mayoraasei: (Ugh)
Watched Ouran Koukou Host Club live drama yesterday, which means I've attempted 3 out of the 5 crossdressing dramas this season.

It was only 30 minutes long and my face looked like my icon 80% of the time.

It wasn't wholly bad. I thought Yamamoto was actually okay as Tamaki. He's certainly gone into it with the gusto that Miyano (anime) had and manage to sound like he really believes the idiocy he's spewing. Hani wasn't bad either...actually most of the boys were tolerable. What annoyed me most was Haruhi. I had doubts of her acting in Yankee-kun to Megane-chan (another film that was sadly buoyed by its male leads and sunk by its female). She reduced Haruhi to simple wide-eyed incomprehension. And I know Haruhi didn't make an effort to act male, but at least Maaya (anime) gave Haruhi a convincingly unisexual voice. This girl looks so stiffened and bored by the exercise -___- The other thing that really ruins it is the cheap special effects. When the plastic pumping heart popped out I had no words...

Hanakimi version 2 was as boring as predicted. I have no love for Maeda or Maki, but I thought Maeda does a better job as a crossdressing tomboy, simply because Maki's fault in all her roles is she's so shy and self-conscious and wary of showing any passion. Again the actors overall were passable but who wants to see a rehash of something that pointless anyway? The reason Gokusen succeeded was because they actually changed the class structure and introduced different conflicts each season.

Ikemen desu ne I thought was probably the best of the lot. Takimoto is a fairly new face on the block but she really gets into her role (unlike Maki) without going overboard (like Naka Riisa is frequently guilty of doing). I didn't think much of Tamamori in Gokusen movie but he's convincingly aloof and ill-tempered here. Hikaru is adorable as the comedic baka of the group but I really hope he doesn't get tied up in idol dramas like these. He was the best of the lot in Orthros no Inu (surprising...since it was like his first drama) and I think he'll benefit much more by following Toma's lead in taking up interesting side roles and branching into more serious stuff in theatres. However, the ratings have been unremarkable (although not quite as abysmal as Hanakimi) and unless it works its way up (which it might) I can't see it being a good launch platform for Kis-My-Ft, which is clearly the plan.

On a not dissimilar subject....

The reviews for Captain America have been rolling in and it seems to me there are basically two types of reviews.

One goes like this: CAPTAIN AMERICA. Man it's been a long wait. Aww look, Human Torch shrunk down to squirrel size. WOW was that Howard Stark? Super soldier time, YEAH!! Red skull~! COSMIC CUBE!!! Hugo Weaving is so cool, dude! OMG HOWLING COMMANDOS. Yay Captain America kicking ass. Yay Captain America throws his shield. YAY CAPTAIN AMAERICA'S SHIELD-THROWING SOUND EFFECTS!!! Hah...we already know what's gonna happen. See. Teehee Nick Fury so badass. Credits! Cap back on again! Aha Tony Stark! Thor! THE AVENGERS!!!!!!! *Dies in fanboy heaven*

And the other version goes like this: okay so here's ANOTHER superhero movie, the THIRD of the season seriously th-...wow what cheapo obvious CG face-planting effects (*). Stark Industries sounds familiar. Uh what, the head of Nazis isn't a guy with bad face prosthesis! ...WTF is this some magic cube giving the Nazis LASER WEAPONS?? Uhh okay so is this SUPERHERO dude going to just...throw his shield and run really fast? WHERE ARE HIS SUPERHERO SUPERPOWERS?? ...Man what's up with those tacky-looking sidekicks. Huh. HUH?? Okay so WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS MOVIE DOESN'T END. ........Right. The Avengers. So this movie was a 100 minute commercial for another movie coming out next year? FAIL.

[*] It's amazing how many critics said Chris Evans face was stuck onto a double's body when he spent all of his interviews saying how they decided NOT to do that.

In other words the reviews are completely unreliable since the critics who like it tend to be the ones who've paid attention to the news and knows the plot before seeing the film, and the other side is people who just DGAF. Also it's funny to read the huge contrast in the perception of the Captain America character, from he is so flat and boring and bland, to he is the perfect morally upright character with very little character flaws that hark back to retro hero ideals.

