Tokyo Ghoul: [Void] & [Past] Novel Thoughts東京喰種トーキョーグール

   After I read the first novel titled Days, I didn't so much as think about the rest of the novels. I had read one article saying that other novels would be imported after translation but I didn't process the information. Soon more novels appeared on bookshelves like they were meant to be with the series of Tokyo Ghoul. These two segments of the novel series are still written by Shin Towada.

  Void comes with a new set of stories that take place after a certain point in the original series of Tokyo Ghoul. Void introduces new characters along side ones that should be familiar to fans of the original series. Towada does his best in making the new characters fit into this already made world of ghouls and humans. Much of the content has to do with the same idea from Days, that humans can live with Ghouls even though humans are basically food for the creatures. There's some cute stories involving this fact that are enjoyable. Readers also get to see what the main characters of the original Tokyo Ghoul was doing at the time right after the 11th ward occupation. What most of the characters were doing aren't too surprising considering the big shift in a lot of the character's personalities after this event in the main story. Reading through the pages are like a trip down memory lane if you are reading the manga or have seen the anime up to it's stop point. The novel titled Past is the actual trip down memory lane involving a lot of the main characters of Tokyo Ghoul. Each chapter tells the history of some of the well known ghoul investigators, other ghouls, and even our main character Kaneki himself. Nothing in this novel is too shocking if you know the main story because the content in the novel is referenced in Tokyo Ghoul. Reading Past is good if your a hardcore fan of the series to the point that you want to be nosy. Nosy fans have to know EVERY single detail about the characters so Past is for you. If you haven't watched the anime or read the manga yet, I suggest you do so instead of reading the novels. The novels are clearly written for fans of the series.

  These novels are cash cowing at the its best though. Same case with all the novels made for the Attack on Titan series. I recommend [Days] and [Void] because both these novels have content that is worth the price. [Past] is a waste of money with the anime being there to tell you most of the content that's in it. Most fans will probably buy all three novels just to support the series which is fine. I'm just giving you guys a heads up. Lets make [Past] the last novel, please….

The Boys Who Cried Wolf(양치기들) Korean Film Thoughts(2015)

   

  The Boys Who Cried Wolf is a 2015 film that was directed and written by Kim Jin Hwang as his first feature film. The cast of actors chosen to play the lead roles are also pretty much unknown except for Ryoo Joon-Yeol(One Way Trip). That's some of the magic of Korean indie films, you learn of new talent that might end up becoming popular in the future.

   A struggling up and coming stage actor decides to play different roles for people that need companionship. He is then asked to play a witness for a murder case involving young boys. After he gives his false testimony, he learns that there's more to the case than he was originally informed about.

   This film isn't too flashy in its plot development. Events solely deal with the interactions that the main character has with each person he works for. Many of the clients lead sad lives. I mean you must lead a sad life anytime you have to pay someone to be your companion. The plot also tells of the war that the main character has with himself. He went into this kind of work because he didn't want to give up acting. Then he realizes the worth of humanity through his experiences. What I liked the most about The Boys Who Cry Wolf was its need to stay as bare as possible. There's some shocker moments but these moments don't try to make out the film be more than what it already is. Its a "take it as you see it" film. Not a ploy in sight as you watch either. Just a film based on the acting of the actors playing their roles.

  Park Jong Hwan plays an stage actor that was deemed not good enough to act out the roles that he chose. Instead he goes and creates his own performances with the help of an agency. This agency sends people out to play different characters for people that need it. The actor meets different people as he does this line of work. Each person is like a different layer of problems that makes him see the world in a different light. Park does great with acting out each new character that he must play. He also brought a bit of his original base character into the acting of each fake character. Since acting is living truthfully in an imaginary circumstance. The last client being the one that was the last straw. He breaks character to find out the truth of a murder which all the people involved do a bad job of hiding who did the killing. I think all their performances were meant to teach a lesson about life more so than trying to make The Boys Who Cried Wolf into a mystery thriller. One thing that the actors involved did do well in terms of making a mystery element was keeping the answer to WHY the killing was done a secret until the very end of the film. I'm not sure if it was on purpose but I felt a underline homosexual theme in the motive for the killing too. All of this is my speculation to a degree. The director might have meant for this to be implied without actually addressing it directly. The actor's performances did a great job at hinting at the possibility though.

