Movie Review: Mama (2013)

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nelisse

Directed by: Andres Muschietti

Executive Producer: Guillermo del Toro

Language: English

Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 100 minutes

Synopsis from IMDB: Annabel and Lucas are faced with the challenge of raising his young nieces that were left alone in the forest for 5 years.... but how alone were they? 

Going into Mama, I had high hopes for it to be a rather scary horror. After all, the basis was a three minute short film that held the potential to be expanded into something great. I've included the short film below because even viewing it won't spoil the actual expanded film. Guillermo del Toro has the ability to be a decent director as we've witnessed in the Hellboy franchise and Pan's Labyrinth. His attention to detail in bringing the characters and worlds of those films to life was quite great. Sadly, his production choices in the science fiction/horror realm are very lackluster. Did you see Don't be Afraid of the Dark? What about Splice? With that thought aside, we have to focus on the film itself.

Mama (2008, short film)

The film opens with a car parked oddly and left empty in front of a house. Commentators on the car's radio mention that two executives at a firm have been murdered while the third is missing. The camera pans to a very young girl standing in a room with a bed and a crib. A loud sound is heard downstairs (presumably a gunshot) and her father comes in to collect his daughters. The eldest girl asks where her mother is. We can assume that the father has murdered the mother as he's clearly distraught. 

He puts both girls in the car and drives away. An accident, from driving too fast on a snowy road, causes the car to slide off into the forest. The father then takes the girls to an abandoned hunting cabin. It seems as though no one has lived there for quite some time. Victoria, the eldest daughter, notices a woman outside. He pays no attention and starts a fire before breaking down. What did we expect to happen when he's just murdered three people? The man prepares to murder his daughters and then himself, but the figure the eldest girl noticed appears...

Five years later, Lucas (father's brother) and his girlfriend are living in a small apartment. Annabel is quite relieved to learn that she's not pregnant. It seems that they've been exhausting their funds to search for his missing family. The search is still ongoing with Lucas hoping that they will be recovered. We learn that he's a starving artist while his girlfriend is a rock musician. Neither are ideal parents as their finances and situation would make such an effort difficult. Low and behold, the search team find the car and the cabin with two very wild, very animalistic little girls inside. How did the children survive for all that time?

The girls are taken to a psychiatric facility where they are evaluated for 87 days before their custody is decided on. This was the beginning of the biggest plot hole for me. These children were wild. They were frightened and clearly not ready for social interaction. Yet, apparently it was long enough to try to incorporate them back into civilization. Lilly, the youngest, sleeps under her bed. She prefers to eat on the floor with her hands when she's not chowing down on moths. The little one barely talks past grunts and other sounds. Victoria, who was old enough to be in at least kindergarten, has retained a lot of her vocabulary and seems to pick things up fast. Even so, what doctor or court would rightly believe that throwing these two children out into the world would be the right thing to do?

Enter the cliched jump scares in with the slow pacing of the psychiatrist still trying to hypnotize Victoria and strange things beginning to happen. Mama is a jealous being even if the doctor believes that she's all a part of Victoria's mind. The girl knows things she couldn't have known. This must mean something paranormal. The doctor begins to research Victoria's stories and leads us to a pointless character that informs us about the nature of ghosts. While this is happening, Annabel has begun to bond with the children. If you're wondering where Lucas went, don't worry about him. The father and uncle aren't really anything more than a means to an end. The father was only introduced to get the girls to the cabin and bring the uncle back into the action later on.

The film is mainly about the tug of war between the females in the film. Annabel wants to help the girls and keep them from Jean (their mother's sister) who wants custody. Mama wants the girls for herself, resorting to violence against anyone who stands in her way. The flashbacks that explain Mama's origins are confusing. You're left to rely on what little information you can infer to understand what has happened. Those were key points that would have made Mama a sympathetic figure. You know...if it wasn't for murdering people to keep the girls among other things.

By the time the film was ending, I was left wondering what had happened. The girls were left with a choice of one mother figure over another. Could they be saved from this entity? The last five minutes seemed to move too quickly compared to the slow pace of the rest of the film. The resolution made me want to throw something at the screen. It wasn't what I was expecting at all and actually left me feeling a little let down. If only those plot points had been used rather than becoming black holes to suck everything down... If you can get past the plot holes and odd cgi, Mama wasn't a bad film. The desire to protect the children drove both the ghostly mother and the reluctant human one. It could have been expanded on and made into something much deeper than it was. The idea was interesting, but the translation from idea to screen was very lackluster. Several scenes from the trailer were also cut out of the final film. I wonder if those scenes would have made a difference to the outcome had they been left in. I'd recommend waiting for dvd.

Rating: 2/5

Movie Review: The Hobbit

Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Language: English. Elvish, Dwarvish

Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 169 minutes

I should start off my review with a warning. I'm going to assume that, if you're going to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, you've already read the novel. There may be spoilers ahead for people who haven't. I'll try to keep them to a minimum, but let's be honest. The first pressing of the novel was in 1937. The most well-known animated adaptation was released in 1977. There have been several adaptations such as radio shows and musicals.  It's hard to spoil something that has been imagined and reimagined so many times over the years.

Seeing this movie was a very important thing for me. As a child, I'd read the book with my father. It was one of those standout memories. I was lucky enough to be able to see it with a very amazing woman that loves Tolkien's world just as much as I do. We were both very captivated by Peter Jackson's ability to bring such a classic to life. Our only real fear was that certain things would get left out much like in Lord of the Rings. That subject is for another review though.

Old Bilbo: My dear Frodo, you asked me once if I had told you everything there was to know about my adventures. Well, I can honestly say I've told you the truth, I may not have told you all of it. 

The first film was an excellent adaptation of a classic novel. The first scene in Bag End with Bilbo and Frodo was the perfect way to set the tone of the film. For those of you who were worried, put your fears to rest. Frodo's role is simply a small, yet important one to tie The Hobbit to the events of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Jackson's vision and dedication to the series is made clear from that opening scene. He's just as much of a fan as the rest of us are.

