Love That Makes You Cry(いつかこの恋を思い出してきっと泣いてしまう) J-Drama Thoughts

  I started watch a new Japanese drama a few weeks ago and finally finished the last episode yesterday. I'm sorry guys but if your looking for a blog that writes about things super fast or a person watches things super fast then this is the wrong blog for you. I like to enjoy and take in each episode and I  tend to only watch one episode a day. I'm not the type of person to sit and watch episode after episode. The most I will watch is two episodes a day. With that being said, lets dive into my thoughts on the Drama, Love That Makes You Cry(いつかこの恋を思い出してきっと泣いてしまう).

" One Day We Will Look Back On This Love And Cry....."

  This ten episode drama is directed by Michiko Namiki, Yusuke Ishii, and Mai Takano. Its cast contains Kasumi Arimura, Kengo Kora, Mitsuki Takahata, Takahiro Nishijima Of idol group AAA, Aoi Morikawa, and Kentaro Sakaguchi. 

 The Drama's plot depicts a group of young people who come from different small villages in Japan . They all move end up in Tokyo one  way or another to escape and make their dreams come true even as they are met with struggles of hardships and love. 

  Love That Makes You Cry was shot in other places besides Tokyo this time around. I'm guessing thats why there were three directors working on this drama.  Some of these places include the rural city of Hokkaido, Fukushima and of course Tokyo. An Element that always catches my attention is the way Japanese people capture their scenery especially in the countryside. You always feel a pureness looking at the nature that has yet to be touched by Japan's ever so polluting civilization development.  Every tree seems to protect our characters in their respectful town as they are unaware of the world outside of what they see everyday.  It makes the viewer imagine that these characters would want to experience something more especially looking at the different situations of each character. while these places looks beautiful, imagine living there all your life without seeing much else and when you realize there is some much more to life, your being forced to stay against your will. Such is Kasumi Arimura's character's starting conflict.

   The characters featured in "Love That Will Make Cry" range in a variety of different personalities. One stage is when they are just arriving in Tokyo verse being there for a long period of time.  You kinda of realize that nothing comes easy.  Even if you make the moves to change your life, you still have to put more work in and hold on for the long haul. Nothing in this life in going to be handed to you. You see this fact sink into the character's beings as the try their best to survive in the bustling city of Tokyo. One character just works and works and works while letting his job's boss and coworkers run over him like he is a crosswalk on an express way.  Another character ran away from home only to be abandoned by the one she needed the most. The other three characters enter the picture like they have living in Tokyo figured out but really its just a front. Characters with skeletons in their closet and characters just trying to be honest and survive really kick off the conflict when they all come together.  Kasumi Arimura( Flying Colors, Star Man) does a great job as a girl who ran away from it all to go to Tokyo. I really believed through her acting that she was pure at heart. and only wanted to live freely and honestly.  Kengo Kora( Story Of Yunosuke) had the best bearings on the flow of the story and his characters transitions. This character wasn't too different from the other character he's know for playing in the beginning but the way he presents himself makes makes you feel like your talking to a friend who tries to see the best in people. His emotions and facial expressions scream kind to me....... welll..... in the first half of the drama anyway...... WE NOT GOING TO EVEN GO INTO THE SECOND HALF...... No spoilers here.  Some characters felt like they were just conflict drivers so the show would proceed which is fine but when that character has used up her reason for being in the show, she just takes up space. I felt that way about one of the female characters who popped up again. She kinda of was like a sideline cheerleader after awhile.  Aoi Morikawa's character gave me so much life throughout this drama when she said what was on her mind. She kept it a hundred and told the characters what they really needed to hear. I loved her to bits for that! She might even be my favorite character in this drama. Takahiro Nishijima did a good job in this drama as the third wheel who had a lot of family issues. His scenes kept me watching to see how he would react in certain situations. It was nice to see him acting again. The costars helped do their part by filling their roles well. I just don't have much that stuck out to me about their performances. 

