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| Yume mitai kamo | |
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6.30.2009
6:07 PM | Link0 comments |
Tomorrow morning I'm flying to Los Angeles for Anime Expo 2009, and I couldn't be more excited! Although I'm a huge anime fan and have been to a couple anime conventions in the past, I'm actually only going this time to see the first Morning Musume concert ever in the continental US! It's going to be a crazy few days of waiting in lots of lines, but I'm up for the challenge (and so is my pal Dae, who is doing me a huge favor by going with me)! Just seeing the concert is going to be amazing, but it would be a dream come true if I can manage to get an autograph (there will be three sessions, but the chances are slim with 40,000 people at the convention). Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to the trip, which includes getting to go to a July 4th party with Dae and Ernesto! I can barely think straight right now, so I'm just going to watch a Morning Musume concert DVD and hit the sack. Stay tuned to Twitter for updates on my adventure and wish me luck! Labels: jpop, morning musume |
| Superman/Batman Vol 1 / Public Enemies : 4 of 5 | |
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6.29.2009
5:21 PM | Link0 comments |
 Every now and then you can find a nice DC Comics graphic novel available on PaperBack Swap, and since I already own Volume 2 of this series (which I got as a side-effect of my crazy scavenger hunt video project), I snatched this first volume up the moment I saw it. I'm glad I did, since I was really impressed with the story and artwork, and now I want to check out the rest of the saga! Although there have been many stories featuring Superman and Batman together, I love the way this one is written using parallel narratives. The inner dialogue of both Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne is presented in different color text blocks, and it's fascinating to constantly read what they are thinking (which is often contradictory, but always respectful of the other hero). In this story, Lex Luthor has become president, and blames a huge Kryptonite meteor headed for Earth on Superman, putting a billion dollar price on his head. Of course, this attracts tons of villains (and even heroes, too, since Luthor represents the US Government), so this book is filled with guest stars! I really enjoyed the battles with Hawkman and Captain Marvel, as well as the climax with Luthor in his mechanized armor, but unfortunately the final solution to destroy the meteor was a little dumb. However, the way this story is told more than makes up for that fault, and it's worth it just for the opening segment of Superman and Batman's origin flashbacks, presented from the exact point of view of baby Kal-El and young Bruce (brilliant!). I guess I'll have to re-read Volume 2 now that I've decided to keep going with this series!
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| The Pleasure of My Company / Steve Martin : 4 of 5 | |
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6.27.2009
7:59 PM | Link0 comments |
 Since I enjoyed reading Shopgirl so much a few years ago, I've had this more recent Steve Martin novel on my Amazon Wish List for a long time. But after I signed up for PaperBack Swap, I quickly found this book was available, and so The Pleasure of My Company became my first "free" book! Lately I've been reading so much manga and other comics, so it had actually been awhile since reading an actual novel, so I planned on starting out slow, but soon I had to sit down and keep reading all the way to the back cover. I knew right away I would enjoy and relate to the main character, Daniel Pecan Cambridge, who lives alone in Santa Monica and enjoys his simple life, even though he is plagued by some of the craziest mental issues you can imagine (his biggest phobia is stepping off a sidewalk curb, so he finds routes that let him cross opposite driveways, and he constantly keeps the total light wattage in his apartment to a fixed number!). Of course, he's also a genius who can construct gigantic mathematical magic squares, and he has a healthy fantasy life that involves possible relationships with Elizabeth the realtor (who he observes from his window), Clarissa the student psychologist (who visits him weekly), or Zandy the pharmacy clerk (who he visits during his regular treks to Rite Aid). Steve Martin is a fantastic author (his skill definitely outshines his acting career), and when he writes in the first person as Daniel, every thought and emotion feels real. I love how he understands that solitude can enhance the senses, making every small detail a symphony of beauty or sadness, and the plot truly explores if there are many "takers for the quiet heart" in the world. Of course, the story is full of hilarious moments as well, but I appreciated much more the moments that brought an unexpected tear!Labels: books |
| Walt Disney Treasures / Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh : 3 of 5 | |
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6.25.2009
11:58 AM | Link0 comments |
 I've finally finished watching all the DVD sets that I got for Christmas, and it's only June! This is the third set of the Walt Disney Treasures 2008 releases, and truthfully, I had never heard of this story before (even though apparently it was highly requested!). The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh was first presented as a three part series on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color in 1964, and then later it was re-cut into a feature film, and this set includes both versions (which is kind of a bummer since it's the same thing twice). After watching it (along with Walt's introductions, which are always fun), I can easily see why this was a popular story, because it's exciting, mysterious and creepy all at once! Dr. Syn is the vicar of a small English town, who becomes a kind of Robin Hood smuggler at night, dressed in a mask and using a horrifying voice! He distributes his smuggling profits to the poor to help them pay their taxes to the king (just prior to the American Revolution), as well as rescuing prisoners and other daring acts! The character of Dr. Syn, played by Patrick McGoohan before he became famous as The Prisoner, is fascinating, since he is cool and calculating like Sherlock Holmes, but almost terrifying as the Scarecrow, riding on his horse with his wicked laugh. Of course, the show has a great theme song (in the same storytelling style of Davy Crockett), and all of the costumes and sets are top-notch (the show was actually filmed on-location in England in authentic churches and castles). There are a couple short but nice documentaries on the DVD, and it was really interesting to learn why Walt made so many live action films in England (after the war, profits made in England were frozen, so he had to spend the money within the country). Besides the fact that the second DVD is kind of a repeat of the first, this is a fantastic set, and I really enjoyed getting into an awesome Disney adventure that was completely new to me!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Hello! Project 2009 Winter: Wonderful Hearts / Elder Club : 4 of 5 | |
