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Osaka and Kumamoto
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Day 12 : Last night in Kumamoto?
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Sambomaster: Mada Mada! Owaranai Miracle no Yokan Tour 2014 at Fukuoka Drum Logos
They also sang Aitakute which I love and I don't think they sang it at last years's tour and the highlight of the night was one of my favourite old songs Anata to ikitai as the last one. That was the one song that I felt was missing from the live I went to in November last year.
I just need to go to a live in Fukushima to hear them sing I love, I need you Fukushima.
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Days 15 and 16 : Goodbye Kyushu
8.45pm I took the shinkansen from Fukuoka to Kumamoto and arrived at 9.30. Took another half hour from Kumamoto station o town center.
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Japan Day 17 : Temmabashi
Wanted to catch up with Yukimi when I was in Osaka for the Madoka exhibition but the timing was off so I had to reschedule
one more trip to Osaka, specifically to Temmabashi cause she's working there with Megumi tonight. Really wanted to meet Yuka but she's got health problems and had to quit. :(
And Temmabashi is also where the Capcom Hq is! Unfortunately, there is nothing for visitors to do there except take pictures of two Senoku Basara characters and two mascots.
You can see two OLs in the picture bowing to someone, perhaps Ono-san on their way out. If I had run into Ono, I wold have asked why Capcom couldn't afford to renovate the stages in Ultra copy n paste fighter 4.
Temmabashi is pretty boring with the highlight being Keihan City Mall. Some expensive but interesting and expensive food here including kuro beef from Kagoshima.
Bloody raining whole day.
Edit: Forgot to mention that the big news in Japan now is the AKB attack and Aska drug charges with the media covering them from every conceivable angle again and again. How about some world news, Japan?
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Jmovie review : Saikin, imouto no yousu ga chouto okashindaga.
Went to Ikebukuro Cinema Rosa to watch this 15+ movie. Never saw the anime caused it looked so generic. Anyways, Mitsuki's mom remarries and she gets your generic anime hero as a brother.
The plot in Imouto okashi is this see-through negligee wearing ghost Hiyori appears and has a thing for Mitsuki's new stepbrother as well as being able to possess Mitsuki's body.
Sounds like a movie full of fanservice and comedy hijinks right? Sure its got lots of nudity and female on female ghost action but those are far and few between.
At its core, Imouto okashi wants to be this serious drama but absolutely fails in the directing department while dissappointing people like me who went for ecchi comedy. One dude even feel asleep halfway!
The one thing that got me excited was the trailer of Iron Maiden. The three minute trailer had more excitement than the whole Imouto okashi movie. Too bad it comes out in July. : (
When I was buying the ticket I was reading the title from the poster and somehow my brain froze after saikin. I was thinking what's sister in Japanese again and somehow the only word in my brain was ane. The ticket girl probably thought I was too nervous. lol.
Don't waste your time. There are a lot better pinkus out there.
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Japan 2014 days 18-20 : Back in Tokyo
I was thinking of going to Odaiba just for Tanaka Shoten and hesitating over how the cost of travel will push the price to 2000円 when I decided to check the website.
Lo and behold there's a Tanaka Soba in Akiba. Ordered charsiu soba omori which cost like 1100円. Old lady didn't ask any questions and then I saw the koteri sign aka thick soup after I sat down.
I had no idea about soba and asked whether I could choose how hard it was and elected for barikata. Unfortunately soba is not ramen and tasted just meh. Wtf not open a ramen branch ffs.
Went to Asagaya anime street and there's nothing much there. I like Asagaya though. Feels like a showa town. Should have taken pictures of the town.
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Japan days 21 and 22
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The Next Generation Patlabor chapter 2
Anyway, went to Piccadilly Shinjuku to watch chapter 2 of Patlabor which consists of episodes 2 and 3.
Episode 2 is about them trying to fix the labours in time for an inspection by police chief. Episode 3 is about Mano Erina trying to beat to bald dude from Shall We Dance in Tekken. Episode 2 was a bit slow and some gags were hit and miss and ep 3 is a lot funnier.
