Tag: japan

  • Huzzah Rani for Mardaani

    Though I did knocked the trailer out because I thought Rani might have been a little “too chunky” to pull off the chasing and fighting [1], her frame actually makes much more sense. I’ve never met in real life a come-hither-you sexy of a female (or male) cop, as many of them just look like the police that are played by extras, instead of them sexy male or female leads on Hollywood movies.

    Plus, Rani does look like a total badass, so what’s not to like?

    And seeing that she’s promoting self-defense classes and all, why not just lump black-belt Rina Takeda in here. ‘Coz, duh! Rina Takeda would not only take Rani (or Madhuri or Priyanka) out, she would also take down SRK, probably Salman and maybe Akshay Kumar… though I may have read he knows martial arts or something? Maybe he was just a fan of Hong Kong martial arts movies…

  • Yu Aoi and her 15 Years in the Business

    There’s an interview with Yu Aoi on (I guess, Japanese?) Woman Mangazine, where she mentions that she’s celebrating 15 years of work… so here’s a snapshot from some issue of ku:nel Magazine of Yu Aoi just chilling eating plain yogurt.

    yu-aoi-kunel-magazine

    Random enough? LOL, in the interview she talks about what she’s learned from other more experienced actors, like they’re not people of expressions, but people of labor. Then later explains how that played into her “training camp” experience for the shooting of Haru wo Seotte, which was shot at over 2500m above sea level in the snowy mountains.

    You can read the whole interview here.

    In the meantime, lets take a look at some oldies of Yu’s career, because~~~ WHY NOT? Some good old fashioned All About Lily Chou Chou screencaps via buta-neko.net, and some rare Oha GARU screencap via this blog.

  • Rina Takeda Kicking Ass in the Morning, Taking Names in the Evening

    High-Kick Girl! was a really really poorly-edited movie with a very weak script, but Rina Takeda makes a lasting impression because, well… in their words: “No wires. No stuntmen. Literally really kicking. Seriously… I get kicked.” is their selling point.

    If Scarlet Johansson gets to be an action star. Why shouldn’t Rina Takeda get to do it? Please, Luc Besson and Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan. Take notice!

    SO.MUCH.POTENTIAL.RIGHT.THERE.

    Karate Girl was already an improvement. Imagine the possibilities with a strong director, first class action choreography and a proper project surrounding the girl.

  • Hyde vs. Beto Cuevas vs. Sanam – FIGHT!

    We got a triple FIGHT!

    It was the second half of 2003 when I was listening to La Ley quite non-stop, since it was only one of the handful CDs that I had taken to Canada, when my friend grabbed my headphones and told me, “Do you know l’Arc en Ciel? It sounds exactly like him, but in not-Japanese.” I’d always kept that at the back of my mind until today when I found this new Indian band called Sanam, and had a similar thought.

    Of course, l’Arc en Ciel has over twenty years of history already, so it’s an obvious imbalanced fight. Though I do kinda chuckle whenever people refer to lead vocalist Hyde as a “chibi” person, as well as measuring other people as “one hyde and one inch tall” LOL

    Note: Also love how the fans sing as a prelude.

    Of course, if La Ley hadn’t decided to split mid-noughties, they’d have a couple of years into l’Arc en Ciel, and the image that I have of Beto Cuevas wouldn’t be so quite embarrassing.
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  • Why Can’t We Have More of This: Yu Aoi + Kim Soo Hyun

    I didn’t realize this was THIS old, but why isn’t anything else happening with this much perfection together? Seriously. Nearly three years after the launch of Madfory magazine in October 2011. Three freaking years!

    madfory-oct11-yu-aoi-kim-soo-hyun

    You know you want it- another quirky romantic dramedy by Park Chan-wook starring these two.

