『M』uddy 『C』ult

Reader's Question: We Demand! Please Supply

2012-01-28T14:18:00.002-06:00

If you read my rant about how PS Company is trying to gain more control, then congratulations, you'll know where this is going in some ways! If you didn't, shame on you! Go back and read it~ No, no, it's fine. I'll probably repeat some snippets of my irritation toward them in today's reader's question: "Merchandising: Do you feel fans spend less due to expenses of importing goods? Do labels/bands/distribution fail to take into account overseas fans when making such things?". Now this post is focusing on mainly Japanese rock music.

As mentioned before, if you read the previous post then you know that I feel that PS Company is trying to cut off overseas fans. I know there are plenty of devoted oversea fans that try and support by buying various CDs, DVDs, and such. Kudos to them! But it sucks that the company has been lagging behind the trend of joining up with YouTube to expose their bands more legitimately so fans don't have to infringe on their copyrights and risk their accounts. I'm sure these fans post these videos of PSC bands to show their support and admiration for them, perhaps get other potential fans to join the ranks of the PSC club.

Now we've all heard the ever popular debate of legal and illegal downloading and I mentioned that the whole situation falls into a grey area when in comes jrock. Let me remind you that I'm only focusing on jrock in this post. So, I guess I'll start with the first part concerning the fans support of these bands.

I've heard and experienced many of these fan stories on why/why not fans pay for CDs. When I first started this blog, I posted several places where jrock can be purchased and they're also listed on the sidebar. So, I've heard that CD prices are too high, which they are compared to here, or for those interested in kpop, South Korea. A single runs about $15 or so and an album is about $30 or more, then there's also DVDs which is usually double that as well. This is all without shipping. Every country's import prices vary as well and sometimes that could cause another hole in fans' wallets. Fortunately, companies that understand how difficult importing products have tried their hardest to make things more feasible and accessible by creating overseas online shops, physical CD shops in Asian oriented sections of certain cities, and providing merchandise at anime conventions. But America is pretty big and not everyone has access to those places. Sometimes even those companies jack up the prices. I've actually witnessed this at a convention too.

I suppose that isn't a straight answer, but from what I've seen on jrock communities, forums, and such, the fans try to support as much as they can despite the high prices of their favorite bands' products and their countries' extra taxes on imported goods. The spending might've decreased a little recently due to the poor economy and the earthquake, but still there is effort.

Onto the next point, the band, labels, distribution, etc. I believe I mentioned this in a post concerning how the jpop industry should be more global like kpop, but it was something around the lines that Japan doesn't seem so openly "needy" for overseas fans when it comes to purchasing their products, but they don't discourage it. I think they have every right to feel this way since their music industry is a lot stronger than South Korea's. Even though I feel this way, I also feel that they know that international buyers exist, but don't bother to make any moves to make products more accessible aside from online places like CDJapan, YesAsia, etc. Like it would be nice to walk into a CD store that isn't in an Asian related area (ex. China, Japan, Korea Town whatever), but it's just not going to happen. I can understand why the companies fear that there isn't enough support outside of Japan and they don't want to risk the expense on exporting goods for the sells to flop.

Fans need to remember that jrock (or any type of non-traditional Asian music) is a very niche market overseas, so they need to understand how exporting these things could be costly and risky. On the other hand, companies need to also understand that we really want to contribute to supporting the bands and artists we love without the middle man or whatever is kicking up prices with shipping and whatnot. I commend bands that realize this after venturing outside of Japan and seeing the amount of support there is. It makes me happy that these labels continue to trust the organizations that help bring them over like Babel Entertainment, JPop House and ~~(even though I strongly dislike them)~~ Tainted Reality. Even HearJapan has made some deals to increase legal downloads for fans.

Label owners Kiwamu (Darkest Labyrinth & Starwave Records), Miyavi (J-Glam), and Kisaki (UnderCode) even cater to international fans by providing various goodies that can be accessed outside of Japan. There are various tour goods, CDs, DVDs, photo sets and such that you can purchase from the Darkest Labyrinth and Starwave Records official site easily. Miyavi created a global fanclub that is actually effective outside of Japan, like his latest tour in 2011 where fans gained some special privileges. Also, recently Kisaki gave access to some exclusive UnderCode goodies via CDJapan, which is pretty awesome. Even though this union wasn't perfect, Dir en grey joined forces with The End Records/The Omega Order when they were releasing Uroboros. They offered decent deals, offered international special items, and made things easier for American fans. So, there is some progress in some areas when bands and their team get a taste of the outside world.

Hopefully, one day, the jrock industry will hear our cries for more accessibility with a decent price tag, but there's still so many factors to work out to make this successful for the bands, labels, and fans.

If there's something you want me to answer, check out this post on how you can submit questions.

Rant: PS Company Wants More Control

2012-01-26T12:44:00.000-06:00

Last week has been a busy week for the internet. Sites were blacking out in protest of SOPA/PIPA and the FBI brought down the almighty powers of MegaUpload causing a war with Anonymous. Meanwhile in Japan, PS Company posted this message on various social networks and official band sites:

Attention:
Please refrain from using copyrighted pictures, movies or any other material that depicts our artists.

We have seen an increase of this recently, images from our site have also been used as twitter icons or similar. (In other words no using their bands as avatars or uploading any of their pictures)

In addition, we would also like to prohibit uploading, reuploading our videos on YouTube and similar services. For the artists sake, and our future coverage, we hope for your understanding and cooperation.

PS COMPANY bands:
- the GazettE
- Alice Nine
- Kra
- SuG
- ViViD
- D=OUT
- BORN
- SCREW

In short, everyone pretty much has the same opinion about this message. Since this is a rant, I suppose I could elaborate my thoughts on the issue.

As you know, I've had a few qualms with PSC on how they've been representing their bands and making them work excessively leading to mediocre music. This message just adds to my annoyance with this company. I used to kinda like them and was oblivious to their dysfunctions, but they just keep digging a grave for themselves for overseas fans.

First, let's start with the uploading of their videos. I think this issue could be greatly reduced by the fans if the company just made a YouTube account or whatever to advertise their PVs and other videos, then they don't have to complain about fans uploading their products. I'm sure they are capable of doing that as I'm subscribed to various other Japanese labels and bands' accounts. Otherwise, they need to stop being so selfish with their content and let people advertise, because most fans discovered these PSC bands via YouTube. But I do understand that they could be losing a little money with these visual uploads, since, unlike most countries, they include these things with their audio releases. Hopefully, they get on that.

Next are the picture uploads, which I will agree is kinda b.s. Alright, I can understand losing profit from photobooks or something special like that, but people enjoy visuals of who they're listening to. Most entertainment industries is based on visual appeal and fans and potentials want to see what these musicians look like. Sorry, PSC, you're part of a shallow industry. Anyway, I'm sure magazines are losing a little money too by fans scanning their issues and sharing them, but when you don't want fans to show their love through graphics and avatars, that's crossing the line on creative expression. What's the next message going to say? Please don't write fanfiction stories about the bands under PSC? Might as well.

Now I can see both sides of how this could be helpful and harmful. The label wants to make money and the fans want to help them make money by spreading the word on how great the band is worldwide. Both parties want to use the same content to reach these goals, but they really need to compromise and it really starts with PSC, not the fans.

Aside from thinking most of this is total utter crap, until PSC takes action with the video uploading issue, I'm starting to think that maybe the label doesn't want to venture outside of Japan. It feels like that want to cut off the overseas fans, even though they have this global fan club thing going on. I've always felt this disinterest to connect with international fans through the GazettE, but now I really feel this through the company's behavior toward the fans. I understand that piracy is a problem when it comes to jrock due to many financial factors, but there are fans who do actually buy the products these bands create every year no matter what the price is. But if PSC is going to be like this and slowly cut international fans off little by little, then piracy is just going to increase and perhaps they'll lose fans by trying to control their actions.

I hope PSC gets their stuff together and that fans also understand both sides of the situation. Honestly, I can see the fans compromising with uploading materials on YouTube and other streaming sites if PSC provides a channel for themselves and/or the bands under them. As for making graphics, avatars, and the like, I don't think there's really anything they can do. That part actually sounds really silly. Fortunately, this issue has broken my writing block for the following reader's question! By the way, PSC, that's D&L not BORN and that D=OUT pic is Speeddisk era.

Quick Music Review

2012-01-24T13:26:00.002-06:00

highball - highball (2011, Japan) Rating: 2.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Tettsui, Ishitsubutsutodoke, Be the seeker

When I heard former leader and guitarist of 12012 Yuusuke was making a solo album, I was really curious how this would pan out. "Tettsui" opens up the album very loudly with near screaming vocals and intense musical presentation. There's minimal lyrics, but the music makes up for it. "Ignorance" is a little more aggressive than the first track, but it has some great guitar lines in it. "Six/Nine" presents some better vocal talent and strong guitar and bass ties throughout the song. Although, the chorus/bridge area is a bit weak compared to the rest of the song. "COUNTER" keeps about the same vibe as the previous. I guess a somewhat L'Arc~en~Ciel fun rock sound. "Yesterday" is a nice little ballad piece with a lovely piano and violin arrangement. "Hirai" takes a step back and gives off that j-indies sound, especially in the vocals. It's very generic and forgettable. "Ishitsubutsutodoke" steps it up a notch and brings more powerful instrumentation, but the vocals are so-so. "Drug Queen" has a bit of an American grunge feel with muffled vocals, estranged guitars, and a strong bassline. "Kurofune" takes a different direction by adding some rapping and experimenting with some different sounds and synth-ish guitars. "THINNER" has a reminiscent hide rush vibe with the vocal and music arrangement. It's not a terrible thing, but it's interesting. "Be the seeker" almost goes back to Laraku sound, but Loki's vocals, I'm guessing it's Sugar's former vocalist, changes that feeling with the prominent bass throughout the song. The music that really compliments his voice. "Desire" mixes up things with a strong rock tone, bits of piano, and some dual vocals. Not particularly fond of the dual vocals though. "Acoustic avenue" closes out the album with a mellow tone. I think the bass overpowered the acoustic guitar too much which was a bit saddening and the vocals were too soft as well. Overall, I wasn't super impressed or disappointed with this album. Everything seem pretty neutral or just reminded me of Laraku. I honestly didn't know what to expect in the first place, but I'm looking for to Yuusuke's new band, the rhedoric.

Para:noir - Amaryllis/Cosmos (2011, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: Prominence Inc., Amaryllis, The Code Number [13.]

Let's just jump right into it. "Cosmos" starts off with some heartfelt vocals and decent acoustic work, then bounces right up with an upbeat melody and very strong basslines. It definitely shows a different side to this band other than the fast, hard stuff. "Amaryllis" was used for promotion of this single and if you saw in the previous post I really enjoyed it. It reminds me of everything I love about this band. It has some great music moments and vocals are truly them. No j-indies band can touch Akane's vocals. "Prominence Inc." was re-released for this single and it has some great high energy that the band is known for, some growls, and fast paced drumming. Sure, the vocals are autotuned, but Para:noir makes it seem so effortless and it blends in to a point you don't really care. I think this perhaps better than the original. "The Code Number [13.]" has been one of my favorite Para:noir songs for quite some time and now they have remade it for this single. Luring us in with counting drums, strong bass, impressive guitars, and wailing screams, this song remains awesome. Although, I don't really like the vocal changes with the verse layering and extra screams. Fortunately, those changes didn't completely take away too much of the awesomeness of this song. I'm really pleased with this band and I hope they keep doing what they're doing.

Aural Vampire - Kerguelen Vortex (2011, Japan) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Kerguelen Vortex, Makki no Body Checkmate

"Kerguelen Vortex" opens with a dark, electronic vibe that Aural Vampire is very good at producing. The melody is really catchy and makes you want to move around to the music. I really love how it lightens up around the chorus and Exo-Chika's voice is just so sweet. "Antenna Phenomenon" takes a different direction with a stop/start retro sound. It's interesting how the vocals slow down, then proceeds to its normal speed. "Human Noise" goes back to the dark, gritty club sound with some fun electronic elements and equally fun vocal melody. "Makki no Body Checkmate" incorporates signature Aural sounds and some new developments that keep this track interesting. "Repoman (album version)" has revived itself for this mini. It's very upbeat and kinda sounds a bit retro musically, like 80s workout video meets 90s dance mix. "Raising City" opens with some cheesy laughter and some equally cheesy 80s retro synth sound. I feel like Eddie Murphy might pop out of no where in his leather red jacket or something and a police badge. It's a purely instrumental track to keep you in those good old 80s days. "GENOM" keeps the retro vibe with a somewhat simple melody until you reach the fast pace chorus. Exo-Chika is back, of course, and I must admit her highest note seems a bit strained, but the song isn't that bad. I continue to enjoy the risks this duo takes and I hope they continue experimenting with different sounds and arrangements in the future.

Daichi Miura - D.M. (2011, Japan) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Black Hole, The Answer, 4am, Turn Off the Light

One of my most anticipated albums toward the end of the year and, I'm sorry, I spazzed out when I got my hard copy in the mail. I was going to give this album it's own post, but I'll just cross my fingers and hope that my descriptions are short. "Black Hole" sounds like your typical Daichi track that incorporates some pretty impressive vocal and choreography, but when the break down hits with the chorus we get some dubstep. Surprisingly, it's not that cheesy, it's quite impressive when you watch the music video. "Touch Me" was a nice little taste to this album, excluding the singles leading up to it. It has a basic beat, nice bass, and, of course, great vocals with a simple chorus. It took me a little while to get into this song, but it's pretty good. "Illusion Show" also took me some time to adjust to this almost loungey piano sound, but it has a fun melody and the vocals are pretty strong. "Love is like a bassline" has that Jackson5 vibe, but a nice Daichi modern twist to it that makes it even more enjoyable. "The Answer" has been so abused by the replay button when the single was released. It still remains to be a beautiful song with a solid track that truly settles in your mind. "Only You" begins with some strong drums and keyboarding. A new direction to most of Daichi's tracks, but it's an interesting one. Very simplistic and I like that they emphasized on his voice throughout the track. So, when I first listened to this album, I listened to it out of order and "4am" was the last track. I must admit...I nearly cried at how beautiful and powerful this song is. It has simplistic sprinkles of classic R&B piano with a strong melody that empowers Daichi's flawless vocal presentation. I recommend you save this song for last, if this is your first listen of D.M. because it will surprise you. "RUN WAY" tries something new musically by adding some rock to it. It's an okay track, but a few steps down from the previous track. "Turn Off the Light" was the last single released before the album dropped and I still really enjoy this song. It falls into Daichi's usual material, but it's still fresh and fun. "SHOUT IT" is another attempt at incorporate some rock elements to it, but I like this better than "RUN WAY". It has a lot of energy and really pumps you up. "Lullaby" was another previously released single. It sounds just like the title suggests, a sweet R&B lullaby that is quite impressive. "Magic Word" closes out the album with some strong R&B sounds that incorporates some guitar work and such. It's pretty basic overall, but it's a decent track. Honestly, I think this might be Daichi's best album to date. I was really impressed with it, although...I think it would've been even better if he added "Drama" to the tracklist. I've listened to that song more than "Lullaby", but I'm looking forward to more for sure.

Suicide Ali - The Cold Body (2012, Japan) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: The Cold Body, Sequential Soda

So, I think this band was my second choice of inspiration to name this lovely blog, but obviously Nega won out. Suicide Ali is probably my favorite Kiwamu creation or whatever. Anyway, "The Cold Body" opens up in the band's usual peculiar music arrangement, but still keeps a hold of what makes them great with ties of synth elements, piano, violin, and strong guitar riffs. "Sequential Soda" takes a different rock approach in the beginning, then steers you back on track to their crazy, warped sound that the band is known for. It has an interesting arrangement that shows off their roots and growth. "Ningen no kaname (Retake)" brings back one of my favorite tracks and changes it up. It's still a great song, but I like the intensity in the original a lot more. I think the band started the new year with a great start and I hope an album is in the near future.

If there's something you want me to review, check out this post on how you can submit requests.

V-log: Kids Performing Rap Songs

2012-01-23T18:45:00.001-06:00

Quick Music Review

2012-01-20T12:41:00.002-06:00

Meisa Kuroki - Wired Life (2011, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Wired Life, Wired Life (No Escape Remix)

Lately, I've been stuck on how to feel about the latest releases from Meisa. Like the title track will be great, but the b-sides are so-so. Anyway, "Wired Life" is has a nice balance of dance and chill vibes from the verses to the chorus. Another great electro-pop track with wonderful vocals and a catchy chorus to go with it. "UPGRADE U!", like the previous single's b-side, is not as impressive. It sounds like a generic electro-pop song that any American pop singer or less popular, new jpop artist could come up with and she's better than this. "One More Drama -PING PONG REMIX remixed by dee.c-" almost reminds me of those 90s pop songs with a modern twist. It's not better than the original, but it's a pretty decent remix. Then there's an instrumental version of "Wired Life". If you purchased the Ao no Exorcist version of the single, the tracks are a little different. The second track is "Wired Life (No Escape Remix)" featuring Okumura Rin. It's a very dramatic musical piece with some dialogue by, I'm assuming, Okumura Rin, and Meisa's voice lurking beneath the darkness and thunderous booms. "Wired Life (Ao no Exorcist ver.)" opens with a piano intro. The song is basically the same as the original, except for that and it's shorter. The instrumental version is part of this version of the single as well.

MUCC - ARCADIA (2011, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: ARCADIA, FUZZ -Thunderbeat Ver.-

Look at MUCC experimenting again. Aww~ I'm sure there are some fans who didn't like this experimental piece, but I did. "ARCADIA" has easily become a drug since its release. With its piano intro, electronic elements, and fun rock sound, it was an easy winner. Honestly, it reminded me of "FUZZ". It gives the same great, addicting vibes that make me like MUCC a little more. Way to go guys! "NAME" is a slower song to show off more of Tatsurou's emotional vocals and the rest of the member's musical skills. I guess it's nice and necessary for MUCC fans to hear that they haven't lost their music foundation. I don't hate this track, but it's nothing I'd listen to repeatedly like "ARCADIA". "FUZZ -Thunderbeat Ver.-" sounds like the introduction to some grand wrestler or something. More rock, more synths, and more energy. How could you go wrong there? It's pretty badass actually, even though Tatsurou's English isn't the best, but I can understand it for the more part.

BORN - Psycho Diva (2011, Japan) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Psycho Diva, DAMNED, DIRTY STACKER

BORN has been on a bit of rocky road for me since they joined PSC, but what they've made isn't terrible just...different. "Psycho Diva" has pieces of their old musical arrangement, but it's sadly buried by this new PSC vocal structure that has been embedded in nearly every BORN song with a fast pace rock sound. You know, that whole yelling thing that's getting boring lately. The song's still good, the bass is killer, and the PV is pretty entertaining. "DAMNED" takes a slightly different direction by opening with some acoustic guitar work and incorporating it with the verses. I really like the experimentation in this song and Ryouga's voice is quite lovely. I just wish they didn't have that stupid group yelling nonsense in it. Enough is enough! Before I started reviewing this, I totally forgot the track on the regular edition, "DIRTY STACKER". OMG! This track is amazing and probably the best thing on this single. It is filled with so much energy and it just brings up great memories from lives. Sure, it still has that stupid group yelling thing in it, but it's less annoying in a way. I just hope that the vocal arrangement took a turn for the better. Totally looking forward to the album, guys (and maybe a U.S. comeback?)!

Verbal Jint - Go Easy (2011, South Korea) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: 원숭이띠 미혼남, 좋아보여, 우아한년 2012, 깨알같아

I wasn't sure whether to review this album or not, but you see it's here. Guess I caved into reviewing this underrated genius. Forgive me for the lack of translations for the tracks, by the way. "원숭이띠 미혼남" opens up the album with beautiful acoustic set, a smooth flow, and Block B's ZICO. Perfect combination. It's very calming and easy to listen to without being tempted to fall into dreamland. "좋아보여" is the reason I was looking forward to this album. It features the Black Skirt and fuses some catchy piano melody and borderline R&B/hip-hop elements. Honestly, I can't get enough of this song. The vocals just work together so well, it's ridiculous! "넌 내게 모욕감을 줬어" opens with a dramatic rock sound and vocals from Koonta. It has a hint of a reggae sound to it with a lot of great tropical musical sounds to make it playfully dramatic and funky. "우아한년 2012" slows the pace down with a deep R&B outline and an equally deep rap flow and attitude. It has some recognizable profanity in it if you really pay attention and don't know any Korean whatsoever. Anyway, it features San-E and Okasian which bring some really great vocal talent to this chilled out track. "긍정의 힘" has an ol' skool sound that your parents could appreciate. It's an easy going, positive track with a vintage musical backing which simply makes you feel good in the end. "Want You Back" starts off with some radio static and an ol' skool "Love Jones" R&B sound. It's quite interesting hearing such a sound from South Korea, but it's great that the genius Verbal Jint and his guest NODO could dig up these gems for your listening pleasure. "Luv Songz" keeps that throwback R&B sound (did you catch that Wonder Girls line? XD). C-LUV's Tae-Wan makes a good vocal contribution to this slow love song and makes even more enjoyable, even though he uses those throwback cheesy R&B notes in there. "약속해 약속해 2012" brings back that acoustic set sound and Urban Character Kappa's Cho Hyun-Ah into the mix. There's a couple song references in there too. (Can you find them? 8D) "어베일러블" keeps the easy feeling the last few tracks have been giving us. It mixes modern and throwback beats together with some great vocal work by the Jint himself and Lady Jane. When you think you know what's going on in this mellow hip-hop song, it switches up on you toward the end. "깨알같아" continues this chilled out mood for the listener, but the music steps into the 90s R&B sound which is very lovely for me. "My Audi" ups the beat, attitude, and takes a step back into the 80s with another one of my favorite rappers the Quiett. It has a great bass track and kinda makes me want to bust out the Adidas track suit and a Kangol. "우리존재 화이팅" closes out with a more playful sound that keeps that retro light guitar and a nice rap flow from the Jint. Very vintage~ This album is quite amazing and the title fits the feeling of the songs very well. Love you, Jint!

Trouble Maker - Trouble Maker (2011, South Korea) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Trouble Maker, 듣기 싫은 말, 아무렇지 않니

I'm sure some of you are groaning and rolling your eyes as you see this on the list. Are you expecting me to rip this debut mini-album apart like I did HyunA's? Guess we'll see~ Their debut CD starts off with an uncreative titled song by the name of "Trouble Maker". Honestly, this is the main reason I wanted to listen to this mini or whatever. I thought the song sounded pretty cool, even though it sounded like something Infinite should be using. Now, you know my feelings toward HyunA and I've said this before when I posted the music video, but I'm glad that Hyun Seung's voice masks hers for the most part. "듣기 싫은 말" starts with a promising 90ish sound to it and some powerful vocals from, surprisingly, both of them. Next is "Time", which I'm really confused if it's the same duo or a different one, because the vocals sound different from the previous track. Nonetheless, this slow track isn't that bad. Nothing I'd listen to constantly, but it's alright. "아무렇지 않니" slows it down even more to a bass driven R&B track that has questionable vocals too. Oddly enough, I really like this song. It's like a pre-Rihanna era Chris Brown, very smooth and mesmerizing. There's vocal potential, but still a good track. Surprise, surprise, I didn't rip this duo apart. I'm curious if there's going to be a continuation somewhere. Guess we'll see.

If there's something you want me to review, check out this post on how you can submit requests.

V-log: Miko vs. PS Company

2012-01-19T20:34:00.000-06:00

Review: V-Rock Disney

2012-01-18T12:51:00.001-06:00

Various Artists - V-Rock Disney (2011, Japan) Rating: 2.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Chim Chim Cher-ee, This is Halloween, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

When I heard that jrock was going to try its hands at Disney songs, I was partially curious yet skeptical to the idea. Nonetheless, I wanted to find out how this album was going to turn out.

Nightmare's cover of Fantasia's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" opens up the album. They essentially kept the original arrangement, but added a more rocking flare to it. I love the small bits of dueling guitar moments. Definitely shows a harder side to the band. Next is their cover of Aladdin's "Friend Like Me". It has a nice bass driven sound that's very lounge-esque, think of "Dasei Boogie" sound. I'm not completely sure if the lyrics are a mixture of Japanese and Engrish or what, but Yomi tried. Next track is the theme to Beauty and the Beast sung by LUNA SEA's Ryuichi Kawamura. The song is very calming with soft drums and stray guitar sounds. Rest assure, it still maintains its beauty in Japanese. Although, there are a few places in the song I get a bit annoyed with his voice, but overall the cover is good. Here's a song I really raised eyebrow to when I saw it. This is "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" covered by PENICILLIN from Lilo & Stitch. I honestly had to re-listen to the original to remember what it sounded like. I'm not completely sure what to think of this cover. It's really...odd. So, I'll just move onto the next song which is "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from the classical Mary Poppins performed by Plastic Tree. This was another eyebrow raiser. This definitely sounds like a grey cloud mellow Plastic Tree song. I kinda like it, but those who expected to have some sunshiny feeling like the original won't get that from this slowed down version. Surprisingly, this took me some to adjust to listening to Nightmare Before Christmas's "This is Halloween" by Sadie, but I really like it. Considering I've listened to the original and the Marilyn Mason version more often, but I like the arrangement choices. From Mao's growls, distorted yells, and whispers, it makes the song super eerie and the music sounds a little different then their norm. Lots of guitar highlights and musical risks. You probably never would've guessed, but "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" was one of my favorite Lion King songs as a kid and seeing that Ayabie's Aoi was covering made both excited and nervous. It's definitely more upbeat, which is a little odd, but it works with Aoi's voice. Good job, kid. We have another Mary Poppins tune by the name of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" covered by none other than THE KIDDIE. This definitely was a good match. It has great energy and the Engrish is so cute. >//> I have never heard of Ninjaman Japan, but next is their cover of Pinocchio's "When You Wish Upon a Star". It starts off slow and promising, then it picks up very rock like. Not a particular fan of the vocals. Next is Snow White's "Heigh-Ho" by CASCADE which is quite...obnoxious. I've never heard of DASEIN either, but they close out this album with Tarzan's "You'll Be In My Heart". Of course, nothing compares to the great Phil Collins, but this was actually pretty good. The music is still pretty calming and the vocals match as well. Good way to end this cover album.