  The film makes sure to show the world of the working class in a Korean populated city instead of nicer upscale places in South Korea. Camera shots contribute to this by film locations that have low income apartments along narrow streets, street side restaurants that stay open late into the night, and the city line during certain points in the day. I enjoy looking at a city during dawn and at dusk the most. Kim Jin Hwang captures these moments of the day perfectly in the film. Especially when Park's character is walking around the city.

  The Boys Who Cried Wolf is a great Korean indie film that truly represents the genre. I don't think this kind of film is for everyone but please try to watch it if you have the patience. This can be a good film or a boring film depending on your attention span.

Sakura Fujiwara(藤原さくら) - PLAY Album Thoughts(J-acoustic/Jazz/Rock)

   

      Tracklist

1. My Way
2. Someday
3. 春の歌
4. play with me
5. 赤
6. 好きよ 好きよ 好きよ
7. sakura
8. Necklace
9. Soup
10. play sick
11. SPECIAL DAY
12. はんぶんこ

   

  Not sure if you remember, but I talked about Fuijiwara Sakura in the post about the 2016's drama called Love Song. This was Sakura's acting debut and rise in fame. She had been performing in the underground indie scene for years. Then she was picked out of thousands of girls to play the lead role in Love Song with mega superstar, singer, songwriter, and actor; Masaharu Fukuyama. The basis for him being casted in itself was enough to make this drama a huge success in Japan. Fukuyama also wrote both songs that Sakura performs on the show. With a hit single and hit drama already under her belt, Sakura released her brand new album: Play, a few weeks ago. 

  Play is Fuijiwara's debut as a mainstream artist. I did get the chance to listen to some of her indies albums because I've heard good things about her music before Love Song. The music on these albums actually surprised me considering how good it was. Her talent for creating her own kind of style speaks wonders in the album Full Bloom. Kawaii, the lend single from the album Good Morning is still currently my favorite track by the songstress to date. She even attempts to sing her music in English but I honestly don't care for these songs too much. With all that I have witness about Fuijiwara's music, I was ready to hear her second mainstream effort. Play sounds like the mainstream version of her other albums. A record producer must have been in the shadows overseeing every move that she made and it shows in the album's track selection. Fuijiwara doesn't "play" around with her old habits. In fact she keeps them buried down in this overproduced album. When I say its overproduced, its not an insult. More like this album would have stood on its own without the hiring of all the musicians to play with her. Someday is the album's lead single that has an organ and accordions playing in the instrument for a light cheerful sound. Necklace is an introduction into Fuijiwara's creativity to stand out from the rest of the many many cute female Japanese girls that sing and play guitar. Believe me when I tell you that there are tons of them on Japanese city streets who sings just as good, maybe better than Fuijiwara. She breaks away from these girls crowd by fusing alternative rock with Jazz to create a youthful sound full of adolescence. Necklace is done mostly in English though it can be hard to make out the lyrics at times. I'm not the English police but I really don't like listening to her sing in English normally. Necklace is one of the most catchest and upbeat song on the album if you exclude Someday and Soup. Her slower songs are all interesting enough as well. I really love the chorus of  春の歌 a lot. Her voice along with the background singers sounded so soothing together. Soup and 好きよ 好きよ 好きよ were used in Love song so most people know of these songs. They both have a country music vide to them that isn't well known in Japan. I believe I literally heard cowbells being used in Soup and the way that the cello was being played in 好きよ 好きよ 好きよ put me in mind of a farmland. I'm not repulsed by country music like some other people and the songs have enough pop elements to sit on the borderline of both genres.(Yes, she tried to pull a Taylor Swift...) Sakura was another track that fits into the slow moving feel of acoustic songs that consume most of the album. Fuijiwara really seems to go off into a mellow place after awhile based on the closing numbers on Play. Ninety-nine percent of her lyrics talk about love being the start to a happy ending and most Japanese people like hearing songs like these in an emotional driven form like acoustic guitar performance. If not that then an upbeat song that will make them feel good. Play is an album that has both options. 

