Mokona Modoki

GO!GO!7188 lyrics

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:57:47 GMT

i sat down and romanized a few GO!GO!7188 song lyrics. i can't promise that they're 100% accurate, but i did my best to look up the kanji to match pronunciations to words. Lyrics are behind the cuts.

Kataomoi Faitaa (Unrequited Love Fighter)
Lyrics: Noma Akiko
Music: Nakashima Yuumi

ittan teishi mo furikitte
hajiridashita ano hi kara    shinten nashi
chuuburarinna koi okkochitekisou...
tenjou ini harikuita tameiki wa kazu shirezu    haa

ichidaikesshin kyou koso wa kono omoi tsutaenakuchau
    kyuutenkai!
kowakunai wake ga nai    yappayame you kana
kanjin to ki ni kagitte    te mo ashi mo denai no

nanimo dekinai mama    nobisugita maegami wa
sukoshi yowakina kokoro    kakusu noni choudo ii

mune ni aita ookina kuchi wa
amai okashi ja mitasarenai no    aa
kagami no naka niwa yokuparina kao
nemurenai    kataomoi faitaa

hito wo sukini natte kara no yoru wa nagakute
    setsunakute mamono mitai
yokarame kehai tadayou    ukkarishiteiru to
kisetsu wa itte shimau    ashiato mo nososazu ni

anata ga iru hibi ga    shabon ni natte kieteku
itami to hikikaeda to shitemo    te ni shitai no you mirai
--dekireba anata to isshoni--

mou mayowanakute ii youni
hasami nigitte maegami kitta
kagami no naka niwa sakki to wa chigau        lalalala...

anata ga inai        sekai wa iranai
dokomademo tsukinukeru sora
warau hibi mo namida no yoru mo        koukai shinai
nemuranai        kataomoi faitaa
atashi wa        kataomoi faitaa

Kangaegoto (Thoughts)
Lyrics: Noma Akiko
Music: Nakashima Yuumi

Shibaraku tenjou wo jitto minagara
    kangaegoto wo shiteita
Sanbanme no denkyuu wa tsuitari kietari pika tari
Noumiso ni yaki tsuita beesu no uneri wo omoidase suni
Kinou no koto omoinagara

Asa no fuan ni nayami nagara
Itsuno mani ka yume wo miteita
Asa no fuan ni nayami nagara
Itsuno mani ka yume wo miteita

Shibaraku tenjou wo jitto minagara
    kangeagoto wo shiteita
Sakki kara kuroi mushi ga migi kara hidari e yugoiteiru
Itsuno manika ame ga furidashiteiru youda
Kinou no koto omoinagara

Asa no fuan ni nayami nagara
Itsuno mani ka yume wo miteita
Asa no fuan ni nayami nagara
Itsuno mani ka yume wo miteita

Yanaka nandomo megasameru
Kimi ni yuukuki wo dasenai atashi ga iru
Kurai kara kowainjanai yo

Yama nai ame yama nai kokyuu
Kesenai fuan kesenai moumiso ni yaki tsuita kimi

Itsumo yori nagai yori

Kamisama no Hima Tsubushi (God's Spare Time)
Lyrics: Noma Akiko
Music: Nakashima Yuumi

Itsudatte atarashii koto ni
Kimi wa kokoro ubawareru kara
Kuru kuru to kawaru otenki nazo darake
Itsudatte terebi wo tsuketemo
Shiritai koto wa hitotsu mo nai yo
Nita youna uwasa bakari nazo ga nai
Te ni iretainda kimi no kokoro no chizu
Aa sagashiatetai takaramono no arika
Sono kokoro no oku wa tsukande yusapuru mono wa nani?
Kangaeteiru dakede hi ga kureru
Kurushikute setsunakute tanoshikute hi ga kureru

Kangutte arienai souzou e sondaka to omoeba warattari
Atashi wa atashi de soutou nazo darake
Hamatte shimattaru koi wa meiru
Ah kado wo yoku gareba iki tomaribakari

Monogatari no kagi wo nigitte asorideiru no wa dare?
Zuribun akushumina hima tsubushi
Taikutsu wo moteasobu kamisama no hima tsubushi

Kono tokoro no        (ano tokoro no)
Fuanna yoru wa        (fuanno yoru wa)
Mune no oku no oku ga        (mune no oku no oku ga)
chin chin to naki toosu

Ah aenai wake wa wakatteru noni
Monogatari no kagi wo nigitte asondeiru no wa dare?
Zuibun akushumina hima tsubushi

Sono no kokoro no tsukande yusaburu mono wa nani?
Kangaeteiru dakede hi ga kureru

Kurushikuite setsunakute tanoshikute hi ga kureru
Kurushikute setsunakute kono koi ni akekureru

Writer's Block: Top of the Charts

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:21:07 GMT

What's the most-played song in your music library?

View 2052 Answers

verified by last.fm

Glittering Cloud (Locusts) ~Imogen Heap

In a GO!GO!7188 Nutshell ~Tagged by Sujan~

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:02:04 GMT

Using only song titles from ONE ARTIST, cleverly think of answers to these questions. Then tag 15 friends. Try not to repeat song names. It's harder than you think! It's best to pick a band with a large catalog.

i'm going to refrain from tagging peoples, but feel free to do this.
Pick Your Artist: GO!GO!7188

Are you male or female?: Kunoichi (Femme Ninja)

Describe yourself: Hitoritabi (Traveling Solo)

How do you feel about yourself: I'm a Lucky Girl

Describe your current boy/girl situation: Kinkyori Ren'ai (Short-Distance Love)

Describe where you currently live: Yuki ga Furanai Machi (A Town Where Snow Doesn't Fall)

If you could go anywhere you wanted to go: Eiga to Amefuri no Asa (A Morning of Movies and Falling Rain)

Your favorite form of transportation: Futatsu no Ashioto (Two Footsteps)

Your best friend(s) is(are): Sannin no Boogie Man (Three Boogie Men)

Your favorite color is: Ruriiro (Azure)

Favorite time of day: Nemuri no Asase (Shoals of Sleep)

If your life were a TV show, what would it be called: Nanashi (Untitled)

What is life to you: Kamisama no Hima Tsubushi (God's Spare Time)

What is the best advice you have to give: Aa, Seishun (Ah, Youth)

Thought for the Day: Kangaegoto (Thoughts)

How I would like to die: Dotanba de KYANSERU (A Last-Minute Cancellation)

My soul's present condition: Nounai Traveler (Mind Traveler)

animated movie meme

Fri, 08 May 2009 23:38:21 GMT

i swiped this meme from my friend sallow_carrot. and i made a few ghibli and non-ghibli additions.

"X" what you've seen, "O" what you haven't finished but saw sizeable portions of, leave blank what you haven't seen at all. Bold what you loved and strike through what you didn't like.