.......Now I don't even know if I want to watch it at all since I know half of the plot already Orz
mayoraasei: (Jdrama)
I come, bearing horrible news (and the 3rd day of the meme).

This summer, for the first time ever, three dramas are coming to Japanese TV...

Three dramas, all about a girl crossdressing and a horde of supposed bishounen.

Three dramas that will bring ruin upon us all...well, at least upon themselves.

Three dramas that unfortunately take their roots from very popular source material.

WHY, JAPAN, WHY???!?!


Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (aka "HanaKimi")
Coinciding with Maeda Atsuko's (AKB48 front girl) solo debut. The original production team has been brought back to redo this drama, which simply does not make sense. The script for the series that screened, what, 4 years ago absolutely sucked, and that is one role I'm sure Oguri Shun wish he never did. That said, the stars for the original series (Maki, Shun and Toma) are still very current and famous, so remaking it almost seems like biting their thumb at these guys. Maeda's performance in Q10 was so atrocious that I can already foresee myself not being able to sit through the first episode. Besides, no one can take Toma's place, he alone made the original series watchable.

Ouran Koukou Host Club
YES, you read that clearly. YES, after years and years of fans concommittantly fantasising about and dreading this happening...it is happening. Tamaki is going to be Yamamoto Yusuke, who was the psychic guy in HanaKimi and I can't say I'm going to like him, although I can rather imagine him doing a cringeworthy representation of Tamaki's exuberant narcissism. Haruhi is not going to be Maki, thank god, but Kawaguchi Haruna, who for one thing is at least still in high school, and though she wasn't a good actress from the last two dramas I've seen with her, at least she tries to act. That said...she's not a good actress. Ugh.

You're Beautiful
People who watch Korean dramas would know what I'm talking about. YES. THAT ONE. This is going to be a Johnny's fare with two Kis-Mai-Ft 2 boys fronting the band and Yaotome Hikaru (HSJ) to round off the third, and supposedly with "cameos of real stars" (i.e. this is going to be Shounen Club). Presumably this is to coincide with KMF2's delayed CD release. I've never watched KMF2 performances but my friend assures me that they can't sing. On the other hand, while Hikaru isn't the best singer in HSJ I believe he can sing AND act (IMO he stole the show in Orthros no Inu), which might just even things out. Especially since the only thing I remember about Tamamori's appearance in Gokusen the Movie is that it is utterly immemorable, even though he was supposedly a major character. I have never heard of the girl, Takimoto Miori, but she looks kinda spunky.

So there you go...some crossdressing fun (or bad camp) to look forward to.

OMG What am I gonna do with my time for the next three months DDDDDD=

Day 3 ~ Character you'd date )
mayoraasei: There is no such thing as coincidence (Default)
Remember a long time ago when I briefly mentioned The Horror called "Koutetsu Sangokushi"? Which is an adaptation of the story of the three kingdoms that's approximately as respectful as, say, Gintama is of Meiji era Japan, except it takes itself seriously *shudders*

I was going to post these pics up earlier, because I went on a mad capping spree when I realised how BUTCHERED the characters were...

And then my brain bled too much from the thought to post them up.

Well, you can now suffer with me. )

In other news...The Gundam00 website is now open, even though most of the pages are empty. I want to know who the cast are!!! ;__; (100 points if it has Miyano Mamoru!! *Snickers*)

But for now, here's a pretty screencappie of a TV promo(?)

I still can't get over the fact that the person who did the character designs wrote Loveless Orz

At least the characters look less......candy-like *cough*Hirai Hisashi*cough*person who did Gundam SEED*cough*

I mean...if they all participate in Leukaemia Foundation's the World's Greatest Shave...you'd still be able to tell them apart afterwards. Unlike GS characters.



