Liz and the Blue Bird(リズと青い鳥) Japanese Anime Film Thoughts(2018)

   Liz and the Blue Bird is a film that was released last year in Japan and was released in North America this year with English overdub. The film was directed by A Silent Voice Director Naoko Yamada then written by Reiko Yoshida(D.Grey-man, Bakuman.). It also belongs to the Sound! Euphonium Franchise which started as light novels that inspired manga, an anime television show, and anime film. Liz and the Blue Bird ties together the original story but stands alone as it's own film. Another film for the franchise is said to be released next year. Both America and Japan gave rave reviews for Liz and the Blue Bird despite some flaws in the story that most people noted after watching the film.

   Two friends, one painfully quiet and the other very confident and outgoing play together in their high school band. Their band is preparing to perform a score based off the German story titled, Liz and the Blue Bird: A story that also happens to be one of the friend's favorite stories as a child. Both girls learn more about their friendship as their high school days come to a close. Maybe they didn't know each other as well as they thought…..




  Liz and the Blue Bird will come across as very boring when you first start watching the film. Well, maybe "boring" isn't the word that I should use… Lets go with "uneventful" instead. Especially once you get pass the beautiful animation that easily transitions back and forth between a fantasy world of delicate sketch smoothed over in water colors or the school of the two friends. I never say much about a films soundtrack unless the music speaks to me. I'll tell that all the classical scores in liz and the Blue Bird do something to the animation that brings an unspoken emotion not to be described using words. All I can remember is the wonderful scene of the blue bird taking flight in the blue sky as violins weave a mix of emotions through it's strings for the viewer. These moments of the film make the whole product a masterpiece in itself, however we can't just completely ignore the fact that the film has story progression issues. The the first hour of the film feels very stagnate throughout. Both female leads interested me because they're polar opposites in personality. You think, " I can't see them being friends in real life," but the understanding the two have between one another makes this seemingly impossible friendship work. A good portion of the film deals with one character trying to figure herself out, the characters around her trying to figure her out on top of the friendship that starts to get tested around the middle of the film. While the drama doesn't pick up the pace until close to the conclusion, Liz and the Blue Bird gives small instances that lead to the second person twist as the main conflict. Many of these instances are easy to miss if you don't know what to look for, so this film is one that you should watch a second time. I found that I enjoyed the film much more the second time around. Simple stories about relatable human experiences can make for the strongest forms of storytelling.

   I felt a certain envy for the more outgoing character as a person that was also more introverted in high school because I was really shy. Sometimes I still can be very shy or quiet depending on the situation. My ability to relate to the two characters was a given as it should be for anyone. What Liz and the Blue Bird teaches is that what looks good on the outside isn't always good in reality. People don't always have their shit together even if it might look like that to you. We never know what a person is going through nor how they look at the world. I loved how the character's friendship did a flip and the person who seemed to have it together didn't while the one seeming kind of lost actually had more options for the future.

    Liz and the Blue Bird is a great film for people who are fans of animation. Do be aware that the story has some problems. You will enjoy the film once you understand the full picture though.

Burning(버닝) Korean Film Thoughts(2018)

   Burning is a 2018 South Korean film based on the short story, "Barn Burning" collected in the novel The Elephant Vanishes published in 1991 by Haruki Murakami.  Lee Chang Dong(Oasis, Secret Sunshine, Poetry, Peppermint Candy) directed, produced, and rewrote the film for the big screen. The film stars popular South Korean actor, Yoo Ah in, popular American actor, Steven Yeun, and Jeon Jong Seo. Burning placed third at the South Korean box office and continued to do well outside of its home country when released. It premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival while also being selected for South Korea's entry for Best Foreign Film at the 91sth Academy Awards but wasn't nominated. The film did however make it to the last nine films before it was eliminated.




    A man with a withdrawn personality meets a girl from the same village of his childhood. They form a relationship where another man the girl met aboard comes into the picture. They all try to live in the same space with each other despite their deep feelings of discomfort. One day the girl disappears without a trace…….