Classic Disney
--------------
[X] 101 Dalmatians (1961)
[X] Alice in Wonderland (1951)
[X] Bambi (1942)
[X] Cinderella (1950)
[X] Dumbo (1941)
[x] Fantasia (1940)
[X] Lady and the Tramp (1955)
[X] Mary Poppins (1964)
~~[X] Peter Pan (1953)~~ hated this movie. but i love Peter Pan now that i'm older.
~~[X] Pinocchio (1940)~~ i think my dislike for this movie stems from the fact that it cuts off the ending of Unico on the VHS it was recorded on.
[X] Sleeping Beauty (1959)
~~[X] Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)~~
[ ] Song of the South (1946)

Disney's Dark Age
-----------------
~~[X] The Aristocats (1970)~~ couldnt stand the white girly kitten. wanted to toss her in a sack into the river.
[ ] The Black Cauldron (1985)
~~[X] The Fox and the Hound (1981)~~
[X] The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
[X] The Jungle Book (1967)
[ ] The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
[o] Oliver and Company (1986)
[X] Pete's Dragon (1977)
[X] The Rescuers (1977)
[X] Robin Hood (1973)
[X] The Sword In The Stone (1963) mad mad mad mad madam mim.

The Disney Renaissance
----------------------
[X] Aladdin (1992)
[X] Beauty and the Beast (1991)
[X] A Goofy Movie (1995)
[X] Hercules (1997)
[X] The Little Mermaid (1989)
[X] The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) i probably should have just bolded all of these, but i was especially fond of this one. the soundtrack was the best!
[X] The Lion King (1994)
[X] Mulan (1998)
[X] Pocahontas (1995)
[X] The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
[X] Tarzan (1999)

Disney's Modern Age
-------------------
[ ] Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
[X] Bolt (2008)
[X] Brother Bear (2003)
[ ] Chicken Little (2005)
[ ] Dinosaur (2000)
[X] The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
[ ] Fantasia 2000 (2000)
[ ] Home on the Range (2004)
[x] Lilo & Stitch (2002) LOVED LOVED LOVED!!
[X] Treasure Planet (2002)
[X] Meet the Robinsons (2007)

Pixar
-----
[X] A Bug's Life (1998)
[X] Cars (2006)
[X] Finding Nemo (2003)
[X] The Incredibles (2004)
[X] Monsters Inc. (2001)
[X] Ratatouille (2007)
[X] Toy Story (1995)
[X] Toy Story 2 (1999)
[X] Wall-E (2008)

Dreamworks
----------
[X] Antz (1998)
[X] Kung Fu Panda (2008)
~~[X] Madagascar (2005)~~
[ ] Over the Hedge (2006)
[X] The Prince of Egypt (1998)
[ ] The Road to El Dorado (2000)
[X] Shrek (2001)
[X] Shrek 2 (2004)
~~[X] Shrek The Third (2007)~~
[X] Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

Don Bluth
---------
[X] All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
[X] An American Tail (1986)
[X] An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)
[X] Anastasia (1997)
[X] The Land Before Time (1988) what kid didn't like this one?
[ ] The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)
[x] Rock-a-Doodle (1991)
[X] The Secret of NIMH (1982)
[X] Thumbelina (1994)
[X] Titan AE (2000)
[ ] A Troll in Central Park (1994)

Stop Motion
----------
[ ] The Adventures of Mark Twain (1986)
[ ] Chicken Run (2000)
[ ] Corpse Bride (2005)
[X] James and the Giant Peach (1996)
[X] The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
[ ] Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
[ ] Coraline (2009)

CGI Glut
---------------------
~~[X] Happy Feet (2006)~~
[X] Monster House (2006)
[X] The Polar Express (2004)

Imports
--------
[ ] Arabian Knight (aka The Thief and the Cobbler) (1995)
[X] The Last Unicorn (1982)
[ ] Light Years
[ ] Triplets of Belleville, The (2003)
[X] Persepolis (2007)
[ ] Waltz With Bashir (2008)
[o] Watership Down (1978)
[ ] When the Wind Blows (1988)
[ ] Yellow Submarine (1968)

Studio Ghibli/Miyazaki
-------------
[X] Grave of the Fireflies
[X] Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
[X] Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
[X] Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986)
[X] Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
[X] My Neighbors The Yamadas
[X] My Neighbor Totoro (1993)
[X] Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
[X] Only Yesterday
[X] Pom Poko (Tanuki War)
[X] Porco Rosso (1992)
[X] Princess Mononoke (1999)
[X] Spirited Away (2002)
[X] Whisper of the Heart
[ ] Ocean Waves (Umi ga Kikoeru)
[X] Tales from Earthsea
[X] The Cat Returns
[X] Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea

i added four more to the list. seriously, dude. you can't forget Ponyo!! and i almost bolded them all.

Satoshi Kon
-----------
[X] Millennium Actress (2001) i think it's definitely his best.
[X] Paprika (2006)
[x] Perfect Blue (1999)
[ ] Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
[ ] Memories - "Magnetic Rose" (1995)

Shinkai Makoto
------------
[ ] She and Her Cat (1999)
[ ] Voices of a Distant Star (2001)
[X] The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004) kinda of a let down.
[ ] 5 Centimeters per Second (2007)

Other Anime Films
-----------------
~~[x] Akira (1989)~~ i took many times, but i eventually made it to the end of this movie.
[ ] Appleseed
[ ] Appleseed: Ex Machina
[ ] Arcadia of My Youth (U.S. Title - Vengeance of the Space Pirate)
[x] Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2003)
[ ] The Dagger of Kamui (U.S. Title - Revenge of the Ninja Warrior)
[ ] Dirty Pair: Project Eden
[x] End of Evangelion
[ ] Fist of the North Star
[X] Galaxy Express 999 dude! this is hitting blu-ray this year at 09/09/09. clever!
[x] Ghost in the Shell (1996)
[X] The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
[ ] Lensman
[ ] Macross: Do You Remember Love (U.S. Title - Clash of the Bionoids)
[X] Metropolis (2001)
[ ] Neo-Tokyo
[x] Ninja Scroll
[ ] Patlabor the Movie
[ ] The Professional: Golgo 13
[X] Project A-ko there were actually several Project A-ko 'films.' and they were quite hilarious.
[ ] Robot Carnival
[ ] Robotech: The Shadow Chronicle
[ ] Silent Mobius
[ ] Space Adventure Cobra
[X] Steamboy (2004)
[ ] Sword of the Stranger
[X] Unico and the Island of Magic the awesomest of awesomes! it's unico. seriously.
[ ] Urotsukidoji: The Movie
[x] Vampire Hunter D
[x] Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust
[ ] Wings of Honneamise: Royal Space Force

Cartoons For Grown-Ups
----------------------
[ ] American Pop
[ ] The Animatrix (2003)
[ ] Beavis & Butthead Do America (1996)
[ ] Cool World
[X] Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)
[X] Final Fantasy: Advent Children
[ ] Fire & Ice
[ ] Fritz the Cat (1972)
[ ] Heavy Metal (1981)
[ ] Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)
[ ] Hey Good Looking
[ ] Lady Death
[ ] A Scanner Darkly (2006)
[X] South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
[ ] Street Fight (AKA - Coonskin)
[ ] Waking Life (2001)