Am putting a pause in my string of "Nyaaa" avatars XD This one features Mikan and Hotaru from Gakuen Alice, one of the best Oobeshimi/Shikami combos in shoujo anime XDDD

So this is 般若...I always thought it was some weird Taiwanese translation ==; Hannya Kyouya senpai...LOL!! The other masks are interesting, too bad I know next to nothing about Japanese theatre.
mayoraasei: There is no such thing as coincidence (Default)
This is kinda belated, but I finally went and found the translated version of Tamaki's image song (*person who generally ignores lyrics, especially if the song starts with crash bang "tssuuuuuuumi waaaaaa")

The crime is that God created me beautifully
I'm wrong to be reflected in your eyes
The punishment is that I'm overfilled with love
Nevertheless, I'll still love you, right?
GUILTY BEAUTY LOVE

Open the door, take a step forward, and welcome to the world of your dreams
I'll escort you, kneel, and kiss your hand
Even a shy goddess looked back at the LUCKY GUY
Because I'll heal your tired heart

The crime is that everything I touch falls in love
It's completely not your fault for having your heart stolen
The punishment is that I infinitely offer up love
Nevertheless, you'll still touch me, right?
GUILTY BEAUTY LOVE

The moon appearing at night is me, and you, who embraces and burns, are the sun
We meet and it's so blindingly bright that shadows can't form
When I deliver a bouquet of passion, CUTIE LADY
Here, you're always a Heroine

The crime is that God gave me these lips
I'm wrong to have invited you into a dream
The punishment is that I'm overloaded with love
Nevertheless, you're still charmed by me, right?
GUILTY BEAUTY HEART



HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No wonder Hatori said in her freetalk "環!!你怎麽可以那麽自戀?!我覺得寫這首歌的人是天才!"

*噴飯*

能一口氣唱下來的宮野前輩也不簡單!!*Worships Miyano-san* And he sang it with such conviction XDDD

(偶爾會想象一個真人在那裏說這些話……不由得狂黑綫,忽然非常同情鏡夜……)

*weeps*

23 Sep 2006 09:39 pm
mayoraasei: (Ugh)
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HOST CLUB?!?!?!

*Weeps*

Tamaki-dono~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Haruhi~~~~~~~~~~~

Hikaru~~~~~~~~~~~ (Sucks to have Shinn's VA...must be some curse. This guy had his romance with Haruhi utterly obliterated).

Kyouya~~~~~~~~~~~

I hate the stupid sappiness of the anime. Why?! WHY?!?!? The manga managed to go through Tamaki's problems without piling on the angst, and it moves Tamaki from idiot territory into "kind-hearted easy-going forgiving idiot" territory, rather than sap and angst and melodrama. And why did they have to destroy Kyouya's coolness?!? I, for one, support the use of stomping as punishment!

Oh well, one more week of this crap and I can forget all about it. I hope the manga does the ending better. It's not that I don't want Tamaki together with Haruhi...I just hate how sappy it is. Ugh.



PS: Did anyone else watch Jericho Thursday night? I thought it was interesting Oo; I like the rich range of characters, for one thing.
mayoraasei: There is no such thing as coincidence (Default)
For those of you who watch Ouran Koukou Host Club, I highly recommend watching this:

luna_rainbow will not be responsible for any psychological damage caused

LOL. Best viewed right after watching the original opening.

It cracked me up so much XDD
mayoraasei: There is no such thing as coincidence (Default)
Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhh damn Taiwanese translation taking so bloody long!!! (I say this every time)

Went to Kino and bought the newest LALA. Managed to understand about 30% of what I was reading ~~;;;;;

Vampire Knight 19 )
Host Club 41 )
Penguin Revolution 20 )

...Whew, now that's done.
mayoraasei: There is no such thing as coincidence (Default)
Awww....wasn't quite as funny as I hoped.

They didn't set traps for each other, and Tamaki didn't get the butt of their traps =( That was the funny part in the manga, because it just proved that they were scripting the traps (so that Tamaki falls into them)

The voyeuristic camera angle is really quite something...LOL.

I prefer Kaoru's voice when he's fighting ==;;; I don't like how he purposely makes his voice higher and lighter than Hikaru's. At least in this episode most of them time he actually sounded like Hikaru and not so distinguishable. For the last few episodes as soon as one of them spoke by themselves, I knew which one was which ==;;; It was really obvious.

