There have been rumors that there will be a third season of the 日本テレビ系ドラマ「ごくせん」 (Nippon Television drama "gokusen"), and being the wonderful person that I am, I have confirmed these rumors to be (drum roll please), true. The new season of ごくせん will be airing early April. So, yay! It will of course star 仲間由紀恵 and a new class of students. We have much to look forward to. You can check out some sites that confirm the wonderfulness: the official site and here. So, if you haven't checked out ごくせん yet, now is your chance, you have till April to watch the first 2 seasons and the special. If dramas aren't your thing (even though they should be) ごくせん has an anime and a manga to check out, both have been translated for your viewing and/or reading pleasure. You can watch the drama via the ever fabulous crunchyroll or the old fashioned way and pay cash for it like you would a high dollar prostitute and buy it off eBay, or, for the real thing, from cdjapan. You can watch the anime the same and check the manga out at your local book retailer! So jump on the bandwagon folks and do what everyone else is doing. Be cool.
That's about all I have to say. Here is a clip to keep you company. Because, as you guessed it...I love ya!
It's that time of the year again and as we all know it's the gift giving time. So, I have taken it upon my glorious self to help you do your shopping, whether it be for yourself or for someone else. Here are some of my favorite manga, dramas, movies and CD's to help you please everyone on your list!
Okay, let's start with my favorite manga right now!
砂時計(すなどけい)/sunadokei by: 芦原妃名子 (あしはらひなこ）
Now, I usually don't like shojo manga, but I have to say, this is by far one of the best stories I have ever read. The manga is 10 volumes total and just recently finished. The story is about a girl named Uekusa Ann who moves with her mother from Tokyo to a rural town in the middle of nowhere after her parents divorce. She feels out of place until she meets a boy named Daigo and the two become best friends. However, a tragedy occurs that changes Ann's life forever...the manga is great...there's romance and friendship...real life hardships and situations. It's not the average shojo manga, which is why I'm so drawn to it. So check it out! You can get it at your local Kinokuniya or at Amazon Japan.
For those of you who cannot read the Japanese, never fear, the English translation will be available January 1st for your viewing pleasure! Check it out here!
Another great choice, shojo style is: 僕の初恋をキミに捧ぐ/boku no hatsukoi wo kimi ni sasagu by: 青木琴美（あおきことみ）
Okay, so another extremely popular manga. What is wrong with me? I know, I know. But check it out! The art might turn you off at first, but you can move past it quick, I swear...(they have really creepily big eyes...). So the story goes like this, two kids grow up together, one is really sick. They meet in the hospital and make a promise to each other - On their 20th birthday they will get married. The only problem is, will the sick boy make it to his 20th birthday?! OMG folks, it's so sad! The story chronicles their childhood and schooldays...narrated by them both, with flashbacks and sad little blurbs...its so wonderful! Oh so good! You think it would be predictable, but I find myself reading uncontrollably. It's still going and there are 9 volumes out as of right now. So go to either Kinokuniya or Amazon Japan to check it out. *Unfortunately if you don't read Japanese you are out of luck on this one. It hasn't been translated as of yet. But keep your hopes up. One day. You could always practice your Japanese. Check it out anyway!
Not into the shojo? It'sk ! I got you covered-Let's try one of these! *ピュ〜と吹く！ジャガー by: うすた 京介 Want one of the funniest comics ever! Ever wonder what a comic about a dude who plays the recorder would be about...check this out! The best gag comic ever...featured in Shonen Jump!
*銀魂 by: 空知英秋 GIN TAMA by: Sorachi Hideaki - A comic about...uh...what is it about? It's funny...check it out. I think it has aliens and giant dogs...samurai? It's also features in Shonen Jump and it was turned into an Anime. So it must be good...*cough*. - This one is available in English ! Yay! So, go to your local fine book retailers and buy buy buy!