Other Animated Movies I Can't Categorize
-------------------------------
[ ] Animal Farm
[ ] Animalympics
[ ] Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon The Movie
[ ] Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
[X] The Brave Little Toaster (1988)
[ ] Bravestarr: The Movie
[x] Care Bears: The Movie and all the other care bear movies!
[X] Charlotte's Web (1973)
[X] FernGully
[ ] G.I. Joe: The Movie
[ ] Gobots: Battle of the Rock Lords
[x] He-Man & She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword
[X] The Hobbit (1977)
[X] The Iron Giant (1999)
[ ] Justice League: The New Frontier
[ ] Lord of the Rings
[X] Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1992) pajama pajama pajammy jam!
[x] My Little Pony: The Movie
[o] Pink Floyd's The Wall (1982)
[ ] Powerpuff Girls: The Movie
[o] Quest For Camelot (1999)
[ ] Ringing Bell
[ ] Rock & Rule
[ ] Space Jam
[ ] Starchaser: The Legend of Orin
[ ] Superman: Doomsday
[X] The Swan Princess (1995) it had great songs! and even a Dreams Come True song and video at the end. they're a popular Japanese pop group.
[o] Transformers: The Movie (1986)
[ ] Wizards
[X] Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
[ ] Wonder Woman
[x] The Rainbow Brite Movie another kiddie classic.
[X] Balto

Writer's Block: More Island Time

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 07:42:03 GMT

You're packing your bag for that other desert island—the one with no electricity—what 5 books do you take with you?

Submitted By mika_uriah

View 501 Answers

The Red Queen
Fall On Your Knees
Peter Pan
Blade of the Immortal: Dreamsong
The Holy Bible (maybe i'll actually read the entire thing this time around)

Writer's Block: AKA

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:33:11 GMT

What's the story behind your username?

View 503 Answers

The Geisha Army. founded 2001. it started out as a fictional band i created and wrote short stories about. a small rock band that had a great heyday in the massachussetts area. i was quite proud of the band name as it really does have a strong image. the geisha army came to life outside my stories as well. i started recruiting friends to be part of my own personal Geisha Army. i even made Geisha Army t-shirts for many of them. and that's pretty much what The Geisha Army is and what it means.

Music that Shaped my 2008

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:58:44 GMT

5 albums that shaped my 2008
1. 569 ~GO!GO! 7188
I received this cd as part of a package from Lilly. I believe I had requested some Go!Go! if she chanced upon it. She came through with this baby. It came in a lovely package shortly after the traumatic loss of my car Soren. While I soon had another car Alohomora, I had difficulty warming to her. 569 (pronounced "Go Roku" or "Go Rock") was the only cd I had in Alohomora for months, but we never grew tired of it. It was the first thing we bonded over. We listened to this cd well into the summer months.

2. Girls and Boys ~Ingrid Michaelson
I thank nathan for this find. As soon as he saw the video for "The Way I Am", he was hooked. Ingrid was his new girl. If it wasn't for this new found crush, I would have written Ingrid off as a singer-jinglewriter girl with one mediocre hit on the Old Navy commercial. This album started off super strong with great melodies and solid imagery. It's very easy to sing along. It easily became a favourite album to have on hand. And she's superb live!

3. Today ~Angela Aki
I may be cheating a little bit, as I first listened to this album last year, but I can certainly say that this album definitely had an impact on my 2008. I equate Angle's music to family, so listening to her songs helped me to reconnect to my family members, those by genes and those by made by choice. I think it's fitting as I've be able to catch up with some friends, and unfortunately fell out of touch with others. Angie helped to keep them in my thoughts.

4. Wicked ~ Original Broadway Cast/ Original Japanese Cast
It all started with wanting to listen to Glinda's perky "Popular" song over the summer. And there you have it, a full on obsession with the musical about the life of The Wicked Witch of the West. I was reading the book, listening the Menzel's solo album and fawning over Chenoweth on Pushing Daisies. I discovered there was a Japanese production and picked up the Japanese Cast recording cd on site. My world was very "Wicked" for a couple months straight. I went on a break and was recently reminded of my recent love affair by Frances and her discovery of Wicked and Elphie and Glinda. It's nice to share love affairs with others.

5. Deep Cuts ~The Knife
Oh, The Knife. A sibling duo! And we know how much I like my sibling acts. So, the song that beckons me (and you) to this album is "Heartbeats." But the rest of this album (and the Silent Shout album) is solid! While GO!GO! 7188 was the soundtrack for my bonding with my second car Alohomora, The Knife was one of the artists that my first car Soren and I bonded to. I still have fresh memories of racing home with Soren to "Girl's Night Out." Not much else to be said about this album, but it was definitely on constant play for the first 2 months of this year.

5 Stand Out Songs of My 2008
1. For Good ~Idina Menzal & Kristen Chenoweth (Wicked musical)
I had a pretty intense love affair with this song this past summer. It found it very poignant conversation between two best friends. It made me recall my friends and the separate paths we each have made for ourselves. And while Elphaba and Galinda may never see or speak to each other ever again after this duet, I felt lucky that I was able to keep in touch with my friends, even if only from time to time. I want to be sure that I do my best to continue to do so in the future.

2. I'm Yours ~Jason Mraz
This song probably shaped everyone's 2008. and I technically discovered this song over 2 years ago. So maybe it's pushing it to say it helped shaped my 2008. This is one of those songs that Nathan and I like to sing, so it's always on our playlist whenever we have a karaoke night in. When the song was officially released as a single this summer, we only grew more fond of the song. Yes, the radio may overplay it, but the song is so earnest and carefee, I'm always glad to sing along.

3. The Chain ~Ingrid Michaelson w/ Hotel Cafe girls
Oh! How I ADORE this song!! The first time I heard Ingrid sing it live back in March, I fell in love. It was love at first hearing. After the show, I was constantly humming the melody to myself to engrave it into memory. I didn't want to forget it. And cheers for YouTube for providing me a way to listen to the performance.

4. Gake no Ue no Ponyo ~Fujioka Fujimaki & Nozomi Ohashi
Ponyo!! This song is ridiculously infectious. Once you get it in your head, it stays and you eventually get others around you humming it, and they don't even know what the song it. It was always at the tip of my brain even when I hadn't thought about it in weeks.

5. Umbrella ~Rhianna/Ingrid Michaelson/Marie Digby/Anyone else
Another karaoke song for Nathan and me. It was a pretty huge pop hit last year or the year before, and I never cared for it then. This year, Ingrid and her little ukulele made me think twice about the song. While I think the lyrics are crap, it's still a classic pop song. On my birthday, on our way home from the Hall & Oates show, the song came on the radio. I'll be damned if we didn't crank up the volume, start belting out the awful lyrics and dancing in our seats. Great 2008 memory indeed.

