My gosh! Look what I found on Weibo~
At the time, Yu was only 1.50m xD
By the way, she’s turning 26 in two days. Yu is now closer to her 30s than her 20s. O_O
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It seems like I haven’t blogged about Yu Aoi for a while. I certainly haven’t checked her website, so I’m a little out of the loop.
The title on this post may be a little misleading. I don’t know whether Yu is in India, but the cover for GINZA Magazine for the July edition seems to indicate something similar… or maybe it will just be “India style”. Who knows~
See the bottom title on the left?
Aoi Yu, something about color no INDO he.
While checking Yu’s website, I also found out that WOWOW will be showing a broadcast of Minami he~ it would be super awesome if someone took the time to record that and upload it so we could watch — even without subs. LOL
Minami he – WOWOW
July 8th, 11:30pm
Yup, that’s it.
—
what have you guys been up to lately?
Thoughts on Ooku?
You know I really really love Kou Shibasaki’s acting (not so much her music), and she was easily the best part in that movie. And it’s not even that scene in which the chambers opened to a sight of pretty men bowing to her, and she tells them they’re a bunch of useless and pretty men. LOL
Is not even that scene.
Re-pimping this old list~ xD
It’s always been tough to be a working actress on the big screen, as you turn a little older, offers often seem to be linked to “being someone else’s mother,” but cable television seems to be becoming more and more attractive to not only writers – because they get to write more challenging stories and skip censors – but also to women who were movie actresses and have found new complex roles to take on.
you can read the whole thing on YAM Magazine~
I told you there were a few posts…
Anyway, did any of you watched Ryomaden last season? I did try to watch it at the beginning but wasn’t that into it, so it was really troublesome to gather the energy to find a subtitled version of it. Plus, there weren’t any small files, and I didn’t feel like download HD versions.
So I watched on TV with no subs.
Until the very last episode that Yu was on… and then till the very last of the year.
I remember that when I saw the preview of episode 44 with Yu’s character Omoto saying goodbye, I thought to myself — well, what bad number of episode to leave the show xD and it ended up being her 13th guest appearance — pretty sure about that.
Anyway, for those who didn’t watch the show — Yu played Omoto, a geisha who’s a closeted Christian (oh, the irony!). She plays the shamisen, does some traditional dancing and performing, and has some non-explored sexual tension with Ryoma. She was good in it, but I understand that Taiga dramas are a long-term commitment.
Here’s the capture of the interview with photos for those of you who won’t touch a Taiga with a stick xD
As you probably know… or didn’t – Yu’s latest play with Satoshi Tsumabuki, Minami he, opened in Tokyo… had some dates postponed (at least) due to the Earthquake, and I think it’s safe to say that it’s done with its running.
There were interesting thoughts on it – hint: only read one review, which you can check by going through the Minami tag – and I ran into this poster for it, which is the closest some of us got to this play xD
There’s been a recent item talking about Gou’s lowering ratings, and mostly pointing out Juri Ueno’s miscasting or her lacking experience in period dramas.
Of course, I cannot form an opinion on whether Juri’s use of Japanese is appropriate for the era or not, and neither are most of us. However, I do understand why it would turn people off.
I cannot for the life of me, however, understand why would people say they don’t understand Juri Ueno playing a 10-year-old version of Gou, when for the past few Taiga dramas it’s been used. I just began watching Taiga dramas just a few years ago, and I do understand why it would throw people off. It’s weird to you, I get it.
You cannot say Ueno is miscast as a 10-year old when Masaharu Fukuyama played a much MUCH younger version of Ryomaden at the beginning of the show, Satoshi Tsumabuki played a much younger version of his character in Tenchijin, Hideaki Takizawa (Tackey from Tackey & Tsubasa) played pre-teen Yoshitsune when he was 20-something…
and obviously, Aoi Miyazaki (and Eita) played little kids early on Atsuhime, as well as playing them as 40 or 50-ish year-old people.
Also, I want to admit it. I don’t feel passionate enough about Gou. I love Juri, Asami Mizukawa and Rie Miyazawa, I do. But I’m not feeling the story. The three sisters, though they married very important people, feel like simple pawns in the story instead of being the players.
It felt different in Atsuhime.
They made Atsuhime interested in history, learning, and go strategics. She was constantly sent to places, and did things on her own to change her purpose in there. In the show, she was sent to be able to control the Shogun, to disintegrate the Ooku… yet, when she marries into the family, she sets to protect her new family. It’s conflictive.
It was engaging. It was good.
And this is me telling you I like Juri Ueno more than Aoi Miyazaki.
Plus, you don’t need to be a kid to play a kid convincingly.
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?
First, let me spazz as the LA Critics surprise by choosing Korean Actress — awesomest ahjumma for the award season — Kim Hye-ja for Best Actress with her work on Bong Joon-ho’s Madeo (Mother). The pick kind of baffles me since I consider Madeo a 2009 Film, and Kim Hye-ja was even nominated in my first Experiments Awards.
Still… *goes crazy*
Then, the LA Critics also surprise with a tie for Director choosing Olivier Assayas for Carlos, as well as David Fincher for The Social Network. While adding a personal sting by picking Olivia Williams for Best Supporting Actress runner-up — RUNNER-UP!!!! — for her work on The Ghost Writer… beaten by Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom. LOL
- Best Picture – The Social Network
1st. Carlos - Director – Olivier Assayas – Carlos
tie. David Fincher – The Social Network - Actor – Colin Firth – The King’s Speech
1st. Edgar Ramirez – Carlos - Actres – Kim Hye-ja – Madeo (Mother)
1st. Jennifer Lawrence – Winter’s Bone - Supporting Actor – Niels Arestrup – Un Prophete (A Prophet)
1st. Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech - Supporting Actress – Jacki Weaver – Animal Kingdom
1st. Olivia Williams – The Ghost Writer - Screenplay – The Social Network
1st. The King’s Speech - Cinematography – Black Swan
1st. True Grit - Documentary – Last Train Home
1st. Exit Through the Gift Shop - Foreign – Carlos
1st. Madeo (Mother) - Animated Film – Toy Story 3
1st. l’Illusionniste (The Illusionist) - Score – The Ghost Writer
1st. The Social Network - Production Design – Inception
1st. The King’s Speech
via Living in Cinema
Sorry, no photographer credit that I could “read.”
Zhao Wei’s (aka. Vicky Zhao) Harper’s Bazaar January cover~~~ pure gorgeousity. Her skin is flawless and oh-so-clear, with that combination of colors in her dress, the tinge on the photograph, and the colors in the background, she’s wow — I can’t believe she just had a baby. LOL
Wait… if she has a baby – does that make her a MILF? Woah. So weird since she looks so young~ xD
Anyway~~~ Zhao Wei’s interesting on screen, but on photos I’ve always had a problem with her nose. Sometimes, when the shot is not right… it seems large, and it sticks out a lot. I don’t know if it’s an issue with the camera lens, or if it’s a photo angle issue… but in this particular shot – she looks perfect.
Check out the full set on high resolution photos over at Sina.com~
