Once Upon a Time

So... this is what has been taking up most of my time (and reading The Digitalian concert reports - and yes, I've seen FNS and Best Artist) - but this is what has been taking up most of my time.

I don't normally watch American shows, but it's a modern fairytale AU, how could I not watch? So I did, and I am enjoying it a lot. I mean, some times it gets a bit draggy, especially with the extended story of Charming and Snow's romance together and their adventures and what-not and it's just like "eh, I could do without" and in general I tend to skip through a lot of the past stuff. Let's be real here - I'm in it for the modern. I love seeing the characters in the modern world.

Also, this show is so sassy. It has some of the best lines between the characters - especially between Regina and Snow. Like, they have the best dialogue and just work so well off each other.

So where am I at so far? I haven't caught up, still mid-way through season 3 (Neal just died - I CANNOT BELIEVE HE DIED WHAT ABOUT TRUE LOVE?!). This season feels really long for some reason. Maybe it's because the whole first part was the Peter Pan thing and now they did the 1 year restart so it feels like I'm starting a new season, when I'm not? I'm not sure.

So, why do I love this show so much? It's really just the take on the characters. How they've made some tales darker, how they've merged certain tales together - how the characters have turned out in modern day. I love it all. And the sass. So much sass. And sure the show has its corny moments but it's based off of fairy tales. What should we expect? Normally I am not one for corny romance "true love" stuff, but in the context of fairytales it works and I'm just drinking this stuff up.

Random thoughts?

In season 2 I really gravitated between thinking Regina was a total bitch and feeling sorry for her. In season 3... well since she's not technically the bad guy anymore, I am beginning to like her more. I mean, I liked her as the bad guy too but like I said, this is all fairytales and happiness and I was just like "OMG WHY ARE YOU BEING SO UNREASONABLE". Although honestly - Emma and Regina need to stop fighting. When Emma didn't believe Regina at first about re-casting the curse, I was like are you serious Emma? Are you two really going to go through all this shit over again?

Rumple and Belle is cute but at the same time kind of weirds me out - not sure why yet.

Henry has the most fucked up family ever. His grandfather is Rumple, great grandpa was Peter Pan, father is Neal. Hook also took care of Neal (and potentially sees him as a son?) yet this same guy is now interested in Emma who is Henry's father. Regina is Henry's adopted mother but also his step-grandmother and thus Cora would be his step great-grandmother. And then you have Snow White and Charming. This kid. That line Charming made about Thanksgiving dinners honestly killed me, because I would love to see that. Like, with the fairytale context but without the drama. As in if the characters really were just a regular family and came together... can you imagine  how fucked up that would be? (Hook included).

What else? NEAL DIED. WHAT. Still kind of miffed because I liked Neal and Emma. At first I kind of liked Emma and Hook too, but once we got Emma's backstory and Neal came back... they just look so much better and happier together. Hook and Emma are all hot and steamy, but Emma and Neal are love. Love.

Also Regina and Robin Hood - she needs to get one that ASAP (although I hear this falls apart later - WHY?).

And do I have more to say? Not really.  Just wanted to get some thoughts of the show out of my head and in general just talk about how much I am enjoying it. 

嵐にしやがれ [2014.11.01] - Hawaii SP 1

This is going to be a super long post since I'm doing a review, but adding in a couple translations of some parts I found the most interesting. And there are also photos I'm putting in this time, so... enough talk - let's get started.

LOVE Concert - quick thoughts/review

The DVD came out when I was too busy to write a review and despite not being a huge fan of the LOVE album, I actually really like this concert and what they did with a lot of the songs. In fact this concert really helped me come to like the LOVE album a lot more. Since it's been so long since the DVD came out though - and because I've rewatched the concert multiple times already so I'm not going to just sit do a live review, but I will sort of speed through the concert and give my general thoughts of what I thought throughout it - and then I'll end off with specific thoughts on each of the solos cause that's always one of the big things about Arashi concerts.

So without further ado - the LOVE concert

Arashi - Zero G PV + Making

Alright, so I guess you could say this is the "second part" to my The Digitalian review. You can find the review of the actual album [here], and now I'm going to talk about all the extra stuff and boy do I have a lot to say.

So. Let's get started.