Hmm, at least Hikaru still sounds better than Shinn when he's yelling =P



PS: Jyuu-ou-sei really is quite interesting. I'm actually liking it a lot more than I thought I could. Even though it looked sort of fantasy-ish (it reminded me a bit of Aslan Senki - which I haven't actually watched), it's actually sci-fi with a bit of the feel of "Lord of the Flies". The main character is really resilient, even though the girl is a bit annoying for someone who's supposedly a second leader.
mayoraasei: There is no such thing as coincidence (Eria)
Recommend~!

Okay, to be really honest, Host Club requires an audience somewhat familiar with anime/manga/gaming and Japanese fangirl/fetish culture, because these are the main objects of satirisation. Otherwise it might be a bit disturbing - a bunch of rich high school kids getting together and forming a "Host Club". The concept of "host" doesn't seem to have a neutral equivalent in English, but the closest word is probably "gigolo". The existence of "hosts" and the female equivalent of high school girls being paid by businessmen to spend time with them is quite different to our perception of prostitution. They are paid to spend time with their clients, but it could be anything from as innocuous as going to karaoke together to getting a hotel room. The other thing is...although hosts are generally bought out by older women (yes, often hosts are about high school age boys >_>;;;), their client might also be male too, which is probably a bit different from the gigolo definition.

Host Club is pure comedy, employing some of the same devices which made Furuba so funny (making fun of typical animation conventions, for one thing). Haruhi's also one of the very few female main characters that I actually like, and probably the only normal presence that anchor the entire club down >_> (Kyouya just let's Tamaki run wild...)


Episode 4 thoughts! )
mayoraasei: There is no such thing as coincidence (Default)
Changed my icon ^///^

Eria is so cute~~~~

Anyway, that wasn't the point of this post.

Managed to download the Chinese subbed version of Host Club today!

It was more or less what I expected: a little less-than-flashy production, it's such an unfortunate fact that shoujo rarely get picked up by large companies with enough interest to make them into something really impressive.

I'm quite impressed by Sakamoto Maaya, who has had fairly limited scope in anime. I'm a little disappointed (once again), that she didn't sing a song for this. Her latest appearances were in Tsubasa as Tomoyo, and Gundam Seed Destiny as Lunamaria, which were both very girly roles. But here, she manages to bring to Haruhi a deeper voice that is at most times convincingly male and at others, cute without being excessively girly.

Tamaki, on the other hand, is a little unmemorable. I was probably hoping for an exaggerated and theatrical performance more similar to Ayame.

Honey-senpai doesn't sound quite as like Momiji (despite having the same voice actress) as I hoped *sniff* ...He sounds like a girl, and surprisingly, it doesn't feel strange.

The twins are interesting - I can actually tell the voices apart. I'm not sure whether to feel proud or depressed by the achievement, because the only reason I can tell them apart is because I recognise Shinn Asuka's voice in Hikaru =o=||||||||| (Yes, same voice actor). The other guy has a higher, lighter voice.

I hope it gets funnier from here on. "Pilots" are usually a bit bogged down by introductions.

-------------------

Edit: Okay, I just found out that for the Host Club drama CD, Hoshi Souichirou (Kira) did Hikaru and Suzumura Kenichi (Shinn) did Kaoru. *Goes and hides in corner* Gah! I want to hear the two of them...........as the twins. BWAHAHAHA! (No, seriously, imagine, Kira and Shinn...as the twins....BWAHAHAHAHA) Damn, I want to hear it now >.<









Drama CDAnime

Fujioka Haruhi
Suou Tamaki
Ootori Kyouya
Hitachiin Hikaru
Hitachiin Kaoru
Haninozuka Mitsukuni
Morinozuka Takashi

Hisakawa Aya
Midorikawa Hikaru
Suwabe Jun'ichi
Hoshi Souichiro
Suzumura Ken'ichi
Ootani Ikue
Tsuda Kenjirou

Sakamoto Maaya
Miyano Mamoru
Matsukaze Masaya
Suzumura Kenichi
Fujita Yoshinori
Saito Ayaka
Kirii Daisuke

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mayoraasei: There is no such thing as coincidence (Default)
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