Utada Hikaru(宇多田ヒカル) - 初恋(Hatsukoi) Album Thoughts(Jpop)

YES I'M BACK BITCHES!! 

   Utada is still going strong after coming back off a long break two years ago. She's married to a man that people don't know much about. Rumors have said that he is living off her money though(Not saying that this is true..). She's supposedly giving him money to start his own business since she's loaded. She at least got a baby out of this mysterious relationship that I really want to say is a "beautiful baby" but I haven't seen any pictures of her child and probably never will. Her relationship wrapped in mystery seems to be good material for a lot of her newest songs too, As the woman hasn't stopped releasing digital singles since 2016's Fantome. Little television promotion has been done for her new album but the singles have been used in different media outlets. The newest album is called Hatsukoi which in English translates as First Love: The same name of her most best selling album. It has already been said that the album has broken records even as I type this.

Tracklist

1. Play A Love Song
2. あなた(You)
3. 初恋 (First Love)
4. 誓い(Oath) *Kingdom Hearts 3 Theme Song*
5. Forevermore
6. Too Proud featuring Jevon
7. Good Night
8. パクチーの唄(Cilantro Song)
9. 残り香(Lingering Scent)
10. 大空で抱きしめて(Embrace Me In the Sky)
11. 夕凪(Evening Calm)
12. 嫉妬されるべき人生(A Life You're Ought To Be Jealous Of)

  Utada Hikaru is that bitch. She will always probably be that bitch until she decides to retire from music like Namie Amuro. This woman is the only singer that can sit at home, create music, release it, then relax(besides a select few others.). No live performances or television interviews to be heard of. When she does get in front of the camera, Japan goes into a damn standstill because the woman never ever lets herself be spotted by a camera lenses. Hatsukoi's release doesn't come as much of a surprise to anyone because she announced that a new album was coming. People were more surprised by all the singles she popped out suddenly during the course of this year and last year. Religious fans of Hikki(like myself) will have already heard most of the first half of the album due to them being released prior to the album's release. I didn't talk about these singles when they first came out so I will discuss them a little bit here. Play a Love Song sounds like a sequel to Goodbye Happiness in the springy beat that accompanies the track's instrumental. I wasn't a huge fan of this song at first because it felt a bit underwhelming but It's catchy groove lingers in your head after awhile. The production value of the track is easy to miss though, it's very high quality. A group of singers sing with Utada during the last part of the song making the overall sound become more full and solid. Her background vocals always seem to placed in the right places for the best sound for her tracks. あなた(Anata) switches back and forth between the genres of RnB and Jazz repeatedly. Violins are added in the instrumental somewhere too. Violin was used in majority of the tracks so I'm going to take a wild guess and say that the violin must be one of her favorite instruments. The track is a good reminder that Utada still knows how to make great music while taking some of her old musical qualities and adding in new ones. 初恋(Hatsuki) has the same name as the album. Another ballad for the fans that want to hear Utada float in the lyrical content inspired by her loving relationship with her husband. Her chants in English saying "I need you" should be a strong indicator. 誓い(Chikai) was a special surprise for me and probably all the fans of the RPG game; Kingdom Hearts. This track is the new theme song for series's long awaited third installment. I was put in mind of the song Sanctuary when I first heard the track. There's very unique layers in the production such as the off beat piano section and the drums that seem to play behind the piano while also staying on beat. Some of the timing is off the charts even with her vocals. Guess what? She owns her beautiful mess causing it to work wonders for her overall. I can't wait to hear the English version next year(renamed, Think Twice). Forevermore is the darkest track on the album music wise. The track is all about her dark vocals dipped in classical pop. Too Proud featuring Jevon came across as the ugly duckling in the middle of all the other tracks on Hatsukoi. If she ever decided to rewrite this song in English, the track would work well on another English album release. Everything that's happening on this track doesn't go with the album itself but the song is a Bop just because Utada wasn't afraid to jump into this style again. The rap part was good because it was unexpected. Those triangle instrument sections of the instrument being played under the beat was a cute take on a spicy track. Utada adding that Packman game beat was so random on top of all else also. Good Night was a revisit to the Deep River era of her career. Each componant of the song is a bit spontaneous that fold into separate sides of itself for an alternative rock track. Her voice shines during the song. Hatsukoi falls apart after you get past track 7. Embrace Me In The Sky(大空で抱きしめて) and A Life You Ought Be Jealous Of(嫉妬されるべき人生) are the only tracks that I would save from the destructive second half of the album. Utada is an artist that writes her own music and produces everything herself. She's a siren that has a lot of creative ideas that get crammed into her musical vision. At times her ideas work, then at times they don't. She's just a very experimental artist that takes chances on the thrill of being artsy. Japanese people will mostly like the lyrical content of these songs on the second half. I just got bored listening to tracks that didn't have a spark of excitement in them. Ballads are boring without the showcase of vocal range to me. Both of the songs I mentioned above feel the most charming out of the snooze fest. Embrace Me In The Sky's ukulele playing signals the perfect mood for a hot summer day. There's no other perfect song for the summer season. I'm still trying to figure out if  パクチーの唄(track 8) is a Japanese nursery rhyme or not..... We're going to pretend that this song never happened..... Agreed? 