In the end, I'm not overly impressed with the whole collection. Not many tracks blew me away, but I commend the artists and bands for contributing in such a bold cover album of Disney classics. I'm curious if they're going to try for a second volume like they did with the 90's visual kei songs. Please look out for that review!

If there's something you want me to review, check out this post on how you can submit requests.

Review: Baby & Me

2012-01-16T13:31:00.001-06:00

Starring: Jang Keun-Suk, Kim Byul, Mason Mun
Directed by: Kim Jin-Young
Language: Korean
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 96 minutes

I don't think this movie was based off the manga, just by skimming over the summary on Wikipedia. A really good online friend recommended this movie to me and I think I bought it without viewing beforehand at an anime convention.

The handsome Han Junsu is a trouble making, high school student that often involves himself in gang fights, usually with multiple guys at a time and wins every match. Unfortunately, Junsu is suspended from school due to his last fight. When he returns home, he finds a video message from his parents stating that they're tired of his rebellious antics and decided to leave him alone with a set amount of money and his credit card disabled. Junsu turns the situation to a positive one and goes to the grocery store to prepare for a house party with his friends. In the middle of deciding on what alcohol to purchase, he turns around to find Baby Woo-rahm in his shopping cart. Baffled by this discovery, he goes to customer service to see if the parent(s) are in the store and the customer service employees find a note with Junsu's name on it while he writes down his information. So, with the help of his friend and a strange girl he nearly ran into, he learns the ways of fatherhood.

This comedic movie is very entertainment and is loaded with great twists and moments that will keep you smiling, laughing, and crying. The characters are very likable and easy to relate to. There's hardly a boring moment during Junsu's misadventures, from his quest to find Baby Woo-rahm breast milk to his interactions with his friends, especially Kim Byeol.

I like how they kept everything balanced. The movie didn't just focus on Junsu's struggles to fatherhood, but the viewer gets to see what his parents are up to while they're away. There's also a nice, brief background on Kim Byeol to make us understand why she functions the way she does and she makes the viewer become a little more attached to her. We also get a chance to feel a little something for Junsu's other two friends even though one of them doesn't have a huge part in the movie. I also enjoyed that they gave Woo-rahm a voice as well, like those Look Who's Talking movies. It made the movie even more entertaining and comical.

Lastly, I really enjoyed Junsu. He reacted in a very realistic way in such an odd situation. He wants to be a teenage boy and just live his life parent free with his friends. His lack of knowledge is amusing and makes his connection with Byeol necessary to moving the story along and interesting. He also thinks of ways of getting out of this sudden responsibility and little by little he grows with the experience, even though he has to use his charm and acting skills to get his way. Sometimes his teacher happens to appear when a sticky situation occurs. He also meets a couple fathers raising babies along his journey.

Overall, this movie is really great! It has entertaining characters and a simple, but interesting storyline. It keeps the viewer involved by triggering different emotions throughout the movie. It's also pretty funny. If you like light, comical misadventures with a handsome teenage character, then you should check this one out.

Rating: 4/5

Quick Music Review

2012-01-14T13:13:00.003-06:00

HYNA - TARATIKA (2011, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: TARATIKA, Kidzuite

Don't you love YouTube discoveries? Well, I stumbled upon this diva's music video for "TARATIKA" and was immediately intrigued, especially because I thought she was a...nevermind, not important. Anyway, the title track is clearly a rip from Lady Gaga's "Telephone", but it's still an enjoyable song. The vocal melody is different from Gaga's, so it can stand on its on. "Burnin' Up" is a slightly more aggressive electro-pop track that'll keep you moving. "Kidzuite" shows off HYNA's vocal talents (and imperfections) a little better than the previous tracks. It features a great instrumentation of violin, piano, and acoustic guitar that leaves a refreshing afterthought in your mind. I hope she reappears this year, because she has a lot of potential.

L'Arc~en~Ciel - XXX (2011, Japan) Rating: 2.5/5
Favorite Tracks: XXX

These old boys are still going and it's refreshing that guys like them can keep making new material every year, no matter if they're together or apart. "XXX" is a sensual, rock tune featuring alluring acoustics, powerful horns, strong basslines, and, the icing on the cake, Hyde's mature vocals. I really like this song more than the PV. "I'm so happy -L'Acoustic version-" is a softer song that reminds me of a retro smoky, jazz lounge. It's nice and mellow and shows off Hyde's vocal versatile to set the mood no matter the melody. The last two tracks of the single are voiceless version of the previous tracks.

DecoLa Hopping - 海賊たちの Wonder Adventure (2011, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Toward the Shine

I feel terrible I haven't gotten around to promoting this awesome j-indies, female fronted band, but I suppose it's not too late to do so. "Toward the Shine" is a great example of what j-indies rock should sound like, raw and passionate. It's great hearing how much this band has grown from broadening their vocal range to prove they're not just a bunch of growls and cuteness and their musical abilities have grown as well. "Sweet Paradise (New Version Remix)" is a speedy track with slightly distorted, megaphone-like vocals. It has a catchy, fun melody that SuG wishes their "positive rock" had, minus the growls. "Wonder Adventure" goes back to their roots, but it also shows how much the band has grown with their happy rock. It's very basic, but still enjoyable.

DEV - The Night the Sun Came Up (2011, USA) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Getaway, In My Trunk, Breathe, Bass Down Low

Everyone knows I've been looking forward to this album and now I can't wait until it is released in the U.S. "Getaway" is a simple track featuring great piano and violin work that entangles with DEV's lovely voice, then it breaks down to a dramatic musical point and she breaks it down into a low hip-hop beat. Perfect way to open a debut album. "In My Trunk" has easily become one of my favorite tracks with it's distorted vocals, hard hitting flow, and club driven bass with the smoothest bridge ever. "Me" is an airy, hip-hop piece featuring great vocal arrangement, strong drum lines, and keyboard effects to make the listener feel light. "Breathe" brings back that club feeling with a hint of Shakira Latin flavor. A nice little experimentation there, DEV. "Take Her From You" has a minimalistic sound with guitar and emphasized drums to drive the lyrics point across with extra attitude. The whistling is a nice little twist to this song as well. "Lightspeed" took me sometime to get used to, but I ended up liking it the more I listened to it with its near a Capella sound. I like DEV's vocal changes between singing and rapping and, of course, when she says the magic words, then the party's on! "Dancing Shoes" brings the album down on a softer, symphonic tone mixed with electro-pop and various keyboard vocal effects to make the song more interesting. "Perfect Match" smoothly transitions with an acoustic, near generic 90s pop love sound. "Bass Down Low" is the reason I fell in love with DEV. It's an addicting party track and the lyrics are very amusing. "Kiss My Lips" features a familiar sound that the genius producer Timbaland would create. It's sassy, sensual, and very well constructed from the beat to the lyrics. Very refreshing! "In the Dark" was a great choice to promote this album. It was different from her previous releases. It features a nice dance track, memorable Latin horns, and very confident, sensual lyrics that seduce you throughout the whole song as well as make you dance. "Shadows" is a dual vocal, acoustic, earthy piece that's suppose to cool you down some. The album closes out with a couple unnecessary repeats. First up is Tinie Tempah's remix of "Bass Down Low" which essentially sounds exactly the same as the original, except Tinie has a vocal part in it. Lastly, there is another version of "In the Dark" featuring Flo Rida, which is very unimpressive. I'm hoping when they release it in the U.S, they replace those two tracks with the Enrique Iglesias version of "Naked" (T-Pain version sounds awkward).

Wonder Girls - Wonder World (2011, South Korea) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: G.N.O, Me,in, Super.B, Stop!

Another anticipated comeback in South Korea and now we're free from the excessive "Nobody". >> I must admit I was quite excited about this album, mostly because of the previews posted on YouTube for "Be My Baby" and "Me, In"...actually...just the second song. "G.N.O" is the opener for the album with a female driven club sound with a hint of Latin sounds. Definitely an addicting track! "Be My Baby" was the main promo song, which I was very disappointed. Everyone raved and praised this song, but I honestly dislike this song. Music video didn't help with its influential "Single Ladies" visuals, but at least they're being consistent with their retro "dream girls" sound...I guess. "Girls Girls" smoothly transitions in with easy going, but empowering instrumentals and vocals. I was really looking forward to a music video for this electro-rock track "Me,in", but it doesn't look like my request will be answered anytime soon. Nonetheless, I'm surprised they experimented with rock elements in the first place. I guess we can't get away from the 70s, can we JYP? Anyway, "Sweet Dreams" is a modern take on disco with some autotune in the background. "Stop!" fuses retro synth with present day electro-pop dance elements. I must admit the chorus is unforgettable. "Dear. Boy" is a hollowed out electro-pop mixed with a R&B beat. For some reason, it reminds me of a better Beyonce song. "두고두고" really slows down to a pure R&B track, but it's good to have some songs for fans to recognize these girls' vocal talents. "Super.B" picks up some Euro-pop and brings the dance vibe back into the album. This is a track that always surprises me on how great it is every time I listen to it. "Act Cool" let's Lim show off her confidence in her skills as well as bring in San E for extra entertainment. "Be My Baby (Ra.D Mix)" tries to class it up with jazz pianos and horns, but I'm sorry, girls, I still don't like this song no matter what way you play it. "Nu Shoes" closes out this comeback album with trip electro-pop beat that seems awkward but works somehow, then turns completely pop around the chorus. Overall, I'm content with this comeback, but next time, don't tease me with awesome tracks you advertise and never make a video for it.

If there's something you want me to review, check out this post on how you can submit requests.

V-log: Miko vs. SM Entertainment

2012-01-13T13:14:00.000-06:00

Rant: Is KPop All About Quality or Quantity?

2012-01-12T14:58:00.002-06:00

There was a time in j-indies rock that I thought people just picked up random guys off the street, threw some make-up and fancy costumes on them, and told them to perform like rockers. Usually, this leads to a bunch of failure and blind fans supporting visually appealing bands with no talent. Now, I can say the same thing with American music as well. I'm sure you all know my beef with hip-hop and rap music these days. But as a listener of kpop, I've noticed there's been an increase of groups popping up since last year. Some are pretty awesome rookies like Infinite and Piggy Dolls and others I think are complete busts like Girl's Day and Boyfriend. Since 2011 ended, companies have been announcing that new groups have been formed and trained to debut this year. That's all well and good, but, excuse me, you just released a new group last year or even a few months ago. I'm really thinking that the kpop industry is really focusing on quantity of groups as opposed to quality or longevity like jpop (or jrock, in my case) groups.

Being a fan of jrock, bands aim for longevity in the industry. Most don't want you to solely focus on their visual appearance, but the talent they bring to the table. Or in Girugamesh's case, they went for a minimal appearance so fans could focus on their musical abilities. Let me use a band I really love by the name of BORN. They started as Renny Amy, changed their name, sound, appearance when they became D&L, and did it once more when they became born. They've had their rough patches and contemplated splitting from each, but here they are bigger, better, and growing in the well known jrock label PS Company. Dir en grey have been around for a long time and have you noticed the growth in Kyo's vocals? What about the composition skills and musical abilities the other members displayed from album to album? From the handful of j-indies bands I read into, they all share a passion for music and need to spread that passion for years and years.

Now I'm not saying that kpop groups are not aiming for longevity, because it seems like they pride themselves on training these young talents. But their companies need to focus on one project at a time before building and promoting a new group so soon. Seeing my favorite rookies still needing that guidance with their vocals in music videos or even their choreography and charisma on live performances is quite saddening. They have all this potential, but they are being pushed back because the label is working on a brand new group. This is a major reason I don't avidly watch kpop lives online or have an urgent desire to see the groups I enjoy live, because their performances are quite weak.

In 2010, a male rookie group by the name of TOUCH started promotions in South Korea and a little bit overseas. I must admit watching their first music video for "I/Me" wasn't the greatest thing in the world, but I could see and hear potential from it. So, I checked out their first release and "Killin' Me" became one of my favorite and most played tracks of the year in kpop music. Unfortunately, watching them live was quite painful. The vocals were too soft and timid and their dancing lacked confidence. As they kept appearing more and more, their dancing became a little sharper and the boys were gradually becoming more comfortable on stage. Unfortunately, they had a departure in the group. The label (or group) tried to make up for it with a new direction in their style and once again, their live performances were a bit sloppy. I obviously haven't given up on these boys, so hopefully this'll be their year.

Last year, Block B made their debut with the guidance of Cho PD. They had great personalities that made each member different from each other, which is a big deal for me because I often don't bother with names and mix up members quite easily. They had great vocal potential and openly admitted that choreography is one of their weakness, but that didn't stop these boys from making appearances and pushing themselves to make a name for themselves among all the rookies. Honestly, I think the weakness in live performances were vocals, but I believe ZICO will work out all the kinks when they start promoting their new album for this year. My reason for bringing these boys up is because toward the end of the year, the same company began pushing their new project up front while Block B's activities seemed like a whisper among the promotion of EXO. Can we polish these boys up for a couple more years before bringing someone new?

Semi-controversial, powerhouse trio Piggy Dolls debuted about a year ago and were the topic in kpop industry, mostly due to their weight and not their astounding vocal talents. Upon the release of their first album, fans brought them back into light as the girls revealed their weight loss and their growth as a strong group and not just a gimmick. I think I've seen less news about them then Block B, which is quite unfortunate, but even more saddening is that the company will further push them in the back as they promote EXO's rookie rivals CHAOS. Clearly, I want the girls to get more exposure for their talent and not their weight, but they have some tough competition when it comes to female talent in the kpop industry and I'm afraid their company will simply forget about them completely.

Recently, I have taken the time to check out the boys of CHAOS and my overall opinion of them is quite unfortunate. They already left a semi-bad first impression on potential fans with one of the members being named Taeyang and everyone knows there can only be one Taeyang. Anyway, that isn't really one of my complaints. While watching their debut music video for "She's Coming", I felt a tiny bit conflicted. I was really blown away and surprised by the high caliber vocal talent a couple of the members possessed, which proved the label has a good ear for talent as reflected by those individuals and Piggy Dolls. Among further observation of the video, I was put off by the bad styling choices, the basic song and choreography, and the bland cinematography. Overall, I wasn't convinced that I should give these guys the time of day as far as checking out their first release. On top of that, their live performances aren't that impressive either, especially compared to Piggy Dolls when they debuted.

Aside from being annoyed by companies being too eager to make new groups and put their current rookies on the back burner, it's also quite irritating seeing all these carbon copies of already very well established groups. I know you ladies want to try to kick SNSD off their "sexy" throne, but labels are trying too hard to follow the near exact same path with groups like Rainbow, Nine Muses, and RaNia. I guess Teen Top, MYNAME, and Boyfriend are trying to push SHINee out of their "aegyo" throne with their innocent smiles and winks, but they're too busy trying to work the leftover noonas and charm their way with nauseatingly cute twins. I just saw some group called Twilight trying to be 2PM. I swear if I see one more fail wannabe G-Dragon or T.O.P, I don't know what I'll do. And don't get me started on this sub-group nonsense either.

So, what do you guys think? Do you believe the kpop industry is too focused on quantity more than quality?

Quick Anime Review

2012-01-10T11:56:00.004-06:00

Gakuen Heaven (2006) | Rating: 2.5/5

I think I only watched this because I like shounen ai and I read one of the manga. The story was pretty generic and after a while, I got a little annoyed with Keita and Kazuki's relationship. I did force myself to finish and it was alright. It's hard finding an impressive shounen ai series, but if you want to pass the time with fluff, then this is a decent series to do so.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) | Rating: 2.5/5

I started this series long time ago, since I won the first volume at a con. I decided to pick the series up again and complete it last year. I know it's a classic, popular series, but I wasn't overly impressed with it. The story is unclear and purposely mysterious with ambiguous meanings for fans to discuss like Clockwork Orange. The visuals were impressive and the relationships were entertaining, but I'm glad I don't have to hear Shinji's voice anymore.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble (2008) | Rating: 3/5

One of my best friends told me about this movie, so I looked it up and watched it. As a Trigun fan, it was great to reminiscent over the lovable characters: Vash, Meryl, Milly, and Wolfwood. I'm guessing this is a stand alone movie and isn't connected to the series' storyline. It has great animation, the storyline was decent, and was fun adventure ride, even with the new character. It's nothing mindblowing, but I think Trigun fans should still check it out.

Ghost Stories (2000) | Rating: 4/5

Same best friend introduced to me to this series a couple summers ago and it was amusing, so I decided to pick it back up this past Halloween. I've read comments about this series and apparently this is elitist anime fan kryptonite and they want to pretend that this series doesn't even exist. From what I got from reading reviews, the show did poorly in Japan and when it went stateside, the voice actors ad libbed the script mostly which made it very comical. The original story is still in tact, but it has tons of comedic moments. So, I highly recommend the dubbed version.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (2006) | Rating: 4/5

An online friend was watching this series some time ago and it wasn't until last year that it really caught my interest. I knew that it was going to be split into arcs so you have to piece everything together to understand and that it was going to gruesome, but I didn't know that I was going to be so engrossed in it. I guess I'm a sucker for solving things, but the storyline helps keep you interested as well as the mysterious acts of violence. This isn't for the faint of heart.

If there's something you want me to review, check out this post on how you can submit requests.

Reader's Question: The Art of FanFiction

2012-01-06T14:17:00.001-06:00

Forgive me for not doing any Reader's Questions in a while. I've been kinda waiting for more question entries and trying to catch up on music reviews, which I'm still working on. Anyway, today's question is: "FanFiction: tribute, dying art, or delusional works of crazy fangirls?"

Like conventions, the science fiction community is acknowledged as the starters of fanfiction with their love for Star Trek, Star Wars, and the like. For those not familiar with what fanfiction is, I'll fill you in. Fanfiction is a type of fictional writing created by a person from a specific fandom. They take characters from something they enjoy like movies, books, comics, anime, video games, etc. and place them in fictional situations. These fictional writings can range from funny and innocent to fluffy romances to dark and kinky. Some fans, probably ones interested in Asian pop culture or simply younger fans, probably think that fanfics are made for smut or slash pairings, but you can do whatever you want in fanfics, even nonsexual situations. They do exist!

Although fanfics started as an innocent hobby, sometimes lines are crossed and completely turn off other fans of that same fandom. Some fans believe there should be a line drawn for what is appropriate and what isn't, mostly when it involves Asian musicians/idols. I believe I saw the saying that "fanfics are for fictional characters, not real people". But make sure you don't send any Star Wars fanfics to George Lucas, he doesn't approve of that, but Stephanie Meyers is a bit "flattered" by them.

So, how do I feel about fanfiction? Honestly, it really all depends on the intent of the author and the content. I don't think I've seen many tributes in fanfiction, but I'm sure they exist somewhere like they do in fanart or poetry. Let's see what I can dig out of my brain through my experiences with fanfics in the anime and jrock world.

I admit that I read fanfics from time to time, not very often really. I'm quite picky, but it seems like it's easy to tell what seems like works of a delusional fan and an artistic one, if that makes sense. It's all in the style and content of the fanfic, which is why some fans in the scene could be against it. The dangerous territory lies when romance is involved and the writer changes the character's personalities completely. Perhaps they pair two characters together they like and leave out details, in short, living out their weird little fan fantasies with this pair. It's weirder when they're Mary Sues (fanfics that include the author as a character in the story). I'm sorry, dear, but no one wants to read about your character making out with the GazettE's Ruki, please keep that to yourself.

On the other hand, I've read some pretty good fanfics that have character pairings in them, with and without the graphic progression. Although, I've mostly been reading jrock fanfics which kinda lies in a grey area if you're unsure how you feel about real people in fanfictional situations. I see it as TV series or movie characters, since majority of jrockers go by their stage names and have a totally different persona than reality. For me, I'm not that bothered by it. There are, indeed, pairings I disapprove of and fanfics I dislike because I enjoy substance like a regular fictional story. Also, a pairing doesn't have to be prominent either. Anything outside of jrock/jpop in the yaoi nature, like kpop...I cannot read at all. It just weirds me out. Even seeing kpop boys displaying fanservice is very awkward to me. Perhaps it's the fact that I just associate such things with Japan.

As for whether the art of fanfiction is dying or not, I don't think it's going anywhere just yet. If you're in the jrock fandom, it might be a little overcrowded with Gazette fanfics, depending where you're reading, but there are still writers out there trying new stuff (like my friends and myself ^~). I just think the lack of jrock fanfics is just following the hallyu wave and fans have switched to do their kpop idols instead. *shudders*

For those who follow my writings, I'm gradually working on getting back into the groove. I just need to strategize how to put my plan into motion again. And for those who enjoy fanfics, whether it be reading, writing, or both, don't feel ashame about it. Keep doing what you're doing, but remember it's just fiction. Don't lose yourself too much!

If there's something you want me to answer, check out this post on how you can submit questions.

Movies Watched in 2012

2012-01-06T01:14:00.003-06:00

Let's hear it for Round 4!

Starting date: January 5, 2012
Finishing date: January 28, 2012

1. Baby & Me [Ahgiwa na] (2008, South Korean)
2. Persepolis (2007, France)
3. The Warrior's Way (2010, USA)
4. After.Life (2009, USA)

Live: AGE QUOD AGIS

2012-01-04T12:56:00.000-06:00

AGE QUOD AGIS
[2011.12.04] House of Blues in Houston, TX
featuring: The Birthday Massacre & Dir en grey

The Birthday Massacre

Aside from Diru, I was really excited to see The Birthday Massacre again. They had a great, positive energy between themselves and their fans and their music is pretty awesome as well. I remember when they were starting their second song, "Sleepwalking", they had some technical difficulties, but Chibi played it off cutely and entertained us while they figured out the problem.

They've played a good mixture of songs from the past and even brought in their two newest songs from their last single, which made me happy. The performance was flawless as usual. It felt like they had even more energy than the first time I saw them. Chibi danced, bounced, and interacted with her bandmates and the audience constantly. She truly loves her fans and you can tell the other members do as well. They interacted with the audience occasionally as well and I'm looking forward to seeing them again. Way to go, Canada! Here's my attempt at a setlist:

Setlist
[no particular order]

Sleepwalking
Red Star
Burn Away
Blue
Forever
Always
Pins and Needles
In the Dark
Control
Shallow Grave

"Forever" by The Birthday Massacre

Dir en grey

Once TBM's set was over, I was a little sad, because I was really getting into it and they're amazing performers, but on the other hand, I was really excited what Diru was gonna bring to the table. I had very high hopes for the boys, since that tragic night in 2009. DUM SPIRO SPERO was released this year and I thought it was a masterpiece like UROBOROS.

The guys made a dramatic entrance and everyone was feeling it. There was so much great energy flowing between us and the band, it was very refreshing. They mixed a little bit old and new and I really mean a good mix too!

Everything that was lacking from 2009 reappeared this year and I was really grateful I came back to the comforts of Houston. I thought the crowd was great and respectful and energetic. Anyway, the guys moved around a lot on the stage. Kaoru and Toshiya even switched sides with Die a couple times, which was a nice contrast. I wish I could've gotten better pics of them then, but I was too busy enjoying the show to squeeze my hand in my pocket to pull my camera out. There was also a lot of emotion and drama displayed through Kyo. He really put everything into each song, which was fascinating. He twisted, contorted, squealed, and morphed into some tortured creature that you had to keep your eye on at all times. He even put the mic aside to connect with audience and the other members interacted as well with us. It was great to see them let go of everything again like 2008. Most surprising thing for the evening, the dramatic, emotion filled performance of "Mazohyst of Decadence". It had it's original musical arrangement and everything and was performed like it was a brand new song. Apparently, they've been performing "Kasumi" other places which would've been nice to hear again, but I'm happy I got to hear that at least once. I hope they continue incorporating their older material with their newer stuff with minimal changes or at least if they do change it, go in the route they did with "-mushi-". *__* So, here's my crappy setlist, which feels like I might be missing things:

Setlist
[no particular order]

狂骨の鳴り
Mazohyst of Decadence
Tsumi to Batsu -2011-
Obscure -2011-
THE BLOSSOMING BEELZEBUB
THE FINAL
DIFFERENT SENSE
AMON
LOTUS
激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇
羅刹国
GRIEF
ROTTING ROOT
冷血なりせば

"Mazohyst of Decadence" by Dir en grey

For some reason, I watched Tainted Reality's head ~~douche~~ man Roger's reaction to the show. He hadn't been to a Diru show since 2007, but he found the performance and the fans boring. I'm pretty sure he's what one of my friends would call a jaded jrock fan and he should just not attend such things, because what I experienced was a double shot of mindfucked! From the opening act to the main event, it was an amazing performance. The energy was good between the crowd and the band and the selections were a perfect mixture of everything that makes up both bands. I'm looking forward to more great things from both bands.

