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ファイト／ステイナイト 
Thanks to some commenters, I'm reminded that there will be some interesting drama adaptation coming this Spring. The one that might be of interest to Nodame Cantabile drama fans is probably Last Friends because this is a drama starring Ueno Juri, Eita, and Mizukawa Asami. It's like a Nodame Cantabile drama reunion except one without Tamaki Hiroshi. I'm also interested to see Zettai Kareshi since this is Watase Yuu's adaptation of the same manga. I find it amusing because the story is about a girl who falls in love with a robot. I wonder if this means Fushigi Yuugi will be adapted next (imagine the "Miaka!!" and "Tamahome!!" lines that the actors get to say in the drama). Anyway, Zettai Kareshi stars Aibu Saki, who's reunited with her Rengatta co-star, Hayami Mokomichi, who plays the robot in question. There are also other titles like Osen, which stars Aoi Yuu. What I have here are brief descriptions of Japanese dramas that I'm interested in, as well as the actors who are involved in them. I'll probably give the first episode of several series a try but I'm not sure yet if I'm going to cover them permanently. The list below are not comprehensive but if you're interested to see what else are on offer, Tokyo Graph and Drama Wiki have the complete list. With that said, which dramas you'll be watching this season?
Source: Tokyo Graph | Drama Wiki
December 24, 2007 | 
12 Comments
As one of my Christmas presents, I got Blade Runner: The Final Cut special edition briefcase. This is one hell of awesome boxset, if you can call it that because it's more than that. I'll talk more about this next time after I have the chance to take photos of the boxset. For now, however, I just want to jot down my thoughts on the film. I didn't actually like Blade Runner the first and second time I watched it. My first exposure to the film happened because I was a student of media studies and Blade Runner was one of the requisite film noir that I had to watch. I fell asleep the first time I watched it. I didn't have the patience for the slow burning nature of the film. The same thing happened again when I tried to watch the film for the second time. Fast forward a few years later, I played the video game inspired by the film. I enjoyed the game immensely and from that game, I got a thorough understanding of how the world of Blade Runner works. Armed with this new interest from the game, I tried to watch the film again. This time around I loved the film and actually able to grasp its finer details. Anyway, before I go further, be aware that this article contains spoilers.
December 22, 2007 | 14 Comments
Hachikuro 15-Sec CM (YouTube video)
Hachikuro 30-Sec CM (YouTube video)
It's obvious that I've been living in a cave that I didn't even know until now that there will be a Honey and Clover live action drama coming up on the 8th of January next year. Just when I thought they can't milk this even more, Fuji TV proved me wrong. If the movie was good, I might have been more receptive towards this one but the movie was a disaster so I'm wary about this drama. Thankfully they get the casting of Takemoto right this time around. Ikuta Toma definitely looks more like Takemoto than Sakurai Shou. And it's not like Shou was an acting powerhouse in the first place so he will not be missed. Unfortunately they decide to cast Narimiya Hiroki as Morita. Sorry to his fangirls but I dislike him very much. I find his 'acting' to be the worst part of NANA: the movie. I wish they had cast Eita as Morita. As for the rest, the girls who'll play Hagu and Ayu and the guy who'll play Mayama look okay. Also, that Hirai Ken's theme song is awesome.
Well, I now have seen Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In general, I'm far more satisfied with the film than the book but they both are better than the 6th book, The Half-Blood Prince. If I have to compare the series with something else, I think the series suffers from the same problem that plague long-running Shounen anime series. From book 6 and forward, the series ended up with some unnecessary paddings which slows down the pace of the series. This is the danger of setting a specific target for a series completion. The series can appear rushed or padded. I think it would have been better if Rowling had ended the series naturally instead of aiming to achieve certain book numbers. Anyway, below are my attempt at reviewing the 5th film and the 7th book. As such, anything below this line are full of spoilers. If you haven't seen the 5th film or read the 7th book, look away now.