Wicked: Original Broadway Cast

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:46:47 GMT

Wicked is a musical with songs by Stephen Schwartz, based on the Gregory Macguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. It is a story about the Elphaba, her rocky relationship with Galinda (Glinda the Good) and the events leading to her becoming the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical debuted on Broadway fall 2003, with Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth starring at Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The musical songs performed by the Menzel and Chenoweth and the original cast were recorded and released on cd. This album has been my current ear-obsession.

When i initially heard this album a year ago, I was immediately taken with Elphaba and Galinda. Our two witches have fantastic voices and great songs together. They were so good, in fact, that their songs were pretty much all i listened to. I found the other songs stale and sometimes cringe-worthy and easily skipped over the tracks. Recently, I got the urge to listen to a couple of the Elphaba-Galinda songs. I decided to listen to the entire album again. A year later, i believe i have dismissed the other songs and cast members too easily.

Elphaba and Galinda. The stars of our story. Menzel and Chenoweth each give strong vocals, but they come together to perfect harmonies and unisons effortlessly. I found that amazing, considering Menzel's powerhouse and Chenoweths operatic soprano styles are so different. Examples of these perfect harmonies and unisons are Defying Gravity and For Good. Chenoweth, though a soprano, took the lower harmonies much of the time when dueting with Menzel. I was amused and thankful for this. While Galinda is, technically, a leading character, she still remains a supporting character for our title character Elphaba. This was definitely demonstrated in the vocal arrangement of the songs.

Chenoweth was still allowed to shine in full soprano glory in songs with Galinda and chorus. I must admit, i found this quite startling at first, but it really does suit Galinda, and sets her far above the chorus of Ozians. No One Mourns the Wicked and Thank Goodness showcase Chenoweth's soprano efforts.

Menzel is the powerhouse, as i've said before. Her vocals definitely gave Elphaba's character the confidence and determination. No Good Deed. But her peformance isn't always full-force and gut-punching. She was definitely able to bring things down a notch or too and demonstrate Elphaba's vulnerabilities. Case in point, I'm Not That Girl.

Leo Norbert Butz is Fiyero, the love interest, is introduced and commences his frivolous song Dancing Through Life. i absolutely hated him and his song, upon initial listening. Now, it doesn't seem as obnoxious. There are great segues to scenes between different characters with a repeating theme, [we] deserve each other. Butz is also showcased in the love duet with Menzel, As Long As You're Mine. I found his vocals to take on a modern crooner tone, which pairs up interestingly with Menzel's strong vocals. Not too shabby a duet.

While I've found value in the entire album, there's still no doubt that the main attraction is Menzel and Chenoweth. They easily steal the show from all others, and it's a pleasure listening to them clash in rivalry and come together in friendship.

mr. shen gets a new job.

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:12:38 GMT

here's a little video from mr. alex shen, of Gashapon Shop fame. this is a little short he did for gamepro.com. it pertains to metal gear solid 4.
http://www.gamepro.com/video/player.cfm?vid=128700

check it out and vote ridiculously high on it. i'm sure he'd appreciate it. and it's pretty funny.

THIS is MY summer blockbuster

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:20:42 GMT

holy shoes! when the hell did this happen?! O_O' i can't believe this came at me out of nowhere. i'm so excited, you have no idea, i have no idea! http://youtube.com/watch?v=R7oacpg-TPQ

GO!GO!7188: 569

Sat, 17 May 2008 18:56:27 GMT

GO!GO!7188 is a three piece rock band hailing from Japan. Their sound varies from song to song, album to album, ranging from your standard alternative rock to punk to a little surf rock. They seem to draw from different sources that give their sound a little more life and colour. The fifth album 569 is a prime example of this.

569 is a play on the japanese words for 569. "Go-Roku-Ku," which sounds like the English "Go Rock." This album is a well put-together list of tracks. It opens up perfectly with the driving guitar rock song "Ashi no Ke (Leg Hair)," and definitely grabs your attention. You wet you toes a little and are ready to jump into the water.

"Nounai Traveler (Mind Traveler)" and "Manatsu no Dancehall (Midsummer Dancehall)" continue drawing you in until your fully immersed in the album. Each a solid track on its own, but they flow well in succession with "Ashi no Ke" while immediately satisfying any curiosities of they style variations. Nounai Traveler is a little more moody groove with Akko's bass finding a little more spotlight. This one is definitely one to bop your head or tap your toes to. "Manatsu no Dancehall" takes you back several decades with its lighter tone and melody. It definitely evokes images of girls in pink dresses fawning over mop-headed Beatles look-a-likes and beach parties with Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. I definitely enjoyed the little surfer guitar reverb riff leading to the brief guitar solo. Classic touch!

The next song worth mentioning is my standout track of the album. Track 6. "Nemuri no Asase (Shoals of Sleep)." The melody is quite wistful and almost haunting. It really sounds like something that would be caught on the tip of your brain between wake and dreams. Quite gorgeous. Yuu's vocals really befit this tone, with Akko's perfect harmonies. Great composition, balancing drums and guitar so they don't over power the melody and render it unconscious. It's genius, I tell you. I love this song.

GO!GO! picks things up again with more attitude and mood with songs like "Rock Star Ni Natta Nara (If I Were a Rock Star)" and "I'm A Lucky Girl." They bring the energy back down with tracks "Aoi Yoru (Blue Night)" and "Esoragot (Pipe Dream)" to wind up the album on a healthy satiated note.

This album is worth the listen and the money to own. You can find copies at cdjapan and YesAsia.

Hotel Cafe Tour 2008: The Clubhouse, Tempe, AZ

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 05:49:14 GMT

Hotel Cafe Tour 2008. March 11, 2008. The Clubhouse, Tempe, AZ.

This tour has a long lineup of artists of all types, who are rotated between shows. Five to six artists perform at any one show. For The Clubhouse lineup included: Jim Bianco, Cary Brothers (co-organizer), Kate Havnevik, Greg Laswell, Jessie Baylin and Ingrid Michaelson. The show was divided into two sets. Each set featured all six artists, each peforming 3-4 songs at a time.

--Set One--

Jim Bianco kicks off the show, with a poorly chosen opening song. He opens with a slow sentimental love song. It wasn't nearly enough to jumpstart the crowd who has been waiting for an hour now. It irritated some of my concert-going companions who quickly decided to sit outside during his session on stage.

Cary Brothers is up next with a little more upbeat but keep things on the singer-songwriter mellow.

Kate Havnevik brought a little electronic flavor to the set with her three songs. She was able to get the kids moving and dancing with her. She had a stage presence I found charming and downright cute (I just wanted to pet her head, despite her probably being much taller than I). Her music was a merge of Bjork vocals and Imogen Heap sonic layerings. I enjoyed her performances and was eager to see her again in the second set.