TELL LIKE IT IS GURL

   The plot was interesting to see unfold. I started watching this drama because of the cast and the title. I love things that make me emotional and this drama did at parts. It wasn't the characters actions so much as the lesson the drama was trying to convey.  You are told from the beginning with foreshadowing in the title that this drama is going to be rough. Each character is put through many different trails that come with every day life of a working class citizen in Tokyo and you wonder if love can really fit into all of that conflict. It was just one conflict in the story line that deals with accidents happening on those tall walkway steps and it got on my nerves a little bit. It was executed perfectly and fit with the storyline the first time it was used but the second time was to bait the viewer into watching the next episode. 

 "Love That Makes You Cry" isn't a bad drama for those who like melodramas. You just have to get it in your head that, in this life things don't always work out the way you want them to. You deals with it and move on. This drama teaches this well. 

The Accidental Detective(탐정: 더 비기닝) Korean Movie Thoughts

   Here I come with a new post about Korean film, "The Accidental Detective" directed by Kim Joung-hoon and starring Kwon Sang Woo and Sung Dong-il.  

   I honestly couldn't tell you the actual plot to this film. Only thing i know, A man got falsely  accused of murder and he teams up with detective who is put on the case. A baby is somehow thrown in the mix too.

  If readers haven't noticed by now, I watch and buy movies based on if the plot is interesting to me or what actors/actresses are in the movie. I wasn't going to purchase this movie because I wasn't particularly fond of the trailer but I grew up watching Kwon Sang Woo's dramas and he is a pretty decent actor. So I caved in and got the DVD for "Accidental Detective". 

   The film lets you know instantly that its a comedy with its slap stick humor and Kwon Sang Woo playing the role of dead beat whipped husband who is forced to watch a baby. I'm pretty sure i have seen this concept done plenty times before in other movies but i digress, Kwon Sang Woo plays the role in such a realistic way that you remember that he is actually the father of two children in real life. Veteran actor Sung Dong il enters the movie to help Kwon deliver some well needed funny chemistry with verbal and physical abuse constantly being directed toward Kwon Sang Woo's character. The only time I laughed was even the two were on the screen and Kwon was being either hit by Dong-il or he was in some type of trouble. 

   By the one hour mark of the film, I had started playing with my phone, singing to myself, and only half listening to the film. I just couldn't keep my mind into what was going on. Kwon being in the film pushed me to watch to the end but the plot was something that I've seen done so many times before. There wasn't any new twist on the concept either which makes me start wanting  to count down the minutes until the film's conclusion. I kept my eye glued to the screen once again when the two characters finally confronted their villain and that still was the same predictable executed conflict.(Minus the random baby.) If you have watched numerous Korean films then you will have the same feelings a did after this movie is over.(I don't even know if Kwon Sang Woo taking off his shirt and doing a shower scene could have saved this film from crashing and burning.) 

Or maybe it could......

  The film wasn't shot in any particular way that makes it stand out in a sea of other films. You just see the same formula that other K-flims have used. I'm also getting tired of seeing people duking it out in the rain too. We have been there and done it. Next, please? The Director has to put his own touch on that style and make it different.

   Sadly, "Accidental Detective" shows me that Kwon Sang Woo isn't getting the abundance of roles that he use too post marriage and having children. It had to have been hard for him to see the ending of his heartthrob career and the beginning of him only getting certain types of roles. I will say he still looks very handsome even as he soon enters his forties.(Asians don't raisin! Eh?) Sung Dong-il plays the same damn types of characters so much that this character is like his second skin. I'm open to watching this film again to see if I find a reason to like it but so far nothing impressed me. If you want a little bit of humor with a stale plot then give this movie a preview. KWON SANG WOO FANS MUST BUY THIS FILM!!!! YOU MUST!!!!!!! hahahaha I'm just kidding with you guys. Enjoy!!! 
   