December 9, 2006 | 41 Comments
Bistro SMAP is basically a cooking segment from SMAPxSMAP, a variety show produced by all 5 members of SMAP. In addition to cooking and interviewing their guests, all 5 members perform sketch comedy, competing in games, and perform song and dance routine. The cooking segment itself is usually hosted by Nakai Masahiro while the other four members form two groups and compete against each other to see who can produce the best dish for their guests. While the idea of singers working as chefs may sound absurd, SMAP members were apparently trained as professional chefs so the quality of their cooking is commendable. This particular segment is special because it features the two stars of Nodame Cantabile drama, Ueno Juri (Noda "Nodame" Megumi) and Tamaki Hiroshi (Chiaki Shinichi). The actual airdate was actually the 4th of December 2006. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to blog this until now.
November 11, 2006 | 30 Comments
Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru - Trailer (11.8MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
I mentioned in an entry below that Miyazaki Aoi decided not to reprise her role as Hachi in NANA 2 movie. Out of interest, I decided to find out which film she ends up starring in instead. Much to my surprise, the film is Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru. I've been keeping track of this film's progress for a while because it's an adaptation of Ichikawa Takuji's novel, Renai Shashin: Mou Hitotsu no Monogatari. Lately, however, I've forgotten about it and it's not until today I found out that it's been released in Japan on the 28th of October this year. Ichikawa Takuji's previous movie adaptation, Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu, was one of the best films I've had the pleasure to see so I hope that this one will be as good as that one. Anyway, this film stars Tamaki Hiroshi (Nodame Cantabile) and Miyazaki Aoi (NANA). The main theme is performed by Otsuka Ai and titled Renai Shashin. I've included the trailer as well since the one on the official site is a pain to stream.
Source: Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru (Heavenly Forest) - Official Site
November 5, 2006 | 37 Comments
I think this is a decent adaptation of the anime series. It's not as good as Nodame Cantabile live action, which takes the crown for the best live-action adaptation this season. I think this is because unlike that series, the actors in Jigoku Shoujo are not as talented. Iwata Sayuri herself is not that convincing in her role as Enma Ai. Most of the time she looks wooden and appears as if she's a deer caught in a headlight. The casts who play Ichimoku Ren, Hone-Onna, and Wanyuudou are decent in their role but they are not outstanding either. Speaking of actors, the actress who plays the victim of the week, Odaka Anna, reminds me a bit of Hayashibara Megumi for some reason. Overall, the series is a faithful reproduction of the anime but it doesn't add anything to it. It's not even scary at all, which is a bit disappointing since Japanese live-action horror usually are quite good when it comes to providing a good scare.
October 30, 2006 | 23 Comments
I am pretty much sold on this series. When I started watching it, I was simply looking for something that is different from all of the anime that I cover here. I never thought that I will like the characters and their story so much. The thing is, I wasn't that enthused about the musical part of the story. I do like one or two classical musics but I wouldn't call myself a big fan. Having said that, sometimes I regret the fact that I wasn't serious about learning Piano when I was a kid because when I see a friend playing Piano so well, I wish I could have done the same thing. Speaking of classical music, I decided to rip the Ending theme if you haven't had the chance to see it. It's only in PSP/Quicktime format though since I haven't done proper compression on the AVi version. Anyway, the summary will be shorter this time around although I still haven't been able to figure out how to condense a one hour show into 12 paragraphs or less sentences.
October 19, 2006 | 27 Comments
Well, I've been wanting to see this ever since I saw the announcement for the series. Although I haven't read the manga, I know that it's one of the more popular shoujo series. I have to say that the first episode is quite unusual, so to speak. There are some weird visual clues like the monkey creatures swinging from right to left screen to reveal the next scene. In addition to this, the actions of the characters are highly exaggerated at times. Having said that, I enjoyed the first episode thanks to its characters and comedy. Although speaking of comedy, I regret my decision in googling the meaning of 'Scatologist'. I don't think I could ever see Mozart in the same way again now. Anyway, I think it's worth giving the series a look although I realise that most people won't be willing to waste 1.34GB on this episode alone.