  At first, I thought that Fuijiwara Sakura had problems singing. Her tone has this quality like someone is trying to choke her when she hits her high range. Its not that she sounds bad however, it does sound like she's grasping for air. I'm now more used to how her voice sounds so it doesn't bother me. The deep range that she has reminds me of Utada Hikaru in terms of not fitting that stereotypical cute Japanese female voice that Japanese is also known for. She's a decent singer overall. 


  Play wasn't too bad of an album for a girl that's just starting to come into her own as an entertainer in Japan. The album sold pretty well too, getting the number five spot on the Oricon charts. I would love to hear what she has in store for her fans in the future. I do wish she would stop singing in English though…. No shade.[COVERS EYES WITH HANDS]

I'm Not Madame Bovary(我不是潘金莲) Chinese Film Thoughts(2016)

   I'm Not Madame Bovary is a 2016 film that was based off the 2012 novel of the same name. The film was directed by Feng Xiaogang and written by Liu Zhenyun. Mainland China is the place of origin for this film making it more of an arthouse film than anything released in other parts of China.
 Fan Bingbing, Zhang Jiayi, Yu Hewei, Dong Chengpeng and Guo Tao star as the full cast of characters.

  The plot is labeled as a comedy which makes me frown a little bit. I can see the comedy elements in  a few scenes but I'm Not Madame Bovary is more of a drama than anything else. Watching the struggle of a women trying to get a divorce from her husband makes you tired after watching it continue on for the first hour and a half. I did mange to put myself into the story by relating to her trying to get her basic right has a human being but is refused to be heard. This battle between her and the Chinese government goes on for ten years. Each year she goes to try to plead her case to the supreme court in Beijing. I felt like I was being led around in a circle about ten times as I watched Madame Bovary. Each circle represents one year out of the ten. I would be lying to readers also if I said that the plot didn't drag on because it did. I kept watching though because I wanted to see the outcome of this women's effort to fix the mess that she and her husband made. A person might think that its a bit much to fight for the right to divorce for ten years however, our leading lady has a deeper reason to fight. Once you find out her reason, you'll understand why she wouldn't give up. Nothing in this film really made me laugh. Chinese viewers might have gotten more of a kick out of the script than I did, being from that culture and all. The whole central conflict for this film was pitiful to me. Some parts could be deemed as funny if you have the sense of humor for these scenes. I unfortunately did not.

   Fan Bingbing is a very well known actress for playing female characters that deal with them having to withstand that hardships that come with being a women in mainland China. This character is no different than her other roles that she plays so well. What I really love about her is she conveys her emotions to viewers with her eyes. I saw the burning determination that she had as soon as the camera showed her face. Her interactions with the other actors in the cast also show that she is a driving force in Madame Bovary. Even when she's not on screen, her presence is still felt through the acting of the actors who play the government officials that discuss about how to stop her. Everyone's performance turned this film into a women's rights campaign without meaning to. Most of the male cast either tries to stop her or is down right rude to her. Calling your wife a slut in front of all your friends is never the right thing to do. I'm still kind of mad that this struggle lasted ten whole years…. Get it together people please.

   The camera man's decision to film Madame Bovary in a different sort of style turned me off upon first viewing. It was really hard getting used to watching to whole film in the shape of a circle. No, I'm serious. Its like someone took an overlay that's shaped like a circle and put it over the film's frame. You're then forced to view the film through the circle for pretty much all of the film. The circle changes to a rectangle during the scenes shot in Beijing. For what reason, I don't know but I'm guessing it has to do with the cultural comedy element that this film is suppose to be about. Our new found method to view the film aside, I was taken away by all the scenery that was shown. The women's village was a cultural paradise of China's landscapes. I enjoy seeing the small villages outside of Beijing. You don't get to see these places unless you go there yourself or a director is brave enough to film these raw shots making them look the way that he or she wants using their talent. The contrast between the villages and Beijing was very noticeable as well.  Beijing is more compacted into itself with a lot of action going on around you while the outer villages were more spread out making the use of a boat raft necessary in order to get to a specific place.

   I'm Not Madame Bovary takes a type of patience to make a viewer last to till the credits roll. A lot of the film drags on in plot progression but has enough arthouse charm to keep people watching. I don't think that I will be watching this film again anytime soon but I do recommend this to people who like films from mainland China or might want to experience the place by watching a film. Not the best they have to offer yet it fits right at home in their cinema releases.