   Utada Hikaru asks her listeners in the opening track, "Can We Play A Love Song?" like fans have a choice to not listen to her whole album full of love stuck lust for her man. He must be really good in bed cause she's made some damn good material recently. Minus the lackluster tracks on the album of course.

Let Me Eat Your Pancreas(君の膵臓をたべたい) Japanese Film Thoughts(2017)

 

      Let Me Eat Your Pancreas is a film adaption of the novel by the same name written by Yoshida Tomoko. Oguri Shun, Kitamura Takumi,(Leader of band DISH//) Hamabe Minami, Kitagawa Keiko, Yamoto Yuma, and, Kamiji Yusuke star in the film as part of a young cast. Tsukikawa Sho directed the film for the big screen while Sumino Yoru changed the story to a script perfect for the adaption's time duration. Minami and Takumi also won many awards for their roles, including Best NewComers at the 2017 Japan Academy awards. The film became the fifth highest grossing film of 2017 in Japan. An anime film was made as well.


  A teacher relives the days that he spent with a classmate that was suffering from a terminal illness. His memories will play a great part in how he chooses to live his life in the present.

   There's a gazillion Japanese films that have scripts about young girls dying from sickness and the male character reliving times he spent with her. The person question lingering over Let Me Eat Your Pancreas is how is this film different from those other films? Honestly, It doesn't have many differences from the normal traits seen in all those other films. However, The film does continue to prove why Japanese film makers continue to do this kind of storytelling so well. Opening scenes for the film are not really too attention grabbing. At least not to those who want drama that will engage you in dramatic dialogue. The action is instead in the fine details of school life as the two characters meet each other out of the blue. Paying attention to the little details in the characters interactions are both a sad and equally funny experience. These interactions make the daunting question in the back of your head: "When is she going to die?" all the more apparent. Then the time switches are executed smoothly without you feeling that you're being cut off from one storyline for the other. The best parts of Let Me Eat Your Pancreas are the messages of learning to grow into your own skin. School life can be one of the hardest times to figure out who you are. For the people who got a firm hold on who they wanted to be at that time, I'm impressed but most people don't find out who they want to be until long after high school or middle school. So this film focuses on knowing who you choose to be then owning up to that choice no matter what anyone has to say. The second message in the script uses the most shocking part of the film to drive the message's meaning home for everyone invested in the story while watching, even the characters in the story themselves. I was taken for a loop big time. It was clear that a strong message was being conveyed during this part of the film. Never take time for granted because we might not get tomorrow. Do all the things you want to do no matter how crazy or unattainable your goal might seem. None knows when we are going to die. Viewers are forced to swallow all of this and it's a big pill to swallow, however it's a blessing in disguise for the characters that had regrets in the present. Let Me Eat Your Pancreas has heartwarming ending embraced in sadness. Viewers will come out of this film learning more about life and we are better for it.