  Burning is a film that literally could be see as a slow burn. It's script is a very slow moving film that's fill with many sayings and visuals that stand for deeper meanings. These meaning are not always about whats directly in front of you either. A viewer really has to using their mind to think about what each instance is trying to tell you. Some might find this as a kinda of a boring thriller, I'll be honest and say that I did until about the middle of the film mostly because I expected Burning to a thriller based on bronzes instead of the deep meanings I received instead. Burning falls more into an artistic flare in the storytelling supported by the acting mixed with the scenery. I felt that the thrill was watching the fuse burn away in the characters as the film progresses. Each character has almost borderline psychotic tendencies masked by their willingness to live normally in society. Watching this  idea shown through symbolism was what made Burning such a good film. Not every person will see the deep artistic essence of Burning like others will but that slow fuse that burned out at the end of the film to show such a dark conclusion was epic storytelling at it's finest. Burning is a film you watch to appreciate the fact that the film talks in riddles in order to not give the answer. Your mind gets a hand gripped on top of it and doesn't let got even after the film was over.

   I'm sure Steven Yoo's performance was such a new experience for him as an actor and for the viewers who know him from The Walking Dead. His character is a guy that would be seen as a stub in South Korea which is a contrast to his character in The Walking Dead. Hearing him speak the language of his parent's motherland must have been a treat. I respect the hustle he must have had to go through to learn the language more diligently for the character. Many of the times his character speaks Korean like he is a Korean from overseas but this was the eeriness of the film. Yoo Ah In is an actor that can play most any role placed in front of him. His character is a big walking riddle to match Jeon Jeong Seo's weird character. Both of them have a weird chemistry that makes them meant for each other. Soon does good joining in on this odd chemistry which makes the film. You will sit watching this film trying to figure the three characters out and they are really hard to figure out until the end of the film. I applaud all the performances in Burning.

   I loved the camera shots of all the scenes in the country side where the it was the time between sunset or the time between dusk and the sky was a deep blueish color. This was a symbolic image of freedom for all of the characters from the standard of societies's normal. Also the scenes when the characters are sitting on the porch of the house watching the sunset and one of the character starts to dance. It was such beautiful imagery to witness.

   Burning is a film for people who like to think. I mean think really hard past the surface of what is seen. This film isn't for people who want a simple film that's easy to understand.

Tank(呂建忠)- New Plan(新計劃) Album Thoughts(Cpop)

   Tank(not to be confused with the American RnB singer; Tank.) is a Chinese singer that I've listened to since the early 2000s. He disappeared suddenly and I often wondered where he went. I guess he just wanted a break from entertainment. Well, He came back toward the end of last year to show the new kids on the block how it's done in a new music age. New Plan is Tank's first album in over a decade.

01. New Plan
02. 渺小的貴重
03. 我的所有
04. RUNAWAY
05. 需要答案
06. 不可思議的愛
07. 鹿鳴溪
08. 幸福的權利
09. 夜裡的月光
10. EAGLE

    Tank's quality in music hasn't changed over the years. The classic singer returns to adapt to the new age of dance electro pop with New Plan. His music still comes on containing big choruses focusing on vocals. Tank continues to multitask between singing and rapping but he doesn't play around in Rock N Roll like he did on his previous albums. New Plan falls more in the pop genre which doesn't come across as selling out or trying to fit in with the new crowd. I believe  Tank was already very versatile so it was a stretch for the singer to take the music style that's popular in the world right now and run away with it. New Plan's track list feels like Tank never left. Musicians that can come back from a hiatus and still dominate the music industry are true masters at their art. My only problem with this album was that I wasn't notified when it was first released. I really need to find a site that will keep me up to date on Cpop/Mandopop.

  Tank's vocals are perfect. His singing is so strong and the best part of his music besides the distinct production. I could listen to him sing all day. I would like to hear him sing more rock songs like he use to.


  New Plan was a good listen to me. I would recommend all of Tank's albums to people who are getting into Cpop. Enjoy music everyone!

Death Notice(死亡通知單) Chinese Novel Thoughts

 

   Death Notice was written by Zhou Haohui which is a huge hit trilogy in China. The first book sold over a million copies and there claims to be more books to come. I'm actually really confused about the next sequel since I didn't know that Death Notice was going to carry on into multiple books. I guess I'll stick around if the story continues to be translated…. The trilogy inspired a wed series drama then a film that was released last year called Death Notify. Zhou has become one of the most popular crime fiction writers in China.



