[BLOG] And Then, She Moved On...

I've thought about this long and hard. Well, not really. But it took some decision making. To blog is to keep myself updated, to rant, to have a portal to just talk crap and have crap talked back to me. I enjoyed it very, very much.

But if it is not apparent enough, I have, clearly, lost whatever passion I have for the Japanese entertainment industry. I still collect those dramas, which, in time, I will watch. I am not sure if I am as excited. I going to turn 22 In a few months' time. I wonder if more bubblegum pop is what I need. I just am not as excited anymore.

It happens with me, every year or two. I fall head over heels into an obsession, and then one day, I wake up, and it is gone. Just like that. A week ago, I woke up, and then I have decided that maybe I don't care about Arashi's AU CMs. I've also decided that I do not want to even watch any of the dramas of this season except "The Quiz Show" and "Mr. Brain". And I don't even watch Himitsu no Arashi-chan except for the mannequin parts where Sho's failures are mildly entertaining, albeit a bit repetitive.

Arashi, another new single? Yeah, sure, what is it their 339th this year?

It is gone. I figured I just leave this blog be. But then I realized, oh people read! I am still very excited that people read. I never had a blog that is read by people I don't know. But, I guess, when the passion is not there, it shows in the passages. They're just lame recaps and criticisms that might not even be all that true. I looked back at the recent entries, they're just... boring. I figured, I'll just put an end to the blog. Make it something from the past. ^^ I am a bit OCD, so if I don't say I won't update again, I'll have this voice in my head going "You gotta update all your blogs, you gotta update all your blogs. ALL!" So don't waste time coming back, if indeed anyone comes back at all.

I do get relapses, but they are just different. A long time ago, my first phase should have been Hollywood movies and then it was Japanese Rock, then came Taiwanese dramas, then it was Lord of the Rings (Yes, I was a ringer), then a relapse of Hollywood movies, then came Japanese dramas,then came Dong Bang Shin Ki, then came Johnny's Jimusho.

Of course, for me to actually decide to bid goodbye to one, I must have a replacement.


They might be old, retired, or dead. But they still qualify for an obsession. And they were so great once, I have much to learn about them and the genre.

"Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango". OMG I am so obsessed.

Was fun while it lasted.

Farewell, old obsessions of the Asian world. I shall go now and dive into the 70s-80s British rock scene.

[PV] Arashi - Crazy Moon ~Kimi wa Muteki~

Heh, here's something funny: I don't hate it. I did in the beginning with the lame set and the cheap lighting. Okay, maybe it is the crappy PV quality and everything. But then, there came the scenes shot from the bottom. And I immediately sat up straight. I was thinking... now that's a new view of their crotch never quite seen before!

What? I am only a young women. =D I know the HQ PVs are out but I am really lazy and I'll just make do with these cos I am going to shrink them anyway. Page-loading is a bitch no matter how fast your connection is.

Gosh, what a cheap PV. I get the feeling that this PV was filmed quite some time ago, judging by the state of MatsuJun's hair. I like that hairstyle. I heard the fandom coined the term 'Momo-hair' for it. Not bad. xD I do not like Jun's ugly jeans though.

I don't like that poofy vest Aiba was wearing. I do like the hot pink shirt underneath.

Dear ol' Sho couldn't stop 'Sho'-ing his hands like that.

Okay, their outfits as a whole, I do not like. So... boy next door. I was under the impression that these people are being marketed as a superstar-ish presence. Well, sad that they don't dress the part. They can learn a thing or two from Tohoshinki's stylist, really. Always classy, always sexy. Even if it can be repetitive, it may be a bit monotonous and bland, but at least they look good being boring with clothes. Sorta like how Nate Archibald looks good being boring with his personality. What? Gossip Girl is the shit.

Why is Aiba wearing grey-ish colored pants and Nino wearing a grey-ish coloured jacket? Are they trying to make them blend in with the background? Sure, that's a way to make a PV. Make your subjects blend in with the background. Ohno has nice hair. Jun has nice hair. Nino has nice hair. Sho's jeans are as horrible as Jun's. What? I really do think I can style these people better. xP Bite me.

I remembered that Jun was also wearing that retarded shortened-tie thing for his Utaban performance. Perhaps he is trying to start a new trend. Someone should tell him short ties are indeed cute, on teddy bears and short Japanese schoolgirls who would look dumb with a normal-length tie. Best lookers, Ohno and Nino. Jun's pants are... horrific.

I like the dancing. The dancing is good. Actually, any dancing is good because I cannot dance - AT ALL. I swear if I try, it would look just like I am sweeping with an awkward broomstick. Sad, I know. But seriously, they could have rehearsed a bit more. They weren't that in sync and the choreography is sort of been-there-done-that as well. Some parts brought back memories of images from "truth" and I swear, the ending was just a variation from that of "We can make it".