Gandalf: You'll have a tale or two to tell when you come back. 

Bilbo: You can promise that I will come back? 

Gandalf: No. And if you do, you will not be the same. 

The cgi and visual effects are far better than the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It still managed to be very believeable as being the beginning of the saga. The costume and set designs were once again breathtaking. Detailed weapons also added to the authentic feel. The choice of filming in New Zealand again lent beautiful landscapes to a film that should be filled with them. By the time we walked out of the theatre, I was ready to book a flight and buy myself a home in the Shire or beg for a place among the elves in Rivendell! 

There were several standout moments. The Dwarven songs at Bilbo's home were among the biggest. I was afraid when I heard that the writers would choose to leave the songs out of the movie. After all, almost all the songs had been omitted from the Lord of the Rings films. To me, it felt more important that these were included. After all, The Hobbit was meant to have an injection of humor in the midst of the drama. Throwing dishes as they sing 'That's what Bilbo Baggins' hates' brought me back to being a child and wishing cleaning up after dinner could be that much fun. 

Blunt the knives and bend the forks!

Smash the bottles and burn the corks!

Chip the glasses and crack the plates!

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates --

Cut the cloth and tread on the fat!

Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!

Pour the milk on the pantry floor!

Splash the wine on every door!

Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl;

Pound them up with a thumping pole;

And when you've finished, if any are whole,

Send them down the hall to roll!

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

A little later came the song that I was looking forward to the most. I'll admit that I had chills when I saw this one on the trailer. Even though it was in the trailer, I still had my worries that it wouldn't be part of the actual film. I'm sure that some of you know how dreadful it is when those iconic scenes only appear in the trailer. The scene was perfect. I have to admit that I was in tears by the time it was over.

From the council meeting at Rivendell to the battle of wits between Bilbo and Gollum, The Hobbit lives up to everything that I could have hoped for. Even the animals had a big part to play. These are most apparent in Thranduil's brief appearance with his elk as well as Radagast and his rabbits. The orcs with their wargs were a standout moment as well as the Great Eagles. I could go on in detail, but that would simply lead to much more than you'd be willing to read. I'll begin to wrap up this review by touching on the characters and actors that brought the film to life. 

There were several characters that stood out more than others. Thorin, Kili and Fili from the dwarves were a delight to see. Galadriel was just as ethereal when she was once again brought to life by the beautiful Cate Blanchett. Elrond, Gandalf and Saruman were exactly what we'd expected them to be. Even knowing what Saruman would become, it was easy to see him as he should have been for the time period. Martin Freeman was the perfect choice for the young Bilbo Baggins just as Ian Holm brought to life Bilbo's elder incarnation. As always, Andy Serkis deserves high praise for his work as Gollum. Nothing can convince me that the character would have such personality without Mr. Serkis donning that motion capture suit to bring him to life.

Bilbo: Why don't we have a game of riddles and if I win, you show me the way out of here? 

Gollum: And if he loses? What then? Well if he loses, precious, then we eats it! If Baggins loses, we eats it whole! 

Bilbo: Fair enough. 

I highly recommend that any Tolkien fan go see this film. Any fan of fantasy in general should take the time to not only see the film, but read the novel as well. The Hobbit was always a novel where you didn't need to be convince yourself of your surroundings. Instead, you were simply there in the world that Tolkien created. Allow yourself to be swept away and go see the Hobbit while you have the chance.

Rating: 5/5

Introduction

Hello Muddy Cult readers,

I'm Ophelia. I'm one of two new writers that will be joining Miko here to bring you more exciting content in 2013. This change should bring a bit more diversity into the blog as I'm sure all three of us have varied interests that we can cover here. I have a few reviews in the works already. In a few minutes, I'll post the first of those. Until then, I'll list a bit about myself so you can get to know me a bit better.

Favorite bands: Penicillin, Crack 6, B'z, D, SADS, Kagerou
Favorite solo artists: BENI, Kiyoharu, J, Kuwata Keisuke
Favorite guitarists: Tak Matsumoto (B'z), Chisato (Penicillin), Karyu (D'espairsRay/Angelo)
Favorite Kpop groups: Brown Eyed Girls, Big Bang
Preferred movie genre: Horror
Preferred musical genre: Rock
Guilty Pleasure: Aki Hoshino, EXILE

I'm a really nice person. Ask Miko! She can tell you so. My background is in film, music and literature. I'm happier listening to music or watching a movie than to go out partying with people. I hope that my reviews will be something that you can enjoy and look forward to! Thanks for supporting us!

Movies Watched in 2013

Let's hear it for Round 5!