V-log: Happy [Belated] New Years!!

2012-01-03T02:53:00.001-06:00

Most Shocking/Disappointing/WTF Asian Music Moments of 2011

2011-12-31T12:29:00.000-06:00

It doesn't seem like many scandalous things have been happening in the jrock world, so this year I decided to include a couple jpop and kpop excerpts. Perhaps this is a good thing that the dark cloud over jrock is slowly turning white (or at least light gray). But nothing will top the tragedy Japan had to face on 3/11 and I hope that 2012 will turn things around for the nation.

QUAFF disbanding
Last year, this band made the list with the news of all the members leaving, excluding leader Makito, and a new set of members joined shortly after. Without any new releases, the band dissolved once again. Perhaps Makito is in a bit of bad luck, but I hope things turn around for him and the other former members as well. On the other hand, congratulations to Shingo on his marriage and Makito on his engagement!

Aoi and Ryouhei Reunite
It was announced at the end of 2010 that these former Ayabie members would be reuniting for a little side project. I was looking forward to this collaboration considering I was fan of Ayabie from the beginning when Ryouhei was leader and Aoi's voice wasn't quite up to par as it is now. They made their first single and PV release this year, then started doing a few lives together. I hope both Aoi and Ryouhei continue to work together more, but I want them to continue focusing on their main projects as well.

D's Double American Appearance
It started in Texas where Babel Entertainment announced that they were bringing D, along with Blood Stain Child, to the oldest anime convention in North America called A-Kon. Fans were super excited, especially southern jrock fans. What was more surprising was when the band was returning in the same year for California's PMX. I hope D isn't sick of the U.S. and that they return in the future for another amazing show.

DOREMIdan disbanding
I haven't been following this band very closely, but when I did pay attention, I was not disappointed, especially their last album. It was recently announced that the band will be breaking up on their 10th anniversary. I hope everyone makes the best out of this celebration and departure and I wish the members luck in the future.

chariots Reboot
This was announced recently on the LiveJournal community under_code. It's a bit of "controversial" topic it seems, but it looks like the disbandment of chariots has been put off and the revival is starting in 2012. Some fans are worried that Rin will suffer from this revival and they are also concerned about Riku's well being with the whole situation. I suppose we'll wait and see what comes of this restart.

Kibum and Alexander's Dismissal
U-KISS was having a little trouble making a name for themselves, but they finally stuck out with "Man Man Ha Hi". They continued to get better and better and they were loved internationally. Unfortunately, the company didn't believe Kibum and Alexander were putting enough talent into the U-KISS pot, so they made an excuse for their departure which was clearly a lie. Kibum and Alexander spoke out about the situation. I'm not completely sure what Kibum is up to nowadays, but Alexander is returning to the music scene with a collaborative and solo work.

Jui Going Solo
After the disbandment of Vidoll, it was announced that their precious vocalist would "be the next Gackt". I thought the comment was laughable, but overall I was concerned for Jui's well being since Hizumi left/took a break from the music scene due to similar reasons Vidoll was on hiatus...vocal issues. When Jui debuted, I was disappointed with the results. I still remain a Jui fan, but I'm hoping that he rests his voice for bigger and better things in his solo endeavors.

Big Bang Scandals
All eyes were on this kpop group and their anticipated comeback. Too bad the mini-album fell short of talent, in my opinion. Somehow fans ate it up and even welcomed the new version of the release that included two new songs and a solo track from Daesung. If you're like me and consider their latest release a start of their downfall, then we can proceed to Daesung's car accident. Fortunately, he wasn't arrested for the incident, but all activities for him were put on hold for him to reflect. As the year went on, the group continued to be involved in advertisement activities and the like as a foursome, but G-Dragon got caught in some drug trouble. This little situation postponed the debut of G-Dragon and T.O.P's duo promotions in Japan. Nonetheless, the group moved on and they have recently announced that they would be making a comeback as five in 2012.

D'espairsRay disbanding
There was so much sorrow hovering over the band between their tour getting cut short and the announcement that Hizumi's voice was in danger. The band made a safe move by taking a hiatus. I believe Hizumi underwent surgery while the other members busied themselves with various projects. It was saddening when they decided to disband completely as opposed to waiting around until Hizumi recovered. Nonetheless, Hizumi opened an online design shop by the name of umbrella, Zero and Tsukasa became part of THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S, and Karyu joined Angelo (along with ex-Vidoll guitarist Giru).

Ayumi Hamasaki's marriage
I'm not really a fan of Ayumi, but she is a big icon in Japanese pop music. When the news came out earlier this year about her marriage to Austrian actor Manuel Schwarz, fans were surprised. Perhaps non-fans who know about her were surprised like I was. I wish their marriage all the best and that their love lasts forever.

DELUHI disbanding
Things were looking up and up for the j-indies band. They just released three consecutive singles and "The farthest" showed a great emotional strength within the band's music that no one has ever witnessed before. Unfortunately, Aggy was pulling out and the other members felt they couldn't continue without the original four, which I respect them for. In the end, Sujk closed out the year by releasing a solo album, Arkhelist, which the other members had a part of.

Koda Kumi & BACK-ON's KENJIO3 Tie the Knot
This month Koda Kumi and BACK-ON's guitarist and vocalist KENJIO3 announced that they would be getting married in the near future. Their message of love for each was posted online for the fans to admire and further support this union. Then the rumor came up that the pop goddess may be hiding a little secret. Unfortunately, a "friend" of Koda's discussed the situation on a tabloid pressuring her to release a confirmation that she is indeed pregnant. Honestly, this is the first marriage in the Asian music industry that I'm seriously approving of. I wish them all the best and that the pregnancy goes smoothly.

Taiji's Passing
Former X Japan bassist had a lot of things going on in the music industry. It was reported he was on a plane with his assistant or manager, but was arrested when a violent incident occurred on the plane. While being held, he passed on. It's still unclear whether his death was an accident or not, but nonetheless, my condolences go out to his family and friends.

Isshi Passes Away
Last year's list included the "demise" of PS Company's beloved Neo Japanesque band Kagrra,. Isshi later announced that he would be starting a solo project by the name of shiki∞project～志鬼陰謀～ and some time later Naoki and Shin formed PLAYERS under PSC. It was some time after the release of shiki∞project～志鬼陰謀～'s first release and the eve of the release of his first album that the vocalist passed on. Isshi's legacy and voice will continue to live on.

Top 15 Things I'm Excited About in the Music Industry

2011-12-29T15:38:00.000-06:00

15. Aoi & Ryouhei incl. Ayabie Megamasso's First Album
They reunited at the end of last year and they released their first single, Monochrome. In February, brace yourselves for their first album release. I'm really looking forward to this. Seeing them together live with the brightest smiles on their faces warms my heart. I know with their matured skills from their old Ayabie days will definitely show.

14. Big Bang's Comeback as Five
If it was obvious, I wasn't completely satisfied with their 2011 "comeback", but all drama aside. I'm really looking forward to these so-called compositions they've been working on during their "reflection" period. I don't really care about their Japanese compilation that just got released nor do I care about GD&TOP's debut in Japan either. I'm sick of recycled half assed songs. I'm ready for the new stuff, so bring it!

13. TOUCH's Comeback
Ever since these rookies' debut, I've been craving more. They gave me Too Hot 2 Handle which was fine and dandy, especially since they lost a member and everything. So, I saw that it was confirmed that they will be coming back on the scene in January and I'm looking forward to seeing how much these boys have grown. Please show Boyfriend, MYNAME, and Teen Top that you've got talent!

12. BORN's First PSC Album
If you were fortunate enough to see my rant about how I feel about BORN and PS Company, then you know I haven't been completely happy with their transition. Now, I haven't gotten around to reviewing ProudiA here, but it was the first time I heard the BORN I fell in love with before PSC came into their lives. I'll go into more detail when the time comes. With that, it gives me a little hope that the band hasn't lost their touch and maybe they'll be rebellious by breaking out of the GazettE mold that, I believe, PSC is trying to put them in.

11. New Music From SAN E
If you look back, I promoted this new addition to JYP Entertainment and since his debut EP, Everybody Ready?, there has been a bit of silence. Sure, he made a new music video, was featured in Wonder Girls' comeback album, and created the most awesome song on RH-, but no sign of a single, album, or anything. C'mon, San E, stop teasing us~ We're ready for more!

10. Miryo's Solo Album
I love Brown Eyed Girls and I love the direction they've been going lately, especially with their comeback album, Sixth Sense. One of my favorite members is Miryo. She's fierce in appearance and delivery, a killer combination. Now it's about damn time that they decided to give her the spotlight. After the flood of Narsha and Ga-in's overwhelming solo talent sweeping the world, the fierce rapper will be coming out with her own thing for 2012. I'm very curious how this is going to turn out.

9. Clazzi's Album
So, I'm a new fan, if that wasn't obvious when I posted Clazzi's music video for "How We Feel" with 2AM's Seulong. I really enjoyed the song and the video was very intriguing. When his collaboration with Sunny Hill and MYK was up on YouTube, my interest in him grew and grew even more when I watched EatYourKimchi's interview I was confident that I needed to keep an eye on this guy in 2012.

8. New Music From 2NISE
You guys are totally killing me with all this talent and waiting! This lovely R&B trio debuted at the beginning of 2010 with "She Said" featuring Jewelry's Baby J and it was very catchy. On top of that, the music video for it was very creative and caused a discussion among fans on what it was about. They finally popped back up in October with "Say That" and *swoons*. When are you guys going to release an album or something!?

7. SE7EN's Japanese Comeback
Yeah, yeah he had a comeback with the whole "Digital Bounce" blahblahblah, but there hasn't been anything else after that. I finally see some sort of activity this month with the announcement that he'll be making a comeback in the Land of the Rising Sun and "Angel" has been released to the public. Now I must say, when I got into SE7EN's music, I did enjoy his Japanese material and I'm really hoping he won't cop out like everyone else has been doing in the kpop world by re-releasing kpop songs in Japanese. Please break the cycle and blow us away with your talent like I know you can~

6. Zwei's "Inanna no Mita Yume" Single
Every month of silence makes me worry that these ladies will split, but when I see Twitter pictures of them having fun or working in the studio, my heart skips a beat. It's been forever since they've released an album as well as a decent PV, but I've been content with what I can get even though this single is for an anime. I hope they will have more releasing activities because I really miss hearing from them.

5. Black Gene For the Next Scene's Debut
So, Vidoll disband, sad times. Jui got a solo gig and might be "the next Gackt". Hm, that's interesting. Shun's retiring from music. What ashame, he was a good guitarist. Giru joined Angelo. That's great~ Rame has a new band. Fuck yeah! I'm sorry, but all the news I've heard about the other members have been well and good, but ever since I saw this little goodie for their debut single, I about abused the poor replay button. This...dear I say...may be better than Vidoll! Either way, I am totally looking forward to this.

4. SUNZOO's Debut
Korean rap royalty are slowly making their appearance with Tasha's "Get In", some previews of what to come with SUNZOO, and their performance in Las Vegas, I don't know if the world could handle what this group is going to release fully. Either way, I'm looking forward to it and I'm positive that the fans will not be disappointed with what these guys have to offer.

3. BLACK LINE's Debut
You know I was sad when Dio - distraught overlord disbanded, but it seemed like the members were keeping themselves busy somehow, excluding the retired Kei. Although, VII-Sense has been silent lately release-wise and Remming might disband, but I'm really hoping things turn around for both of them. Nonetheless, BLACK LINE have been posting every now and then on their YouTube account. They even updated their site with a new look, but there's one thing that's missing. They haven't released a single song! Stop teasing us, guys, and bring on the music.

2. -OZ- Coming to Texas
I know, I know, I've been waiting for years to see Ayabie live, but that was when they were a five member group with good music and a lolita as their fearless leader. I'm not completely displeased with AYABIE making an appearance at A-Kon 23, but it seems a bit of an odd match with -OZ-. Now if it was DEATHBIE, I'd be all for it! Who knows, they might surprise us, but this post is reserve for my excitement toward -OZ- making their first step on American soil and it's going to be in Texas, baby!

1. 12012's Comeback
I must admit I was afraid these guys were going to disband after Yuusuke left, but when the countdown ended, the site changed to a new and evolved 12012. They have become perhaps darker and maybe influenced from their Under Code past. To top it all off was this graphic preview brought in the introduction of this rebirth. Yeah, I'm totally looking forward to getting my socks rocked off.

Review: Curse of the Golden Flower

2011-12-27T12:32:00.001-06:00

Starring: Yun-Fat Chow, Li Gong, & Jay Chou
Directed by: Yimou Zhang
Language: Mandarin
Rating: R
Running Time: 114 minutes

When I used to work, I kept seeing this movie on the shelf and procrastinated on checking it out. Fortunately for me, an awesome friend (and my personal movie guru) surprised me with this Chinese periodic piece.

It was the eve of the Chong Yang Festival in the Imperial Palace and the Emperor has returned from his military conquests with his second son and general, Prince Jai, to celebrate. Behind the walls of the palace, many secrets are held. The Empress and her stepson, the Crown Prince Wan, have been having an illicit affair, but Prince Wan is secretly involved with the Imperial Doctor's daughter, Jiang Chan. Prince Wan and Jiang have been planning to escape the palace and live out their love freely. Meanwhile, the innocent Prince Jai worries about his mother's health as she continues to take medicine for her illness. Unfortunately, the medicine has been poisoned for days by the Emperor causing her health to deteriorate. Prince Yu, the last piece of the family puzzle, is stuck in the shadows of the drama and perhaps there's a fire burning inside him to change the way things are done.

I'm rather weary when it comes to period movies, but I really enjoyed this one. There was so much drama going on for such an upstanding family like they were normal people. The relationships, secrets, action, and betrayal kept the story interesting, different, and entertaining. As the movie progressed, my worries that this movie could possibly be boring gradually faded away and I was very grateful. There were a couple things that really stood out for me.

First off, which should be a given while watching the movie, the stunning visuals. From the costumes to the set, my eyes were completely overwhelmed by how amazingly detailed and beautiful every piece was. I couldn't imagine how long it took for them to dress up each character, style their hair, and apply their make up to something natural, but glowing. Then the scenery was just as fabulous as the costumes. The lighting matched the mood of the scene and it really captured the time period as well as the status of this royal family. I'll definitely have to go back in the extras to see how they pieced all those intricate designs together.

Second, I would like to commend the actor choices for this movie. All the characters were very convincing and you definitely had an opinion on how you felt about each one of them no matter how big or small the role was. They kept the story going smoothly as well as keep the audience's attention into wanting to know what's going to happen next and how secrets will be revealed as well as how that character is going to react to that new piece of scandalous information. Most of all, I'm so happy that the Empress wasn't a push over. She was a very admirable character and I truly felt sorry for her and the rest of the family. Lastly, I would like to add that the action sequences are pretty awesome too.

Obviously, this movie was a pleasant surprise and I definitely recommend this one for those who enjoy a good period piece set in China. It has a great story, stunning visuals, and believable acting. If you're a fan of movies like House of Flying Daggers, Hero, and the like, then this is worth your time.

Rating: 4/5

If there's something you want me to review, check out this post on how you can submit requests.

V-log: MAMA 2011

2011-12-26T02:25:00.001-06:00

V-log: Miko vs. HyunA & her fans

2011-12-23T22:40:00.001-06:00

Promo: Rose Noire

2011-12-14T12:59:00.000-06:00

|Official Site|

Louie and Jill studied at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and later joined together to create an entrancing fusion of two different music styles. With a elegant, gothic appearance and a classical, electronic sound, Rose Noire was born and joined Darkest Labyrinth.

I'm not particularly fond of Kiwamu, but lately he has had a great ear for talent. Although, this duo has been placed in the back burner, they have managed to leave a mark in a few places with their first album, Apocalypse. They have also made their first appearance in the U.S. earlier this year at Zenkaikon V. I'm looking forward to seeing Louie and Jill grow stronger and make a lasting impression like their labelmates.

V-log: Welcome to My New Account

2011-12-08T16:24:00.001-06:00

Quick Music Review

2011-12-06T12:30:00.002-06:00

Brown Eyed Girls - SIXTH SENSE (2011, South Korea) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Sixth Sense, Hot Shot, Lovemotion

After "Abracadabra", the girls have finally made a comeback to end the year. "Swing It Shorty (Intro)" brings us into a retro jazz lounge club vibe with amazing vocal presentation to seduce us into the album. "Sixth Sense" was the promo piece for this album. It opens with a strong instrumental presentation and fierce vocal delivery. "Hot Shot" was apparently also used for promotional purposes. It brings back that smooth jazz lounge club sound with a little sass. "La Bohème" takes some elements from the previous track, but slows and minimalizes it. It almost sounds like those light hearted inspirational Michael Jackson pieces. "불편한 진실" slows the album down to a beautiful ballad that incorporates deep emotional vocal delivery tied in with accordion. "Lovemotion" brings back the elements I loved about Sound.G. "Countdown (Interlude)" is a strong vocal interlude that brings us back to those "Dream Girls" era. "Vendetta" has powerful horns and equally fierce vocals. It's definitely a different direction for the girls. Too bad it reminds me of something Wonder Girls should be doing, but whatever. The album closes out with an instrumental of "Sixth Sense". Overall, I thought this was a decent comeback for the girls, but I think they could've been just a little stronger.

HyunA - Bubble Pop! (2011, South Korea) Rating: 1.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Follow Me

You're probably wondering why the heck I'm reviewing HyunA's mini album if I dislike her so much. Well, the only reason I listened to it is because I wanted the last track featuring Dok2 and if I can find an mp3 version with ZICO, I would have that too. Nonetheless, I figured I might as well listen to everything else and throw a review out there for you HyunA fans. *rolls eyes* Now in the beginning I had no real opinion about HyunA. I like 4Minute and I enjoyed "Change", even though the lyrics made no sense whatsoever, but whatever. Anyway, "Attention (Intro)" gave me a little hope, but the rap or whatever was a bit weak and seemed a bit weird in places with the music. "A Bitter Day" is a slow song featuring the vocal talents of G.NA and Yong Junhyung. It has some interesting vocal work with singing, rapping, and beautiful piano work. Then there's "Bubble Pop!"...the song that made me dislike her, at least one reason. It's a very...bubbly song, I suppose. Let's just move on. "Downtown" is an electro-hop song with Jeon Jiyoon. The music is decent, but the vocals are not the best and the chorus is too...simple. Now for the reason I bothered with this mini, "Follow Me" featuring Dok2! Honestly, I don't think HyunA is that great of a "rapper" or whatever, but her delivery in this track seems more natural and convincing. Of course, Dok2 makes it all better! Even ZICO did a decent job teaming up with the 4Minute beauty.

Zoro - POLICE (2011, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: POLICE, more, 109

I was curious how this band was going to fair after half of their members left, but they decided to be a duo and keep their electronic love going strong. "POLICE" brings back the essence of fun, electronic sounds that were represented in "KITSUNE" and "HOUSE OF MADPEAK". The PV is pretty badass and capsule influenced. There's minimal vocals, but what is presented doesn't take away from the song. "more" keeps the autotune, but brings in more instrumentation with clear guitar, bass, and drums. It's a slightly slower song, but still rather upbeat. "109" is very electronic base. It's quite speedy and has some great guitar work that makes you feel like you're trapped in a bizarre, psychedelic video game. Great recovery, guys!

DEATHBIE - Senketsu no MARIYA (2011, Japan) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: 鮮血のMARIYA, もうヘドバンなんてしないなんて言わないよ絶対, la gueule de bois

I was a little nervous to listen to this single, because I haven't been overly impressed with AYABIE. I mostly got lured to this due to the image of the band, my history with them, and BLOOD STAIN CHILD'S Sophia's promotions of it on Facebook, because she's featured in the PV. "鮮血のMARIYA" starts off pretty haunting with basic piano and then a band build up with generic visual kei hype screaming. Soon Yumehito's vocals kicked in and...whoa! Was not expecting such a change. It reminded me of this other j-indies band I have yet to place, but when it comes to me I'll post it or something. Anyway, the song's pretty fast and a great introduction to those not familiar with this alternate version. "もうヘドバンなんてしないなんて言わないよ絶対" shows a more aggressive side to the band with fast pace instrumentals. It's still bothering me what band they remind me of. Something about "la gueule de bois" hooked me hard. The musical arrangement and vocals are just amazing~ And how the music trails at the end made me crave more. Definitely preferring DEATHBIE over AYABIE after that track. "コトリノサエズリ" closes out the single with more haunting elements of darkness and powerful guitar and drum ties. The vocals still remain powerful and I'm convinced that AYABIE should go away so they can focus on more DEATHBIE stuff. It's just better.

YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz - THE END OF THE DAY (2011, Japan) Rating: 5/5
Favorite Tracks: THE END OF THE DAY, Mind Forest YFC Edition

Everyone knows that crazy Gackt kid...I mean man child...I mean...you know. So, he gathered some musicians from some places and snagged FACT's vocalist to create one of the most interesting projects of the year. Of course, somehow through Gackt's golden touch, the band was pretty cool. "THE END OF THE DAY" gave us a wonderful introduction to what this band was about. It has a catchy melody and a great collaboration of vocals between Jon and Gackt. Who would've thunkit? I must admit, this song gets stuck in your head quite easily. So, they brought back a classic Gackt solo track and made it...extra epic! "MIND FOREST YFC EDITION" features a great orchestral intro and stuck with the original musical arrangement, altering it only slightly. The lyrics...are in English. Omg! And Jon's voice with Gackt's. Omg! Then then...the acoustic detour with Gackt singing before the song ends. Omg! *dies* Yeah...I promise I'm not a Gackt fangirl, but sometimes he blows my mind and I forget how great of an artist he truly is. The rest of the single features various versions of both tracks that take out Gackt, Jon, or both of their vocals out completely. In the end, may I have more YFC, please?

If there's something you want me to review, check out this post on how you can submit requests.

Boys Love vs. Schoolboy Crush (a.k.a Boys Love: The Movie)

2011-12-02T12:51:00.002-06:00

It's been a while since I covered any boy love movies. I still enjoy them. I decided to re-watch Boys Love before watching the theatrical version. Some places label it as a sequel, but the stories are not connected in any way. Their biggest similarities is that the older main character is played by Yoshikazu Kotani and the younger man seduces him somehow. There's also some smaller details they share as well, such as the glasses character and his involvement with both characters and a rape scene that shifts the story greatly.

In Boys Love, Taishin Mamiya is a magazine editor interviewing a young student and model's artwork by the name of Noeru Kisaragi. Mamiya notices a piece that stands out from the others, but Noeru doesn't want to discuss it. After they're done, they go out to eat and Noeru seduces Mamiya during a restroom trip at the restaurant.

In Boys Love: The Movie (or Schoolboy Crush), Kairo Aoi is dealing with a break up with his girlfriend by paying Amakami Sora for sex one night. We learn that Aoi is a teacher at a private all boys school and Sora transfers in. Aoi struggles to keep their past hidden, but they're constantly on each other's minds.

Both stories are entertaining and done very well. Both movies are directed by Kōtarō Terauchi and has been turned into manga form. My main reason for watching this movie, two words: Saito Takumi. Also helped that the story sounded interesting as well for a shounen ai movie.

It's hard to pick which movie was better as they both share elements I really enjoyed. I liked how the director added in meaningful quotes from notable people to match the mood of the scene. The actor choices for each character were very well chosen and the story had the right amount of drama, even though the ending is a little open ended to the viewer's imagination. I also liked the contrast of the two stories as well. There's still a tension filled love triangle, tragedy, and believable emotion. Although, Boys Love: The Movie seemed almost straight from a manga, but it had as much substance as its counterpart. On the other hand, I disliked about the same details in both movies. They both have a bittersweet ending to them and, at times, I thought Noeru and Sora overreacted to certain things.

Once again, I think I'll leave this one to you readers. Which one did you prefer?

Promo: Daichi Miura

2011-11-30T13:38:00.001-06:00

|Official Site|

From a young boy in a group called Folder to becoming "Japan's Smallest Soulman", Daichi Miura has a strong standing in Japanese R&B to the point he's been compared to the late, great Michael Jackson. Recently, he has had a very successful tour and released a new single, Turn Off the Light. Today (or yesterday in Japan time), he released a new album featuring his last single, "Lullaby", and "The Answer".