  I want to note that I think Takemi looks nothing like Shun. They don't have the same facial features and I don't think that the character would have grown up to look like Shun. Nice try on the directors part though. Only thing that looked the same was their hairstyle. Both actors were wonderful at playing each others counterpart. That same dark with drawn personality couldn't be mistaken on either character. Minami's performance made me sad as I watched her character always be witty and happy even though she was hurting on the inside. I enjoyed the contrast of where both characters were on the social spectrum in school. You wouldn't have known had it not been for the excellent performances from the costars.

   The shots are done in a simple fashion. I did notice that some scenes are more stylishly filmed than others. Most notably being the library scenes where the camera sometimes pans downward from the ceiling showing the who span of the room as sunlight comes in through a white curtained window. I also loved the way the camera shot the scenes leading into the time transition from the past to the present. Simply having the older version of a character walk past the younger version of another character or vice versa.

   Let Me Eat Your Pancreas isn't a trend setting film in the Japanese cinema mellow drama category. It does show you why Japanese writers continue to write these kinds of stories without them getting boring. The emotional meanings of the scripts stick with viewers through reliability of a human struggle called life.

Ajin: Demi-Human(亜人) Live Action Film Thoughts(2017)

    Ajin is a live action film that was adapted from a manga by Sakurai Gamon and rewritten by Seko Koji and, Yamura Masahiro. Motohiro Katsuyuki directed the film which stars popular Japanese actors, Satoh Takeru, Ayano Gou. The costars make up a list of Shirota Yuu, Kawaei Rina, and Yamada Yuki. Opening sale numbers for the film landed it in the top ten at number six.


   A young man finds himself on the dark side of the world as a Demi human who can't die no matter how many times he tries. He must find a place that he belongs where he can live as a human. Contrary to his belief, Japan's government and other forces won't allow that to happen.

   I watched this film while knowing the bare minimum about the series that this film was based on. The little piece of the manga I read didn't keep my interest because I didn't like the art used to present the story. Bringing the series to the silver screen was a great way to put a new take on the popular series in my opinion. Most of the in the manga events are rushed to fit into the film but that keeps the film from laging. Some of the original events are ones that I didn't even know about and I still knew that they were edited to keep a stead momentum. I'm only observed this version of Ajin as a stand alone counterpart since I'm not a diehard fan of the series. Maybe the anime was like this too. Though I've heard that the anime wasn't very good many times. Ajin the film, opens up a can of whoop ass on those other live action film "attempts". Action stories are meant to be engaging at the opening of the film till the conclusion. Ajin's plot warns you to buckle yourself in otherwise you better not let go of your seat. Thriller elements are apparent in the action as well so Ajin touches different subjects that deal with the rights belonging to the living.  No matter human or other species on earth. The action will defiantly keep viewers on their toes if the dark material in the script does not. An overflowing amount of action hits home just right scene after scene that I forgot that I learned so much about the characters in a short time. Character development felt more fluid in methods of using the action sequences to tell you more about the the characters than dialogue. Not many live action films know how to cover character backstories in a artsy fashion similar to Ajin's method. So much was covered that there's no need to create a ton of character background scenes and the ones that were added only added icing on top of a pretty well formulated script. Ajin is a film that will leave you wanting a sequel after the credits begin to roll.

  The CGI looked a hundred times better than Attack on Titian's live action films while being up to part with the Death Note live action films. Each fight scene leaves you in awe. All of the action looks very polished for pure devil mayhem. It's dark morbid subject matter makes you think more about the rules of death during the film.

   Every single actor set into their characters perfectly. However, the actors who did all the action sequenced have my upmost respect. Gou was the perfect villain. He was a well rounded character that made you easily see both sides of his thought process. Causing you the sympathize with the character a little bit. Viewers might have actually liked him if he hadn't gone terrorist on us. His and Satoh's body transformations for their roles made my eyes go wide too.[INSERT ME LAUGHING… THOSE ABS THO.]. Satoh's character was the one who stayed on the borderline of humans and Demi humans. The character is very relatable as he tries to pick up the pieces from his old life. He has two major voices telling him what side to choose and the major conflict is for his character to find his own answer. Rina was doing the damn thang(Nope not "Thing", Thang.) as an actress performing all her own stunts. I give her props.