Icy Ball(冰球樂團) - Share Your Love Album Thoughts(Mandopop)

01 - Can't Stop
02 - 響起 
03 - Give A Chance
04 - 你對我說 
05 - 循環 
06 - 靠過來 
07 - 船歌 
08 - I'll Be With You



 
   There's a steady pick up on the boybands that are coming out in mandarin pop music. Many of the boyband's names make me raise my eyebrow in wonder(Icy Ball? Really…) but I'm always open to trying out new Mandopop music. Especially in a time when Kpop is the most popular genre of east asian music that's starting to contain a lack in creativity.

  Icy Ball seems to be rookies in the music scene. They look like all the other boybands if you look at their pictures up close though. The pictures I saw of them without the glamorous touch ups have them looking more like everyday human beings. This might not be appealing to some. I also so saw that they play their own instruments on stage such as the electric keyboard and the electric guitar. My way of going about listening to their music would have been different if I know that these boys had an old soul heart at the core of their music. I say this because I honestly didn't enjoy the first few songs I heard on Share Your Love. The tracks had a lounge style Jazz sound that doesn't fit into this pop heavy time of flashy dance moves and pretty boys. I decided to stop listening to Share Your Love so I could listen again later. Later on, I decide to listen to the album from the last track to the first one. Does anyone out there do that sometimes when listening to albums? I do it from time to time but in this instance, I'm glad that I did. Icy Ball's potential comes out during their tracks that focus on vocal performance. A Jazz influence still lingers in their music however, those abilities to play their own instruments come in handy when they want to be experimental. I had a few nice pleasant surprises while listening to the middle and ending tracks of Share Your Love. Each track teases at the boys abilities to be poppy or be rock pop, mixed with Jazz. The possibilities will be endless for them given the experience they gain in the future.

  It felt like there was a lead singer that sang all the main parts in Icy Ball's songs. The other guys just play instruments and sing backup vocals. Maybe its just me because I could have sworn that the whole group sings different parts. I really need to sleep more at night…. my mind is becoming fried[INSERT ME LAUGHING]. The vocals sound good neither less. Check out their chill songs for vocal paradise.

Death Note(デスノート: Light Up The New World) Japanese Film Thoughts

 Death Note: Light Up The New World is the fourth film in the Death note live action series inspired by the manga series created by Ohba Tsugumi. This installment was directed by Sato Shinsuke and casted a trio of bright upcoming actors, Higashide Masahiro(Blue Spring Ride), Ikematsu Sosuke(Mozu), and, Suda Masaki(Shinigami-Kun). Erika Toda and Toyama Sota also reprise their roles from the original Death Note films. Light Up The New world was a smash hit in Japan becoming the tenth best film for 2016. A television drama titled Death Note: New Generation was also made to give background on the three main characters of the film. With each character's introduction taking one episode each.

  Six death notes fall from the realm of the death to the human world. Different people from all around the world soon get their hands on these deadly notebooks creating a six man version of Kira: A serial killer from ten years before. The war between world renowned detective L and Kira seems to be far from over.

  Light Up The New World takes place ten years after films Death Note: The last Name and literally right after the drama, New Generation. What I absolutely loved about the plot is that it took the time connecting the dots to the original films and the manga. The script brings back characters from the original series and even makes several references to the series original main characters: Light and L. These fans favorites help progress the plot too. Even though the two main characters of the original Death Note are dead…. I do apologize if that was a major spoiler for the people who have never read the manga or watched the anime. Please do still check out the series. Anyway, The new generation of Death Note users make for an interesting experience. They are like killers who act like they drank a whole case of Red bull on a bad day. There's not much thought put into who they kill. They just kill a whole bunch of people because they think that will make them better than the original Kira. If you read the original series, The characters on the side of Kira didn't just kill loads and loads of people- Criminals yes but not random people on the street. The overwhelming idea that so many Death Notes exist in the world at one time also gets you interested in how everything will turn out. I do feel like that while the film overall is a good mystery thriller, its progression in the story does began to tire itself out at around the middle point. Its loss of energy was very noticeable to me because the characters began to run in circles until the final confrontation. The intriguing world that's given life in this film is interesting enough to keep you watching till the end though. You asked what was going on with the ending? Well, I know what happened but it was hard to pen point if the character himself wanted what happened to actually happen or if it was truly something out of his control. Make sure that you guys watch the credits all the way to the end in order to find one kind of answer.