   A police force is formed to capture a killer who murders criminals for their crimes. The murders spawn over twenty years and are connected to the past. Who will outwit who?

   Death Notice has a lot of characters. The cast of characters is placed at the beginning of the book for people who want to keep track. Don't bother because the names will sometimes look similar so you'll think the text is talking about one character while it's really referring to another. Most of the text does a good enough job creating solid characteristics for each character, making you the reader remember them by their actions or description and not their names. Death Notice basically takes readers down the gritty streets of Taipei in a cat and mouse game to catch a kill who goes by the fake name; Eumenides. This kind of story was written a thousand times before this novel and will probably be written a thousand more times after. One of the biggest reasons I even picked up a copy was because the novel's plot was based in China which of whom I never get a lot of opportunities to read about in stories. I won't give the story away -I want you to read the book but Death Notice is a book that labels the timelines of what will transpire or what is transpiring. Since the story does a bit of backtracking, You will need the labeled points in time to help piece each piece together as they are revealed. This task force is giving the mission to catch this murder while also dealing with the emotional weight from the mistakes made in the past during the early Eumenides case. As I think about it now after finishing the novel, Much of the text talked about the "birth of Eumenides" as in the beginning of his… maybe.. her story. So I will assume that theres more terror to come in the next book as this villain becomes even more of a well rounded character. Think Death Note without the notebook and replace it with bombs…. You get the idea anime fans. [INSERT ME LAUGHING.]

   I liked how you learned about Eumenides without spoiling the mystery of the character. This villain plays a good game of tag with the police task force to the point that I wanted the police to throw in the towel. Narrative of the character changes during a few chapters. Readers jump inside of a couple of people's heads, causing you to see the story from different viewpoints and why an event happened at that time. Some characters give a little flavor of comedy to Death Notice, while others take you a step closer to the truth. Moments are very thrilling as you watch on the sidelines of a chess game between Villain and Cops but it's not a novel that hasn't been written before in America. Only difference is country of origin.



  What left me scratching my head in confusion was the fact that Death Notice turned out to be a trilogy. Why do novels that don't need to go that route do this anyways? I didn't feel like this novel was rich enough in depth to carry on the plot. If I look back at how the story was turning out towards the end, I could see the set up for another book however, everything could have been tied up in one book too in my opinion.

   My recommendation would be to pick up a copy of Death Notice in paperback just to support a Chinese author's release outside of China. Death Notice does a good job keeping you engaged for the entire read through but doesn't add anything special to the Crime Fiction genre overall.

Back Number(バックナンバー) - MAGIC Album Thoughts(J-pop/rock)

   Back Number released another album a few weeks ago. I tend to like Back Numer's tracks that are picked for dramas and films, so I decided to give their newest album called MAGIC a listen. I've listened to a full album from them before and I wasn't disappointed or impressed. The album kind of just was there outside of the songs that I came for. MAGIC was more of a different story.

01 最深部
02 サマーワンダーランド
03 瞬き
04 あかるいよるに
05 ARTIST
06 オールドファッション
07 ロンリネス
08 雨と僕の話
09 エキシビジョンデスマッチ
10 monaural fantasy
11 HAPPY BIRTHDAY
12 大不正解

    Magic has a good scale of what each listener might check out the new compilation for. WELL, The album felt a little skimpy on the colorful pop rock that Back Number rose to Japanese stardom performing, however, A tiny bit of a heavier rock sounds come with MAGIC. It surprised me quite a bit, especially when I had my finger ready to skip much of the album. I was expecting an album that had sugar sweet pop rock that might be good quality music to Japan while it's just regular music to foreigners…. Magic hits heavy in all the right spots. There's enough rock tracks to leave a listener's head in a whiplashed state. Tracks like the theme song to 2017's smash hit film, "8 Year Engagement" are magical love ballad moments of the album which fit as the opposite side of the coin to the theme song of the live action film adaption sequel of the manga series "Gentama." I can actually listen to Magic from front to back and love all the songs. It's a good album as a whole.