Ep 4 is going to be about them being involved in a hostage situation and ep 5 is about a sea monster. Since this is a new cast of characters, the chemistry is a bit different though the new characters echo the old ones like the foreign girl and the rough second pilot.
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Japan Days 24 & 25 : X-Men DOFP and Ultra SF4 1.01!
In Japan, they do not sell the 3D glasses. I askes the ticket girl how much for the 3D glasses and she gave me a look saying I just pick them up from the theatre entrance. Was given a pair at the entrance and there is a return box as you exit. I should have brought my glasses from Australia. I'm pretty sure the return rate of the 3D glasses is 99.9% in Japan.
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Goodby Coco Ichi tejikomi chicken katsu
The hand made chicken katsu from Coco Ichi was only availabe until the end of May. It was so much better than regular katsu curry that it should be a regular menu staple just like hot and spicy should be for KFC.
I loved it so much that I was eating it every other day. No idea why being tejikomi makes it taste better but it was crispier and the meat juicier. Not saying its close to Tonta in Takadanobaba's level but Coco Ichi is everywhere.
Now they've replaced the tejikomi chicken katsu with the sasami katsu which is lean breast meat. Lean meat doesn't taste as good as fatty and juicy meat.
Oh, and the above picture is the chicken zanmai which is chicken curry heaven. So goodbye tejikomi chicken katsu. May we meet again amd your replacement sasami katsu isn't as good.
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Berserk merchandise : Young Guts figure and Behelits!
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Jmovie review : Bokutachi no kazoku
So I was looking around for other Japanese movies to watch. There's the Fujiwara Tatsuya movie Monsterz but ikemen thrillers aren't usually good. There's Wood Chuck starring the dude from Minna! Esper Dayo! and Wald9 had one show everyday with Japanese subtitles! However Masami is in it and I'm sick of the fact that her acting will not improve.
I can't complain that all her rolea are usually in her comfort zone but Bushin showed that she can't rise to the occasion.
There is one movie being showed at Toho cinemas but only (as far as I know) and that is Ishii Yuya's Bokutachi no Kazoku. Who is Ishii Yuya? He's the lucky fucker who married Mitsushima Hikari and he also directed Sawako Decides and The Great Passage. So off to Toho cinema in Kinshicho I went.
Bokutachi no kazoku on the surface sounds like a boring tv soap. Mom starts to forget things and the family of four need to learn to deal with mom's illness. At the end of the screening I thought, "Wow, that is such a simple story but the execution and the acting is just superb".
Bokutachi no kazoku feels less than a family movie and more about well developed characters. The mother's forgetfullness turns into a great storylime tool as the family's past issues slowly come to life. Its one of the movies where no one is a caricature and first impressions are always wrong.
Tsumabuki Satoshi does great work as the older son and he does a great job conveying the great weight that is on his character's shoulders. Shingai from Mozu absolutely steals the movie as the younger son. All I can say about his performance is wow. Even Nagatsuka Kyozo looks like he's awake when it seema like he's sleepwalking through his dorama rolls. Hada Mieko looks like she's having a blast playing the mother.
This is jmovies at its finest. Simple but beautiful and saying a lot with less words. Absolutely must watch. Japanese should be flocking to Bokutachi no kazoku instead of the boring Thermae Romae 2.
Edit : I am sick of the song from Frozen/Anna to yuki no jyouou, Sono Mama being played everywhere I go. Must resist subliminal message to watch it....
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Mano Erina concert 2014 Again~ Live House de moetsukiyou! at Zepp Diver City
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Looking at the Mano Erina at Zepp Diver City 2014 songlist
Songlist taken from upfront life and and pictures stolen from barks.jp. No matter how much I think back to the concert, I can't hear the great performances until they release the dvd. :(
1. Seishun no seranade - Staple song from all her concerts. I don't hate it but I don't love it.
2. 10 Carat no kirameki - Didn't recognise this song. She's never sung it at a concert before and its not in my regular Mano Erina playlist.
3. Aozora ga waratteru - Another b-side single I do not know.
4. Zenbu Daisuki - At this point I'm thinking is she singing other Hello Project songs? I'm pretty sure she hasn't released any new songs.
