Tag: yu aoi

  • Japanese Cinema Blogathon 2009 – Day2

    I just got really into Japanese film about a year ago (thank you, Internet) – a few of my friends are really into J-Pop and anime, but none of them are really interested in any J-films or directors. When I went abroad to study, I met a bunch of people who were into films (duh! it was film school, after all) and we went into films all the way.

    One of my first memories  (maybe 2003?) of Japanese Cinema was Battle Royal. My! What an example, eh? I was blown away~~ I don’t have other memories of J-Film prior to that other than animated films like Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) and Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke)… which brings me to my post of the day for the Blogathon~~~

    The Top10 Japanese Films I Watch this Past Year

    in the order in which I saw them from earliest to latest~
    only between these past 365 days – some of my fave didn’t make it

    • Kiraware Matsuko no Issho (Memories of Matsuko)
      by Tetsuya Nakashima (loads of people with Miki Nakatani, and Eita)
    • Tekkonkinkreet
      by Michael Arias (voice of Yu Aoi)
    • Love Letter
      by Shunji Iwai
    • Cha no Aji (The Taste of Tea)
      by Katsuhito Ishii
    • Sasame-yuki (The Makioka Sisters)
      by Kon Ichikawa
    • Tenshi no Tamago (Angel’s Egg)
      by Mamoru Oshii – sooooo weird xD
    • Wool 100%
      by Mai Tominaga
    • Hyakuman-en to Nigamushi Onna (One Million Yen Girl)
      by Yuki Tanada (starring Yu Aoi)
    • Tsumiki no Ie (La Maison en Petits Cubes)
      by Kunio Kato *short film
    • Aruitemo, Aruitemo (Still Walking)
      by Hirokazu Kore-eda

    Almost made it, xD

  • Four is an Unlucky Number – YAM004

    LOL’

    Does that say enough to you? Really, read the editor’s note. Lots of things on this new issue… new problems, new films, new music…

    Reviews of films from the blockbuster season… Star Trek, Wolverine, Terminator Salvation, Up~~~ Brothers Bloom. Short film reviews, concert reviews… of Kiss in Lima. Music reviews of The Sounds, Green Day, Shiina Ringo… a bunch of K-pop courtesy of Julz~~~ off you go to Japan!!! WOOOOO – there’s Life on Mars, House M.D. and my more “professional” review of Yu Aoi’s Portugirl.

    Yam004

    Head over here.

  • Yu doesn’t drink…

    but plays a great drunk. LOL – Okay, maybe she does a little if I read right the interview aoinohoho sent me.

    Actually, this clip I found made me want to watch Tiger & Dragon. xD

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ00MQZoVlQ

    should I?

  • L Magazine: Yu Aoi and Stationery

    To make up for the lame previous post, I found this Yu Aoi cover for L Magazine for January 2009.

    Yu Aoi - L Magazine - Cover

    Crap, she does look young there. I hate her. *laughs*

    (more…)

  • I “Kick like a Girl” Too!

    LOL’

    Kick like a Girl is a 30-min HBO documentary of a team of girls that play (NOT soccer) football that totally creamed the boys in a match… or something.

    Back in my school days… I played football. I think I rocked it~~~ as a hobby of course. Back then, girls didn’t rock like this. I wish I had a girls football team T.T

    When I was 10-ish, there was a school match… between girls, but I’m pretty sure I was the only one taking it ‘seriously’. I even had my friends over for a practice. You know, I used to play with my cousins… one of those things you do when all your cousins are guys you see~~~

    Best in the trailer? The boy admitting getting creamed (in the field) by a girl. And the girl saying “I’m not going to be one of the girly girls, who put on lipgloss everyday, dresses in tutus and goes to ballet.”

    Yu Aoi - Kid
    What’s wrong with tutus and ballet?

    You know… you can still end up like this~

    Yu Aoi - Travel Sand
    Just in case you don’t know, that’s the same person. ;)

  • When they were kids…

    Two days ago I found an interesting post on Chinese Celebrities When They Were Young~~~

    Cutest thing~~ like EVER. Here’s Bibi!! Almost exactly as she is now, isn’t she??

    Bibi Chow - Kid Bibi Chow - Kid - doodle

    On that post, you’ll see some familiar faces like Zhang Ziyi (who hasn’t changed a bit), Jolin Tsai, Bridgette Lin, Vivian Hsu… is that Ella Chen (???), Jet Li, Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse… and even Yao Ming!

