Arashi - Ai wo Sakebe review [Single + Performance]

As promised in my Japonism album review, I will be reviewing Ai wo Sakebe. Mainly because it wasn't on the album so I couldn't talk about it there, and also because I actually have quite a bit to say about this single. So, first up I will talk about each of the individual tracks, then the PV+Making, and then... I don't have any of the performances downloaded on my computer, but I watched all of them (I think?) so I'll review whatever performance I can find still streaming online.

Before I start, I just want to say the thing about this single was that I was really surprised when it came out because I had totally forgotten about it. It's the song to a wedding CM or something right? I'm still not really sure what it was for, but yeah. So, when it came out I wasn't excited or happy, I was just downright confused and sort of blah, because weddings. Blergh. But... in the end, I was pleasantly surprised.

Arashi - Japonism review

Hello. It has been a while again, especially on the Arashi front. I didn't do a review of AoKimi or Ai wo Sakebe. The latter I really should review though because I actually liked it (and I say actually because I was not interested in it in the beginning). But, before I get to that, a more important thing. Arashi's 14th album has been released as of today, Japonism, and as per the usual I will be giving a review of it.

Digitalian Concert - Quick Thoughts

These are literally just random thoughts I have while watching the concert - in point form.

• Ever since the LOVE concert I realized that having the Japanese subs makes watching the concert 50,000x more fun (cause I can sing along).... my download doesn't have the subs. =( Oh well. 
• Jun's heart rate is ridiculous, like how is he alive o_o
• The opening to the concert is so cool =D ommmgggg
• Cool costumes, Asterisk has a pretty sweet dance
• Wonderful... are these guys part of a cool boy band or sassy girl group (SORRY BUT SERIOUSLY THE DANCE JUST MAKES ME THINK THAT)
• Aiba is so fucking precious this guy omg, Disco Star, I can't even. DISCO STAR-SAMAAAAAA - I would've been yelling that so hard if I had been there
• I think... I mean, I love Aiba's solo but there is something about Sho's performance of Hey Yeah!! that makes me like and enjoy the song so much more than I originally did--and I already like Sho's solo to begin with. So. Great for him. Although the speech in the beginning...
• Seriously "Who are your real people" for 友達って何だろう (tomodachitte nandarou) (I think that is what the Japanese on the background screens say). Who gave that a green light? Why couldn't they just stick with "Who are your friends" or if you really want to have the word "real" in there for emphasis... "Who are you real friends" - but "real people"? 
• But shit I really love Sho's solo and ommmg the background video to his solo looks so cool, I actually wish they'd release a separate video just for it
• And I'll admit I do think the opening speech mixed with what his song is talking about... works really well... except not sure why he thought to do it in English--I guess cause it sounds cooler?
• Actually, I think it's entirely due to how awesome the backing video is for Sho's solo that I am so impressed with his performance
• By the way, for anyone who even remembers my review of The Digitalian album, I've gotten over how fucking weird One Step sounds in the album -- don't get me wrong, I've always liked the song but it doesn't weird me out inside the album anymore either
• I never understood why people were so happy they sang Love Wonderland but I think this is like how Intergalatic worked during the LOVE con -- I love the song in concert but outside of it I'm still pretty meh about it. 
• Performance is seriously all different sorts of cute and adorable though
• ...I really wish they would stop putting in the FULL instructions of their next section in to the MC part of the DVD and actually give us the entire god damn MC. DAMN IT.
• Nino's solo is... uh. Yeah. Whatever
• Surprisingly, I like Jun's solo better than Ohno's 
• The thing is Jun's song was never that interesting for me and in terms of performances this has to be his most tone-downed performance since... 2004? But I feel like his dancing has actually improved a lot and therefore, despite being quite toned down, it still ended up being really interesting and entertaining
• Ohno on the other hand is still better at dancing than Jun but... his choreo for his solo was pretty sparse--I mean it had the usual Ohno style of being very smooth and flowy but without much "wow" factor, so I felt like I didn't get much out of it--I could have just listened the song by itself and felt the same.
• I looooove the costumes for Tell Me Why and TRAP (and btw yes the performance was pretty damn awesome, nice choreo Ohno :D)
• The costume change from TRAP to Troublemaker.... how......? 
• How long do you think they had to practice Hope in the Darkness for them to perfect it because daaaaaaaamn o_o
• I feel bad for Sho since he's the bass--he has to move his arm the entire song ^^;; 
• Always like this song but whenever I hear it now I'm going to remember this performance and just get so many feels omg seriously, so freakin' cool!
• Finding it slightly amusing how Ohno is so graceful, Nino looks like he's having spasms, and Sho, Jun and Aiba are pretty much being robots--especially Jun, his face is so serious
• After seeing just how dead serious ALL of them were, it's nice to see them smile again for Zero-G
• And now we're at the 15th year anniversary medley. I won't do every song but some quick thoughts regardless:
• I think it's nice that they wore their BLAST costume for this 
• Also I realized the banners on the side of their hot air balloons has the logos for all their past concerts, that's pretty cool actually
• Jun looks like he's having a blast during Kotoba Yori
• OMG the members with each group of juniors starting from Sakura Sake is so cute! ^_^
• Matsumiya moment during Happiness :D
• I wish they had sang Truth instead of One Love for 2008 =( Haven't heard that song being performed in a while
• I think it says a lot that I.. know the last song they sang was from the album but I do not remember the name at all... it was the song I said was a typical Arashi song. Kimi something? 