The only people who are interested in this light infomercial are probably just Honey and Clover fans. This is basically Chou-VIP (Super VIP) program featuring Kudou Haruka promoting Hachikuro Cafe. I wrote about the place in Kongetsu the last time I went to Japan. I haven't had the chance to revisit the place at the moment but I may do that just to see if there is any interesting merchandise being sold at the moment. Plus, that melon pan and mango juice look delicious. I wish I was around when the cafe still had the full menu though. I want to taste that blue cheese pizza with honey but never had the chance to do so. When I first visited the cafe, the menu consists mostly of drinks.
Anyway, Kudou Haruka looks cute especially when she says "Oishii" after she bit the melonpan. Having said that, I can't help but wonder if the bread is as delicious as she claims it is. Japanese TV personalities tend to claim that everything is delicious when they are on TV. It's really funny when you watch this food adventure program because no matter what kind of food they eat, they always say it's delicious. In addition to this, they always have different facial expression everytime they say the word. Anyway, the sudden appearances of this infomercial as well as other Honey and Clover related promo means that the film will come to the cinema soon. I am actually excited to see it after I saw the full trailer.
Watch the trailer (Quicktime Movie)
I just came back from watching Death Note live action and it turned out to be a rather good adaptation of the manga. The film came with several trailers including a full trailer of Honey and Clover live action. Watching film in Japanese cinema turns out to be a rather expensive experience since the film itself will set you back 1300 Yen (around $13 dollar). If you do want to watch something, I recommend buying pre-purchased ticket from ticket seller because not only the price is usually similar to the one you buy from the box office, you actually get a better looking ticket (the promotional poster is printed in the ticket). The cinema also sells promotional items related to the film so I couldn't resist buying the live action movie guide (700 Yen). In Japan, you can also bring hot foods into the screening and the cinema actually sells things like french fries and Takoyaki. So if you're not careful, a trip to the cinema can go up to 3000 Yen (around $30) in one go.
*Please do not direct link to the pictures or reproduced them elsewhere. If you want to link, link to this article instead.
The official pictures for the live action adaptation of Honey and Clover finally emerged in Japanese fashion magazine, Non-No. Now that the official pictures are out, people will undoubtedly going to start judging whether or not the actors live up to the way they see the characters. Personally, I think the actor who plays Takemoto, Sakurai Shou, doesn't look that similar to Takemoto. But that's probably because Takemoto is my favourite character and therefore I tend to be more critical of the actor who's going to play him. On the other hand, I think both Hagumi and Harada look very similar to their character. I also feel the same way about the actors who play Morita and Mayama but I've been told that many people disagree with this assessment. Last but not least, Shuuji looks a bit older in my opinion but I suppose the actor will do fine.
This is one of those times where I wonder about my obsession with certain series. I always knew that I like Hachikuro a lot but I realised that I've become obsessed with it when I decided to buy the movie ticket for a film that will be screened in Japan. This means I will have to travel all the way back to Japan again just to see the film. My rational mind told me that this is insane because the film will probably turn out to be bad. But that didn't stop me from asking my friend to buy it for me. I supposed it helps that you get this nifty little Hachikuro coins when you buy the ticket. But I also thought it'll be nice to go back to Japan again. Well, now that the ticket has arrived, I supposed there's no turning back. The tickets look so good and it came in this transparent paper bag. The coins are even better than the wooden one that Hagu got from Morita. There are two coin types. The first one is a gold-coloured with bee motif while the other is silver-coloured 4-leaves clover motif.