Greg Laswell was the depressing piano boy (though he handled himself rather well on the guitar). He started explaining each of his songs with "this song was written when i was going through a rough time." He professes he is mended and well these days, but you still wonder if he wrote any songs outside of this rough time period. his sad songs amused me in this set. "Do What I Can" included a little backstory that I found interesting. The opening line is "Oh, Lady, don't you worry." He explains, that when he was a kid he made an astonishing realization that his mother was also 'a lady.' He took to the idea so much, he decided calling her 'Lady' instead of 'Mom/Mother.' I rather liked the story. "What a Day" had some spot-n harmonies, which made me noticed the back up femme vocals provided by Allie Moss.

Sidenote: I was quite smitten by Allie's voice and low-key professionalism on stage. She was able to sound great with many of the co-headlining artists on. I was amazed. She was the first one I looked up on MySpace when I had the chance. I'm still smitten.

Jessie Baylin was a sultry voice. her songs were bluesy, folk rock, and sometimes jazzy. She wasn't my particular favourite performer, but she does have stage presence. "Was I On Your Mind" was the stand out song to me. (Honestly, I can't remember if it was in this set or the second).

Ingrid Michaelson was the final act of both sets. She opens up her session with "Breakable," a personal fave. It was just her on a keyboard off in a corner of the stage. A very simple lovely performance. She gave a backstory on her next song, "Overboard," which I will paraphrase: She and a friend were on a tour and a lobsterman was explaining the ways of catching lobster. The friend was very much into the lobster man and said she'd let him catch her in one of his lobster traps and she's fall over to do so. Ingrid was slightly appalled at the thought, but she's glad she got a song out of it. She finished up with "Die Alone" and assured the audience she'd be back later on.

--Set Two--

Jim Bianco returns with a more upbeat set of songs. This included a song for strippers and round out-and-about in the crowd. The audience seemed to really enjoy the out-and-about in the crowd song. It was during this set that I realized Mr. Bianco reminded me of Tulei. Presence and attitude-wise. It made me want to see Tulei do a live.

Kate Havnevik comes back and gets the kids dancing with her again. She remained to be cute and effervescent. Her song "Timeless," her closing song was very nice indeed. She must have been popular with the crowd, as all her cds at the merch table were already sold out. Good for her!

Jessie Baylin is up again with more bluesy rock and a smoky voice. "Leave Your Mark" was the ultimate Jessie Baylin song. It was mellow, smooth and just as sultry as she. She grew on me more during this set. Maybe I was finally being lulled by her.

Greg Laswell comes back with the quick re-introduction as "the soundtrack to your suicide." He came on asking the crown not to kill themselves. This set was full of more sad songs, but it wasn't as interesting at the first set. It was on a much more quiet note, almost to the point of comatose. The crowd did perk up when he announced he would play a cover for his last song and turned it into a guessing game. He did a nice job dishing out the most depressing, heart-wrenching version of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (made famous by Cyndi Lauper). I really enjoyed it, as he completely twisted the lyrics to mean something else. Instead of a girl who's liberated and free and shouting to the world she's out to have fun, we hear a girl who's been imprisoned and sadly stares out through steel bars at all the Cyndis dancing about in the sun. It truly is heart-breaking.

Cary Brothers again picks up the pace and kicks off his second set with "Ride." It got the blood flowing in me and gave me a little boost to make it through the rest of the show. I appreciated this wholly. He finished off with a song familiar to my ears, "Blue Eyes." It was featured on the "Garden State" movie soundtrack. This performance was nice, as Cary brought all the artists on the stage to sing chorus alongside him. It was a great group effort, and I felt part of the group as I sung along.

Ingrid is back. She walks out on stage alone with a ukulele in her arms. With no introduction, she launched into a cover song of her own. Radiohead's "Creep." I never thought I'd ever see/hear Creep performed with a ukulele, but it worked extremely well. Definitely, check out it in your free internet time.

Ingrid's set continues with a new song of hers., "The Chain." She brings out all the girls (Jessie, Kate, and Allie the backup singer) on stage for this one. She explains she wrote a round for 3 singers, but they were going to try it with 4 singers tonight. Not sure how it would turn out, and how new the song is, she asked the audience to "be gentle with my baby." It was such a lovely song! If I could have recorded that performance, I would have it on my playlist right now. Check out the YouTube videos for a glimpse of this song with the four girls. It's so lush and vibrant. Dammit, I wish had that song in my pocket.

Ingrid finishes her set and the show with her now well-known "The Way I Am," utilizing audience participation. She took a moment to quickly train the audience to clap along and then stop on cue. It took a few initial tests, but most of us in the crowd learned quickly. She sang the song and directed the audience rhythmic clapping. It was fun a solid end to a great night of music.

Final Notes: I should have bought a Hotel Cafe Tour 2008 t-shirt. I really wanted one but decided I didn't need it.

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:23:27 GMT

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool... (It will compromise the divination :-) )
7. When you're finished tag some other people to do it!

Opening Credits:
徒然謌 (tsurezure uta) ~Kagrra,

Waking Up:
...Said Sadly ~Smashing Pumpkins
(a rather somber way to wake up)

First Day At School:
A Walk Outside ~Butterfly Boucher

Falling In Love:
Just My Imagination ~The Cranberries
(the vibe of this song definitely could characterize a falling in love scene)

Fight Song:
Weapons of Destruction ~Hive
(oddly appropriate, i'd say)

Breaking Up:
Crucify ~Tori Amos
(must have been a bitter break up)

Prom:
Soul Back ~Butterfly Boucher

Life:
Lady Picture Show ~Stone Temple Pilots

Making babies:
Hoppípolla ~Sigur Rós

Mental Breakdown:
Strange & Beautiful (I'll Put a Spell on You) ~Aqualung

Driving:
Caring is Creepy ~James Mercer

Flashback:
Heartbreaker ~Pat Benatar

Getting back together:
It's Too Late ~Derek and the Dominos
(haha)

Wedding:
Scared of You ~ Nelly Furtado
(awesome)

Birth of Child:
Starting Today ~Natalie Imbruglia
(you know, i think it's a rather sweet song for a parent to sing to a newborn child)

Final Battle:
Good Times Gonna Come ~Aqualung

Death Scene:
Honne Fuusen ~GO!GO!7188

Funeral Song:
Tsumi ~Ogata Megumi

End Credits:
Wild ~Poe

iTunes Meme

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:49:18 GMT

iTunes Meme

Total Number of Songs:
7542

Total Length of Music:
21.4 days

Sort By Song Title:
First Song: A ~GO!GO!7188
Last Song: !@*$%# ~Fischerspooner

Sort By Time:
Shortest Song: Interlude-Let's Dance ~Janet Jackson
Longest Song: "Enemy of the Enemy" Album DJ Mix ~Asian Dub Foundation

Sort By Artist:
First Song: Can't Help Falling In Love ~A*Teens
Last Song: Lovesong ~311