Yoga Lin(林宥嘉) - Sell Like Hot Cakes(林宥嘉 今日營業中) Album Thoughts(Mandopop)

01. 讓世界毀滅 (Let the World Destroy)
02. 天真有邪 (Spoiled Innonence)
03. 壞與更壞 (Bad and Worse)
04. 熱血無賴 (Unshakeable Rascals) *Feat. JerryC
05. 我已經敢想你 (I Dare To Miss You)
06. 一點點 (A Little Bit)
07. 飛 (Fly)
08. 我夢見你夢見我 (I Dream That You Dream Of Me)
09. Still Open After 10 P.M.
10. 白晝之月 (The Day of the Month)
11. 寵兒 (Beloved) (電影「我的蛋男情人」主題曲)
12. 勿忘你 ( I Do Not Forget You)
13. Off, Do Not Disturb

   I'm back with some fresh new Mandopop for everyone! Come get it while its hot! Well, with a singer like Yoga Lin things don't get cold but only hotter!! He's back with a new album after his military service and he was greatly missed. 

   Mandopop has had a great year with new and old artists stepping up to the plate to provide great music for their listeners. Yoga had released a single so that tipped meow that an album was coming. Then "TADA", A new album with thirteen track for me to bite my teeth into. The theme of his albums always deal with issues about the world and how he views everything as a person living in Taiwan. There is also always a romantic aspect that stands true in other artist's music but the way Lin presents love in his music isn't the gushy sentimental kind but more of "suck it up and move on" type of feel. 

    Hyper active rock pop Yoga Lin is who I love the most of all his different experimental music styles. "Sell Like Hot Cake" has this style taken a few steps further with a mature twist. The listener can tell instantly that Yoga Lin's time in the military affected his music. Song choruses seem much tighter and overflowing with appeal while adding finishing touches that continue to make him stand out in a music scene where pop rock male singers are becoming a dime a dozen.(At least most of them do it well.) Ballads selections contained in "Sell Like Hot Cakes" are resting points from all the electric guitar action but don't let them fool you! Yoga know how to string together a good ballad that can pick up and anytime in the song's duration with acoustic guitars and catchy sing along melodies. 

  The vocals of Lin's always intrigue me because he doesn't sound like a pretty boyband wannabe type of singer. He however, has still managed to gain a huge following in Taiwan with millions of albums sold and sold out tours under his belt. One big quality that stands out to me when he sings is that he doesn't try to always make every note that comes out of his mouth sound pretty. His vocals stay on pitch of course but he sings in an uncontrollable way. this give his voice a raw unedited sound when you hear his studio made albums. Then there's his ranges that go low and high for a full talented package of Yoga Lin. He has great control of both ranges, twisting and turning his voice in songs like "Off, Do Not Disturb". That butterscotch deep range to his voice is just everything to me when i listen to him sing! I never get enough! 

  I'm not a big fan of interludes in albums and there really was only really one but i felt like it wasted my time a little bit when giving the album a listen. The interlude goes hand and hand with the theme of the album, A family owned store that sells Chinese hot cakes and is still open after 10 P.M. I guess I'm just being picky when I write this but I could have done without this interlude even though its not a bad choice for the album and I think Chinese listeners connected with what he was trying to convey. 



  "Sell Like Hot Cakes" is a great album for new and old listeners of Yoga Lin. If your a previous fan then you kind of know what your in store for. New listeners will like this album too. Enjoy

Legend Of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (英雄伝説 閃の軌跡)RPG Game Thoughts

   I had no idea what kind of future of this series would hold. Does anyone remember the Legend of Heroes games that were for PSP game console? These game are still to this day some of my favorite RPG game in terms of story and characters. You can imagine my excitement when Trails in the Sky was released and then the announcement came for the second game. Unfortunately, Trails in the Sky 2 never saw a North America release and I wondered if the whole series would just stop being localized.(PSP was dying too so..)  Then one day I was browsing around Gamestop's website and saw the promotion of Trails of Cold Steel and leaped up in the air with joy!