  The vocalist of Back Number has a strong emotional passion when he sings. As a listener, I can tell that he feels connected to the songs he writes. He also doesn't sound like anyone else. Let's hope he can sing better than Asian Kungfu Generation's vocalist live……

  Check out this album for the theme songs of other forms of entertainment media or because you're a fan, either way you won't be disappointed. Magic is one of my favorite albums by Back Number. They've been out for a long time and still mange to create quality music.

pH-1 - Home Alone Lights Out(HALO) Album Thoughts(K-hiphop)

  pH-1 was introduced to many people on the fourth season of Show Me The Money. He didn't win but was signed with Singer/Rapper Jay Park's label H1ghr Music that he created with his producer friend Cha Cha Malone.  He has released a number of singles and collaborations with other Korean hip hop artists over the last few years so this album drop was long over due.

Track List:
01. Alright (Prod. Mokyo)
02. 너무싫어 (Prod. Mokyo)
03. Malibu (Feat. The Quiett, Mokyo) (Prod. Mokyo)
04. Lights Out (Feat. 장석훈) (Prod. Mokyo)
05. Push Me (Feat. Owen Ovadoz, Paloalto) (Prod. Mokyo)
06. Like Me (Prod. Mokyo)
07. 못봐 (Prod. Mokyo)
08. Rain Man (Feat. Ted Park) (Prod. Mokyo)
09. Olaf (Feat. Coogie) (Prod. Mokyo)
10. Dirty Nikes (Prod. Mokyo)
11. Til I Die (Feat. 박재범) (Prod. Mokyo)
12. 메이킹필름 (Feat. Mokyo) (Prod. Mokyo)

   pH-1 isn't the kind of rapper to flex about his iced up dime pieces or talk about how hood he is in his songs. That's just not who he is, but the guy manages to stand on his own just fine without pretending to be something he's not. I actually became a fan of him because of how he takes his flaws, turns them into catchy lines that everyone can follow along to then releasing it as a track. Halo is pretty much a whole compilation of tracks that tell a story of how pH-1 is a normal dude like everyone else. The singer turned rapper reassures himself in the opening number(Alright) that he's perfectly fine as a flawed human being. He also questions what a person see's in him in "Like Me" or shows the he can go from zero to a hundred when he's mad in tracks, "I Really Hate it" and "Push Me". Malibu was an upbeat Hip Hop track who uses a classic play on words about pH-1's awkwardness around girls. The track comes across as very confident when matched together with featured rapper, The Quiet. It's defiantly a track to head bang to. Halo's production lands more on the experimental since of Hip Hop. Each track doesn't rely too heavily on only having just a base beat. Instead pH-1 goes for a light and fun Hip hop sound created by horns, saxophones, and flutes. Once again we go back to the fact that this guy isn't a gangster rapper. He's just telling his story in his own way. Hip hop like this won't be accepted by everyone as I well know. My only problem with the album was the tracks that felt sort of lazy…. I mean that you can tell he was having fun but the result wasn't as good as the other tracks on the album. These tracks weren't as catchy as the tracks that you can tell he put his all into.. If that makes any sense. Halo shows what pH-1 excels at the most though.



   pH-1 used to be a singer before deciding that he wanted to rap full time. Not to say that he doesn't sing in his songs because he does all the time. He's one of the few rappers that can rap using melody in Korea. Many other rappers are jumping on sing song rap while bogging down this track with heavy autotune like hearing them sound like a word processor is the cool thing to do. pH-1 does use autotune sometimes which I don't always care for. Did I mention that this guy can actually rap like a beast? Halo showed me that he can hold his own in a hood cypher if he had to.

   I think there about six skippable tracks on Halo that weren't very interesting. This album made me more interested in pH-1 as an artist. I'm sure there's more great things to come in his career.
 

Mr. Hiiragi's Homeroom(3年A組-今から皆さんは、人質です-) Japanese Drama Thoughts

   Mr. Hiiragi's Homeroom or the directly translated title; 3rd Grade A Class: From Now On You're all My Hostages is a 2019 prime time Japanese drama that was directed by three different directors, one including Komuro Naoko. Shugo Muto wrote the script for the drama that stars popular actor/singer Masaki Suda, Mei Nagano, Moka Kamishiraishi, Generations from EXILE Tribe's Ryota Katayose, and many more.