Sort By Album:
First Song: 100 Years ~Five for Fighting
Last Song: Why I'm So Unhappy ~Dntel

Sort By Genre:
First Song: Hallelujah ~Imogen Heap
Last Song: Wildcats ~"no artist"

Sort By Last Played:
First Song: Up To My Neck In You ~Mark Kozelek
Last Song: Dear, My Angel ~Ogata Megumi

Top 10 Most Played:
1. Nothing Better ~The Postal Service
2. Such Great Heights ~The Postal Service
3. Senkou ~UA
4. Brand New Colony ~The Postal Service
5. Buena Estrella ~Aterciopelados
6. Hey Julie ~Fountains of Wayne
7. Baracunatana ~Aterciopelados
8. Tear You Apart ~She Wants Revenge
9. In You're Not Scared ~K's Choice
10.At The Stars ~Better Than Ezra

First Five Songs in Shuffle:
1. America ~West Side Story (Movie cast)
2. 人生一路 (Jinsei Ichiro) ~Misora Hibari
3. The Bagman's Gambit ~The Decemberists
4. The Wardrobe ~Harry Gregson-Williams (The Chronicle of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)
5. The Break of Dawn ~Ogata Megumi

"Sex", how many songs come up? 37
"Love", how many songs come up? 419
"Death", how many songs come up? 22
"Hate", how many songs come up? 13, including titles "W(hate)ver"
"Wish", how many songs come up? 28

i was tagged.

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:40:07 GMT

Here's the deal: People who have been tagged post their answers and replace any question they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves. Tag 5 people. Those who are tagged cannot refuse (well, I'm saying you can refuse if you really don't want to do it). These 5 people must state who they were tagged by. You cannot tag the person who tagged you.

Note: i will not tag, for i have no one to tag, but i do like to answer questions and surveys.

1. You have 50 dollars in your pocket what do you do with it?

unfortunately, i'd most likely waste it on eating out. i need to get out of this expensive habit. but everyone around me wants to go out and eat out of convenience or escapism.

2. What is your most guilty pleasure?

sleeping in. my coworker thinks i have a slightly unhealthy obsession with sleep.

3. Have you ever seen someone die?

i have not.

4. Are you confused as to what lies ahead of you?

always. but i try not to worry about it too much. sometimes, i'm successful, sometimes not.

5. What was the last movie you saw, for pleasure, and would you recommend it?

michael clayton. no. it was a slow movie for the most part. great performances, but painfully slow and non-thrilling story.

6. Superman or Batman?

batman. for whatever geeky reason you can think of.

7. If the person you like does not accept you, would you continue to wait for them to change their feelings?

no. i think that's pointless. we've got our own lives to make something of. no time to wait around for some other joe schmoe.

**8. Current song/album you've been listening to repeatedly?

mark kozelek's "what's next to the moon."

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy recently?

plenty. my car's declared as a total loss. the insurance company is giving less than what i still own on him. i need to look for and buy another car. i need to round up money for a palauan tradition. and in my pessimistic mood, a trip to japan to visit P3of3 is looking shaky.

10. If you could have chosen at birth whether to be a boy or a girl, which would you be?

it'd be interesting to see how life as a boy would be, but honestly, i kinda like how i turned out, so a girl i'd be.

11. Which of the 7 Deadly Sins do you think you relate to the most & why?

sloth. i'm lazy, obsessed with sleep and relaxing, and unmotivated to get things done.

12. If you find out that your best friend is going out with your boyfriend/girlfriend, how would you react?

o_O' then i'd remove myself from the entire equation.

13. Who is(are) currently the most important person(s) to you?

the family. the boy. the dog. (the dog may come before the boy. ha!)

14. Would you rather be a really good person or a really interesting person?

at this point in life, i'd settle for being an interesting person. i think i quit worrying about being a good person a while ago.

15. Do you believe in some form of life after death?

i'd like to think so. but it's up in the air.

16. Which fictional character could you most see yourself marrying?

i don't see myself marrying. period.

17. Would you give your all in a relationship?

recently, i find i've become quite a selfish person. so, probably not.

18. Do you have a motto? If yes which one?

maybe? "wait for it." it could imply that either something worthwhile will happen in the future and/or i'm just a lazy bastard to do it now.

19. What is your favourite past-time?

sleeping in. watching movies. critiquing movies. chatting with my co-workers j. and s. and the boy.

20. What place most speaks to you?

my bed or the living room floor. it's where i do the bulk of my sleeping and relaxing.

Travis: Live at the Marquee Theater, Tempe, AZ

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:43:08 GMT

TRAVIS is an amazing live band. they performed tonight at the Marquee Theater in Tempe, AZ.

Maximo Park. the opening act kicked things off with some vigor. they had energy and put on a good show, but i wasn't swayed enough to purchase a cd.

Travis.
the lights go off and spotlights are on the crowd. staff members creep onto stage and shine more lights on the crowd, and you can hear the 20th Century Fox fanfare. following was the Rocky fight anthem with spotlights on the doors in the back. the boys of Travis come down and make their way thru the crowds. they passed before me and others (there were two tall guys between me and band. i was close!). the band made their way to the stage and kicked things off smart with Selfish Jean. the fans were already bouncing along in time.

they peformed a great variety of songs, drawing from all albums, old and new.

Driftwood. i cheered as fran jumped onto the edge of the stage before me and the surrounding crowd, as andy and his guitar led us into Driftwood. i belted that one out like nothing else. and i wasn't the only one. that was definitely awesome to me. i loved it.

My Eyes. fran explained he wrote this song when he discovered he was going to be a father. he also went on to say that dougie (bassist whom i think is super cute) is now a father and has joined the rest of the band in fatherhood. on a related note, the album The Boy With No Name is in reference to fran's son who didn't have a name until weeks after his birth.

All I Wanna Do Is Rock. from their debut album Good Feeling. great to hear these two songs. All I Wanna Do Is Rock is the perfect live song for Travis. It's fantastic. andy went nuts with his guitar. he climbed the speakers and played quite aggressively above everyone. it was quite a show.

Good Feeling. also from their debut album. in this song, they featured their keyboardist for the tour. a swedish man by the name of Claus. in this particular song, Claus has a solo. before playing the song, fran (lead singer) prepped the audience. he instructed us to point and yell out Claus's name throughout his piano solo. (**point point point point** Claus! Claus! Claus! Claus!) apparently, it's been a running tradition for their current US tour. and happy to say, the tempe crowd did a damn fine job. i love audience participation.

Twenty. fran came out and did one acoustic song. without amps, without a mic. the audience were all hushed for this special performance. fran explained he wrote the song when he was twenty. and it's a song reflecting on your years as a growing teen and your coming of age at twenty. it was a quiet little melody. i appreciated the quiet little break.