Finally a quick list of manga to check out! (Trust me..muahahah) Reborn (English Available) D.Gray Man (English Available) ヴァンパイア騎士／Vampire Knight (English Available) B.O.D.Y (English Available) CROWS!!!! <--- I added the !!!!!! weee 絶対彼氏／Absolute Boyfriend (English Available) Ouran Host High School (English Available) 花とみつばち Flowers and Bees (English Available) Death Note (I guess it should go on the list...English Available of course)
CD of the season a must have!!! L'arc ~en~ Ciel's KISS
It's beautiful...although the cover looks like an amateur rip of of AKFG's CD covers (which is sad since L'arc's CD covers are usually really pretty!) but hey...it's whats on the inside that counts...and dude...L'arc made it count. This has to be their best album since...ray! There isn't one song on here that I dislike. So go get it! It makes a great gift!
Here's the track list:
1. SEVENTH HEAVEN (5:01) <日本テレビ系「スポーツうるぐす」テーマソング>
2. Pretty girl (3:17)
3. MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM (4:16) <スバル New レガシィ CMソング>
4. 砂時計 (4:35)
5. spiral (4:01)
6. ALONE EN LA VIDA (5:12)
7. DAYBREAK’S BELL (4:11)
8. 海辺 (4:33)
9. THE BLACK ROSE (3:38)
10. Link -KISS Mix- (4:46) <「劇場版 鋼の錬金術師 シャンバラを征く者」オープニングテーマ>
11. 雪の足跡 (4:46)
12. Hurry Xmas (4:49)
The best dramas for gifts:
Long Vacation - a classic...always makes a great gift Nodame Cantabile
花より男子/hana yori dango *For the best prices try eBay...or otherwise go to yesasia or Cdjapan for the best deals!
And finally, you want the best movie to get your special someone...try these:
大停電のよるに - Daiteiten no yoru ni
"Daiteiden no Yoru ni" is the latest film from director Takashi Minamoto. Inspired by the August 13, 2003 blackout across New York City, Minamoto presents an original tale about the Christmas that neon-tinted Tokyo went dark! Amidst this backdrop characters struggle to find their own place, help each other, and fall in love. It is a really great movie. English SUBS!
ゲゲゲの鬼太郎/Gegege no Kitaro Japanese DVD release of the film adaptation of legendary manga and anime series "Gegege no Kitaro" starring Eiji Wentz, Mao Inoue, Reina Tanaka, Yo Oizumi, Kanpei Hazama, Koyuki, and more! Kitaro lives his life in Gegege Forest with his father the eyeball and his ghoulish friends! One day he receives a letter with news that threatens to shake both the spirit world and the world of the humans. When a human boy ends up with tremendous power and evil spirits attack, Kitaro manages to save him. Now the real trouble begins! YAY! Fun for any fan! English Subs!!
Omg! What news! Abe Hiroshi (43) is engaged to a woman 15 years his junior. Congratulations. But for some reason it makes me kind of sad he's taken...not that I ever really wanted him for myself...but all the same...
Tetsu is geting married!
Tetsu (38) from L'arc en Ciel is also getting married to Sakai Ayana (22), a talent/model. Also, makes me a little sad...think I had a crush on him at one point...not marriage/stalker crush...but still. Oh, and he beat Abe, his chick is 16 years younger than him! Go Tetsu! おめでとう！Dude, that's younger than me, yo! Not by much...but still! I'm old...I'm going to go curl up in the corner, rock back and forth and die a little inside.
So much marriage.
And finally, they are making a ヤッターマン or "Yatterman" ( will someone tell me how they got yattERman out of yattAman?) movie...a live action movie...starring 櫻井翔 (Sakurai Sho) from 嵐 (Arashi)! For all of you who don't know what a Yatterman is, it is okay...it's about a hero who fights crime with a ball in a cup...that's right folks, a ball in a cup...You just toss the ball, catch it in the cup, dump it out of the cup, toss it, and catch it in the cup again. The ball is on a string and attached to the cup, so there's no worry if you don't catch the ball in the cup. And clean up is as easy as catching a ball, in a cup. So, why spend another day not catching a ball in a cup when you can be catching a ball-in-a-cup?...But, "Oh, no!" you say. "Aw, I missed the cup." Hey, but its okay...because there's a string attached to the cup!...Yeah...seriously...a hero who fights crime with a ball...in a cup...hot. Here's Yatterman!
The schedule is filling up fast, so here are a few more winter dramas!