Starting date: January 5, 2013
Finishing date: December 20, 2013

1. Sukiyaki Western Django (2007, Japan)
2. Death Trance (2005, Japan)
3. Looper (2012, USA)
4. Please Vote for Me (2007, China)
5. The Children of Leningradsky (2005, Poland)
6. Born into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids (2005, India)
7. Primary (1960, USA)
8. Checkpoint (2003, Israel)
9. Jane (1962, USA)
10. Warm Bodies (2013, USA)
11. Drop (2009, Japan)
12. Death in Gaza (2004, USA)
13. Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963, USA)
14. Happy Mother's Day (1963, USA)
15. A Time for Burning (1967, USA)
16. This Way Up (2007, France)
17. Death in Gaza (2004, UK)
18. War Photographer (2001, Switzerland)
19. Salesman (1968, USA)
20. The Devil Came on Horseback (2008, USA)
21. Don't Look Back (1967, USA)
22. [Rec] ² (2009, Spain)
23. Voices Unveiled: Turkish Women Who Dare (2009, Turkey)
24. Law and Order (1969, USA)
25. The Virgin, the Copts, and Me [Le Vierge, les Coptes et moi] (2011, France)
26. An American Family Revisited: The Louds 10 Years Later (1983, USA)
27. Single Parent (1975, USA)
28. Oz the Great and Powerful (2013, USA)
29. The Leader, His Driver, and the Driver's Wife (1991, UK)
30. Grey Gardens (1975, USA)
31. Frankenweenie (2012, USA)
32. Seven Psychopaths (2012, UK)
33. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012, USA)
34. The Cove (2006, USA)
35. ParaNorman (2012, USA)
36. Waltz with Bashir [Vals Im Bashir] (2008, Israel)
37. Soldier Girls (1980, USA)
38. The Croods (2013, USA)
39. Persepolis (2007, France)
40. The War Room (1993, USA)
41. The Loved Ones (2009, Australia)
42. Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People (2006, USA)
43. Audition (1999, Japan)
44. Ichi the Killer (2001, Japan)
45. Suicide Club (2001, Japan)
46. Heart no Kuni no Alice ~Wonderful Wonder World~ (2011, Japan)
47. Kara no Kyoukai 1: Fukan Fuukei (2007, Japan)
48. Imprint (2006, Japan)
49. Bunraku (2010, USA)
50. Sisters in Law (2005, Cameroon)
51. Iron Man 3 (2013, USA)
52. Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013, USA)
53. Hotel Transylvania (2012, USA)
54. Resident Evil: Retribution (2012, USA)
55. Wreck-It Ralph (2012, USA)
56. Sinister (2012, USA)
57. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012, USA)
58. Think Like a Man (2012, USA)
59. Silver Linings Playbook (2012, USA)
60. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009, USA)
61. Django Unchained (2012, USA)
62. Dark Shadows (2012, USA)
63. Man Bites Dog (1992, Belgium)
64. The Purge (2013, USA)
65. Cabin in the Woods (2011, USA)
66. The Big Lebowski (1998, USA)
67. Memento (2000, USA)
68. Misery (1990, USA)
69. Man of Steel (2013, USA)
70. Sin City (2005, USA)
71. Beautiful Creatures (2013, USA)
72. The Man with the Iron Fists (2012, USA)
73. Mama (2013, USA)
74. Amélie [Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain] (2001, France)
75. Cloud Atlas (2012, USA)
76. Monsters University (2013, USA)
77. Se7en (1995, USA)
78. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975, USA)
79. Adaptation. (2002, USA)
80. Despicable Me 2 (2013, USA)
81. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013, USA)
82. Rear Window (1954, USA)
83. Dark Skies (2013, USA)
84. Jack the Giant Slayer (2013, USA)
85. Mother [Madeo] (2009, South Korea)
86. Stoker (2013, UK)
87. House at the End of the Street (2012, USA)
88. Ed Wood (1994, USA)
89. Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013, USA)
90. Spring Breakers (2013, USA)
91. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009, USA)
92. The Wolverine (2013, USA)
93. Vertigo (1958, USA)
94. Evil Dead (2013, USA)
95. The Conjuring (2013, USA)
96. Trance (2013, UK)
97. Side Effects (2012, USA)
98. The Collector (2009, USA)
99. Kick-Ass (2010, USA)
100. Good Deeds (2009, USA)
101. Heathers (1989, USA)
102. Rise of the Guardians (2012, USA)
103. Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013, USA)
104. The ABC's of Death (2012, USA)
105. Kick-Ass 2 (2013, USA)
106. Saw 3D: The Final Chapter (2010, USA)
107. Scream 4 (2011, USA)
108. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010, USA)
109. Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008, USA)
110. A Company Man [Hoi-sa-won] (2012, South Korea)
111. Be Kind Rewind (2008, USA)
112. The Last House on the Left (1972, USA)
113. Martyrs (2008, France)
114. American Beauty (1999, USA)
115. The Last House on the Left (2009, USA)
116. Tormented [Rabitto Hora 3D] (2011, Japan)
117. OldBoy (2003, South Korea)
118. Bangkok Assassins (2011, Thailand)
119. American Mary (2012, Canada)
120. The Paper (1994, USA)
121. SAW (2004, USA)
122. Thor: The Dark World (2013, USA)
123. Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013, USA)
124. A Madea Christmas (2013, USA)

Top 13 Recommended Music Videos

"Bones" by Rose Noire
I'm so glad Kiwamu hasn't ditched these talented musicians. Sometimes it's just nice to listen to some melodic, haunting vocals accompanied by some beautiful violin. This is definitely a step up production wise for these two and I hope they get more backing this year with their music. They're sadly underrated and exude so much talent.



"SOMEBODY WANTS DAYS YOU CLOSE" by NOISEMAKER
After "PLATINUM SHOES", I was thrilled to see something new from this band and it was equally, if not as, incredible than what I heard before. The title of the song doesn't really make sense to me grammatically, but I'm willing to ignore it. The setting reminds me of P.O.D video and shares some small similarities to it. This is definitely a memorable, emotional effort from this band and I am anxious to listen to this new mini-album.



"Cheeky Ren" by DALATH
I must admit that I was confused by watching this the first time. I thought it was another all female band, but it wasn't. I was a little disappointed, but I kept listening and ended up liking what they had to offer. It's a simple concept and reminded me of old Girugamesh visually. The vocals aren't extremely clear, but they are tolerable and quite good for what it's worth. I'm hoping to hear more from this band in the future.



"愛國革命" by R-shitei
I don't think I've ever mentioned this band on this site, but I've been following them since they were called Catheline. Anyway, this is a totally new direction and it still manages to suit their upbeat, slightly dark style. It's a very high energy song and the visuals are interesting. They can be a little overwhelming, but your eyes get used to the over use of white. The only odd part for me is the dubstepish dance break that reminds me of SuG and xTRiPx.



