My general thoughts on movies, dramas, anime, RPG games, and music from East Asia.(Japan, South Korea, and China.(Taiwan, Hong Kong, mainland China)
Please note that this blog is not a review blog nor do I clam to be a professional. I just like talking about East Asian pop culture. My opinions are my opinions good or bad. It's no hard feelings. Feel free to comment your thoughts as well.
Youtube/Twitter/Instagram @Rico is 에리코(Erico)
Hitsujibungaku is a three piece female Japanese rock band that has been active in the underground music scene for some years now. I've checked out there earlier albums for research purposes and love their vibe. Their song More Than Words was used as the ending theme for the popular anime Jujutsu Kaisen, causing the band to surge in popularity currently. 12 Hugs(like butterflies)is their newest album.
01 Hug 02 more than words 03 Addiction 04 GO!!! 05 永遠のブルー 06 countdown 07 Flower 08 honestly 09 深呼吸 10 人魚 11 つづく 12 FOOL
12 Hugs is a great introduction to the band. While, I did enjoy checking out their older music, their newest release feels like the women are at a new peak musically. All the tracks are garage pop rock injected with girl power love lyrics underlined in emotion. This is more of a hard hitting album instrumental wise in terms of the band. Most of the choruses come in with a unified boom of guitars and drums. It's good to note that the singer also plays guitar as she sings. My only real problem with the album is that sometimes the volume levels for the instrumental and vocals need a little tweaking. Sometimes that vocals are overpowered by the band in certain tracks. Maybe I won't notice it as much if I listen to the albums through different speakers.
The front women has a great vocal quality. Her vocals on the song More Than Words is gold. I became a fan after seeing the band perform the song live.
12 Hugs as an album makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. I'm a cave man so I haven't watched the new episodes of Jujutsu Kaisen yet. Even so, I've still loved every note coming from Hitsujibungaku.
Edward Chen is a Chinese actor from Taiwan. He first started to become known as a Boys Love actor in web shows such as Red Balloon. His fame grew tremendously when he was casted in the BL blockbuster hit, Your Name Engraved Herein where he also sang the main theme song in the film. This song would go on to win numerous awards causing his version of the song to also be released along side the original soundtrack version sang by another singer. Thus, Edward's music career began..... Almost Human is his debut album.
01 孤傲 02 太陽色的獅子 03 半透明 04 冬日快樂 05 一起流浪 (feat. 魏如萱) 06 Wanna Be with You 07 貼 08 簡單 09 晚安
Almost Human is an album for the fans who love Edward and all that he has done. He has released a couple singles before this album was released which I hadn't expected an album. Edward was mostly seen as an actor before this album but I always loved his version of Herein's theme song. If you liked that song then, you will love Almost Human to bits. The tracklist is really a continuation of the same sound that most were introduced when Edward started singing in the mainstream. The album brings pop rock love ballads that you would expect, even the track that brought us here is on the list and everything just feels right. I love the new songs because it's not too adventurous this time around. I'm not a big fan of the duet track since it sound a bit annoying(the female vocal) however, the title tracks on this album are the cherry on top of a pretty solid debut effort.
Edward Chen loves that high falsetto. I'm not mad at him though. His voice is pretty when he goes into that high point vocally. His normal low range sounds soft and warm. He sings well for not being an actually professional singer -Well, he is now and i'm here for it.
Almost Human is an album that will feed the hunger you had as a fan of Edward Chen. He became a singer to give you what you have been craving. Don't let your heart flutter too much.
Vince is a songwriter and producer who has worked with famous Korean artists such as G Dragon, Taeyang an other YG Entertainment artists. He's signed to YG Entertainment's sub label known as the BLACK LABEL where he decided to officially debut as a Vince in 2019. After a few single releases, his debut mini album was released.
1.
Work
3:17
2.
About you
3:05
3.
GET OUT
3:30
4.
Like That
1:29
5.
UUU
3:18
6.
Emergency (feat. Zion.T)
3:28
7.
MENNAL (feat. Okasian)
3:14
Vince's album is a musically style that would fit will with Jay Park's crew for the most part. The Drive comes to listeners with mostly RnB ballads that slide on Vince's voice like a glove. This is a kind of style that is slowly dying in music. Some people might even say that this sound is overplayed in this day and age. I think that tracks like About you or UUU are a nice addition to the movement. Can these song run together for a slow burn? Yes. However I do believe the overall production is worth the wait. I could tell that GET OUT was a track that created to fit into the dance EDM era that's big in South Korea right now. Emergency and MENNAL are pervious released singles. Emergency is arguably Vince's best song even now. Work and MENNAL are tow sides of the same coin. Booty shaking tracks are still a popular thing.
By the vocal tone and technique, Vince is an RnB boy through and through. I want to hear him sing more upbeat music. RnB is perfect for him but it just seems a bit too safe.