  This Death Note installment brings a more various look at the different types of Shinigami. They look amazing this time around. The other Death Note films did the best with what they had with CGI effects back then which didn't look bad at all. However, Light The New World has the death gods looking like you can reach out your hand to touch them. I loved that certain traits that fans love about the Shinigami such as their love for fruits was used in this film too. Ryuk or the main death god in the series makes a few appearances but is overshadowed by the new cast. He also doesn't have the same chemistry with the new Kira that he had with Light. There's acceptable reasons why in the film. Masahiro plays an detective on the new Kira case. This case was created to find all six of the Death Notes so they can be destroyed. He's an actor that can play a detective just based on looks. He has the height and the face to fit the part perfectly. I've seen him do different types of roles and was very happy when I saw he got the lead role in Light Up The New World. Masahiro was known before this film and now he is even more known. Sosuke stood out to me greatly when I was watching the J drama Mozu. He was a character that only cared about killing. His role as the new L really shows that he has skill to take on new roles different from the one's he has done. New L acts the same as the old one only without the sugar addiction. Sosuke brings a strange and cool confidence to the character. I think he gave the best performance out of the other two actors. L is a character that can't be played by an actor with mediocre talent. You got to act the hell out of the character to get his particular being right. All the actors that came before Sosuke had the chops to do this and he gave the character no less than his best as well. Masaki Suda has acted in a wide range of supporting roles in dramas and films. From funny characters to insane maniacs, Suda has done it all in his career. His character in Light Up The New World reminds me of his character from the drama Shinigami Kun since that character was a death god. Both characters have the power to take away life. Only difference is that his character is a human that worships Kira's accomplishments in Light Up The New World. His character is trying to get all the Death Notes before the police and he will kill anyone who tries to stop him. He thinks that he can meet the original Kira when he collects all six notebooks. Remember I said that Kira was dead? So who is Kira now?

  I was a little conflicted with the ending of Light Up The New World for my own reasons but the casting and plot take the upmost care in making this film apart of the series without messing up what was great about the other films. This new Death Note film is another building block upon a great series.

Sky On Fire(冲天火) Chinese Film Thought(2016)

 

   First, I would like to state that I read tons of bad reviews about Sky On Fire. These reviews led me to believe that the film was a high action special effect hot mess of a film. I became especially nervous because I had bought the blu-ray on my birthday out of curiosity for Daniel Wu's new film. Good thing I don't read nor believe film reviews too often. Sky On Fire is no way a perfect Hong Kong based film BUT Its a few steps back in the right direction for Hong Kong cinema. Reviewers say that the film;s script doesn't make any sense. Since this was a common complaint, I made sure to pay attention to the consistency of the plot's foundation. Remember our film script's best friends; Who, What, Where, When, and Why? Were these questions answered by Sky On Fire's script? The answer to the question is honestly, Yes. The manner in which the plot decides to present the answers to these questions was kinda of a bumpy ride. A plot about a big hospital that found the cure for cancer and a brother who wants to save his sister from the disease but doesn't have the means oddly comes together. I can understand why a ton of mainstream white reviewers wouldn't hesitate to give this film a bad review. It can't be helped with all the god awful films that have been coming out of Hong Kong over the years. I also think that the film has certain symbolism that doesn't translate over to a foreign audience well. Only Chinese people or people who speak Mandarin would understand. You almost want to give up on watching films from there completely. Heck, I pretty much did unless you want to count the little peak ins I do every once in awhile. Mainland China is actually creating better films and they sometimes don't have half the budget that Hong Kong film creators have to make films. Sky On Fire does attempt to prove that it's plot is different from the past films that came out last year such as Saving Mr. Wu. Its an action heavy script that at least takes the time to have a substantial storyline. The pieces to make sense of the full picture of this plot are there. Viewers just have to pay attention to what is shown to them. There was only one scene that I didn't understand out of the whole film and that might be solved if I decide to watch Sky On Fire again. Other than that, The plot was pretty clear to understand for me. I actually kept watching for the story and the characters honestly. I'm an action with substance kind of guy like I repeatedly mention in my other posts. Got to bring me a good story for me to be impressed with the action scenes. I won't even get as far as the action sequences if the plot's not up to par.