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6.23.2009
12:24 PM | Link0 comments |
 This two-DVD set contains the last big Hello! Project concerts before the huge mass Elder Club graduation, so I had to get this DVD just for the historical significance. Actually, I thought the actual graduation ceremony would be on this set, but that's another DVD that I have on the way! The first DVD is the Wonderful Hearts concert, which was totally enjoyable. I thought using Resonant Blue as the opening song was a little strange since there are really only two singing parts with about twenty girls on stage, but at least the dance was cool. Mako-chan returns to help out as MC, but unfortunately her voice just isn't near as good as Yaguchi's (who normally does these things). I loved watching Lin Lin and Jun Jun and seeing how their personalities have developed so much lately, and I was impressed with how well Berryz Koubou sings live. But the important part of this set is the second DVD, which is the final (except for the graduation) Elder Club concert. I had a fantastic time watching everyone and thinking about their long careers and everything they've been through. Without them, there would be no Morning Musume for me to enjoy! Yuko is truly the foundation of the whole thing, and you can just see how much she appreciates her fans and really cares about Hello! Project. It was so cool to see little reunions of all the past groups one last time - Tanpopo made me cry, Biyuuden was great (Yui's boobs haven't changed a bit), and I was really psyched to see GAM again. Unfortunately, they wasted a little time with a song from Mano Erina (the exact same thing she sang on Disc One!), but most of the concert was focused on former members of Morning Musume, finishing up with a great melody at the end! Both concerts were really fun to watch, and had plenty of points that made me cheer and cry. Moments like these make it really fun to be a Hello! Project fan!Labels: dvds, jpop, morning musume |
| Three Small Things 6.22.09 | |
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6.22.2009
12:24 PM | Link0 comments |
 Even though it's a giant multi-month task, I'm really enjoying reorganizing my entire photo library into iPhoto. What I like about it is that I'm forced to take at least a quick glance at every single shot I've taken since 1999, and often I find things I never knew I had! For example, during my first trip to Japan, Barron took a picture of me with a Godzilla poster. I was only a casual Godzilla fan then, but now it's so cool to know that the movie is Godzilla vs Megaguirus, which was current in the theaters at that time!I have had tremendous success with PaperBack Swap, and now I have so much to read that I don't know where to begin! I've been really lucky with posting books that people want (they are usually snatched up the moment I make them available), so it's been no problem getting credits to use. I have received about 10 books (some manga, graphic novels, and even a hardback book), and all of them were in great condition! I'm always tempted to keep browsing around the site, but I need to catch up with some reading first! I'm suffering from double vacation excitement right now, since I have two incredible trips coming up! In less than two weeks, I'm going to Anime Expo in Los Angeles for the Morning Musume concert (as well as some good times with my pals Dae and Ernesto), and just this weekend I booked a September vacation to Walt Disney World with my pal Melinda. My brain is simultaneously dreaming about the concert and thinking about all the Disney fun in store. Now I'm using every spare moment to scour the web for inside information about Morning Musume autograph sessions, as well as planning which Disney restaurants to book for reservations! Labels: disney, godzilla, morning musume, photos, small things |
| Pinocchio / Platinum Edition DVD : 5 of 5 | |
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6.18.2009
12:41 PM | Link0 comments |
 I finally got around to watching the first Disney Platinum Edition release of the year, and it’s always a joy to experience a true classic like Pinocchio again! Even though it seems silly to keep buying these movies when they are re-released on DVD, I’m always satisfied with the awesome new bonus materials that Disney includes. This time there’s a full hour-long documentary, featuring all my current animation heroes that I love to listen to, and I really learned a lot about this 1940 masterpiece that some call the “ultimate animated film”. It never occurred to me before that Pinocchio was a bridge between the shorts animators and what would soon become the Nine Old Men, so this film is just bursting with talent (and since the studio was flush with cash after the success of Snow White, they spared no expense!). Eric Larson’s animation of Figaro the cat makes him one of my favorite characters (I especially love the white dry-brush technique on his fur!), and I’m always amazed at the incredible camera angles used, such as the shot from above as Honest John, Gideon, and Pinocchio sing their way through town (just think about what it takes to accomplish that and your mind will boggle!). Of course, there are other fascinating techniques like the breakthroughs in water effects, but I also enjoyed finding new details like the Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland books (movies Disney would make in the future) in the background as Jiminy Cricket opens the film. Along with the great documentary, there’s a cool re-enactment of a “sweatbox” session (where animation is viewed and scrutinized) with an actor playing Walt in the shadows (with a pretty realistic voice), as well as lots of discussion about how live-action reference footage was used by the animators. Of course, there are huge image galleries available, but this time they also included some 360-degree rotations of original maquettes. Every scene of Pinocchio is filled with rich detail, so much that it’s estimated it would cost $100 million to create this masterpiece today. As always, I had a fantastic time watching it again, and I’m sure I’ll be watching it a few more hundred times in my lifetime!
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