   A homeroom teacher stands in front of his class of students with bad attitudes late one day. One of their students had just committed suicide but most of her classmates could only talk about what rumors went around the internet about her. This homeroom teacher then stands in front of his twenty nine students and declares, "from this moment on, you are all my hostages."

    This drama takes pieces of elements from popular Japanese cinema such as Battle Royal and Lesson of Evil. Mr. Hiiragi's Homeroom never gets quite as violent as these two films since it's a prime time television drama, but the script does like to constantly test the waters of what's acceptable to show small screen viewers and what's not. The story defiantly uses the familiarity of high school bullying while adding a new twist to the constantly used topic for J-drama scripts. I love anything about bullying because seeing how the problem can be solved in many various ways interests me. Each episode shows viewers different flashback scenes that allow you to piece together why the students ended up in this situation. You also get to witness what's transpiring in the present with the students and the police as the try to rescue them. The beginning does a little foreshadowing to bait the viewers into watching till the last episode as it's hard to control your strong curiosity not to. What really is the most interesting aspects of this drama is how you're taught a very valuable lesson while you witness all that hot mess caused by the teacher. The chaos that rages between the students keeps you wanting to know the real piping hot tea too. On top of that, there's the teacher who is basically a toned down version of the Joker controlling everything. His comedic moments are so misplaced in this drama that you're forced to laugh from the awkwardness caused. Something good is created from the destruction when you come upon the conclusion though. A good lesson is taught where I believe many of us can relate. No matter if you were a victim or you watched someone you know be a victim. I was a victim and it hurt a lot at the time, however I picked myself up again. Killing myself never crossed my mind because I knew it wasn't worth giving up my life over stupid people who are going to think whatever they want to no matter what I do. Overall, this drama is a ten out of ten when it comes to the storyline. Everything was very thought provoking.

    Suda shines bright in the role as the Homeroom teacher. His multilayered personality in the character he played keeps the balance of the drama. He still looks young enough to have been a student in my eyes though.[INSERT ME LAUGHING.] Some of his scenes are super intense even for Japan's standards. For example, the manhandling of students…. I'm sure many people had a lot to say about this drama online in Japan when it was airing. The students all did a good job adding that extra spice to the conflict. Each character had to find a point in the chaos to decide if he or she wanted to change for the better. It's not an easy transition to watch and it was kinda sad that such extremes had to be taken to make them see that they needed to change before going out into the world as an adult. Great cast for all that it was worth. Suda has always been a universal actor.

    My final ruling is that Mr. Hiiragi's Homeroom is a must see for any Jdrama fan. You're missing out of you haven't checked out this unique drama yet. Get watching because you'll learn something.

Flower - F album Thoughts(J-pop)

  Flower is a Japanese pop girl group that I have always respected but never cared enough to really get into their music. The girls are pretty much a part of the female side of EXILE FAMILY(a sector of idol groups.) along with E-girls who were also backup dancers for Exile at one time. Believe me when I tell you that this group is an idol group, so they have had their share of hit albums and singles in Japan. Their third album titled F is no exception to the rule.

Tracklist

1. 紅のドレス(Red Dress)
2. たいようの哀悼歌（エレジー）(The Sun's Elegy)
3. そこらへんによくある話 (A Story Common to Everyone)
4. MOON JELLYFISH
5. Monochrome (モノクロ)
6. Colorful (カラフル)
7. とても深いグリーン (Very Deep Green)
8. まだ好きだから(I Still Like It)
9. My Joe
10. Stranger
11. Boyfriend -part II-
12. F

   F was the first album I decided to listen to by Flower. The song used to promote the album was very attractive, especially if you factor in the music video where they had such an amazing performing presence. The album itself actually surprised me because of how it came together as a good body of work. Most of the tracks are very traditional Japanese music crosses over into modern day Pop. Japanese music from the feudal era used a lot of wood wind instruments and wooden percussion. These qualities are kept in Flower's new album as the music would still be labeled J-pop respectively. The "J" in J-pop is stressed much more in F's production though. What I noticed was how the pure feel of the original Japanese musical culture doesn't seem to be tainted when mixed into Pop influenced by the west. Each song still tended to be a danceable good time even when dealing with music that was more traditional. Reina helped lead the way using her siren like voice to add a depth of charm. Flower even manages to cover Boyfriend-part II which was originally sung by my favorite J-pop/RnB Queen Crystal Kay. Flower doesn't quite capture the same soulful youthful essence of Miss Kay in her younger years but they do give a new side to the track for if a Japanese artist had actually sang the song first in this generation. I loved what they did overall, plus I'm sure Crystal Kay approved of them redoing the song for their album. F pulls out all the stops to the point that I can't put this album down.

