Having not kept up with Jpop world in basically forever, during class today, in a fit of determination to stay awake in class (regardless of whether I was listening), I decided to go check up on Gackt and see what he's up to! (Like if there are any awesome new CDs of his I should get...)
And discovered this:
What songs would your ultimate GACKT setlist consist of?
If I were to pick a dream list of songs I want to hear live, I would surely pick every single song that I love (and there are a ton of those!) but I guess that's not the only important thing.
Gackt's concerts (whether you notice or not) are all built and orchestrated in a very specific manner in order to tell a story or transmit some kind of principle that he has to share regarding the theme of the concert. "Requiem et Reminiscence" for example (it's the most recent!) are all about life and death through the lens of soldiers caught in what is probably World War II (cue German style uniforms and various references to Germany and Japan - the Axis powers! Woohoo, I haven't forgotten my history...). And there are specific songs he picks to suit this "world" that he wishes to build through the concert - specifically those from Rebirth and Re:Born. Of course, having a brain the size of a pea and the memory of a goldfish, I can't actually remember off the top of my head all the subtle nuances that he dramatically inserts into his live performances. What I do know however, is that he breaks up the concerts into different sections that have different nuances.
Saying all that however, I really suck at putting together playlists because I'm really bad at determining how each song flows into the next one with a nice transition that isn't too jarring. I'll imagine how the song goes and think, "oh! it's perfect with the next one!" when really it isn't because of other parts of the song I have forgotten to take into consideration...
So I guess I'll just revert back to shallowness and create a playlist by determining the selection solely by whether I like the song or not. Also, I've split the list into sections based on his concert performances and how I liked how the song worked in different sections~
1st Arc Ares (from MARS) Cube (from 君のためにできること single) uncontrol (from Rebirth) seven (from Rebirth) Nine Spiral (from Secret Garden single) 絵夢〜for my dear〜 (from MARS) Mizerable (from The Sixth Day & Seventh Night DVD or CDTV live performance) Journey through the Decade (single version) In Flames (from Re:Born) 月の詩 (from Crescent) 星の砂 (from Crescent)
3rd Arc Suddenly (from Re:Born) Faraway ~星に願いを~ (from Re:Born) dears (from MARS) 野に咲く花のように (single version) Last Song (acoustic piano version) U+K (from MARS) 君のためにできること (single version) 12月のLove song (from 12月のLove songs ~Complete Box~) 再会〜Story〜 (from The Sixth Day: Single Collection)
Final Arc Flower -ЯRII- (from Re:Born) 哀 戦士 (from 0079-0088) Love Letter (from Love Letter) 君に逢いたくて (from Love Letter) 雪月花 -The end of silence- (single version) 届カナイ愛ト知ッテイタノニ 抑エキレズニ愛シ続ケタ･･･ (from Diabolos) 鶺鴒 ~seki-ray~ (single version) オレンジの太陽 (from Crescent)
PS: I threw in オレンジの太陽 because HYDE will obviously feature in my dream Gackt concert =P And yes, I'd rather have HYDE over Wang Lee Hom any day...
PPS: I included the source of each song because Gackt has released different versions of some songs over the years and thus I chose the version that I liked best.^_^"
PPPS: If this entire playlist were to be actually performed in one night, I swear Gackt would probably faint dramatically multiple times, and we will never be able to leave the performing venue. Hence dream list. =P
And there you have it. My dream setlist by Gackt~ What's next? Alice Nine. perhaps?
When suddenly looking up the lyrics of a song are of extreme importance to continue studying the chapter. And you just have to watch the PV because it's a life or death situation. Let's not forget how it is also suddenly essential to prune that youtube playlist you have to make sure that it doesn't skip videos that have been deleted.
スピッツ - ロビンソン Spitz (スピッツ) has been very much on my mind after hearing their songs on the Honey & Clover anime soundtrack. Their tunes and lyrics are just... awesome. xD And this song, that shot them to fame, is case in point.
Somehow when Kusano sings it, it totally rhymes and flows in a manner in which you have to be really good at manipulating language to sound so melodious. ^_^ Awesome.
Other songs by them I love? - 魚 （さかな; sakana） - たまがわ (tamagawa) - 空も飛べるはず（そらもとべるはず; sora mo toberu hazu) and so on. It's really quite endless.
Time to attempt further concentration on my notes. *stares hard*
I first heard of mash-ups in (what do you know) my Psych of Creativity class and it was a very interesting concept!
From Wikipedia: A mashup or blend (also mash up and mash-up) is a song or composition created by blending two or more songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the music track of another.