   The plot of the game takes place in the same world as Trails in the Sky with a whole new cast of characters that attend a military academy know as Thors. You basically know nothing about these characters but they each seem to have their own personalities. As you progress through the game, you learn more about the each character's background and their reasons for taking on the personality that they do. I was also very interested in the different social class system that was existent in this world. Its a conflict that came up more than a few times not only while traveling but also in the group of character's themselves.

   The characters didn't really stick out too much to me in the beginning but started to grow on me when different emotional interactions between the characters became involved. Only during these times in the game do the characters really take on traits that are rememberable.... Well, minus Fie acting like she was a badass and having everything figured out from the beginning. Some characters came off as a little more than mysterious and it peeked my interest to learn more.

   Gameplay was heavily centered around school life and tasks that are assigned to the main character.  This fact caused the first half of the game to make the player have a lot of patience and get every task done so you could more on. Legend of Heroes deals with a lot of dialogue so if you don't like reading or you only obtained a fifth grade knowledge of reading then this game may not be for you. I love a good story but i'm not going to lie, sometimes the dialogue was so long that i had to make sure I didn't have anything else to do before I started playing. That turn off and turn back on later button on the PSVITA comes in handy when you have to stop in the middle of playing. The battle system would be like any other RPG game if it wasn't for the fact that you can move your character to different areas within range on the battle field, link with different characters to do devastating attacks, and use different link abilities that unlock as you spend time with different classmates on free days. Where your characters are positioned also effects what actions you can and can not do. The turn scheduler on the side of the battle screen also plays a big part in telling you who will act and when. You also have the choice between doing Arts(magical spells) or Crafts(different for each character and consumes a character's CP.). The battle tactics of the game will have to be mastered so your ready for any situation. I personally also like how you can sneak up on enemies and stun them before entering battle giving you the upperhand. Outside of the battle system, there's other little cute things you can do with your time like change your characters outfit, fishing, cooking, actually giving the right answer to tests and in class questions, and play a mini game called Blade that's similar to goldfish only with numbers... Like I said, if you can't do basic addition then games like Legend of Heroes will be struggle. (I know you wish you had studied.)

 

  The world of Legend of Heroes looks amazing for the most part. A great amount of detail was put into the building design of towns and cities. The detail will make the play excited to travel to a new place and just walk around there. The lines for the people in each place also seem to be lifelike with different personalities coming to the forefront as you talk to each citizen. The foundation of the outside fields starts to look a little similar after awhile but not enough that it gets annoying. What got annoying to me as constantly having to explore that school house on Thor's campus. The first few times it was fine up after you do it a few more times you don't look forward to going in there and seeing the same backdrop again. The mystery will push you to get it over with but the most excitement comes from the 7th floor and the bosses at the end of each floor.

   Soundtrack was one of the best qualities to the game. Each track fits its surroundings perfectly and will have you humming along in no time. I also quite enjoy the opening theme song.

   Having never played Trails in the Sky 2, "Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel" was what I needed to fill that big gap where that game should have been. The storyline is a great one and will keep you guessing all the way to the last chapter. LETS BRING ON THE SECOND GAME!!! IM READY!


****Please note this game is currently for PSVITA and Playstation 3 only.*****

 

BoA x Beenzino (보아,빈지노)- No Matter What Single Thoughts(Korean)

   This project that has been going now for the last few months is known as S.M. Station just added a new track to its collection as of this month. The track is a collaboration between kpop queen BoA and long time outlandish rapper Beenzino, titled "No Matter What"

     In my opinion, this is one of the best projects that has come out of S.M. entertainment in a long time. I'm not a Kpop fan anymore so the actions of a hundred million boy groups looking at the camera in a sexy way, having different style changes, and dancing on the same sets do nothing for me. Of course, it use to a long time ago but I have grown up. So its nice to see a Korean music project that brings together different artists that don't have to have that idol quality mixed with S.M. artists who do. A few of the Korean artists that have made their way into my iPod have been featured in this project and Its exciting to think maybe S.M. is turning over a new leaf.... Or maybe the company  just need the money.. oops! You didn't hear that from me. *sips tea* 