In movie-related news, the official site for the movie reported that Spitz will sing the film's main theme song while Suga Shikao and Arashi will provide the ending theme for the film. For the main theme, Spitz will create an all new song titled「魔法のコトバ」- Mahou no Kotoba. On the other hand, Suga Shikao will compose and write a lyric for the ending theme,「アオゾラペダル」- Aozora Pedal, which will then be performed by Arashi. This is the first time Spitz actually writes a theme song for a film. This is also the first time that Suga Shikao offers to write a new musical piece for a movie. Hmm, I thought he wrote the music for xxxHOLiC movie but maybe I'm wrong. The site states that the artist's collaboration work should be on sale this summer. Last but not least, the last volume of Hachikuro DVD will be on sale this April the 28th and will contain episode 22, 23, and 24 of the original TV broadcast. Anyway, here are scans of the movie ticket bag/coins:
Ticket bag, Front
Ticket bag, Back
The coins
Since I'm going to include the upcoming Nana anime into my watching list next season, I figure I should check out the movie adaptation first just to compare and contrast it with the anime later on. I have to admit that I was rather apprehensive about this movie because the majority of manga to live action conversion usually don't end up well. Thankfully this turns out to be an exception. Most of these can be attributed to Nakashima Mika and Miyazaki Aoi's performance as Nana and Hachi. Both of them manage to convey the friendship between the two characters quite well. Having said that, this does't mean that this is a perfect adaptation. I personally disagree with some of the casting choices. But this is just a minor point and in general the movie gives me hope that the anime adaptation will turn out well.
February 3, 2006 | 20 Comments
The full trailer for the movie adaptation of Silent Hill is finally here and it does look really good and far removed from the cheese and embarassment of other video games to movie adaptation. A teaser trailer for the film was actually released a few months ago. But you could barely see anything in it so I decided not to make a fuss about it back then. Having said that, I've provided a link to the place where you can download it if you wish to do so. Also please note that the first set of images you see here is actually from the teaser trailer and not the full trailer. I intentionally put the images from the full trailer below the cut to prevent spoiling those who wish to see the film without any idea of the storyline. For everyone else, download the trailer and proceed to the extended page.
Teaser Trailer (7MB, Quicktime)
Full trailer (34MB, Quicktime)
December 30, 2005 | 54 Comments
Well, everyone else has done it so I may as well jump into the bandwagon. I think 2005 has been a surprisingly good year despite my rather low expectation of it at the beginning. In fact, some of the series that I list here actually end up as my all-time favourites. I don't think I'll be talking much about the state of the industry since I didn't actually follow many series this year. Having said that, I recommend that you read through Bluwacky's thorough analysis of this year's releases. I think he made a lot of interesting point about the industry. What I'm going to do here is simply list my top 3 of this year's series/games/songs and then talk about them. I am also interested to know what other people's favourite series/games/movies this year so feel free to indicate your choices in the comment area. Before I do this, however, please be aware that some of the paragraphs contain light spoilers.
December 6, 2005 | 20 Comments
I finally get the chance to see this after it's been in cinema for quite a while. I have to admit that I wasn't that excited to see it at first because I was too busy with JLPT and also because I was disappointed with the third one. Yes, I'm one of those few ones who were unhappy with the third film. While I agree that the third film's visual and atmosphere went up a notch, the storyline itself was poorly adapted. Because of this, when I first saw the trailer for the fourth film, I didn't expect much from it. It was therefore a rather nice surprise when I went to see the film today and found myself having a great time at the cinema. I think the majority part of the film was quite well done. Sure there were a couple of sub-plots that were not included in the film but they are generally minor plot points and not a major one like the one in the third film.
September 14, 2005 | 130 Comments
Wow, this turns out to be one unusually entertaining film even if the plot is kind of thin and lack of depth. The film actually relies a lot on viewer's knowledge of the game and without it, I suspect some of the scenes will be rather hard to understand. Having said that, what the film lacks in plot, it definitely makes up alot in cool action scenes and haunting soundtrack. Anyway, I'm going to recap parts of this film but honestly, a 2 hour movie is too much to cover on my own. Because of this, I'm just going to keep this as brief as I can since I figure most people will prefer to see this on their own. In addition to this, please be aware that there will be many spoilers from this point forward.