Arashi - The Digitalian Review

I guess before I start this review I should say I'm not a huge fan of like.. digitalized sounding music? Things like autotune, dubstep, techno etc. so even when I first heard the title of the album I guess I wasn't all that excited. It's not like I dislike it - it's just not my preferred genre. Although - as with the usual case I may grow to eventually really love the album like what happened with LOVE - or it could just fade in to the background and be "alright" like Beautiful World. We'll only be able to see that within the next half year. 

For this review though, tis is going to be more like a live review - I'm literally just gonna be typing as I listen, and then when I'm done I'll add some concluding thoughts at the end of each song, and then obviously a sum up of the whole album.

So - without further ado… Arashi's 13th Album: The Digitalian - let's go

Let's Talk Merlin S1 (BBC)

Hello, it's been a while and as predicted, I haven't actually posted any of the posts I said I would talk about. Like my huge rant on Shitsuren Chocolatier. Which I will probably write up because the DVD was released... yesterday? Two days ago? And well - that huge mess of a drama was just so ridiculous there is no way I can't NOT talk about it. But first of all, let's talk about another show I've started to watch.

Merlin.

And this show is also a huge mess.

I started this show thinking it'd be very interesting. I love Arthurian Legend and seeing it played out in a full length BBC drama seemed awesome to me. I saw .gifs all over tumblr and the cast seemed awesome and amazing. Freakin GILES is King Uther Pendragon. I was excited. And I'll be honest, I am enjoying this show so much. But, I'm not going to say that it's totally awesome. This show is a mess. And I only just finished season 1.

This post isn't going to be long, I just want to point a few things out about season 1,

Starting from episode 1 the show seemed a bit cliche, but it had promise. I found the interaction between Merlin and Arthur amusing. Also King Giles - come on. And the voice of the dragon! One thing I noticed right away though was..... super bad CGI, but this show is from 2008 so all is forgiven. Another thing that I can't forgive is why the hell does Arthur (and everyone else) constantly swing their sword around in such a dramatic fashion whenever they're fighting? Like, really - I would've just stabbed the guy if I was fighting them and they kept swinging their sword around. Honestly.

Also Merlin x Gwen is so cute. But I realize that Gwen is going to end up with Arthur, but still - Gwen and Merlin are so cute. And up until the second last episode I loved Morgana too, but then she did this weird face-heel-turn thing (TV Tropes) and like... what. I mean, I get it, because let's be real - Uther Pendragon is an asshole. I would gladly kill him. He's so irrational and such a tyrant. Like, by the time it hit the second last episode and he killed Thom I was just... yeah - go kill Uther, Please. BUT Morgana's sudden like.. "YO I WANT UTHER DEAD" and then her sudden "Oh nvm, he apologized, aw, love you!" was just... it was just so sudden. All of it. Where is the build up?

And now I'm on to the last episode (still watching it) and it doesn't feel like a season finale at all. It's also just.. ridiculously overly dramatic? Like Arthur's "death" in which Uther carries him and collapses in the courtyard. Merlin yelling at the dragon. It's just.. like, all the episodes before this had been relatively light in comparison and there's honestly been no... real continuation of story? And then we get this. I don't even know what to call this episode because it's hardly emotional. It's just... dramatic. But not in a way in which I really feel anything. I mean, I guess maybe because I know there are 4 other seasons and thus everyone lives, and everything "turns out okay".

Actually - yeah, the thing that probably bugs me the most is the lack of continuation in this series. I wouldn't say each episode is... entirely episodic, because you can slowly see character growth and I would argue that is the story of Merlin. Growth. Arthur and Merlin's growth. BUT at the same time, there doesn't seem to be a real central storyline throughout the season. So it's just.. like yay, enjoyable, light-hearted, amusing drama that is a retake on the Arthurian legends, but at the same time it's like "you have go to be kidding me".

I guess I just need to continue taking this show with a grain of salt and not invest myself too deeply in hoping it will eventually make sense. I've heard that Morgana's "storyline" into evil kind of.. just happens, which will disappoint me so much. I cannot wait until Uther dies though - although he is Giles so that's going to make me sad anyway. Giles :( Annnndddddd.... what else? I can't really think of anything. The last two episodes have just made me think about how much Uther should die, how silly Merlin is and how he honestly makes terrible decisions (and how has NO ONE FIGURED OUT HE HAS MAGIC YET LIKE REALLY?!).

But anyway, enough of that. I just really wanted to talk about this show because... honestly, what a mess. *snort*

Onto season 2!