Vince has been in the background producing for many artists for years. Now is the time for him to shine himself. I hope that he continues to grow as a singer. I always try to blog about artists that aren't well known so that you will be put on to more indie East Asian singers.
Limbo is a 2021- 2022 film that was directed by Cheang Pou soi and stars Gordon Lam, Cya liu, Mason Lee, with Japanese actor Hiroyuki Ikeuchi. The film was a success as it debuted in the top ten at the Hong Kong box office. Many audiences in and outside Hong Kong praised the film for it's presentation of location through black and white.
A police officer suffers after the death of his wife during an accident. The girl who killed his wife is still living in the streets and the officer wants revenge but must catch a murder who kills females then cuts off their hands......
Limbo is a film that uses atmosphere to express artistic impression. The whole film was filmed using a black and white filter that makes the story feel bleak or raw to the viewer. Think along the lines of films such as Sin City.(another film that was filmed in comic book black and white.) Everything about this film is really something to behold as a piece of art cinema. The city of Hong Kong is shown as a straight garbage dump. Back alleys are filled with trash bags for crack heads to lay on. You get this sight a whole lot during limbo however, something about the sight is somewhat mystifying. It's kinda like a fever dream where you wake up in a cold sweat. Still, the story itself is simple so you can enjoy the well balanced blend both features. Most of the events of the film run on bittersweet emotions that will make your hair stand up and even kinda sad. Limbo is a solid film that will leave you satisfied. Maybe even craving more films to be like Limbo.
Performances were like a fresh coat of paint on the black canvas which is this film. I forgot that Mason Lee was in The Hangover 2. He does amazing in this film as a side character. Gordon Lam is the star that leads this whole production. Enough said.
Takopi's Original Sin is a Japanese manga created by Taizan 5. The series ended up gaining great praise in Japan, with the two volumes selling more than a million copies. The story also earned numerous award nominations last year. Both volumes were released together in a omnibus for North America.
Takopi is an alien that comes from a planet full of love. He comes to earth and can not return to his own planet. One earth, he meets a young girl and he tries everything in his power to make her smile. Will the choices he make be an original sin?
When I was reading this manga, I kept thinking about the characters. This story's foundation is based off the emotional depth of the characters who you won't really feel are very likable. You will feel emotions of sadness, anger, and pity, toward these kids however, thats where it ends. Tokopi is the most likable character in this story and what transpires just makes the reader feel on edge. These kids are taking on adult problems that they shouldn't even be thinking about. Whats worse is that the adults in the situation throw these problems on their children instead of letting them be young. Soon each child reaches a breaking point that causes mass destruction to themselves. Takopi tries to help at the expense of himself. Still, no matter the effort, murder and suicide still occur. I'm going to warn you that Takopi's Original Sin is a trip that will wear you out emotionally until you give a sigh of relief at the ending. The manga cover gives a little hint to the tone of this story so you've been warned.....
The art style does no fit the tonality of the events. Some dark stuff happens using cute character drawings. However, the cuteness doesn't dim the depressing tone. Instead, it makes the visuals even sadder to the reader. It's like having a cute wrapped Christmas gift that you open up to find some rocks inside the box.......
Takopi's Original Sin is a manga about starting again when starting again seems impossible. I could see this series being an anime or animated film. It would be interesting to see how the emotions are conveyed in different media forms.
Gangnam Zombie is a 2023 film that was directed by Lee Soo Seong and stars Ji II-joo along side T-ara's Park Ji-Yeon(Dead Bell 2). The was a commercial success despite negative reviews. Film festivals in foreign countries raved about how the film was one of the most viewed as well....
A zombie outbreak happens inside a mall in Gangnam after an infected man returns to the city. A group of people try to fight back after being down on their luck due to the covid virus. All this takes place before Christmas...
I started watching this film with an an open mind. The story unfolds like most Korean films- an ark used to establish and introduce characters. These characters are likable but don't have much depth to them. Some of the comedic timing was good when it fit with right the situation. I'm just not sure what the overall picture was for this film. Even by the end of the film, I still wasn't sure. Is this suppose to be an action film? Comedy? Romance? Horror? All of these above? Anyways, The whole product felt like a TV movie or a movie made for television. When the film was over, it was just over. I will say that the factor that saved the main character in the end made me laugh.....
Some of the bad reviews make sense because Gangnam Zombie doesn't hold a light many of the other zombie films that have come from South Korea. Only feature I liked was how the director showed a point of view through the zombie's eyes. Also, the transformation takes longer in this film. I've never seen a zombie have a hint of humanity after some hours.....
Final Fantasy 16 is the newest entry into the beloved series. The game was produced by Square Enix. The game first started development in 2015 after the release of FF15, which was met with criticism. This game had much of the same amount of concerns since the trailer didn't look too interesting, nor did the game teaser include elements such as turn based combat, diversity, etc. Final Fantasy was also met with more hate when it's release didn't have original Japanese voice acting causing the sales in Japan to be lower than normal. It being a Sony Playstation exclusive only also didn't help either.