Despite being part of the major label Avex, I feel that Daichi is an underappreciated talent. Not only does he possesses an amazing vocal range worthy of praise, but he can move effortlessly on the floor. The man writes his own lyrics and constructs his own choreography for Christ's sake! He also has the capability to crossover to the U.S., which has been mentioned countless times here. Never giving his fans anything less than perfection, Daichi continues growing as an artist and perform while staying humble with his accomplishments and positive commentary.

Here's an awesome compilation of his PVs.

V-log: Thanksgiving Holiday & Updates

2011-11-27T21:48:00.000-06:00

Tae Yang's "I Need a Girl" vs. Jay Park's "Girlfriend"

2011-11-26T15:30:00.000-06:00

Jay Park redeemed himself with a new music video by the name of "Girl Friend". After watching it, it really reminded me of Tae Yang's "I Need a Girl"...plus their style is similar in some ways. Doesn't help that Tae Yang recently added a little "flair" to his mohawk. Let's get to the battle!

When I first saw this video, I thought, "Aww...innocent little Tae Yang is growing up to a handsome young man". It's a very easy to listen to R&B song that's a little upbeat and flirtatious, but fun in some ways. There's ~~two~~ three versions of this music video, in case you were unaware of it.

The purpose of this song is quite obvious from the song title. Tae Yang is telling us what he's looking for in a girl. He's ideals, at least lyrically, seem reasonable to me and it definitely makes fangirls (and fanboys) swoon over his beautiful voice. Throughout the video, he's mature, sexy, suave, a little goofy and devious, and confident, especially when he's dancing. G-Dragon's contribution wasn't a waste either. He was a nice little addition to the song and the video as well as 2NE1's Dara.

Sweet, little b-boy photographer Jay Park has spotted the perfect girl and wants to make her his girlfriend. But how does one get her attention when she's clearly uninterested...at least for a moment? You impress her with silky smooth vocals and cater to her hearing annoyances at a club. ~~Why the hell is she there if she doesn't like the noise!~~ This is a really sweet video, ~~at least that's what they say in Korea, I say otherwise >>;~~, and Jay Park puts on the charm for the fans, even if they might get a little envious of the them sharing a kiss after he surprises her.

Now I'm trying my hardest not to critique either song or video, because I have a lot of commentary to say about both artists and their videos that are suppose to charm the ladies. Unfortunately (or fortunately), this post is to figure out which one of these Korean R&B princes charmed you the most. Is it the shy, mature Tae Yang? Or is it the confident, but suave Jay Park?

Leave your vote in the comment box below or simply pick your choice in the poll on the right hand side! And maybe...I'll leave a comment of who I would choose.

Quick Music Review

2011-11-24T12:43:00.002-06:00

Piggy Dolls - Hakuna Matata (2011, South Korea) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: 하쿠나 마타타, Trend, 이 노래

Ever since the release of their mini album and their opposing image to the typical kpop female groups, I was really cheering for these girls and I was surprised they came out with an album so quickly. "Piggy Dolls" brings us in with a simple dance vibe that gets the listener excited to hear the rest of the album. It also gives us a nice snippet of what these ladies are working with vocally. "아는여자" was one of their promo songs for the album. It has a simple, light melody that anyone can easily get into. "LUV GAME" keeps the same fun 60s musical sound and shows off the girls' cute, fun side. "어제까진" is a nice little ballad piece that displays strong vocals and an equally powerful musical arrangement. "하쿠나 마타타" was another promo song for the album. It brings us back to that fun, easy going sound and a catchy little chorus. "Shout" is another fun song that's in your face with tons of sass and attitude. "Trend" was their debut song that has an almost different sound than their new stuff, but not too much different. This song reminds me why I fell for this group and keep wanting to support their endeavors of breaking the standards of talent. "그거 아니" is another light-hearted ballad with more of an R&B sound. It was featured on the same mini album as "Trend". Another imported track, "Darling", has a simple electronic melody and a sassy punch to the verses, but an easy going chorus. "아니잖아" is your standard Korean ballad with violins, piano, acoustics, and soft emotional vocals. "이 노래" keeps the slow pace, but it adds autotune and a hint of bass. This song was used as the intro to their video for "Trend". It was nice hearing a full version of it. Overall, I'm not jumping out of my seat for joy over this, but this is a great start for the rookie girl group. I hope they continue pushing forward and proving the media wrong.

Leessang - AsuRa BalBalTa (2011, South Korea) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: TV를 껐네..., 회상, 죽기 전까지 날아야 하는 새 (To. Bizzy), Am I?

It's been a couple years since the duo released an album, but it's refreshing to hear such high level musical skills in the Korean music industry. The prologue of the album is a piano opener for the first real track. "나란 놈은 답은 너다" is a slow, mellow piece with beautiful piano, drum, and violin combo and an easy rap flow that listeners can easily slip into. "TV를 껐네..." was their promo song for this album and it had a very artistic, unique video as well. It's also another easy song to listen to with acoustics, drums, and a great combination of voices. "Serenade" keeps that simple acoustic club sound with an old school R&B and hip-hop fusion. "회상" brings in the duo's signature easy going hip-hop melody with a hint of flute and a female guest vocal to balance everything out. "나 그대에게 모두 드리리" smoothly transitions to a smooth Erykah Badu vibe and another great combination of the duo's masculine, rough vocals with the soft, gentle female vocals. "죽기 전까지 날아야 하는 새 (To. Bizzy)" goes back to the usual Leessang laid back hip-hop sound with a hint of Latin flavor. I really like this song and the combination of vocal talents featured on it. Skipping over the interlude song "AsuRa BalBalTa" to "격산타우" which features more of a jazz rock sound. It brings the tempo up some and shows the duo experiment with their sound without doing anything super crazy. I commend them for their bravery of treading into rock territory. "강남 사짜" has a simple, yet somewhat dramatic musical arrangement. It also contributes to the duo experimenting with different sounds. "Am I?" is another track that I really enjoyed. It has a looping piano melody mixed with some old school elements that mesh well with the duo's signature flowing style. "독기" has a sorrowful tone with piano and deep bass that matches the mood of the vocals. "Grand Final (Planet Shiver Mix)" closes out the album with a dance hip-hop beat that goes well with the duo's voices. This album was flawless from start to finish and I didn't expect anything less from them.

Yuya Matsushita - SUPER DRIVE (2011, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: SUPER DRIVE, Lonely rain

Somehow I got into this pretty boy R&B singer when looking for music and I ended up becoming a fan. Very similar to Daichi Miura. As you can see, there's many versions of this single, so hopefully these are all the songs included with all the releases. I must admit that the title track threw me off and almost made me ignore the poor boy based simply on the PV, but the song grew on me more and more. According to iTunes, I've listened to this track more than 20 times. It's oddly addicting. "HOT GIRL!!" keeps that electro-pop vibe, but has more of a fun sound than a underlying sexy one like "SUPER DRIVE". I guess the company decided that Yuya needed to do a Michael Jackson cover too. "ROCK WITH YOU" has a more mainstream sound, but doesn't lose the original arrangement too much. Honestly, this doesn't beat Daichi's "Human Nature", but this was a decent cover. Skipping over the instrumental of "SUPER DRIVE", the last track is a ballad piece called "Lonely rain". I'm a very picky ballad person, but this song is beautiful. The music might sound a little generic, but I love it and it's my second favorite ballad from Yuya. After listening to this single and I AM ME, I'm looking forward to his upcoming album.

Koda Kumi - 4 Times (2011, Japan) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: V.I.P, KO-SO-KO-SO

I'm a casual Koda listener, so some of her releases I skipped, but this one caught my attention. I blame the sexy PVs. For once, I'm going to skip over the introduction and the interludes and go straight into the meat of the single. The first song is "Poppin' love cocktail" featuring BACK-ON's TEEDA. It's a typical upbeat Koda pop song with a great, fun summer rock twist. Koda and TEEDA's voices play off each other well. Next is "IN THE AIR" which is a softer electro-pop song that shows off Koda's voice a little better than the first track without it being a complete ballad. "V.I.P" brings out the naughty Koda that everyone knows and this is one reason I was drawn to this single. The song is very catchy and has a similar strong attitude as "POP DIVA" without being boring. If you've seen the PV, then you know this single ends with the sexiest song, "KO-SO-KO-SO". It's equally catchy and naughty as the previous track. Both tracks have been competing on my iTunes. I can't get enough of them. ~~Thanks a lot, Koda! Now I have to go find myself. lol~~

U-KISS - NEVERLAND (2011, South Korea) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: NEVERLAND, Baby Don't Cry, TOP THAT

Previously, I wasn't overly impressed with U-KISS's debut mini since their line up change. With this new album coming out, I didn't want to give up on the boys and I was anxious to listen. "Intro" is pretty simple featuring some bass beats, electronic elements, and some sample vocals from the boys that's in the next track. "NEVERLAND" is the main promo song for obvious reasons. It has a better harmonization than their previous release. It's really catchy and the chorus is very simple. This song definitely gave me hope that the vocal chemistry exists between the members. "Baby Don't Cry" is by far my favorite track on the album. This song combines electro-pop with a slight R&B melody that has a smooth vocal flow. This is exactly what I've been looking for from them! "SOME DAY" opens up with a dramatic piano melody and more impressive vocals for this semi-ballad. The album slows down even more with "Take Me Away". It has slower piano melody accompanied by violin and emotion filled vocals. "On the Floor" picks up the pace and goes back to the trending electro-pop sound. "친구의 사랑" and "4월 이야기" take a step back to the generic ballad mode. "Obsession" brings piano and electro-pop together again. It picks up the tempo a little from the previous two songs. It's very simple and almost lacks substances in places, mostly in the chorus. "TOP THAT" seems pretty cocky, playful, and silly, but...I like it. It has a weird instrumental, but it's a refreshing upbeat sound from being brought down with all the ballad, slow songs. "Tell Me Y" has an interesting play with piano levels and minimalistic instrumental in certain places. "다시 만나요" is an acoustic piece with PARAN that sounds like it's straight from the studio booth. The album ends with an instrumental version of "SOME DAY". I'm very pleased with this album compared to Bran New Kiss and I hope the guys continue improving more and more in the future.

If there's something you want me to review, check out this post on how you can submit requests.

Review: Dir en grey's "DUM SPIRO SPERO"

2011-11-22T12:25:00.001-06:00

Dir en grey - DUM SPIRO SPERO (2011, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: THE BLOSSOMING BEELZEBUB, LOTUS, VANITAS, DIABLOS (Demo2010, Short Ver.)

I've been wanting to review this for a long time, but life is constantly getting in the way. The album has been out for a while and I mentioned in a couple v-logs for fans to wait until the release to listen to it and try to support the band by buying it. Perhaps with my somewhat busy schedule, this is a good time to bring out this album with the eve of the band's North American tour.

In contrast to UROBOROS's "SA BIR", "Kyoukotsu no Nari" shares a similar horror movie aura. It uses an aggressive, muffled guitar in the background with loud distortions and a sprinkle of old school horror dramatic piano effects. There's a little vocalization that I wouldn't be surprised that Kyo produced himself, but matches the mood of the album. "THE BLOSSOMING BEELZEBUB" carries the raging, muffled guitaring but adds another layer of great guitar work on top that pulls you in. It's a fairly long track, but it features so many amazing details that make it awesome. Strategically placed piano, haunting vocal harmonization, simplistic drumming that meshes well with the other instruments, and a great range of vocals from growling to singing. There's also some great musical shifts that keep the listener interested for the whole seven and half minutes. "DIFFERENT SENSE" was a promotional song for this album and I already enjoyed the fast pace drumming, the in your face guitar riffs, and Kyo's deep vocals and high screeches. The guitar duet sounded very different than what the band normally produces. It reminded me of the younger, lesser known jrock bands, but I'm not complaining. "AMON" was released with a remix of "ZAN" in a magazine/book to promote more hype...it really didn't need it. Anyway, it's another fast pace, growly song that melds well with the previous track. It's fairly simple, but has some intricate detail work as it trails off at the end. "'Yokusou ni DREAMBOX' Aruiwa Seijuku no Rinen to Tsumetai Ame" features emphasized guitars and bass work with soft vocals. It's a nice shift from all the raging vocals from the previous two tracks. Although, it picks up wildly toward the middle and simmers back down after the solos. I hardly remember "Juuyoku", but it kind of touches similar elements from their older stuff. It's a bit all over the place and wild with fast drumming and various vocal effects. "Shitataru Mourou" appears to be a soft piece for a few seconds then the guitars and bass kick in for a moment. It has an almost poetic vocal arrangement as the music seems to trip over itself. The bass definitely stands out a lot more in this track than the previous. "LOTUS" was another promo track for the album and what convinced me that DUM SPIRO SPERO had the potential to be as good as the previous album. It has a great vocal arrangement and the instruments don't overpower Kyo's singing. Yes, singing. They soften themselves around the verse and bridge, then highlight the chorus beautifully. "DIABLOS", the longest track on the album, brings back that haunting aura. It starts off with classic sounds of horror and soft drums, then Kyo joins and some roaming guitar sounds later. The song is very predatorial ~~[is that even a word >>;]~~. It's soft and slow and then...it attacks and devours you up! Lastly, it slows down and savors the last bits of flavor, warning you that it's still on the prowl for more. "Akatsuki" brings bits of UROBOROS sound and the more developed elements together. It features contrasting guitars and commanding vocals with a small sprinkle of traditional Japanese flavor. "DECAYED CROW" is another track I hardly remember. It's very fast pace and tons of high and low growling. Very aggressive stuff. "Hageshisa to, kono mune no naka de karamitsuita shakunetsu no yami" is the last of the promotional songs featured on this album. It was featured on SAW 3D's soundtrack...for some reason. It's typical Diru with screaming, growling, and fast pace instruments trying to keep up with each other. It's an entertaining song and appealing to the ears, especially the smooth transition from verse to chorus. Chorus definitely sticks and the section when Kyo's wailing simple echos. "VANITAS" is like a Dir en grey history lesson. It wraps every part of the band from past to present into one masterpiece. It is the softest piece on the album and it really needed it. I enjoyed UROBOROS for it's great balance of aggression and beauty. This track has a great range of what the band is capable of and that they can be more than just hardcore. "Ruten no Tou" reels back the aggressive instrumentals, but keeps it tame to follow the flowing vocal arrangement. An awesome way to end an awesome album!

If you shelved out nearly $200 for the limited edition, congratulations, you poor soul~ I'm kidding. The limited edition included another CD with extra music material, a DVD compilation of lives and a new "ZAN" PV, and 2 LPs. I'll be moving this review along by going over the content featured on the second disc of the album.

Upon first listen of the starting track, it bothered me to no end that I couldn't remember what song they were remaking. After I dug through my discography, then confirmed it online...I learned it was "Rasestsukoku". I was never a big fan of the song, but I never really disliked it either. The new version makes it a little heavy in the intro, but keeps the crowd pleasing high energy to the overall song despite the changes. In essence, it's the same song, it just grew up to a full blown monster that new fans will be pleased with. Next is "AMON (Symphonic ver.)", which features an almost music box sound that would be placed in a Tim Burton movie opener. Once the intro is complete, the heavy guns...er...guitar jump in. Unfortunately, the combination between the original arrangement with orchestral and piano elements didn't quite mesh well. It's a bit messy. "Ruten no Tou (Unplugged ver.)" is next on the chopping block. It starts off with a hard, dramatic piano intro and Kyo singing along the rough melody. The piano is a little all over the place in some spots and I think they should've softened Kyo's vocals or at least reduce the echo. "DIABLOS (Demo2010, Short ver.)" shares similar elements from it's original, but perfectly toned down. I actually prefer this version a lot more. "Akatsuki (Demo2010)" has more instrumental presentation than vocal. Even though I'm not a big fan of the song in general, I think I prefer the other version over this one. When I reached "THE BLOSSOMING BEELZEBUB (remix)", I was curious what they were going to do to this masterpiece. Pretty much they hollowed out and electronicized the vocals, ditched the original musical arrangement, and added minimal sound with a little guitar. Wasn't very pleased, but happy it was slightly shorter than the original. "'Yokusou ni DREAMBOX' Aruiwa Seijuku no Rinen to Tsumetai Ame (remix)" truly reminded me of old school Sega Genesis Mortal Kombat. It has an intriguing overall arrangement between the music, sound effect, and vocal choices. It kinda reminds me "Gyakujou tannou keloid milk (plucking Mr.NEWSMAN) -NEW JAPAN MIX-". "Shitataru Mourou (remix)" has distorted, almost muffled vocals and a brightened musical backing. I'm not very fond of this remix, mostly because of the vocal effects practically destroying the song (and my ears). I guess they really like this song because there's an "Akatsuki (remix)". It has a softened, slightly muffled vocal and an electronic sound meshed with Silent Hill vibes in some places. "DECAYED CROW (remix)" closes out the second disc with minimalistic music, subway screeching noises, flutes, tribal drums, and drawn out, distorted growls. Meh...not impressed.

Overall, the wait was totally worth it and I'm pleased with all the work they've put into the album. It brings over everything I enjoyed from UROBOROS and built upon that foundation with bits and pieces from their past works. I'm expecting an equally amazing show with this burst of new material to keep them more interested in performing again. There's no excuses this year, guys! Although, I'm really hoping, after this, less touring and more writing/composing.

Live: WHAT'S MY NAME?

2011-11-18T16:30:00.000-06:00

WHAT'S MY NAME? -North & South American Cicuit-
[2011.11.08] Trees in Dallas, TX
featuring: THE COMMOTION & Miyavi

THE COMMOTION

I guess a few people didn't get the memo that there was an opening band for this show. Well, they're a Dallas base rock band with some easily relatable characters. Their music is pretty decent. Nothing super spectacular, but not terrible either. Most of the attention was stolen by the long haired guitarist on our side of the stage (stage left) whipping his hair like a mad man. The bassist and the vocalist did some teamwork on vocals and keeping the song going. The other guitarist also brought some memorable solos and shared some solos with the vocalist. It was interesting seeing how three guitarists unify songs. I always thought that three is too many, but some bands can do it like VII-Sense and others...seem awkward *coughs*CassisPV*coughs* Lastly, I thought the drummer was pretty cute.

Miyavi

After their set was over and four filler songs, I listened to everyone yell and such when the curtains opened and Miyavi and Bobo appeared. I was a little anxious myself, since Miyavi hasn't quite reached my high expectations on his live performances.

Anyway, he opened up with "WHAT'S MY NAME?" and I stopped actually saying his name, I just went along with the lyrics. It gets a little boring or something for me doing it the other way I guess. There was a lot of energy and I was really surprised. Dallas Miyavi fans are pretty decent and not rabid idiots that just have one thing on their mind...or lack there of. Miyavi and Bobo had a lot of energy too. A different energy I've never experience that made me enjoy the show even more. They still played off each other, but maybe Miyavi heard my cries and brought everything that was missing from his previous shows. So, a few notable things about the show. Miyavi had a few wardrobe changes. He started off in a chic little number with a blazer, sunglasses, and hat, then ditched those items and was left with his casual shirt and pants. Then the shirt was gone and everyone got to see his new ink work. I'm not that fond of it, mostly the ones along his neckline. He has some new tattoos on one of his calves as well. After taking a break from the neverending "Futuristic Love" number, which was awesome and gave us some nice dance club vibes, he had a black tour shirt on. Bobo had his signature short shorts which I think looked shorter than last year and a t-shirt that said "9:30" which Miyavi teased him about.

Bobo always wakes up at 9:30 in the morning(x4)

Miyavi had an interesting selection of songs. He mostly stuck with newer things from his last album, threw in some unreleased tracks, and even took some requests from the audience. One of the new songs required some audience participation and the other was just...sexy. One of the staff members brought in a stand with a booklet and one of the songs he needed his Mac for the lyrics. He moved around a lot and had mics strategically placed on all areas of the stage to give the fans the most from the experience. There was one MC that stood out from all the others. No, he didn't announce he was having another kid...although, I wouldn't be surprised if he did. He told us how he was happy to be back in Texas and tried to say some Texan words like "y'all" and "rodeo". I'll give him a B for effort. It was cute. Everyone tried to help, but eventually he was like "fuck it" with a smile. Apparently, he's become a fan of Tex-Mex. His English is about the same give or take. He still has that mumbly thing going on and his pronunciation could be better, but it's understandable and that's all that matters. Another thing that stood out was the set up of the whole performance. I believe last year he had a three person show, but this time Miyavi was the one working the electronic platform...even though there was some minor difficulties. Another cute moment. So, here's the set list. There could be errors, but you know I try.

Setlist
[no particular order]

What's My Name?
Freedom Fighters
Jibun Kakumei
Selfish Love
Shelter
Universe
Strong
BOOM-HAH BOOM-HAH-HAH
Are you ready to ROCK?
Senor Senora Senorita
TORTURE(?)
FUTURISTIC LOVE
SURVIVE
2-3 new songs
Ossan Ossan Ore Nanbo

Overall, I was very pleased with the show ~~and partially content with the VIP~~. I was happy I converted a friend to his music too. Definitely surprised by the energy from the crowd and Miyavi as well, which was very refreshing and exactly what I needed. If Miyavi takes a break before releasing a new album, I know it will be great especially from what I heard at the show.

V-log: WHAT'S MY NAME

2011-11-12T21:58:00.002-06:00

Reader's Question: Translating Kpop in Japan

2011-11-09T12:16:00.000-06:00

This is a reader request that has been brought to my attention. The question is: How do you feel about Korean artists not creating original material for their Japanese debut? I've mostly ignored this issue and tried to pretend Japanese remakes don't exist, but I guess I have to zoom in on the problem to answer this properly.

I'm sure everyone is aware of the hallyu wave in Japan. More and more kpop groups are entering Japan for more global exposure and profit. One problem with this is the lack of original material geared toward their Japanese fans. I don't understand why they're not making new material! It makes them appear lazy, especially rookie groups that are barely established in South Korea.

Not only is the awkwardly Japanese translated songs bothersome, but the translation on their music videos are very weak. I don't know which is worse: when a group dubs over an old video in Japanese or when they dumb down the video for Japanese audiences. Let me pull out some examples for you guys.

I'll start with a group that I like a lot: B2ST/Beast! For their video for "Shock", they basically used the same video they had in Korea and changed the lyrics to Japanese. SNSD's new song "The Boyz" does the same thing as well where they used the same video and change the singing to Japanese. They also did another annoying thing which is reviving an old song from their beginning like SHINee's "Replay". B2ST is better than that, but I honestly think they need to keep working in South Korea before venturing a spot in Japan.

Speaking of SHINee, let's talk about the tragedy that is "Lucifer". Now this song actually made me like the group a little. At least enough to commend them on their sharp choreography and catchiness of the song enough to buy the album. I watched and listened to the song a lot! But when I saw the remake for it, I just shook my head and dismissed it. The lyrics are very awkward and the video isn't anything special. I think they changed the choreography too and those outfits...gah!

T-ara is another group I like. Strangely, the switch from Korean to Japanese doesn't sound too awkward, but the video switch were not the best choices. The original music video was already cute with a hint of sexy, but translating it for Japanese audience was very dumbed down. It feels like a joke watching them goof around with random toys and lollipops with cat ears when they could've kept the cute and sexy video they had before. Japan can be cute and sexy too and the group wouldn't have to get punished for their racy scenes either!

It saddens me to say that Rainbow did alright. Their switch from Korean to Japanese lyrically and visually were passable. Sure, this is just using old material, but that's what the topic is about. They didn't dumb down their video or change their original choreography. They took advantage of the censors by exposing some stomach which they got in trouble for in their homeland.

I'm mostly disappointed that YG Entertainment has fallen victim to this lazy procedure. 2NE1 has recently entered Japan territory and came with no original tracks. Their appearance has become increasingly ridiculous and their music video remakes are a lot weaker than the original like Japan can't handle it. My disappointment lies with their past work with SE7EN and Big Bang. They both started with original material...a whole album even.

DBSK and Rain also have made original material and have been successful in doing so. They didn't dumb their videos down and kept their image consistent between Japan and South Korea. It is possible to do things right and fresh in Japan with success. On a side note, if you're gonna perform live in Japan...learn your lyrics. You don't look good if you're switching from Japanese to Korean (or even English).

Quick Music Review

2011-11-07T14:53:00.000-06:00

KAT-TUN - RUN FOR YOU (2011, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: RUN FOR YOU, COSMIC CHILD

Something happened and I've grown to like this group more than before. "RUN FOR YOU" is a super catchy dance track with loads of good moments and the video isn't half bad either. Sadly, this has become one of my favorite KAT-TUN tracks. ~~Damn you!~~ "COSMIC CHILD" has a dramatic opening and almost confuses you into thinking this track will go some different direction than the opener, but it keeps a smooth, electronic sound. It's a great marriage between orchestral elements and electro-pop. "DIAMOND" brings in hint of rock to the group's electro-pop song. It's a decent track, but it feels like everything's going a bit downhill from the title track. "& FOREVER" is a sweeter song and shows off the guys' impressive harmonization to some emotional electric guitar work. "SWEET CHAIN" leans more to a ballad sound compared to the previous track and pulls the vocal work forward more.