誰も知らない Review [single + performance]

You know, people actually visit my blog apparently. Or they click on it - somehow, and it surprises me because I don't advertise this blog, I don't get comments... like, where do these views come from? Where have these 3000 page views come from - and most people seem to have clicked on my review/semi-translation of Aiba's guesting on kuwazugirai (maybe I should keep doing stuff like that?). Actually I just re-read that post and I said I would also do the same thing for Jun's guesting on kuwazugirai which never happened.

ANYWAY - I'm getting off topic because for this post I wanted to talk about Arashi's latest single Daremo Shiranai. So, on with the review then yes?

My Thoughts of MaotsuJun

So, this is a little late to the game I guess since the Friday article and subsequent Shukan Josei article came out weeks ago already - although there was the latest one about picking fish bones out of Jun's meal - BUT, I figured I might as well say something. To be honest I wasn't ever planning on saying anything until something really concrete came up, because what's the point? I mean yeah, I can fangirl and be all "OMG TOTES DATING GUYS!!" but at the same time those are tabloids and unless we get an official presscon and statement I'm not about to go open the wine bottles. Although Mao and Jun being just friends is totally cool too - if you couldn't tell from my previous post.

MaoJun randomness

I had this random thought about Mao's response to the Shukan Josei reporters about her getting married to Jun.

Her response is:  

Hahaha, if I say anything it will cause a ruckus so, I'm sorry, even after you came all this way.

Like. I can imagine the way Mao gave this reply and the thing is - what if Mao and Jun really are just friends and her thought process is something like "LOLWTF Me and Jun? Married? *dying*" and then she just texts Jun right after this happens and is like:

"Yo, some reporters just stalked me outside my place and asked me when I was going to marry you"

Jun's reply

"WTFLOL" and both of them just find it hilarious. 

Arafes 2013 Review

Arafes 2013 has come out and I realized I haven't really talked about their concerts in a while (not surprising considering how much I post here in general), but I actually have quite a few things to say about both Arafes and I wanted to do a little comparison of the two and what they changed/added etc.

What's Arashi been up to? (Singles, TV Shows... they're still busy as hell)

It's been a while since I've mentioned Arashi at all and it's mostly because I haven't been keeping up with them as much as I used too - which does not mean I love them any less, but with school and other hobbies it's kind of hard to always stay on track you know? With that being said it's not like Arashi has been lacking in the 'activity' department lately - if anything they're still going as strong as ever and boy has it been hard for me to keep up. Honestly without tumblr I would've been lost.

On to topic though - the big things that have occurred and that I remember and actually checked up on were Jun's drama, new singles Bittersweet, GUTS, and the other song for Ohno's drama (daremo shiranai? - my guess was correct!). Also some random VSA and AnS episodes I've caught up on... so, pretty much a lot to talk about within the first half year of Arashi activities - let's get started shall we?

OTP 1 - Royai

So this is where I've actually been spending most of my time while not playing video games - reading fanfiction. It all began when I decided to re-watch FMA: Brotherhood while studying for my finals because I needed something long and that I didn't need to pay attention too. I also re-read the manga just for kicks and I suddenly got overwhelmed by Royai feels and my overall love of Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang (they are just such a badass power couple) - and then after I moved on from that there was the whole thing with FFX/X-2 - Tidus x Yuna (although there is not a lot of good fic with them so that really didn't take up much of my time). Then - tumblr introduced me to Jelsa, which is Jack from RotG and Elsa from Frozen and ever since then I've just.. like. That's the end of the road - still waiting for this latest obsession to pass over but it seems like it might take a while because there's a lot of on-going fic happening that I'm dying to have finished.

So let's start with FMA


FMA Schpiel on Character Dynamics/Relations - Focus on Royai with some Ed, Al, and Team Mustang

Royai is my ultimate OTP - like hands down. It probably helps with the fact that Riza Hawkeye is my most favourite character of all time (sorry, Gin kind of got removed from that position - probably because he's been dead for so long). But Riza. Hawkeye. Like - can we just take a detour for a moment and talk about the sheer badass that she is? She doesn't know alchemy  and yet she owns everybody with just a freakin gun - like she actually manages to hold her own pretty damn well. Yeah - you can also bring in Olivier Armstrong as equally badass (if not more because I wouldn't argue with you on that point) - but I also like Riza's characterization more. She seems aloof and almost cold but she's not - maybe it's cause the story is from Ed/Al's POV (mostly) but Riza always gave me this motherly feel. She's firm with honest with the boys and you can tell they respect the hell out of her.