As mentioned by James in the talkback for episode 18 recap, apparently there will be a Honey and Clover live action adaptation in the form of a movie. The announcement was made on the 24th of this month and apparently principal photography will begin this October. I'll be interested to see this one if this is as well-executed as its anime counterpart. In the meantime, here's the link and rough translation:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/geinou/aug/o20050824_20.htm
"It was announced on the 24th of this month that the popular Young You comic series, Honey and Clover will be made into a movie. Sakurai Shou (23 years old) from popular idol group "Arashi" will star in his first starring role. Honey and Clover is a romantic love story set within an art college. The 8 volume manga itself has reached a total sales of 3,600,000 copies thus far. The series was recently adapted into animation in Fuji TV and has achieved an unprecedented high ratings despite its late night timeslot."
Okay, I'm back from my holiday and depressed as hell. I've been suffering from some kind of reverse homesickness which actually already started before I even left Japan. This is partly why I haven't written anything in months. I knew that I will miss my friends and Japan terribly once I returned home. But I never expected the reality to be *this* depressing. I want to go back there again. But that's kind of pointless since my friends have also returned to their countries. Anyway, I actually saw this film on a plane that took me to Japan and was impressed by it. This may not be for everyone's taste. But personally, I think this is a simple but well-made film that encourages the viewers to appreciate the time that they have with people who are important to them. As usual, please be aware that the review has few spoilers.
You know, there was a time when I love Star Wars. Actually, I still do love the original three in the series but after the prequel came out, my interest dwindled down to nothing. This is mostly because of the crappy plot, zero character development, and obnoxious use of CGI in the first 2 prequels. But the time for the prequel's final chapter is getting close now and I can't help but getting my hopes up again. Maybe, just maybe, this will finally restore my interest in the series. The teaser trailer is out everyone! And it does look good as the trailer shows some of the returning characters from the original trilogy. Yay! for Chewie!! Download the trailer from this site. If that does not work, try this one.
I'm suffering from another bout of anime-overload here so I thought I'd watch something different for a change. If you're here because you're looking for some information or scans for that Naruto art book, however, you're in the wrong place. The article you're looking for is here. This Uzumaki is actually a live-action adaptation of Junji Ito's famous horror manga of the same name. The film seems to be an okay adaptation of the manga. It doesn't have the same intensity of terror that the manga offers, and some of its storyline are altered here. But the fact that it's a live-action makes the terror slightly more realistic. Having said that, I dislike the fact that the first quarter of the film looks more campy than creepy. But thankfully the rest of the film makes up for this flaw. Before I continue, please be aware that the following paragraphs are full of spoilers and some of the screenshots are quite graphic.
Heh. It's amazing what you can get from a little bit of fact finding here and there. I just found out that the actors who played Onizuka and Fuyutsuki (Takashi Sorimachi and Nanako Matsushima) are actually a couple in real life. I don't know if they actually got hitched after their roles in GTO but it's not that difficult to see that as a possibility. Their chemistry together in this live action version is miles better than that of the anime version. As a result, the fact that Onizuka is interested in her right from the start instead of chasing some high school girls is far more believable here than in the anime version. I also like the fact that the teachers in this version are far more lively than in the anime version. Watching their shenanigans and their office politics is as entertaining as watching Onizuka trying to win over the respect of his students one by one.
Awesome. That's the only word that came into my mind when I saw the trailer for this live action film starring Zhang Zi Yi and Takeshi Kaneshiro. The film, which is also known as House of Flying Daggers, is directed by Zhang Yimou, the famous director of Hero and Raise the Red Lantern. The story is about a revolutionary alliance called House of Flying Dagers that attempts to oppose the opressive Tang Dynasty in the year 859. Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is dispatched to capture a beautiful dancer called Mei (Zhang Zi Yi) since she's suspected to be the daughter of the alliance leader. Because of this, Jin pretends to be a lone warrior who tries to help her. Unknown to him, however, there is more to Mei than meets the eye. And to make matters worse, it seems both end up falling in love with one another for real.