Okay, these are my thoughts on the latest concert DVD. Also yes I have watched DVD 3 and this was one of the best things they've done. I loved watching them make takoyaki xD Also copious amounts of Jun, yaaay. But more dressing room shenanigans would be nice--I guess they really don't do shit like that though. 

One thing I really want though is I wish Jun could be on Jounetsu Tairiku. It's the show that did a documentary of Nino in 2006/2007 when he was doing Iwo Jima and Marathon. I want them to do one one Jun when he plans concerts, but I guess they'd never release something like that. Damn it. I love watching him do stuff like that though and I'm glad we got to see more of it recently. I wonder when he started? It can't have been right away.... 2006? 2005? ...2004?! (he was only 21 at that time!!). I really wonder. 

Anyway, enough rambling!

Arashi - Sakura review [single + performance]

Our first Arashi single of the year which surprisingly is not related to anything Arash is doing at all.... although it is the theme song to the drama Ouroboros which happens to star MatsuJun's two BFF's Ikuta Toma and Oguri Shun! (side note: it's pretty good so far, I am impressed).

I'll be doing a review of just the songs and the three performances (the two music station ones and the Shiyagare one) - the making of I will talk about in a separate post because I actually have quite a few thoughts on it.

Let's go!

Paper Mario: Sticker Star + Child of Light

Ey-yo, it's been about a month since I last made any posts and boy are you going to get a lot of posts this coming weekend because a lot of things have happened regarding Arashi and I need to talk about these things, but first! The most important thing - within the month that I disappeared I have played two games and these are Paper Mario: Sticker Star and Child of Light.

They were both relatively short games, so I'm just going to be really brief with my thoughts which is why they're going to be squished in to one post. Ready? Let's go!

Bravely Default

I finally finished playing Bravely Default the other weekend - took approx 105hrs. I didn't 100% it, I was trying too (hence the extended hours) but partway through and with 4 or 5 jobs remaining I was like.. you know what, I'd rather just go and beat the boss now, thank you very much.

But anyway - let's talk about this game shall we? (This isn't necessarily a game review, I just want to talk about it).

*WARNING SPOILERS*

Stravaganza Series by Mary Hoffman

I went on a trip to Italy for the first time this winter and it brought back a wave of nostalgia for a certain book series that I had absolutely adored as a child. In fact I loved it so much I "tried" (I told myself I would try) to learn Italian and dreamed of going to the beautiful city of Venice. 11 years later the dream of going to Venice finally came true - but I'm not making this post to talk about Venice. I want to talk about the book series.

This series is not well known from what I understand, but is called Stravaganza by Mary Hoffman. The series consists of six books, it started with three (which I had read when I was 9) and then apparently she had written three more, which I have just finished reading now. The book is set both in our modern London, England, and in an alternate version if Italy, named Talia, from 400 years ago. The premise of each book is quite simple - an unhappy teenager from Barnsbury Comprehensive finds a special talisman that transports them to a specific city in Talia where they go, change, and ultimately help to save the day.

The thing about this series, is that I love it, and I would recommend, but it is not amazing nor is it out of this world. It's no Tamora Pierce novel, no Harry Potter, but it is sweet, simple, and I truly understood why, as a child, I adored the books so much. With that being said, it's simplicity leads to cliches, lots of eye-rolling moments, and a bit too many happy coincidences. While the first three books were very strong, and ended on a good (but still open-ended note) - I feel the last three books, particularly the final ones, are lacking. With that being said, let me get started talking about each book, give a very brief summary and basically the thoughts I associate with each book.