Cinemaglam - LOVE AVANT-GARDE (2011, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: サディスティックラブ, I've no name

"LOVEコレクション" mixes old rock elements and happy song elements you would probably hear from a jdrama opening or something. It's an interesting combination, but it definitely keeps you in to hear more from this debut mini. "サディスティックラブ" has the same feeling as the first track, but I'm more impressed with the melody and guitar work in this one. It maintains that feel good emotion from listening and keeps you hooked in to continue forward. "I've no name" reminds me of a present day Beatles track in some ways. I really like the vocalist's voice and the song definitely sticks easily. "君に愛された理由が分からない" displays a good partnership between acoustics and bass. It's an easy song to listen to and it's almost relaxing in some ways. "愛ヲ持テ進メ" picks up the tempo some and wakes up our bodies to move a little. "愛の罪人" completely shifts the mood to something almost haunting, but beautiful at the same time. It has strong musical elements and the vocals are pretty impressive. Sadly, not much is known about the artist/group, but I'm looking forward to more.

miss A - A Class (2011, South Korea) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Good-bye Baby, Mr. Johnny, Breathe, Love Alone

I've been looking forward to an album from these girls, yet I feel conflicted by the title of it simple because it's similar to Miss $'s album name. "하나부터 열까지" opens with an almost different, tame sound from the girls. It has a nice piano melody that repeats in the background and it's dancy, but sadly not a strong opening for me. It feels a bit strained. "Good-bye Baby" was the promo song for this album and this is what got me interested to what they had to bring to their first album release. It's really catchy, powerful, and somewhat stays true to the girls' sound. Although, in some ways I'm reminded of the Wonder Girls. "Help Me" combines electro-pop with R&B elements. It does spotlight the girls' vocal talents nicely, but it's not a track I would listen to a lot. "Break It" was featured on the girls' first single and features simple beats and autotune. Never was a fan of this track and still am not. "Mr. Johnny" brings back my interest to this album and I can listen to this repeatedly. It's fun and dancy and doesn't take away from the girls' vocal abilities without the overuse of autotune. Once "그 음악을 틀어줘요 DJ" popped up, I thought my iTunes skipped to a T-ara track or something. I don't think this style fits miss A's style. "Step Up" doesn't quite transition that smoothly from the previous track, but the song's decent. It was featured in the last single release from the girls. "Breathe" was also featured on the same single. Sure, we've heard this song already, but this track still remains great and memorable. "멍하니" is R&B ballad track that almost falls victim to those boring, generic kpop ballads that annoy me, but the orchestral track saves it barely. "다시 사랑" was one of miss A's debut songs. It still remains a good song, but it pales in comparison to the growth of "Good-bye Baby". "Love Alone" jumps in as another promotional track from the album. It has an electro-pop and R&B sound which somehow makes it replayable for me. Although, I wish the music video was better though. "Bad Girl Good Girl" was the song that put the girls in the spotlight and even though it's not as polished and mature as the previous track, you can still tell that these girls have talent from the beginning. Lastly is "Good-bye Baby (Silver Mix)" which slows things even further and strips away the melody. In the end, I'm pleased with what they've put together and I'm looking forward to more growth.

Infinite - OVER THE TOP/Paradise (Repackaged) (2011, South Korea) Rating: 2.5/5
Favorite Tracks: 내꺼하자, 3분의1, Paradise

Like miss A, I was anticipating an album from this group as well and I strangely feel conflicted with it too. "OVER THE TOP" opens the album with a positive feeling that this album is going to be great. It has minimal, but dramatic snippets from the next track. "내꺼하자" took me a while to like, but it's a pretty good song. It's not as strong as "BTD (Before the Dawn)", but it still shows the guys' vocal chemistry. "3분의1" has become my favorite track from the album. It has an effortlessly vocal tone to it yet it remains in your mind for longer than 10 seconds. "Tic Toc" opens with a little orchestral sound and minimalistic music arrangement. "Julia" has more of an arrangement and it reminds me of a weak Backstreet Boy ballad when they were a five member group. It has nice vocals, but nothing interesting for me. There's a couple solo songs featured on this album as well. One is "Because" sung by Sungkyu. It's okay and has some good moments, but nothing super interesting. Next is a ballad by Woohyun called "시간아" which automatically doesn't keep me in for long. "Amazing" brings all the members back together for the remainder of the album. It has a nice piano arrangement and the guys sound good, but it's not a powerful track. It's a very safe N'SYNCish pop song. "Crying" intertwines pop and R&B elements together. This song isn't that bad, but nothing I'd repeat very often. Baby H takes over a good portion of the song and I wonder how it would sound without her. "Real Story" keeps the easy pace steady and closes out the album. If you bought the repackaged version, then we have 3 more songs to cover. "Paradise" brings violin and nostalgic 80s synth-pop together. This song also took me a while to like. It's not great, but at least it's on the same level as "내꺼하자". "Cover Girl" kinda throws me off on what direction Infinite is trying to go and, honestly, this track seems a bit of a joke for what they're working with talent-wise. So the fans requested a remix of "내꺼하자". I bet they didn't expect it to turn out like this. I really like the original more, but the guitar work is decent. Overall, the music is way too dramatic. Sadly, I'm disappointed with the final work, but I'm still cheering for them to rise up to their talents.

the GazettE - VORTEX (2011, Japan) Rating: 2/5
Favorite Tracks: UNCERTAIN SENSE

"VORTEX" sucks you in like the song title. It's a bit wild and goes in and out of old Gazette and new sounds with a hint of autotune. It's not particularly strong, but it's not extremely boring either. It gives the listener just enough. "UNCERTAIN SENSE" also has a musical arrangement that matches the title. It goes back and forth to the band's generic rock sound to an effortless vocal flight before tugging you back in for a couple yells and guitar punches. "BREAK ME" almost reveals a different side of the band that almost seems completely borrowed from someone else. It doesn't quite fit their skill set and teeters on the edge of boring. ~~I bet you guys are waiting for me to praise the GazettE. It'll happen one day~~~

If there's something you want me to review, check out this post on how you can submit requests.

Promo: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

2011-11-05T14:19:00.000-05:00

|Official Site|

From the streets of Harajuku and pulled away from KERA fashion magazines, Nakata Yasutaka discovered Kyary and placed her in a studio. With his genius producing skills and guidance, Kyary's debut song immediately became popular around the world and obtained a high standing on the iTune's chart. In 2011, Kyary released her first mini album, Moshi Moshi Harajuku, which included the hit song "PONPONPON", new tracks, and a cover of capsule's "Jelly". She also released a book, Oh! My God!! Harajuku Girl, shortly after.

Even though she's young and merely a model, she has talent and a unique eye for style. With colorful and kooky aesthetics, Kyary has maintained a slow, steady growth to forever penetrate our minds with annoyingly cute and catchy tunes. Although her first TV performance was not the best, this shows this model's human side and I believe if she continues gaining opportunities to perform in front of cameras and live audiences, she will warm up to the stage and kill us with her charisma. Kyary will be releasing a new single on January 11, 2012 called Tsukema tsukeru, be sure to support her!

Great Teacher Onizuka vs. Gokusen

2011-11-03T13:23:00.001-05:00

Years ago, I was introduced by a friend to the wonderful, pretty boy drama of Gokusen. I stuck to it season by season and even bought the anime boxset. As of this year, I began reading the well known GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka series and over Labor Day weekend I indulged myself in the drama. There's still things I want to see and read from both series, but I could not help but compare these abnormal but badass teachers to each other.

In Gokusen, we have Kumiko "Yankumi" Yamaguchi who is heir to her grandfather's yakuza clan. This is her biggest secret, but Kumiko's goal is to pursue her dreams as a teacher. When she is hired at an all boys private school, she is assigned the worst class in the school that constantly causes trouble for each other, her, and Vice Principal Goro Sawatari. In the end, Yankumi turns things around and her students adore her.

In GTO, we have karate expert and ex-biker gang member Eikichi Onizuka. He went to a third rate college and was always considered trash in his high school days. Despite this, the school's director sees something in Onizuka and grants his wish to become a teacher. He hits several bumps along the way that cause trouble for his students and the school's faculty, but eventually his students become very fond of him.

Both characters share several similarities through personality and storyline. Both characters aren't the ideal teacher type, but they both dream of teaching...although their reasons differ. They both are assigned delinquent classes that try to get rid of them, but their teachers stick by them through thick and thin. They both have an enemy and love interest within the school. They both also face near termination because of who they are or what they've done.

Even though both stories are similar in many ways, I still enjoy them a lot. But to pick who is the baddest teacher, I honestly cannot decide. So, I want you guys to vote on the poll on who is the most badass teacher!

Review: Death Note

2011-10-30T15:00:00.001-05:00

Title: Death Note
Language: English & Japanese
Genre: Psychological mystery
Episodes: 37

In the beginning, I had a really bad relationship with this series. My friend was obsessed, America was obsessed, and then awful, annoying cosplays were born from it. During the hype, I avoided this series like a plague, but after skimming comments while watching Monster...I was tempted to give this series a second chance.

Light Yagami is an honor student and practically bored with life, until he sees a notebook drop from the sky. When class is over, he investigates the notebook labelled "Death Note" and is skeptical of its power, after reading over the rules on how to use it. Once he goes home, he sees a hostage situation on TV and decides to try out the Death Note on the criminal. Surprisingly, the hostages are free and the criminal suffers a heart attack. Still a bit skeptical of the note's powers, Light tries it again on a man harassing a woman outside a convenient store. Once again, the note takes affect and the enemy gets hit by a car. Light decides to use the note to vanquish evil and become "God" of the new world.

As mentioned before in the Monster review, I questioned whether I would give this series a second chance and surprisingly, I made it through...somehow. The only similarities I noticed between the two was pointing the question of "what is evil?" or "who is the real monster?". Other than that, there's still more similarities between Monster and Trigun, which I may do later if anyone is interested.

Death Note has a very intriguing concept and apparently had a huge impact on the world to the point that some people got in trouble with the law for mimicking it. It is very dark and there's a few mind games for the viewer. So, I enjoyed the story, but it was very frustrating to watch. When an episode ended, I wanted to continue moving on because of pure curiosity, but the way they ended bothered me in a totally different way that Monster did.

The core of my frustrations lie with the characters with a great emphasis on Light and Misa. Light for obvious reasons as he has a major "God" complex that annoyed me instantly from the first episode. Strangely, I heard that I was suppose to sympathize with this character yet I was counting down the episodes until his demise instead. Misa also made me instantly dislike her as well. Her voice and presence were simply annoying and honestly, I was counting down the episodes until she would die off too. Next in line would be Light's followers or believers who were pretty much soulless puppets. I wasn't particularly attached to any characters emotionally like Monster, but there were characters I liked.

I will admit that once a certain turn of events occurred, the story became weak and uninteresting. I had to force myself to continue and find some sort of positive point to keep me in. The end was partially satisfying for me and I kinda understand why this series had such an impact, but it's no where near Monster.

Despite my frustrations and waning interest, I did manage to enjoy the series. I might watch the movies for lulz. It hasn't triggered any interest to read the manga. Nonetheless, I liked it, commend the unique storyline execution, and it wasn't a complete waste of time. If you don't mind a delusional, clever main character in a crazy cat and mouse chase, then this a good series for you.

Rating: 3/5

V-log: Miko vs. PS Company

2011-10-22T14:23:00.002-05:00

Review: Monster

2011-10-15T18:18:00.000-05:00

Title: Monster
Language: English, Japanese, & a little German
Genre: Psychological mystery
Episodes: 74

Kenzo Tenma is the most talked about neurosurgeon in Germany. Originally from Japan, Tenma gained respect from the hospital's director, who is also his future father in law, and peers. With such a great gift brings positive press time, especially after saving a famous opera singer. Unfortunately, a common Turkish man died that same night and Tenma was unaware that he was originally assigned to operate on him. Tenma, being the caring man that he is, felt sad that the patient couldn't be saved after watching Director Heinemann talk to the press about the opera singer and facing the family of the Turkish man at the hospital. He contemplated whether all life was equal while having dinner with his fiancee Eva, which she believed that it wasn't.

With Eva's statement and a fellow doctor's comment about blending in with the rest of his colleagues and about the director using him for his research papers, Tenma has a change of perspective on his own life and decides to break away from the political thinking of Eisler Memorial Hospital by refusing to operate on the mayor of Düsseldorf and stick to his original patient, a young boy by the name of Johan Liebert. Little did he know that this decision would alter his life immensely.

Tenma soon loses his social standing with Director Heinemann as well as his relationship with Eva and is ultimately treated like everyone else. This affects him to a point, but his duties as a great doctor takes higher priority in the midst of disobedience. He tends to Johan and checks on his twin sister Anna Liebert who was brought at the same time. Although, with the consequence of the mayor's death, Director Heinemann and two other doctors take over and selfishly try to make the patients newsworthy material. This decision angers Tenma and we finally see how he truly feels as he speaks to the unconscious Johan. Coincidentally, his words come true and the three men that altered his life unjustly are mysteriously punished with death. At around the same time of the incident, the twins disappear from their rooms and Tenma is immediately suspected of the murders. Luckily, there was a lack of evidence against him.

Nine years later, Tenma is now Chief of Surgery at Eisler Memorial Hospital. The hospital becomes everything he wanted when he started medicine. His next important operation patient is a suspected criminal Adolf Junkers who was hit by a car. Junkers is frozen in a slight catatonic state and only being able to mutter the words "monster", in the beginning. He and Tenma create a doctor-patient bond and Junkers is able to become relaxed around him. One night out, Tenma decides to buy a gift for Junkers, an item he mentioned to the doctor, but discovers that Junkers is gone and the security guard is dead. He rushes out to a construction site to find Junkers pleading for his life and for Tenma not to come any closer to him as a mysterious dark figure aims a gun at Junkers. In the end, the man kills Junkers and reveals himself to Tenma as Johan Liebert, the boy he saved nine years ago. Before Johan walks away from the scene, Tenma learns that Johan was responsible for murdering the director and the other two doctors which leaves Tenma with a guilty conscience. Once again, Tenma is a suspect for the incident and decides to runaway to search for Johan to stop the "monster" he created.

Monster is one of those must see series that everyone praises to be a disturbing yet thought provoking masterpiece. After surviving all 74 episodes, I definitely agree with that statement and have become one of those admirers.

I've read many places that viewers have compared Monster to Death Note, but I can't really comment on that since I haven't watched the series completely ~~and I'm still weighing my decision to do so~~. While watching the series, I noticed it shared a few great elements that my favorite series Trigun has, such as the storyline structure and a few character relations. For me, this is a great thing because Trigun really holds a special place in my heart. Once an episode ended, I wanted to see more. I was anxious to piece together the mystery of why Johan was so emotionless, but I also found myself asking who the real monsters are in this show. Not only does this question appear in the show several times, but you may find yourself applying this to every day life which makes the series even more powerful and admirable.

There are a lot of characters being introduced throughout the story, but they all play an important role to the main characters' journeys. Whether they stay around for a short or long period of time, they all leave a distinct impression on the viewer. Somehow the characters easily provoke an emotion such as sympathy or hatred without losing the character's depth and personality, which is a hard skill to execute in such a short period of time.

With all this praise, you must wonder what flaws exist in this series. I think my main complaint lies within the ending. It's not a bad one, but you'll see what I mean when you reach it. Perhaps the manga will elaborate on the story more when I get around to it.

Overall, this is an amazing, mature, psychological mystery that goes beyond most series. Both the subbed and dubbed are equally enjoyable. I must warn you that this series will screw with your mind consistently, alter your way of thinking, and lure you into an unconscious addiction.

Rating: 5/5

Promo: Block B

2011-10-13T17:35:00.000-05:00

[from left to right] B-BomB, Park Kyung, ZICO, Jae Hyo, P.O, U-Kwon, & Tae Il
|Official Site|

In the beginning of 2011, a well-known rapper by the name of Cho PD was out on a mission to bring seven talented young men together and create wonderful music. By April, the group was revealed as Block B and debuted with their first single, Wanna B. In June, they were part of a mash up show on MTV with rookies B1A4 and soon their first mini album, New Kids on the Block, was released.

At first, I agreed with comments that Block B is like a combination of B2ST and Big Bang, but recently, they're slowly gaining their own image. It's great seeing them wanting to grow as men and performers despite their dislike for doing choreography. They have tons of potential and I hope they continue to grow and become better performers.

Review: Last Scandal

2011-10-11T13:15:00.000-05:00

Title: Majimak Seukendeul [The Last Scandal of My Life]
Starring: Choi Jin Shil, Jung Joon Ho, Byun Jung Soo, Jung Woong In
Language: Korean
Genre: Romantic comedy
Episodes: 16

Jang Dong Chul and Hong Sun Hee were classmates and first loves, but one day, Sun Hee doesn't show up for a date. Years later, they cross paths, but Dong Chul is now a famous actor by the name of Song Jae Bin and Sun Hee is a housewife and mother. When they reunite under unfortunate circumstances, they're both surprised by each other's appearance and later their personalities.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen many Korean dramas, but this has easily become one of my favorites. I believe I started this around last year and I finally got around to finishing it last week or so. At first, I immediately compared it to Full House as both dramas deal with a jerky celebrity male lead and a stubborn female lead that has to earn her keep through manual labor. Even with that factor and sharing the same genre, they're both different.

Last Scandal became an addicting series. It was full of twists and turns and, of course, dislikable characters that made the generic formula more intriguing. The casting was a great selection and I enjoyed the chemistry between all the characters. The romantic moments weren't overly cheesy and everyone's personalities stayed consistent to the end.

What I really liked about this drama compared to most is that the characters are easy to relate to. I think that the story could translate to America without changing a thing, but I highly discourage a remake of the show in the U.S.. Sorry, guys~

Even though things become predictable, it's still exciting to see things unfold, bend, and crack. For me, my impression of each character from when they first appeared never changed even when the writers threw curve balls at me. I highly recommend to romantic comedy lovers to check out this rollercoaster of a series.

Rating: 4.5/5

Open For Requests

2011-10-08T14:07:00.003-05:00

In my last v-log/post, I announced the results to the latest poll here and it was concluded that I will be taking requests from you guys on what I should review. You can request music, movies, dramas, anime, and topics you might want me to rant/discuss here. You can leave your requests here on this post or send me an email with the subject, "Review Request".

The same goes for reader's questions, instead put "Reader's Question" in the subject line. My email is zetsu_nightmare2.0.9[at]hotmail[dot]com. I'm looking forward to fulfilling your requests!

V-log: Pleasing the Fans

2011-10-04T14:17:00.000-05:00

Rant: Japan vs. South Korea Round 3

2011-09-28T17:14:00.000-05:00

To continue on the rant of jpop vs. kpop, I will focus on the second issue of sexiness or adult imagery. Now every time I saw or heard that kpop is more sexy and mature than jpop I cringe. Some people are so close minded and only compare AKB48 to SNSD, which is completely unfair. How would you feel if I compared Foxxi misQ to GP Basic?

In a previous post, I mentioned South Korea's broadcasting rules concerning music videos. To me, it feels like Japan has more creative freedom when marketing their music with risque videos, provocative lyrics, and intimate photoshoots. If a kpop group shows their midriffs on TV or start grinding on some girl on stage, people become "offended".

Now I can understand how idol groups can seem more adult and sexy if you simply compare groups, because the major groups in Japan are Johnny's or female groups like AKB48 or Morning Musume. But what they neglect are solo artists. I can easily pick apart how safe (innocent and soft) kpop artists are with their generic ballads or carefree, upbeat love tunes. I've seen very little examples of sexiness with kpop solo acts like Chae Yeon or Rain. Since Japan seems a little less conservative about sexual matters in music videos, artists like Koda Kumi and Maki Goto don't hesitate to show their sexy side to their fans. On the other hand of just being "cute", kpop has their own form of "kawaii" called "aegyo" which is used quite often with young groups like Boyfriend, Teen Top, Girl's Day, and Orange Caramel. Please don't tell me that that's adult, because you'd be lying to yourself.

So, to say that the always banned to the public eye for taking risks kpop is more sexy than the most perverted country in the world Japan is like saying Lil' Kim is more saintly than Mother Teresa.

To tie up both topics, I highly recommend you guys to watch this video. It goes over the jpop/kpop industry scene at a more professional, intelligent level. Sadly, it does point out my rant topic of sexiness/maturity, but it's still better than most sources. Best place to start is the 7 minute mark:

Rant: Japan vs. South Korea Round 2

2011-09-25T17:15:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago, there was a couple reposts from some dumb tumblr site and an inaccurate article on the Atlantic to arama@LJ and the comments I read there were amusing. I guess the battle between jpop and kpop fans won't be dying any time soon...unfortunately. Two things that get brought up in articles like this are how the jpop industry could be more like kpop as in branching out internationally and be more sexy or adult. I want to take this topic and make it two different rants.

Japan has one of the most successful music industries in the world. South Korea is still developing and that's one main reason groups venture to Japan for money. That being said it's obvious that Japan can depend on domestic sells more than South Korea can. Because of this factor, South Korea has more reason to be global and in order to make profit from international activities, artists must have a global versatile sound and image to an extent. This makes people believe that kpop is conquering the world.

I'm sure if the jpop industry wanted to become more globally known, they could. Honestly, I think Japan has the upper hand as they have more variety in the pop scene compared to South Korea. You might not think there's variety if you only focus on Johnny's Entertainment groups and female groups like AKB48. Of course, I will admit that at times Japan gives a vibe of disinterest when it comes to international ventures mainly outside of Asia. I'm not sure why this is happening, especially when jrock/visual kei, a more niche market in and out of Japan, are more ambitious by consistently travelling outside of Asia.

For jpop fans, it would be nice if items and activities were more accessible like kpop, therefore in that sense I can understand why articles want the industry to reflect kpop's global branching. They have the tools to do so and perhaps it will help the economy a little.

Rant: Are Rap/Hip-Hop Fans Ignorant?

2011-09-22T17:30:00.001-05:00

This topic has been sitting in the back of my mind for quite some time (and I mean like years of time). I've seen and read many things and this topic has pushed itself to the front of my thoughts more and more, especially for this blog. I'm not sure how many of you listen/enjoy rap/hip-hop music, but I always wanted to express my view on the issue.

I've mentioned a little background with the genre in a post about Korean rap music. My tastes haven't changed much at all. My ears still crave the sounds of talent from the past. I wish it could've remained in this present time, but I'm not optimistic about that ever happening with the way things are now, especially with the current line-up of artists and the fans that enjoy them. Yes, I have given up long time ago. This feeling was sealed and secured in my mind since my senior year of high school when three freshman/sophomore students hanging outside the school were criticizing my music as garbage. I didn't say anything, because I knew if I did I would be wasting my time with their ignorance of the past. To paint a clearer picture of this scenario, I was parking my car and listening to some oldies really loud with my windows down. I figured kids today never look back to see what built the present when it comes to music like when I was a kid. I learned to appreciate and enjoy the oldies like George Clinton, The Temptations, Chaka Khan, and many others that my parents and relatives listened to.

Some time ago (some number of months), my brother shared this video with me on Facebook, I believe, and it brought up a lot of good points that I agreed with along with some points I never thought of. I contemplated doing a video response to it, but I knew what I had to say wouldn't fit in the allotted time. Instead, I let the idea of ranting about it here linger in my mind until I felt the moment was right or until I could wrap everything up nicely for my Cult followers.

The topic of the video was whether hip-hop fans are fickle. In my opinion, I think the answer is no. The reason I say that is because the question is too...general. If you pick an age group or generation, then it's easier to pinpoint what fans have the capacity to be loyal to a certain artist and the ones who just stick with the trend. During high school, I had my close friends that felt the same as I do about older rap being better and then I had younger friends that really pushed what was in at the moment (i.e. chopped and screwed, dance craze songs). A few of them did actually appreciate the older stuff that I liked that wasn't all too popular anymore. I suppose if you look over the timeline of hip-hop and rap, it seems like the fans are fickle as things that got popular over time became more simplified. But honestly, if you ask two different age groups, you get a different conclusions that it's all generational.

Another question was brought up by one of the people in the video, Joe Budden, about whether the fans are ignorant, which creates this rant topic. After re-watching this video one more time before typing and reading a certain book I mentioned in a v-log, I truly believe that fans are ignorant to the past. Let me use some examples from the video. Joe mentioned to his colleagues that what current fans were saying about a past popular rapper Ja Rule, who apparently was being ridiculed when he was going to jail at the time, would come back and new/young fans would be cheering for him or appreciating his music. One person believes that this new generation would welcome artists like Outkast, Missy Elliott, Da Brat, or Ice Cube back like they're brand new or appreciate the path they created for current entertainers, but clearly only fans of that time would appreciate their comeback and probably sing along to their songs like it's brand new all over again. I'm sure if older artists that are still relevant now performed their older material, newer fans would criticize them.

In the video, once the topic of ignorance was brought up, there was a repetitive claim of the fans not having the tools to look back at history, the poets of hip-hop, but fans have tons of sources to check out what was great back in the 80's and 90's. I did! And there was no YouTube and music sharing was in infancy. I picked up this stuff from family members and through the radio, cassettes, and vinyls. Honestly, from experience they quickly dismiss the genre from those decades and ridicule the people who listen to it. Check out the Lil' Kim vs. Nicki Minaj from the same channel and the comments!