"Take My Chance" by DOLL$BOXX
Remember Acid Black Cherry's "SPELL MAGIC"? Well, this video is just like that. The girls play with the stereotypes of cutesy girls and lonely male otaku audiences, then flips it around to blow the crowd away with an epic rock sound. The vocals are very strong and I always admire when a drummer does back-up vocals well. It has a playful, but decently hard fun sound. I'm looking forward to hearing these girls' first full length album.



"BEZOARSTEIN" by Megamasso
I think its been a while since I posted anything by these guys, but they have progressively gotten better and better with each release. This PV further proves my point. The band shows off some intense attitude, emotion, and passion. The transitions are smooth and share their signature style they've carried throughout the years. It's hard to believe that it's possible for them to continue to exceed my expectations with each release. Keep it up!



"and Cry" by JAWEYE
A friend introduced me to this band through this PV and I'll give a warning that there's a lot of flashing lights in this video. So, if you're sensitive to that, then this isn't a good video for you to watch. It's a a simple blue-greyish tone PV that's very band centric. It has some cool slow motion moments and plays with the simplistic set to make it interesting for the viewer. The music is energetic and you can definitely rock out to it in your bedroom. I'm thankful I was introduced to them.



"HALO" by BLUE ENCOUNT
With JAWEYE came my ventures off to more amazing non-visual artists. This is another simplistic, band centric video. It might seem boring, but I like the lighting they chose for this video. It's almost as if the members are merely shadows playing instruments, but you can clearly see them excluding their faces. The song is quite upbeat and kinda has this pseudo-college rock feel, perhaps. It's familiar, but fresh. Forgive me for having a hard time explaining their sound, but it's good!



"sympathy" by KEYTALK
I think I have a little easier time describing this one. The sound reminds me of a more upbeat Plastic Tree without the wispy vocals. It's a fun song and you'll have a hard to resisting those lalala's. The PV is quite artsy and clever. Lots of geometric shapes, play on colors, and doesn't distract you from the overall feel of the song. It's definitely a nice feel good song of sorts.



"二時二分" by Suck a Stew Dry
Unlike the previous non-visual bands above, I couldn't quite hook myself into these guys. Please don't let that discourage you from checking out this PV though. I have my reasons for posting it, like other videos where I didn't care for the group. The song is quite simple throughout the verses and has a nice storytelling feel to it, then the power hits near the chorus. The visuals are once again band centric, but they nicely compliment the storytelling aspect with handwriting, scribbles, doodles, and a pink/purple color tint.



"moody pavilion" by mudy on the 昨晩
Another non-visual band that didn't quite stick to me, but I really like this song. It's kinda eerie, especially with that upside down body floating in the middle of the room. There's a lot of eerie atmosphere actually and some interesting artistic moments with color splashes and falling pieces as the band plays. It's intense and very easy to lose yourself in that you completely forget that there's no lyrics. It also feels too short as well, but still strangely satisfying.



"Sweetest vengeance" by Pay money To my Pain
I'm still trying to figure out how I missed this track, but it's great. It's chaotic and mosh worthy. It has some nice melodic moments and the visuals are just as chaotic and mesmerizing. Watching it now makes my heart melt for more reasons than one. I'm hoping K recovers soon and rests up for more energetic, aggressive, and emotion filled songs like this.



"Mayaku" by Lycaon
Another PV that I have no idea how I missed, especially since I've listened to the single. It's a simple band centric video, but it speaks volumes. Yuuki is absolutely beautiful in this and you can feel the emotion from his voice. I'm glad that theykept this so simple visually, because the music fills in all the important gaps for the viewer to lose themselves in. Also, Satoshi's solo is amazing!

Notable KPop Rookies of 2012

The industry has been obviously saturated with rookies since 2010 (more so in 2011). It seems like companies are even more desperate for cash this year and there's been more than 50 rookie groups that have been introduced to the kpop scene. Quite ridiculous, right? Well, I've checked out some of these groups over the course of time and here's a list of notable rookies that left an impression on me, whether negative or positive.


NU'EST
Debuting with a reminiscent 90's electro-pop mixed with that obnoxious dubstep dance break song called "FACE", I couldn't get into this group at all. Although they are very much polished in the looks department, group and video wise, I couldn't get over this simplistic sound. Ren turned me off a lot. He seemed...out of a place. Somehow with the hard hitting "Action" made me give them a more serious chance. The image was edgier and Ren looked less like a visual kei reject or wannabe. They have potential and have garnered some respect as underdogs with the whole battle between Exotics and Babies. Am I a fan? Not really. They've fallen back to their aegyo image and none of their latest releases have caught me like "Action" has.



EXO
The most overly promoted rookie group of 2012, Planet EXO, brought to you by the makers of Super Junior and SNSD -- SM Entertainment. I've rambled about the marketing strategy when they presented their "prologue" song called, "What is Love". It bothered me that they were skirting around calling this song and their follow-up "History" a prologue to an official debut. Do I still think that SM Ent. wasted loads of money on pointless and annoying promotional efforts? Yes. Do I still believe that EXO-M will be short changed for EXO-K? Of course. But I still cling to my bias EXO-M as the more talented and harmonized group between the two. They have also shown the more successful and play less to SM biases, in my opinion as well. On a positive note, EXO-M has the best chemistry with personality, choreography synchronization, and vocal harmonies. I also pointed out in my v-log that they are more expressive in their music videos as well. The obvious negative is that EXO-K, the most likely the main focus and main money maker of the two, lacks all of that in my eyes. If it's any constellation they have the most insane fans now. I'll definitely will be keeping my eye out on comparing the two and supporting EXO-M.



