Famous manga gets a live movie version!

OKAY TOTALLY SPAZZING. One of my fave manga-turned animes just confirmed that it’s going to film a movie version! Bokura Ga Ita “We were There” is an ongoing, widely read romance manga that started in a high school setting. Nana, an ordinary girl falls in love with Yano, Mr. popular ikemen who’s cool, collected and well, has fangirls fawning all over him. While this seems like a totally normal scenario for all high school mangas, you know, the random, clumsy school girl who nabs the prince, Bokura sets itself apart as it combines the usual comedy and quirkiness with dark, intriguing circumstances. Eventually Nana and Yano get together as a couple, but soon insecurities arise as Nana discovers that Yano still hasn’t moved on from his ex-girlfriend who died. And get this, she and the girl have the same name! What are the odds, eh? But wait! There’s more! Apparently, to stab more daggers into Yano’s broken heart, the ex died while she was out with some guy. And after a year, Yamamoto, the ex-girlfriend’s younger sister (and also Nana’s friend), will be an emerging character as someone who is keeping a secret that may ruin Nana and Yano’s relationship. What started out as an innocent relationship turns to one that’s on the brink of betrayal, haunted by loss and insecurities. DUN DUN DUN DUN!!! It seems like a pretty convoluted plot for a manga, but trust me, it’s really addicting. It’s like Koizora (Sky of Love cell phone series) without a terminally ill character, lol.  I think it’s still ongoing now, as it’s pegged to be a ten-year story, and I’ve only latched on until their high school years end. Lo, and behold, it’s getting its own movie version, starring a pretty interesting cast:

Yano will be played by Ikuta Toma, while Nana will be played by Yoshitaka Yuriko

Okay. Toma Ikuta makes sense as Yano, but Yuriko, while she’s a good actress and a refreshing one at that, seems kinda off. Nana is supposed to be a little ordinary, yet charming. She may not exactly be the prettiest girl in class, but she’s smart, nice and cheerful. That’s where the insecurity lies. What makes Nana interesting is that she doesn’t have confidence whether it’s against a dead ex-gf or in real life—but Yano still sees something in her and feels an incredible attraction.

Yoshitaka Yuriko

Girl is fierce! She played the leading role (her breakthrough in Jdom) in Snakes and Earrings, a daring and sexual character that highlighted her acting skills and courage to take on such a challenge. She’s also played alongside Shun Oguri and Mizushima Hiro in Tokyo Dogs. It’s gonna be interesting how she interacts with Toma and how she’s gonna downplay her “it girl” image to be the typical high school girl Nana.

Toma Ikuta

I wasn’t surprised that Toma got this role, as he’s always the obvious guy of choice for popular shojo mangas turned to live action. He’s played roles in Hana Kimi, Honey and Clover, and the villain in Hana Yori Dango. But he’s always pulled through with his strong acting and I’m sure he’ll do well as the emotastic brooding Yano. Meanwhile, Takaoka Sosuke will play the role of Yano’s best friend, ‘Takeuchi Masafumi’, and Nanami’s classmate will be played by Motokariya Yuika.

OKAY. Like the KPOP mating season, Japan seems to be milking its manga fame and manga writers’ ideas for movies and dramas. It’s not a new phenomenon or anything, it’s just that it’s prevalent lately. What with Paradise Kiss movie coming up and having watched Kimi ni Todoke, Samurai High and Yamato Nadeshiko. It’s a good year for us manga/anime otakus!

Hope this will be epic!

It’s been a long time coming… now he’s back, bitches.

Call it a musical mayhem, idol propagation or KPOP mating season—but you can’t deny that KPOP’s been pretty interesting lately. Aside from the newbie boy and girl groups spilling all over music shows, one bouncing after another, even before we pin a name on their faces—there’s just a lot of  rookies battling it out against each other. Plus, a lot of big names have made a comeback: Big Bang, TVXQ, 4minute, f(x), a whole lot! Even legendary group Shinhwa is planning an anniversary comeback! Whew. And so now I’m back again from the ashes to drop this album review of none other than Jay Park!

I won’t go on and scratch old wounds about his former stint as 2PM’s leadja. We all knew what that was about, and now I think it’s time to move on from all the drama. Jay certainly has picked himself up and shrugged off the dust. Plus, there’s no point about stirring fangirl world war 3 between Hottests and JayWalkers, now is there? So, for everyone and my own personal safety from fangirl daggers… let’s move on. After what seemed like forever, he slowly made his presence known. From his youtube uploads of music covers, to his funny Facebook posts and his random tweets (lol yes, I’ve been stalking him ever since),  before we knew it—shit just got real. He came out with “Take A Deeper Look” a fitting name for everything that he’s been through, and a glimpse of what he’s up to next.

Not gonna lie, I wasn’t really expecting anything big from his comeback at first. I mean, I’m a fan and all, but when he first came out with his rendition of “Nothing On You,” I was not blown away. He’s got flow, but it was a bit weak for a starting point. Even the video seemed pretty low on the budget. But it’s understandable, Jay was still picking up the pieces, and there were still talks about which company he was going to sign. Then came Sidus HQ. A Korean talent agency famous for bringing up stars such as Song Joongki, Jang Hyuk, Cha Tae Hyun, Han Yeh Sul, etc. It was also My Sassy Girl’s Jeon Ji Hyun’s former agency. Not bad at all! It seems like a really good start for Jay, being the only Hip-Hop/RnB artist in his label. And I personally think it’s the best move for his career because somehow he didn’t fit in with the biggies like, well, JYP (though he did for a while), SM Ent. Close to his style would be YG, but then again there’s still a lot of difference, though him joining would’ve been epic. But it’s impressive how Sidus is handling his comeback. They pretty much gave Jay reigns on his music, dance, image, and the people that he wants to work with. Interestingly, you won’t hear Jay say the name of his company before a song (ahem, like JYP). You’d hear him give a shoutout to his crew AOM instead. 