  • These Are My Movie Dads of 2013

    … or maybe I’m just projecting too much, but I thought 2013 had a lot of Father/Son-Daughter relationship movies. Even when it wasn’t literally a blood-relation, like in the more clear case between Idris Elba and Rinko Kikuchi (et Ashida Mana) in Pacific Rim, or the more blurred relationship between Jiao Xu with Mr. Go in Mr. Go.

    movies-dads-of-2013

    I cried in a couple of these ones, but I won’t tell you which. LOL

    From left to right, top to bottom: Koreeda’s Like Father, Like Son; Miracle in Cell No. 7; Metro Manila; Pacific Rim; Saving Mr. Banks; Silent Witness; About Time; Police Story 2013; Instructions Not Included; and Mr. Go.

  • It’s an Oh Yeah vs. FIGHT!

    It feels like ages ago, but about five years ago Crowd Lu geek his way into my music heart [1], and I’ve loved him ever since. No questions about it. It isn’t the case so much with Kreva, whom I’ve only just met but haven’t properly been introduced because- DUH! Japan is always a bitch about distribution. It’s gotten better with YouTube, but Kreva’s iTunes page is bare except for his collaboration with Miyavi.

    And I’m too lazy to do ‘other things’ anyway~

    So while YouTubing, I ran into this:

    Oh Yeah~

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  • More Yu Aoi Short Takes in the Mountain on Fire!

    Super messy Yu Aoi post ahead~

    With the release of Haru wo Seotte [trailer] this Saturday, the release of Mozu Season 2 next, followed by Wakamono-tachi and Rurouni Kenshin Kyoto Inferno, all promotions are meshing with one another.

    First, Kenichi Matsuyama and Yu together in this CinemaCafe interview.

    haru-wo-seotte-kenichi-matsuyama-yu-aoi-001

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  • Hilarious Machiko Ono’s NG Swimming Take

    I almost prefer that rough and tumbling Machiko Ono over the one elegantly sitting in the show. LOL Having said that, the water must be freezing, and having to swim in it must have been torture.

    Who am I kidding? The NG take is hilarious.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5i2qv-hgnQ

    Since I’m totally elated that Gokuaku Ganbo is legally streaming online, my review of it is already out in both English and Spanish [1][2]. If you love Machiko Ono (and maybe a bit of Odagiri Joe) don’t doubt in checking it out.

  • Japanese Idols and their Yearbook Looks

    Well, this is priceless.

    japan-idols-yearbook-photos

    From Top row, L:R.-

    (1) Kou Shibasaki, Megumi Yasu, Hikaru Utada, Manami Konishi, Yuka, Yu Kashi

    (2) Ai Kato, Aya Hirayama, Kyoko Hasegawa, Masami Nagasawa, Juri Ueno, Yu Aoi

    (3) Yu Yamada, Nana Eikura, Kaori Manabe, Aya Ueto, Eriko Sato, Satoshi Tsumabuki

    (4) Akiko Yada, Erika Toda, Mayuko Iwasa, Kyoko Fukada, Yukie Nakama, Yui Aragaki

    (5) Ryoko Hirosue, Saki Aibu, Ayumi Hamasaki, Misaki Ito, Misako Yasuda, Karina

    (6) Kie Kitano, Mimula, Mao Inoue, Mika Nakashima, Minako Nakano, Saeko

    (7) Rosa Kato, Koyuki, Becky, Yoshio Kojima, Aya Matsuura, Hiroshi Tamaki

    (8) Maki Horikita, Takako Matsu, Miwa Asao, Rena Tanaka, Haruka Ayase, Aoi Miyazaki

    (9) Chinatsu Wakatsuki, Yuri Ebihara, Mikako Tabe, Kaela Kimura, Akihiro Miwa, Suzanne

    (10) Shoko Nakagawa, Erika Sawajiri, Waka Inoue, Yuko Ogura, Miho Shiraishi, Eiko Koike

    (11) Akina Minami, Otoha, Aki Hoshino, Marie, Rie Tomosaka, Mari Sekine

    (12) Masaharu Fukuyama, Maya Kobayashi, Ryoko Shinohara, Taichi Kokubun, Shun Oguri, Kaori Mochida

    (13) Mokomichi Hayami, Yumi Yoshimura, YUI, Nanako Matsushima, Ai Ohtsuka, Aya Takashima.

    via 2ch.