B.A.P
TS Entertainment accepted SM Entertainment's promotional challenge with a reality show and tough talk from the members of B.A.P. They took a slower, perhaps more clever approach with their efforts. Instead of pounded images of the group's leader with no real substance, the label placed Bang Yong-Gook in the pseudo-"Flashing Lights" music video with Secret's Song Ji-Eun, then smoothly transitioned to B2ST's tiny powerhouse YoSeob in a solo effort that reflected an Eminem and Rihanna duet effort and, for me, an annoying duo effort with future group mate Zelo in a more upbeat effort. I was saddened to hear the talented Bang Yong Guk would be stuck in some rookie group with this cutesy young blonde Zelo. The promotions were interesting and shared that similar alien storyline. Kpop fans constantly compared them with EXO, but they seem to fall under the lines of former hip-hop inspired rookies Block B. The group started off strong with a bombastic debut, "Warrior" and used a technique to emphasis talent over appearance by dying the group's hair blonde. Unfortunately through the year, their music went downhill from there with repetitive lyricism and weak choruses in "No Mercy" and "Power". I assume the label tried to broaden their appeal by putting aside the harden, masculine image for a more soft, aegyo one that didn't sit right for me. Although the group is very much overrated in the rookie department with EXO, I'm hoping they'll return to their original concept and work on being less try-hard in the aggressive area.



Six Bomb
With one kinda known song under their belt, it doesn't look like a positive start for these six ladies and they may be forgotten this year. I must admit watching the low budget debut "Chiki Chiki Bomb" took at least a couple viewings, but the song was undeniably catchy. If kpop fans actually give their first CD release a chance, they would learn that these ladies do bare some talent beyond their low production and simplistic wardrobe. It's not all about the money, guys. [Check out "Baby Boy"]



ChAOS
I mentioned earlier this year that these rookies left a bad first impression on me. "She Is Coming" showcased basic choreography and visuals with horrific styling for the boys. On the plus side, I could definitely admit that these young men did carry some strong pipes, but the debut song was quite unfortunate. Luckily, "Racer" roughened up their imagery and brought something with a little more personality, while "Kiss Kiss" contrast with a softer, more artsy indies touch that reeled me in more than their debut. I'm hoping they don't fall victim to boy band trends and utilize their strong vocal powers to intimidate their competitors.



SPICA
It feels blasphemous calling these ladies rookies when they possess such strong vocals. Stronger than most popular girl groups that are very well established. I've already went into the back story with my relationship and a little bit about them in my promo post. After the release of "Painkiller" and their first full mini-album, SPICA easily booted 2NE1 out of their spot as my favorite female kpop group. Sure, their choreography isn't the most elaborate, but I'll take passionate vocals any day. Similar to B.A.P, they took an anonymous sort of debut in "Potently" by not appearing which I mention in the promo post as well. As the year went on, I'm not sure if it was the label or the members decided to take a new approach with their song "I'll Be There". The song felt like a step back for me, but I guess they were trying to go with a more playful image while use some 90's Janet Jackson instrumental. While "Lonely" was a half step forward, but sounded like every other female kpop group to me with miss A/Sistar pale visuals. Despite that, they still are my favorite and I'm looking forward to more amazing music from them.



EXID
Initially, I didn't like this group at all. I was upset that one of my favorite female rappers LE joined such a cheesy group and their debut song, "WHOZ THAT GIRL" annoyed me. Something about the vocals, silly chorus, and concept for the video put me off. "I Feel Good" was a little more tolerable and I didn't like it until after their release of "Every Night". It's nothing super complex and the styling is still bad, but something sticks more naturally to me. The chorus is nice, the beat is fluidly danceable, and the video is entertaining and relatable. With "Every Night", the girls followed the path of 4Minute, miss A, and Sistar with a sensual, simplistic style. It was less colorful and presented a more mature side of the girls, not only visually but vocally as well. The styling isn't the best as the biggest pet peeve was the visible bras. Otherwise, the video is creative and kinda dark with a little humor. They definitely have potential.



A-JAX
If you've paid attention to my music video recommendations, you would know that I immediately fell in love with this group upon their debut with "Never Let Go". Using the same tactic as SPICA's "Potently", they utilized familiar figures in the kpop industry and let their emotion filled vocals sell to the audience as opposed to their faces. They're not my favorite rookie vocals in 2012, but they definitely have a leg up on a lot of them as I followed each of their major releases. "ONE 4 U" introduced the handsome faces behind the lovely vocals as well as some amazing Grecian visuals. Of course, some audiences were quick to say that the boys ripped off SME's concept they used for DBSK and EXO, but I think they did it better...all bias aside. The vocals, music, and styling of the boys and video scream strength and perhaps the live choreography echoed that as well. "HOT GAME" broke out of the serious tone, but did a better job than SPICA did with their third release. The song is upbeat, a little more playful, but it doesn't take away from their vocals too much. Sure, this reminds me of Flo rida's "Low", there's some autotune here and there, and it kinda sounds like every other rookie, but something about it still stands out from the rest. Their dance skills are showcased more and you can truly see the boys' personalities shine. It's just a charming video~ Their last entry for the year was a response video to SNSD's "Run Devil Run" called "2MYX" (read "to my ex", clever, right?), which I can actually see more clearly than NassuN & G.O's effort in "O-IWI-O". This video combines that charisma and dance talent from their previous video with their maturity from the beginning. It's nothing spectacular like their first two videos, but it's still pretty good and worth checking out. I will definitely will be keeping up with them.



JJ Project
Well, JYP tried to put himself in the ring of rookies with a male duo. I found them different from his other projects and fell on the lines of 2PM's "Hands Up". From the hip-hop-esque electro instrumental track and the annoying bouncing camera movements. I know, it's supposed to go with the title of the song, "Bounce", but I never was a fan of this movement when I saw it 2PM's video. It's nothing special musically, but it has some smooth transitions with hip-hop, electro-pop, and rock. The choreography is quite impressive and the vocals aren't that bad. Mostly, I think they did what Bang Yong Guk and Zelo couldn't do successfully in their video, in my opinion. I wish there was more effort put forth on the duo during 2012, but there's always 2013 and I hope JYP doesn't forget about them either.