I know things can't always stay the same with an artist and I welcome experimentation. I was a big fan of Missy Elliott and she was an innovator for her genre along with producers Pharrell Williams and Timbaland. They combined all sorts of cultural elements into hip-hop and people loved it. But I think nowadays lyrical content has truly become secondary in this genre. It doesn't even have to be deep or poetic like Public Enemy or Tupac just have some sense or relatably.

Lastly, I want to tie in this book I read about southern rap/hip-hop: Dirty South: OutKast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy the genre or simply want to reminisce on the times when everyone was reppin' the ATL, sippin' drank, and had to get their CD chopped and screwed. It starts at the beginning with the Ms. Peachez controversy and even an amusing chat with Luke Campbell of 2 Live Crew. It gives an interesting perspective of how southern rap gradually dominated the charts as well as a general view of how the business works and trending as well as bits and pieces of what other artists in the industry think of the genre currently (especially when you get to Soulja Boy).

In conclusion:

Review: RESCUE

2011-09-19T17:19:00.001-05:00

Title: RESCUE
Starring: Nakamaru Yuuichi, Ishibashi Ryou, Yamamoto Yuusuke, Masuda Takahisa
Language: Japanese
Genre: Action
Episodes: 9

Daichi Kitajima was a little boy trapped and rescued by a brave Super Ranger. After being saved the rescuer in orange, the rescuer became trapped immediately in another collapse. This unfortunate event inspired the young Daichi to train to become a Super Ranger and save lives in the future.

We follow him and a few other aspiring young men during their training until the time comes to announce those who are qualified for what field. Then we meet the older Super Rangers and develop a relationship with them as they interact with our familiar rookies.

Rescue is an emotional, action packed drama that reveals the bond between men and the impact of safety officials in the community. You definitely connect with each character naturally and there are moments where you need to reach for a box of tissues.

The acting among the cast were somewhat realistic and occasionally there were a few times where it seemed a bit overdramatic. The action sequences or rescue missions were clearly secondary, but not in a bad way. A couple of the missions are similar, but still enjoyable to watch.

Overall, I thought this was an interesting series, great choice of actors, and a thoughtful storyline. The drama could've been better and less dramatic acting-wise, but nonetheless, I don't feel like I wasted my time when I finished the series.

Rating: 3/5

V-log: A Big Screw You

2011-09-16T15:13:00.001-05:00

Is there anyone else who doesn't understand YouTube's copyright rules? Because it seems hella confusing to me & my friends.

Review: Crush! -90's V-Rock best hit cover songs-

2011-09-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

Various Artists - Crush! -90's V-Rock best hit cover songs- (2011, Japan) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Pink Spider, Gekka no Yasoukyoku, Kurenai, Schwein no Isu

I noticed my review on the Seikima tribute album ran a little long and I wanted to add something I noticed after listening to this album. While listening to these covers, I noticed the newer bands stuck by the original arrangement of the song and didn't add a little part of themselves in it like the more established bands. I thought that was interesting. Unfortunately, most of the bands that were covered in this album, I don't really follow or listen to. I might've heard of them, so at least that's something. I know when this CD came out earlier this year, I did check out samples of the bands I don't listen to to compare to the covers. That's when the observation came up. There's nothing wrong with that just interesting.

The album opens up with the most memorable hide song, "Pink Spider, covered by one of my favorite underrated jrock bands heidi.. The intro is very much themselves and they added a little creative spin to the song while still keeping the greatness of this classic with great guitar work and high energy. Next is SOPHIA's "Machi" covered by another band I enjoy DOREMIdan. Even though the band is a little more well known than BugLug or DOGinthePWO, they pretty much stuck with the original. The song is alright, but a little too slow for my liking. I haven't listened to much SHAZNA, but I know a couple friends have showed me things by them or at least IZAM. BugLug covers "Melty Love". I'm not a fan of BugLug at all and I wish Megamasso took over this song instead since they covered a SHAZNA song in their album. It's kinda bland and super indies sounding. So, I don't listen to SIAM SHADE and I don't really care for NoGoD, but I actually really liked this song. I think they did a good job covering this song and I like the vocals more than SIAM SHADE. ~~Don't hurt me.~~ Alright, "Gekka no Yasoukyoku" is one of my favorite Malice Mizer songs and I know that D's vocalist Asagi admires Gackt, so I concluded this track would be pretty epic...and it was! They fused the elegance of Malice Mizer and D's heavy, but classy sound together to one amazing cover that would make the band tear up from the pure brilliance of this rendition. I like LUNA SEA, probably not as much as I would like to, and I really like Lolita23q, so I was curious how an oshare kei band would pull off such an iconic band's song. The intro of "STORM" was pretty wicked, especially with all the guitar breaks. Most people would've automatically thought this was gonna turn into a disaster, but I think they did a pretty good job. Yay~ Another song I'm familiar with and normally I'm a little lost when it comes to X Japan sometimes despite them being the jrock band I was introduced to. I couldn't have thought of a better band to cover the classic of "Kurenai" than Matenrou Opera. It opens with a beautiful piano intro that would make Yoshiki proud and then when the first lines of the song come in it is...flawless. In about a minute and a half, things will really pick up and Matenrou Opera definitely take a creative spin of this song like they own it. So, I don't listen to either La'cryma Christi or DaizyStripper, so anything could happen here. In the beginning of the "With-you" cover, the singing is a bit painful to listen and it's probably the reason I never stuck to DaizyStripper. They pretty much keep everything the same, but up the tempo and the tone. Next, we have GLAY's "winter again". Not a big fan of GLAY, but I love 12012 to no end. After hearing a sample of the original, I figured with 12012's skills they could pull this off and maybe make it better. They added little bits and pieces of themselves, but stuck close to the original which was a bit disappointing. Next up is Penicillin's "Romance" covered by a j-indies band I'm not particularly fond of And -Eccentric Agent-. I'm a little familiar with the song and the sample helped me refresh my memory. They pretty much stick with the original arrangement, which I think is a wise choice for the young band. Another old band I don't listen to CASCADE and a somewhat new band MIX SPEAKER'S INC. that I don't really like. The band puts their own little fun spin of "S.O.S Romantic" which was...okay. Honestly, I've never heard of D-Shade until this album and I remember that whatever song I heard of LOST ASH I didn't like that much, but they cover "Endless Love" and stuck by the book and made it a little louder. I must admit there were a couple covers I anticipated when seeing the tracklist and Merry's cover of Dir en grey's "Schwein no Isu" was one of them. Reason is quite obvious, but for those new Diru fans out there that don't know, I think one of the members was the band's roadie, so this is a perfect match like D and Malice Mizer. Must say...I think this is the most repeated cover from this album. Not only to did they take a great classic Dir en grey song and follow along the original, but they made it very Merry! They kept the energy and craziness of it without being a Diru copycat but themselves. Moving onto Buck-Tick and DuelJewel which neither I'm a fan of. They cover "Jupiter" and basically keep it all the same without doing anything wild or special to it. Reaching the final track, I noticed that the band selection was more or less evenly distributed between indies and major/well-known bands because the last track is covered by an j-indies band by the name of DOG in the Parallel World Orchestra. They close out this album with Raphael's "Yume Yori Suteki na". This song really fits the band's original sound, so they could get away with sticking closely with the original arrangement and not get scolded too badly from me.

Overall, the album was very well compiled, although I wish they snuck some D'erlanger in there or maybe and exist†trace cover of a SHOW-YA song would be awesome, but what they picked made me check out other iconic bands that I don't normally listen to.

Review: Lady Gaga's "Born This Way"

2011-09-11T16:58:00.001-05:00

Lady Gaga - Born This Way (2011, U.S.) Rating: 2.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Government Hooker, Scheiße, Heavy Metal Lover

I've been wanting to do a one-on-one review on a CD and Gaga gets to be the first victim. Honestly, as a Gaga fan, I was a little hesitant to see how this album would go and my hesitation was kinda right on this one.

"Marry the Night" opens up this album with a organesque/vocal combo. It has a generic dance sound and the lyrics are kinda bland. "Born This Way" was the promotion song for this album and when I first heard it, I couldn't believe this was a Gaga song. It doesn't sound like her at all. I later found out that the music was possibly borrowed from a popular female Korean pop group. The song is one of those inspiration pieces along with Katy Perry's "Firework" and Pink's "Raise Your Glass". "Government Hooker" has a dramatic and mysterious intro that makes you curious what direction Gaga's gonna go. The music kicks in and it fuses electronic dance elements from the present and past. This is the first track I actually enjoyed! The vocal arrangement is kinda tamely wild and it remains catchy in a good way. Before I heard the album, I saw the video to "Judas" and it definitely pulled some religious nerve inside that felt a little offended. When you think about it, it has nothing to do with religion, she's only using it as a metaphor in the lyrics. The song's not that bad, but the chorus is a bit weak in my opinion. "Americano" gives a historical aire and mixes Latin culture with American or even European sounds together. It's interesting marriage for sure. Well, she already has a song called "Teeth", so why not have a song called "Hair". It's a bit of a melodramatic song and I honestly can't focus too much into the song as I quickly lose interest in the first 40 seconds. "Scheiße" is an odd track featuring some German words and a familiar dance sound that's super catchy. Sometimes you forget that there's German in there because the music is very easy to lose yourself in. "Bloody Mary" opens up with a classical sound, then combines it with the dance sound. It has an interesting transition and can be a bit hit or miss at times. With "Black Jesus†Amen Fashion", I honestly can't tell where this song is going and I really have no interest in finding out really. I can see it for the runway, but not my iPod. Let's add a little rock with "Bad Kid". I guess this is where Gaga is suppose to bring out her rebel side, but it's soft and has an alright music track. I guess we don't have enough tracks about fashion, so here's another reference to clothing in some way song called "Fashion of His Love". It has a retro pop feel like "Like A Virgin" Madonna or Cyndi Lauper. "Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)" has an uplifting sound in the beginning, but drops down a few levels musically. The arrangement is pretty much everywhere, but it's no surprise with a title like that. After several unappealing tracks, "Heavy Metal Lover" pops up and pulls me back in. Sure, it sticks with that semi-generic dance sound, but the lyrics are so...rock and wrong. *adds to the Miko anthem list* "Electric Chapel" is a bit of a hit or miss, depending on my mood. The old school rock guitar and new wave "Flashdance" sound can be appealing. "The Queen" has a lighter sound and goes a different direction than what I would expect from Gaga. "You and I" is like an electro-country song. Yes, you read that right. It sounds very country. At the moment, "The Edge of Glory" is the song floating around the radio and TV. Oh. My. Gosh. I hate this song so much! It's just so...cheesy. It feels like a cop out Olympic song or something and the story behind the music video once it was release is hilarious. If you haven't heard it, the short version is that no one wants to take credit for that piece of fail. Nonetheless, this song closes out this mediocre album.

But, wait! There's more if you got the two discs version with the remixes. "Born This Way (The Country Road version)" sounds pretty much how it's titled. The intro is pretty cool, but once the first verse starts, I'm ready to move onto the next remix. Nothing will make me like that song! For the longest, since my religious side kinda twitches a little with the original version, I stuck by the remix of "Judas". "Judas (DJ White Shadow Remix)" is more or equally appealing as the original. "Marry the Night (Zedd Remix)" doesn't make this song any better or enjoyable to me. "Scheiße (DJ White Shadow Mugler)" made an already addicting dance song even more addicting. Perhaps more appealing for the club kids than the original. I think I listen to the original and remix about the same amount, give or take. "Fashion of His Love (Fernando Garibay Remix)" slightly enhances this bland piece of work, but still doesn't convince me to listen to it anymore than I do now. I thought I'd escape the tragedy of "Born This Way", but no...there's two more remixes that try to convince me to listen to this awful song. Now the Jost & Naaf Remix almost does it, but I honestly would rather just listen to an instrumental of this remix. There is a LLG vs. GLG remix I like from one of her previous albums, but no luck in winning me over.

Overall, this album isn't worth buying and it's probably too late to even say that. I heard the record sells weren't as good as her previous albums anyway. But, if you were to buy the album, I would suggest getting the version that includes the remixes. The remixes are more appealing than the original tracks more than half the time and the album art is better too. Who wants a Gaga bike, seriously!?

Quick Music Review

2011-09-08T12:55:00.003-05:00

The Birthday Massacre - Imaginary Monsters (2011, U.S.) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Forever, Pale (Kevvy Mental & Dave Ogilvie "Rubber Unicorn" Mix), Shallow Grave (Assemblage 23 Mix)

Recently, I blindly bought a single...and I really dislike buying singles, but I ended up not regretting this one. "Forever" is haunting yet beautiful track that shows off that emotional goth electronic sound of the band and Chibi's voice is flawless. The song smoothly transitions to "Burn Away" which has a slightly harder sound than the first track. "Left Behind" has an eerie sound and dramatic electronic rock music arrangement that drags along some. The next 5 tracks are remixes of songs from their last album, Pins and Needles. "Pale (Kevvy Mental & Dave Ogilvie "Rubber Unicorn" Mix)" brings out more bass and guitar sound yet keeps the integrity of the original intent of the song. "Control (Tweaker Mix)" sounds extra retro electronic. ~~Think of Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran".~~ "Shallow Grave (Combichrist "Good For Her" Mix)" has a few scratches and tweaks. I didn't really care for this remix so much. "Pins And Needles (Skold Mix)" has its moments of great musical arrangement choices within the remix. It kinda reminds of me of an industrial DDR song or something. "Shallow Grave (Assemblage 23 Mix)" is better than the other remix of the same song. It keeps its original tempo and adds cool, familiar dance elements to it. Overall, the single wasn't that bad.

Natalia Kills - Perfectionist (2011, U.S.) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: Wonderland, Break You Hard, Zombie, Love is a Suicide

If you haven't noticed, I've been waiting for this album for a while now. It opens with one of my favorite tracks, "Wonderland". The lyrics are interesting and a little dark. The music is simple, but definitely leaves an impression in your mind. "Free" is an upbeat, fun song that follows along the same line as Jessie J's "Price Tag". I believe this is her latest music video as well and it features will.i.am. I really wish he wasn't in it because his part is kinda annoying and unnecessary. "Break You Hard" is an aggressive song mixing haunting sound effects, intense vocals, and a rock influence music arrangement. "Zombie" used to be a track I was obsessed with. The song is still amazing and keeps that dark pop vibe. "Love is a Suicide" is my favorite new track. No doubts there. It has a great dance sound and keeps true to Natalia's style. "Mirrors" was another song that was previously released. It still has a nice dramatic sound with a retro-electropop vibe. "Acid Annie" goes back to that dramatic rock sound, but more of a stalkerish, threatening tone to it than "Break You Hard", but underlying uplifting. "Superficial" is a lighter track than the previous one and easy to get into. "Broke" is a slightly softer track and fuses Natalia's sound with R&B elements which creates this beautiful little song. "If I Was God" keeps that light, thoughtful tone going to close out the album. It compiles some of the themes presented in the previous tracks and puts it on the table for the listener to think things over. It also shows off Natalia's great, diverse vocal range. Overall, this is a great debut album for Kills and it was definitely worth the wait. I hope she can keep going on this great route while this dance/electronic trend is still going. I also hope this kills the Gaga comparisons too.

f(x) - PINOCCHIO (2011, South Korea) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Pinocchio (Danger), Dangerous, Love, Lollipop

Things have been a little quiet for the girls since Amber was injured, but this was their comeback. "Pinocchio (Danger)" was the promo song to get people excited about their first album and their comeback. It's a very catchy song and goes along with the same vibe as "Nu ABO", which made me happy. "Sweet Witches" takes a sweeter sound of pop that I didn't know existed in them. I'd rather not hear anything like this again. "Dangerous" has a bit of a retro pop sound that I can't seem to place where I've heard before. "Beautiful Goodbye" is a nice, little simple ballad that gives the girls a chance to show off their vocal harmony. "Gangsta Boy" kinda has a bit of a red flag vibe for me just basing it off the title, but the song isn't that bad. They took pieces from the same sound as "Pinocchio (Danger)" and pretty much simplified it to a cute track. "Love" regains my attention back to the fact that these girls have talent. It has cuteness and power at the same time. "Stand Up!" is one of those tracks that's supposed to put an instant smile on your face, but...I just skip this track completely. "MY STYLE" has a retro "Soul Train" element in the music, but combines it with the girls' sassy pop sound. I noticed a lot of people like "So into U". It does have a nice instrumental to it and the vocals are pretty good too, but not my style. The album ends with "Lollipop" featuring labelmates SHINee. I must say I might like this one better than Big Bang and 2NE1's, but that's probably due to overplay. Nonetheless, it's a really good, repeatable track.

9GOATS BLACK OUT - Rorschach inkblot (2011, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: missing, Yuuustu to Kodoku

A highly anticipated yet nerve racking comeback. I was a little nervous about listening to this single, since I wasn't completely wowed by their last release before they went on hiatus. I was surprised by this single! "missing" has flawless vocals and the music is filled with so much theatrics and emotion that it's hard not to fall in love with them again. "Yuuutsu To Kodoku" has an airy, haunting feeling that made "sink" amazing, but on a whole new level. The single ends with a live track from their latest DVD. "Atena No Nai Tegami [live in Melancholy pool]" has a mellow, acoustic lounge sound and it's easy to lose yourself with the soft vocals and prominent basslines.

2NE1 - 2NE1 Mini Album Vol. 2 (2011, South Korea) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: I Am the Best, Lonely, Hate You, Don't Stop the Music

The girls have been teasing us with video after video of awesomeness and now we have the compilation of the girls' great works from their recent releases. "I Am the Best" was the biggest boom since "Clap Your Hands" perhaps? It has a heavy bass, a simple electro-pop sound, and extra sass. It is a very catchy track that you can't resist repeating and it's a great opener for this new mini. "UGLY" is one of those confident building anthems that's kinda catchy here in the States. I'm not particularly fond of the song and the video didn't help the matter either. Surprisingly, "Lonely" grew on me and I slowly started liking this little ballad. Everyone's voice is nice and the video reflects the beauty and emptiness of the song. "Hate You" has more of an electro-pop sound than the first track and the song lyrically is kinda simple. Easy to sing along, at least around the chorus. The video is kinda entertaining for something animated. Park Bom's "Don't Cry" is featured on this mini and...I'm still not a fan of hers, but the song's alright. "Don't Stop the Music" closes up the mini and it was the first track to be used to promote this CD. It reflects more of the girls' sound from their last album release and doesn't mesh as well with these new tracks. Nonetheless, it's still a good song.

Quick Music Review

2011-09-05T12:23:00.001-05:00

Blood Stain Child - Episilon (2011, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: Sirius VI, Forever Free, Stargazer, Electricity

This is BSC's first album featuring their new vocalist Sophia. I was really curious how much their sound would change having a new vocalist, especially a female one, but the live satisfied my curiosity. Episilon opens up with a strong track, "Sirius VI", that features heavy rock elements and Sophia's melodic voice flowing softly like the wind accompanied by Ryo's screams occasionally. The sound stays consistent throughout the album with a "trance-metal" sound. "Forever Free" keeps the intensity and Ryo and Sophia bridge their old sound from MOSAIQ and this new beautiful, haunting vocals. It's uplifting lyrically, but keeps an intense emotion through the music. "Stargazer" is more upbeat in sound, but doesn't seem out of place in the album at all. It kinda sounds like an anime song. "S.O.P.H.I.A" keeps along the lines of that generic anime sound, but still keeps true the bands sound by adding aggressive guitars and screams here and there. "Unlimited Alchemist" goes back to the slight fast pace that is represented in their first track and the vocals go back and forth to in your face yells and comforting mystical singing. "Electricity" is a highly addicting song that has a fun musical sound and still strikes a nerve around the bridge. "Eternal" starts off like a dramatic DDR song and instantly catches your interest when Sophia begins talking. "Moon Light Wave" goes back to a lighthearted sound and a strong bassline. "Dedicated to Violator" really reminds of this DDR song I'm not particularly fond of. This song puts the rock element on the back burner and purely focuses on the electronic elements more. The album continues to get a little more distant from the heavy sounds in the beginning and keeps it soft yet still beautiful with "Merry-Go-Round". After going through the album, the songs kinda blend a little when you get to intense tracks like "La+". It's still a great song, but it definitely goes back to the fast pace aggression. "Sai-ka-no" is the softest track on the whole album. It uses soft echoes, acoustic guitars, and combines it with fantasy-like electronic sounds. "Void dmn-str. remix" closes off the album and touches base with the bands metal side. Overall the album is a great piece of work and still keeps true to the original sound of the band before Sophia joined. I think overseas fans that already enjoy this genre could easily get pulled into this band (as long as they ignore that Ryu likes wearing lolita).

Dir en grey - DIFFERENT SENSE (2011, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: DIFFERENT SENSE

While anticipating the new album, Diru released a new single (and a photobook that featured 2 songs) and I must say that this was a good sample of what was to come of DUM SPIRO SPERO. "DIFFERENT SENSE" is a very aggressive sounding song at first with Kyo's signature screams and growling singing style. The drums are very pace and the guitars lag just enough to keep the songs interesting, then when the chorus comes around the vocals are layered to Kyo's matured vocals and his painful screams. Yes, Kyo still sings...please stop saying he doesn't. While listening to "Tsuki to Kisei", I was bothered by the fact that the song sounded so familiar yet I couldn't place why, then I looked it up and was reminded it's a "loose" remake of their older classic "Tsumi to Batsu". The song confuses me on how I feel about it. I suppose it's okay. I could do without the muffled vocals, but I love the dramatic musical arrangement. To close out the single, it's a generic solution...adding a live track. This time it's "Red Soil". Yeah, I'm not gonna waste my time reviewing a live track. XP Deal with it!

2PM - Hands Up (2011, South Korea) Rating: 2.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Hands Up, Electricity, Don't Stop Can't Stop

First of all, I'm gonna partially apologize to 2PM fans because...I just don't like these guys. So, why in the hell am I reviewing their album? Well, 1. there's one song that drew me in to listen to the rest of the tracks...give them a third chance and 2. it's my blog and I can do whatever the hell I want. XP Anyway...onto the album. "Hands Up" is your generic high energy, club song that you can't resist liking...even if you dislike the group. Sadly, this is the main reason I have this album on my external drive. It's like a Ke$ha song, you don't wanna like it, but it sticks. "Electricity" kinda stuck to me as well. It has a strong bass and hints of R&B and hip-hop to the arrangement. "Give It to Me" is a total generic lovey R&B track that I guess is suppose to make the ladies swoon or whatever, but I'm not having it. The music is alright, but it's nothing I would listen to all the time like the previous two tracks. "영화처럼" is a pure ballad track and "모르니" sounds like some retro kpop track that H.O.T would make but worse. "Hot" brings back that heavy bass in the intro and goes back to that generic electronic dance sound. It's okay on a good day, but doesn't stick as much as "Hands Up". "Without" has beautiful piano, but this overall sound is the reason why 2pm completely turns me off. "I'll Be Back" sticks with that bland sound and "I Can't" is another lovey dovey ballad with nice acoustic guitar. For some reason, there's remixes of "Hands Up" and "Electricity"...and not very impressive ones either. Although, "Electricity (220v Remix)" is the better of the two. "Thank You" brings the tempo down to another slow song that's suppose to show off their vocal "talent". I believe "Don't Stop Can't Stop" was previously released on something, but I really don't know nor care. Nonetheless, for some reason I ended up liking it. Maybe because I wasn't watching them heartlessly performing it live, but it has a nice beat and the singing's not bad. As you can see, 2pm hasn't won me over and you 2pm readers will just have to deal with.

Kim Hyun Joong - Break Down (2011, South Korea) Rating: 2/5
Favorite Tracks: Break Down

Now I'm not a SS501 fan at all [been there, done that], but the title track was the reason for listening. Grand organ opening surprised me in "Intro (Let Me Go)". It was intriguing and dramatic enough to bring you into this single. "Break Down" is bass heavy, powerful yet smooth kpop track that I'm still to this day blasting when I can. The song is catchy, but clearly has thought put into the song. Having Double K be apart of it makes it extra enjoyable. "Please" brings us in with a basic piano intro and basically cues some pretty impressive vocals. It's not a song I would listen to all the time, but it is nice. "Kiss Kiss" combines Spanish acoustics with bass driven dance beats. It's pretty simple and nothing to go crazy over. "Yes I Will" is a pure dance track and I'm not particularly a fan of this nasally autotune vocals featured in it. It has a simple catchy musical arrangement, but it's very generic. The single closes with an instrumental track of "Break Down".

Zwei - Kaze no Senritsu (2011, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: Kaze no Senritsu, Sora no Shizuku

It's been a while since these two released anything, even it was just an anime release...it's something. This is pretty much the same, but more impressive. "Kaze no Senritsu", I believe, was used for an anime opening or something. The song is pretty upbeat and fun, but you can hear Ayumu's impressive vocals and Megu's prominent basslines. "Sora no Shizuku" is probably the best track between the two. It starts off pretty low and makes you curious what will happen next. It's pretty powerful sounding song and I can listen to it over and over again. It has a dramatic arrangement and it sticks to their original sound with growth. The remaining two tracks are instrumentals. I really hope the girls will put an album and/or PV soon, because it kills me when they go silent between releases.