THE ABANDONED VIDEO. I can say a lot about the mv, but if there’s one thing that’s definitely obvious—it was sleek, polished, and out to ram every rookie/group out there a run for their money. Finally! I’m all for personalized youtube vids and homemade ones, but there’s nothing like a vid that was made out of huge preparation, effort and well, budget. lol. The dance sequences were siiiick! Somehow it was able to show doable/ easily recognizable dance moves while mixing it with complicated, well-thought out steps. AND the styling of the outfits was just right. Not too ghetto wannabe gangsta, not too boy band pop either. It’s SO Jay! Not gonna even expound on the leading lady with the big boobies everyone has been talking about. He “abandoned’ Jay after all. Lol lame pun, sorray!

More MV stills…

Love this move! So smexy drunk! lol

THE SONGS: It was revealed that 3 songs were written by Jay, and he had help from DOK2, The Quiett and some of his friends. Through his tweets it seemed like Jay was really involved in the behind-the-scenes making of his music. I was really excited when the delivery guy knocked on our door to give me my pre-ordered copy! (*AKIRASHOCK!)

Touch The Sky (Feat. The Quiett). For a first track, this song is pretty chill. It reminded everyone that Jay does rap (he and Taec used to alternate raps in 2PM) and also reveals that yes, he CAN sing. And he does both rapping and singing really well. Listening to it despite my poor Korean skills, Jay was telling his story through this track. Introducing himself as “b-boy from AOM,” and mentioning his influences like “Michael Jackson,” the track gives a positive message that says, “Put your hands up in the sky, ain’t nobody gonna stop us… We’re gonna fly.” Sweet.

ABANDONED. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. Can’t stress that enough. First I heard it I was like, “Oh okay. He’s going for a slow start. A bit meh.” But then as the song progresses, strong beats slowly build up to a fast chorus, and seamlessly goes back again to a slow melody. The chorus is REALLY strong. You’d hear Jay sing a high noted ”Abandoned” in the background while he mixes it up with sleek vocals. His live performance was impressive as he was able to carry out the dance moves with this kind of song. A lot of people have been comparing it as the second (or the next) Look at only Me/Naman Baraba by Taeyang. Hmmm… the genre is similar but their styles are totally different. Taeyang’s got his own sexy flow going on, while Jay is more street and edgy. I see fangirls over at forums and vids squat it out but hey, there’s enough smex to share everybody so what’s the fuss?

TONIGHT feat Davichi’s Kang Minyoung. This time, Jay goes electropop with this likeable number, which I’m sure a lot of his fans will appreciate. It shows his cuter, more playful side everyone has come to know about him. Kang Min Kyoung’s singing right just when the song was about to end gives it a really nice surprise. Objectively, it’s not the most original in terms of the style compared to other KPOP releases out right now. You can even say it vaguely sounds like Big Bang’s “Hand’s Up” and I can see GD grooving to this beat. This song follows a recent trend, not that it’s a bad thing. But it’s good that it stayed within Jay’s style, and the song didn’t use synths that KPOP is overusing these days. It seems like this track would be his second promotional single, though I would’ve preferred another track.

Can’t live without you. This is what I’m talking about. It would be interesting to see Jay perform this after Abandoned. He wrote the lyrics, after all. It’s melancholic, but not too sappy. Even with the lyrics “I’m so hurt girl, I need a doctor.” lol. You’d feel him meaning every word.

 Ain’t a complete Jay post without abs.

Don’t let go. This is another hot track that would be REALLY interesting to see onstage. It’s written by Jay (from experience maybe? lol) and it’s about a couple’s “romantic night.” *insert dirty fangirl thoughts here* Lyrics go: “Just let me touch you, love you, please you, tease you… all I want is you… Let me make you really happy tonight. I love you just the way you are… just the way you want it, baby.” Ooooh scandalous. LOL. There has to be one song like this in every RnB album. It’s just like Usher’s “24/7″ or Bruno Mar’s “Our First Time.” Hot stuff.

Level 1,000 (with Dok2) This is a strong rap track that shows his swagga. Not my fave though, but no doubt it’s gonna be fly when he performs this at a club. Bestie Jay released this prior to his comeback, and it’s pretty addicting. It’s funny because somehow Jay’s American accent comes out when he says “Otoke…” I don’t know if it’s just me but even my Korean friend pointed it out. Cute though. Back to the song, its has a hook that’s really likeable and Jay sounds so smex when he says “every time I hit you up!” LOL.

OVERALL: It’s a strong comeback for Jay, and I’m glad he took time out to rest, practice, learn and put down his experiences in his music so everyone can hear and get to know him better. Even way back then Jay has shown that he belongs to the stage, and looks like he’s here to stay:D

More Jay dorkiness

This sums up my review on Jay’s mini-album:

Based off Haruki Murakami’s best-selling novel of the same name, “Norwegian Wood” begs the question: Is love enough to fill the emptiness felt after experiencing death of a loved one, and save a person from a death of self?

Long time lovers Kizuki and Naoko

1960’s. Watanabe Toru (played by Kenichi Matsuyama) is the quintessential third wheel to lovers-since-birth Kizuki (Kora Kengo) and Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi). Being Kizuki’s best friend, the three of them grew up together, with both boys sharing a deep friendship while the seemingly young lovers had a connection that was more than that of a typical boyfriend and girlfriend relationship. Without a word of warning and without any ominous signs, Kizuki committed suicide, leaving Watanabe and Naoko the weight and lingering pain of his death.

Best buds Kizuki and Watanabe

A year later, Watanabe went off to a college in Tokyo at the time when student protests were abound and when Japan was in a state of political unrest. Just when Watanabe was starting to adapt of university dorm life (by filling his days with books and study), Naoko appears, and the two start an odd relationship as they try to overcome the void left by Kizuki. On the night they slept with each other, Watanabe found out that Naoko never slept with Kizuki. The day after, Naoko disappeared without a word, and she would later write letters to Watanabe from a sanatarium far off the city, hidden in a secluded area in the mountains. Meanwhile, as Watanabe was going through hardships waiting for Naoko, he meets an outspoken, witty and strong-willed girl named Midori (played by model Kiko Mizuhara). From being the third wheel, Watanabe finds himself torn between two paths which call for him to either choose a love tormented by the past, or a love with an unknown future.

I’m an avid fan of Murakami’s works. I was first exposed to his brand of writing in college, when I found Sputnik Sweetheart one a boring day at the library. And after reading Norwegian Wood, it never ceases to amaze me how Murakami is able to express a different side of human nature, death, and how he completely embraces and explores sexuality in a way no other writer has ever done before. Which is why I was apprehensive about the movie adaptation, it’s not so much about the question of whether it will stay true to the book—but will it capture the depth of meaning of Murakami’s musings and questions?

Kenichi Matsuyama, without a doubt, was a superb choice to play the role. He has this natural awkwardness that’s endearing, and a mysteriousness about him which enabled him to carry out the whole movie on his broad, manly shoulders while looking pretty damn dapper in 1960’s fashion of tight fitting jeans and polo (lol insert dirty fangirl thoughts here). Anyways, Watanabe’s impression on me based on the novel was that he’s an all around good guy. Granted, he gets corrupted by his perverted dorm-mate Nagasaki now and then when they go around town to sleep with girls, and even going as far as swapping sexual partners on a night of debauchery. He’s a 20-year-old guy after all. And there were times where it seemed like Watanabe was just going with the flow, going wherever the circumstances took him, and accepting or doing favors with an easy “Yes, of course.” But as the story progresses, he showed that he was struggling within himself: of finding the meaning of true responsibility, of what love really entails and realizing that death is more than just a means to end life. As for Kenichi, his acting was very subtle and he held on to a composed, strong personality until circumstances called for him to give all his expressions out in a scene where he cried his soul as if there’s no tomorrow. It’s a pretty tough role even if he looks like a simple character at first glance. He was able to show the inner struggle that Watanabe was having and it’s interesting how he pulled it off with his oftentimes quiet, poker-faced yet kind expression. I say poker face because there are moments when Kenichi seems like he’s lacking in reactions when the moment calls him to, but for me that’s how Watanabe really is—he’s an ordinary guy, a bit clumsy, a bit shy and unsure of himself.

Rinko Kikuchi as Naoko was just as impressive, portraying the role of a troubled young girl who “hears voices” and on the brink of giving in to nothingness. Despite her love for Kizuki, she never really got “turned on” so far as they can go “all the way” with each other. But she felt for the first time in her life, a powerful sexual desire when she slept with Watanabe. This begs the questions: did she really love Kizuki, or was her love for him so deep and what she felt for Watanabe was mere physical attraction? I think Rinko did a great job at acting Naoko’s sorrow, depression and desperation without being over the top. I know now why the girl who played Naoko seemed too familiar to me. I found out that she played the delinquent student in the US movie Babel starring Brad Pitt and Kate Blanchett. I thought then that she showed promise. In Norwegian Wood, I honestly think that Naoko’s story was a tad too frustrating to read—readers are constantly bombarded with her constant wavering back and forth between unfounded guilt, sorrow and remorse. In front of her is a living, breathing man who genuinely cares for her, but she only sees the dead Kizuki. She doesn’t hear Watanabe’s comforting words of hope, as she’d rather hear the haunting voices of the past. It’s bewildering if Naoko really loved Watanabe at all. Rinko, on the other hand, kind of annoyed me with all her “drama” but it only showed how effective she is.

The movie portrays the novel in such a straightforward way, so true to the progression in the novel that even some of the lines were delivered word per word by the book. There were some important elements left out though, but that I’ll touch on later.

Murakami’s book was much, much more sexually graphic and charged than the film portrayed (which was quite a disappointment, really lol). But the director presented the sexual scenes in such a tasteful manner together with the cold, dark backdrop which portrayed a rather depressing feeling despite the intimacy—but that’s the main point I think. The passion of making love, the desire to be with a lover—-these scenes could’ve been better though. Because one of the central themes of the story was giving one’s whole self to another, and poses the question of what hinders Naoko to do just that.

Kiko Mizuhara as Midori, on the other hand, had much more chemistry with Matsuyama, but it was a bit sad that they weren’t given enough screen time together. Somehow the movie didn’t give enough to Kiko for her to be able to capture Midori’s quirkiness, though she was indeed a breath of fresh air in the otherwise melancholic movie. I totally loved her character in the book. She was fearless but not indifferent, and she’s pretty funny. Quite the opposite of Naoko really, even though she’s been through a lot of tough times too. She shows how one can look at loss in a different way. There were a lot of back stories in Midori’s life the film could’ve focused on instead of the lesser unimportant details, like the whole deal with her sick father and the odd connection Watanabe felt with him, or the time when Watanabe took Midori for granted. Nevertheless, Kiko was great and the camera loves her!

Like I said, there were a lot of important plot elements left out in the film like a background on Reiko (Naoko’s friend), or  Naoko’s background and family life that  could’ve given her character more nuance than just someone who can’t get over her boyfriend’s death. But given the time constraint (the film was already 133 minutes long!) and the fact that film adaptations can never really encapsulate the reader’s infinite imagination, the film was able to give justice to Murakami’s treasured novel as it opened more questions, delved into his sometimes twisted philosophy and gave a face to Watanabe. Two thumbs up for the music that gave a feeling of nostalgia and heaviness that the story calls for. Minus points for the director’s excessive camera panning on the lush greens of the mountains or the waves of the sea just to drive emphasis on an emotion. I’ll definitely watch it again!

I wish I could’ve seen more of:

Nagasawa, played by the suave debonair Tetsuji Tamayama (of Sunanare and Nana fame). He’s such an intriguing and complex character. Tetsuji’s pretty hot, too!

More Tetsuji hotness. Kinda looks like Big Bang’s TOP from his chiseled profile, no?

Kengo Kora as Kizuki. Even though he had a brief appearance in the movie, he definitely captures attention.

Kiko Mizuhara. Such a lovely girl!

Cutest couple evarrr!

All hail hallyu wave drama princess Kim Tae Hee and prince Song Seung Hoon set to conquer people’s hearts and maintain their royal status in a hyped up, big production romantic comedy.

Okay, that metaphoric intro about royalty is really cheesy lol. Anyways, I’m excited about how Kdrama producers keep pairing up one famous actor/ actress after another in hopes of finding in them chemistry and compatibility on screen. They hit it off big time with the recently wrapped Secret Garden (which I’m hoping to finish and review soon) with big hot stars like Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won. So imagine my surprise and delight when I first heard that dream boy Song Seung Hoon will be starring in a rom-com with Korea’s dream girl, Kim Tae Hee no less! Pairings like these should come with a warning. Prettiness overload. And a warning that it could either work to their advantage—or not.

Brief synopsis: Some political interest groups want to reinstate the Korean monarchy (or its remaining descendants for that matter) to “correct history” and to bring back what rightfully was supposed to be in power in the first place. Here comes Lee Seol (Tae Hee), an ordinary college student who does odd part time jobs acting as a “princess” for festivals or events (of course). Seung Hoon plays the ultra-dashing Park Hae Young, a diplomat for foreign affairs, who is tasked to find the princess, at the risk of him losing all his inheritance. Apparently he had to give it all up since the money used to build their big company belongs to the royal family. Then there’s Park Ye Jin who plays a museum curator slash finance officer, and Professor Nam Joo, Lee Seol’s professor who’s dedicated to protect history. They discover that Lee Seol is the princess, and she then undergoes “princess lessons” until the nation votes for the official reinstatement of her “reign.”

***

Okay, I didn’t delve much into the political aspect of the drama even though much of its bulk is supposed to be composed of it. It’s just freaking confusing! I’m not even sure if I explained the synopsis right lol. They try to explain the politics away and much of it doesn’t really make sense in the real world. I mean, they brought an unknown girl into the palace without checking her background, DNA or what have you, and say that she is indeed the princess by relying on what she remembers of her father. Really now. With a weak foundation like that, I had a feeling this one’s gonna rely on its casts’ star power more than the story itself.

Kim Tae Hee portrays a perky (she even sings and dances SNSD’s Hoot for crying out loud) , outgoing girl and she’s quite adorable—in the beginning. She really brightens the screen with her beauty, but somehow her acting’s not really stellar. You can tell that she tries to please everyone with her cute personality, which she does quite effectively. But when it comes to scenes where she’s required to bring it, she just falls a bit flat. And trust me, you won’t be able to count with your fingers how many crying scenes she had! Not the restrained, tears-are-gonna-fall-but-not-gonna-let-it crying, but the hysteric, overdramatic wailing. And even then you can’t feel that she’s really hurt, neither would you feel sympathetic towards her. Sorry to compare, but when Ha Ji Won cried her heart out in one SG scene where the bitch rich mom trampled her pride and insulted her—you can almost feel Gil Ra Im’s (HJW) pain, as though she’s about to hurl that bitch into the ground. Or when Gil Ra Im called Joo Won on his cell phone and was trying real hard not to let him hear her crying. That was really heartbreaking. But Tae Hee’s crying feels a bit shallow, like she’s not drawing deep into her character enough. With her being a princess, I think the story was eager to show the “fun stuff” of her princess lessons more rather than showing her as someone worthy of being the princess. Lee Seol was kind-hearted, that’s a plus, but she was a bit flaky and indecisive. Sure, she was hesitant to grab the throne, wanted to still be a part of her adoptive family and really wanted to clear her father’s reputation—but that’s all about herself. You won’t see in her the drive to make a difference and make a change for the people of Korea. They showed that in haste at the end but it was all too late. Her outfits look really gorgeous though! I mean, can’t deny there’s a reason why she’s called the nation’s ideal woman. And I do think the cute/cheery character suits her really well. And there are parts where she’s actually pretty funny.

As for Mr. Dreamboat, I’m quite disappointed to say that he has no connection or rapport whatsoever with Tae Hee. I was always distracted at how he looked dapper in his well-tailored suits, or how he looked real fresh—but that’s about it. His character is just about as flaky as Lee Seol’s. As for their onscreen partnership, there were a lot of cute moments, but most of that were shown at the end. Like when he was teaching her how to drive, or their playful, witty banters. Those were like gems you can find in a drama full of fluff. They looked and acted cute together but it wasn’t enough for me to actually want to root for them. I was, however, rooting for more scenes of him wearing ONLY a bath towel lol!

Dead face is dead.

Don’t even get me started on Park Ye Jin the resident evil bitch every drama has to have. She’s just as stoic as her perfectly coifed hair that never moves. Her motivations were quite confusing and lacking sense for someone who’s supposed to be a smart, empowered woman. Granted she felt betrayed and unappreciated with all that’s been going on, but that doesn’t give her enough reason to want to have two guys pine for her while she plots ways to destroy the princess. I’m not gonna elaborate on the professor because well, he’s the perfect second fiddle character and kinda serves no real purpose other than being Tae Hee’s shoulder to cry on and PYJ’s pushover go-to guy. Another cringe worthy antagonist was Lee Dan, Lee Seol’s half-sister who’s always been jealous and bitter, more so when Seol became princess. There was a scene where she was in Seol’s room and she threw a fit by screaming and tearing the room. Can I say awkwerrrrd. Hmmmmkaaay. We get it. You’re mad. Next!

I liked Ki Kwang (of Beast) in here though. He’s charming and real adorkable lol. Oh, and the OST is amazing! Better than the drama itself sadly! Watch this for the cute and funny moments between the leads (which you have to press fast forward to find lol) and if you’re a fan of the pretty stars, fabulous designer outfits and pretty nice “palace” set. I mean, there are a lot of memorable squee inducing scenes that will make you want to hang on and keep waiting for what’s gonna happen next—but that’s where the problem is. You keep waiting but end up with just that—cuteness overload. And the whole part about Lee Seol’s father who was always “on the run” because he was being threatened by Hae Young’s father, was too contrived and it was not convincing at all. It’s a light drama, though sometimes  it “tries” to be serious, but otherwise, if you’re looking for substance plus connection with the two leads, it might do you good to skip on this one. Too bad, because it did look really promising.

Sweet moments:

Taiyou no Kisetsu or Season of the Sun starring Takizawa Hideaki is as hot just as it is cold and dark.

If there are some themes that Jdramas are good at, these are: school dramas, slice of life, seishun/youth, detective/ mind stimulating dramas and quite a few romantic comedies here and there. I don’t want to generalize but I think Kdramas have got the romantic dramas down perfectly. But that’s another story for another day. Lately I’ve been watching old Jdramas because well, I kinda don’t find the recent ones worth investing on. Except maybe the new one with Miura Haruma and Erika Toda. I don’t know… maybe it’s because they don’t make the kind of nostalgic, simple yet memorable dramas that really speak to me anymore.

Okay first! Let’s talk Takizawa Hideaki (from Tackey & Tsubasa). Man, if there’s one boy in JE that I think will succeed old boy Johnny and run the company, it’s this guy. Lol. I first noticed him when he was a perky, confident and active junior, and he looked sooo different from the others. He was definitely the golden boy in those days. He kinda looked like a “gaijin”/ foreigner or a “hafu”/half-Japanese. But that’s not the reason why I think he’s attractive— his brand of handsomeness is definitely of a different level. I mean, he’s got trademark cheekbones, dimples and hotbod to boot. And I also think he’s really smart—he tries to learn the things that go behind the entertainment biz as he now directs videos (he did NEWS’ concert intro vid), and is now producing theatre taiga performances. If only he danced and dressed a little better he’d be totally perfect lol. So I was really excited to watch his 2006 or (was it 2007?) drama Taiyou no Kisetsu or Season of the Sun.

Give me the key to your heart.

Brief synopsis: It’s a story about a college student Tatsuya (Tackey) who’s exceptionally smart, good-looking and has rich, popular friends. In other words, he’s part of the “in” mean crowd. Even so, his friends still think there’s something dark and mysterious about him and doubt if he really has parents who own big businesses in the province. But there’s one person who believes and supports him all the way, Shuji, the rich son of a bank owner. But while everyone in the university thinks that he’s loaded like his peeps, he actually lives alone in a dingy old apartment he barely has money to keep. With all his pretences and efforts to conceal his real identity, he has but one goal—to take revenge on Shuji. That is, until he meets an innocent girl (played by Ikewaki Chiziru) with a limp, whose sunny personality and kindness just might break Tatsuya’s cold and cunning heart.

Takes three to tango.

We are first introduced to the drama with a glaring shot of the sun (which will recur until the end of the drama) and with Tatsuya making a big, ugly scratch on a spanking new, expensive top down car. Together with his friends (which we shall call “bratpack” lol), Tatsuya was actually out on a beach trip, doing nothing but sipping cocktails and lounging around a swanky yacht. Yes, these kids are extremely wealthy spoiled brats and they parasite off their parent’s money. They couldn’t have emphasized that any further. The bratpacks grew up together, attending each other’s black tie parties, hung out on the same bar and had their faces published on every society page there is. For some unknown reason, Tatsuya worked his way into the group, gaining the trust of the kindest (or should I say naïve?) bratpack member, Shuji—the one who happens to own the scratched car. Behind his back Tatsuya would steal his beloved girlfriend, even going as far as sleeping with her on Shuji’s basement and eat dinner with him afterwards as if nothing happened lol. Dang. Has he got guts or what? He even uses the girlfriend to work for her dad’s company and plot ways to bring the company down. Anyways, what’s interesting is that Tatsuya WAS actually a nice guy. So what the hell is he doing sleeping with a girl (countless times at that) he barely knows and destroying someone else’s life?

In this drama, Tackey shows that he’s more than just a pretty face. Well, you’ll see him running around all sweaty and taking his shirt off a lot to show his abs as a plus lol! Tatsuya was on the point of no return—he has the choice to either keep running or turn back, either way he’d still lose everything. The allusion of him running (which is also a recurring theme) shows how he’s trying to run away from himself, fuelled by his selfish desires for revenge, yet at the same time he’s trying to figure out which way to go. When he meets the young composer his pace wavers, and from being a sturdy man-bitch he becomes a “weak” nice guy, fickle-minded as to whether he should keep up with all his lies or live an honest, real life and love with this girl.

This is the first time I’ve seen Tackey do a serious and dark drama, and I really think he’s got the makings of a really good actor. At one point I got really annoyed with Tatsuya, his cunning ways and indecisiveness and all that freaking running! They really worked him hard for this one, as about more than half of the drama you’d see him running real fast wearing a form-fitting sleeveless top that shows off his muscles. Lol sorry can’t help but stare at the pretty. Anyways, the fact that he was able to elicit such a reaction means that he’s really effective. The drama is quite shocking (for a Jdrama starring an idol) in itself. It has a lot of themes like suicide and lots of implied sex, makeout scenes between Tatsuya and Shuji’s girl. Gotta admit Tackey was really seductive in this one. There was even a scene where he grabbed a middle-aged woman’s breast just to make a statement that yes, he is EVIL with a capital E. He simply uses his sexual and persuasive power to get what he wants.

The girl who played Shuji’s girlfriend and cheated on him with Tatsuya. Thought she was really pretty, but her character was quite evil, wanting to keep Shuji while maintaining a “fling” with Tatsuya. But she’s also pitiful as she was used (and re-used) by Tatsuya.

Ikewari Chizuru was the representative good girl who changed Tatsuya’s heart. She played her character well, but I do think she’s not quite memorable. Her character is someone who plays the piano really well, with a has-been pianist mom who’s quite insecure of her very own daughter. It’s understandable that she’d fall head over heels with Tatsuya the bad boy who showed a teeny weeny bit of kind gesture towards her in the beginning. She’s always been locked in her home (with no friends and was forced to practice piano every friggin’ day) and for the first time, she found a reason to get out. In a way Tatsuya also helped her become strong, but I can’t help but feel like she’s always being naïve even when the guy cheats on her face. I just am not too convinced why she’d throw away everything for Tatsuya.

What’s also interesting is the drama’s intro. It shows Tackey and the girl on a desert and on one shot Tackey is shown lying on a cracked ground, with something like coal in his mouth. Weird… Anyways, from the way Tatsuya narrates in the beginning and throughout the drama, you’ll know that it’s not gonna end happily ever after. All I can say is, it’s something different from all the gambatte-happy-cheery Jdramas. There were a lot of loopholes and confusing parts, and the ending/ resolution of one character who helped Tatsuya with revenge felt rushed, and the ending itself is quite ehhhh… But it’s definitely one to prove that Tackey’s got mad acting skills. I wish he’d do a rom-com though. It’s been too long since he’s been on one!

Just coz’ I love Tackey too much.

I was just telling one of my fangirl friends how weird it is wanting to spazz when I found out about Tackey & Tsubasa’s new single and PV. If it were a week ago I would’ve done cartwheels, rolled over the ground, did some Chinen twirls and squee’d like a rubber duckie. It just feels wrong. I was glued to CNN over the weekend and death tolls increased by the hour, with more impending dangers threatening the country. It’s truly heartbreaking.

When I read interesting stuff about the J/K fandom, even if I don’t get to blog a lot (or at all) I’ve been lurking around (yes, my creeper stalker skills still haven’t gone rusty lol), I was just looking on, wanting to say something, rant, rave, wanting to crack a joke or two. Well, I still do that with my fangirl friends though. But when I watch or listen to something, in my mind I make mental notes on how I’d review it if I were to write about it. Writing now… It’s kind of like when someone passes away, it’s the time when you say a lot and remember their good deeds, realizing their worth in your life and wondering why you never noticed it in the first place. The tragedy in Japan hits so close to my and everyone’s hearts not only as an avid admirer of the Japanese culture but as fellow humans. The beautiful cherry blossom tree  is a photo taken from Sendai. Looking at it now, it seems like it’s going to take a while before the city, and the whole country, will be able to bloom again.

The wonders of JPOP

On a lighter note, I’d like to go back on memory lane and reminisce how my love affair with JPOP really began. I don’t exactly remember how, or what but I think I first got exposed to JPOP (by JPOP I mean all the mediums that comprise it) because of animes or their signature kiddie dramas (not sure of its classification lol): Ultraman, Bioman, and all other super heroes whose name ends with “man.” I remember watching Astro Boy and wondering if he’s really a boy or a girl. He’s got really long eyelashes and pretty big eyes, okay!  Even the cartoon classics like Dog of Flanders and A Little Princess reached its popularity in Europe – I’ve even seen it dubbed in Italian on cable lol. Oooh and then there’s the ultimate heroine whose skills are not defined by high tech gadgets or the ability to dodge bullets, but by “weapons” that can be found in any girl’s beauty kit, and whose enemies willingly wait as they change costumes, one panty hose after another – Sailor Moon and friends! My playmates used to fight a lot about who’s gonna play Usagi, but I liked Mars or Tuxedo Mask (literally) lol Then of course, there’s the manga. I used to look at how-to-draw-manga books and fail miserably at trying to draw them. Anyways, from then I would listen to OSTs, and eventually getting to know the singers behind them.

M-flo loves Namie Amuro

The famous Tokyo Dome

Hana Kimi

Hana Yori Dango

Gokusen 2

Stand Up!

Proposal Daisakusen

Then there’s JE. For those who still remember me, you’d know how I love these boys. Sure, they’re all sorts of goof and fail, but they make girls like me feel like sixteen again lol. They’re not exceptionally known for their vocals or dancing… or heaven forbid for their stage fashion sense…But there’s something about them that just charms people. They have a way with people, making them feel like they’re literally the boys next door you can and want to hang (and make) out with lol. You get used to and love Kame’s high eye brows, Ryo’s bedroom face (is it just me or he always looks like he’s thinking about sex? lol), Yamapi’s famous dead fish eyes and wooden personality, Jin’s drunken and hung over-ness, Yoko’s hentai-ness, Domoto Tsuyoshi’s oddball-ness, Matsujun’s eerie resemblance to MJ, his highness KimuTaku… well, you just want to worship the ground he steps on. And secretly love the boy on boy fanservice bordering on creepy yet you just can’t look away! More on these guys for another day.

You gotta hand it to Pi for having two signature expressions only he can pull off well: Indifference and Constipation

Matsujun. LOLWHUTT.

Otoko Love!

Sho cosplay.

I guess this long read has to end somehow. Japan, no matter how crazy their shows, music or dramas can be sometimes, it only shows how creative they are as a people and they’re not afraid to express themselves. The purpose of reminiscing about the good times and singing praises about JPOP is not to signify its death or waning because of the recent tragedies. Far from it! It may be hard, but as resilient as their fascinating culture and artistic expressions are, whether in music, dramas or fashion, let’s all hope that soon they will rise again – better, stronger and ready to work, act, sing, and dance again for all the world to see. And if there’s something I’d like to say to the Japanese which I’ve learned from all the Jdramas I watched, which say pretty much the same thing: GAMBATTE!

Konichiwa minna!~ Sorry I just had to greet like that LOL. Lately I’ve been having my Japanese fix with new and vintage stuff I missed watching. Everyone’s in the Holiday mood and I’m seizing every opportunity to sneak in some fangirling. Goodness I miss JPOP so effin’ much!!~ I had been so distracted with Korean men and their hot chocolate abs that I forgot for a moment that my first loves were Yamapi, Nino, Ryo, Shun Oguri (and a whole lot of others that may not fit in this post) and I remember the late nights I’ve spent watching Jdramas and movies. Not saying JPOP is better than KPOP, but I just feel like I’ve been missing out on the former. Anyways! Sorry I digress. The first time I saw a preview of Subaru Dance! I immediately thought that it was interesting, considering that Japanese dance movies are quite rare. And it’s about ballet to be exact! Not really a fan of such movies as “Save the last dance” and “Step Up,” but I did like that one ballet movie called Center Stage (where Mandy Moore sang the OST). But with the beautiful Kuroki Meisa and Go Ara in the cast plus the amazing Momoi Kaori (who played the okasan in “Memoirs of a Geisha”) and the handsome Hiraoka Yuuta—this film must be worth checking out!

The plot: Kuroki Meisa plays Subaru, a girl who has a twin brother Kazuma, both of whom love ballet as influenced by their mother who used to be a dancer. Unfortunately, their mother died and they were left with their dad who does not care much about dancing. Following Subaru’s misfortunes was Kazuma falling terminally ill with the same disease that killed their mother (brain tumor). She would dance around his hospital room to make him happy, and help him remember things he’s forgotten because his memory was slowly deteriorating. In between wanting to go to dance school and taking care of her brother, Subaru became frustrated because their father would not allow her to attend classes. In an argument, she wished Kazuma “would disappear,” an act which she would regret after his death. She would eventually attend classes with Mana, a girl whose mother is a ballet teacher, and who’s always jealous of her skills. Subaru then accidentally stumbled upon a strip cabaret/ comedy club ran by a former dancer (Kaori) who will teach her unconventional dance and take her under her wing. One night, after performing “Bolero” amidst dirty old men and a jeering drunken crowd, Subaru encounters a beautiful Korean-American girl named Liz Park (Ara) who will lead her to the world of competitive dance—in a face off that will determine their fate.

Directed by (Hong Kong-based) Lee Chi Ngai, Subaru is an adaptation of a manga of the same name. The lighting of this movie reminds me of classical Shanghai films, even the settings and characters were beautifully shot in a slightly dark backdrop. Kuroki Meisa displays astounding skills in this movie as a ballet dancer and it’s amazing how well she displayed technique and grace. She was not quite convincing as a street/ hip hop dancer though as in one scene where she is introduced to an underground club as part of her exploration of dancing. Her character is stoic, most of the time arrogant because she has to toughen up after the deaths of her brother and mom, though she still displays weaknesses and gentleness with the people she is close with. I love Meisa, I think she’s one of the most beautiful faces in Japan and she’s really elegant, but in this character I found it difficult to get attached to her. She had this dense, I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude about her which made sense what with all the things she went through—but she didn’t quite effectively display her supposed “passion” for dance. Idunno, maybe it’s the weird, messed up storytelling that forced to cram tons of misfortunes and dance sequences in a two hour film, or maybe her character wasn’t meant to be liked at all. But her dance sequences were stunning, especially her final performance where she had to do an interpretative dance despite her high fever.

Sano Miku plays Mana, a girl in Subaru’s neighborhood who has always been jealous of Subaru. Her character’s pretty typical—an overly striving dancer who is pressured to excel by her mother. Overall she did well, but she used the same expressions most of the time. She was quite forgettable, but at least she achieved what her character was supposed to be—the second lead who was always outshone by Subaru.

I have to admit, one of the reasons why I watched this was because of Go Ara. Love her! She just lights up the screen with her smiley face and bright eyes. BUT her character and motivations were messed up—one day she’s a friend to Subaru and the next she was plotting a hidden agenda. It’s like this: she thinks Subaru is her rival so she “trains” her and gives her the opportunity to compete against her in Shanghai to ignite her passion in dancing and to fulfill a bet she made with a teacher in New York. I was like.. WTF. Her motivations were not really clear and her portrayal was very flat—though props to her for speaking Japanese so well!

Hiraoka Yuuta plays his usual role of the guy who falls in a one-sided love for the girl. He didn’t bring much to the story and it was hard to believe that he is friends with a group of hardcore hip-hop dancers. Too bad though, I’m sure Yuuta is more than just eyecandy.

One of the perks of having SM Ent. and Avex in this film was that DBSK was in it! For like 20 seconds or so as a group that was singing in a club. That was quite exciting to see though they were completely irrelevant to the scene. Like when SS501 (Triple S) performed in a club scene in Boys Over Flowers. You also get to hear BoA’s “Eat You Up” get overplayed and the other OST were sang by CSJH and Koda Kumi.

DBSK with Meisa. Junsu looks so bored like he’s thinking, “the hell, get me outta here” while Yoochun looks lost as always. The rest just looks dead tired. Come on dudes! You’re sitting next to Japan’s most coveted girl! Couldn’t hurt to fake even half a smile. Love these guys but sometimes it’s better for them to just take a breather (SM!!) than have them looking like this.

Showdown of beauty: Which would you prefer, Meisa’s sharp beauty or Go Ara’s soft, lady-like features? Hmmm… Tough choice. I wanna root for Team Go Ara based on appearances but for the whole package it’s definitely Meisa.

In the end I think Subaru is a good movie but with many flaws and unanswered questions. It’s overly melodramatic and there were parts of the plot that just didn’t make sense. Again, the movie was trying to be everything all at once. The scene where Go Ara arrives leaves the question, what the hell was she doing in a cabaret? Why was she part of the “in crowd” of hip hop dancers when she’s a professional/ famous talent from NY? The whole part where she was rooting for Subaru because she’s her rival got me all lost. They were trying to show her as a backstabbing bitch who was at the same time nice and gentle. I would understand if she was pretending to be nice but that was not the case. Her transition from being nice to being bad was just confusing. Plus the random arrival of characters with different background stories convolutes and makes the film lose focus. Even the part where Subaru was flown to Shanghai all of a sudden for a competition was a blur. But this is a must-watch for those who want to see stunning, show-stopping dance performances. In the end, Subaru just did and kept doing her twin brother’s last words, “Subaru, dance!”

Finally!! I have finished watching Buzzer Beat! After having lots of hesitations even considering to watch it and I know this review might be a little late, but after the last episode I feel like it deserves a some space in this blog. Does this mean that “boozer beat-o” is slam dunk? Or should we call a foul?

The plot: Yamapi plays a professional basketball player named Naoki who seemed to have it all: good looks, the perfect girlfriend (Aibu Saki), and a promising career. He has what it takes to become a basketball star—if only he doesn’t crack under pressure. You know how some people have this ability to do really well at the last minute even though they were doing crap the whole time, Naoki is the complete opposite. He starts amazingly (in everything, even in his personal life), but only ends up failing halfway; which is why everyone is starting to give up on him. He then meets a free-spirited violinist, Riko (played by Keiko Kitagawa) who sees something in him that no one else does. Then there’s the head coach Kawasaki (Ito Hideaki) who falls in love with Riko, a situation which will endanger his and Naoki’s professional relationship.

Sound interesting? Hmmm… Not much. For me, it seemed a bit like “One Tree Hill,” which by hype was built up as a story about basketball, but will end up drilling teeny bopper love stories around characters who exchange boyfriends and girlfriends. Thus my hesitation. But this weekend I was on house arrest and was too lazy to move a finger that I popped in Buzzer Beat. The first episode didn’t really grab my attention, but by the second, third and fourth, I had to smack myself for not giving this drama a Halelujah Chance! (sorry lame pun)

Everyone and their grandmother knows how Yama-goldfish has these mannerisms when he acts (or lack thereof), so I started watching not expecting anything. I mean, why force the guy to be all expressive when it has been carved on stone that he is, and will always have dead fish eyes. He’s got like a total of three facial expressions: (1) When he’s angry = furrowed brows. (2) When he’s sad = staring into outerspace. (3) As for all the other emotions, he just does this (sometimes adorable, sometimes overdone) mouth thing, as though he’s saying chu!~

The bad parts: Some parts seemed a little too rehearsed, Idunno, like it just didn’t seem natural. While Pi and Keiko’s acting has improved, there were still parts where they lacked depth. The ending was pretty much disappointing. The part where the violin instructor goes “Love makes us strong” was a complete WTF moment for me. You know the drama’s gonna end cheesily when at the end either the title or some overused phrase will be mentioned at a crucial moment. And I’m not gonna deny, the drama is ridden with cliches. So many “so-near-yet-so-far” moments. Lots of missing each other by a fraction of a second. The basketball scenes were a little dragging (as some of the other parts) and I still find it difficult to believe that Pi as playing a professional basketball player. For a basketball drama there was little to no sports action. He did look like he worked hard on it, but his idol looks (and hair) were a bit distracting. Come on, he was playing basketball with trendy cropped pants and really nice polo/ plaid shirts! Loved his Nikes though. Anyways, I did like how they were able to connect basketball and music (with Keiko hearing Pi’s dribbles as the note “do”). Buzzer Beat reminded me of another coming-of-age drama “Orange Days” starring Satoshi Tsumabuki and Shibasaki Kou. But it wasn’t able to achieve the effect of youth standing at a crossroads towards adolescence, of the dilemma about growing up or sticking to ideals. Overall, the drama was good, albeit being a little forgettable. A must watch for Pi-Keiko fans. B’Z's OST is a killer! The way each episode ends was exciting, it’s just a shame that they had to resort to such an ending.

When you think of SHINee you think: over-the-top costumes, crazy, unique hairstyles, strong performances and of course, those tight PVC pants that hug them in all the right places. But then they come out with “Jojo,” which is more toned-down and a bit laid back. Like it or not?

JE has always hammed it up for the TV screens when it comes to dramas, pairing JE idols like Kame and Pi, Takky and Ryo, Jin and Taguchi… But Uchi, Kame and Tegoshi in ONE drama? Let the JE fangirl-dom implode! More picspam and drama info under the cut!

From Tokyograph:

“The live-action drama adaptation of Tomoko Hayakawa’s manga “Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge” was confirmed on Sunday. KAT-TUN’s Kazuya Kamenashi (23) will play the lead role and will be joined by Hiroki Uchi (23) and NEWS member Yuya Tegoshi (22).

The comedic story revolves a group of handsome young men who are offered free lodging if they can turn the owner’s niece into a proper lady. Kamenashi plays the short-tempered Kyohei Takano, while Uchi and Tegoshi play two of his housemates. Aya Omasa (18) has been cast as the niece Sunako, a solitary girl with low self-esteem. As the men work together to change Sunako, she and Kyohei begin to form a romantic relationship.

The cast also includes ballet dancer Shuntaro Miyao (25). TBS will premiere the series on January 15, airing every Friday at 10:00pm.”

OMGSPAZZ. I LOVE THIS MANGA. I also watched the animation and it was friggin hilarious. Imagine Hana Yori Dango, only more morbid and twisted. And without the stereotypical evil, rich-ass mother. I mean, it’s got all the elements that would definitely make it a hit: four bishounen (flower boys) and one odd, creepy girl.

“Four handsome young students (Takano Kyohei, Oda Takenaga, Toyama Yukinojo and Morii Ranmaru) are offered free use of a house on the condition that they transform the girl who already lives there into a lady. But there’s a catch! Nakahara Sunako, is a gloomy, morbid, weird girl who is also an avid horror movie maniac.”

Kame plays the lead male role named Kyouhei, who’s always had a “problem” with his crazy, dazzling good looks. Girls flock him from all over, perhaps even more so than a celebrity. With his prince-like appearance, everyone just wants a piece of him! But behind closed doors, he’s very temperamental, a glutton and does not care about anything else but earning money. I was a bit taken aback when I heard that Kame was chosen for this role. No offense to Kame, but looks wise he may be good looking and charismatic, but Kyouhei is in a different level on its own (plus he’s REALLY tall in the manga). He’s the very definition of manly and cool. Kame may be able to pull off his arrogant vibe, but Kame’s more of an “emo” actor (well, except for his role as a goofy boxer), if you know what I mean. Whereas Kyouhei is more of a schizophrenic LOL. Idunno, we’ll see.

Tegoshi Yuya plays Yuki, the incredibly cute and innocently sweet boy whose idea of fun is cuddling with pandas and teddy bears. LOL he literally dreams about them! He cries when he’s scared, and eating ice cream makes him one happy puppy. Because of his girly looks, he is often forced to dress up as a girl (depending on the situation), which gives Yuki esteem issues. Totally the opposite of Kyouhei.

Uchi plays the role of Takenaga, a rich, cultured and smart guy (bookworm!) whose idea of fun is having tea and doing flower arrangements LOL. Again, Idunno, I can see Uchi playing the pimp role of a character named Ranmaru!

Ballet dancer Shuntaro Miyao (rumored to have dated Keiko Kitagawa) plays Ranmaru, the cassanova slash playboy who can seduce any girl with his dashing good looks and sweet words. He likes older women and often gets into trouble for his polygamous nature. Sounds very Akira of HYD, eh? I think it’s quite random that they pick this guy for this role. He obviously looks a bit more mature than the other boys in the cast. But the drama hasn’t been aired yet so we’ll see if this cast rumors are true.

***

Aya Omasa (18) plays Sunako a very creepy girl whose best friends consist of an anatomical mannequin (whom she named Hiroshi) and a skeleton couple. She spends her time holed up in her dark room watching “Splatter” bloodshed banned movies and gets serious nosebleeds when she meets “dazzling” people—thus her relationship with the four becomes a riot. But there’s a reason for her “creepiness” as we’ll find out throughout the drama. Finally a new face! I thought for a second they’re going to cast Maki who played a similar role as Kotani in Nobuta!

This is gonna be a fun drama!! OMG can’t wait! I couldn’t believe it myself, but here’s the preview: THE WALLFLOWER!

Creds: Tokyograph, anime.mikomi.org, Wiki