        Seeing this track be released had me feeling a mix of emotions. I didn't know if the song wouldn't be to my taste or that Beenzino and BoA just wouldn't work good together. She seems to perform well on all her project but I haven't really felt a fire in her music in a LONG time. Her last comeback just was lacking to the point that I questioned if S.M threw the whole thing together just because its BoA and they knew it would sell. I was so disappointed that the BoA i had grew up dancing with and singing a long to had been reduced to a quick money making marketing poly. I'm not saying that she didn't work on her comeback diligently but that wasn't the BoA that I was proud to say is the Queen of Kpop. Heck, most of the new female groups popping up every few weeks could have run circles around that comeback and most of them lack originality. She has released a few single tracks since then but i had distanced myself from her music because i felt that her music artistry was slowly burning out. 

      I recently over the past few months really got into Beenzino's music. I had always known him in name but i never took the time to check out his tunes. I like his style of relaxed, off the wire lyrics. He knows how to grab your attention while being HIM. I don't get that "trying so hard to be a gangster" in his recent releases.  He writes about what speaks to him and produces that into full heartily fun tracks. Sometimes I laugh out loud at the lyrics of his songs and have an overall fun time listening to his songs. 

    Beenzino is kind of too out there for BoA but their combined effort actually made a good track for the summer. "No Matter What" somehow bring back a fraction of what Boa use to sound like in her prime with a dance number to get the party started. She seems at home here with her vocals being in top form. The track opens with a echo sound that makes you think your on that Tarzan ride at Disney land(I think  that ride is at disney land...) then confidently leads in to the sound of the piano playing. I love the beat and the sound effects on the beat. You just want to get up and jump around listing to such an addictive beat. BoA sings for the duration of the song making you think the credit should be changed to"Boa featuring Beenzino". The rap part is solid in foundation and flows with the song. Beenzino also sounds like he's enjoying being on the track with lyrics about unwavering love. I just wish that his part wasn't so close to the end of the song and that he had more time to make this song an actual 50/50 duet. The song ends a few minutes after Beenzino is done spitting the lines and the song feels incomplete when artists do that. Another chorus or bridge would have been nice.

  In conclusion, Boa and Beenzino made a very fun track that will have you dancing the summer away. I would suggest going and adding this song into your mp3 player playlist with some other dance songs and ENJOY!!!!! 

The Boy and the Beast(バケモノの子) Anime Movie Thoughts

   I'm a big fan of Mamoru Hosada(細田 守) and his works such as "Wolf Children" and "Summer Wars". So you should know that i couldn't contain my excitement when the new broke that another of his movies would be getting a North American release. The novel and manga have been release before the movie which didn't happen with Wolf Children and Summer Wars.( Both manga versions were released after their movie counterparts.) Hosada's new movie is titled The Boy and the Beast.
 

"In a world of Beasts, a boy found family."

  My thoughts will be coming from the english dub stand point because I mostly watch Japanese anime with english dub unless i'm watching an anime online. I generally enjoy both and have no problems with either but i know its a big debate in the Otaku world so I won't get into that here. I might make a separate post later on down the road though. Most of Mamoru Hosada's movies are casted well for the Dub versions. I never have too many complaints but sometimes I feel like the younger characters never sound the age they are suppose to be and when they try too hard to make a 20 year old voice actress sound like a 3 year old little girl, you can tell right away. The performance will sound forced like an twenty year ass old women is trying to sound like a cute unknowing three year old. This won.t really a problem in "The Boy and the Beast" but when I first heard Kyuta's voice as young boy, I thought he sounded too old. His voice grew on me as the movie progresses since the overall embodiment of the character is a rough and tough boy who feels he is on his own. The voice for Kumatetsu made the whole film for me. He had everything he needed to be that lazy ass stuck up character who deep down wants to stand for something but doesn't know how to go about doing it. The interaction scenes between both characters had me wondering if the two voice actors had been in the same studio when recording the voices. They have such a youthful chemistry that makes you laugh and realize how much they need each other. Something they don't seem to realize which makes the movie even funnier. Twenty something year old version of Kyuta put great emotion into his parts of the film as a young man who had to rediscover himself. The other voices play their characters respectfully well.  The casting choices help energize the plot even when dealing with the side characters. In the beast world, some of the side beast sound close to guys who would hang out in a bar and drink till their breakfast, lunch, and, dinner is all over the floor. I don't remember a moment where the voice acting took me out of the flow of the film except for what I mentioned above.

