フェアリーテイル

My most recent anime obsession: フェアリーテイル
<3

Action, touching past stories, magic, amazing character, AWESOME soundtrack. What's not to love?

The funniest thing was that I got started on this anime due to the soundtrack itself.
I just happened to watch a well made buffy fan video and fell in love with the soundtrack that the maker used for the background music. A few seconds of search over the internet lead me to the Fairy tail OST and I thought the anime should be great since it had such magnificent music.
6 episodes into the anime, I fell head over heels over Erza Scarlet, I would like to think of her as the main female protagonist rather than Lucy just because I prefer her character development and her bad ass attitude. Not that I don't like Lucy, just that I find her character a little too dull and plain for me. ><

Then there are characters such as Laxus, Mystogan, Gajeel, Jellal and Mirajane that gets you thinking whether there is something more to them.

All in all, Fairy tail is now one of my favourite anime. Naruto, Bleach and One piece are a little too Shonen for my taste. Fairy tail has a good mix, plus girls, some of Erza's armour are to die for. (:

Latest Read

Alright, I know this is not Japanese related, but my latest read is Nalini Singh's Angel Flight, a combination of all the wonderful short stories that she has to offer us.

The book cover is just captivating. I love the angel's pose depicted on the cover, heart wrenching and beautiful all at the same time. If you have the time, grab the book in stores or through amazon.com. I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed. My favorite story is Noel's story with Nimra. I am loving this guy to pieces seriously. We should all have a Noel in our lives.

http://www.nalinisingh.com/flight.php


Also, tomorrow, is the one year Commemoration for the Great East Japan Earthquake 311. Japan has come a long way from the disaster and is slowing recovering and I am glad to be part of the group that has helped out one way or the other.

There is never enough of Japanese Drama

Well, to contradict what I said earlier, here's introducing you a drama that chills your bones right from the very start. Kaseifu no Mita-san. I guess no matter how much ranting I do about the lack of a good romance script (Kitagawa Eriko-san onegai!)
I still do love a good thriller and a mystery. Matsushima Nanako won me over years ago with her brilliant acting in GTO as the 'gentle natured' 'air stewardess' aspiring teacher and as the mysterious Toko in Koori no Sekai.

She has won me over yet again, I have to take my hats off to this woman, she has the acting chops in her. Her status as one of Japan's top actress is as sure as the fall of the European Banks. Right from the start, she has me on the edge. Is she going to kill them? What the f****** hell is wrong with this family? No make up or glamourous outfits here, only knives, apron and a cold and DEADLY stare for our Nanny Mita-san.


The kids in this show deserve a nod too, what a talented young cast, things started out creepy and morbid, but as what Japanese dramas are amazing for, there will be a slow and subtle twist to becoming heartwarming and funny. Oh mita-san I would just want to see you smile again. Pretty please????

Japanese Drama watch list

I am at this point in time where I need to re-watch Japanese dramas as none of the current season's ones struck my interest. While I am still following Nazotoki wa Dinner no atode, I can't seem to find any romantic drama which suits my taste. The very last drama of that genre which I watched was Buzzer Beat, satisfying as it may be it still couldn't tug my heart strings like the older dramas which I watched. What happen to the good old shows like Beautiful Life, Long Vacation, Love Generation and Last Love?
If you look at the common points these dramas have, it is that they belong to the 1990s-2000, let's throw in the awesome Kimura Takuya just for my sake <3

While I love a dark mystery and police drama (I really honestly do) I feel that there are too many of that coming out, one after the other. Kao, Unfair, Boss, Boss 2 (I love all these by the way), Tokyo Dogs, Lady Boss,Utsukushi Rinjin and the list goes on and on. Maybe it is a phase thing? Japan in the early 1990s-2000 is more pure and innocent? And now they are moving to show the criminal side of Japan? All these interesting cases sort of makes Japan really creepy doesn't it? Your neighbour is not who she seems, your best friend may betray at any point in time by attempting to kill your daughter? A dark force waiting to be unleashed in Japan.

