Archives For japan

Guess who’s #10 on the list of The 20 to Watch Between 25-30?

But it’s, of course, Eita!

Born in Tokyo, Japan on December 13th 1982. He might be unknown to almost everyone, unless you are already familiar with Japanese films and series, but this 27-year-old actor has proven that you should keep on watching him.

His list of films include Aoi Haru (Blue Spring), Azumi, Densha Otoko, Su-ki-da and Memories of Matsuko. Of course, Matsuko as a film works because of so many different aspects including Eita’s ability to make you want to connect with the brilliant Miki Nakatani.

Last year, Eita worked on two films that seemed to be in many of the “best of lists” in Japan, including the acclaimed Dear Doctor — by famous director Miwa Nishikawa, who wrote and directed Yureru (Sway) — as well as the seemingly popular April Bride, directed by indie acclaimed director Ryuichi Hiroki.

Add to that his recurring role as Mine on the Nodame Cantabile franchise [headed by fellow 20 to watch Juri Ueno] which sprung not only an 11-episode series, and two television special, but also two theatrical films opening on December 2009 and this month.

There is a certain softness in Eita’s aura that translates well whenever he’s on screen, making him perfect to play the sensible young man. He doesn’t even need to speak a single word, even though you probably would need the subtitles to actually understand what he is saying [unless, of course, you speak Japanese], but whenever he’s in a dramatic scene… all of that doesn’t matter. He’ll deliver the goods in a way that language would really not be a barrier.

Very few [men or women] can captivate you like this.

I’m starting out my list this week… with lack of visitor’s response.

No complaining from you then~~~

I’m gonna start out with 5 of the guys, followed by 5 of the girls like last time. Only properly.

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Thanks Julz for the heads up~

Ueno plays the role of Gou (also known as Oeyo), the third daughter of the 16th century daimyo Azai Nagamasa (who married Oda Nobunaga’s sister Oichi-no-kata). Gou and her two older sisters are famous historical figures. The eldest, Yodo (also known as Chacha), will be played by Miyazawa, while the second sister, Hatsu, will be played by Mizukawa.

Tokyograph~

Adding from the announcement~~~
strong females + Atsu-hime writer, Juri Ueno, Rie Miyazawa + Asami Mizukawa?

Only getting better…

NHK ni Youkoso!

April 6, 2010 — 2 Comments

Based from the novel, and the manga series by the same same, Welcome to the NHK [which stands for most part of the series for Nihon Hikikomori Kyoukai or The Japanese Hikikomori Association] tells the story of a Hikikomori himself called Satou Tatsuhiro, a 20-something-year-old University drop-out who’s been living like a Hikikomori for almost 4 years of his life until an 18-year-old (?) girl named Misaki decides to take him on as a project and make Satou better of his social condition… as well as helping herself.

During the 24 episodes lasting 20 minutes [without opening and closing credits], we deal with a lot of what we’ve come to known as inherently Japanese odd behavior[though it’s really a global issue], including what we’ve learned to call the Japanese sub-culture of Otakus… Lolicon, video game culture, etc etc. However, we also deal with serious issues such as isolation, suicide and abuse – the last two often being such taboo topics in Asia or Latin America.

This animated series is what makes Japanese animation so avant-garde, in my opinion. Televised animation has hardly anything in its favor. They can’t ever boast on how great their graphics are, because they need to restrict their resources so they fit the budget… ultimately, animation as a medium is seen by many in America and, to a lesser extent, in Europe as a kiddies hobby. If the people often putting animated films and series down just because of  being animated could give Welcome to the NHK a chance, they’ll understand it better.

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I saw Love Exposure (愛のむきだし) last night, and despite the nearly 4-hr running time — yes, the film is EPIC — it did never seem uninteresting. Yes, it actually felt like 2 or 3 films into 1, yet somehow… it didn’t bother me. It was highly entertaining… in a very dark and sick kind of way.

I mean, it can only be Japanese.

Ai no Mukidashi tells the story of Yu Tsunoda, a boy growing up in a very Christian family. Suddenly his mother dies, but before she does… he promises to introduce his Maria to his mom when he meets her. With the death of his mother, his father decides to become a priest, until he meets with a woman in church who has decided to become a Christian herself. She is baptized, and when she does her first session at the confessional, she tells Father Tsunoda that she is in love with him.

At first, Father Tsunoda refuses but in the end gives into this woman, and begins having an affair with her while still giving sermons at church. Three months later, the woman in question seems bored of him, and is tired of sneaking around as the priest doesn’t show signs of quitting priesthood, so she leaves him which turns Father Tsunoda into a pessimist who gives sermons about doom and destruction.