    But check after the break for some of the photos for Faye Wong, Jay Chou, Leehom, and Maggie Cheung – with a Japanese bonus… *tsk tsk*

    (more…)

  • What is Gutai? Gutai without being Gutai~

    Ku:Nel - Yu AoiA couple of days ago, I posted a random post as a quickie. I had found a photo (pictured on the right) that I hadn’t seen before, and that led me to one of the most interesting quasi-pseudo-intellectual post on any Japanese idol I had ever read.

    Some might differ… Yu, an idol? Give or take~~~

    I hope you do find that post as interesting as I did.

    Here’s an excerpt:

    “If you follow Yu Aoi through Japanese popular culture, you find that, over and over again, she’s cast as an advanced, soft being, a quirky, childlike, expressive, kind-hearted fairy, modestly unaware of her own beauty and unwilling to use it in power games.

    …”

    Now, if you haven’t found that post in your quest for more Yu Aoi, and are not interested by that statement. What’s wrong with you?? Ha!

    Really, do give it a read.

    What’s fascinating about it is the reference to Gutai, which got me asking what Gutai is and what it’s all about. Sure, that Wiki article just simplifies it all… so if you want to get into it, head over here to read The Gutai Manifesto.

    (more…)

  • Another Random Post

    … because I’ve got nothing good to write, and there’s only two hours left today. Hmm… I should have posted that Yu bio past midnight. LOL’ Actually, I found a rather interesting blog post, from one of the referral links to this blog. I wanna expand on that, but I must read a Manifesto… which seems rather long~~~

    I’ll give you a clue. What is Gutai? I don’t frakin’ know… haha – so I’m reading about it. I might post about what I learn later in the day… or depending how much info I can gather~ it will be throughout the week. And yes, that has to do with Yu. One of the most non-fan-fan opinions of Yu I’ve ever found.

    Also, there’s only 2 weeks and a few days for the next issue of YAM. Haven’t started fully working on that one yet. Do you have any content regarding Films, Music, TV and/or Books? Leave a message on this post, and I’ll e-mail you back.

    Cheers~~~ going back to reading!

  • The Ultimate Fan Activity

    *sighs* I am truly tired.

    I just spent all afternoon, and apparently… night, so~~~ I spent all day writing Yu’s Wikipedia entry. Unless you’re reading this at the proper time, the entry might have gotten edited or deleted by now. Man~ writing a bio is tough, and worse of all is that Wikipedia markup language. It sucks, SUCKS! I tell you! It actually took hours because of that Wikipedia format~~~

    I also had to search for references… and try to read Japanese. LOL’
    Also, that damn table… I still need to work on it, at least for the TV work and Awards.

    So~~~ in case it gets deleted. Yu’s complete bio by Amy below the break ;P
    Also, planning a Spanish version *laughs*

    Aoi Yu (born Natsui Yu August 17, 1985) is a Japanese actress and model from Kasuga, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. She made her film debut as Shiori Tsuda in Shunji Iwai’s 2001 film All About Lily Chou Chou. She became widely known for playing Tetsuko Arisugawa in Hana & Alice (2004) – also directed by Shunji Iwai, as well as Kimiko Tanikawa in the hula-dancing film Hula Girls, and Hagu in the 2006 live action adaptation of the popular Honey & Clover manga series.

    In 2009, Aoi was named Rookie of the Year in the field of Films in Media and Fine Arts by The Ministry of Education , Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.

    (more…)

  • Romance on Taiwan Edition with English Subs

    Behold!

    I don’t know about YOU, but I just found out that YesAsia is listing Don’t Laugh at my Romance on a Taiwan DVD release with English subtitles.

    Don't Laugh at my Romance - Taiwan DVD

    Title is Bu Yao Chao Xiao Wo Men de – Xin? – after all, there’s a heart there. In that  case, it would translate to Don’t Mock our Hearts… which is pretty close to Don’t Laugh at my Romance. Why is this important? Because it has English subtitles… and it’s a good film.

    English fansubs were released a while ago… so it’d be interesting to see how wel those stand up to these.

    Also, it might be the only official release with English subtitles~~~ so who knows?! Maybe with luck, I could get away with buying an American release with subtitles. *fingers crossed*