Interests: Japan, Japan, Japan. And reading :P My world revolves around things Japanese, particuarly manga, j-pop, dramas, etc. I'm a big Japanese anime fan, but not as much lately ^.^.
I am also a complete and utter addict of the tv show The West Wing, and a Josh/Donna shipper 100% ^_^v
Ever been to Japan?: Yup, twice. First time, 6 weeks, summer of 1998, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba-ken. Second time, Fall 2001, 4 months, Nagoya, Aichi-ken ^.^v
Manga:
Okay, here goes, in no particular order:
Mars, Kanata-kara, Hikaru no Go, Inuyasha, Sekai de ichibandaikirai, Hanazakari no kimitachi e, New York New York, Massugu ni ikou, Itazura na Kiss, Gertrude no Recipe
and a TON more!
Fav. j-pop groups, in no particular order: V6!, Yuzu, Porno Graffiti, Spitz, Kiroro, Misia, Something ELse, Fukuyama Masaharu, Chemistry, Gospellers, Kuwata Keisuke, Skoop on Somebody, Arashi, Kinki Kids, SMAP, Matsu Takako, Exile, Panicrew
and again, a ton more
Fav. Japanese dramas:
Long Vacation, Virgin Road, Meguri Ai, Love Story, Namida o fuite, Aishiteiru to itte kure, Nemureru Mori, Koi wa aserazu, Bokura no Yuuki, Beautiful Life, Summer Snow, Long Love Letter: Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu, Asunaro Hakusho, Perfect Love, PS Genki desu Shunpei, Hitotsu Yane no Shita, Oishii Kankei, Itazura na Kiss, etc.
Fav. Books: Night of Ghosts and Shadows,His Dark Materials Trilogy,Harry Potter series, Pride and Prejudice,It,Blue Moon Rising,Last Herald Mage Series, The Neverending Story, Howl's Moving Castle
I hadn't planned on blogging again today, but that was before Tacchan came over and we watched the tape of 4 eps of V6's Gakkou e ikou that I taped but hadn't watched yet ^^ Don't usually comment on it, dunno why...but the past two eps had a really interesting "corner" (which is how the segments of the show are referred to)...which is the Seiyuu-bu which is a new segment ^^ The idea is that there is this group of people that want to become seiyuu, and V6 is there sort of as a judge of if these people would be decent seiyuu (the second ep with this segment had Nagano as one of the judges ^^ which if you're not a V6 fan you may not know that he's the Japanese voice of Milo, from Disney's Atlantis). The first time they had the segment, it was simply introduction and a chance to hear their voices (you don't get to see what they look like yet, since the voice is more important, ne?). I swear, two of those people are perfect for becomming seiyuu. They just have The Voice, you know? ^^ But the second time they had the segment, it was a chance to hear them "in action". They took several segments from episodes of (Groove Adventure) Rave and had them voice it ^^ It was just bizarre for me. For the most part, I really sort of keep Japanese anime and other Japanese pop culture completely separate in my head ^^;; So it's rather funny for me to see and hear them talking about it ^^
:P Had to get up @ 12:00 today ^^ Okay that IS sleeping in, but not really when you have a day off and just want to lay in bed until by the time you get up you might as well just stay in your pajamas anyway ^_-
We had to go buy a present for Katherine's graduation. Believe me Katherine, it's not much at all but we thought we should get something ^^ It's small, but we hope you like it ^^;; Also got a card that I think you'll find amusing. We read it and thought "That sounds like something Katherine would find amusing". Sorry that you get stuck with something from the two of us U.U It's a rather bad habit of ours. We're individuals until something like presents come up and then we get "twin-like" *lol* gomen
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So I heard part of the ceremony they were having at Ground Zero this morning. Unfortunatly I was only awake enough to register that there was bell ringing involved before I fell asleep again. I think the closer and closer our trip to New York gets, the more and more important it becomes to me that I go down to Ground Zero. I simply can't be in that city and not go there. I guess it's that important to me because when it happened, I was just about as far away as practically anyone could be from New York, and now I'll be there. It just doesn't seem right not to go, nevermind the fact I want to...although I imagine I'll just end up a crying mess from it.
Anyway, sat down with my mom and Tacchan and watched Harry Potter again last night. Mom had fallen asleep when she went to see it in the theater (she was tired :P Not because it was boring or anything), although I still don't know what she thought of it. She didn't really say anything *lol* I think I enjoyed it even more this time ^.^ I managed to strike a deal with Lauren, that if I could find her a certain doujinshi pairing, and/or get her EE Jump's Ikinari Rythym that she would read HP. I figure I can manage at least one of those things, and it's worth it to get her to read it. I can JUST see her become a silly fangirl like me....but then, as I told Kiripin, I can also I can also see her writing FredXGeorge fanfics to piss me off (which it would :P I'm a twin, and get ferociously upset with people that think just because twins are close means that they...ahem...do what yaoi fangirls would have them do).
So I don't get the benefit of having the DVD yet. Our DVD player bites so we won't get the DVD until we get one that works (going to ask for that for a combined b-day/X-mas gift ^^), but we did get the video in the meantime. Sucky thing is, the tape quality in the very beginning isn't good, so I'm going to take it back and get another copy. Still, we watched it all the same ^.^
This is actually only the second time I've seen it, and only the first time I've heard them say Sorceror's Stone. I saw it the first time when I was in Nagoya, and Japan got the British version, which means they say Philosopher's Stone. I gotta say, in the book the former doesn't bother me, but I think I prefer hearingPhilosopher's Stone. What I need to do is somehow find someone in Japan who can make a video off the Japanese DVD, so I can also see the subtitles. I'd love to watch it again with the Japanese subs ^.^ All that I can really remember is in the beginning when Ron goes "Wicked!" he says "Sugee--" in the subtitles ^^;; *was highly amused*
So Meg and I had quite a good time watching it ^.^ Brings back in sharp relief why I so much love those books, and wish that I could read them over again for the first time. I have to say though, the movie really screws up my signals about how I see the, erm, relationships turning out. Up until seeing the movie, I was always a staunch HarryXHermione supporter, but the movie just messes that all up, because Ron and Hermione have such chemistry in the movie :P And then Hermione throws a wrench in that when she starts telling Harry what a great wizard he is near the end. My sister and I have always believed in the significance of the "after shot". That is to say, if a character leaves the scene, but the camera still shows another character who's left behind, then it Means Something, and that's what happens after Harry leaves Hermione with Ron after the chess game. Gah, I wish I could read J. K. Rowling's mind :P It doesn't help that I then go to Meg "Well what if Hermione were to die? Wouldn't that be freakishly poetic? They both love her, after all".
There are, of course, more important things to love about those books ^_- The ideas of friendship, loyalty, heartache and all that, as cliche as that might all be, are the qualities I love about the series ^^;;
One thing I don't get though...and this is completely unrelated to what I've said above...is how anyone can write SnapeXAnyoneElse doujinshi or fanfic after seeing the movie. I think Alan Rickman is a perfect Snape, but he's just not....he's not for the kind of material fangirls write about, IMO :P
KATHERINE, I need your home address in Arlington Heights ^^ I lost the map you drew me in Nagoya, gomen! Or rather, I don't know where it is amongst all my things!! ^^ I wasn't sure if I could use the e-mail on your blog, as it seems to be your e-mail addy in Iowa? ^^ Wah, please let me know!
Yay, I can finally have this pic ^.^ As I explained over the left there, it's from a Korean film called Il Mare, which I saw when I was in Japan last fall. It's about a guy that lives in the year 1998 and a girl who lives in the year 2000, and by the graces of this mailbox write back and forth to one another. It sounds like it could end up being corny and silly, but it's easily one of my favorite movies of all time, and every review I've read of of it has given positives words. Do they end up finally meeting, even across the expanse of Time? Buy it and find out for yourself ^.^/
So my sister and I went to see Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron this evening, kind of on the spur of the moment ^^ I wanted to see it because:
1.) It's a Dreamworks movie
2.) It's about a horse
3.) It's beautifully animated
It was really cute ^_^ Very enjoyable and perfectly worth the money to see it. It's certainly not ground-breaking, but it was a good adventure movie ^^ I liked that the horses didn't talk, although there were occasional voice-overs, and so for the most part the horses communicated how they might in real life ^^ I could have done without a couple of the Bryan Adams songs, but there were a couple I thought were nicely appropriate ^.^
Anyhoo, so today is Memorial Day...well Memorial Day Observed, but it may as well be. There was a special documentary on HBO last night in memorium of Sept. 11, but as I don't have HBO, I couldn't watch it. I'm hopefully getting Lauren to tape it for me when it's replayed tomorrow night. I did hear a clip from it on the radio this morning, and I gotta tell you, just hearing it made goosebumps all up and down my arms. I don't think I'll ever truly understand the feeling the way people who were here do, and to this day I can't decide whether I'd really want to or not. Maybe it's better feeling as badly as I do when I hear things about it, but at the same time I can sort of cut myself of from it, because it never hit me as much as the people here.
Anyway, 'tis Memorial Day Observed, and I hope all of you (er all of you Americans :P) took a moment to think about what this day is for, and remember the people who have died (and also those that haven't) in service for your country. ^^;; It's days like these that make me fiercely proud to be American, and thank my stars I was born here ^^;; Kinda made me sad my house was the only one on the street with a flag out front O.O This of all years I would have expected to see the Stars and Stripes all over the place, but no! Strange!
Actually, very uneventful day :P Went to Amanda's, made her watch first two eps of Long Love Letter and she kept the tape! I applaud her, since she knows NO Japanese ^.^ Then came home and watched a couple of eps of Mahiru no Tsuki which is VERY VERY serious, but very good thus far ^^
Gee, Giro, I honestly hope your friends who made those remarks on our opinion regarding the word otaku as it relates to fans have either read my blog and know my stance in full, or know what they're talking about better than I. I don't know that I can say it better than Megan. She summed up both her and my opinions quite nicely. I'd also like to point out that :
1.) Gilles Poitras, if you read what you put in your own entry, never says whether or not he thinks it is an appropriate word to apply to the fanbase. And yes, he mentions a columnist that believed the terms should be applied to fans...but
2.) you might also want to note that this is a guy (the columnist) that writes a column in magazine dedicated to rorikon manga. Essentially, that's akin (and IMO even less a source of journalism) to saying you "Read Playboy for the articles". Rorikon is a the shortened form of "Lolita Complex"...in other words, interest in young girls. Yeah, I'm going to take his word on how I should be using the term.
Anyway, my point is. Your friends are wrong. However fans use it here, with a sense of pride. They're wrong. It's worse than being called a "Trekkie". It's basically derrogatory, and I simply will not have people saying I'm an otaku, plain and simple. Megan's right, and maybe this is anal and snobby, but I want you and the people you quoted who disagree, to learn more Japanese and learn more about the culture, and then if you still disagree with my sister and I, then that's fine. But the more you learn about Japanese culture and the language, the more you understand how things work within it. I don't care what Japanese anime fans here think. The word is bad. Your friend that said it wasn't is wrong. Ask him to go to Japan and tell someone he's an otaku of Japanese anime and they'll think he's weird, and will probably avoid him.
I guess my point is, I 100% disagree with your friends and you. I'm not sorry, never will be. I don't like the word anymore than I'll accept watching dubbed things U.U And I agree with my sister about most fans just want this elitist word. Bah, I'm done for now with this subject. If I was rude, I was rude, but you brought it on yourself ^_^
So we finished Hitotsu Yane no Shita 2 last night ^^ I paid for staying up late ^_- Anyway, as to my opinion on it. Overall, I loved this series as much as the first one, although I think Fumiya was a vastly more interesting character in the first series. It's not really his fault though, I guess ^^ There wasn't much more to do with him, once they got past the relationship bit (where did the girl go, come to think of it!). I think Megan is right though, this series was especially about the Tatsuya-Koyuki-Masaya triangle, even if it wasn't always on the surface. After that it was about Kazuya, I think ^^ I think the ending was a tad on the contrived side (and whomever thought Sakai Noriko looked good in that wedding dress should be drawn and quartered U.U), and I would still rather have seen Koyuki end up with Anchan as opposed to Masaya....but I understood that he was the one that had always loved her and that she finally realized that herself ^^ but still....the back of my mind says "nooo Anchan!" ^^ I'm sad to see this series end, as there is no third series in which I get to spend time with the Kashiwagi family, much to my dismay. Hitotsu Yane no Shita and it's sequel will forever remain two of my all time favorite series ^^;;
Speaking of dorama, Mahiru no Tsuki arrived today, and all the VCDs work ^^ We only got about 20 minutes into it though ^^ What freaked my out is that the girl that plays Naoki's sister is the actress who played Kotoko in Itazura na Kiss O__O BIKKURI! I heard her before I saw her and I KNEW it had to be her. That voice is unmistakable, especially if you sit through 12 episodes of her going "Irie-----------kun!" *lol*
:P That's in honor of my Hikaru no Go artbook arriving today! I want to say one hell of a big THANK YOU to Katherine for taking the time to buy and send it to me! It was worth every single cent I paid for it! It's absolutely gorgeous. My one problem is that there's this mini-poster of Sai that I don't know what to do with ^^ I want to take him out and laminate him, but I'm afraid I'll tear it in the process. It's too nice to leave in the book though (wah, I really wish that one fuyu picture of Sai were a mini-poster as well!). Anyway, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Katherine! ^.^v And also for the note with it ^_^ It was nice to hear!
Gotta make this quick! I have work in 30 minutes and haven't ironed my uniform yet U.U We're getting near the end of Hitotsu Yane no Shita 2 and I have to say, I'm really sad. I love these characters. I wish I knew them in real life ^_^ I can really understand why these two series were so popular. They're just good even if you keep wondering why they heck these people have so many problems. I think the one weak spot in this second series is Fumiya's whole painting storyline. It just seems...it doesn't fit with the rest of the other storylines, very well, IMO. The story of his relationship with the blind girl was much better. This whole painting bit just seems awkward amid the other troubles ^^;; I'm really really curious to see how the Tatsuya-Koyuki-Masaya thing works out. I really don't want her to end up with Toshio-san U.u He's just....he's a nice guy, but it just doesn't feel right. And what with Masaya saying "Omae o aishiteiru" (yes, that about did me in ^^ Masha said that very well) to Koyuki...wah, how will it turn out?! I haven't been this frustrated with a love triangle since I watched Kimagure Orange Road I think, but at least with that you knew Hikaru never stood a chance ^^
"Governor, for future reference: 'Crime, oh boy, I don't know' is when I decided to kick your ass"
-Jed Bartlett, season 3 finale, The West Wing
That was one of the final lines of last night's season finale of The West, which Meg and I watched a couple of hours ago. It was very good, but not without it's heartbreaks. I gotta say. Having Mark Harmon in the cast for the past few episodes as CJ's Secret Service bodyguard (named Simon ^.^) has been great. In a season that was clearly not as good as the previous two, additions like him (unlike Amy U.U) have been welcome. I adored Simon. He was great! I loved the chemistry he and CJ had together, and I'm really sad that he got shot and died. But you know, it was really quite expected ^^ It's just the kind of thing Aaron Sorkin would do, ne? Still, I'm glad at least that Simon and CJ could tell each other how they felt before he died. That one small glimmer of light in an otherwise very somber episode. I thought it was a good set-up for next season though. Certainly not as much of a cliffhanger as getting shot at in season one, or the "is he going to run" question that season 2 ended on, but certainly enough set-up for the presidential campaign run that will dominate season 4.
I finished reading about a boy, and I agree completely that the movie managed to maintain the feeling of the book. They left a few things out and changed a couple things, but all in all it was a great adaptation from book to movie. And I can't imagine someone better than Hugh Grant to play the part of Will ^^;; The ending of the book left me with a small feeling of melancholy though, with Will commenting that the old Marcus was disappearing. But, if Will's okay with it, than I suppose that I am, too :P
I'm just about ready to cry ^^ And I wasn't a minute ago. Before I started writing I thought this was going to end up being an entry about how it's already five months since I came home and that I can barely believe it. And in a way I guess it is, but right now I'm just ready to cry ^^ And not because I'm sad ^^ Or rather because I'm happily sad.
I was just reading Katherine's blog entry (which she wrote as she sat waiting for her plane at the airport in Nagoya). Katherine (I dunno when you'll read this :P or if you'll get to it before it gets pushed far down on the page ^^), I'm really glad you could run into my host parents and they gave you a ride ^.^ Just hearing about them made me very very very happy. I'm glad to know they could help you out! I miss them a lot, so just hearing that they saw you, and they knew you from before I left, makes me happy ^^ Maybe that's silly, but oh well :P It's like when I got a letter on my birthday from my host family in Chibaken that had a purikura on it of me, my host mom, and host sister Fumi, and that set me off crying, knowing that they still had that and remembered it and all ^^ blah, I'm shutting up now. But I'm glad they helped you to the airport ^.^ They were the last one's to see you off, just like with me >D
Anyway, North (my dog...he's half German Shepard, half Malamute...tsumari...he's a big dog ^^) had to go to the vet yesterday. For the last week he's been limping O.o It happened about 3 weeks ago, but it went away the day after we noticed it, and then it turned up last week again. I swear, this is so not even remotely like children, but I wonder how the hell parents handle it when their kids get sick, if I get this worried about my dog when he's limping! Anyway, they injected something or other in his leg (he doesn't have hip displacia, which Mals are notorious for, nor does he have any signs of it) as well as telling us to give him aspirin (of all things ^^) and just to watch him closely, and see how/if he improves. I'm supposed to call the vet back tomorrow and then again next week. I just hope this doesn't end in him having to have surgery ;.; *hugs North* At least it's not a heart or other major organ thing!
On a lighter note, watched the season finale of Scrubs tonight. Possibly the best comedy on tv ^.^ Only started watching it after we got home from Japan. It's funny, because I remember seeing the previews for it, and just thinking it looked inane and stupid. How wrong I was ^^ Every time I see it I can't get over how well it's written. I love the entire cast. They're fantastic together. I was a little heartbroken with the way it ended though, but it sets up stuff for next season, even if it leaves me with a sad feeling ^^
Anyway, enough of my babbling for one evening ^.^v
Possibly my, or one of, all time favorite dorama character. Dunno why, he's just cute, scrappy, and sincere ^.^ So yes, you get to hear more dorama talk ^_^v Hey, I've mostly shied away from it the past few days, so you can deal with it for a paragraph or two. If not, I suggest skipping!
Just finished ep 6 I think? It's hard to tell when there're no ads and eps run together on a VCD, but I'm pretty sure it's 7. Masaya is still nowhere to be seen, but we had Miki and Kazuya's first problem (they're not done, I'm sure of that) dealt with, as well as Fumiya's problem, we're into Koume's troubles, so the whole Masaya-Koyuki-Tatsuya issue has to come back into it sometime here. There's completely unresolved tensions that I'm dying to know how they work out ^^ What Meg said makes me wonder. Did Fukuyama Masaharu have conflicts at the time this drama was made, since he's in it so little (went off to Germany in ep 1)? Or was that simply how it was envisioned. It does make sense according to the story of the characters, but I love the whole cast, and a missing Masaya is no good ^.^ Makes me wonder if the cast themselves felt sort of like a family after finishing the first series ^^
One thing that shocked the heck out of me though was a scene with Miki and Kazuya and he gets up and leaves and starts singing this song....I can't tell what the words are, but sounds something like "yuki wa something something"...*lol* I really can't hear the words, but I'm almost positive it was the same song that that truck BLARED around my neighborhood when I was in Japan. The song I came to have a love-hate relationship with. I just wish I actually knew it though. I'd feel like I defeated it :P I can sing it to myself, but that doesn't really help on a blog now, does it? ^^;;
Anyway, speaking of dramas. I came across this page that someone sent me the addy of (J-Dorama) and I was wandering around it and came across a person who lives in Boston and became a Japanese dorama fan about a year and a half ago. Since then, this person has seen ***67*** dorama. 67!! O____________O That's about the number total Meg and I have seen in 4 1/2 years. I dunno, that just seems a wee bit excessive O.O I love Japanese dramas, but 67 in a year and a half? I think I'd explode O__O 67 of anything, in respect to a series, would make me go "O.o"
*Lol* A friend of mine sent this to me. She read it on a Japanese anime forum where someone was talking about the word otaku :
Look people OTAKU are BAD THINGS I'VE SAID IT BEFORE I'LL SAY IT AGAIN. You do not want to be an otaku. REAL otaku's are obsessed over something(wheter it anime or a tv actor, a game etc.) They put that above everything, shower, food, sleep etc. etc. etc. If they have any free time they're doing that obsession. Don't give me that language crap because there is not a "continental" defenition of the word. It's a japanese word, NOT an american word. Until it gets truly adopted(which it won't) and the defenition is really changed, THEN USE THE DAMN WORD RIGHT.
^.^ I like that person's no-nonsense attitude. Were that I could be that blunt about it, but I still tend to be nicer about it :P Still, this person's absolutely right! 100%!!!Fans need to know what words they're dealing with before using them :P Anime can be argued, since it's being used more and more in the mainstream (although I'd still get upset with ppl who refuse to see it as all animation), but not otaku.
I was soooooo surprised watching the news this evening. The amphitheater at a park near my house (about 4 min by car) was burned down last night! O.O It just surprised me since I've been out there countless times to go see the summer theater productions. . It just made me feel "Nothing happens out at Maxwell Park!" ^^ It was just very strange. Probably because they're fairly certain it was arson ^^ Makes me feel a little uncomfortable, I guess. A little too close to home, literally, you know?
Gah, it's really late, and I have to get up early to take Megan to work (of course I plan on going back to bed after I get home >D) so I gotta go to bed :P
....Or maybe not so. The more I go to my tutor sessions for Japanese, the more in becomes painfully obvious as to the difference between understanding and fluency in a language. I never know what to tell people when they ask me if I speak Japanese. Do I? Well certainly I speak a little bit. Could I hold my own as a tourist? Sure. I'd be a power tourist. I'm decent enough for that. Can I hold a conversation? There's where things get murky. I want desperately to speak with the ease of the people I watch on tv or like the characters in dorama (the EASE mind you, not necessarily LIKE them :P) but my conversation abilities are so stilted it frustrates the hell out of me. This doesn't reflect my ability to understand Japanese of course. Like anyone else learning a foreign language, I'm a hell of a lot better at understand what I'm hearing or reading than I am in producing it (verbally or otherwise). And, like anyone else, I'm much better at summarizing an idea than in translating it sentence for sentence into a natural sounding English equivolant. It's this point my tutor stresses is important. What I mean is, not relying on summarizing, but being able to actually make what you've heard/read sound natural in English. Even her daughter, who was 9 when they moved here (and is not 16) and can speak both languages with no trouble, has problems doing this.
Where was I going with this? I'm not even sure anymore :P I guess I just wanted to vent some frustration. It never ceases to amaze me that when I feel like I'm okay, something comes right back to kick me in the pants and remind me it'll be years for I can say "I speak Japanese". I guess I'm just irked because my speaking ability is the one thing I can't really work on by myself. I can try, but honestly you can't always know if you're messing up or not, so it doesn't quite work. It's something, for the time being, there's very little I can do about. That, and even when I get the chance to speak with my tutor, I can't be as...natural? as I want because I feel it's too informal :P wah, komaru~~~~~
Anyway, as I mentioned briefly yesterday, we went to see about a boy last night (I got out of work early :P). I was listening to Dean Richards on his Sunday morning show on WGN this morning when he played an interview with Hugh Grant and the kid who played Marcus in the movie, and it made me want to go see it all over again ^.^ It has this great song in it called "Something to Talk About" which, if you go to the movie's official page, you can download for yourself. It really is a great movie. Friday night Nick Digilio (my favorite person to listen to on WGN) was letting all the Star Wars people call in (he hated Attack of the Clones btw) and at the end of every call he'd say "and go see about a boy". ^^ He's right though. You should. Someone called it a chick flick (god I hate that term U.U) but I dunno. It is but it isn't. I'm not really sure how to classify it. I guess it's best just to say it's a great, entertaining movie that you can walk out of saying the whole thing was good ^^
Well, I'd have an opinion for you about the series finale of The X-files but I have yet to watch it :P So you'll have to wait ^_^v
Go see it! It's the new movie starring Hugh Grant and it's very very good! You want a movie with great characters, good acting, emotion? Forget Star Wars (sorry Kiripin ^^;;;;;;;;;;;;) and go see this movie. It was fantastic!
Well, Mahiru no Tsuki DID come today....unfortunately, not all the VCDs worked...so we're sending it back to get it replaced ^^;;
Yes, well....as I have to work @ 6 a.m. and it's nearly 10 p.m. , I'm going to bed :P
^_______^;; Just a quick line from Hitotsu yane no shita 2 from Masaya to Koume, just before he leaves for Germany ^.^v Sweet, huh ^______^
Anyway, was reading the paper today and discovered the the girl's soccer team of the high school I went to is going to sectionals! Yay!! Omedetou! We never got even close to going to sectionals while I played there, and we were a small high school (and there's no division of classes for soccer, or at least girl's soccer, based on school size) so it was always difficult to play against the big schools from the suburbs ^^;; Luckily, not only do they have a good team this year, but they have one hell of a player in this girl named Ashely Pistorius. I haven't seen her play, but they were talking about her in the paper long before she even got to U-High. My favorite part is that she wears #10 (my number ^_^) and is scoring all kinds of goals, so I'm happy about that (particuarly because she's shattering the record of goals scored that was made by a girl at Normal Community, whom I didn't like much :P Bah, I'm petty ^^;;;;).
Wah!! Only about 4 weeks until we go to New York for Sha-chan's wedding ^.^ Pray to god that jury duty doesn't interfere, even if the trials around here are very short. I go in on June 10th, and we leave on the 19th. The only one I'm worried about is the fact that the trial for this guy who beat and subsequently killed an elderly man in the parking lot of the Eagle grocery store near my house (don't get excited, stuff like this is VERY VERY VERY uncommon in my city) is sceduled for mid-June. However, I'm guessing that since I shop there daily that the defending attorney isn't going to want me on the jury anyway! Keep your fingers crossed for me. I want to do this important thing as a citizen of the US and do the jury duty thing, but NOT at that time! ;.;
I completely forgot to mention that I watched the last 45 minutes of the M*A*S*H 30th Anneversary Special that was on tonight ^.^ I swear, I believe that's my all time favorite show. As much as I love The West Wing I still think M*A*S*H is far better, in the respect that it maintained it's momentum for a long time, where The West Wing has somewhat faltered in it's third season (I have faith in the fourth season though, now that they've gotten this MS thing out of the way). Watching clips of old eps of M*A*S*H was great, because I've see the vast majority of the episodes...and seeing that final scene from the last episode still makes me all sniffly. My dad always says that "serious" episodes of M*A*S*H make him uncomfortable, because Hawkeye "wasn't like that" U.U I swear, he may be "older and wiser" than a mere 21 year old such as myself, but I think he entirely misses the point in those episodes. The serious episodes are the ones that made M*A*S*H so unique. ^^;; But at least we both agree it's a hilarious show, one of the funniest of all time ^.^
U_________U I didn't even know SMAP had a new single coming out. And I thought I was decently informed! I would have thought that at least the J-Ent Mailing List would have said something about it, but Meg never mentioned it to me ^.^ Anyway, a quick visit to the J-Ent page informed me of it, at which point I flew over to AudioGalaxy and found a copy of it to download ^.^ Gah, I need to go back to Mitsuwa now! Anyway, I listened to it, and I gotta say...it's sooooooooooooooooo nice just to hear the good 'ol SMAP sound in a new single ^.^ I'm the first to admit the members of SMAP aren't the best singers, but there's just something really comfortable and reassuring about a new song from SMAP, especially one that's pretty decent! I'm not sure anything can ever beat Fly, Yozora no Mukou, or Lionheart for me, but this one's pretty good! ^_^ Anyway, yay SMAP for having a new single. After that whole stupid thing with Goro....U.U
Watched the OAV for the manga Good Morning Call. God, I'm glad I know of it from Megan because watching THAT would NEVER EVER EVER induce me to read the manga. It was just...well....stupid O.O Honestly, that's all I have to say about it. The manga's not the best, but lord, that OAV was pointless U.U
So this afternoon Meg and I watched last night's ep of The West Wing (entitled We Killed Yamamoto). Honestly, I just want Amy to go away already, but with the events of the episode she may well be :P Anyway, it was quite good. I'm quite enamored of Simon (played by Mark Harmon), the Secret Service agent assigned to protect C.J. after she received death threats. Their chemistry is fantastic, but I just know something bad is going to happen, especially knowing two things:
1.) Simon was at Rosilyn, when the President's entorage was shot at, and his shot killed one of the gunman.
2.) In the preview for next week you hear a gunshot and see some blog
Now, of course I know how previews can twist things around, but something serious happening to Simon is exactly the kind of twist Aaron Sorkin would throw in. Then again, it would seem really stupid I guess, considering the season finale of season 1. So maybe he just gets grazed>? bah, I won't speculate, because I'll never guess anyway. I'm just looking forward to season 4. As much as I love this show, season 3 has felt a lot more forced. I guess you could say, I miss the days of season 2! ^.^v
I heard today on the news that the cleaning up of Ground Zero will be finished really soon here, and that a ceremony or something of the kind will be held at the end of the month to commemorate it. Apparently they're finishing three months sooner than planned. At first I was almost disappointed to hear this, since I desperately want to go down there when Megan and I go to NYC next month. But when I thought about it again, it occured to me. People don't go to Gettysburgh to see the remnants of a battle, they go there to remember the lives lost and the brave people that died there. Ground Zero is no different, whether or not any part of the buildings remains there to be seen.
Speaking of sad things...today Meg and I had to go down to the courthouse to get a copy of Christopher Jon's birth certificate. Christopher Jon is our oldest brother, born in 1970 ^^;; However, he had a hole in his diaphragm, a problem which couldn't be rectified at that time, and he died a week after he was born. It's quite odd, thinking about a brother I never knew, who was born 10 years before I was even born. It's like my mom's brother, Carl, who died when she was 14. I wish I knew what they were like. I wish I knew Christopher Jon ^^;;
Waaaah Tacchan I know how you feel about Class Night having come and gone. To think that it's just a year away for you now is strange though ^^;; Saying it seems like we met you just yerterday is no overstatement! O.O Anyway, I'm sorry school's lonely, but yay, school's out next week for you! woo!
A book by Lois McMaster Bujold, and quite good. I just finished reading it. Honestly took me longer than necessary to get through it. I can usually put a 450 page book away in no time, but this time I was just reading it...not slowly, but just not with my usual speed ^.^ Anyway, I enjoyed it very much, and recommend it to those fantasy lovers out there.
Anyway, as we've not watched any more of HYnS 2 yet, nor watched tonight's ep of West Wing I really have nothing else to say at the moment ^.^v
Considering the fact we never went to see it in the theaters last summer, Meg and I rented The Others today, and just finished watching it about 20 minutes ago (around 1:30 a.m.). Now, I knew there was a catch to it, having heard my favorite radio person Nick Digilio (who is one of two movie reviewrs for my favorite radio station WGN) talk about it numerous times, that the ending was a surprise. As a result, my sister and I spent much of the movie trying to figure it out, and it was probably half-way through when we were pretty certain we had the jist of it, even if we didn't have all the details ironed out. I suppose that could a method by which to destroy surprise, but it didn't :P And it was a good...hmmm...how to put this? It was appropriately spooky ^^ and dark....Anyway, I recommend it if you want a spooky movie with a great twist!
So our Hitotsu Yane no Shita 2 came today ^^ We've stilled seen neither hide nor hair of the elusive Mahiru no Tsuki that was supposedly sent out two weeks ago this Thursday. At any rate, HYnS 2 will keep us occupied for a few days. We started watching it this afternoon. I think it's funny that they kept the same theme song (Saboten no Hana) except that it's a slightly more upbeat version. Too bad, because I really prefer it at the original tempo ^.^ The addition to the cast is Matsu Takako, who plays Kazuya's (eventual) girlfriend. So far I like her a lot, because she talks like a boy ^^;; Which, if you looked at her, you would certainly not expect. J-Ent has a pretty thourough description of series 2, but Meg and I are determined not to read it, because we want to take it as it comes. We've just come to the point where Masaya is telling Koyuki that he plans on leaving the house, and going to Germany. This of course upsets me :P Watching the first series you get the overpowering sense that this house is where they all belong, you know? But common sense also tells me the whole point of them all being together was a way for them to heal themselves, and of course they can't all always be there ^^ Particuarly Masaya, Kazuya, Fumiya and Koume, who're all still pretty much starting out their lives. They have to move on at some point, which doesn't necessarily mean they'll be less important to one another ^^ That's the quality I love about this series, as I've said before.
Well, as I really have nothing further to blog about...I'll leave you with part of a conversation my friends and I can have early in the morning :P :
HikaShin: Kiripin...you saw Tiny Toons, certainly!
X Lil x Washuu x: O_O
caffeinatedjedi: well yeah
X Lil x Washuu x: I loved Tiny Toons
caffeinatedjedi: but not till jr high
X Lil x Washuu x: Buster and Babs were SO in love u_u
Sano Mizuki: old-school bored the bejesus out of me
HikaShin: I can't stand old school looney tunes anymore U.U
HikaShin: I know Lauren XD
caffeinatedjedi: well they entertained me as a kid ;p
HikaShin: the soap opera episode!
Sano Mizuki: I've heard tho..that cartoons of that nature weren't intended for kids
HikaShin: I have ALWAYS loved
X Lil x Washuu x: THIRTEEN SOMETHING
X Lil x Washuu x: YES
HikaShin: YES!!!!
HikaShin: XD
Sano Mizuki: they were escapist entertainment for ppl during the war
X Lil x Washuu x: XD
X Lil x Washuu x: THE PROM EPISODE TOO XD
Sano Mizuki: XD!!
HikaShin: and the one were Babs becomes Queen of Wackyland! >D
Sano Mizuki: I love that ep ;__;
X Lil x Washuu x: YES
X Lil x Washuu x: and the Christmas one!
caffeinatedjedi: dude...i must've been a weird kid then
Sano Mizuki: XD
X Lil x Washuu x: HOLY HELL
HikaShin: *LMAO*
X Lil x Washuu x: THE CHRISTMAS ONE
Sano Mizuki: WHOO!
HikaShin: those're my favorites XDDDDDDDD
X Lil x Washuu x: WAS SO ROMANTIC
X Lil x Washuu x: Did you guys see the Summer Vacation movie?
Sano Mizuki: Yeah, but they used a different guy to do Buster's voice!
Sano Mizuki: I was so mad ;p
I'm irked. On Animenet.com this guy guy has been reviewing Ghibli films. All well and good (I don't know why he keeps doing it though, I think Megan and I and one other person are the only ones that reply to his posts O.o) until he got to his review of Omohide Poro Poro. Now, I don't mind if someone doesn't enjoy a Ghibli/Miyazaki film. I myself have seen Ponpoko once and plan to leave it that way....but for him to say he hatesOmohide Poro Poro? Here are a couple of things he said about it:
Bad Points:
For those who even vaguely doesn't understand the story, you might find this boring, maybe even to the point of nodding off. 50% of the show is flashbacks, so in a way it disrupts the flow of the movie.
Should you watch it?
Only if you can understand the movie. IMO its only for really mature people, not kids. I didn't nitice the music much actually, I was nodding off the 1st time I watched. But it's decent.
Only if you understand it???? I think Omohide Poro Poro is probably one of the easiest of all the Ghibli films to understand. How difficult is it to understand that it's about a woman rediscovering herself? I guess it irks because Japanaes anime fans are always so quick to defend Japanese anime to people who insist it's silly or just for kids or what not, but at the same time I see movies like this shrugged off without a second thought by the same people. It makes me wonder how this guy would review Ushiro no shoumen dare, Yunkasu Come Here, or Umi ga kikoeru. Heaven forbid a Japanese anime film should be quiet and nostalgiac and about normal people. That this guy likes Mimi O Sumaseba continues to amaze me, as I think it has a similar overall feel about it as Omohide Poro Poro. Bah, maybe when it comes right down to it, it's just that I LOVE this movie...and for someone to call it boring just seems ridiculous to me. Well, it's most certainly his complete and utter loss, I suppose!
Well I'll write more later....I just had to get this off my chest ^.^
(pssst, Giro, I addressed some LV stuff in the entry below)
Anyway, was reading Katherine's blog comments about how schools in Japan are switching over to a 5 day week. Go read what she has to say about it, it's really interesting ^.^v
Anyhoo, watched the second to last ep of X-Files last night. It's really bizarre. I used to be such an X-phile, years back when it first started...but had practically stopped watching it by the time seasons 6-7 rolled around, and certainly hadn't planned on watching this season, what with Mulder gone and Mulder and Scully all but replaced by Doggett and Reyes. But, because of Lauren we started watching it sometime after we got home from Japan and I honestly have to say, I've really come to like Doggett and Reyes. A lot. Whenever Scully walks onto the scene I just want her to go away. This doesn't mean I don't like her anymore, just that the show has a different feel with them, and I'd rather watch Doggett and Reyes eps and Mulder and Scully eps seperately ^^;; :P And maybe it's the influence of the "shippy" eps that have happened to be shown since I started watching it again *lol* That, and the fact Lauren hasn't seen it from the beginning, so she has this great enthusiasm for these characters was a big influence, I think ^.^v So I'm really sad to see the show end, just when I've become a fan of Doggett and Reyes as a team. They have great chemistry ;.; *sigh* Ah well ^^ It's time for it to end. I know that.
So I made the gigantic mistake of actually watching most of the first part of Dinotopia last night on ABC. I've known about it for quite some time, but when I read the summary of the plot it really upset me. Meg and I read James Gurney's Dinotopia and The World Beneath years ago. We love these books. ADORE them. They're fantastic. Unfortunatly, nothing of that flows over into this mini-series. There's no Will, no Sylvia, no Arthur...no real sense of wonder and discovery and learning that I associate with the books. They're as much a lesson in the discovery of a new culture as a story about Will and Arthur getting stranded in a completely alien world. They changed the story entirely....and it just has ended up with this sense of foreboding that never really enters the books, except in the form of Crabb U.U gah, it upsets me greatly. That the mass adudiences now think this is what Dinotopia irks me beyond words. I was listening to my favorite radio station (WGN) last night and the people who were on were commenting that it seemed like a Disneyfied Jurassic Park U.U >_________< CHIGAU. U.U zenzen chigau. Sorry ^^;; I know I should be a little forgiving. There is such a thing as artistic license. But the originals are just so good I don't understand their need to change it.
uh will write more later...lost my track of thought ^.^v
This isn't a real entry, just an entry in case Giro reads it so I can answer something for him. I'll write a real one later on ^.^
Giro, I don't know what the whole "Aliton" thing is about. It's been so long since I first watched the beginning of Long Vacation, and at the time our friend was translating for us, and perhaps didn't explain that. Maybe it's the name of a famous pianist or something similar? I really have no idea. But I do know that his first name is Hidetoshi. They use it near the end, and even though it's kinda difficult for even my ears to make it, it's definetly that name. But if the subtitles are continually calling him "Aliton"? THat's just wrong U.U and annoying. Everyone calls him Sena or Sena-kun.
>D So they've introduced Sugusaki-san? *maims* I never did like him, even though he's a good guy :P I wish I could ask you a bunch of questions, but as I don't quite remember what happens in each ep up to five, I might end up spoiling it. One thing I will mention is that apartment building in which Sena lives has since been torn down. Sad, huh? If I ever went to Tokyo again I'd have tried to find that place! ^.^
That's right kiddies, today was Mother's Day (and also my brother Scott's 30th birthday) and for most of you it's an important but otherwise uneventful day. For someone like me, who works in the floral department of a supermarket, it is like Valentine's Day Revisited U.U It's not quite so bad as that particular holiday but I'm sure you can imagine how busy we are in the floral department. I had to go to work @ 8 and when we're busy the time usually goes by pretty quickly. Today, however, just seemed to drag. It was driving me crazy. No matter how much I did nor how long I worked at it, the time just kept dragging. O.o I had to work with Ashely today, which is fine, she's a nice person...but I always feel pressured to be busy 100% of the time when she's around, which doesn't help me at all. Gah well, I worked 8 hours and subsequently will get paid for my work, so who am I to complain? ^.^
So I had my tutor session with Mai's mom tonight ^.^ I need to think of a new way to say that. I don't want to even mention Mai if I can. Saying "Mai's mom" sounds too much like I'm still friends with Mai, and we all know that's not the case. Anyway, as nervous as I get before I go, it's always pretty fun ^^ Although I hate having my mistakes laid out bare in front of me, it's something I've long gotten over. Every week after she's reviewed my journal and sentences, we read some more of a book. NOT a complicated book mind you, but kids books (I loveGuri to Gura and Kon to Aki, etc.)....which may not seem like a very good way of studying Japanese, but I think it's great. It's taught me a lot of expressions (the one for today is: mamagotoasobi or "playing house") and words that I probably wouldn't get to know in regular novels, and it's a good excercise in reading out loud without the benefit of kanji to help with the meaning, as they're written entirely in hiragana. Plus, she has me translate sentence for sentence as if I were a translator for myself, so I don't get to summarize. I have to come up with an appropriate translation that sounds natural ^^ It sounds easier than it actually is, when you can't summarize, you really have to search for the right words that would convey the idea. Anyway, after that we usually just talk, in Nihongo of course, for 10-15 minutes ^^;; Meg and I used to go to her together, but I'm really glad I'm doing this by myself. It's vastly less distracting and much more fun ^.^
Lauren, I already told you, but I love the exchange you quoted in your blog. I swear to god, the group of us is really bizarre at times :P
Tacchan put pics of herself and her room up on her LJ, so go look at them! ^.^
Amy ! Watch out for those horrid Texas Tsunami! O____O They'll get you when you least suspect it! :P
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that even though I haven't actually watched the whole first ep of Gokusen that is does have V6's to be released single (sometime in June) as the theme for the series, so I went to the end of the ep to hear it ^^ All in all it sounds like a typically fun V6 song that I'll like and definetly buy ^.^ I heard it and just smiled, because V6 hasn't had a new single out (unless you count their participation in J-Friends) in nearly a year, so it was great just hearing that unmistakable V6 sounds ^.^v
bah, I'm done ^_^ Gonna go watch tonights ep of X-Files pretty soon ^.^
....is the name of the single by Voice of Korea/Japan. I know I'm a couple months late in even mentioning it, and although I've heard the single a number of times prior to this, I didn't actually buy it until today ^.^ Anyway, for those of you that don't know, the upcoming World Cup is to be played in both Korea and Japan, and as a part of it they released a single that was sung by a combined group of Korean/Japanese artists which included Chemistry, Sowelu, Brown Eyes and Lena Park. I'm not really familiar with k-pop so I hadn't heard of the ones from there ^^;; Anyway, it's a really upbeat song sung in both languages and I really like it. It's nothing world changing, but it's a catchy, fun song. Plus, considering tensions between Korean and Japan, any kind of help is good right? ^.^
So I got this single because we had to go to our brother Scott's house for his b-day today, but convinced mom that going to Mitsuwa before then was a good idea. Anyhoo, aside from Let's Get Together Now, we got Kinki Kids' Kanashimi Blue and Chemistry's Kimi o sagashiteta ^.^ Also got 3 manga....the first two volumes of Kirai ( ;.; I should have bought more!) and the Hikaru no Go "Go-rgeous Character Guide". Meg got volume 12 of Clover (not the clamp one, the one that runs in Cookie). ^^ So all in all, a lucrative day.
I'm not quite sure how it happened. But I managed to pull a C in my Weather class. O__________O A C, in a class I was hoping to get a D in, was afraid I was going to fail...A **C** O________O
Well this is pretty short but I have stuff to get down, so you're spared further rambling ^^
I just went to sell my books back, since it's the end of the year (that and today is the last day to do so :P ) and I got a whopping $44 back for 3 books! This may not sound like much, but any of you who are in college and have to deal withselling your books back at the end of every semester, you know that's practically a gold mine! Bad part is I had to relinqish fifteen of it to Megan, since I got thirty back alone for the Meteorology book, so I ended up with thirty myself :P Which stinks, because she got back fifteen for her one book, so we both ended up with the same amount of money. How cruel is that? Extremely, in a variety of ways. Of course, we could have gotten back a little more, since we had our book of Japanese literature and our copy of Chuushingura, but we didn't want to sell either of those back ^.^ They're more valuable to us if we keep them, ne?
So last night I got an IM all of the sudden from someone asking if Long Love Letter really was good (ah it's a nice change to get a legitimate IM instead of one of those spam ones U.U) and I ended up talking to and inviting into a chat this girl named Chloei ^.^v Who, along with her twin sister, is a very big fan of Japanese dorama! Bwahahaha, I feel bad for the rest of you guys *points to friends' blog list* who'll have to put up with even more drama talk than you already endure. Anyway, it was really great being able to talk with someone who really knows dramas and enjoys and can talk about them!
Lauren, I'm so proud of you for writing an entry instead of more quizzes :P *patpat* I almost didn't mention dramas. Aren't you sort of, mostly, 1/4 proud of me? :P
Giro....his first name is Hidetoshi. :P Sena Hidetoshi! ^_^v
that's all for now :P
I've been reading the discussions Katherine and herfriends have been voicing about on the subject of scanslations vs. translations. I won't go into what I think (except to say that they are far more articulate than I could be), but urge you to check out their entries on it if you're interested in it ^.^v
Lauren! You were right. Last night's ep of The West Wing was great! You knew Sam was going to open a can of worms by agreeing to meet with that guy. The thing is....I'm having trouble with two things. One is, what was the "open mic" reference? I don't recall what they're talking about. and two, when did Bruno come into the story? Meg and I completely forgot who he was, only that it was obvious he's been around before. Something at the back of my head remembers him vaguely...I just can't remember him. I always feel bad for Sam. Half the time he's playing the "Knight in shining armor" who knows just what to say, and the other half he seems so naive ^^;; Maybe that's why Bartlett made that comment one ep about how Sam should run for president someday? ^^;;
Giro, so you're at least one episode through Long Vacation, now. You may even be able to tell me a few things that I've forgotten but still can't quite get because my Japanese is still bad, and you have the advantage of subtitles ^_- Although I know all the important things....like how it ends ^.^ Just so you know, that's one powerhouse cast you're watching ^_^ Right down to the mean young girl pianist. That's Hirosue Ryoko in one of her first roles. Btw, there's something important about the end that I want to make sure you understand once you get to it, because I doubt they'll explain it. It's a cultural note though, and you might figure it out anyway, since I'm not sure how much you know ^_^ anyway ^_^ I'll leave you to watch it.
Speaking of dorama, Megan comes into our room this morning and goes "Ok, I caved, and bought Hitotsu yane no shita 2" >D Woo! I gotta keep leaving all this purchasing to Megan ^.^
Anyway, I may write more later ^^
"Hai" tte iwanai to chuu suruyo" (mystery quote ^_-)
;______________; Probably my last entry about Aishiteiru to itte kure so bear with me.
That is, without a doubt, one of the best dorama I've ever seen. 50+ dramas in the last 4 1/2 years, and very very few can even come close to competing with this one. In fact, I'd venture to say that one and one only can, and that's Long Vacation! I think Megan and I were both about ready to start crying near the end of the final ep ^^ There's a scene where Hiroko and Kouji are on a beach (not gonna explain the whole reason they're there, it's too complicated. IM me if you REALLY have to know :P Or buy the drama!) and Kouji says to Hiroko he wants to hear her voice. Of course, being deaf, it can't be in the conventional manner, so they're both kneeling in the sand, pressed against each other and Hiroko asks "What should I say?", and Kouji replies (with the most serious and wonderful expression ever) "Ai shi te ru" to itteu kure and I almost lost it ^^ I had thought the culmination of the drama's title came when Hiroko told him to say "Aishiteru" earlier in ep 10 or 11. That, and when Kouji yells Hiroko's name (yes, yelled her name) just before she got on the train....)...I swear that expression on ToyoEtsu's face in that scene I will never forget as far as dorama go.
Gah, I have no words. No proper ones, anyway. Maybe some people are right and I take too much stock in things that aren't "real world" but *shrug* I don't know, I think a knock-out sense of imagination and love of things that make me happy is more important than that ^.^ I whole-heartedly, utterly, completely loved this dorama. I love Kouji and Hiroko, I loved the story, I loved the interest in shuwa that it sparked in me, and I love Kitagawa Eriko for writing it ^.^v
Must go watching some of The West Wing with Megan now ^_^ ja!
gakkou, that is ^_^ Done, over, completed! Natsuyasumi ga kita and all that ^_^ I don't think I did wonderfully on this last test, but I guess that's okay since I got an A+ on the last essay paper, so it evens out. I also got a C (73%) on the final test for my Weather class. This still means I failed the first test, but I think with the help of the optional fourth test I took that I should pass the class. The grade I'll get is probably nothing to be proud about, but I'll take it at this point, and move on. Tomorrow Megan and I are going to see Thomas-sensei, to discuss what we can do about this contract-major. I think what we'll end up doing is doing independant study with him, although in what I don't know. Japanese history? Lit? Japanese language? I hope that latter, even though I really like learning about history and lit. of Japan and all. My Japanese is still so painfully bad I really want to keep studying it in a more organized way, even if I'm learning a lot from reading manga and watching dramas ^^ I'm not knocking Japanese anime mind you, I just feel the best ways to learn Japanese are through manga and dorama if you're not studying it in school.
Anyway, the best part about the school year being over is this:
THEY ARE LEAVING!!!!!!!!!
"They" being the college students. It will be blissfully quiet for a few days until summer school starts up, which will still be a vast improvement over the number of people that are here during the schoolyear. Being a college student myself hasn't changed my opinion about how annoying I find college students as a whole *lol* At least, their parties, their loud music, the mess they make all over campus. I guess I feel jaded sometimes because I live here year round :P~
Ah, you had to know you couldn't escape without hearing more about Aishiteiru to itte kure. I wanted to talk about it right off, but I felt that I've subjected you all to it quite a lot recently, and that you deserved a buffer paragraph or two before I got to it :P We just finished up with episode 11, of a total of 12 ^^;; (wow, when did they start making them mostly 11 eps I wonder).
I don't know if I've mentioned this or not (I perused old entries and didn't find it, but I didn't look closely), but one thing we never anticipated about this drama series was that it's subtitled in Chinese. This is normally not a problem. You just choose to ignore them and listen to the Japanese (altho admittedly I have learned a few Chinese charactes now, and how they're different from the Japanese ^_^). However, if you've read my blog before, you most likely know at this point that the main character of this drama is deaf, and this requires subtitling from time to time. However, this means it gets subtitled in Chinese, and as a result we've missed some of what's been said, because it wasn't said aloud, only signed. As a result I almost feel as I might if I knew no Japanese and were watching parts of this, although there's a lot to be said for body language and character reaction ^.^v
Anyhoo, I think I can easily say this drama is right up there with Long Vacation as my favorite drama, even if there are typical drama frustrations ^^;; There are some fine points I know I'm missing out on, so it gets frustrating, but I really like these characters, and I really want to see them happy. It's like when you read a book and you become firmly attached to the characters and really love them, and just want things to turn out all right for them, you know? (well, that's what happens when I read ^^ Which I think my mom finds odd. How Meg and I will read a book and moan endlessly about the welfare of the characters) I think Kouji will go down as one of my top favorite male protagonists in a drama ^.^v (and not only because he's played by ToyoEtsu. I'm not that shallow O.O). It's really too bad that although this drama spawned national interest in shuwa in Japan at the time it aired that it was a short lived interest.
Just killing time while waiting for Meg to get down here so we can watch some more Aishiteiru to itte kure before I go to work ^.^
So I was looking at this one person's blog, who had just done a quiz (I swear, I'm sick to death of seeing those. What's the point of having a blog if that's all you ever put in it? People won't know you enough to care who are anyway O___O! but I digress...) and I'm assuming it was some kind of J-Music one....Well their list included a lot of the groups I really like (V6, SMAP, Kinki Kids, W-inds, Panicrew, Exile, Kids Alive, etc.) and this person just spent the whole entry slamming them U.U They're obviously a j-rock fan (their layout is of Pierrot) and I just can't quite grasp why people feel the need to complain and slam j-pop groups. I especially notice this out of J-rock fans (but I am by NO MEANS generilizing most fans of j-rock. I like j-rock too ^.^). I don't get why feel they have to insult these other groups ^^;; Who cares if they're too young or can't sing or what not, the music's fun. It's just how j-pop works sometimes. gah, I can't quite explain properly why this person's entry irked me so much. It's not like it undermines myliking of those groups at all...it's just ^^ Gah I dunno. I think it's too easy for people to insult them maybe. I guess I just think that person needs to just have some fun with their music, instead of worrying about the quality of groups she doesn't like. *shrug* Then again, I guess the same could be said for me and Hamasaki Ayumi :P Of course, I don't lose sleep over her inability to sing ^_^
Wah ^^ I didn't even know that Kinki Kids' Kanashimi Blue had already been released! But J-Ent is back up and I was just browsing the page and there it was! I wish I could buy it, but it's going to have to wait for a while, since I still need to save up money for the trip to New York ^_^
^__________________________________________^ Just when you think the stress and pressures of finals week is too much, something comes along to alleviate it all ^.^ This probably means I put way too much stock in my drama viewing, but at the send of the school year, so be it! Anyway, as I have mentioned in a previous entry, this drama stars Toyokawa Etsushi and Tokiwa Takako, in her debut drama (at least as a main character ^^) and is the story about the relationship between a deaf painter named Kouji and a young stage actress named Hiroko ^^ Okay, I'm just going to take this moment to give a fangirl warning, so that if you don't want to read my girly comments in the next few sentences, you have be warned to skip ahead (although in all likelihood some will escape that far down :P~) Okay, commence fangirling.........^^;;;;;;;; Just when I said before that I was looking forward to seeing him actually smile (since he doesn't much in Love Story and Love Letter) in a drama...I had no idea ^.^ I love his character of Kouji ^.^ Bah, maybe it's the "Strong, silent" bit people laud so much that women are said to love :P I'm thinking it's not far from the truth. gah, it's totally corny and stupid and utterly childish to say this, but ToyoEtsu has that kind of good-natured smile that makes you think "I hope I can make someone smile like that some day" ^^;; *lol* I really think that he and Tokiwa Takako have great chemistry, and I really enjoy the character of Hiroko. She's kind of like the typical genki shoujo manga characters I like so well. The kind that aren't afraid to express themselves and are generally happy people that just want others to be happy ^^ And I like the Kouji's not a brooding "I am deaf so I'm mad and bitter at the world" type. I suppose Kitagawa Eriko is to be thanked for that. Even someone like me, who's still painfully bad at Japanese, can tell that the dramas she's written are written well ^^
ANYWAY, I am thouroughly and utterly enjoying this drama. It's great, and really fascinating to learn the Japanese signs (sign language is called shuwa in Japanese. Literally "hand language") for words I know, like doushite, doushitano, arigatou, chigau, gomen etc, etc, etc. Of course, I have no clue as to the real structure of sentences in Japanese sign language, although from what I've read spoken Japanese and Japanese Sign Language are more compatible than spoken English and American Sign Language, which I found interesting.
I finished two of my 3 finals today, so I'm almost on summer break. In fact, it's difficult to remember I'm not yet ^^;; Need to watch out for that, since I have my last one on Wednesday, and the last thing I need is to completely forget about taking a final.
And a complaint before I close....do you ever just get tired of parents? Oh, I'm sure some of you that read this do U.U I've had it about up to hear *hold hand above her head* with them. Not them personally. That is, I get along great with them on a parent-child basis. That's not where my complaint lies. I'm just so tired of seeing them not enjoy each other -.- There are so many times I just wish they'd actually voice something and get a divorce, because they obviously haven't loved each other for a very long time. My dad is always chatting upstairs on his computer, mom goes to bed earlier, and they never talk. Even fighting might be better, because at least they'd be talking U.U If mom wants to know one reason we've never dated, their example may well be part of the problem (that I'm picky I guess :P~). As much as I like my house and my city, it gets frustrating coming home to a house where Meg and I are the only really happy ones. I know for a fact that mom and dad aren't happy being married >O As cliche as this sounds, I'm determined not to end up like them. I will not marry someone who is not my best friend and not someone I can't envision myself growing old with.
Oh yeah! Thank you Amy for calling!!! ^_^ I hope I wasn't a complete and utter bore or spaz, as I am apt to be especially on the phone ^^ I never know what to say and when I get nervous I start using weird words. Like when I first started working at Jewel I said words like "commandeer" XD~~ Don't ask me to explain that one *lol*
~~~~"Watashi ni wa mierundesu. 10 nengo mo 20 nen gomo, anata no soba ni watashi ga iru"~~~~~(final episode Yamato Nadeshiko
U.U It sucks to lose a friend. Especially when you've seen it coming for two years and finally the culmination of said time span finally comes. There are so many small things and little points I want to argue with her, but Meg already did so quite eloquently on the phone last night. I'm really proud of the way she handled it. However, I still feel like this friend is a complete hypocrite O.o telling us we should have been more honest with her (that is, that we got irked when she'd say she'd call and then didn't) when it's blantantly obivious now she hasn't seen us as good friends and has had problems with us for god knows how long that she never once said a word about. Or how we apparently can't give her the kind of conversations she wants (long talks I guess) when even though we've asked to see her countless times, wait for her calls that don't come, and when we do see her all we have time for is catching up, what does she expect from us? Particuarly when we long ago accepted that she was the kind of person that didn't need to see her friends all the time because that's what she told us....and there's time for long conversations in that kind of relationship? *shakes her head* I just don't quite understand it. I'm not even really angry over this, as I said, I think both Megan and I have seen this coming for a long time and simply never voiced it. I'm just....well maybe I am angry. I feel like she believes it's entirely our doing, when I feel the opposite. Is it a twin thing? Are Megan and I that irritating when we're together? Katherine, Tacchan you're the only ones that read this regularly (that I know of) that can answer that question for me U.U seeing as you've known us IRL. I guess I can see it, although I think it's other ppl's responsibility ALSO to understand that we are twins and are most likely going to get us as a packaged deal for the time being U.U *grumble* anyway....I guess I have nothing else to say on this issue.
Anyway, Megan has been bugging me that she's really thinking about a plot for manga she wants me to do. O.O Okay...re-read that sentence while I get a head start in laughing ^_- Honestly though, I think this time she's dead set on me actually doing it, which scares the bejesus out of me. She even walked up to me at work today and said "I know the names of your characters now"...but I forget the girl's full name now ^^ All I can remember is Chiharu and Asami Masaaki (fwee~~~ Asami :P Of course that's influenced by Long Love Letter). Knowing Meg though, it'd have a decent plot, which I'm really wondering about ^^ Now as to the actuality that I'll really DO it...^^ I guess I'll give it a shot, although lord knows it will look like junk U.U Maybe i can cheer myself up by trying to draw a cover page for Chapter One once she tells me what the hell it's supposed to be about.
Well, that's it for now. Time to do some studying ^.^
Oh yeah! It's North's 6th birthday today! *hugs her puppy*
I was dead set against going to see a movie today, because I had to study. Especially considering I worked from 4-8 this evening and I work from 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. tomorrow U.U But somehow, Megan and Tacchan managed to get me to go see Spider-man at the 1:00 p.m. show. DOn't get me wrong, I wanted to see it (especially because I love Tobey Maguire!) but I know I should study ^^;; Anyway, ultimately I am glad that I went to see it ^.^ It's a pretty entertaining movie and Tobey Maguire is the perfect Spider-man, IMHO. And Willem Defoe is just so....wonderfully villainous ^.^v Plus the score is by Danny Elfman, which you can tell right away ^.^ The special effects are a bit odd sometimes, but that didn't ruin it for me ^^ Also, I think they could have done more with the relationship bit, but being a fan of shoujo manga has long ago taught me to take any relationship for what it's worth *lol* *shrug* I'm well atuned to that, I suppose.
Speaking of tests....I think what I've decided is that I'll study a little bit for my Weather class one, but that the majority of my focus will be on my Japanese Culture and my Cultural Diversity in Dress finals. After all, I don't think I'm going to pass my Meteorology class anyway, so I might as well concentrate on doing my best in the classes I can still get good grades in. Although, I just checked my test scores and I got C's on tests 4 and 5! How the hell that happened I have no idea! O_______O I can't remember what that means though. Test 4 was an optional test...and I don't know if that means it replaces the lowest test score, or if it just adds points to your grade. Either way it helps, I suppose, and I may yet pass this course with the curve O.O Still, I think I'll concentrate on the ones I know I can get a good grade on ^^
North's birthday tomorrow! Everyone wish him a happy birthday *hugs her 6 year old puppy*
First off, thank you Lauren for archiving for me ^_- Anyone who knows me knows I am computer illiterate and therefore massively unqualified to archive, or do other html related activities :P
The subject up there is for Kinki Kids' new single, which I don't think is released for sale yet, but is a fantastic song! It's used in the MasterCard ad they're doing at the moment, which is cool. It's one of the very few ads Meg and I intentionally rewind just to watch (the other two probably being the Biorne ads with Fujiki Naohito in it and the "Ashita ga arusa" ads ^^). I know that Tsuyoshi is releasing a solo-single (uh...Machi I believe it's called) but I forget when, and I don't know how soon after/before Kanashimi Blue will be released, because I'm lazy and haven't gone to check all that out yet.
Anyway, we watched most of the first episode of Sora kara furu ichi oku no hoshi...and I gotta say, I am quite confused as to how it all works out, but thank you Kitagawa Eriko! Not only does it seem interesting and intriguing but woo! are there good kisses in her dramas ^____^ Plus, KimuTaku, my hats go off to you. No one, even now, even with as many kakkoii Geinoujin as there are, can smile the way he does. I would have thought I'd be used to it by now, but no way ^^;; Yes, even more than Kubozuka Yousuke ^_-
On one other drama note, we won another auction, this sime securing the Tokiwa Takako/Oda Yuuji series Mahiru no Tsuki....I'm not even sure what it's ABOUT, other than it's a love story and we've wanted to get it ^.^
Melissa ;.; Seriously, those CDs are for me??? *Glomp* Thanks! ;.; Btw, OTANJOUBI OMEDETOU GOZAIMASU in advance ^_^v Absolutely, if you can't find a friend to burn a copy I will be MORE than grateful for a casette of it! I read an article the other day about how before Chemistry became a duo they were rivals at the audition, and they didn't like each other much at all in the beginning. *lol* that's to be expected I imagine ^_^
So I know I got a B in one of my classes. Actually, I could take the final and possibly get lower, or take the grade as I had it this morning and go with it, which is what I chose. Not only would there have been the possibility of getting a lower grade had I taken the final, but it also would have meant 3 finals on Monday, which I simply can't handle! Still, somehow I feel bad about it a little :P Like I copped out of it, which I guess I did *lol*
Guess I'll end here ^.^v
Friday, May 3, 2002 :: Comments [] Saru's Invasion!
*bounces into Jamie's blog* It's my turn to archive! So here I am! *waves banner that says FOR A GOOD TIME CLICK HERE*
Eww...it's all twinny in here..I'm going back to my creepy LG blog now! ^.^ See? Not embarassing or mean, Jamie >P
Japanese Drama List(my sister and I): Alphabetical Order by Title. You'll noticed the freakish number of titles with the word "love" in it *lol*. I've either seen or own most of these. In fact, 99% of them I own.^.^
*29-sai no Kurisumasu
*Aiken Rosinante no Sainan
*Aishiteiru to itte kure
*Ao no jidai
*Asunaro hakusho
*Beach Boys
*Beautiful life
*Boku ga boku de aru tame ni
*Bokura no yuuki
*Brand
*Brothers
*Cheap Love
*Dekichatta Kekkon
*Gakko no sensei
*Gift
*Happy mania
*Harmonia
*Hero
*Hitoribocchi no kimi ni
*Hitotsu yane no shita 1
*Hitotsu yane no shita 2
*Ienaki ko 2
*Kimi ga oshietekureta koto
*Kindaichi shonen no jikenbo 1
*Koi ga shitai x 3
*Koi wa aserazu
*Long vacation
*Love generation
*Love Revolution
*Love Story
*Mahiru no tsuki
*Manatsu no Merry Christmas
*Meguri ai
*Mouichido kisu
*Namida o fuite
*Nemureru mori
*Oatsui no ga osuki?
*Oda Nobunaga
*Oishii kankei
*Okane ga nai!
*Omiai kekkon
*Oyaji~
*P.S. Genki desu, Shunpei
*Perfect love
*Psychometrer eiji 2
*Pu-Pu-Pu jump
*Rocket boy
*Rookie!
*Saigo no koi
*Sensei shiranaino?
*Shin Hoshi no kinka
*Shiroi kage
*Summer snow
*Tengoku no kiss
*Tenshi ga kieta machi
*To heart
*Tokyo Love Story
*Virgin road
*With love
*Yamato Nadeshiko