BtoB
I think it took me a couple listens of their debut song "Insane" to truly give them a chance. The song is very lovey dovey semi-grating to me on certain days. It's not a terrible song, but it was like ChAOS' starter song. Although, I am so happy I checked out the b-side because I absolute love "Imagine". It showed off the members' vocal range, harmonization, and strength more steadily than "Insane". It's truly a beautiful song and even live you can feel the power of the lyrics. "Irresistable Lips" brought that same power from "Imagine" and made it more danceable. I didn't go crazy over this track and the video was pretty cliche, I also got distracted by the girl's lips. >> "Father" is less memorable for me, not that it was a terrible song, but I tend to avoid most tributes to parents ballad type songs. I know they had a song or two, maybe more of little digital releases or drama songs, but I don't bother with those, so...onto "WOW". It sounds like those 90's boy bands! One of the lesser known ones. I think I mentioned this before. Anyway, this reeled back to the "everyone sounds like this" sound. The visuals are very polished and it's kinda a shame that this song is so...dated? Not terrible, but not their best. The biggest challenge will be directing BtoB away from being another B2ST, but I'm still looking forward to what they have next.



CROSS GENE
Like JJ Project, the group only has one real music video promotional effort which is their debut for "La-Di Da-Di". I was a little skeptical with the intro talking part, but the song was very catchy and I couldn't help but abuse that repeat button. The visuals are extremely appealing and the choreography is simple, but creative in some parts. The instrumental sounds familiar, but the vocals lure you in. I'm hoping they don't get lost in the shuffle because they have a strong power behind them vocally and charisma wise. The choreography is quite strong for rookies too.



2BiC
This male duo doesn't feel like a rookie group either as they share strong vocals and mature presence similar to SPICA. Unfortunately, their first effort "Made yet another woman cry" wasn't the first thing I saw from them and looking at it now isn't anything I would watch nor listen to. It's not bad, but it's one of those usual slow love song ballad things. My first experience was "LOVE AGAIN" with rising female soloist Ailee. This song made me give Ailee a second chance as I didn't know she could rap like that. Their voices compliment each other so well. The song is catchy, mature, soothing, and alluring. The video has some classic R&B elements to go with the men's styles and some dancing girls that are a little distracting. "24Hours Later" is more a lounge type R&B. It's nice to listen to every now and then, but nothing I could repeat like "Love Again" easily. It has that drama OST sound to it with a twist of their signature soulful sound. Since they're a little slower type of R&B that I'm not really used to or fond of, I didn't really listen to much of their other stuff after that. If you're new to them, I'm not discouraging you from listening to it, it's just not my thing.



C-Clown
I will admit that this group didn't have the best production value with their debut video for "SOLO". The song was your typical electro-pop sound and shared a slightly atmosphere to old Big Bang and "Blue" Big Bang. It's not a terrible song either. The chorus is cheesy catchy and the choreography follows that, but the insertion of individual member pictures between scenes cheapened the video. Their follow-up, "Far away...Young Love", was more successful musically. It showed off their skills to emote through their acting and vocals. The story has been used before, but it was still successful in entertaining me. There's even a dance version of the video, but I won't go over that. The second promotional effort definitely gave me a little more confidence in the group's potential skills for the coming year.



VIXX
I think this group had the most colorful video debut for the guys in this list. "SUPER HERO" was an immediate click for me. The opening was less off putting than Cross Gene and the song was extremely catchy. I couldn't help but dance and smile to this as I repeated the track over and over again. The video is extremely visually stimulating with it's vivid pop colors from cotton candy and comic book palettes, while still having a slick approach used by groups like B2ST and MBLAQ. There's a lot of personality in this debut package and perhaps that's the reason they had the opportunity to guest at an east coast convention last year. Their second video for "Rock Ur Body" shared the same amount of energy and charisma. It's full of color and a cool video game theme. I hope I see more great, energetic music in 2013.



D-Unit
I'm sure this female trio was accused of copying 2NE1's "I Love You" with their muted colored debut "I'm Missin' You". Well, they were produced by similar sources. Sad to say, I might slightly prefer this more than "I Love You". Visually 2NE1 did it better, but musically D-Unit has more passion in this simple song. I think they have the right foundation, especially listening to their first CD release. The rap and singing are equally on par. "Luv Me", their second video contribution, reinforces this point. They display some natural attitude and passion with their actions and vocals. The song is a little more catchy and the video has the same washed out color palette as their debut. I would like to see more bold colors from these girls, perhaps on the lines of SPICA's "Painkiller" video. Otherwise, I believe they are headed in the right direction and they have some decent dance skills as well as the right backing.



100%
I swear it seems like these groups use the same 3-4 color palettes. Anyway, "BAD BOY" is very similar to C-CLOWN's debut effort. It's not terrible, but nothing new. The song's decent and there's moments, like the black and white scenes, that remind me of U-KISS, which is mostly a good thing. Unfortunately, I didn't actively seek out any more of their videos, but there are two more, I believe. I have listened to their mini-album which isn't that bad either.



EvoL
One more 2NE1 comparison from the public, but you know what, I'll give 2NE1 credit for bringing back the girls with attitude and sex appeal for girls like D-Unit and EvoL. Anyway, "We are a bit different" was an easy sell for me. The colors popped like some high production YG video and the chorus exudes attitude with a hint of sexuality. The vocals are on point and full of sass and energy. The choreography even matches the attitude of badass and sex. It's a shame they didn't have a follow up video, but I'm hoping these ladies don't trade their hard, rebellious image for the soft and aegyo or anything that doesn't fit this initial concept. Also, I must add that the rappers are very strong and cause a huge threat. [Check out "Magnet" dance practice]



AOA
This group is going to be difficult to talk about, but they did leave a strong impression on me. Upon seeing their debut video for "ELVIS", I knew this wasn't for me. It was too much like SNSD trying to be cutesy bad girls and you all know I do not like SNSD. The production value, the aegyo gestures, styling, and even the song was too similar to SNSD, but they had to throw in this seemingly pseudo-band thing into the mix. Whether they really play instruments or not, I could care less, but idol rock is not my thing. "GET OUT" was practically the same thing, but a little better with movie nods. So, it's obvious I won't be following these more talented SNSD wannabes.



