Tag: japan

  • Love Exposure – Ai no Mukidashi: Psychotic Young Women

    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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  • Salyu – Maiden Voyage – Merkmal Live @ Nippon Budonkan 2009

    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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  • Yu Aoi for So-En Magazine (re-post)

    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

    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…


  • Glee Japan CM

    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


  • Well, Hello There~ Dr. Koto 2006 Subs

    Ohisashiburi desu! LOL
    This is taking the 4-years-waiting title. xD

    This is your chance to see Yu Aoi on scrubs… even if she spends the first episode apologizing for everything she does, after all — she is playing a nurse just out of school, so we can forgive the IV drip, the blood-taking… the fainting in the OR, and shutting her eyes while doing an incision. Mina-chan is kind of a klutz, but a super-cute-i-totally-wanna-hug-you-poor-you clumsy nurse.

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  • If Only… Linda Linda Linda

    Once again… pimp the fandom!
    subscribe! and send your own If Only!

    nill… Bill, you included. xD

    4. Linda Linda Linda

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  • Air Doll Subbed Trailer

    Though I feel the trailer spoils the film a bit too much.
    The only person who can answer this is Julz…
    Does it?

    I love Kore-eda’s work and sensibilities as a director. He always gets to me. And doe-eyed Doona Bae is always so good to see. Perfect to play a blow-up doll. LOL

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI46dEsDaBM


  • Asami Mizukawa for Playboy?

    LOL’

    I never expected to see Playboy Japan, let alone post about it. Photos and style seem different, no? Reminds me of the French Playboy edition with Juliette Binoche. Super class!

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