The examples below are pretty impressive! And honestly are pretty good, I kinda like them a lot.=) I'm not sure I'd necessarily choose a mash up over the original songs in its individual parts but this is an introduction to a whole new interesting genre of music. ^_^
GirlTalk
This guy was introduced to the class by the girl who spoke about mash-ups: are they creative or do they merely violate copyright laws? I'm not sure if he's necessarily a pioneer but he makes music that isn't jarring and I like that.^_^
Other interesting examples:
Amuro Namie x LL Cool J: Mash Up of Violet Sauce and Headsprung
All I could think of was: Damn Amuro Namie is hot for someone who's a mom. Omg. I want to be that hot when I'm her age. X__X And this mash up is pretty damn good! I'm very impressed =P
Black Eyed Peas x Lady Gaga: Mash Up of My Humps and Pokerface
Doesn't this make one realize that all these clubbing tracks have very similar beats - probably why they can blend into each other so well? I guess what's another impressive point about this particular youtube video is that it doesn't just blend the music, but also the video. ^_^"
Madonna x Hamasaki Ayumi: Mash up of Die Another Day and Tasking
Hmm. I can't really hear Ayumi's song but maybe it's just me...
Interesting? =X
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : Violet Sauce Amuro Namie] [mood : ~_~ senior's night dress shopping...] [food : black sugar milk tea!]
Recently, while studying, I've been hooked on this song. Somehow, the very simple melody and soulful voices just connect with me. Haha. And no, I don't actually understand it - or at least I understand it as much as the Mandarin subtitles tell me because the actual song is in Mongolian.=D
It's by the same people who sang 吉祥三寶, my other favorite Mongolian song! =D
The song is about a daughter singing to her father who is in Ulan Bator while he sings to his daughter who remains in their hometown village. =) Quite sweet no?
Ok.. Time to tackle those short answer questions! =) cheers *[-witchstone-]*
The past few days [and the next 2 weeks!] have been [and will be] horrible.=( Study study study, read read read, research research research. xP ARGH. And next week after I THINK everything is over, I'll have to pack and move out!!! Sobs. So much for a restful end to the semester. At least things will be over soon and the summer break will begin!!!
Anyway, all I have left to do is prepare for 2 exams, 1 project presentation, 1 quiz [essentially an exam but my professor obviously has issues with the word..], 3 papers [please. kill. me.], packing, and using up all the ingredients in the house! That last bit sounds like the most fun.^_^ It's not like I don't do that on a regular basis anyway. Haha..
Music!~
YOSHIKI Feat. Nicole Scherzinger - I'll Be Your Love
I'll be your love I'll never make you feel, feel alone If yesterday blindfolds your eyes I'll bring you tomorrow
There's a time You feel like you're lost Feel the night will never end Through the daybreak It's hard to hold on But there is tomorrow Brings you to your senses As the sun will make it's way
You'll make it there To the place where reality and dreams And love will be together I'll keep the light from fading If the clouds blind your way And the wind sways your faith
I'll be your love, I'll be your light I'll never make you feel, feel alone If yesterday blindfolds your eyes I'll bring you tomorrow Let me see you smile
Don't you cry Over the past Some days might be gray And dreary Not easy to leave To leave it behind 'Til the rain stops in silence I'll be there to hold your heart
I'll be with you 'Til you find the reason for love We take it for granted We'll keep the time from fading ''cause the world is here to stay Your hope is deeper than pain
I'll be your love, I'll be your light I'll never make you feel, feel alone If yesterday blindfolds your eyes I'll bring you tomorrow
If you would believe Believe in the world A vision of love And the strength inside your heart You'll find a way
I'll be your love, I'll be your light I'll never make you feel, feel alone If yesterday blindfolds your eyes I'll bring you tomorrow I'll be your love, I'll be your light I'll never make you feel, feel alone
宇多田ヒカル - Flavor of Life
ありがとう、と君に言われると なんだかせつない さようならの後も解けぬ魔法 淡くほろ苦い The flavor of life… The flavor of life…
友達でも恋人でもない中間地点で 収穫の日を夢見てる 青いフルーツ
あと一歩が踏み出せないせいで じれったいのなんのってBaby
ありがとう、と君に言われると なんだかせつない さようならの後も解けぬ魔法 淡くほろ苦い The flavor of life… The flavor of life…
甘いだけの誘い文句 味っけの無いトーク そんなものには興味をそそられない
思い通りにいかない時だって 人生捨てたもんじゃないって
どうしたの？と急に聞かれると ううん、何でもない さようならの後に消える笑顔 私らしくない
信じたいと願えば願うほど なんだかせつない ｢愛してるよ｣よりも｢大好き｣の方が 君らしいんじゃない? The flavor of life
忘れかけていた人の香りを 突然思い出す頃 降りつもる雪の白さをもっと 素直に喜びたいよ
ダイヤモンドよりもやわらかくて あたたかな未来 手にしたいよ 限りある時間を 君と過ごしたい
ありがとう、と君に言われると なんだかせつない さようならの後も解けぬ魔法 淡くほろ苦い The flavor of life… The flavor of life…
許美靜 - 城裡的月光
每颗心上某一个地方 总有个记忆挥不散 每个深夜某一个地方 总有着最深的思量
世间万千的变幻 爱把有情的人分两端 心若知道灵犀的方向 那怕不能够朝夕相伴
城里的月光把梦照亮 请温暖他心房 看透了人间聚散 能不能多点快乐片段
城里的月光把梦照亮 请守护它身旁 若有一天能重逢 让幸福撒满整个夜晚
每颗心上某一个地方 总有个记忆挥不散 每个深夜某一个地方 总有着最深的思量
世间万千的变幻 爱把有情的人分两端 心若知道灵犀的方向 那怕不能够朝夕相伴
城里的月光把梦照亮 请温暖他心房 看透了人间聚散 能不能多点快乐片段
城里的月光把梦照亮 请守护它身旁 若有一天能重逢 让幸福撒满整个夜晚
城里的月光把梦照亮 请温暖他心房 看透了人间聚散 能不能多点快乐片段
城里的月光把梦照亮 请守护它身旁 若有一天能重逢 让幸福撒满整个夜晚
若有一天能重逢 让幸福撒满整个夜晚
Ahh. I love these songs.=D They are very restful too~ And good for studying to! ^_^ And do you realize that they are in 3 different languages that I understand? Wow.
Disturbingly, I have also rediscovered 邓丽君...
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : I'll Be Your Love YOSHIKI Feat. Nicole Scherzinger + Flavor of Life 宇多田ヒカル + 城里的月光 許美靜] [mood : stressed...] [food : 排骨饭!!!]
It's a very sad sounding song. But somehow it keeps playing in my head now while studying... Other songs that have been plaguing my study time lately?
梁静如 - 丝路，分手快乐 陈奕讯 - 富士山下，K歌之王 Gackt - Missing, Love Letter, Last Song (unplugged) 秋川雅史×手嶌葵 - テルーの唄 and もののけ姫 Coldplay - Life in Technicolor, Clocks, The Scientist 平原綾香 - Jupiter, いのちの名前
When Spring Break begins, you could not hear a louder cheer.
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : 十年 陈奕迅 + Life in Technicolor Coldplay] [mood : grumpily studying] [food : Zas' pizza and garlic bread!]
Zeelei: Of course not! That's AT the Burberry show.. Hahahaha. Twitter is brilliant as you can see from my updates every few hours. Or minutes. Or something.=P
Sick of just listening to English songs? Or Chinese songs? Bored of all those Japanese tunes that dominate your playlist? Well, this Tuesday's special is for you!
Note: I hope those strange letters and whatnot appear because I'll be very sad if some html gibberish appears.xP
From fabulous Europe!
Sigur Rós - Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur
Being very slow and all, I just discovered this band and I really like their music!!! =D It's pretty chill-out if you ask me.^_^ A nice contrast to genki music like jrock! Haha..
Michel Sardou - La Maladie D'Amour
A great favourite of my dad and myself.^_^ It reminds you of those really old hippy songs that's cheesy sounding but nice anyways.
ERA - Divano
Really famous and popular in the new age music circle.=)
Sadly.. All those fabulous Spanish pop songs won't let me embed videos! (T_T) I weep. I do, however, recommend La Oreja de Van Gogh and Nena Daconte.^_^
From "exotic" Asia!
北出奈菜 - 月華-tsukihana-
I adore this song, the opening theme for 地獄少女 三鼎 [Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae], the 3rd installment of the series. It's quite different from Kitade Nana's usual style which I like very much.=D
張韶涵 - 歐若拉
This is a really catchy Mandopop tune that impressed me when I heard for the first time during a karaoke session! =D Hehe.
Aishwarya Ai - Devdas
I love this dance sequence! It reminds me of the splendor and extravagance Bollywood exhibits in some of the films.=D Of course, it also helps that the song is catchy. ;)
From both sides of the pond!
Taylor Swift - Love Story
Totally overplayed here, so everyone is Ann Arbor is probably going to kill me, but I still think it's a nice song even if it's not terribly unique or anything.=P She is wearing a gorgeous dress though and her tied up hair is gorgeous too!! xD
Coldplay - Lost
Just because I love this song.=D Yay!
Nat King Cole - Quizas Quizas Quizas
Interestingly, this video is supposed to have been filmed in Japan! Haha. It's a classic Nat King Cole song so do enjoy!
Anyway, if you were wondering what inspired me to write this completely random and nonsensical post, it would be the fact that I'm trying to finish an article on why continents are continents and how they are defined, and so on and so forth. It would all be very interesting if I actually cared why Europe and Asia are defined as such but since I'm not quite a geographer by nature, I can't wait to get it over and done with.
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : all of the above!~] [mood : grumpy at readings] [food : Potato Chicken!]
Since I have discovered the joy of Cantonese music from Hong Kong thanks to my dear GL, I have heard new horizons of yayness in music!!! ^_^ I believe the name for this particular genre is "Cantopop" or something to that effect.=P
Reading the lyrics in the KTV videos is a major pain however, because I totally cannot read Cantonese from Mandarin. [I feel like Cantonese is very much a spoken and not written language. Even the the "hanyu pinyin" for Cantonese is unreadable unless you already Cantonese..] I can sort of blabber my way through 好心分手 after much practice but Eason's songs are on a totally different level.. X__X
Anyway, I have been rambling. =) Let me just share the music, and let it speak for itself!
盧巧音 - 好心分手
I absolutely adore this song. I listened and watched the KTV version over and over so I've kind of learnt parts of the song in Cantonese.. xD It also has another version, a half-Cantonese, half-Mandarin duet with Wang Lee Hom.=) It's a favourite of ours when it comes to KTV!! We totally mangle the song, but it's brilliant.=D
陳奕迅 - 浮誇
This is the first song I heard by Eason and my gosh, it's such a good song!! [Watch as my vocabulary falls into disarray..] I was quite amazed when I heard this.. Haha.. It's not like he has a deep rich voice like Gackt but, he has a really good voice anyway.=) 5 stars!
陳奕迅 - 富士山下
I discovered this song when I was youtubing Eason's PVs.. Ahh.. It's such a beautiful song! There's a Mandarin version too, which I was singing along to but I love the Cantonese version even more!!! *_*! It's horrendously difficult to sing though.. His lyricists are evil.-_-" And why don't I know Cantonese! *insert deep sigh here*
张柏芝 - 星语心愿
Okay, so technically, this song isn't in Cantonese.. But it's by Cecilia! And she's from Hong Kong! So it totally counts in my book.=D In any case, although I really don't think much of Cecilia's voice, like Chenli said, this is a really nice song.=D This video is kind of depressing though.. The one they have at the KTV places in Singapore is better.=P Haha.. The lyrics and the tune are fantastic though so if you discount her less than amazing voice, it's a great song.^_^ [I really hate the last line though, it doesn't flow at all! RAWR.]
就向流星许个心愿 让你知道我爱你 Tell me. HOW DOES THAT FLOW?!
Like I've always thought, I must thank my friends for introducing great Mandarin and Cantonese songs to me.=D A greater appreciation of my own culture is much needed! Haha.. And a better grasp of the language..-_-"
But anyway, it's amazing how the Cantopop industry can prosper since technically, the market they cater to is rather small. I guess it helps that people who don't know Cantonese [like us!] are appreciative of it too.^_^ Ahh.. Music.. Like I've always thought.. How you can transcend all boundaries!
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : lots and lots of PVs from Taiwan and Hong Kong.=P] [mood : *glares at stats worksheets*] [food : ketchup prawns! ^_^]
Jiamin: HAHA. Domo-kun! *squee!* Yarrr I love Paddington! But I think kids nowadays only know about Pokemon and the like.-_-" Sorry about the background.. It seems rather unpopular.. ;_;
Wendaye: I think so too.xD I was discussing with my friend ways to get the giant one! xD
YX: =( Sorry.. It was a very hasty decision on my part.. I promise something better for my Winter 2009 template!! =D
We just returned from PLAY! A Video Game Symphony, the Asian premiere for the Singapore Arts Festival, performed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the NUS Choir and conducted by Arnie Roth.
GOSH IT WAS GOOD.xD xD xD I made little notes beside each piece in the form of symbols and I can safely say that 90% of them have at least a heart.xD Haha. Beams! Now people will pay more attention to the artistic value of soundtracks from games.=D =D =D Beams! On to the setlist!
PLAY! A Video Game Symphony Fanfare Nobuo Uematsu - With a little video clip to ease you into the whole performance, this gave a nice start to the programme for the night.^_^
Accompanying most pieces [except for both Final Fantasy ones and Chrono Cross] were clips from the games, little bits like the playing parts or those epic movie sections.^_^ I loved it and wished they could have included more!
Super Mario Bros. Suite Koji Kondo - xD xD xD The audience giggled collectively when everyone saw the little Mario clips! SO CUTE. *squeals* You could see the evolution of Mario from his 8-bit 2D days to the full-on 3D wonders of closeup Mario! I gave this a little star for memorable moment.=D
Shenmue and Shenmue II Sedge Tree Takenobu Mitsuyoshi - OH HEARTS!!! I gave this a double heart because I absolutely ADORED the main melody.=D =D =D I am a sucker for nice melodies.=) Plus, it had this GREAT epic-ness to it!! The video was very random though. First you got bizarre Mongolian looking girl on cliff with flying eagle. Then you got random men fighting in period Chinese costumes. Then you got one of the random men with a random girl on a MOTORCYCLE zooming through a city. Like, how is all that connected?! Nevertheless, the music was BRILLIANT and the composer was in the audience! ^_^
Lost Odyssey Main Theme Nobuo Uematsu - Yumminess. Great score once again.=D This included the choir who didn't impress me much but who am I to talk anyway? *thumbs up* Great music! I love Nobuo Uematsu.=D He composed the Final Fantasy music as well! Oh, and once again, EPIC clips.xD
Sonic the Hedgehog Suite Masato Nakamura - Hehe. This got a star for memorability! Hehe. Who doesn't remember Sonic, our favourite blue hedgehog? =P I squealed silently in giggles everytime they showed Sonic speeding merrily through the path of coins.^_^"
Metal Gear Solid Main Theme Tappy Iwase, Kazuki Muraoka - Nice music once again but how many ways can you say COMPLETELY GUY GAME? -_-" Very militaristic type of music to suit the fighting and testosterone in the game. This got another heart from me.^_^
Blue Dragon Main Theme Nobuo Uematsu - Nice music but not particularly memorable but heart-gripping. The animation was super cute though.^_^ Hehe. It was this little boy sitting in a plane that was dying and flying through the air! It's a new game so I'm assuming they don't really want to release details of it yet... [hence the spartan video.]
Kingdom Hearts Suite Yoko Shimomura - Who doesn't like Kingdom Hearts? IT IS SO CUTE!!! With random characters ranging from Mickey Mouse to Stitch and randomly cute Final Fantasy guys, Kingdom Hearts is a game for everyone! And with it comes a easy to listen to and very nice soundtrack.=D I gave this double hearts for sheer likability and a nice tune.^_^
FINAL FANTASY VI Dancing Mad Nobuo Uematsu - A first time debut of this arrangement for an orchestra, Square Enix was all stingy and didn't provide merry video clips! *deep sigh* And to think we could have drooled over cute FF guys while enjoying the music! Rearranged from rock tracks, this piece was very nice indeed.=)
Intermission
Daytona USA Takenobu Mitsuyoshi - As a surprise, the composer himself came out to perform by playing the piano and singing. Hmm. The tune wasn't too bad I guess but I can see why he's a COMPOSER and not a PERFORMER.^_^"
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Suite Jeremy Soule - Doesn't the title simply sound epic??? I mean it's called "Oblivion"!!! Ahahaha. Sorry but I find that highly amusing. Anyway, I loved the music because I gave this a heart! ^_^ It was nice if very epic and you know. Dramatic. And epic. And.. I need a thesaurus.-_-
Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross Suite Yasunori Mitsuda - HEARTS HEARTS! I gave this a double heart because it had a brilliant piano part!! =D I loved it. Or maybe it was a pipe whistle. Or something like that. But anyway. It had a wonderful section that I really liked!!! =D =D =D And it had a really nice melody too.=) Plus I like the name. Doesn't Chrono Cross sound REALLY cool to you?
World of Warcraft Suite Jason Hayes - Epic! The many many many closeups of the towering snowy mountain in the video clip was very ... URM.O.o I liked this bit where they had an elf zoom through the forest though. It suited the music very nicely.=) I gave this a heart too!
HALO Suite Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori - One look and you know this game is by Americans and not Japanese. Not that it's a bad thing but since I'm not all about killing people to earn points, I actually care about aesthetics. Even the super guy Japanese games have pretty backgrounds even if the characters are ugly. HALO? Tsk tsk. Nevertheless, this was a nice piece IF very guy-ish. ^_^"
Castlevania Suite Michiru Yamane - Oh very cute soundtrack!!! xD They had this really cute section with a stacatto-ish kind of rhythm that I liked.=D Plus the name "Castlevania" is so vampirish and then when I saw the video, I wanted to laugh. They have little characters running around with CLOAKS. It's hilarious. Hahaha. So I gave this 2 hearts! =D I find the idea of fighting in a cloak rather charming.
The Legend of Zelda Suite Koji Kondo - Another cute soundtrack, the 8bit-ness of the game was too cute to resist.xD Another heart from me!
FINAL FANTASY VII One-Winged Angel Nobuo Uematsu - I was SO looking forward to this piece!!! I love the "SEPHIROTH!" part of the chorus.=D =D =D Haha. It's brilliantly dramatic. Except that the choir wasn't particularly fantastic so that kind of spoilt it for me. Apart from that though, I felt that this piece was a GREAT ending for the programme this evening.=) It's got all the elements! Dramatic finish, epic sounding singing and much action-related melody. Too bad Square Enix didn't provide them with a video. The Sephiroth-Cloud battle would have been a FABULOUS companion since it appeared in Advent Children with this piece.^_^
Encore The Revenge of Shinobi - Not too bad, but the video clip sent me into peals of laughter. It was SO old school!!! Ahaha. This was picked out by an online poll on GameAxis.
^_^ Overall, a GREAT concert.
Random bits of updates: - Gackt's new video cost 30 million yen to shoot! - Gackt's Arena 37C photoshoot used kimono that cost more than 50 million yen in total! - Gackt looks REALLY good in kimono and epic samurai scenes.=D - Gackt's new song, Returner~Yami no Shuuen~, is the theme song for the Japan release of The Prestige. I don't really see how English magicians and Japanese samurais tie up though.O__o - Shou has dyed his hair a dark brown. [Not that no one knows this..] - The S.K.I.N. trailer [S.K.I.N. being the new Yoshiki-Gackt-Sugizo-Miyavi band] is up on Gackt's official website! They've also got a logo: I was honestly expecting a nicer logo but what do I know right? xP - I bought books today! And I think they are mildly intellectual.=D Murakami Haruki is intellectual right?
I have not yet finished my friends page!! O weeps. And my computer restarted just now so all the pages with the links to my scans are gone! O weeps again. Nevermind. I shall watch Advent Children soon to calm my spirits [and drool over Cloud! xD And my other cute guy whose name I can't remember. Yabu? Yasu? Yazu? O__o]
wendaye: You fail lah! Haha. You're in London right? Must go eat the chocolates at La Maison du Chocolat! =D =D =D It's in one of those chichi areas. Urm. I have no idea where they have good macarons in London. O__o I suppose you could try those department store food halls like they have in Japan? =X Oops. And that SO counted as a Japan post!!! There are... 27 photos there!!!
门徒 (The Protege) + Strains of Majesty + Tonari no Totoro
Hello
Today I watched 门徒. =D It stars Andy Lau, Daniel Wu (!!!), Louis Koo, Anita Yuen and this other girl I don't recognise.^_^" I rather liked the show actually, though it was pretty depressing and realistic.
Plot: The show centers around 阿力 (or Nick, acted by Daniel Wu), 昆哥 (Quin, acted by Andy Lau) and 阿玢 (Fen, acted by that unknown HK actress). Fen is a drug addict, struggling to kick the habit and strive for a better life for her daughter [an adorable little girl] and herself. She's Nick's neighbour and thus forms an uncertain relationship with him as he attempts to help her. Things though, are thwarted by her useless husband (acted by Louis Koo). Quin is a drug dealer who produces heroin for sale on the streets and Nick is an undercover cop who is trying to dig out information on the heroin circuit through Quin. Nick is Quin's protege to take over the business, hence the title of the movie.=)
Setting: Dodgy, dilapidated and seedy lanes and areas throughout Hong Kong, Kowloon and Burma dominate in this movie. The run-down apartment block that Fen and Nick reside in is case-in-point. They do have scenes in Chiang Mai and Burma though, with opium fields and such that are beautiful! =) They filmed the opium fields, and drug processing plants. It was all rather interesting to see how the poppy seeds can transform eventually into that white substance called Heroin, something that's addictive and deadly.
Characters: The roles of Nick and Fen are pretty interesting and the ever so adorable daughter is always a welcome sight amidst the drudgery of their surroundings.=D You do see Daniel Wu throughout the whole show, so that's great eye candy.=D I also felt that he's not a bad actor. [Don't JUDGE me. I didn't even know how he looked like until um. Now.] He does seem rather um. Mature though.^_^" I felt Quin's family was pretty redundant apart from how they made Nick more attached to them thus showing some kind of emotional bond despite knowing his motives behind him pursuing their friendship.
Themes: They do explore the issues of drug use, addiction, honour, betrayal, right and wrong. They also gave some thought to human relationships and such.=) They also show you the consequences of drug abuse, how it can drive someone to desperation and how it can change people's lives.
Story: A rather over-used Hong Kong movie, The Protege doesn't really cover any new ground. Apart from it being about drugs this time, my brother claims The Protege is pretty similar to Infernal Affairs [which I am simply dying to watch]. To be positive though, the plot was quite well-woven without leaving major troubles behind. Still, I would love to see something more from a Hong Kong movie.. Confession of Pain is something different for example. ;) I must admit though, if you like the Hong Kong movie formula, this movie hits all the right spots.=)
Music: Oh I love the music!!! ^_^ This is terrible. I like every OST of every movie I've seen so far. Apart from the very non-descript ones. Haha.=X Or the extremely boring/bad/unnoticeable ones. ^_^" But I liked the music in this very much. I thought they added pathos and a punch to every scene.
Overall impression: I liked it though it didn't have a happy ending. Or rather.. I guess the good guys won but not fully? Nick's empty void in his life was, I suppose, filled by Fen's daughter but will guilt one day overtake him? Still, it was interesting to see the process of making drugs.=) That, plus demand, is probably why drugs are so damn expensive. Anyhow, the movie didn't make a seriously deep impression on me so I guess that while I rather liked it, it wasn't superb.
We went to Strains of Majesty, featuring Nina Kotova, cellist, and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra at the Esplanade.=) It was conducted by Jahja Ling, a guest conductor who originates from Indonesia but is currently working in San Diego. They performed:
Antonin Dvorak Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104 - I felt that while Nina Kotova did sound good overall, she started off pretty shaky and I wasn't terribly impressed by her performance overall. I also wasn't wowed by the whole performance, including the orchestra though I generally like Dvorak pieces. They tend to be dramatic but melodious and nice to listen to.=) It started off on a dramatic note [which is usually a good thing], ending on another dramatic note [they all do] and according to the programme, this piece was influenced by Dvorak's stay in America for 2 years.
intermission
Ludwig Van Beethoven Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 'Eroica' - Ooh I really liked this piece! ^_^ It stayed nice and melodious throughout the whole symphony so I didn't get bored. [Usually in the middle, these long pieces tend to get a bit too slow and boring.] I thought the SSO also sounded pretty good playing this piece.^_^ I like Beethoven as well, generally so there wasn't much to complain about. This piece was at first inspired by Napoleon but was rewritten after Napoleon assumed the post of Emperor in France.
I love temperamental musicians. They make such funny stories! Changing an entire work because the inspiree decided to be ambitious? Haha.xD
Anyway, I FAIL at writing things for primary one students to understand.X__x I was trying to help my mom construct "simple" sentences for her to teach this student she's helping but everything I wrote was too "complicated". [Sense the irony here..]
Which led me to ask when I could start reading and everything! =D Haha. Apparently, I could read by the time I was 3 or 4? And that I learnt WORDS before the alphabet!!! So cool. Haha. No wonder I could never figure out what "verbs", "nouns" and such things were last time! =P I never did learn words through all these urmmmm, proper methods.^_^"
Haiyos Kekkaishi is taking SUCH a long time to download.-_____-" I have nothing to watch! NOTHING! (T_T) Time to finally watch my Studio Ghibli collection in its entirety.^_^" I just watched Tonari no Totoro the other day. It was SO CUTE! =D Haha.
Tonari no Totoro is a pretty simple, but fantastical movie that is typical of Studio Ghibli [as I've begun to notice]. I realised that Studio Ghibli creators are really able to see things from a child's perspective because although to me, it seemed quite DUH, I realised that the things the characters get excited about are very relevant to children.=)
The drawing style in 1988 [when Tonari no Totoro was released] is pretty similar to the present-day Studio Ghibli. Of course, the landscapes are much more refined, the colours more vibrant and the detail more in-depth.
It is a pretty short movie [about 1.5 hours] and is easily digestible.=) You get a whole great cast of characters! You've got the kindly father, the sickly mother, the inquisitive younger sister, the responsible elder sister, the friendly grandmother-neighbour, the shy boy-neighbour, the cute chibi Totoros, the fat huggable Totoro and the psychotic CatBus! =D
And the music is nice too.^_^ Joe Hisaishi really works very well with Studio Ghibli.=D
cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : Tonari no Totoro OST + Love Letter Gackt + Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 'Eroica' Beethoven] [mood : sleepy] [food : steak sandwich!]
Spent the entire day doing math.. lit.. GP.. more math.. (T_T) Math is a terrible subject. Have I mentioned it before? Well. Let me say again. Math is a terrible hateful subject. [To those people who are good at math, go away and let me revel in misery. Or you could be nice and HELP ME. Sigh.]
On the other hand, things seem just that much better when there's good music to listen to! ^_^ [I'm sure I have many friends who'd agree with me on this.=)] Being the unadventurous and boring person that I am.. I relistened to more Jrock after reading stuff on them [like what they inspire in the listener, the meanings of the lyrics, so on and so forth].