   Ajin hands down goes on the list of the best Japanese live action films. This film utilizes all the necessary traits in creating a sold film. A solid film that's enjoyable from start to finish. I would highly recommend Ajin to Japanese cinema lovers.

 

MastaMic - MASTAPIECE Album Thoughts(Canto-Rap)

   Mastamic is a rapper that is originated from Hong Kong. He has had to continuously fight to create his own space in has a Rapper. Hip hop isn'y taken seriously in Hong Kong and is seen has a black sheep in the mist of all the pop music that is well known there. He was signed to a label but the record label didn't want to give him the resources to get his career started, so he left that label to create his own. Masterpiece is his newest album to date after releasing two mixtapes.

CD 1
01.Jungle 
02.DMSPF 
03.Lane Crawford 
04.Rock$tar  
05.破地獄 
06.Sound Of Violence 
07.Fire 
08.Backseat Love - MastaMic/Jase@C AllStar 
09.IAD 
10.Tonight 
11.思想流淚  
12.Not Afraid - MastaMic/鄭欣宜 

CD 2 [Instrumental]
01.Fire (Instrumental) 
02.Backseat Love (Instrumental) - MastaMic/Jase@C AllStar 
03.Not Afraid (Instrumental) - MastaMic/鄭欣宜   


   I didn't know the situation having to do with Hip Hop in Hong Kong until reading Mastamic's story.  Then I watched a some of his videos on Youtube to see how good he was at rapping. Mastapeice comes together similar to a mixtape produced on a professional level. The rapper tries to bring a pop balance to the album with songs such as I'm Not Afraid and Backseat Love. Made purposely for listeners who want a more catcher sound that's layered in Hip Hop. He goes strong through these songs even though they are more mainstream tracks but each meaning in the lyrics rings true. Plus, the added elements of RnB and pop rock are slick under Mastamic's artistry. Other tracks on the album use various musical traits to create the instrumentals. There's a crossing of real instruments like drums for example, that don't sound too over touched up by the studio. It's a raw musical quality that brings a real flavor to the beats. Mastamic goes a bit overboard with the autotune on tracks: Rock$tar and a few others. Autotune didn't bother me too much on the other tracks since he sings and he might have felt that it enhanced his weak vocals; nor is the autotune as loud. Another huge thing I want to touch on is his rapping. Dude switches up his flow constantly during Mastapeice's play. I've never listened to a rapper that could switch up his rap flow using such ease. One track, he's rapping in a sing song flow then in the next track he's rapping like he's giving a speech to an audience. All while bringing to life messages of love and Hong Kong's social issues. The voice indiction he has can be kinda of surprising if you base what you think he will sound like off of his looks. Mastapiece stays consistence in the ups and downs that the tracks present. Not every track was for me, though I was impressed by most of what I heard.

   His singing is actually decent. At least he can sing a tune good enough to sing the chorus to his own songs. The features on this album help him out too. It's just good to know that he can go in alone if need be.

   I'm a bit late making a post about Mastamic. Try like five months late… however, I support his movement of trying to make Hip Hop receive more respect in Hong Kong. Keep creating albums like this one and you will be on top soon enough man.

Crystal Kay(クリスタル・ケイ) - For You Album Thoughts(JPop/RnB)

   Crystal Kay is a Japanese singer that debuted in 1999 singing jingles for television commercials at the age of 12. She's known as one of the best selling mixed raced singers in Japan. Kay was born to a Korean mother(Who because of the history between Japan and Korea, can't speak Korean, Only Japanese) and a Black American father in Yokohama, Japan. Her mother made sure to send Kay to international schools on the army base so this is why her English is very fluent. Many of her albums have placed in the top ten spots on the Oricon Chart. The same can be said with her singles but she has only had one number one album and one number two single in her career. For You is Crystal Kay's first album(and Twelfth) in over three years since Shine in 2015. The album comes in standard edition and special edition.

