[TV] Himitsu no Arashi-chan

29 January 2009

I have been trying to not talk about Arashi's regular shows because it would make me a very busy person. But this is one of the funniest Arashi-chan in a while, since all they showed was Youtube videos for quite a long time.

This time, they cover tall people. Like, Yao Ming would be dwarfed type of tall people. (to say that he would be dwarfed is an exaggeration. Probably around the same height, but less... active.) Besides the tallest man ever, they have the tallest woman in the States and also the tallest man in England. Or something. Then they have the Chinese Tall People Club. Or something. You know, it is not like I am supposed to understand Japanese. xD

Anyways, two of the club members came for the show. Nino and Sho were waiting for them. xD Nino and his new haircut. I have to say, it was a good haircut. He looks so young.

First, they tried to make a simulation of how tall the men would be amongst people of normal height. So a staff member was walking in a crowd with a long pole and a cardboard attached on top of the pole with a word "face" stuck on it. xD The people behind these shows are absolute geniuses. Nino brought a notebook to take note of the things related to these really tall people. xD The things that he wrote down... xD That will come later.

Then the men appeared, they shook hands. Nino and Sho tried to greet them in Mandarin. I think it was perfectly pronounced. They shook hands and then commented on how big their hands were and how their lifeline would naturally be long... or proportionately elongated with the size of their hands. Or something. Nino's first written note was... "Big hands". xD His second note was "Laughs a lot". Very diligent, Nino. Third note was that the in-charge for microphones needed a step-ladder to put them on.

Later, they measured their heights and naturally they're all above 2 meters but below 2.5 meters. Nino continued his note-making and stated that the uh... scale thingy is rather not precise. They didn't have pointers for centimetres. Nino said that they passerbys were more interested in the tall people than 'Super Idol Arashi'. His words, not mine.

Then they brought the two to the building where they film the show and planned to give other regulars of the show a dokkiri. xD And shocked them, they did. xD The first to go into the room was Aiba and his reaction was hilarious. He went "Whoaaa" on them. xD Aiba requested to use one of them as a vault. xD You have to forgive Aiba, his mind works a bit differently from the rest of us. He gave the man a hug afterwards. When it is Aiba, everything seems a bit more endearing than it actually is. xD

Matsushima was next and she wanted to ride on their shoulders but her request was rejected. Nino wrote that down after a demonstration by Sakuraiba where Sho rode on Aiba's shoulders. xD So Matsushima requested that she be given a "takai takai" by one of them, and apparently, they're not that strong. Nino wrote down that "Giants have no strength" xD

Jun came in next and gave a good reaction as well. xD It was laughable, that reaction. Then one of the tall men was holding a camera. Jun requested that he try on their clothes. xD They commented that he looked like Darth Vader and played Darth Vader's leitmotif. Jun did the Darth Vader signature breathing sound. I'd have gone further and say "Luke... I am your father." xDDD Nakajima came and didn't give any big reaction. Ohno came last and was just a bit shocked and stopped in his steps. His face was funny though. xD

Nino and Sho brought the two to Sugamo, they prayed at a temple for a safe journey. Then to Harajuku, everywhere they went, people were looking curiously, but not at Arashi. xD It must feel refreshing for them. They went to various places including their hotel where they had to join the two beds in order for them to be able to sleep. So Nino made a note saying "Giants do the two-in-one" thing. xD Maybe it is his hair, but Nino looks less evil than usual. xD It must be the hair.

They next day, Sho and Nino brought them to a kaitenzushi place where they ate about 34 plates of the sushi from the conveyer belt. When one of them ate oysters and disliked it, Nino wrote down "Hate oysters". xD But then the other man ate it without problems. xDDD Proves how accurate Nino's notes can be. One of them drank a mug of beer in one gulp, but the other one, named Kou-san drank only a sip. Nino wrote "Kou-san is normal." xDDD Best notes ever.

They went to a normal Japanese house and ate Sukiyaki with the people inside. xD After they ate, one of them complained that he was tired. So they headed back immediately. When they were doing the ending thingie, they looked refreshed again. Nino wrote "When the end is near, they become energetic again". xD Nino added a last note when one of them appear to know a bit of Japanese. "Some Japanese" he wrote. xDDD

This is how Nino is. He reads the atmosphere around him well and knows what to say and when to say it. I am so not that type of person. I am more like... Aiba. I drop things, run into walls (not on purpose) say the wrong things. How I wish I can be more like Nino. xD

[TV] Gackt @ Shin Domoto Kyoudai

25 January 2008

Gackt was my first Japanese obsession. Ah nostalgia. I find it interesting that he is still the idiot that he was. I have a thing for idiots. Don't we all?