5. Gomen hanashitakattakedo - I knew this was a Mano Erina song but I was thinking is this going to be a concert full of Mano Erina songs I don't know?
6. Ambitious! - Already heard watching chapter 2 of the Patlabor movie.
7. Mano Piano - So sad that there was only one piano song. The piano part seemed more complicated than usual. I was holding my breath thinking, don't fuck up lol. bframe wanted to hear lalalasososo.
Then we got the very long KFC commercial and yes, Taisei tasted all four flavours. Reading the recaps made me remember Mano Erina also did the yurushite nyan! Then it was band member introduction time with each member saying what their favourite food was.
8. Oyasumi nasai - The first acoustic song. I was blown away.
9. Iki wo kasanemashou - Sounded better than Nacchi's cd version. I was surprised she did the high parts well. Everyone was swaying with the song.
10. Hana kotoba - Mano Erina's acoustic performance completely destroys the cd version which sounds so boring in comparison.
11. Dare ni mo iwanaide - Love this song. Right amount of sexy and cute. I wasn't happy with the huge amount of talking *cough* Scandal *cough* but I think it was before this song when she says we were at the halfway point and I thought, "Yes that means we've got a lot of songs to go!" The second half was basically non-stop singing which is what I want in my concerts.
12. Onegai dakara
13. Medley - Doki doki baby, Junjou keisatsu KISS, 21 Seikiteki renai jijou, Lucky Aura, Hajime no Keiken, Song for the date. She should have taken out Junju keisatsu and Song for the date or even the B sides from the beginning.
14. Ambitious girls.
15. Glory Days - Meh
16. Sekai wa Summer Party! - Yes, I love this song!
17. Banzai! - I hated this song when it first came out. I thought it was trying to hard to be another chant along song like Genki mono de ikou but now I think doing the banzai, banzai, rakky, rakky is so fun and of course, towel waving. Taisei was dancing along during the two songs imitating the girls and doing a funny job at it.
18. Genki mono de ikou - The chant and dance along salaryman song. Icchyaina, icchyaina, itaikoto icchyaina! Too bad she didn't do the extra long version she did at previous concerts.
19. Seishun no seranade.
20. My Days for You - My favourite Mano Erina song and her singing the first half accompanied by only a keyboard was amazing. This was the goosebumps and something in my eye song. Need concert dvd so I can rip this performance.
21. Next Myself - Her final HP! single. Fans singing the refrain just makes it perfect.
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Leftover pictures and remaining Japan 2014 loot Part 1
Loot Part 1
Question is WTF am I going to find the time?
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Jmovie review: Like father, Like Son / Soshite chichi ni naru
I have been waiting for this movie for a long time after Koreeda Hirokazu's overly long Going My Home. Like Father, Like Son is a movie about two families whose children were switched at birth featuring a great cast of Machiko Ono, Yoko Maki and Lily Franky. Even Fukuyama Masaharu is perfectly cast as the successful father with his stiff acting.
If you're familiar with Koreeda movies, you know what to expect; the movie never gets too high or low but every single scene draws you in and sometimes one single sentence speaks volumes but Koreeda never milks any moment more than necessary.
Koreeda frames his shots so beautifully, its like watching someone painting on canvas and they way he captures that slight twitch, slight look of understanding and makes the viewer fell the emotion without the slighest overdramatisation is incredible.
Like Father, Like Son is a movie that explores not just themes of nurture vs nature but also uses the unique premise to talk about things like how to raise a child, whether empathy is a weakness and what makes a family. Absolutely brilliant family and character dorama.
My only complaint would be the English title which has a completely different meaning from the Japanese title which is a better description of the movie as the story is seen from the viewpoint of Fukuyama Masaharu's character.. Must watch movie and if Koreeda goes back to doramas, it better be 5 episodes at most.
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Mozu season 1 eps 3-10
Miharu-Rush's subs are up to episode 8 so spoilers for episode 9+10 will be white-outed. I went into Mozu with high hopes and its been mixed for me but one thing's for certain, Mozu season 1 has been sponsored by all cigarette companies since we don't see any brands. They smoke so much that I don't even feel like having a cigarette after wacthing.