Tracklist

1. Shiawase tte. (幸せって。)
2. Watashitachi (わたしたち; Us)
3. I Just Wanna Fly
4. Talk To Me
5. Summer Fever
6. Can't Stop Me
7. Forever Young
8. Lovin' You
9. Faces
10. Sakura (サクラ; Cherry Blossom)
11. Waiting For You

   Since Shine's release, Kay has kept busy performing all over Japan at festivals and different venues. She appeared in PKCZ's project with M-flo and some of Exile tribe which was a great move for her promotion wise(I've given my thoughts on their album in another post.). The singer has gone through a big metamorphosis musically to many of her long time fan's dismay. When I say this, I'm referring to her foreign fans. She took a long break from Japanese music to dapple around in American music. America's music market proved to be tougher than she though so she went back to Japan before she even release an album. Shine saw Kay returning to a newfound focus of what direction she wanted her music to go. Like Shine, For You has a agenda to get Crystal Kay back on the top of the charts. She's not taking anything less than that anymore. People who say her music isn't good because she doesn't focus as much on RnB are people who didn't pay close attention to her career to begin with. For You's lead  single called 幸せって。(Shiawase tte) is used for the Japanese drama, Daisy Luck. This isn't a new formula for the singer, as the biggest hit of her career came from the song being used in a drama. She actually changed her music direction after 恋におちたら(Koi ni Ochitara) became a huge success. Its just that the change to bubble gum pop has been more noticeably on her last two albums. 幸せって will probably be placed in the same group as her last hit song called 何度でも(Nando Demo) because of how bouncy both tracks sound. Both tracks are very genki(Happy, cheerful) style but they don't sound alike to me. This song isn't a Christmas theme nor does this track have the same vibrant backup vocals that Nando Demo had. Shiawase tte takes on a more jazzed infused pop sound where Kay sings in a kind of cheer to her listeners. No huge backup vocals means that Kay gets to shine here vocally on her own and the overall result wraps you in a feel good emotion caused by her flexibly vocal range. For You continues on from there starting another light hearted track that leads from the last track in a positive grace. Crystal and her label know the songs to release so that more Japanese listeners will tune into the mixed race beauty. They aren't stupid. LDH and Universal Music Japan are making money moves right now. Which was why she released mostly singles on the slower side during the last two years.These new songs make up for the upbeat flare that we all have been missing. I Just Wanna Fly fits the style that Japan loves to hear from artists like Exile Tribe. A very dance electrical beat that would feel overused had it not been for Crystal Kay adding her own flavor to the track. Vocals are soaring in this track that don't stop even during the dubstep in the chorus. Talk To Me and Summer Fever could have easily been put on her 2012 album, VIVID(Which is the album a lot of foreign fans like but I didn't care for too much.) Summer Fever fits the summer season using dance pop beats as Kay singings on top of the instrumental with ease. The chorus gets stuck in your head thanks to her catchy singing style. Talk To me  was more mid temp than Summer Fever. Pretty much a more tamed song that's lyrics contain an uplifting meaning. Can't Stop Me might be the the stand out track on the whole album. Kay goes back to her roots for the track and it sounds very Michael Jackson/Janet Jackson inspired which is her playground. Girl let the lion out of her in the course of one song. If she keeps that same intensity in her upcoming releases, other Japanese singers should be scared. All the other tracks were released as singles before the album's release. I was a bit disappointed that these songs were reused at first. However, they don't cause a huge disjoint during For You's playtime. Instead you have two half of the same album that are separated based on tempo. From track one all the way to track seven is the upbeat part of the album while the rest of the tracks are slow or mid tempo ballads. Each one of these tracks are good in their own right. Lovin' You becomes the closest that Crystal Kay has come to an RnB inspired ballad in awhile. Faces showcases a new game changer to vocal melodies during ballads. Sakura is also a new direction for the singer since the track has a acoustic guitar that plays all through the song mixed with pop baseline beats. I didn't care for Waiting For You when I heard the track on her Sakura single(It's like a song Yuna ito would have sang back in the day.) but the song grew on me. For You really seems to have a little on there for everyone. Crystal Kay does listen to her fans.....