This Final Fantasy's story is very simple: You take down the crystals that govern your world in order to escape from an illness that turns people to stone. I don't want to go into too much detail about how the game unfolds because that will spoil a lot of the surprises that will be coming your way as you play. I will say that this is one of the darkest Final Fantasy games I've ever played.
The gameplay is very different from the previous entries to the series. Controls play more like an action game with less finesse. There's a cheat you can use if you don't ply action games often however, I would suggest that you just practice using the controls. The game's charm comes from not using the cheat equipment. Once you get familiar with mechanics, you will get quicker with reactions. Final Fantasy remake uses the same strategy of knowing when to switch between characters.(well in this case, it Eikons.) You don't have a party that you can control in this game. So, you're pretty much alone. If you die, the game ends while your characters never die..... They do get hit though. The world isn't an open world per say.... The landscape is straight forward with a few stray paths that might lead to a chest or a random overpowered hunt monster that will whip your ass in the beginning stages of the game. Everything in the world looks great- including towns and your hideout. It just seems a little hallow when you're just getting use to how the game works. Quests also come to mind when thinking about the world. Much of the first handful of quests feel very boring but let me tell you now, Make sure you still make time to do them so you can get access to things that will make the game much easier going forward. Things like the ability to have your own Chocobo as well as more healing items came in handy. Some quests will also give you a more in depth look at the state of the people and the realm. Some scenes are really disturbing/ sad. Back to the hunts. I will leave the monster hunts until the latter half of the game. Those monsters will blow through you in the beginning of the game. You won't stand a chance.
Final Fantasy tries hard to accommodate old school fans of the series when the game really didn't have to. The game hold your hand so much that if you die, you can come back to life with all potions restocked AND the boss at half health if you died at a halfway point. This caused a lot of players to say that the game is too easy. I think that aspect of this game is easy but there is still a challenge to how you choose to play. Certain enemies are damage sponges too. I think I should put that out there....
My biggest complaint was that the developers cared too much about making the game too hard for old fans to play. They should have believed in theirselves more. The story, soundtrack, characters, and world, made me feel like I was playing a Final Fantasy game no matter what people have to say.
My Love Mix-Up is a 2022 Japanese manga series that was created by Wataru Hinekure and drawn by Aruko. The series was extremely popular not only in Japan but internationally as well. It's popularity spawned a live action drama along with awards for prestigious manga categories. The series is nine volumes.
A boy tries to help his friend confess her love to the boy that she likes. She puts her note in an eraser and he tries to give the eraser to the boy however, the eraser falls on the wrong desk, causing a misunderstanding that none would have imagined......
My Love Mix Up is the type of series that you can read without sweating the small stuff. The story doesn't take itself too seriously unless it's about the pains of growing up. There's a lot of comedy that hits the mark every time because the jokes flow well with the characters's situations. What I enjoyed most about this manga was how the story tries very hard not to fall into the usual Yaoi tropes that most readers know all about by now. This isn't an x-rated story nor does it deal with the stereotypical issues of sexuality labels. No homophobia exists in the story either. Most if not all of the problems have to deal with communication. The main leads are very young, so the idea of dating the same sex is approached in a pure way. A lot of the relationships are a bit shaky due to their ages but, I'm addicted to the warm fuzzy feelings that each volume of My Love Mix-Up gave me. I actually went "AWWW" when i found out that volume nine was the last volume. The ending was just was as warm as the whole series which made me happy.
The art uses various sketch techniques to show a fine edge to the character faces while also symbolizing youth. Other panels are more haywire when the comedic elements come into play. Watercolors being used for the covers was a nice eye pleasing touch.
My Love Mix-Up is a manga series I would recommend for readers who want a realistic take of young love between two boys. It's short and sweet. I've defiantly have to go check out the live action drama soon....
Night of the Assassin is a 2023 film that was written by Kwak Jeong Deok and stars beloved South Korean actor, Shin Hyun Joon. The film was a moderate success when it entered theaters. Somehow this film managed to still land at the fifth spot for the box office.
A famous deadly assassin learns that he has a health condition and decides to go into hiding. Even when you try to run from your past, the past always finds a way to come looking for you......
Night of the Assassin isn't really an action film per say. I would say it's more of a family drama with some action thrown into the plot spontaneously. The beginning sets the tone a little bit. Some promise was even shown in the first few opening scenes. However, the action slows down quite a bit after the intro scenes. Then your left to watch family drama unfold in the same old fashion that other films have down before. I didn't hate that the film changed pace. What I hated is that the film couldn't find a solid path to the conclusion of the story. A lot of other qualities where added to the plot as a way to keep the viewer from realizing how bare bone the story was. The character with the red eye was never explained and the ending was very predictable.
Kwank Jeong Deok carried this film on his back and shoulders. I know he had a ton of back pain from holding this film up. If he hadn't been casted in the lead role, Night of Assassins would have faded into the damn night like a ninja.
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