KinKi Kids performed their new single "Yakusoku" at the beginning and then Gackt came out only when it was the part where they interview him. First they reminisce old times when Gackt was a regular. FukaKyon was and is a big fan of Gackt's. xDDD They then showed a video clip of back when she was 18 and went on the show on Gackt's birthday. Later, DoTs and DoKo brought out a cake that is covered with candles. So it was a cake on flames. xDDD I mean, Gackt is a couple of centuris old, is he not? They later showed videos of Gackt sleeping on the show. xDDD I was gasping for breath at this point. xD The worst thing is... it didn't look like he was acting! xD I think he was dozing off. There were a couple of videos of him almost falling from his stool. WTF Gackt? Wtf...

xD Then Gackt was answering questions with his usual suave, cool attitude and his answers were all really cool and then DoKo said that he'd use those answers should he be asked those questions in the future. xD DoKo's imitation of Gackt failed miserably. When asked what he wouldn't lose to others, the answer was competition. Then a leg-wrestling competition ensued. DoKo was the first challenger. When DoTs decided to compete with Gackt, Gackt said the person who said "ittai" first would lose. Instead of that, DoTs said "kusai". xDDDDDDD

And suddenly, I remember why I liked Gackt. He's actually a handsome man. Really handsome. I forgot about that over the years. When you compare other guys and Johnny's, you might just wonder... why? They're short, they're... not that handsome, really, in general, I meant.

Why do I like them? It makes no sense sometimes.

Frankly, I don't quite believe a word Gackt says. xD I meant in this interview and also the crap he said years ago about taking three days to make curry and walking around naked despite the room service dude going into the room when he is in hotels. xD Ah~ the good old days when Gackt was my Arashi. xD Well, then it was Dir en grey. Oh~ how much I have changed.

Gackt sang "Kimi no Tame ni Dekiru Koto"!!! Oh NOSTALGIA, I TELL YOU. I liked that song! He later sang "Jesus"... I dislike how Gackt tries to do the rock thing. It doesn't quite work for me. But that is just me... Gackt's ballads are what I like. Cos his voice is deep and... uh... he switches from key to key really well. Not that I know shit about music, really. But his voice is... ah~

Uh... this is totally unrelated, but mushrooms and tofus are the best stuff. Seriously. I haven't had a burger for... more than half a year. I think it is reaching a year. Vege makes up 70% of my daily food intake. And I used to be such a carnivore.

[Drama] 1 Litre of Tears

Autumn 2005

Episodes: 11

Starring: Sawajiri Erika, Nishikido Ryo, Yakushimaru Hiroko, Jinnai Takanori, Fujiki Naohito, Narumi Riko, Sanada Yuma, Matsuyama Kenichi...

In 1986, a girl named Kito Aya, aged 15, was diagnosed with an incurable diseased called Spinocerebellar Atrophy. As part of her rehabilitation treatment and in order to help the doctor understand more of her situation, she was asked to keep a diary about the details of her disease and how it affects her daily life and also how she feels about practically everything. This diary was later published and inspired many patients to hang on in their battle against various sicknesses. This diary was the basis for this drama.

The drama follows the story of Ikeuchi Aya, 15 years old. The eldest daughter of a tofu shop owner with a caring and warm family. Aya has always been a happy, kind and hardworking girl with an optimistic view in life. The drama opens on the day of Aya's big entrance exam to high school. On the way to school, Aya tripped and knocked down a row of bicycles. By chance, a boy named Asou Haruto was contemplating to not take the entrance exam when Aya's accident happened. Haruto had no choice but to help Aya rearrange the bicycles and then sent Aya to the examination hall. A teacher later permitted the two to take the exams despite being late.

Aya continued to excel in studies and sports, being part of the highschool female basketball team and also the class representative. She also was dating a senior named Kawamoto. The future was seemingly bright for the 15-year-old until her mother noticed that she was tripping and dropping things a lot. When she fell and hit her head on a date with Kawamoto, her mother put her through a medical examination and it was found that she has a disease called Spinocerebellar Atrophy.

The disease will affect Aya's ability to move gradually. Her limbs would soon be difficult to control and speaking and breathing would prove to be a difficult task. Despite such a knowledge that her life would be greatly changed over the coming years, Aya decided that she should just try her best at what she was able to do and graciously accept the help of those around her although she felt bad for troubling them. She later realized that she had to give up a lot of things as Kawamoto decided that dating a sick girl was too much for him to handle and basketball was something that she could no longer do. But then there were those who remained helpful such as Aya's friends Mari and Saki, and also Haruto, who was always there to silently help her and cheer her up. Aya's family was also doing their best to ensure that Aya's life would to change drastically because of the disease.