Rant: South Korea's Music Video Bans

2011-09-02T12:49:00.001-05:00

I've been contemplating on starting a new topic to feed my guilty pleasure of picking on South Korea. I seriously have no real problems with the country, but some things that they do make me say "wtf, Korea!?". One thing that has bothered me about their musical acts presentations, whether it be on stage or in a music video, is what is appropriate and what isn't. This little question has popped up quite a few times like when I heard that G-Dragon was being fined for his live performance of "Breathe" or when YouTube's Simon and Martina recently reviewed Teen Top's "No More Perfume on You" video and also answered a question about appropriate clothing in Korea.

It's been expressed many times that I'm not a kpop fan, simply a listener of Korean music. Also, the fact that I have no problem with the fandom or the country or anything related, but there's so many questionable things that go on in this industry and, in this post, I want to focus on the whole musical ban issue.

Now I must point out that every country has different standards of what's appropriate for the public to see. Surprise, surprise, there are videos that have been banned in this fine country called the U.S. of A or even subjected to late night broadcasting. Back in the day when music videos really mattered with promotions and kept up with the trends, BET had a segment called Uncut which featured low budget and/or raunchy rap videos such as Nelly's controversial vid of his remix of "E.I.". MTV also had to do the same with some of their videos and even dedicated a countdown to the most controversial videos such as Nas's "Hate Me Now" and, one of my favorite music videos of all time, the Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up". Japan also has standards for what they can and can't air, although some of their choices can be a little questionable at times. In the beginning, Dir en grey had to edit PVs for it to be aired like "Mazohyst of Decadence" and "Obscure", but lately I've seen sexual (yet somewhat tasteful) things like a good portion of Koda Kumi's PVs be aired [check out her latest PV for "Koso Koso"]. Even though there's conflicts on the censor business in both countries, Korea throws me off the most.

Let's start the topic with one of the examples mentioned above, G-Dragon's live performance of "Breathe". After releasing his first solo album, Heartbreaker, the Big Bang leader went on tour and one of his performances caused some concerns among parents and the Ministry (or whoever dictates what's inappropriate for the kiddos of South Korea). During the live, there is a part where he's expressing how he sees the girl of his dreams or something and he climbs into a bed with one of the female dancers. Through the eyes of the parents and dictators of all things appropriate in South Korea, they saw this as a sexual demonstration for the younger audience...therefore inappropriate. Apparently, the problem was so serious that there was a possibility floating around that G-Dragon could've gone to jail for it or simply pay a high fine for the display. Along with the live, the public pointed out mature content from the album which was already explained in the beginning. It's amusing to me since Koki Tanaka of KAT-TUN can get away with his performance of "MAKE U WET ~Chapter 2~" in Japan that also involves and, as a bonus, highly sexual lyrics. I guess a bed is going too far for a live performance in Korea, but humping the air and floor is perfectly fine.

Not good enough of an example? Alright, here's a few more inappropriate actions from some other kpop artists. Sistar's "How Do You" was brought to attention due to the presents of poles that they technically danced next to as opposed to twirling around them like a stripper for about 10-20 seconds. Rain's "Love Song" video had to be edited for airing due to violating traffic regulations for running down a street as oppose to his shirtless little Chippendale's dance [not that I mind]. Lee Hyori refused to edit her video for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". The Ministry wanted to ban the video for the fact she didn't wear a seat belt while driving and the dancers danced on a bus and in the middle of a street. DBSK's "Before U Go" was placed on the hit list of controversy for supposedly promoting gambling and violence.

Aside from physical acts, there's also been lyrical debates. Most of them seem ridiculous and are very tiny things that can be misinterpret by idiots who would take it literally. Some examples are Block B's "Freeze!" for the lyrics, "Send all your friends home/I'm waiting for you right here" as some eschewed interpretation of a one night stand when it really doesn't mean anything. B2ST's "Rainy Days" and Kim Hyun Joong's "Please" have faced the same problem of strange, nitpicking lyricism. Then there's the use of slang that corrupted the minds of South Korea's youth through GD & T.O.P's "Knock Out" and 4Minute's "Heart to Heart".

Now not all of the Ministry's concerns are nonsensical, some of them I can really understand why they can't be aired or have to be broadcast later due to the content of the video or lyrics. Bang Yong Guk's "I Remember" is a violent video, but it is a tad graphic and even Sunny Hill's latest video "Pray" could possibly be a little too much.

But sometimes sexual or violent material gets aired and no one says anything until after everyone has seen it...or it simply slips through the cracks like Teen Top's "No Perfume For You" that displays underage guys being in a bar that serves alcohol, dating older women, and practically encouraging cheating in their lyrics. HyunA's "Bubble Pop" had sexual choreography, yet no one really said anything until after the fact. I'm sure Rania had some issues with "Dr. Feel Good", but everyone was already exposed and it seemed pretty pointless to say anything.

I guess in some ways it's nice the Ministry doesn't want South Korea to be "corrupt" like Japan or even worse the U.S., but some of the things they let go or ban are just a little too much. I wonder if the artists are tempted to sugar coat everything to some nursery rhyme. At least some of them have commented on the banning issue. In my opinion, it's a noble thought to protect the citizens, but sometimes they really need to stop turning every little thing into something negatively influential. And if they want to ban stuff, they need to be more consistent with their claims rather than letting one group go while another before them is suffering the consequences for an equal or greater offense. Now I don't want the Ministry to go on a banning spree because of my opinion, because, honestly, music is a way of expression to connect to the audience through thoughts and feelings. You can't censor life. There will always be sex, drugs, alcohol, and violence scattered somewhere and the public can't escape that. Seriously, I'm pretty sure western culture will not contaminate the innocence of kpop, so relax and don't overthink the content.

Quick Music Review

2011-08-29T19:53:00.001-05:00

Touch - Too Hot 2 Handle (2011, South Korea) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Luv, Rockin' the Club

Touch is one of those new male kpop groups that have tons of potential, but still have some fine tuning. I was really excited they were coming up with something new. "Too Hot 2 Handle" has a great dance vibe that displays an impressive rap flow. It really gets you in the mood for this brand new single. "Luv" lightens things up a little bit, but still maintains that club vibe. It's simple, catchy tune that's easy to move to and fits in with this dance/club sound trend, but still keeps their cute/innocent charm. "Rockin' the Club" was their promo song of choice. The music video is a little weak, but the song gradually grew on me. The stuttering parts are a little annoying and unnecessary, but the chorus is easily ingrained in my head. "Today" is a nice, lighthearted generic kpop tune that you can easily picture cutesy gestures and facials like Teen Top, SHINee, or something that instantly annoys me. The remaining two tracks are instrumentals of "Luv" and "Rockin' the Club". The boys still have some growing to do, but I still enjoy listening to them.

SuG - Crazy Bunny Coaster (2010, Japan) Rating: 2.5/5
Favorite Tracks: ID fudge factor

As much as I love SuG, I've been having some issues with their current stuff for some reason. It's all the same happy/random formula that's getting tiring like the GazettE's stuff. "Crazy Bunny Coaster" is an upbeat tune with Takeru's usual unique inflections in his vocals, fun keyboarding effects, and random sprinkles of sound effects. "NO OUT NO LIFE" follows along those fun little rock tunes and has a simple lyrical flow that's good for the kiddos. "ID fudge factor" taps more into that rocker sound while still keeping that fun lovin' SuG element. I want more of that!

König - Deep Throat (2010, Japan) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: deep, 蜜溶ける部屋

For those who didn't know, Loki, ex-vocalist of Sugar, started a solo project König. If you didn't know, I'm not much of a fan of Sugar's, but their music was alright and they're rather entertaining live. This is his first single and it opens with the beautiful "Camellia" which is mostly an instrumental track featuring gorgeously arranged piano and electric guitar. "deep" brings in that deep vocals that Loki owns and a dramatic yet lasting musical arrangement that reflects elements from Sugar. "蜜溶ける部屋" gradually builds up starting with an a Capella intro then a strong bass guitar which leads to a hypnotizing melody and a powerful chorus. "insomnia" closes out this masterpiece of a single by picking up the pace a little, but still keeping some sort of emphasize on a guitar and Loki's vocal style.

lam. - Hikari to Yami ga Kosasuru Yoru ni (2010, Japan) Rating: 2.5/5
Favorite Tracks: andante, WALTZ

"Hikari to Yami ga Kosasauru Yoru ni" opens with an immediate guitar melody that easily pulls you in, then changes up suddenly before softening to bring in the vocals. It's a slightly odd sound to the ears and changes every now and then. It has potential, but becomes a bit generic around the chorus. "andante" has a familiar sound to it and once again captures you with the great musical presentation. It softens again to bring in the vocals, but this time it comes at a whisper and the small change up doesn't lose you as much. "WALTZ" starts off with guitar distortions and an aggressive vocal that makes you want to move to it with ease. The chorus flows well and is forgivable generic sounding since the melody is pretty cool.

deathgaze - SILENCE/THE END (2011, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: SILENCE, THE END

One of those anticipating singles of the year by the flawless deathgaze. "SILENCE" brings their signature aggressiveness, double pedal drums, and ear grating guitars with an intense fast pace like "BLOOD". "THE END" maintains the intensity, aggression, and speed with Ai's haunting voice and screams to keep things going and consistent. The single is simply too short, but amazing enough to keep fans interested in an upcoming release.

V-log: Safe Move

2011-08-25T18:32:00.001-05:00

For Blood Stain Child contest entries, please put Blood Stain Child in the subject of your email or video. Contest ends on September 29, 2011. Good luck!

V-log: Blood Stain Child Contest Reminder & Short Hiatus

2011-08-18T21:50:00.001-05:00

Promo: Dev

2011-08-12T12:39:00.000-05:00

|Official Youtube|

Discovered by the hot club duo The Cataracs through an Amy Winehouse cover, Dev was brought into the spotlight when the Far East Movement sampled from her song "Booty Bounce". From there she released her first single, "Bass Down Low", which is another great dance track and features The Cataracs as well. According to last.fm, audiences have compared her to Ke$ha, but I call that blasphemy as their style is very different from each other. She has recently done a few collaborations with other artists on her label and contributed to the latest Catarac song, "Top of the World".

With a sexy, alluring singing voice and fierce lyrical skills, Dev joins the ranks with colleagues The Cataracs and Far East Movement with an electro-hop sound. She has a memorable sound and an original flow to her voice and a delivery which blows Ke$ha away with minimal effort. Her latest music video, "In The Dark", keeps true to the feel good, sexy club sound that is trending. It features a slightly different side to Dev by combining her electro-hop with a little retro Latin horns. Not only is the video hot, but it keeps the anticipation high for her upcoming album, The Night the Sun Came Up, which will be released on September 20.

Darkness V-log: 90's Nostalgia, Music Anticipation, & Blood Stain Child ...

2011-08-10T17:13:00.001-05:00

Blood Stain Child Contest officially starts today! For details, please watch the video above.

Darkness V-log: Dumb Media Trends, JRockers "Expressing" Themselves, & M...

2011-08-05T01:51:00.001-05:00

Review: Ringu 0

2011-07-29T12:08:00.000-05:00

Starring: Yukie Nakama, Kumiko Asou, & Tanabe Seiichi
Directed by: Norio Tsuruta
Language: Japanese
Rating: unrated
Running Time: 95 minutes

In addition to my research and comparison, I finally completed the Japanese anthology with Ringu 0. The manga shares the same name and I think Birthday is the name of the novel. This chapter covers the backstory of Sadako and how all this came about.

If you've been keeping up with the original storyline then you know that Sadako was not a child when she died and she was part of a theater troupe. We start our story with this theater group preparing for a performance. Some of the women find Sadako strange and blame all bad occurrences on her. She later takes the lead due to an accident with the original actress and develops feelings for a certain guy, Toyama.

While seemingly showing us Sadako's struggle to fit in and be close to Toyama, the movie unveils her unusual family situation. Her loving mother who shared similar supernatural powers, her father who exploited them for it while masking it with love and care, and the secret records exposing nearly everything Sadako went through.

Not only do we learn these unfortunate things, but we learn that Sadako wasn't really an evil person as portrayed in Ringu and so on. We also go an explanation of why she's a little girl or younger woman among other things. Every little question about Sadako is mostly answered in the prequel. You can sympathize with the way Sadako is in present day and a bit of her mother's issues.

I'm not completely sure if the U.S. will ever use this in the future remake installments, but honestly I'd rather them not make a mess of such a great story like they are with their upcoming Ring 3D. Nonetheless, I found the movie intriguing and informative. It portrayed her as a normal human being feeling awkward about her ESP, family problems, and emotions toward the opposite sex.

If you're interested in this franchise, then Ringu 0 should be added to your watch list to complete the story.

V-log: Isshi's Passing, Miyavi Tour, & Tekken Pride

2011-07-27T21:49:00.001-05:00

Comparison: Akunin - book vs. movie

2011-07-25T12:21:00.000-05:00

In a previous post I did a quick review on Shuichi Yoshida's novel, Villian. It was a really great story with memorable characters and an interesting twist. When I learned there was a movie, I jumped on it immediately.

Yoshino Ishibashi is a seemingly average young woman just wanting to live her own life away from her small hometown and worrisome parents. She works for an insurance company and stays at the company's dorm. She has two close friends that share a slightly deceitful and envious relationship. She appears to be happy, but she reveals to a friend that she's been trying out dating sites and meeting guys, even though she's dating a rich guy named Keigo Masuo that they met at a bar.

One night out, after the girls eat out, Yoshino separates from her friends to meet up with Keigo, but she's really meeting a guy from the site named Yuichi Shimizu. This isn't the first time they've met and apparently she manipulates him (and other men she met previously) to give her money after spending time with them. Upon meeting up with this guy, she spots Keigo and decides to ditch her meeting with Yuichi to be with him.

The next day, Yoshino's body is found below the side of a road and the police began investigating who is the killer (or perhaps I should say "villain").

Akunin (or Villain, in English) is a murder mystery drama that plays with the viewer's emotions and makes you question the surroundings.

Shuichi Yoshida does an amazing job of pulling you into the story and luring you to choose sides. It brings up many questions for you to solve that makes the novel more enjoyable. Who is the villain? Who do I believe? Is it wrong for me to feel a certain way toward this character?

Of course, the novel gives off more detail and provokes more emotional acknowledgement for the reader, but the movie holds true to creating a relationship tie between the characters and the viewers. I can honestly say I still felt the same about each character in the movie as I did in the book.

I have very few complaints about either medium. When reading the novel, there are sections that are first person testimonies and commentary. I remember a couple of them I couldn't decipher who was speaking, but found it interesting to include at all. As for the movie, I wish they explained Yuichi's grandparents' situation and relationship a little more and Yoshino's friends' reaction toward her death. I also think they could've said more about Keigo and his friend, Kento. Lastly, they could've executed Yuichi's relationship with Mistuyo a little better. I think they portrayed Yuichi a little more emotionless or unstable than he really is in some ways.

Overall, both are worth taking time for, but if you enjoy a more descriptive view point then I highly recommend the book.

V-log: Catching Up

2011-07-20T23:21:00.001-05:00

Rant: Japan vs. South Korea

2011-07-06T11:08:00.002-05:00

While I was out to attend A-Kon, a co-worker of mine sent me a BBC News article. Unfortunately, I couldn't read it...but! she showed it to me when I returned to work. The article discussed "the dark side of Korean pop". I know I've said it a million times that I'm not a kpop fan, but I did know majority of the stuff that was going on in the article thanks to a friend who knows a thing or two about the Korean music industry.

I'll sum up what the article covered. The Korean music industry is a fairly weak one and artists/groups don't profit from them very well. They have to deal with the hardships of "slave contracts", working intense schedules and cutting off connections to living a normal life for little pay. With these factors against them, some artists branch off to make profit in Japan or fight the industry. In short, the Korean music industry fails hardcore and Japan is where it's at.

A couple days after I read this article, it was reposted on a LiveJournal community and Asian pop fans, specifically Japanese and Korean pop, butted heads once again. It wasn't too crazy compared to other communities, but I still find it silly to see fans tell kpop artists to go back to their own country. The silly part is most of them don't even live in Japan. Honestly, I'm waiting for kpop fans to say the same thing to jpop ones. It's still a very hypocritical statement.

Although, I have my own complaints about the kpop industry, but there's a good chance I'm not going to express my opinion on here any time soon. But I think this article not only reveals the dark side of the kpop industry, it's also showing the dark side of both fandoms through their nonsensical comments toward it. I'm really happy this article exists, although watching the video is painful, but it reveals some things that kpop (and jpop) fans don't know about the industry and the reasoning behind they always visit Japan.

I'm sure some already knew about their contract problems through stories like DBSK and KARA, but something that the article didn't mention was how the industry stretches the truth on the groups' success in Japan. Now I'm pretty sure acts like SNSD, KARA, and Big Bang are actually living up to the announcement of success, but newer groups that are hardly popular in the homeland of Korea need to cut the bs of selling out shows and whatnot in Japan.

I still have research to do on how the jpop industry functions, but I know it's far from perfect as well, like the jrock industry. They have their contract issues and whatnot, but I like how things are a little looser there. I suppose I'm a bit bias toward Japan, but at least I have valid reasons and I definitely won't be protesting that kpop needs to leave Japan. Everyone wants to make a living doing something they love and maybe leave a mark on this world.

JPop fans need to accept the music industry and the trend, kpop fans need to stop being delusional, and the kpop industry needs to fix itself or start strengthening other genres for more results.

Live: A-Kon 22

2011-07-01T14:15:00.002-05:00

A-Kon 22
[2010.06.10] Sheraton Hotel in Dallas, TX
featuring: Blood Stain Child & D

Babel Entertainment's Shion cam

Blood Stain Child
Sophia: vocals
Ryu: guitar
G.S.R: guitar
Ryo: bass/vocal
Aki: keyboard/programming
GAMI: drums

Blood Stain Child was up first and I apologize as I don't remember the songs they played because I'm still a new fan of theirs. They had a lot of energy on stage and I thought their music was better live than it was on CD, although I only heard one album on my iTunes and it was with their previous vocalist. Sophia did a lot of MCing in English as she's fluent (and from Greece). She occasionally told us the story/meaning behind some of the songs they performed before performing them. They took a little time to introduce the band members. There was band leader and lead guitarist Ryu, that I seriously thought was a girl in the beginning. Silly me for thinking that in the world of jrock, but I didn't know much about them in the first place. She moved onto Ryu's younger brother, bassist, and secondary vocalist Ryo who is quite the opposite in looks compared to lolita Ryu. He tried his best at speaking English to us with Sophia's assistance. He didn't give up and I thought it was cute for such a harsh looking man. Next was the handsome, host-like guitarist G.S.R who said a few simple words in English. She introduced their keyboardist and programmer Aki, but he said he didn't speak, and she moved onto drummer GAMI who someone yelled that he was sexy. He laughed and played it off like a cutie.

D
Asagi: vocals
Ruiza: guitar
Hide-Zou: guitar
Tsunehito: bass
Hiroki: drums

Once BSC's set was over, the crowd got really excited, not because of just the anticipation of D performing, but because the boys were setting up their own equipment and looking mighty flawless doing it. They made a dramatic opening with "Der König der Dunkelheit" which made me and everyone else super excited. The energy was high and I felt lost in the music. Asagi's MCs were cute...mostly because they were in Engrish, but I could understand him 98% of the time, which is good. He also had a chance to introduce the members, which was pretty nice. They had great chemistry with each other on stage and moved around a lot. Tsunehito looked a little less creepy, but he still has fishy eyes. Hide-Zou seemed to have somewhat of a wall up and kinda had a stoic expression, but still showed power, passion, and energy. Ruiza was just adorable and fun. Hiroki was handsome and gave in everything he had behind the drums and was not afraid to be comfortable during their encore with his top open. Asagi practically owned and commanded the stage like this was his second home. A couple of the songs seemed neverending and I was a little worried for Asagi's voice doing all that growling and whatnot, but he kept going and the guys kept jumping around the stage. Asagi taught us how to do "Night Ship 'D'" with the flags which was fun. I was surprised they played some of their older songs that I knew more than their newer stuff like "Sleeper" and "Yami yori kurai doukoku no acapella to bara yori akai jounetsu no aria". Also was happy they did "Yami no Kuni no Alice"! The grand finale of their set was their performance of "Ouka Saki Some ni Keri". Not only was the song just as amazing live, but Asagi changed into his kimono for it. He came out with a parasol, opened it up at the intro, and pink sakura petals fell on him. He took out his gold fan and started dancing occasionally during the song. During the guitar solo, I believe, he took out some more petals and fanned them out into the audience. It was beauitful, high energy, and everything. My memories a little fuzzy, but I think they might've done another song. When it was over, it didn't seem like they wanted to leave the stage as they kept returning and tossing things into the audience.

D's setlist minus the encore [borrowed from cool LJ user =X]

The crowd [and myself] at the live

Interview: Neko Neko Maid & Host Club

2011-06-25T12:29:00.002-05:00

For the past 2-3 years, I've noticed more and more maids wandering the floors of anime conventions. I learned last year that one of these maid organizations is called the Neko Neko Maid & Host Club. This year, they had a room reserved to cater and entertain con goers at A-Kon 22. I had the opportunity to chat with the co-owners of the group, Kitti and Miki.

What is the Neko Neko Maid & Host Club?
Kitti: It is a touring group from all around the nation that sing, dance, and play games with customers at various anime conventions. I believe we're the only maid group that tours.

How did the group get started?
Kitti: Miki and I were part of show choir and toured together. We both discovered and had an interest in maid cafes, so we became friends.

How long has Neko Neko been running?
Kitti: We started July 4, 2009

Have you ever been to Japan?
Kitti: I have been and Miki will be attending school there soon, but the group has not travelled to Japan.

What is your inspiration?
Miki: Being in show choir, the love of performing, and jpop.

How much does jpop influence you?
Miki: In our performances.

What jpop artists/groups inspire you?
Miki: AKB48 and Morning Musume

How often do you get applicants for being a maid or host?
Kitti: We do auditions all year round, but mainly we hold auditions for upcoming cons.

I noticed that there are many maids and very few hosts, why do you think it's hard to obtain hosts?
Kitti: We mainly focus on getting maids.
Miki: (jokingly) I think the hosts are intimidated by the maids.

How do you figure out the routines you're going to use for each show?
Kitti: Miki decides on the routines.

What is the hardest part about being a maid?
Kitti: As a tour maid, taking time off from school, being away from friends and family in the summer, and adjusting from different weather conditions as well as going from hotel to hotel.

Do you face any discrimination or have been stereotyped for being maids?
Kitti: In the beginning, our families had some concerns, but later they understood and supported us.

Have you had many difficult customers?
Kitti: It's rare, but occasionally we get gloomy customers. They're usually easy to cheer up.

What is your favorite game?
Kitti: Jenga
Miki: For the fans, they like playing "Maids in a Pickle", but I like Pretty Pretty Princess.

What are your future goals for Neko Neko?
Kitti: We want to expand into more cons and we also have a manga coming out.

Could you give a final message to the Cult readers?
Kitti: Come see Neko Neko Maid & Hostess Club at the next event!

If you're interested in learning more about Neko Neko Maid & Host Club, you can visit their site. On the site, you can find out when their next stop is as well as how to audition to be part of the group. I would like to thank Kitti and Miki for letting me hang out at their table and interviewing them!

Review: I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK

2011-06-23T13:22:00.001-05:00

Starring: Im Su-jeong & Rain
Directed by: Park Chan-wook
Language: Korean
Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 105 minutes

Young-goon works at a radio factory, putting parts and wires together. Fortunately for her, she's a robot and can use these parts to recharge herself...at least that's what she believes. She slits her wrist, attempts to connect the wires to herself, and plugs herself into an outlet. This leads her to be emitted into a mental institution where we meet a few other colorful characters.

One of these characters becomes close to Young-goon, a kleptomaniac who claims he can steal souls/attributes from other people by the name Il-sun. Him and a couple other characters help Young-goon throughout the story by making her comfortable as a robot and transitioning into a somewhat normal human being...or at least a "robot" who will consume food instead licking batteries to recharge.

After watching this movie, I have simply explained it as a Korean romantic comedy version of the classic One Flew Over the Cuukoo's Nest. We have a great set of characters with various mental issues that make the story entertaining and interesting. The colors are bright and vivid, even in dark settings, things stand out and keep your focus on the screen. Although it apparently didn't do so well in the box office compared to other works by Park Chan-Wook, I thought it was a pretty decent movie and I have recommended to others as well as rewatched it a few times.

Each character had great chemistry with each other and I really appreciated the explanation of some of the characters' backstories as well to feel a little more connected with them. If I had to make any complaints, it would probably be the ending. It was a bit open ended, but still somewhat satisfying in the end.

Rating: 3.5/5

"How Jigsaw Changed My Life": The Journey of "SAW"

2011-06-21T14:02:00.001-05:00

Some time in high school, the SAW series was never thought of and I was curious about it. A friend of a friend had the movie and told me what it was about (including the end, as requested). So, I borrowed it from her and I thought it was very unique and stood out from the ~~garbage~~ slasher flicks that have been constantly brought out in the U.S..