Tasty
Well, everyone knows that twins sell, look at Boyfriend! "You know me" was this twin duo's debut effort which confused me at first, but I kept watching. The video is very simplistic and solely focuses on both men. The choreography isn't anything extravagant, but it's clear that the intention of the video was to display their dance skills. If you take that away and just listen to the song, it's kinda obnoxious and doesn't have much to it other than mindless dance music. I'm not completely sold on these twins, but they have piqued my interest in their future efforts.



24K
Last, but not least...one more male group. I think I have more guy groups than girls. Heh. Anyway, "Hurry UP" started off as a possible car commercial and I didn't know what to expect. The music and first few visuals made me a little wary, but then the first verse after the rap made me feel a bit better. The song isn't extreme, but it has some strong rap parts and some good vocals to build on for the future. It has a lot of attitude and some subtle charm. The video isn't anything new, but they tried and I'll give them that. The other video isn't a real music video just one of those fan things with candid moments, but it does display more of their vocal talents...and aegyo skills.

Most Shocking/Disappointing/WTF Asian Music Moments of 2012

ALDIOUS' Vocalist Leaves
I've already given my praise to these awesome set of ladies, but it was sad hearing that Rami had to depart from the band. Of course, fans understandably accepted this news and wished the departed member well on her health. Fortunately, the band wasn't knocked down and picked up KERA model Re:No to fill in the position. I'm sure her vocal talents will take some getting used to, but the essence of ALDIOUS are not lost.


BABYMETAL's Debut
I know they formed two years ago, but they didn't debut their awesomeness until this year and it was definitely a "wtf" moment. Who would've thought that fusing cutesy girly jpop with metal was going to be so amazing. I know for a fact that this group confused some people and it's definitely a group that you'll either love or hate, but either way. Apparently, they have something in the works for 2013 and I am looking forward to it. Perhaps, there will be a battle between them and BiS. That might be pretty epic.


Pay money To my Pain's K's Mental Health
It was sad to hear that PTP's vocalist K had to put his musical activities on hold due to his mental health. I tried to look up some information on the situation and you'd be surprised how difficult that can be to find a truly credible source. From what I gathered from Tumblrdore, K has been battling his mental problems for quite some time and as of late it was time to check into a professional to prevent further problems from occurring. I hope he takes care of himself and doesn't rush the process to please fans.


VII-Sense Disbands
Probably less surprising for those familiar with Shaura's (Juka) track record, but still saddening to fans of the band. For me, the band seemed to be gaining momentum with each release and made me excited as time passed by. They had an interesting line up of having triple guitars and utilizing every aspect of that. Unlike Kisaki, Kamijo, and Hizaki, this is the end of Shaura/Juka's musical adventures. I wish him a lot of luck and I hope that Erina shows back up in a new band as well, because his skills are amazing.


DecoLa Hopping Disbands
Another less surprising bit of news that's still saddening to me and their fans. I knew they had been having direction issues, but somehow they carried on to make a couple more singles before officially announcing their disbandment. They have one more release and then it's all over in April of this coming new year. If you've never checked these guys out, they are definitely not what you would think they would be judging by appearance. I remember thinking it was going to be the typical oshare kei, but then Suiya began to growl and I was instantly in love. Nonetheless, I wish them all the best and I hope they continue their musical endeavors, especially Suiya, in new projects.


Chemical Pictures Disbands
The last of the disbandment news for me was hearing this bit of saddening news. In a way, it seemed expected as the band had been silent for a while and TenTen's bands don't last long from what I noticed. I'm hoping that TenTen shows up on the scene as he normally does and even the other members as well. They had a lot of potential and it's sad that they couldn't fully develop a little longer.


D'erlanger & Die's Performance
So, D'erlanger is probably my favorite legendary jrock band and I'm sure most of you know that I adore/love Die probably more than any person should. Hearing that the two shared a stage together and doing a BUCK-TICK cover made my heart explode. I know how much Die admires Cipher and, if you didn't know, they share the same tattoo. In short, it was the most amazing thing to see as a fan of both parties and reading Die fanboy over the experience warms my heart so much. I hope one day they do a collaboration in the near future. If you haven't seen it, watch it and brace yourself for epicness!


Seungri "Scandal"
South Korea continues to amuse me with their conservative ways and lack of sex education knowledge. Seungri decided to be the break out star of Big Bang in Japan, which I believe he fits in quite well. He has the personality, charisma, and a good grasp of the culture and humor. Apparently, he also has a way with the ladies of Japan as well to the point that he ended up in a Japanese tabloid. He was rumored to be in a hotel room with someone and had some kinky sex, then didn't offer to clean up the mess afterwards. Japan was unfazed, but South Korea caused an uproar over the "scandal". If you want to believe the highly unreliable AllKpop, G-Dragon voiced his disappointment toward Big Bang's charming maknae and fans inappropriately used the flimsy information for poster inspiration during their world tour. *sighs* I have lost what little respect I had for V.I.Ps this year. Thanks, guys~


Lolita23q Indefinite Hiatus
Hiatuses aren't too much to cry over, but when you slap the word "indefinite", it's acceptable to have some fears of no return. Having Soshi as their newest vocalist was a step up and their new musical direction was a positive move, so hearing that the band was taking an indefinite hiatus caused some panic. It's hard to accept improving bands taking such ambiguous breaks or even disbanding. I hope they will return in the near future to blow our socks off, but for now I shall be anticipating Ryosuke's solo project this coming year.