Everyone always goes on about Roy x Ed (which I find really fucking creepy to be honest but maybe it's cause I've always seen them as a more parental thing - Parental!Royai with Ed+Al is like.. dream fic - so good, but I'm digressing) but I feel like in reality Ed and Al feel a lot closer to Riza than they do Roy. Sure they respect Roy and he is probably the closest thing they  have had to a father figure (I feel Al is a bit more open about this than Ed would be) but with Riza I feel see both of them kind of just adoring her. She's honest, straightforward - Roy is as well but almost in a condescending way like "This is how the world is, I would've figured you guys would be used to it by now *smirk*" where as Riza stands beside him, rolls her eyes, gives the boys apologetic looks and is like "It's true but I'm sure you can handle it, you two have always been strong". And then Team Mustang is just a big group of big brothers to Ed and Al - like I see them having awesome relationships and pulling crazy dumb pranks with Havoc and Breda.

Actually I could write an entire post on what I think of Riza and Roy - because I have a lot to say on that but I'll summarize it in my next schpiel about why I love Royai and think they're the most amazing couple to ever be (they are canon damn it - they are).

Starting with my headcanon - I feel like they never really got together until after Ishval - even as friends. I feel like when they were younger Roy was always nice and courteous but Riza was too shy and quiet to interact with him much and Roy was just too busy. They weren't really friends though - they trust each other and I feel like they did share a few secrets and have a few talks but nothing close to what they have in FMA. I feel like that relationship didn't come about until Ishval and after. She didn't so much give Roy flame alchemy because he was an awesome friend and she trusted him - but more because he was the only one. It was the only way for her to let this go - to really do something with herself. She had this tattoo on her back, her dad died, and there was really no one else.

Then Ishval changed everything. She sees Roy destroying people. She herself is killing people one by one, purposely, knowingly, willingly - and it nearly breaks her. But then there is Roy again - idealistic, still shining with that goal of his he had told her way back by her fathers grave and she wants to believe. The thing is Roy was shattered too - when Roy was out there he snapped his fingers, thought about Riza, and wanted to kill himself from the guilt. Riza has always been his guilty conscience ever since she gave her back to him - up until this very moment. This role he gives to Riza never changes - but along with it forms a sense of trust, because he knows that Riza really will act as his conscience. It's not just a thought in his mind anymore, she's not just a voice in the back of his head - she is literally, physically standing behind his back telling him which way to step and how to move forward.

The thing I love about this relationship is how mutual it is. I remember someone saying they didn't like Royai because it would always bee a superior/subordinate relationship - no matter what he would be her colonel and her, his lieutenant but I feel that's not the case at all. Arakawa has shown many times that Riza doesn't give a fuck what Roy says and will disobey him if she has too. Just because they have a literal "rank" from their military jobs it doesn't mean either of them see their relationship that way. Riza just stays his lieutenant out of convenience - but Roy has never seen her as his subordinate. They are equals - completely and utterly - both on a work and emotional level. They both give each other a reason to move forward.

See - I don't see their relationship as "romantic" - I mean I enjoy reading fluffy fics about them and cute moments but I feel like their love is largely built on companionship and trust. I believe they'd had sex but it's far and in between. The first time was just based on need, a worried phonecall one night of "I can't sleep" and suddenly Roy is at her door and they're both kind of just lost and not really sure what's going on. It was consensual, they don't regret it, it didn't make anything awkward. Even now I feel like that's how it always works - you can say that's almost like having a 'friend with benefits' thing going on but I just think neither of them really believe that they should or could indulge in something so intimate - their hands are dirty, literally caked in blood - to have a normal "loving" relationship that you would see in romance novels, or movies. At least for now. The person in me that likes happy endings would like to think that after Roy becomes fuhrer they'll let themselves indulge in happiness and pleasure (and start a family). Until then though? Debatable.

With that being said I don't believe that they are dancing around each other awkwardly. I think they are both very aware of how they each feel for one another - and they don't need to say it. It's understood in the way they silently communicate, through actions, glances, and codes.

So there we go. 