I really have to say more about the lighting and the set. The PV looks like a draft that has yet to be enhanced with CGIs and all that techno savvy crap. Seriously, what the hell? Are they stealing Arashi's funds to pay for... uh... other crap? Must have been put into Jun's hair. Should have known the monthly hairstyle-change, daily treatments and the crap they put into their hair cost a fortune.

The song isn't bad. The chorus is catchy. Now that I think of it, I can hardly find a Johnny's boyband song with a chorus that isn't catchy.

I don't hate it because they have the crotch shots from below. It does look like I am bashing, I know. But, it is because fangirls will take anything they throw out that qualities are slumping. I am willing to just let this one go because they had to split the funds between two PV. I guess that's tough~

By the way, the cover of the booklet for the CD. Ohno is so the sex on that cover. xD What? xD This is PG-13-ish... I guess.

[PV] Arashi - Ashita no Kioku

=D Back for an entry or two. 20 days before my finals! But nothing brings me back like a new Arashi single can. While I am so, extremely, totally immersed in my "Gossip Girl" obsession, Arashi's still... Arashi. Btw, Chuck Bass, a ball of sex with limbs, and a scarf. What? A girl gets hungry.

First up, their look. I think Aiba's hair is so not suitable for him, like seriously. Light hair makes his features look bleh, cos, lets face it, he ain't no MatsuJun whose features are so... distinct that you can spot the man from two blocks away. I stared at his face for the longest time, deciding why he looks less hot sometimes. I have decided that it is because his top lip is shaped weirdly.

They cut Ohno's hair too short, makes him look fat in the face, which, makes him look younger. I like the whole look on him though, like a tiny little thing you can squeeze.

Nino's hair was weird. It is like... short on the right side and longish on the left. He was doing that thing where he tries be a ventriloquist. I don't know why people do that. I know they're lipsynching, but you just want them to open their mouths a bit.

Sho looks good. Very good, would be better if they take half an inch off his hair. xD

If I have to choose a best look for the PV, it is MatsuJun. I was deciding between Sho and Jun. Now, I know I haven't shown a lot of love for Jun in this blog, but I don't like... hate him. And this is rare, but he looks really damn hot here. Not Chuck Bass hot, but still hot.

The song. I love, love, love the chorus. It is heartwarming, soothing, with a hint of... melancholy. t might actually be perfect for the drama. BUT, goodness, Kamiyama is starting to piss me off in the drama. The verses are a bit less catchy, but overall, it is a very good song. And if "Truth" was to sell over 600k, this should sell around that number as well. Now, if there's something I want to see them achieve before I totally forget this Johnny's fandom thing, it would be a million-seller for this group.

The PV is sorta a bit too wishy washy in the sense that... it is just... lets dress in neutral, boring colors and pose around in a cheap studio set and pretend to do everyday things with style and... uh... prettiness. Oh, a clock/tart! Allow me to take a picture of it and stick it on my wall as testament to my artsy-farty photography and designing talent. Oh, let us throw in a scene or two of paper aeroplanes hung on a string like they mean something to add to the 'depth' of the message of the video. We like depth. No one doesn't like depth. Oh! A flower! That's genius! Photos glued together to make the shape of a flower! I am sure that means something deep too. Fangirls don't like to watch them shake their asses, we'd look at a damn wall, cos god knows that's exciting.

And the scenes where they sit around and sing soulfully like they are reminiscing their past loves... Come on, they're convincing no one, we all know they're thinking about fishing and games. I do realize that it suits the feeling the song is trying to communicate, but I can sleep watching it. It is a wee bit better than when I was watching "Citizen Kane". That made me want to kill myself. =D Call me uncultured, I don't know why the hell that is the best movie of all time. I was turned off with the mention of 'Xanadu'. Oh the PV, yeah... zzzzz....

Now, if they throw in a story or something... throw in an actress and some death, tragedy, sadness. Now that is a PV. Oh, it would be better with a scene or two focusing on their asses. What? It is the damn hormones. PMS makes me... uh... hungry.

[Drama] The Quiz Show II

Spring 2009

Episodes:

Starring: Sakurai Sho, Yokoyama Yu, Maya Miki, Matsuura Aya, Izumiya Shigeru, Oohashi Nozomi...

The drama revolves around a mysterious quiz show which offers the contestants a chance to make their dreams come true. But going through the quiz proves no easy feat for the contestants as the host and the director, who seem to know everything about the contestants, asked the contestants questions about their darkest, most secretive pasts.

Although the producer, Saejima Ryoko, objects to such a method of attracting high viewership ratings, everyone else seemed to agree to follow the lead of Honma Toshio, the suspicious director who has a strange, commanding presence over the host, Kamiyama Satoru.

Kamiyama lives in a dark, guarded room and appears to have lost his memory prior to hosting the quiz show abd suffers constant headaches with snapshots of his past appearing in his head occasionally.