Flowers in the Window. the rest of the boys came out on stage and gathered behind fran, as he plugged his guitar back into the amp. the boys had their arms around one another's shoulders and sway in tune. fran started off solo strong on the verses. the boys broke out singing during the choruses, encouraging the audience members to join them. again, i love audience participation!

Why Does It Always Rain On Me? the final song of the show. i found it appropriate as it was their first single here in the states. and i think it's always good to end shows on a familiar note.

the show was amazing. the boys of travis are excellent performers. andy was always rocking out with his guitar. fran took time between songs to talk to the audience and interact with them. and he never seemed out of breath. dougie usually just smile from the side and coolly played his bass guitar. neil was hidden away behind his drum set, but i liked how fran visited him frequently during instrumentals. good chemistry between the boys. they seem like a tightly knit family, and i admire that.

Other songs performed: As You Are, Writing to Reach You, Turn, Slideshow, Blue Lights Flashing, Pipe Dreams, Side, Re-Offender, Beautiful Occupation, Love Will Come Through, My Eyes, Battleships, Eyes Wide Open, Closer, 3 Times and You Lose

maybe i should have said screw inhibitions and screamed out 'Hit Me Baby One More Time!' nathan was hoping they'd sing their cover. and i was hoping they would too. but i hate screaming things out. ah well. c'est la vie. tut ma vie.

photo credit: anne heefner, travisonline.com

Enka no Joou

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 07:35:39 GMT

演歌の女王 - Enka no Joou - Queen of Enka

This is a 10 episode Japanese drama that aired last winter. If you're not familiar with enka, it's a type of japanese music, mostly known for its melodramatic, sad themes and crooning nature. it's mostly regarded as music for the older generation, but it's a good piece of japanese pop culture. you can wikipedia enka and come up with this lovely entry.

In this show, we follow Ookochi Himawari, a woman in her late twenties, still trying to realize her dream of becoming an enka singer. Unfortunately, she is a woman of extremely bad luck and, perhaps, bad decisions. At the very start of the series, she meets Hitoshi, an old flame who just happen to be a pitiful excuse for a human being (he's always apologizing for being alive). He quickly pulls her into more misfortune, and you're shaking your head at Himawari for ever listening to him. This goes on for a couple of episodes, and it's almost unbearable to watch Himawari endure so much trouble because of him. But soon more characters are introduced, and while Himawari's misfortune continues, the show becomes more interesting as she interacts with and helps these various characters. As pitiful as Himawari appears to be at the start of the show, you come to admire her unselfishness and determination to help others before herself.

Slow start. Superb characters. Random unfortunate events. A heartfelt ending. This all adds up to a a great show. I'd dare say it's now one of my favourite dramas.

NOTE: It's hard to review a show without talking too much about the events and risk spoilers. This review is pretty lame.

UA Tour: Golden Green 07 Details

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 18:56:03 GMT

after a little work, i figured out her tour schedule, and even got some ticket prices. there may be mistranslations on my part. my apologies.

2007.08.31 (fri)
fukuoka denki hall
18.30/19.00      ¥6000
(doors open/curtains rise)

2007.09.02 (sun)
hibiya field musical hall (tokyo)
13.45/14.30   ¥6000

2007.09.02 (sun)
hibiya field musical hall (tokyo)
17.15/18.00   ¥6000

2007.09.06 (thu) **あたしの誕生日**
kanagawa prefecture concert hall
18.30/19.00    ¥6000

2007.09.08 (sat)
nagano - chinoshi hall
18.00/18.30   ¥6000

2007.09.12 (wed)
hiroshima club quattro
18.00/19.00   ¥6000

2007.09.14 (fri)
nagoya club quattro
18.00/19.00   ¥6000

2007.09.16 (sun)
ZEPP Sendai
16.45/17.30   ¥6500

2007.09.24 (mon)
Kyoto Kaikan 2nd Hall
18.00   ¥6000
(curtain rise)

2007.09.26 (wed)
Osaka - Umeda Arts Theatre
19.00   ¥6000
(curtain rise)

2007.10.15 (mon)
Shibuya AX
18.30/19.30   ¥6000

tour dates seen here:
http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/speedstar/-/Information/A008352.html#concert

Personal Notes: she has a show on my birthday. i wish i could be there for that show. and she has a show in sendai, lilly! but it's ¥6500. i don't expect you to get yourself there. still, wishful thinking, na!

UA Tour: Golden Green 07

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 03:59:34 GMT

at the end of this month, UA is going on a short tour in support of her latest album Golden Green. it'll last through the month of september. she'll be traveling across Japan. i can only say i wish i had an opportunity to go. i've read she has an incredible stage presence and is an intuitive performer. i'd like to see for myself.

to the b-side

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 20:57:30 GMT

hello friends.

since i rarely use this livejournal. i decided to turn it into a supplemental review journal for my sister's music review journal. i have already named myself the b-side to her a-side, which you can find here. http://didnti.livejournal.com

while the reviews seem to focus on music, i'm sure i won't just leave it at that. i may do books, movies, tv, and whatever else i may chance upon. i believe my sister and i will try and review the same things so there is actually both an a-side and a b-side for one particular item, but as i'm moving across the nation and she's moving across the globe and adding the fact that we do have different taste in media consumption, i don't think it will be feasible to maintain this gimmick at all times. so i am sure we'll be reviewing items on our own as well.

i apologize for any inconveniences this journal change may cause. and rest assured i won't be offended if you rid me from your friends list to save you from yet another poorly written review journal. i just thought it would be proper of me to give anyone of my current friends a heads up on these changes.

take it easy.

malia

Zeitgeist: The Return of the Smashing Pumpkins

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 06:04:43 GMT

this is the first official review for this newly established review journal. this is the b-side. you can catch the a-side at http://didnti.livejournal.com

and so, Zeitgeist has finally made its debut, and, finally, the Smashing Pumpkins has returned.

i, like many other pumpkins fans, have been looking forward to this new album. but i don't think i was anywhere near anxious as other pumpkins fans. and like some fans, i had my reservations. could the pumpkins still be the pumpkins, while missing half of the band? billy corgan and jimmy chamberlain (BC & JC) want you to believe so.

jimmy kicks off the album (Doomsday Clock) with a grand drumming intro, and is quickly joined by billy thrashing away on his guitars. they truly want to announce to the world the pumpkins are back, and they succeed in doing so. the first track takes you back 10+years and leaves you wondering, "did the pumpkins ever leave?"

by track 2 (7 Shades of Black), i'm already noticing a lack in backup vocals. it's all billy, and while he did a great job, it really does seem a little flat with just him. i know in previous albums he did the majority of the writing and playing and recording, but i think you could still hear the other members chiming in. though, i should listen to some previous albums before i actually go off on this point. it has been a while since i last listened to the pumpkins. you can correct me if i'm wrong.

billy did a nice job creating a mix bag of tracks. some tracks strong and driving (Doomsday Clock ,Tarantula). others softer and somewhat tender (Neverlost, That's The Way). there's even an rallying of the troops for a revolution. but despite the mixed bag of tracks, overall, the album starts off with a killer edge and dulls out toward the end.

two tracks that stand out to me are 7 Shades of Black and Neverlost. the first one showcasing jimmy drums and billy croon at maximum output. it's downright sexy. the latter taking a more alternative sound that reminisces the Adore era.

i'm sure i have more thoughts on Zeitgeist, but i shall leave this review as is. short and lacking.