   The vocals are so pretty. No, like there's not much more to say than that. It's like the vocals get stronger and stronger as the album progresses. I enjoyed how the vocals matched well with the Japanese sound the album gives off. Everything sounds slick on F. Someone needs to add a second vocalist to the group. Reina needs some support y'all……



   I would recommend this album to those who want to try out Flower's music for the first time. I'm not sure how their other albums sound but if it was anything like F then that's a BOP too. I know hardcore fans out there are saying this wasn't their best album or something like that.[INSERT ME LAUGHING.]

SURAN(수란) - Jumpin Mini Album Thoughts(K-indie)

   Suran could be seen as a singer that has been around the Korean music scene for awhile in Korea. She first debuted in a duo then she went solo, releasing collaborations that were either a hit or a miss commercially. She's best know for a track she did with Suga of BTS that was very successful. Her solo singles didn't do as well but her tracks still managed to gain her recognition at award shows. Jumpin is Suran's second mini album to date.

Track List:
01. Wander & Flow (feat. Yoonmirae)
02. Moonlight
03. Don’t hang up (feat. pH-1)
04. Hide And Seek (feat. HEIZE)
05. OJB
06. Jumping

   The theme of Jumpin must have been simplicity goes a long way in production because the tracks don't pull off any flashy arrangements and if the music does then it's very settle. Kinda in the background of a normal RnB beat. Not that this is a bad thing according to Suran's history. She's an RnB type of girl who likes to strip everything down for vocals. I can appreciate this since Suran's vocals are very unique compared to what Korea would usually look for in a female vocalist. What a scary fact that she would create such a stripped down mini album that doesn't allow her voice to hide behind power dance pop or overproduced auto tuned vocals. Jumpin honestly feels to me like a bar girl singing to a small crowd on a Saturday night. Pretty big names hop on the album to help Suran out, names such as the undisputed Queen of Rap Yoon Mi Rae, p-H1, and HEIZE, however the album still feels very sluggish even with their power in talent. One of the reasons being that the tracks don't give a diverse image in musical style for the listener. Plus Suran's vocals can sometimes miss the mark depending on what kind of song she sings. Don't Hang Up is a good title track where p-H1 brings a good fun vibe in his feature rap. Yoon Mi Rae was the only thing that saved the track that she hopped on, otherwise I would say burn the whole damn track in flames. HEIZE wasn't need for Hide and Seek at all. You forget she's even on the track unless you look and see she's featured. Suran shines very bright here so it did sadden me that a weak vocalist like HEIZE stole some of her thunder just because she's popular. Other than that, Hide and Seek's guitar RnB production led by Suran's sultry voice easily made this track a highlight of the album. Things do pick up from here as the album seems to find a cohesive presence that mends the remaining tracks together. If only Jumpin could have been "poppin" from start to finish.

   Suran might not appeal to every listener because her voice can either grate on your nerves or bewitch you. Her vocals really shine when the song fits her voice. I think that she played it a little too safe on Jumpin when she picked the tracklist. Listeners should have gotten the chance to really hear what she could give vocally.  Also, please don't ever do a subpar track with Tasha again. That track didn't make one ounce of sense. Bring your A game in the presence of the Queen. When I see Yoon Mi Rae's name, I expect a fire track…. not midnight drinking hour when a person's to drunk to care. I want to see Suran really go off in a song. Like sing her ass off. Her voice is too unique not to be the center of attention.

   Jumpin has a lot of flaws. There's a ton of potential there though. Let's call this album a taste of what Suran is actually capable of. I'll be waiting on future releases.