The first movie started off as a big mystery, a question upon questions as photographer Adam Stanheight and Dr. Lawrence Gordon awaken in a dingy bathroom with a bloody body in the middle of the room and their ankles cuffed to an inanimate object in the room. Naturally, they are at a panic and questioned the other about what was going on and how they got to where they are now. They soon came across a cassette tape and played it, learning they are part of Jigsaw's game. Both characters are familiar with the name as his prescence has been buzzing around the media. Amanda Young was a survivor of one of Jigsaw's "tests" and testifies publicly that it has changed her life. On the side, we have Detectives David Tapp and Detective Steven Sing showing us previous victims of the Jigsaw's contraptions while trying to solve the current case.

As the story progresses, we learn more and more about Adam and Dr. Gordon and it leads to many questions being answered. Not only do the main characters' backgrounds become revealed, but we learn a little bit about Jigsaw or shall I say John Kramer and his possible connections with one of the characters in the movie. Even though I knew the ending ahead of time, it was still surprising and well thought out.

Saw gave me hope that the genre wasn't completely dead and I'm not sure if they originally planned for this to become such a big franchise later on. Nonetheless, I stuck by the series since it left such a good impression on me and I was more or less pleased with the results.

By the time Saw IV was brought to the theaters, my thoughts of the franchise was waning and I was more excited about hearing X Japan's "IV" in the ending credits of the film than the actual movie. I was a little skeptical with what they were going to come up with **spoiler** since John Kramer died. The acting was improving which was slightly saddening, since the lack of acting abilities tend to be amusing to my friends and myself. The traps were hit and miss, but I was still interested. I thought it would all be over, but somehow they dug up some more inventions to crank out 3 more movies.

Upon the arrival of the fifth and sixth installment, I was becoming increasingly annoyed and was satisfied with everything stopping at Saw IV. Nearly all of my questions were answered, but, thinking like a money hungry Hollywood movie snob, I knew they were just milking it for all it's worth. Perhaps take the glory of being the highest earning horror movie franchise as well.

Despite this annoyance, I watched both seasons of the VH1 reality show, Scream Queens, a show trying to find someone to be apart of the movie, and I also watched the franchise to the very end. Unfortunately, I failed to see the final installment in theaters and checked it out from work.

Before viewing the final installment, I had mixed emotions toward it. I wanted to stay a dedicated fan, since I've seen the previous movies, but the elements that made the franchise special were lacking and were uncreative. I shifted my focus on the storyline and brushed off the poor games that were set up for the characters in each movie after Saw IV. It was also a shame that the movie was in 3D, fortunately, I didn't watch it in 3D. Upon watching the supposed final installment, I was a little bored with what was going on and I almost felt betrayed by the writers, but then the end came. Oh. My. God! Completely unexpected ending and it made me smile. With a clever ending like that, I hope they leave it there. Otherwise, brace yourself for an assload of angry fan letters.

Review: Cruel Intentions

2011-06-19T12:41:00.000-05:00

Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon,& Selma Blair
Directed by: Roger Kumble
Language: English
Rating: R
Running Time: 97 minutes

It's quite tragic that I've heard so many good things about this movie and I'm just now seeing it. It deserves all the praise that I have heard too.

We follow upper crest step siblings Kathryn and Sebastian, during their summer break. They are both very in touch with their sexuality and it becomes a somewhat important element in their lives. Sebastian is tired of picking up every naive pretty girls with somewhat low self esteem and having his way with them. On the other hand, Kathryn has learned that the guy she has been seeing has found a new subject to keep him occupied. Cecile Caldwell is an awkward girl that is transferring from an all girl academy and her mother has entrusted Kathryn to taking care of her as she is class president and a seemingly good, responsible person. Unfortunately, Cecile is Kathryn's target of tarnishing as she's sick of the innocent always winning the men.

Kathryn attempts to bring Sebastian into her evil plan, but he has a plan of his own. Sebastian's target is Annette Hargrove, daughter of the new headmaster of their school. She piqued his interest by an article he read in Seventeen about waiting for love and being pure. Kathryn proposes a bet, since Annette will be staying with their aunt for the summer break. If Sebastian can deflower Annette before she completes her plan and before the break is over, he can sleep with her. If he loses, then Kathryn gets his prized possession: a classic sports car.

Although this movie revolves around the art of seduction, it does have an underlying darkness and betrayal in the storyline that makes it intriguing. The chemistry between Sebastian and Kathryn is both interesting and slightly uncomfortable, even though they are only step siblings. Nonetheless, the thought of siblings having such a sexual tension is taboo. Cecile and Annette are also easy to become attached to and you feel sympathy for what they have to go through in this odd sibling rivalry.

I thought the cast choices were good and I can't imagine anyone else taking on such roles. Although, I was surprised by a couple things. I've never seen this dark side of Sarah Michelle Gellar before. It was shocking and admirable at the same time. Another thing that stood out was Reese Witherspoon's character Annette. It was nice seeing a strong female character not falling so easily for the handsome villain's game. Aside for commending the acting, the ending of the movie was absolutely brilliant and unexpected.

If you have not seen this 90's classic, then you should definitely pick it up.

Rating: 4.5/5

Darkness V-log: A-Kon 22, Reader's Question Request, & D'espairsRay Disb...

2011-06-15T16:28:00.001-05:00

Leessang's "I'm Not Laughing" vs. Red Roc's "Hello" vs. NassuN's "괜찮아"

2011-06-11T12:44:00.000-05:00

If you don't read the translations, each music video is deceivingly similar by the visuals: three angry men in pursuit of love and revenge brought on by jealousy and betrayal. Upon reading the lyrics, the story is quite different and has changed my original plans with this comparison.

This "battle" began when I saw Red Roc's video featuring Big Bang's T.O.P with Leessang's song, "I'm Not Laughing". I thought it was the official video, until I read the description underneath. So, I looked up the video and gained a new found respect for the duo thus searching for their music in the long run. The song is very laid back and reminscent of American rap from the 90's [the good stuff ^~]. Upon reading the lyrics, it's a not a song of revenge at all. It's a plea. A song of appreciating someone that you've lost.

According to the lyrics, the male character in this story made a few slip ups in his relationship and when they separate, he realizes how important she is in his life. He's lacking something important and wants to patch things up. Even though he's laughing and moving forward like it's nothing, there's so much pain and sorrow hidden beneath. Surprisingly, we hear her side of the story to some extent. She's sad and upset about the situation, but doesn't want to continue. In the music video, he has the option to let his anger take over or to forgive and forget.

Red Roc's "Hello" has a different sound than the previous song. The videos are deceivingly similar, if you have no knowledge of the Korean language. The music has a reggae melody and an ol' skool flow. The lyrics tell the story of a guy who probably broke up with his girlfriend and now he realizes he wants her back, even though he feels that his love for her wasn't enough, especially upon seeing the new guy that she's with. He's mad at himself and at her and uses that anger toward them in the end. I'm not a particular fan of this song, but I like the music video. T.O.P did a great job acting and my jaw dropped when he shaved his hair. ~~The precious black locks ;~;~~ In the end, the girl was sick of T.O.P's crap and kinda put him in his place with one hand movement.

Lastly, we have NassuN's "괜찮아". Unfortunately, I couldn't find a translation of the song title nor English lyrics, but, honestly, it really does fall in the lines of a cheating partner...or it could be another dose of the crazies. I've become a fan of NassuN's, so it was interesting seeing the many sides to him as an artist. He seems regretful and frustrated. Like the previous two male characters, somewhere along the line all those emotions just build and build until they are released onto their objects of affection and their new partner. With a brick and a bat, NassuN goes up 5 levels with a gun [that apparently has unlimited ammo. Bet he used a cheat code XD].

So, what criteria should I use for this battle? If it was music, I would pick Leessang's "I'm Not Laughing" as it was part of what triggered my interest in Korean rap. Plus, I can listen to that song anytime and not be sick of it. If it was visually, I think it's toss up between Leessang and Red Roc, even though NassuN looked awfully handsome with long hair. I think I'm gonna ask you, my precious Cult followers, who needs the most therapy?

I shall set up a poll for it on the right side when I return from A-Kon!

V-log: A-Kon 22, cosplay, Muddy Cult updates

2011-06-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

Quick Movie Review

2011-06-07T12:42:00.000-05:00

Clockwork Orange (1971, USA) | Rating: 3/5

One of those "must-see classics" true movie buffs bring up in conversations. I've heard a few things about this movie and how people match it up with Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's a very abstract piece of work that majority of viewers have a hard time translating completely. I'm curious if Europeans even understand it. After viewing it and reading snippets of what people had to say about it, I can get the premise of the movie, but to pick at points in the movie I cannot begin. It's definitely thought provoking ~~[or simply mindfucking]~~ and worth seeing, even if you're not the stereotypical "hipster".

Ashes of Time Redux (1994, Hong Kong) | Rating: 2/5

I'm kinda picky about Asian warrior/fight movies. It can be hit or miss and, sadly, this was a miss. It was more of a tangled romantic story with spurts of fight scenes. It was a little hard for me to follow and, in short, wasn't as interesting as I thought it was going to be. On the upside, I did like the cinematography!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011, USA) | Rating: 3.5/5

The latest installment of everyone's favorite pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow. I was a little hesitant on seeing it, since Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley wasn't part of it, but I'm glad I did! It was still action packed, comical, and intriguing. They kept everything from the previous movies in this one and made it more amusing. The new characters made me forget Bloom and Knightley and Mr. Depp remains the most entertaining pirate I have ever seen.

Green Hornet (2011, USA) | Rating: 2/5

I wasn't expecting anything amazing about this movie, so I took it very lightly upon viewing. I also vaguely remember the show as I've seen a few episodes as a kid, so I can't clearly compare the two. Main reason I wanted to see this movie: Jay Chou. It's expected for Seth Rogan to be funny, but Jay also added to the comedy. The action sequences were weak and cliched, but I thought it had a stronger comedic component overall.

Comparison: Lalapipo - book vs. movie

2011-06-05T13:55:00.000-05:00

I believe somewhere in my search for Japanese authors on Amazon, I came across Hideo Okuda's novel, Lalapipo. Surprise, surprise! I didn't know that the movie I saw was based off of a novel, so I had to get my hands on it. I finished the book a couple months ago and I was impressed. While reading the novel on my lunch breaks, it triggered inspiration to do another comparison post.

Lalapipo, both the book and movie, have a dark comedic tone to it that makes you think. It's mini stories overlapping into one big picture. We follow a handful of characters in their laughable yet hopeless lives. All the characters share a similar pattern in their daily lives. The story focuses on their income, the starting point of their normal life to a saddening one, and a common solution to their problems: sex.

Both the book and movie have several stories going on and linking to another character's story, they execute it in a different order and the movie omits one character that the book mentions. I'll start off by giving a run down of the story based off the novel.

We began with Hiroshi Sugiyama, a 32 year old freelance writer who has face-to-face communication problems due to his interaction with a co-worker in his company he had a crush on. He keeps to himself and, in the book, we hear about his isolated life and the comings and goings of his upstairs neighbors. He gets an interesting young male neighbor that brings in attractive women nearly every night and the activities going on above him become a new hobby for him between downtime. He becomes a bit obsessed with it and begins following the women to see the face behind the erotic noise, then takes a step further to buy something to hear things a little better while pleasuring himself. He soon runs into a woman at a library (or bar, according to the movie) and sleeps with her occasionally, despite his lack of physical attraction to her. Although, his life began promising by reminding himself of his academic achievements, but his lack of social skills overwhelm him to an emotional breakdown in the end...at least, it's better explained in the novel.

Next, we have 23 year old "talent scout" Kenji Kurino who grew up learning that lying is the way to happiness. He lives above the previous character, until he snags some money and moves to a fancier apartment. He uses his charming abilities by scouting beautiful (and ditsy) women on the street to work in hostess/cabaret clubs, then manipulates them by moving them up the ladder of the sex industry such as "massage parlors" and pornography. Surprisingly, while catering to one of his clients, he becomes attach to her and at the same time convinces her to do adult films. He gets himself in a mess of trouble while managing her and realizes that an older client he picked up is related to his love interest and his story ends just a bittersweet as the first.

Living next to a young looking neighbor with an obnoxious dog and a heap of garbage surrounding the inside and outside of her home, 43 year old Yoshie Sato holds many secrets from her family. She started as a housewife and took care of her mother-in-law, but things went downhill during her caretaking. She felt that her husband and daughter didn't care about her and became a bit selfish and useless at the same time, until a man approached her and offered her a job as a adult film actress. She signed a contract without hesitation as long as they blurred out her face and it satisfied her repressed sexual desire that she lacked in her marriage. Later, she changes managers to a young man [guess who? XD] and demands different working situations and higher pay. Even though her family situation wasn't looking good, her career made up for it until officials bring over a notice for her to clean up her home as neighbors were complaining about the smell. She figures out a quick solution to get rid of her horrible living situation, as well as the secret she's been hiding on the second floor, and asks the mystery writer that's been sending threatening letters to her oh-so perfect neighbor with the dog to burn her house down. Things seem falsely happy in the end and the novel's version keeps us in suspense of what happened next.

Next up is no thrills 26 year old karaoke box worker Koichi Aoyagi. He's a pushover and has a hard time saying no, even though he really wants to. He puts all his anger into letters he sends to a young neighbor with a noisy dog. His lack of assertiveness gets him in a lot of trouble, not only in his own apartment, but at his work place with a pimp. He goes along with turning the place into a business for high school girls to exchange sexual favors with older businessmen for money, but the perk is that Koichi and his co-worker can get a free handjob as long as they keep everything on the down low. Between his work turning into a sexual hotspot and his pent up anger toward the dog's excessive barking throughout the night, things quickly get out of hand.

A 52 year old literary fiction writer turned erotic novelist Keijiro Saigoji gets lured by a pimp and a nicely built young high school girl to try out the ways of compensation dating at karaoke bar. His career has gone a different direction than originally set and his wife disrespects him whenever she gets a chance. He uses the opportunity to pay for sexual favors with these easy high school girls as a means of research, but trouble arises and he has to run for his life.

Lastly, we conclude the story with 26 year old erotic novel transcriber Sayuri Tamaki who lures lonely/desperate men at the library to her home and secretly records their sexual encounters. Once they leave, she looks at the videos and sells them to an adult shop. She accepts that she's not beautiful and her self worth is very low when a postal worker and his friends come by and play rock, paper, scissor over her like an object. One of her victims deniably becomes attach to her during their meet ups and she points out how they're meant to be. This ends bittersweetly, but ties up a couple loose ends to some of the other characters' stories mentioned throughout the novel.

Between the novel and the movie, there are some differences. As mentioned before, there is a character missing. He does get some face time in the movie, but he is not one of the chosen characters to be followed. Most of the stories are a bit rushed to fit the time frame, but can be easily assumed what's going on. The director also portrays each piece a little more lightheartedly than the novel describes. If you think the characters' lives in the movie are pathetic and sad, then you have to check out what is left out to these characters' stories. Other little things that are different: Kenji's escape from the police, Sayuri's location of seduction and her career/aspirations, a further exploration of what happened between Yoshie and her daughter Tomoko, lack of detail of Kenji's occupation and relation with his clients and co-workers, and Koichi's illegal troubles and lack of assertiveness as well as his feelings toward the neighbor with the noisy dog.

I've seen the movie before and after I read the book and my impression of it remains the same more or less. The movie is pretty decent and even though things are left out of the storyline that would've been helpful, it's still easy to follow with common sense. The execution and colorization is reminiscent of Kamikaze Girls and still maintains the message the novel gives. Of course, this time around, I believe the novel leaves more of an impression in the mind than the movie. The tales from each character give a stronger and shocking impact as the book progresses. Nonetheless, I recommend both mediums.

Quick Music Review

2011-06-03T13:00:00.001-05:00

VALLUNA - silent prayer (2010, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: 虐, 「Ghost」

The title track of this single starts off on a dark note, but lightens up with the sound effects going along with the crashing of cymbals and the speed change. It's a slightly different side of the band that some don't recognize. "虐" features that chaotic rage that I enjoy in VALLUNA. It has a good arrangement and is pretty simple in quickness. It kinda reminds me of Dir en grey's "ZAN". "「Ghost」" closes up the single with dramatic backing music and an intense bass guitar. The vocals are best featured in this track and the song leaves a good impression.

ROACH - For you, I will (2010, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: Mimi wo sumaseba, scream with love

After being silent for so long, ROACH comes back with a strong opening of "For you, I will". It gives a false beginning of hard screamo-ness, then brings in their signature rock sound that reminds fans that they haven't lost it. "Mimi wo sumaseba" brings out the aggressive side of the band while maintaining their core in the music and vocal arrangement. It shows off Tama's range from growling to unique singing style. "scream with love" closes off this comeback single with a bright, edgy introduction. It mixes hard screamo music elements with their original sound to create a great concoction.

defspiral - REVOLVER (2010, Japan) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: REVOLVER, SHINING (IN YOUR HEART)

After (re-)introducing themselves to the world and taking some time off, the band busts out with a double single attack. "REVOLVER" shares a similar sound to their debut song, "DIVE INTO THE MIRROR"; an upbeat rock sound that keeps you dancing to your heart's content. "SHINING (IN YOUR HEART)" has a gradual intro build until it hits the drum section and everything picks up smoothly. The music is easily catchy and Taka's vocals are flawless. The remainder of the single consist of instrumental tracks of both songs.

defspiral - Twilight (2010, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: 月とヴィーナス

"Twilight" opens up with a dual guitar intro that's very soft and then jumps out at you, showing off both guitarists' skills. Taka's vocals smoothly slip in and the song easily fit the mold of their previous works while changing bits and pieces to make it interesting. "月とヴィーナス" shows of Taka's beautiful range and how the guys can deliver an equally beautiful melody and still keep it rock. "Lost In Shadow" shows a different side of defspiral by adding synth sound and rock into a dramatic musical arrangement. The rest of the single features instrumentals of all three tracks.

cocklobin - grisaille (2011, Japan) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: grisaille, rein, fall on one's knees

After going on hiatus, cocklobin returns with grisaille. "grisaille" gives off a grand, exciting intro and emphasizes the bass and guitar ties expertly through the verses. The perfect song to use as a comeback! "rein" speeds things up a little and still shows off the band's great musical abilities. The pace doesn't take away from their original bass driven sound, but shows a new side to it and adds onto the band's appeal. "fall on one's knees" is a little heavier than the other tracks and a bit quicker as well. The bass stands out a lot, but doesn't take away from the emotion being portrayed by the vocals. It's an interesting arrangement between the music and vocals, but it works so well that it's admirable.

Promo: Aziatix

2011-06-01T12:36:00.000-05:00

[from left to right] Nicky Lee, Eddie Shin, & Flowsik
|Official Site|

Aziatix consist of three talented Asian American male artists with various skills and experience in the music scene. Nicky Lee is a popular R&B and soul singer in Taiwan from Los Angeles and contributes a soulful mature edge to Aziatix music. Eddie Shin has self produced his first album in Korea and contributes a strong, unique yet familiar R&B vocal. Lastly, New York underground rapper Flowsik who has done a collaboration with JYJ and adds the hip-hop swag that completes the group. With the help of producer Jae Chong, Aziatix has the potential to make it big in America and possibly give a voice to Asians in the hip-hop industry.

I've explained previously how Korean rap (and even a hint of Asian R&B) music can be popular internationally and Aziatix proves that with a similar formula that OneWay and 2wins display. They have a bit of an upper hand to most Asian acts as they are fluent in English and are American, but even with that it is still difficult for Asians to make a name for themselves in the hip-hop/R&B community.

So far, the trio has a strong fanbase and have released their first mini-album via iTunes. They have also posted a new video on their YouTube channel promoting it. It has their first single, "Go" which gives a familiar emotion, has a genius arrangement, and a memorable chorus. Their second single from the mini is "Cold" which has a slightly different R&B/hip-hop sound than "Go", but is equally enjoyable. I wish Aziatix the best of luck! I believe (with Far East Movement) they can open people's ears to new things.

Sadako's Message to the World: My Ongoing "Ring" Analysis

2011-05-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

Ever since it's American release, I've been hooked to the franchise. It was different and fresh, then I learned that it came from Japan. Not only did this kick off the trend of Asian horror remakes, it got me further interested in exploring the genre personally. At the moment, I'm still hooked and find this journey of comparison to be an interesting and long one. It is far from complete, but I wanted to share my findings so far with you and perhaps spread the spark like Sadako/Samara.

Although my journey started in America, the story originated from a novel with the same name by Koji Suzuki. It is a three book series that starts off with a male character. Later, it was adapted into a 5 manga series, a movie, TV series, a remake in the U.S. and Korea, and even a video game. But I'm skipping a few things like the TV series, Korean remake, and the video game. So far, I have read the first novel, four volumes of the manga, have seen both American movies, and 3 out of 4 of the Japanese anthology.

Forgive me if I forget anything as I explain my comparisons. Some of these pieces I haven't seen in a long time, so I'm going from memory mostly.

No matter if the main character is male or female, it all starts the same. Four teenagers watched an unmarked video tape in a cabin and coincidentally they all died a week later. The main character is related to one of the victims and carries the story by investigating the tape. During their investigation, they tell someone close to them about the tape and they end up helping with the investigation (as well as have a deadline of their life tagged onto them with the main character). **spoiler alert** Things heighten when the main character's closest family member(s) view the tape and the search for a resolution on stopping death is quickened. During the investigation, the main character and their partner learn that this is connected to a young girl with extraordinary psychic abilities and her life was very tragic. They retrace their steps to stop the cycle, but unfortunately, one person doesn't make it and the other realizes the solution to the mysterious tape.

From the novel to the American remake, all of these elements are the same in a general sense. In Koji Suzuki's novel, we follow Kazuyuki Asakawa who works as a newspaper reporter in Tokyo. I believe in both movies, the main characters are connected to the newspaper or some sort of news media. Asakawa's partner is a friend by the name of Ryuji Takayama who was a philosophy professor and a self proclaimed rapist. In the Japanese movie, Ryuji is the main character's ex-husband/father of her son. Asakawa is still married and has a daughter and in the movie, the main characters are not married and have a son. Also, the main character in both movies are female.

From the novel to both movies, the curse tape is different. In the novel, it is more detailed and longer. It also has messages in the beginning and end of the tape hinting that there is a solution to stop death after watching the disturbing images. In my opinion, Ringu has a creepier tape than The Ring. There are also different causes of death between the book and movies. One having to deal with shock of a disturbing self reflection on surfaces to heart problems to a new form of the smallpox virus.

The back story of our antagonist Sadako/Samara varies as well. In the novel, she is a hermaphrodite and, in the movie, it is assumed she is fully a woman. Her psychic abilities vary from the novel to the movies. Also, her struggle with her father and relationship with the doctor that was working with him are different between the two. In the movie, her father was responsible for hurting her and tossing her in the well, but in the novel, the doctor raped her and put her in the well. Both forms of media reveal that Sadako/Samara didn't die right away.

As we move onto the sequel of both movies as I haven't gotten around to reading the next novel, the continuation varies. During the hype of Ringu, another director picked up the movie and decided to create a sequel in the same year which ended up not doing as well. Later, the original director went on to make a sequel of his own which had a slightly better reception and totally different direction. In my opinion, Ringu 2 was a slightly better sequel than Rasen. In Ringu 2, we discover that Reiko and her son survived the curse and we follow Ryuji's student Mai as she tries to figure out what happened to Ryuji. Similar events occur and we learn that Reiko's son has picked up Sadako's supernatural powers. This element becomes the focus of the movie. Rasen goes with the virus theory, but is hard to explain how it can be realistically contracted through reading the words of the horrible events or watching the tape. The main character is still Mai and the story remains to make sense as a continuation to the first movie by connecting it with an autopsy of Ryuji. The doctor, Mitsuo, investigating his death and the tapes also has a personal connection to Ryuji. My reasoning for not liking Rasen as much is because it takes a strange twist. Mai and Mitsuo develop a fast relationship which leads to some crazy reincarnation/birth of Sadako and some awkward moments that were way out there. In the end, Ringu 2 followed more of Koji Suzuki's vision from what I've read in my sources. I look forward to finding that out myself.

As for the American sequel, it is nothing like the Japanese sequels. It follows it's own pace, but shares a few similarities to the overall storyline. Rachel (the main character) and Aiden (her son) still survive and remain to battle the mysteries of the ring cycle. They unveil Samara's past a bit more than the first and share a speck of similarity to the original concept. Even though I saw the Japanese sequels after the American, I'm glad they keep the close tie between Aiden and Samara to provoke more of a conflict to the main character, in this case his mother Rachel. The Ring 2 was a decent sequel, but wasn't as strong as the first (most people expect that from sequels anyway). I must confess that I'm not looking forward to The Ring 3D.

I'm assuming the manga series follows closely to the novel as I've gotten further in the manga than the novel series. From my observation, it does match up with a lot of the events that occur in the original movie franchise and continues to intrigue me to delve further in my research. I hope, in the near future, I can add on to my comparison of Sadako's message to the world.

『M』uddy 『C』ult

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