Honma appears to bear a grudge but was able to work with Kamiyama to create a successful quiz show along with other crew of the show such as the diligent and driven Takasuji Reina.

*****

The theme song, I LOVE. I LOVE. So glad it is for this drama and not that other one with another member of Arashi in it.

It is only after really exciting dramas that I go by an episode-by-episode description of my thoughts because... uh... I am that psyched!

Episode 2

I have the first season, I guess watching it would clear some of my doubts about the show and I would know the path on which this drama will take on sooner. But I am so busy with my assignments and everything that I cannot really focus on it. Besides, it seems fun to wait a bit anyways. Just watch as the drama unfolds.

It appears that the amnesiac Kamiyama also has a multiple personality disorder and is controlled by the sneaky Honma for reasons that have yet to be revealed. I have a major presentation tomorrow and I am blogging about dramas. I rock.

Who the hell is this Misaki? Let me see, she drowned and Kamiyama was probably banging her before she died. Why does Honma appear to hate Kamiyama so? Perhaps Honma and Misaki are related? By blood? By love? I am going to make a daring prediction. I love predictions. I made one for Maou and I got it correct. This one proves a bit more twisted. Let me see... definitely not siblings, since their family names are different. Or Honma can be a fake name. Honma was banging Misaki when Kamiyama and all his Sakurai-hotness came along and snatched Misaki away. Something happened, like the boat Kamiyama and herself rode on went kaboom and then she drowned. Honma, pissed, decided to lock the amnesiac up and torture him. He is sadistic, that was why Misaki left him in the first place.

Someone hire me, I would be a good novelist.

The cast and the guests for this season appears to be much more famous as compared to the previous season. What a great cast, like Sho, Yoko, Maya Miki and Ayaya weren't enough, they had Aikawa Sho for the first episode, Minami for the second and then Narimiya Hiroki will appear for the next. Amazing.

I know Sho is like the star and all. He's the one people are tuning in to watch, but my goodness, Yoko turns me on like never before. What? I am only a girl. Kamiyama's constant headaches is getting old. Saejima's constant worries is getting annoying. YokoxAyaya seems to be a weekly thing. We like. Takasugi will be an important character before the drama ends. That, I think will happen since the cast kept suggesting it in the preview episode.

I didn't skip one minute and still the drama seems to just fly on by. It just fills my head with questions. I hate not knowing. Gah! I am putting my money on Honma being the mastermind psychic and Kamiyama is the puppet, chosen to torture. Evil!Yoko. Nothing more I can ask for. We look forward to next week's episode, with two presentations, 2 reports and one test in my head.

Reitings:

[M-Sta] NewS - Koi no ABO

24 April 2009

Holy shit! That hair. THAT HAIR! Is it a wig?

Uh, the PV was really boring I could fall asleep. The song is so-so with a slightly catchy chorus but I will not be moved to purchase it even if I can walk into a CD store and see it lying around.

The outfits were very "Saturday Night Fever" but gay. The dance moves were very "Saturday Night Fever" but they're not John Travolta, so it didn't sit very well with me. I can tell that they're trying to spice things up, doing a bit of disco, some crazy random things. Like how Koyama was trying to be funny with that ribbon.

After watching a few performances of Kanjani8's "Puzzle", I thought I was about to die when Yasu was singing. His voice is horrible. But at least the tune was somewhat on. Koyama's voice is not as horrible, but he might actually be tone deaf.

This single is... uh... to me, quite horrible. That is what happens when they put the duds in the center. What? It might sell. Miracles do happen. Like how Kame got into KAT-TUN and became the frontman. So, who knows? Disco might be coming back. I watched this week's "American Idol", guess what the theme was? Yup, disco.

Everyone else's shades were to goof things up and Shige and his newfound narcissism decided that he'd have a pair of cool shades instead. Wet blanket.

Yamapi's... thing on his head. It made him look like a prostitute passed her prime. But it brought a bit of fun and colour to his usually robotic presence. I guess that was good. Not doing very good with the looking-good part, but it was fun.

I guess fun was the theme. It did come across clear, but - I might be biased - but it really seemed like each member was just trying to be the center of attention. Maybe it is just me. I try to give people the benefit of a doubt nowadays. Massu forgot his moves. I saw. Nothing can escape my all-seeing eye. This was a fun performance all-in-all. Something we haven't seen from NewS in a while. Good for them. The crowd was reasonably pleased. I am actually entertained enough to overlook the fact that Tegoshi was trying to get on my nerves. I can't stand him at all.

One more thing. Their attempt at imitating Johnny's constant use of the word "YOU-tachi" is probably a lousy cover for them trying to suck up to the boss. I bet it is Pi's idea too. He did do that for that "Fever to Future" song too. Suck up.

Just because I feel like it, here's Tamaki Hiroshi with facial hair. There are few things I like more than men with facial hair and they are all either shiny or money. xD