  The films plot was different and engaging. You kinda just start and let the film take you along for the ride. The animation aspect was in-depth and alive as you would expect if you have seen Hosoda Mamoru's films. Scenes such as the streets of Tokyo with people moving and looking about give the film a humanistic touch. Even the world of beasts introduces the viewer to a whole new world of fantasy while keeping a realistic touch to the art and foundation of the scenes. Certain special effects that appear in the film are breathtakingly beautiful. Especially the opening sequance  and the final battle toward the end of the film. I was watching  and saying" they out did themselves with the effects this time." They even topped the effects in Summer wars.

   "The Boy and the Beast" left me with a warm heart full of hope for life. Thats the one thing about Japanese anime films that I always love, you always leave the film learning an important lesson about life. There has been more than a few times that i have taken what i have learned from film and applied  it to my life. Life is a learning process and sometimes you lose some then sometimes you win some but everything will be alright as long as you move forward.

Bii (毕书尽)- I'M B TO THE DOUBLE I Album Thoughts(Mandopop)

  We are getting into the full swing of things once again with a new post! I'm actually enjoying writing these because its something i'm doing more so for myself than anyone else. If I help anyone find some new movies, music, anime, games or books then that's awesome too. Now its time to talk about some Mandopop with a newly released album by singer Bii.(uhh, no. not korean singer Bi, BII!!!!! OK?)

1. Catch Your Double Eye
2. Funky Boy
3. Thirty Eight
4. I Will Miss You
5. Love Magic
6. Tender Love
7. All You Did
8. Maybe Baby
9. Sweet Little Baby
10. Endless Forget


    I can't exactly remember when i first found out about Bii but I've been listening to his music on and off for a few years now. Bii was born in South Korea to a Korean mother and Chinese father making him bilingual in both Mandarin and Korean. This fact becomes apparent in this music as he switches back and forth between both languages. I have also heard people say that his Mandarin use to sound weird when he first came out so my guess would be that he's stronger in Korean than Mandarin. He's probably improved a lot by now hopefully. 

  As I braced myself to give "I'm B TO THE DOUBLE I" a listen, I actually didn't want to because the album prior disappointed me. Bii is the type of artist that has the ability to branch out into many different types of genres but he shouldn't permanently. He has experimented with different electronica sounds for his "Action Bii" album and it dumbed down his music's charm. Being influenced by the korean pop trend is fine but it also good to note that interest in Kpop has been slowly dying over the past 3 years. Why has it slowly been dying, you ask? It's because the music doesn't bring anything new to the table and after you been in the know for a few years, you have seen it all. The album before "I'm B To The Double I" was kind of like that with the respect of a few good tracks. I was super afraid that this album would be like that so i contemplated for an half an hour if i wanted to give this album a listen. I decide to in the end.

  The first three tracks played into the style that i knew i would hear on the album but to my surprise, the foundation of his track is solid and catchy.  While "Catch Your Double Eye" sounds like any other pop anthem, Bii does well with swiftness of his vocals and how he effortlessly moves between mandarin and korean like an automated iPhone dictionary. The beat also will make you think your in a club full of people dancing around. "Funky boy" takes us to that jazz, broadway, style of uplift as Bii shows that his vocal range can be a jack of all trades. The ballads on the album are filled with emotional beauty and strong vocals as Bii gives it all he has to sing to the listener. He seems to be more known for ballads in Taiwan because of the Drama OSTs and different roles he is cast for. This guy can definitely belt out a note that will make a lot of singers wonder what they been doing with their lives. 