貧乏男子 (Binbo Danshi/ボンビーメン Bonbimen)
Starring: 小栗旬 (Oguri Shun) from クローズ Zero! Yay! And of course, probably most popular for his role in 花より男子(hana yori dango) & 花より男子２. What's it about?: Oguri plays a poor but optimistic college student in this comical story. Because of his overly nice personality, he ends up taking on other people's debts and faces various challenges to pay off those debts. Rating: Sounds generic and predictable...but, I'm going to totally watch it. But I dunno...I don't find him hot like everyone else...maybe this drama will change my mind...
あしたの喜多善男 (ashita no kita yoshio)
Starring: 小日向文世 (Kohinata Fumiyo) who's been in such things as: Hero, Orange Days, and 風林火山 (seriously, folks...watch it!). And 松田龍平 (Matsuda Ryuhei). He's so creepy, yet so intriguing. He's been in stuff...like, Cutie Honey, NANA...his brother is Matsuda Shota...yeah...now you know him. Okay.... What's it about?: Yoshio Kita is a debt-laden man whose wife (Manami Konishi) has left him. With his close friend's death anniversary only 11 days away, Yoshio chooses that date for his own death. Rating: How sad is that! OMG. It sounds like it will be a crying drama...what drama isn't a crying drama?! I don't know that I have the patience, stamina...or attention span for this drama...but I'll give it a go. And that 龍平 is just so creepy I need to watch it I mean look at this picture...he stares into your soul! Eerie.
Anyway, you can read more about あしたの喜多善男 here. Apparently, it was based on a novel. Interesting...I assume.
For no reason whatsoever...and because I can...here is DJ Ozma with lie-lie-lie.
Here are a few more fun dramas coming out this winter! I'm looking forward to them! Yay! This season won't totally suck like the last one!
未来講師めぐる (mirai koshi meguru) Who: 深田恭子(Fukada Kyoko) - Singer/Actress, she's been in some stuff (下妻物語、リング２） and sang some stuff...lol I'm more or less impartial to her...I used to listen to her music when I was young and impressionable...and it also stars 勝地涼(Katsuji Ryo). What: It's about an English teacher who can see 20 years into the future of everyone around her! Rate: Wow! How useful! I'd know what people will look like 20 years from now! Where they'd end up! I so want that! And I so want to watch this show! Yay!
薔薇のない花屋 (bara no nai hanaya) Who: 香取慎吾 (Katori Shingo!!) YAY! Who!?! If you have to ask...shame on you! Only a member of SMAP I had a crush on nearly the entire time I lived in Japan! I was going to marry him...*sigh*...I moved on...I did...and some chick...and some other people...that don't matter...and more 慎吾!! Yay! What: Does it matter 慎吾's in it! Alright! He owns a flower shop...his wife dies...(so sad...*cough*) He has to raise his daughter by himself, and he falls in love again I can only assume...since it's catagorized as a drama/romance... Rate: Predictable? Yes. But Shingo! The headline in the Sanso news for the announcement of the drama read.."From Shingo Mama to Papa!" Haha, so cleaver. You can check it out here. If you don't know what a Shingo Mama is:
That clip is really old, but everytime I see it...omg...sooooo funny! aaah!
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On a side note, semi-unrelated to this blog...an extremely funny, and wonderful thing has happened. Let me start from the beginning. My roommates and I keep our internet connection open, I have several computers and my roommates have computers and so-forth. It is too hard for me to connect my computers with our network locked. We tried it and it just doesn't work well. My computers do not cooperate; so we found it easier to just keep our connection open. It's never been a problem and anyone who wants to leech off our internet can. We can see who is on our network and do have the power to kick them off if we so choose...which we never do. One day while I'm on my iTunes some dude's playlist pop's up...so I'm like, "What the hell is that?" I click on it and "Zack L's" (yes, his name is really Zack and yes, his last name really starts with an L...and yes, he actually listed his full name but, I, being the kind wonderful citizen I am...persevered his identity...his full identity anyway...I'm sure there are lots of Zack L's that live in my building probably on my floor that can get our signal...*grin*)...so I am perusing his playlist and as I notice his poor taste in music I notice he has some videos, "Interesting," I say to myself, so I click one...then I expand the name field and notice that "Oh, no..." who is this Amy Reid and why does she want to "Share My C--k"? As it turns out Zack L was a huge fan of the Amy Reid, but not just Amy Reid other fun titles too...he had quite the collection. So, I went in to share the funny with my roommate...I decided it was our job to make a "public service announcement", as I almost found myself watching something featuring Amy Reid. You know I'm glad Zack enjoys the porn...and enjoys the Amy Reid. I don't want to enjoy his porn with him...I don't want to be minding my own business and WHAM! Amy Reid! Feel free to use our internet...that's what it's there for. But you know you can secure your porn! 'Cause for all you know I could be some 8 year old just browsing their iTunes, all unsuspecting like and "Oh! Look videos! Let's Watch!" and you scarred kids for life yo! For life! Years of therapy can't cure "Weapons of Ass Destruction 5". ANYWAY! We made this!