WHAT I LIKED
+ The effort. They really wanted to do hard boiled cop action drama that doesn't end up in an abandoned warehouse. Can't fault them for that.
+ Chase sequence in ep 5. Not superb but not bad. Its something you see a lot in Hong Kong movies but its something you don't see in Japanese doramas/movies. I'm guessing shooting in public in Japan is a lot more expensive than in HK. I really like Yoshida Kotaro as the overacting bad guy. The only thing I didn't like was the punch by Kagawa Teruyuki that sent the baddie spinning onto the car boot as if Kagawa were a sentai ranger.
+ Shingai turned out to be the most interesting character in the show.
+ Kagawa Teruyuki daughter episode. A character episode that did more show than tell.
+ Moody and nicely framed camera shots.
+ The previews never failed to excite me.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
- Too much posturing, brooding and repeating the same thing over and over again by our main character Kuraki and not enough detective work. Kuraki is a character haunted by his past but the script is just not good enough.
- Too much telling and not showing. For example, Maki Yoko's dad's storyline. Every once in a while, some character will mention it as if to say, "Please keep this in the back of your mind for season 2" when they haven't exactly given me a reason to care. Let's not forget Kagawa Teruyuki reminding the audience how much he hates Public Security.
- Hiromi got shot multiple times, got stabbed through his heart by a gigantic spear and somehow managed to extricate his body from the spear and walk all the way through the sewer? They never explained Kazuhiko's black eye super power but that's tough to buy. So is Kazuhiko going to be as good a killer as Hiromi in season 2? Are they going to pull a Hiromi was actually Kazuhiko thinking he was Hiromi?
- We have to wait for season 2 for the daruma and glarke alpha, two things I have a hard time imagining a satisfying explanation.
SUMMARY
Good try but Mozu season 1 didn't reach must watch status. The action is there, the directing is there but the script is not polished enough. I'm still looking forward to season 2 though and am keeping my expectation lower this time. Its just unfortunate WOWOW doesn't have Japanese subs.
I've been told that Nishijima Hitedoshi is pretty popular with the ladies in Japan and I saw lots of advertisements of him selling refrigerators which explains the topless scene with Maki Yoko even though all the blood was coming from his head.
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Rest of Japan loot 2014 Part 2
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Yamikin Ushijima-kun Seasons 1 and 2
Can't believe I watched two seasons of Ushijima-kun in two days! I started watching Sunday night and overslept because it became a case of just watch one episode over and over. Yamikin Ushijima-kun is a story about this loan shark Ushijima played by Yamada Takayuki in his easiest acting role yet. All he has to do is just recite his lines with an expressionless face.
What I like about this loan shark dorama is that its not a fairytale story and has a touch of dark comedy. Its a show that delves into the lives of the desperate. People who are addicted on gambling or want to get rich quickly or work in the water business. You'd have to be pretty desperate to borrow money at 50% interest payable in 10 days.
I really liked Katase Nana as the newbie in the first season. Newbies are often used just to explain things to the audience and be their point of view but I find that making her someone who is smart and not so idealistic really brings a lot to the series. Plus, she has an interesting back story that should have been explored more and provides a lot of humour.
The stories are about Ushijima-kun's clients and are very interesting and things somehow get connected together in the end. Season 1 has pretty good pacing while season 2 just drags its feet because the multiple stories take all 9 episodes to resolve themselves. Season 1 for me was a very watchable show while season 2 just dragged especially with the fashion character's story that just dragged. The lack of Katase Nana's character also hurt season 2 IMO.
If you're after a darker, cynical dorama, I recommend the first season of Yamikin Ushijima-kun. It was a fun, breezy 9 episodes for me while I only finished the second season to see how things would end. Did I mention that there are a couple of JAV actresses in this series? :)
On an unrelated note, No Con Kid is being subbed into English by Akhora. I highly recommend it if you love retro gaming. It was one of my favourite shows from last year but it was such a good year that No Con Kid couldn't make it into my top 5.
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