   What will always be Kay's saving grace is that she is a naturally talented born singer. This why I never minded her music style changes too much. Girl could sing almost about anything and that shit would sound good. Kay can sing her ass off. Point black Period. I just wish that she would release an even balance of upbeat singles and ballad singles in the future. She was releasing too many ballads at once. Seeing you bust a move in a music video would be nice also. 

   One thing people outside of Japan need to realize is that the taste in music is different there than it is in other places in the world. Crystal Kay's new sound is catering to Japanese listeners who like music that makes them feel good. RnB isn't very popular over there anymore so that genre is outdated for the masses in Japan. For You had wiggle room to be more free because it literally has something on the album for everybody. An album containing music that only had Can't Stop Me's style wouldn't sell in Japan. Japanese people are not interested in seeing Crystal Kay do RnB anymore. Got to leave that in 2004 folks. If her music isn't for you anymore then move along. Can't please everyone. 

Mary and the Witch's Flower(メアリと魔女の花) Japanese Anime Film Thoughts(2017)

   Mary and the Witch's Flower is a 2017 film created by Yonebayashi Hiromasa(When Marie Was There) who was originally a creator for Studio Ghibli. He made his debut film, The Secret World of Arrietty with the studio then become the youngest director that the studio ever had. When Marnie Was There was the film that cemented his spot at the top with many other top animation directors. The film was nominated for an Academy award in 2015. Most of his films do pretty well in Japanese and American theaters. Mary and the Witch's Flower reached the top ten at number five and Marnie also was in the top ten spot at the time of it's release in Japan. America also had positive reactions to the films as their releases pulled in decent sales stateside. Similar to the release of Your Name last year. Voice actors for the American release feature the voices of Ruby Barnhill, Kate Winslet, and Jim Broadbent.

  A girl finds a magical flower in the forest next to her great aunt's house. The flower gives her magical powers that get her involved in a world of magic. Things are more than they seem about the flower as she soon finds out.

   The film could fall in line behind Miyuzaki's works in the past. Something you would expect from a person that worked at the same studio as the legend. Mary and the Witch doesn't have a super deep message like other Japanese animation films. The plot is pretty cut and dry in it's duration. A female protagonist finds a magic flower that gets her into trouble then she has to save her friend from some magic wielding enemies. What makes this film special is the coming of age transformation of the character Mary. She goes through many forms of awaking into who she was meant to be as a person. Most viewers will relate to her on this level. Her outlook on herself wasn't the best and the film's plot puts a big emphasis on how she can't do anything without messing everything up. Fixing things are always normally left in the hands of the most unlikely heroes in these animations but she's forced to step up to the plate one way or another. I never talk much about the soundtracks that accompany films, however the music of Mary and the Witch's Flower plays a huge part in signaling the moments that Mary's character blossoms into her full potential. Classic violin scores graces certain scenes of the film that makes you feel like you are watching a glorious event happen before your eyes. While the film isn't as solid as Spirited away, the film film does have a simple message. A message that your greatest imperfections you think are awful, are not always bad. Sometimes they help you stand out in your own uniqueness. Also, believing in who you are is the best way to be the best you there is to be. I felt the plot was a bit slow in the beginning(although the opening was good.). Latter, it flowed more in a exciting direction.

  All of the animation as well as the effects look like they were taken right out of Spirited Away's production. This can't be helped since Hiromasa drew the animation for that film. Everything has a fantasy feel similar to seeing illustrations in a children's storybook. I kept being reminded of Kiki's Delivery Service because of the inclusion of magic and the broomstick though. Being based off a novel called The Little Broomstick didn't help either.

  Most overdubs for Studio Ghibli films are done well. Well, the studio does have the funds to hire talented English speaking voice actors. The British accents was a nice touch. They don't sound too forced even though the actors are from England.