And I just realised that the sound is about 3 million times better when I plug in the earplugs!!! Sigh. I should have done this all along. You can't trust these laptop speakers.. They are TERRIBLE. I would get those giant headphones that give you superb sound if I didn't have to tie up my hair.xP And right now, it's rather inconvenient because my earplugs are attached to my Neeon. O.o
Merveilles, Rebirth and Moon were playing merrily away today.^_^ Yay. Renewed Malice Mizer love!!! I was contemplating whether to listen to Klaha but decided in the end that it should be a Gackt music day.^_^" [The image is from the Moon album I might add.^_^ Doesn't he look just..DROOLFULLYgood? xD xD xD]
I was reading through the translations of lyrics as I was merrily singing along [sometimes, most of the time I was far too irritated with the math question to do anything but glare at the paper] and gosh.. Gackt has a lot of ideas doesn't he? But anyway, I think he's starting to run out of ideas.
His 2 favourite phrases/words: dakishimete and mitsumeteta. [Dakishimete = Hold me/you something like that. It's along the lines of hugging?] [Mistumeteta = gazing at you/looking/you get the idea.]
They appear in practically EVERY SONG. -_-" Not every song. But practically every one.
On the other hand, I was reading the translator's notes and she was talking about the music rhythm [at least I think it's the rhythm] or "time" [like 3/4th time or 7/8th time]. And I was wondering how in the world you can tell such a thing.O.o Teach me o people who know music! xD
Over lunch, I was watching Bel Air de l'image or Verte Aile Bel Air [Green Wing Beautiful Air according to Babelfish]. It is another completelyRETARDEDMalice Mizer short film.-_-" It's a silent film with a rather nice classical soundtrack telling the story that's related to the Bel Air PV [apparently, Bel Air is also known as Veeru Eeru. O.o Guess which name I prefer?] and is completely RETARDED. I was like -_-" most of the way through. Then at the end, you suddenly get to watch the Bel Air PV. Like urm. RELATION?! -_-" Trust Mana to come up with crap like that. The only redeeming quality was how I love how they zoom in on Gackt in soft focus and.. xD xD xD He looks GREAT. *beams!* And Mana really likes wearing that maid uniform doesn't he? However.. You should STAB THIS GIRL too. Growls.
And what's worse is that it wasn't even amusing like Bara no Konrei was!!! Sigh.xP
Ahh. I love Gackt's voice.*squeals!* xD I'm thinking whether or not I'll be successful in directing the food cravings into "listen to Gackt NOW" cravings.xD At least that's fat free. Ahaha. *being stupid*
Ganbatte with studying!!! ^_^ cheers *[-witchstone-]*
[music : Eege + au revoir + Le Ciel Malice Mizer & Doomsday + Missing + Fragrance + Rain + sekirei~seki-ray~ + Kimi no tameni dekiru koto + Secret Garden + Maria Gackt] [mood : ^_^] [food : korean food!!! Sigh.]
don: Sigh. I am so retarded!!! Haha.=P
Wendaye: Can you screencap Honey [the small boy who is TOO CUTE] too?? xD xD xD *big puppy eyes* please? xD xD xD Thank you in advance. Heh! =P
cch: Dai Gu Ma's birthday is on thursday so please .. I don't know. Call her or something.O.o We're going to yeye's house on Tuesday for Laksa by the way.
And I noticed a little exchange happening over cbox! *wipes tear away* How touching that people should be getting to know each other right before our eyes! Oh. And in case you didn't notice, I updated my food blog.^_^ *points to links on the right*
My Emotible!
starry-eyed: filled with such youthful hope and optimism that one's eyes twinkle even when it's dark
Wish List
ie: motivation to save money!
- clothes
- shoes [heels! boots!]
- the perfect tote
- coats/outerwear! [Soïa & Kyo, Burberry...]
- Gackt - nine*nine
- Gackt Photobooks:
1 The Gift The Sixth Day & Seventh Night Tour Document (2004)
2 Crescent Photobook (out of print)
- Cookbooks!
1 Thomas Keller The French Laundry Cookbook
2 The Nobu Cookbook
3 Emily Luchetti A Passion for Desserts
4 Alice Medrich Pure Dessert
- Anime/Manga
1 Rurouni Kenshin
2 xxxHOLiC
3 Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE-
- Proficiency at Japanese!
- Learn French for Food!
Merveilles, Rebirth and Moon were playing merrily away today.^_^ Yay. Renewed Malice Mizer love!!! I was contemplating whether to listen to Klaha but decided in the end that it should be a Gackt music day.^_^" [The image is from the Moon album I might add.^_^ Doesn't he look just.. DROOLFULLY good? xD xD xD]