This was just supposed to be a general post about Royai and Jelsa but I guess I'll move my Jelsa schpiel to another post coming soon. :)

Final Fantasy X/X-2

Raising my head from the dead. Hi - it's been a while. I've actually been doing quite a bit on the fangirl front but the main thing I was focused on in January was Final Fantasy X/X-2. I watched my brother play FFX all the way through so I've never actually played it myself - but I literally watched him play the entire time so I know everything about it. So what triggered this return back to FFX? Well the release of the FFX/X-2 HD re-master.

So what I did in January was watch a playthrough of FFX because I thought it would be a good idea and it was terrible because I will never get over the end of FFX. Ever. And the music and just the entire god damn story of the game had me rolling around in tears from beginning to end. For some reason it was even more painful watching it knowing what was going to happen because you know from day 1 that Tidus is going to disappear and somehow that just makes everything worse. So yeah - got my heart ripped out and I decided that you know what, apparently he comes back in FFX-2 so I would go and check it out.

I honestly went into FFX-2 with no idea of what the story was - I totally thought the guy in the sphere was Tidus but then all this stuff about Shuyin started happening and I was like "what the fuck no". Overall I'd say the game was OK. Like. It was enjoyable as like a fun... add-on. Kind of like an expansion pack - so in that respect the game was fine. I liked the new cast of characters (Paine, Baralai and Gippal more so than the rest) but the whole thing between Shuyin and Lenne was kind of lacking. There was no way to get into those characters so their romance was like "eh" and you kind of just feel burned at the fact that they're not Tidus and Yuna and let's be real - that's the only reason I wanted to play this game.

Of course then I beat the game and Tidus does come back (I didn't 100% it but I honestly don't feel like trying with youtube around) and it was nice. I was happy. Yay. And then there's Last Mission which I didn't play but just decided to watch the cut-scenes of and WHAT IS WITH LAST MISSION?  Like. Why is Paine saying stuff like "This might be the last time we meet" like - oh come on guys you're supposed to be friends. And from the sounds of it Yuna is living it up in Besaid with Tidus so really both of you guys could just drop  in whenever you want and she'll probably be there. None of that "もう会えないかもしれない" crap.

But moving on - so I don't really know where I'm going with this post. I really just finished X-2 last week so I just needed to get all this out so then I can tell you about other things (my recent obsession with Jelsa (Jack x Elsa from RotG and Frozen)).

What I really want to end with though is that to be honest Tidus coming back in FFX-2 didn't satisfy me, I wanted to hear about kids and babies and stuff and then I found this amazing fic called Spira's Dream (and it has two sequels and a prequel about Shuyin) and it's glorious and it's become my headacanon. Like. That story is what I firmly believe what happened after he returns in X-2 and it's glorious.

So yeah. FFX/X-2. Tidus x Yuna - a new/old OTP of mine. This game is awesome. Next game I'm moving on to? Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance because I never beat it on the gamecube (was too dumb of a kid at that time) so I will attempt to now.... in Japanese. Oh god what did I get myself in to?

Rikki - 素敵だね

(Translation Index: Here)


素敵だね - Isn't it Wonderful

風が 寄せた 言葉に
泳いだ 心
雲が 運ぶ 明日に
弾んだ 声

My heart swims
In the words that are sent by the wind.
My voice echoes
Into the tomorrow carried by the clouds.

月が 揺れる 鏡に
震えた 心
星が 流れ こぼれた
柔らかい 涙

My heart trembles
In the mirror of the shaking moon.
The stars spill out like a stream
Of gentle tears.    

素敵だね
二人手をとり 歩けたなら
行きたいよ
キミの街 家 腕の中

Isn't it wonderful,
If we could walk hand in hand
I'd want to go
To your town, your home, into your arms.

その胸
からだあずけ
宵にまぎれ
夢見る

That heart,
entrusted into that body,
Is lost in the night.
And I dream.

風は 止まり 言葉は
優しい 幻
雲は 破れ 明日は
遠くの 声

The words that stop the wind
Are a gentle illusion.
The tomorrow which breaks through the clouds
Is a faraway voice.

月が にじむ 鏡を
流れた 心
星が 揺れて こぼれた
隠せない 涙

The mirror which blurs the moon
Is your flowing heart.
The stars shake and spill out
Like tears that can't be hidden.

素敵だね
二人手をとり 歩けたなら
行きたいよ
キミの街 家 腕の中

Isn't it wonderful,
If we could walk hand in hand
I'd want to go
To your town, your home, into your arms.

その顔
そっと触れて
朝に溶ける
夢見る

That face,
When I touch it gently,
Dissolves into the morning.
And I dream.