  Mary and the Witch's Flower is a good film that contains a lot of heart. It's not as good as Hiromasa's last film but it does have it's own charm. Check this film out if you're a fan of Japanese animation or Miyazaki's past work.

 



 

歌詞 三代目 J Soul Brothers - Future Album Thoughts(J-pop)

   J Soul Brothers is one unit of the mega popular Japanese group called Exile Tribe. These men have shaped a new image of what it meant to be a manly idol. They did this during a time that pretty boys was the trend and showed Japan that an Idol can be tuff as well as get down in the dirt when needs be. Since then, Exile along with all of the sub unit groups have had major success in Japan. They don't always stay true to their rough, tuff image, but deep down, it will always be the core of who they are. Future is the latest album from J Soul Brothers which comes as a three disc set containing all the singles they have released prior.

CD 1:
RAINBOW
HAPPY
BRIGHT
J.S.B. LOVE
J.S.B. DREAM
J.S.B. HAPPINESS
蛍
恋と愛
Welcome to TOKYO
FUTURE

CD 2 – Ryuji SOLO PROJECT:
ONE DAY
Angel
Thank you
Alter Ego
SHINING / feat. Ne-Yo
LOVE HURTS / feat. Brian McKnight

CD 3 – Hiroomi SOLO PROJECT:
INTRO ～CLAIR DE LUNE～
WASTED LOVE
DIAMOND SUNSET
LUXE Feat Crazyboy
Smile Moon Night
END of LINE
HEY feat. Afrojack

  I love Exile Tribe so much. Even though I have no problem stating my feelings about them vocally, I must also state that I don't listen to their music very often. My feelings are filled with a upmost respect for them just for changing ideas in Japan but I have started seeing Exile tribe as a one trick pony after a time. Their songs are either a hit or a miss. Half of the time the music is a miss without the music video. The performers in all Exile groups can burn a damn hole in the dance floor by freestyle alone. They can even dance circles around most Kpop idol groups on any given day(I know I could get some heat for this comment.). I've come to a point of realization that the music isn't as impactful when you're not watching them perform the songs. Whether it be in a music video format or live on stage. Future only ended up on my iPod for old times sake. J.S.B Happiness's vibrant take on feel good symmetry also kind of hooked me a bit. J Soul Brothers's are back for the summer unleashing a good number of tunes that match well with the season. Future holds nothing back in giving listeners electro dance pop songs that do pretty much only one thing: make you dance. Yep, only that one thing and nothing much else. Rainbow is a great example of what I mean. You get a whole lot of beat and a whole lot of no vocals in the chorus. Great moments in Future stop the album from taking a place on the dusty shelf next to all of the other J-artists who sold out to the dance pop genre. Moments from a select few tracks that I like to call the J.S.B series. Each of these tracks have the initials of the group in front of the title. Dream and Happiness are the highlights of the album with Dream having to members bringing their best to the forefront after a long while. The track takes a mixture of old traits in their music, then makes them more current in a dance pop way. I could tell that they were itching to do a track that let them get more manly again. Dream gets every situation lit because of it's fun hip hop take on pop. Definitely the most rememberable track on Future. The ballads on the main disc keep the intensity flowing after J.S.B Dream using a perfect blend of piano and violins in the track's instrumentals. There's enough speed that the performers can dance while actually giving a decent vocal performance that holds a light to Best Friend's Girl from years ago. That's saying a lot since I have yet to find a ballad by the band that can top this song. The other two discs are solo projects by the two guys who sing lead for J Soul Brothers. Ryuji fell out of my good graces after he murdered his duet with Crystal Kay back in 2015. Since then, I have taken note every time he sings of how annoying his voice sounds at times. Hiroomi saves him when they sing together. Surprisingly, He showed me that he could give a decent vocal performance during RnB Jazz track called One Day. He also lowers his vocals into a rich tone for pop number, Alter Ego. Two singers from America hop on two tracks with him which sound very disconnected. Ne-yo tried to make his feature work at least. Hiroomi's disc was mindless dance pop songs like a mentioned above. I skipped most of this disc expect for Luxe and Hey. Luxe feature's Crazyboy who is Elly from the group. Elly finally gave me quality rapping that made me take him seriously as a rapper. His flow was good and he actually gave me bars. My behind had to pause the track after hearing him try to snatch edges. I'm so proud of him. Afrojack(M-flo and a DJ) didn't come to play on his feature either. M-flo's working so hard to stay relevant in Japan while Japan isn't giving him the time of day if you look at his sales….. Hey! should have been the blueprint for Hiroomi's solo disc. This track has all the qualities that all the other tracks were missing. More singing during the dance break and less just letting the beat do all the work for him. The strong conviction in his vocals here was nice too.