Well, once again I reached my anime saturation point and suddenly felt the need to watch something creepy. I kept hearing how Ju-On: The Grudge is one of the scariest films that people have seen. That in itself, was enough to pique my interest. Then I heard that there is actually a remake in the making at the moment. The remake will actually be directed by the original director, Takashi Shimizu, but with some US casts like Sarah Michelle Gellar and Bill Pullman. While I'll probably check out the remake when it is released later on, I'd much prefer to see the original first and foremost since after all, this is the film that impresses the people that decided to do the remake. As usual, anything below this paragraph will be spoilery although I'll try my best not to reveal all of the plot details.
I'm a bit bored with anime lately and feel like watching something that is a bit different. Since I've heard many good things about the live action version of GTO, I decided to give this series a try. After watching the first two episodes, I have to agree that this is a very interesting take on the GTO story. I originally had reservation about Takashi Sorimachi's version of Onizuka but eventually grew to like his interpretation of the character. I also think that the live action features a more interesting Fuyutsuki. I feel that in the anime she's a rather boring character and doesn't get as much exposure. In here, however, she has a rather large role right from the start and her personality is a standout thanks to an excellent performance from Nanako Matsushima (Ringu, Ringu 2).
I'm glad to see that this turns out to be a really good film that wraps up its plot neatly while leaving some nice trails of possible future storyline behind. I really like that there are so many unpredictable moments happening throughout the second film. I thought things will go as they were in the first one but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the experience of watching the second film was not the same as watching the first one. Having said that, I have to admit that I missed the cool-looking action scenes of the first film when I saw the second volume. I think some of the action scenes in the first volume were drop dead beautiful and I can't find something similar in this second volume. The neat plot and storyline presented in this film, however, are good substitutes for the cool action scenes. Especially since the first film itself was rather light on plot and storyline.
When I first ordered the R2 limited edition box of Kill Bill Vol.1, I've resigned to the possibility that I may not get it because I ordered the DVD past the pre-ordered date. Thankfully, AmoTokyo came through for me as usual so now I have in my hand the big yellow box, as well as some cool extras such as the Okinawan T-shirt, Kill Bill Kubrick, and a miniature sword. The best of extra, however, can be found inside the R2 disc itself: the full-colour version of "The Showdown at the House of Blue Leaves" scenes. Please be aware that I'm not talking about the blue/black silhouette scene which appears near the end of the film. That part is still in duotone palettes even in the Japanese version. I'm actually referring to the parts in the middle of the Crazy 88 fight scene which got turned to black/white due to the supposedly gory scenes.
I've been watching way too many anime lately that I feel I need something a bit different just for a change of pace. The usual solution to this problem for me is to watch a horror film. I need something unrelentingly disturbing that I'll wish that I had watched that episode of Sensei no Ojikan instead of the horror film. So on a whim I bought a copy of Onmyoji mostly because I've heard some good things about this film. To begin with, the film was a box office hit while it was screened back in Japan. It also span off a TV series as well as a sequel not long after its release. A quick scan of the cast list also reveals a rather good ensemble of Japanese actors. Mansai Nomura, who was last seen in Akira Kurosawa's Ran, plays the coveted role of Abe No Senmei. His best friend, Minamoto No Hiromasa is played by a popular actor, Hideaki Ito. Last but not least, the villain of the movie, Doson, is played by Hiroyuki Sanada who was last seen in Ringu and Ringu 2.
I found three cool Japanese trailers today. First I finally managed to obtain the Quicktime trailer of The Devilman. I personally can't wait for this movie. The big battle between the Devilman and his arch nemesis looks like a sight to behold. The second one is a trailer for a French film called The Immortal but it's been translated as God Diva in the Japanese trailer for some reason. It looks weird. It's like a mixture of Metropolis (the Fritz Lang movie) and Egyptian mythology. Finally, there's a trailer for the new Katsuhiro Otomo's anime, Steamboy.