"Gangnam Style" Blowing Up Worldwide
Who would've thought that we would be plagued by a silly, yet catchy kpop song for the end half of the year? I already voiced my thoughts on the viral phenomenon and I had my first radio listen of the song driving back to university after Thanksgiving break. Yeah, I don't listen to the radio, obviously. Of course the success and kpop fan victory blew up in their faces when newbies who claimed to know about kpop through one song tried to jump in on the action with false claims and accusations that every kpop artists were ripping off PSY's global hit. Eventually, everyone got almost as annoyed as I was over the song and Americans started making PSY the butt of jokes before promptly turning their backs on him with his anti-American lyrics from his past. Have my thoughts changed on PSY opening doors for kpop to be accepted in America? Eh...not really. I don't think he's made that big of a deal for hallyu to swoop in like they have in Japan and even Japan is trying to kick them out.


Versailles Hiatus
I mentioned this the last time I had Versailles news that I am not a fan, still not, but this flooded my Tumblr feed. The ridiculousness, guys! With mistranslated blogs comes riots and people claiming the world is ending, but indeed this is purely a hiatus. At least, that's how I see it when glancing over the articles. Although this wasn't big news for me, I had to deal with the aftermath spamming on my feed of dramatic fans overblowing minor news. Bands need breaks to explore other musical outlets and improve future visions for their band. Even if they decided to break up, Kamijo and Hizaki are not the types to go silently in the visual kei industry.


SuG Abandon PS Company
I think I've seen more fans jumping for joy upon hearing this news. SuG has become larger than life and want to take charge of their own fate without PSC's slimy hands controlling them. I am totally looking forward to their debut under a new label and I'm crossing my fingers that a couple or so other bands will follow suit. If I could, I would trade Under Code's closing for PSC to close. I wouldn't want the bands to suffer, I just want them to be free from the torturous conditions they've been put under. I suppose I can save my ranting for my new video project as well. In short, I'm cheering for SuG and their band growth. I'm expecting very good things from this move.


T-ara Drama
Kim Kwang-Soo has been extra busy this year causing trouble for fans, especially T-ara's. Apparently, he caused so much trouble that I had to dedicate a whole post to his plot to destroy something further that wasn't broken. It seems like his reign of "good" decision making hasn't ceased, unfortunately. Expect the same old b.s. nonsense from him in the coming year. I'm not feeling confident about his choices with his money making group, T-ara, and his attempts to redeem success without Davichi and a potential poor reincarnation of SeeYa.


Under Code Productions Closing
Probably one of my favorite j-indies labels have decided to close its doors in March 2013 and the fans are deeply saddened by it all. Although the news isn't completely surprising to us all, we still feel the deep sinking feeling of our hearts when the news was announced. Perhaps Kisaki didn't manage his money very well after his tax evasion scandal. Along with this news was hearing Dali announce disbandment beforehand and lastly NEGA following suit. Dali may not be as surprising as they had gaps of silence between releases, but they were one of the last of not so well known UCP bands I enjoyed. As for NEGA, I'm hoping Asagi will recruit them to God Child and they continue to make incredible music under a new name or at least something similar. They had so much growth and uniqueness and I still want to see them live! I don't want to comment too much about the closing as my new video series will cover everything I want to say and how much I enjoyed the bands on UCP. I'm sure Kisaki won't stay out of the music scene for too long.


Gackt Scandal
I didn't touch too much on this in my v-log, but only because I merely skimmed over the posts on Aramatheydidn't on LiveJournal and Shattered Tranquility. It wasn't that I didn't care, I just didn't feel like reading it all, but now I have so I can properly comment on this list. If you want a scandal, Seungri, this is how you do it. The tax bureau of Japan decided to look into Gackt's taxes and found some interesting things with his finances as well as his secret love life. Not that it's anyone's business, but since Gackt is a prominent figure in the visual kei and jpop scenes, some people flip their sh*t over a potential secret mistress in Canada that he has been supporting as well as an illegitimate child she bared before moving out of the country. Whether this will taint Gackt's reputation or not, it's quite uncertain, but not many people are saying much about it lately.


Jin Akanishi and Meisa Kuroki's Real Life FanFiction
Jin is no stranger to the tabloid scene and Meisa is a little less of a stranger, but Aramatheydidnt as well as other Japanese pop culture sites and tabloids had a field day with the fanfiction life of these pop talents. It started with a rumor of the two having a relationship and it was soon revealed that they had a secret marriage that slipped Jin's mind and angered Papa Johnny. Audiences criticized and joked and even speculated that Meisa was possibly pregnant. Thus another rumor was proven true and Jin's career suffered all throughout the year. He spent most of his time hamming it up in America with our talentless artists, then lost countless acting opportunities and Japanese fans failed to sell his worthless albums. Meanwhile, Meisa was labelled as Jin's sugarmama as she held onto her endorsement deals, gained modelling opportunities, and planned out acting and music deals post-pregnancy. On a more amusing note was the fan reactions before people got annoyed with spam, some calling Meisa a slut and clinging onto their bad boy Mr. Akanishi and spreading rumors of her chasing after his friends beforehand and others saying Meisa could've done so much better. Nonetheless, Meisa continues to be flawless while Jin tries to recover what's left of his career while still being a bad ass.

The Duckie and Miko Show Episode 1

The Duckie and Miko Show Episode 1 pt. 1 by mikosuzahiru18

Originally, I had a channel set up on YouTube for this, but it wasn't working out. So, I figured I'd utilizing my Dailymotion account for it and possibly my new video series. The show is split into two parts and I'm not sure if the second part will automatically start afterwards or link to it, but you should be able to find it easily if you click to my account. If it's too confusing, then I'll embed it here as well. Just let me know. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it!

[EDIT:] Here's the second part, in case you guys didn't see it: Part 2

V-log: Silent Hill Epiphany

V-log: Quick Updates & MAMAs 2012