Serenity and Firefly

Sat, 25 Mar 2006 04:56:33 GMT

haha, i don't update this thing much, do i? but here's an entry because i figure some of you know what i'm talking about even if i dont. so here's what i think...

so last night, while poking around the homestead, i found a Serenity. about the only dvd they own. seriously, they have no dvds.not even the harry potter dvds, which i find absurd, as big of a harry potter fan she is. she has 3 different sets of the books. and two copies of "quidditch through the ages" and "fantastic beasts & where to find them" each. i can't believe she has not one harry potter movie on dvd.

anyway, back to Serenity. so i watched the movie, without seeing any of the series Firefly that it's based on. (no, i think i did catch part of one ep in AZ, no clue what was going on though.) i had never heard of any of this until all the ruckus about it coming to dvd and Serenity coming to theatres. so i watched Serenity. it was odd. i'm expecting the complete sci-fi thing. i get that and the quasi-space pirates, along with a vibe taken straight out of a john wayne western.

even the bg music. at times, it was very heroic and something like you'd hear in a swashbuckler movie. and there are other times when it's rolling with a drawl, and you're expecting a shoot-out at the local corral. even the way talked was something very western. i can only wonder how much western joss whedon was watching and reading while working on this show.

also mixing with western drawl and talk was chinese. at first i wasn't even sure they were speaking chinese. but the subtitles told me they were. i listened more closely and decided it probably was chinese. some of the chinese did not sound like chinese, i tell you.

the Serenity Crew. mix-n-match crew. it boils down to this:
the captain
the captain's old soldier buddy from the war days
the pilot of the ship (also husband to the captain's old war buddy)
the cutsie mechanical genius girl
the raging testerone with muscles and guns
the preacher (called Shepherds in this universe)
the geisha (minus the make up, callled Companions)
the doctor
and the doctor's psychic sister

they're all over the place. i compared them to the One Piece crew. and they dont really seem to fit together, but they do anyway. i still dont care for the companion girl inara. i'm still not sure what she was doing on the ship. but i suppose i need to watch the Firefly series to figure that out.

today i did watch 3 eps of the Firefly series. they actually had one of the dvds here. they were enjoyable. and i got a listen to the theme song which is very very western-like. even the opening theme sequence ends with a group of horses running. heheh. these three eps were enjoyable. one of them was the ep i partially watched in AZ. things make more sense this time around. and i managed to put together enough of the basic relationships between the crew members as well as some basic background information of their times. not all. it is an interesting world. i think i can see where the fandom comes from. maybe one day i'll finish watching the rest of the series.

Tsubasa

Thu, 25 Aug 2005 03:08:57 GMT

tsubasa. i've picked up the first two books of manga. while the first book introduced characters not as interesting as i had hoped, the basis of the story was pretty amusing. traveling to different worlds that take all of CLAMPs creations and mix them all up. i rather enjoy seeing them in their different incarnations. book 2 was much more entertaining.

as for the anime...i watched the first three eps last night. the character designs are kinda flat and bland. and their voices are generic.

the voices....blech. i guess it was too much to hope for some of the previous seiyuu to reprise their roles. and much too much to ask for megumi-dono to return. ah well, i was a tad perplexed with umeko's voice coming out of mokona's mouth. i was just waiting for mokona to spout out some dekaranger jazz.

yuuko looked pretty cool, but again her voice was odd. she sounded too young and inexperienced. i thought her voice would be a tone lower and have a more regal sound to it. shame we didnt see more of her in show.

the music. the opening theme is lame. and the ending theme is better but it could be better. the see-saw girls have a cool song abut they use it way too often for way too lengthy a time. its over-played and loses it's 'umph'. and in the 3rd ep, they had this lame lame LAME pop song that came in at the most inappropriate time. some of the bgm is nice but there's so little of it. the show would be better with more fitting seiyuu and bgm. yeah, that's what it boils down to.

i want a kudan!! i dont know what it looks like. but i'll have one, if i dont have one already. hrmm.

i still fight the urge of jumping into the book/tv and stuffing their faces with fatty foods. my poor poor sakura and syaoran.

that and jerry noticed that tsubasa and kingdom hearts have similar stories. it's true!

and another sidenote janitha claims her alter ego as sora. and i claim my alter-ego as syaoran. i still like the kid very much. ^^

Pimp My Gummi

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 01:32:08 GMT

from yesterday's entry at http://www.blurty.com/~yohabroha103

on today's episode:

malia, a lowly grad student, flies around the world, in an old gummi ship. duct tape and spray paint can't do anything for this ride.

Can Trey from the Interstellar Dogstar Garage help her out?

Malia: Trey, please pimp my ride?

on reading

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 22:11:47 GMT

ah so i'm posting again. i'm currently stuck on a thought on my blurty entry. so what do i do? i open a new tab and log onto livejournal. added a couple more friends. maybe i'll add more as they come.

for the past month, i've had this young adult novel sitting in my bag. lilly gave it to me to read. i started it the day she gave it to me. but this entire summer, i've not been the readingest of person. it's a shame as i had a stack of books ready to consume my summer break. i finally picked up lilly's book and finished it.

Freak the Mighty. the title is brilliant i think. it has power and presence. the story is good. the characters quite lovely. i enjoyed the read. there's a sequel. Max the Mighty. i'm not sure if it'll be as grand as Freak, but still, i'm kinda curious now.

since i finished Freak the Mighty, i started on The Alchemist. my friend (and conscience) lina told me last summer that i must read this book. so i bought it this past weekend along with volume 1 of Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE. does anyone know why it's spelled like that with the particular upper and lowercases? it irks me, but who am i to question CLAMP. they did have a reason for spelling Chobitsu in hiragana with the 'tsu' in katakana. that was pretty cute. i guess i'll find out if there is a reason in due time.

since i'm on Tsubasa. it's odd seeing syaoran and sakura so skinny. i want to leap into the pages and feed the two of them. but i kinda like the story. i dont get fai quite yet. what's his story? kurogane(sp?) is...well, he bores me right now. but so does fai. good thing syaoran's our hero. i've grown extremely fond of him from CCS. and its nice to see more of him, in this strange alternate-world storyline. I am enjoying how CLAMP is taking all of their previous works and throwing them into a bowl and shaking them up good. its pretty much them making one helluva fanfic of their work. i also enjoy how it crossed storyarcs with xxxHolic. i really do enjoy that book. Yuko is loads of fun.

and i've finished and posted my blurty entry. so i believe i'll post this entry for consistency's sake.