However, the disease, being incurable, showed no signs of slowing down and soon, highschool seemed too much for Aya to keep up with. She was later transferred to a school for disabled people and had to bid goodbye to the highschool which she loved so much. When Aya felt down because of she could no longer do the things that she could do before the disease, that she was so different from the active self that she was, she would continue to write in her diary words of encouragement to herself. And apart from her family, Haruto was an important support for Aya.

The drama continues to follow Aya's situation and a decade later, when Aya was 25, her body finally gave in to the disease...

*****

^^ I just realized that my crap-talking about this drama was too crappy and was also left in another blog and that didn't do it justice as this was THE drama for me. This drama sparked my drama interest. Though I watched various Japanese dramas on TV, I wasn't particularly into them. I just watched and that was it. And this drama came along. With a brilliant soundtrack and pretty people starring in it. The storyline is great too. What more can one ask for?

It is strange though, when I watch this drama, I cannot see how Sawajiri can be this nice and then be such a bitch in real life. xD But hey, it is because she was in this drama that no matter what she does, I'll still be remembering her as Ikeuchi Aya. The same with Nishikido Ryo. This drama is probably the best thing that happened to them both, as actors. Sure, Ryo was famous as a Johnny's Junior, his group activities were fine too, but it is this drama that introduced Ryo to many non-Johnny's fans and overseas people who watched Japanese dramas. If the two on-screen lovebirds had any chemistry, it wasn't translated through the screen.

However, since then until now, Nishikido hasn't been the leading character in a drama before. I am a bit disappointed with that and am still intently waiting for him to get an opportunity to lead. I knew he wasn't ready yet, even during "Last Friends", but perhaps in a few more drama season's time. I hope he is not going to play second fiddle for the rest of his career. Nishikido Ryo can be a total impudent, rude asshole in real life. I don't care. xD One great character and the actor's image will be stuck to my head as that character. ^^ Hey, it is the first step towards seeing the best in people, though I have yet to do that with the people I know in real life.... xD

Anyways, Narumi Riko was also very impressive in here. To think that she was 13 when she was filming this... even more impressive. I foresee great things from her. She's very pretty too. Though I have problems watching "Hachimitsu to Clover", it isn't her fault though. I just really disliked the movie version with Aoi Yuu playing Hagumi. I like Aoi Yuu, but her portrayal of that character pissed me off to no end. TO NO END.

Sawajiri Erika. Married and has not been involved in a drama OR a movie since 2007. Such a waste! And the man is like... 44 years old. 22 years her senior. I mean, she can do better, richer, hotter. What the hell is she thinking? I don't rule out the possibility of love. I would too marry someone that much older than me. That is, if he looks like McDreamy. Gosh, McDreamy is hot. That hair~ But hey, whatever floats their boat, mmmkay?

But it is a disappointment that she isn't working more. She could have done more. I won't be satisfied if I had to give up a career that has yet to peak just because I am getting married. Such a waste. Anyways, her life, not mine.

The drama is one of the must-watch. It didn't achieve high viewership ratings, but it is warm, moving and inspiring. Keep in mind that there was this girl who was struggling with this disease. The hardships portrayed were not fiction. And she persisted and hung on to life as it slips through her fingers. Regardless of all the pain, she hung on to life. A life that those without any disease would waste away.

And among all that, I was initially pulled in by Asou Haruto. Who is probably a fiction, drama-only character. I can't help it. Fangirl instincts. And Ryo's shy and reserved portrayal of the character makes the character reminds me of him. Only a bit kinder and I cannot ever imagine Nishikido Ryo crying. I have seen it numourous times on TV, but as someone else. As Asou Haruto, as Oikawa Sousuke, as Ariake Taisuke. Not as Nishikido Ryo... I just think he's a dead-inside psychopath. xD What? I have a thing or two to say about his hair in here. Didn't suit him, but it was better than that red/blonde perm he had way back when. Erika looks best here, to me.

And young love. It is when we were young that we would be so reckless to get involved in hairy situations. Falling for a sick girl IS a hairy situation. As we grow older, we are too rational to do things like that. Everything becomes something that one should think about carefully, balance the pros and cons. See if there is a chance of having a good return on your investments. Investments of time, effort, affection and money. But when we were younger, such things didn't matter. What I would give to be able to be reckless and brave like that again. To have the freedom to act without thinking about the consequences. I didn't appreciate or make use of the chances to do that when I had them. T_T Oh well.

The songs "Konayuki" and "3 Gatsu 9 Ka" became frequent visitors to my playlist. Even now. ^^ I have gradually forgotten why I liked them so much apart from the songs being good, but after re-watching the drama, a song that is being tied to a good drama is twice as good.

Reitings: 4.5/5