Warner Bros has just released the 2nd trailer for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Just like the previous trailers, this trailer makes me think that at the very least the film will be darker than the previous two. I did, however, cringe a bit at some of the line delivery from the younger actors so I hope those scenes will be better when they are in context of the story. Other than that, it is nice to see some of the familiar scenes from the book become alive in the trailer.
February 24, 2004 | 0 Comments
There's a nice-looking trailer for the live action adaptation of popular manga called Shinzo Ningen Casshern (Robot Hunter Casshern). Visual-wise the trailer looks awesome and definitely makes me to know more about this film. Some of the imageries remind me of The Matrix while others look like a live action version of the Metropolis anime. Check out the entire web site for the film while you're at it as well.
February 20, 2004 | 3 Comments
It looks like IGN.com has managed to obtain the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children new trailer that is included inside FFX-2 International + Last Mission. Unfortunately, it looks like unless you're a subscriber, you can only download the Windows Media Player version and not the Quicktime version of the trailer. Anyway, it doesn't look that different from the first trailer that you can download from the official site above but it does show some additional footages which include a glimpse of Barett and Vincent. It is also accompanied by Aerith's Theme which gives the trailer a rather melancholic feel to it. To be honest, I'm not really sure what this particular straight to DVD film can tell as far as storyline goes. I've always felt that the original game had a rather conclusive ending. But I suppose we won't really know for sure until this upcoming Summer.
February 11, 2004 | 4 Comments
Boogiepop and Others is basically the feature film that proceeds Boogiepop Phantom anime. In general, it's good to know that there are some elemental consistency between the movie and the anime. For example, remember the opening theme for the anime called "Evening Rain"? Well, that particular song is actually the ending theme of this film. The song was also heavily used for the multitude trailers that were created for this film. The same can be said for the haunting Boogiepop whistle that is normally heard when Boogiepop is nearby. In addition to these, the look and feel of Shinyo Gakuen/Academy, Geo City, and other locations seem to have been preserved quite well from the movie to the anime.
January 27, 2004 | 19 Comments
All right, this is for those of you who have been typing "Chiaki Kuriyama", "chigusa battle royale", "BR's Sousuke Takaoka" as well as other BR-type keyphrases into this blog's search engine. When I reviewed the Special Edition of Battle Royale back in December, I didn't say anything about the extras. The reason was because the extras on the disc weren't subtitled. With my limited understanding of Japanese language, and without the help of a friend, who I normally annoy from time to time to help me with the translation, it's pretty much useless for me to guess what's in it really. But I just recently acquired the Limited Edition Tin version of the film and the extra in this version has subtitles in them. So now, I actually have a full understanding of what's going on in the extras instead of merely knowing a couple of sentences and then going completely dumbfounded on many others.
January 17, 2004 | 21 Comments
Aint It Cool News has just released some pictures of the upcoming Evangelion live action movie as sketched by WETA Workshop (Lord of the Rings) artists. These pictures can also be found inside the Evangelion: Director's Cut DVD (contains the redone episodes 21-24) that is released by ADV film this week. There have been some controversy surrounding these drawings because some of the character names that accompanied the sketches are different from the character names in the anime version (Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Misato, etc). What we get on the sketches instead are names such as "Ray", "Kate Rose", and "Susan Whitnell".
Some people have suggested that the names are just either code names or the name of the designers who sketch those pictures. I hope that's the case. I want ADV film to have the guts to actually retain the original character names and cast Japanese actors/actress for most of the characters - with the exception of maybe Asuka (she's 3/4 German) and some SEELE members. I'm not even the most hardcore EVA fans out there but I have to say that Shinji, Asuka, and the other original characters are the ones whose stories I've followed, and whose plight I sympathise with. I can't say the same thing if the characters are now named Joe and Angie, or in this case, Susan Whitnell.
Japanese Playstation magazine has released some images of Final Fantasy: Advent Ch
