Directed by Academy Award Winner Rob Marshall.
If you want… it’s so much Ooh La~~~, watch it in HD. xD
Natalie Portman on the set of the recently announced Hesher directed by Spencer Susser, and also starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Portman will be playing a character standing up to a bully… of a 9-year-old, or something.
Awwww… the glasses, man! It’s the glasses!!! LOL’
For all the photos (some of her trying to take on the bully, and falling on her ass hahaha~~~ Those panties!!!) head over to the NP.com Gallery~~~ Dorkability~~~ xD
Formerly known as “Push,” Precious was the winner of this year’s Sundance Film Festival Audience Award, and the Grand Jury Prize for Best Drama. Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, it tells the story of a teenage girl named Precious living in Harlem…
Movie looks good… PLUS! they say Mariah can act. LOL
Decided to post this (to make my daily post a day quota) and because I think it’s important people buying Hana & Alice on Region 1 DVD… if you haven’t got it on DVD (original copy, people) to NOT only support Yu and her projects in the region (non-Asian releases), but also support Viz Pictures who have been releasing films like Linda Linda Linda, Shimotsuma Monogatari (Kamikaze Girls), and Cha no Aji (Taste of Tea). All very great films~~~
Also… more people will be interested in perhaps subtitling Yu Aoi films (*hints* Hyakuman-en), and perhaps we could get proper DVD released of Hito no SEKKUSU, and other future projects.
PLUS!! Hana & Alice is 50% the price I bought it for!!!
Wait!! There’s more~~~ All About Lily Chou Chou is also quite cheap, 2USD!
I found a pretty cool list of photos of actresses ranging from Emily Blunt to Keri Russell, to Scarlett, to Amy Adams… from Evan Rachel Wood to Freida Pinto doing pin-up shoots. Not especifically one shoot, but a collection of different shoots~~
My favorite? Alexis Bledel… tough and badass in this classic~~~
A few other pictures after the break
The sites AfterElton.com and AfterEllen.com have released their Hot100 list this year, and out actors Neil Patrick Harris and Portia de Rossi top their respective lists. Also in those lists…
Jennifer Beals ranking in #2, Lena Headey in #3, Leisha Hailey in #4, Tina Fey in #7, Katherine Moennig in #11, Rachel Shelley in #12, Kate Winslet in #13, Ellen DeGeneres making up the Top15. Clementine Ford made it to #18, Ellen Page (21), Pink (25), Emily Blunt (34), Jodie Foster (39), Natalie Portman (41, what? behind LiLo??? Geez), Penelope Cruz (56), Mary-Louise Parker (57), Cate Blanchett (66), Anne Hathaway (83), Rachel Weisz (84), Maryl Streep (87), and Emma Watson at 99.
LOL’ That was a long not-a-list~
The dudes at AfterElton show you the proper way to show a list… from the bottom up. Starting with Emile Hirsch (88), Patrick Wilson (86), Nathan Fillion (85), Matt Damon (84), George Clooney (73), Clive Owen (72), Ryan Gosling (65), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (61), Lee Pace (60), Gael Garcia Bernal (59), James McAvoy (57), Christian Bale (56), Ewan McGregor (48), David Boreanaz (47), Justin Timberlake (42), Daniel Craig (32), Johnny Depp (29), Brad Pitt (18). And rounding up the Top10, there’s James Franco in #10, Hugh Jackman in #8, and Jake Gyllenhaal in #4.
Not many Asians now, is there? =o(
Hmm… I actually saw this a long while ago, and I couldn’t re-watch this because I lost my copy, silly me probably didn’t back up. And I couldn’t take any screencaps of Yu in it. I might… someday, take the time to do it, but if you have the film at hand (because you are about to watch it, or plan to)… would you do some captures of Yu and shared them here? Just a few captures would be nice since there aren’t many images online~
Anyway! Let’s start, shall we?
Something about the film:
(From AsianMediaWiki)
Best Wishes for Tomorrow reenacts the war crimes trials against Lieutenant General Tasuku Okada, commander of the 13th Area Army in the Tokai region, and the general’s 19 subordinates who were accused for executing 38 American soldiers who had landed in the region after bombing it with high-explosives and napalm, killing thousands of civilians.
Genre: Drama, with depictions of war.
Starring: Makoto Fujita, Robert Lesser, Fred McQueen, Richard Neil
Appearances by: Sumiko Fuji, Masahiko Nishimura, Yoshiko Tanaka, Yu Aoi
Duration: Almost 2hr
Below, the spoilers~