   Exile as a whole always has good vocals. I love the high note in J.S.B. Love. Whichever one of the guys hit's that note, was doing the damn thing. I KNOW YOU BETTER SING BOY!!!!! [IN MY BLACK GRANDMOTHER VOICE]

   Future needs some nips and tucks here and there but the album shines during certain portions. I liked the album more than I expected to. There's more good tracks than bad if you consider the first disc only.

What A Wonderful Family 2(家族はつらいよ2) Japanese Film Thoughts(2017)

    What a Wonderful Family came out with a sequel last year. I didn't think that the first film would get a sequel. The thought never crossed my mind. I'm not even sure if I made a post about the first film. My memories of that time are kind of hazy but Yamada Yoji returns to the director chair with Hiramatsu Emiko co-writing the script, while Hashizume Isao, Yoshiyuki Kazuko, Nishimura Masahiko, Natsukawa Yui, Hayashiya Shozo, Nakajima Tomoko, Tsumabuki Satoshi, and, Aoi Yui reprise their roles from the first film. The film also did fairly well in the Japanese box-office as it debuted in the top ten at fifth place last year.

   I originally watched the film for Satoshi kinda like I always mention when this guy is in a film that I wouldn't watch normally. After I saw that Yui was also in this film, she became my second reason for viewing What a Wonderful Family 2. The film consists of a plot that tells the lives of a normal contemporary Japanese family. This family revolves around the grandfather whether the family members want to or not. The first film dealt with the conflict of the grandparents divorcing after being together for many years. Biggest gag about that conflict was that the grandmother was the one who wanted to separate[INSERT ME LAUGHING.]. Our sequel comes in at a even pace that symbolizes the day to day actions of a family. You know what to expect then you suddenly don't. Each family member attempts to live their best life everyday but their overly spunky elder won't quiet down to save his life. Most of the film talks about the grandfather maybe giving up his driving license solely based on the fact that he is too old to be driving. If you watched the first film, you and I know that he isn't the kind of character to listen to anybody. Much less give in to any demand quietly. Slap stick humor comes from the families interactions during their grapple with the grandfather. Best quality about this film is that there's a hint of humor that doesn't overplay itself out. Giggles are earned based on the film's realistic take on family comedy. What's funny is how relatable the humor is for viewers. Even if you're not of the culture presented. Events in the latter half of the film won't be easily foreseen which makes the conflict all the more juicy as it unfolds on screen. I enjoyed the second film more than the first one overall. Everything in the script was a bit more engaging this time around. Family drama never looked so vibrant.

    All the actors and actresses's performances bounce off of each other perfectly. This is a film that has a big chunk of content to do with conversation. Each person has a certain energy in their characters that embodies the scenes in What a Wonderful Family 2. Most viewers will enjoy the scenes of the whole family together. The teaser trailer for this film is so epically funny too, by the way. Hashizume Isao rules as the best thing that happened to these first two films. Without this veteran, there would be no spark for the other talents to build their performances off of.

   A scene dealing with popcorn was the most standout scene to me. I won't go into detail of how popcorn got involved but it ends up in a furnace. This scene was done so precisely with the classical background music and it playing in time with the popping of the popcorn.

    What a Wonderful Family 2 is a great film for the whole family to watch. The film does a good job of just being a feel good family film. No pressure, just fun.