This also makes his relationship with his son Yu difficult, as Father Tsunoda gets a sick satisfaction from hearing his son confessing his daily sins, whom in turns has been looking for better and scandalous sins to commit in order to please his dad. His major sin-accomplishment is becoming a panties-photo-snapping-on-the-street perv.

That’s a whole movie all on itself, then there’s the part where he meets the most perfect panties, falls in love/lust, there’s a lot of killing, girl-on-girl action, girl-on-drag fantasy… etc, etc and… then there’s crazy women.

Or… I mean, crazy girl.

Psychotic women… sociopaths~~ it’s all about the crazy… and not only because they’re unstable. They are scary because they coolly kill people or get people killed, and they show no remorse.

It is so sick… but highly entertaining.
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HMV JP takes top marks on shipping.
It only took 2 days! TWO days for my order to arrive~~~

It took Salyu 3 years to release her 3rd studio album, but it’s not like we were deprived of new music. In fact, Maiden Voyage contains many of the singles that Salyu had release these past years [6, if I count correctly]. You could say this could be a compilation of sorts, but it surprisingly works nicely as an album.

The album art gives you the visuals of flying… almost in a dream-like fashion — I mean, Salyu IS floating on a mattress and/or pillows, right? These visuals work really well with the overall themes and overall energy of the songs (yes, I actually grabbed the song book and followed the bouncing ball).

It also looks like Salyu is experimenting with her own music by finally stepping onto the writers chair, and even working on the music herself. Of course, she’s not doing it alone but with the help of Takeshi Kobayashi who has been there since the days of Lily Chou Chou. The collaborations between Kobayashi and Salyu are what we have come to get used to as far as Salyu’s sound is.

Interestingly enough, Salyu’s song (written and composed as least with the help of Tatsuya Kokufu) L.A.F.S (which stands for Love at First Sight) reminded me a little bit of what Salyu used to sound as Lily. Somewhat off-beat melodies, with really simple lyrics, but really moody.

Overall, the album really flows well and feels like a whole, except maybe for the oddball BIRTHDAY, which threw me off… in a really good way. The song, written by Salyu and composed again by Kokufu, sounded like Shiina Ringo and Bjork had a lovechild, if that were EVER possible.

I’ve taken to Salyu’s music because it’s soothing, as well as quite slow and easier to follow with a songbook. Salyu is really quite good to practice your reading and pronunciation. However on BIRTHDAY, she slurs her words and sounds completely different. I’m looking forward to more of that sound in the future. Hopefully.

As for the concert DVD. Well, it’s totally worth the price you pay for this limited edition with DVD ~

Screencap galore after the break~

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Just started this.

My Fake Criterion Collection

I think the website that had the scans for the Boys Style So-En photoshoot is gone, so I took some of my late night hours, un-watermarked and cleaned up the images for re-posting.

Call it… Yu Aoi archiving purposes. LOL

Photos by Mie Morimoto, but you know~ It’s all about the style in this one, right?
Stylist: Junko Kobashi
Hair & Makeup: Takayuki Miyamori [who also did Yu as a Mori Girl]

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Yu Aoi for Jane Magazine

March 12, 2010 — 9 Comments

It’s been quiet in the Yu Aoi news lately (weird, considering Otouto was released), so I did my usual search on Google and came up with a couple of things. First, that cover.

Two, my HMV order is supposed to get shipped the coming 24th [Salyu’s new album with DVD, Shiina Ringo old albums], and I’m actually pretty excited to get the back issue of Eye Scream magazine with one of my favorite Yu magazine shoots. I think I’ve crossed that fan line with that buy… LOL

I swear, this is the first time I’ve bought a magazine for a photoshoot with my “fave idol”.

If I could have my way, I would have Yu do all her PBs with Yoko Takahashi… or Marisa Shimamoto… and finally Keiichi Nitta. If I could have my way. Of course, Mario Testino would be awesome too. xD

And finally… Anyone know what this article is about? Many news on this, and one of them Google-translated as “Aoi Yu produced” but I doubt she’s producing, or she’ll be all promoting in her website.

ps. I’m fascinated with how those shoes work with the socks…
and the bombachos ha! And that smile is so damn contagious…

GURI~~~~ HAHAHA
“the biggest hit show in America”
or something like that, according to my translation. xD

“kimi niwa uta ga aru” ? xD it will make you sing? xD

https://youtu.be/K6EYGA9AEeA