  I haven't seen Daniel Wu in a Hong Kong film in a long time. Most audiences should be familiar with Wu thanks to his hit AMC series; Into The Badlands. In Sky On Fire, Wu plays man who works at the famous Sky One: A hospital built like a huge tower. His character is stricken by the lost of a loved one in his life. He then decides to dedication his life to protecting the stem cell research at Sky One. Joseph Chang  plays the brother of a girl who gets cancer and needs treatment. He will do anything to get her treated at Sky One. These two actors play polar opposites with something in common. I liked the sentimental atmosphere that the brother and sister characters had with each other.   A good part of this film is filled with emotions of revenge though. It gets even worse when you have a so called villain that has no remorse for what he did. He wouldn't stop getting his hands dirty either so people like him have to be stopped by force. The supporting cast did just what their name calls for. They supported the main plot with their own side stores that deeply affect everything that was going on.

   I couldn't tell you too much about how this film was shot. I was too into what was happening on screen to take myself out of the story. What I do remember was a a lot of overhead landscape shots of Hong Kong. Sky On Fire is a "do it without a stun double "sort of action/thriller film. The stuns aren't too advanced but the car chases make you want to grip your chair. I've always loved looking at the normal looking side of Hong Kong that has the food stalls and the family own businesses. Not that rich looking part of Hong Kong where the buildings are all packed in together…… Well, all of Hong Kong is packed in to itself. You get what I'm trying to say though.

   Ringo Lam's Sky On Fire isn't a perfect HK film but it sure is an improvement on engaging story telling at lest to me. I was happy with the overall result of the film and I might watch it again after some time has passed. Check this out if you want to see Daniel Wu's recent work outside of Into The Badlands. He has been in other films too.

Day6(데이식스) - SUNRISE Album Thoughts(K-rock/pop)

Track List:
01. 오늘은 내게
02. 반드시 웃는다 (I Smile) 
03. Man in a movie
04. 아 왜 (I Wait)
05. 어떻게 말해
06. 놓아 놓아 놓아 (Rebooted Ver.)
07. 그럴 텐데
08. 겨울이 간다
09. 장난 아닌데
10. Say Wow
11. DANCE DANCE
12. My Day
13. 예뻤어
14. Congratulations (Final Ver.)





  I feel like I've discussed in detail enough about Day6's music due to my older posts. This new album titled SUNRISE contains all the singles they released over the past few months. These singles cause the album to be a very solid album as a whole. I can honestly say that I only had to skip two songs out of the entire album. Once the album starts, it keeps burning bright on that fuel we call music creativity. Another good thing about SUNRISE is that the new songs fit in with the past singles like  missing puzzle pieces. They got my into the flow of the album so much that I wasn't waiting for the songs that I already knew to come on. They all felt like tracks that came as a a set package until I got to Say Wow and DANCE DANCE DANCE, . Then the sad realization dawned on me that I was listening to a Kpop Idol group that can't completely shake that worn out Korean pop sound. I had the same problem with a few of their older songs. I'm happy that I didn't give up on them back then because this album is pretty good overall. Their lyrics are obviously still being penned when the boys are feeling the highs and lows of relationships. They go through some emotional problems if you listen to the lyrics. At least there's equally good for the bad within each track. The remastered versions of their old singles like Congratulations make me feel indifferent. These extra fillers tracks are not need when you could have recorded two more brand new songs instead.

  Please read my older posts on Day6 to know my thoughts on their vocals. Not much has changed in SUNRISE. I like the vocals as much as I did when I listened to their monthly singles.


  SUNRISE was the first Kpop album that I listened to in awhile where I didn't skip majority of the tracks. I listened through a lot of the songs till their end. Enjoying myself each and every step of the way….. or shall we say each and every track of the way! Like what I did there? NO? Well, thats alright….