  The last half of the album brings us back to Acoustic rock Bii, that i love so very much. Give Bii a guitar and there will be magic! This is the style i want to hear way more of and that fits him the best to me. These tracks not only bring back his old style but also add a new twist on the sound. There is a song where a chorus full of full rounded dark voices sing in the background while Bii play electric guitar rifts and belts a high note that made me go, "YES BOY, YOU BETTER SING!!!!" Other tracks were produced with a light hearted pop beat that didn't over power the acoustics but was just enough to make the listener feel happy and want to sing along. My only negative thought i had about the album was there are times that the ballads sound similar  I also don't need to hear Bii's falsetto range in almost every song. Let the boy rest his vocals a little bit. 

 "I'M B TO THE DOUBLE I" turned out to be a major improvement over his last album.  Musical artist need to realize that you don't always have to change your style right away. Work more on finding your craft and what works for you then change your music around. The change is good if it makes your music BETTER not if it sends your music a few steps back.

   

Flying Colors(ビリギャル)Japanese Movie Review Thoughts(2015)

  I try to make one of these post every day if I can. The time is a minute way from 12 o'clock AM so you won't see this only the next day.  Dang, i just failed at doing a post every day. I hope you will forgive me. Please? Anyway, I just got finished watch the Japanese movie called "Flying Colors"

  The film's literal translated titles would be Biri Gal, A girl who wears short mini skirts, fake eye lashes, a face full of make up, and dyed blond hair. These girls are literally everywhere in the cities of Japan. You would think that a girl like this would have a head full of bricks but not Kudo Sayaka. She decides that she wants to go to Keio University with only a 4th grade education. This is her story on how she defied the odds with the help of her cram school teacher, Yoshitaka Tsubota. 

  The film is directed by Doi Nobuhiro and stars Arimura Kasumi and Itō Atsushi. I have seen both actor and actress in numerous of dramas and movies. I'm actually happy to see that they are making such big names for themselves. "Flying Colors" is the second movie i have seen Kasumi star in and she has grown into a great actress. While this role relies a lot on her looks, she knows how transition well with the different stages that her character goes through. There's a lot of issues going on around her and not to mention her own emotional scars that she hides so well with the help of her dumb blond act. Her character just wants to party and then party again until you looking at the morning sun raise up in the sky. This is fine when your young but soon you realize you don't stand for much in your life after the partying is over. This is just one of the conflicts Kudo Sayaka faces when she tries to do the impossible and get into one of Japan's top universities. Kasmumi embodies her character as a girl who must work hard and gives up many of her old habits in the process. The strength she gains in her journey will make you want to get up and try and try again no matter how many times you fall down. Atasushi shines her has the cram school teacher who does every thing in his power to support his students. The scenes he's in flowed with a light hearted positivity that you can tell influenced the other actors and actresses as the acted along side him. The witty craft of both character's chemistry also knew how to make certain moments funny without going overboard and derailing the films progress. 

  The plot line of this film is labeled a comedy but the slap stick moments are only the surface of what this movie has to offer. There's are so many different plot points that you are interested as they collide together into one big conflict. Family problems and character back stories make the film so emotional at times that you need the comic relief. The director know when to enter that comic relief just at the right time too without making the action cheesy. I also have to give a mention to the side characters who helped light the fire under an already burning conflict in the film. This is one of the first films in a long time, where I can say I was trufully interested in all the characters shown on screen. 

   "Flying Color" looks like it was shot mostly in Tokyo city area and the suburbs. I always loved those areas by the river where you can take a walk in the closings of the day. It seems kind of unsafe too because you can fall over in the river with one wrong step. The cinematography is filmed in these areas during travel scenes such as walking and riding bikes. There is a charm to these scenes because it shows where our main character has come from and where she is going. From the times she was walking and didn't know who she wanted to be to a girl who was giving everything she had to meet her goal. The cram school scenes are shot at side angles or from a distance. Some times it made the  tutor room look extra small but i think that was the look they wanted. The scenes shot in Tokyo city are all about youthful party girl energy where you can laugh about dance the problems of the day away. The main focus was Kudo Sayaka and her friends. These scenes gives off that sex in the city feel when those girl would strut down the street and that bustling music would play. You see this form of shooting in a lot of film productions but there's an art to it in order to make it your own. Those steps in her house would scare the hell out of me because of how steep they were. In the scenes when her character runs down them, i didn't know if i should scream for her to slow down or for her  to not go down the steps at all. I wonder how the cameraman even shot those scenes since the step way looked very narrow. the whole house was small but the shots made very good use of the family living room and the outside area in front of the house. 

   I didn't expect "Flying Colors" to impress me this much. You think the movie would be mediocre but the way the film's story board is planned out makes you never have a boring moment with great character performances. I came away from this movie with a new found reason to work harder. Never forget that you and your dreams matter. When there is a will, there is a way. 

Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎 あゆみ) M(A)DE IN JAPAN Album Thoughts

   The long running empress of Japanese pop music: Ayumi Yamasaki, is back at it again with a great promotion strategy for her new album, M(a)de in Japan. She just drop a new surprise album like a teenage daughter drops the news on her unaware mother that she's pregnant. It was released digitally through AWA streaming service and will be physically released in Japan on the 27th of this month.

 

1.  tasky
2. FLOWER
3. Mad World
4. Breakdown
5. Survivor
6. You are the only one
7. TODAY
8. Mr. Darling
9. Summer Love
10. Many Classic Moments (globe cover)

  I had heard some comments about this album and how Ayumi had got her act together as far as music is concerned.  A few covers have surfaced for this album and i hope that the cover for the physical CD will be the image above. It will standout in music stores way more than the black and white face shot. 

 The music of "M(a)de In Japan" has shown that Miss Hamasaki can go back to doing what made millions and millions of fans love her. The songs are nothing new if your a long time fan of her music but at the same time, its a breath of fresh air. The first half of the album are all rock driven tracks that rip the absence of the other failed experimental tracks she did on pervious albums. Its not even that the other tracks she did were bad but I listen to a lot of music and if your song is forgettable, I WILL FORGET IT. "Flower" contains the best vocals that I have heard from Hamasaki in a long time. She knows how to sing just right on this track and it feels like its in her element. Her belt notes are also not only in key but excite listener letting them know that Ayumi from her Rock n Roll Circus and Gulity era has returned. "Mad World" works not only to Ayumi's song writing skills but it will get stuck in your head if you listen to it a few times. I love the message of most of Ayumi's lyrics, being honest and heartfelt as she tackles issues like perseverance to online bullying that people in Japan are subjected to on a daily basis. "Survivor" switches the formula for the album around a bit, entering in a groovy group of voices to accompany Hamasaki as she shows that she can have transition in her music without messing up the flow of her artistry. This song is the stand alone track and will be a pleasant surprise to most fans. Summer Love and Many Classic Moments will have you getting ready to bust a movie while wondering where THIS Ayumi had been all this time. "Your the only one" even made use of Hamasaki's high pitched voice during her falsetto notes. The overall sound was pretty since ballads are her trademark.  All the album tracks flow together as a whole so that the listener doesn't get tired and bored. I'm one of those listeners that will hit that skip button quicker than Ayumi can find a new European husband. 

 Jokes aside, I'm very proud of Ayumi Hamasaki because her whole career has been her going against the odds. She originally didn't want to become a singer but a songwriter. Even thought people constantly have something bad to say about her voice or her declining sales, she continues to press on and do her own thing. I will even admit that I don't think that she is the best singer but she only continues to better herself and for that she will always have my respect.