Yay! For my fingers...and NO! That is not a mattress! It is in an elevator! Okay. Less than a few hours later it was ripped down and Zack L and the infamous Amy Reid has never again appeared on our network...muhahaha. Okay...so...my roommate took a picture...(see above)....and she apparently put it on her blog...well someone found it and put it on their blog...and someone found that and put it on digg.com where it was #2 on the offbeat news and in the top ten of the whole day or something...and it got a bunch of diggs! So, we were an internet phenom for like a day! It was awesome! A friend told my roommate about it...and she told me! And we were both like WHAAA!?! HOW! Amazing right....poor Zack L! But, it was amazing to see what people wrote in the comments...some people think we are bitches...haha true...some people think we are stupid for not closing our connection (either they think we don't know how or god know what else...I forget...they make me angry...and they make me laugh)...someone wants to send us flowers...some people think we are cool...some defend us...so forth. It's all really funny...and weird, since we aren't quite sure how it got out in the first place...lol.
So, it looks like there will actually be some decent, or at least promising, dramas this winter season!
It was just announced that 亀梨和也 (Kamenashi Kazuya) will be starring in １ポンドの福音 (1 pound no fukuin), 1 Pound Gospel, based on Takahashi Rumiko's manga series of the same name. The story is about a boxer who turns pro at the age of 19. Unfortunately, due to his gluttonous ways, he finds himself facing loss after loss because he cannot stay within his weight limit. One day after losing a match, he wanders into a church where he meets a naive, fledgling nun, and he immediately finds himself interested in her. The series is set to air in January on NTV. *Here's the release "trailer" for the drama.
Another drama that I'm sure many people will be excited about is ハチミツとクローバー (Hachimitsu to kuroba), Honey and Clover, based on Umino Chika's hit manga series of the same name. It will star 成海璃子 (Narumi Riko) who's been in some stuff that I don't know...well apparently she was in Trick, Trick2...for like an episode each and Trick: The Movie (2002)...for some part...I don't remember her...but she was there...I guess...I dunno...don't remember her. Plus she was born in like 1992...holy crap she's young! So, she was like 10 when she was in the movie! OMG! I am so old! Okay (sigh)...not important...moving on...It ALSO stars 生田斗真 (Ikuta Toma), who's been in some stuff I don't know...he was in 花より男子 (hana yori dango) for an episode and 人にやさしく (hito ni yasashiku) for an episode (great drama). So lucky him. Oh, and he's with Johnny's...SURPRISE! ハチミツとクローバー is about 5 college kids and their lives/love lives. This drama is set to air Tuesday's on Fuji TV.
Original drama's are rare it seems. Lately a lot of manga have made it to live action like, のだめカンタービレ,めぞん一刻, ライフ, 働きマン, LIAR GAME, 花より男子...I could go on for days...not necessarily a bad thing, but originality would be nice.
Some exciting news! クローズ ZERO rocked it in the box office yo!
And here's a little som'n som'n for you all. It's win a date with DJ Ozma...and friends...hahah...it's about 3/4 of the way over 'cause I can't fit the whole thing in here...you can check it out on YouTube...but here is a fun part. He even performs "Spiderman"...spiders super glued on crotches...heavy thrusting...and dirty lyrics...what could be better? Plus, I think one of the "chicks" they are on a "date" with is a dude...can you guess which one? The clip is kinda long, but worth it.