As such, I am now turning to watching old shows that are worth watching twice/ thrice, these shows are funny, heartwarming, meaningful and downright heart wrenching at certain point in time (AND PEOPLE SAY THAT KOREA IS THE START OF TEAR JERKING DRAMAS -OH PLEASE-)

Beautiful Life (2000) (I can kill the writer for coming up with the most realistic, apt and yet heart wrenching ending ever in the television history, it didn't get 41.3% ratings for nothing)

Last Love (1996)
Heaven's Coin (1996)
Hitotsu Yane no Shita (1991 and 1997)
Hikari To tomo Ni (2004)
Long Love Letter (2002)
Meguri Ai (1997)
Long Vacation(1997)
Kabachitare (2001) (I need to praise Fukatsu Eri and Tokiwa Takako's acting here, AWESOME CHEMISTRY, you hardly get that from 2 top stars. Well played!)

If you have the time, catch these shows. Prepare a tissue box and get some sports cream for your abdomen pain and aspirin because your stomach is going to ache from laughter and your brain will go haywire from sudden laughter to sobbing hysterically.

Nakama Yukie's upcoming drama next year (:

女优の仲间由纪恵さんが、12年1月スタートの新ドラマ「恋爱ニート～忘れた恋のはじめ方」（TBS系）で主演を务めることが明らかになった。仲间さんが现代の“恋爱もの”に出演するのは、09年に放送されたドラマ「ありふれた奇迹」（フジテレビ系）以来3年ぶりで、容姿端丽なキャリアウーマンだが、プライベートは「彼氏いない歴8年目」に突入し、いつの间にか恋爱から远ざかってしまった“恋爱ニート”の32歳独身女性を演じる。仲间さんは、「今回は等身大の女性の役で、30代の恋爱事情を描いたラブコメディーということで、今から撮影に入るのを大変楽しみにしています」とコメントしている。
ドラマは、“恋爱ニート”と呼ばれる恋爱に対して消极的で、恋の仕方をすっかり忘れてしまった男女6人が缲り広げるラブコメディー。出版社の贩売促进部に勤める木下凛（仲间さん）は、美人ですべての仕事を自分でこなしてしまうキャリアウーマン。しかし、周囲とギクシャクしたやりとりをすることから上司には「扱いにくい部下」、部下からは「頼りがいのない上司」と敬远されている。ある日、亲友・渡辺美帆の“离婚式”に亲友・相沢菜々子と共に出かけた凛は、歯科医の松本直哉、一流食品会社でフレーバリストを务める多田耕太、24歳のイケメン・槙野骏平と出会う。流れで6人で饮むことになったが、凛の“恋爱ニート”ぶりに男性阵からドン引きされてしまう。そんなある日、松本が凛をデートに诱ってきて……というストーリーが展开する。

　08年に放送された“アラフォー”の女性をテーマにした同局のドラマ「Around40」も手がけた高成麻亩子プロデューサーは、「女性の幸せは一つじゃなくて、结婚や出产に缚られず生きるのも女性だという価値観を持った女性たちが、东日本大震灾后に価値観が激変した。一人で生きることの限界を感じて、谁かといることを选び始めた」と说明し、「相手の笑颜を见て幸せだと思えるような、“相手との绊”を描いていきたい」と话した。また、「仲间さんは才能あるコメディエンヌなので」と起用理由を说明した。（毎日新闻デジタル）

Nakama lovers, stay tune for more information regarding this new drama next year. Her co stars are not announced. I need to know the male leads! (:
A light hearted, heart warming love genre drama revolving the live of 3 girls and 3 guys. Woots.


Currently: waiting ever so PATIENTLY for the unfair the answer DVD to come out. -.-

kinsma

shinohara ryoko featured in singapore magazine (: