Saturday, November 29, 2008

Romaji Lyrics of Ashita no Sora by SPEED (Theme song from OL Nippon)

Title: Ashita no Sora
Artiste: SPEED
Lyrics and melody: Ichiji Hiromasa


meguri aeta no wa kitto
unmei kamo shirenai
ame agari no hizashi no naka de
Fu.....Fu.....



mezameta machi wa kirameite
subete ga ugoki hajimeru
kaze no tsuyokatta ato hodo
atatakana hikari mabushii
anata ga kizukasete kureta
kumo no mukou no sora wo
kizutsuki naki waratte
ima no jibun ga iru koto wo

ashita wa yorokobi to tomo ni

meguri aeta no wa kitto
nani ka de musubareteta no
zutto matteta ki ga suru
mou ichido namida fuite
ayumi hajimeru no sa FUTURE
te wo nobaseba itsuka todoku

kore kara donna mirai
machi ukete iru toshitemo
sore wa ikiteiru akashi
anata ga iru dake de
sore dake de nani mo iranai
konnan mo nori koete ikeru
Fu... Fu...

tomaranai ame mo itsu no hi ka
sakura sakaseru mitai ni
kogoeteta kono jikan mo
yagate haru wo tsurete kuru yo

kibou wa kanau to shinjite

meguri aeta no wa kitto
unmei nano kamoshirenai
zutto onaji sora no shita de
namida wo fuite
ayumi dashite ikou FUTURE
yari naoseru itsu no toki mo

kore kara donna mirai
machi ukete iru toshitemo
sore wa ikiteru akashi
mitsume au tabi kokoro
hitotsu ni tokete iku yo
itsu made mo jikan wo eikyuu ni

chikai atta ashita no sora ni

meguri aeta no wa kitto
nani ka de musubareteta no
zutto matteta ki ga suru
mou ichido namida fuite
ayumi hajimeru no sa FUTURE
te wo nobaseba itsuka todoku

kore kara donna mirai
machi ukete iru toshitemo
sore wa ikiteiru akashi
anata ga iru dake de
sore dake de nani mo iranai
konnan mo nori koete ikeru

Love you, Love you
Love you, Love you

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Romaji lyrics of "Beautiful Days" by ARASHI (Theme song of Ryusei no Kizuna)

Title: Beautiful Days
Artiste: ARASHI
Lyrics and melody: Takuya Harada


sora ni kagayaku yo kirari
hoshi ga jiwari
nijindeku yo
kanashii hodo kirei da ne

hanashi wo kiite hoshii koto
are mo kore mo aru keredo
nigiri shimete dakishimete
shiwakucha no mama

hoshi ni negau to itsuka
kanau to iu keredo
yume no naka de shika bokura
towa ni mou aenai

sora ni kagayaku yo kirari
hoshi ga jiwari
nijindeku yo
kaeri michi namida ga tomaranai
boku wa zutto
sora ni omoide ga borori
namida horori koboreteku yo
kanashii hodo kirei da ne

kanashimi wo wake atte
namida no kazu herasu yori
yorokobi wo wakachi aenai hou ga tsurai ne

mabuta no oku ni utsuru
koboreru egao ga
ima demo yuuki kureru yo
mou ichido aitai

sora ni mukatte utau yo
sou utau yo koe no kagiri
fushigi dane hitori janainda
boku wa zutto
sora ni mukai te wo furu yo
kono te furu yo chikara komete
sore ga bokura no sain

tanoshiku temo kurushiku temo
mou bokura wa aenai donna ni negatte temo

sora ni kagayaku yo kirari
hoshi ga jiwari
nijindeku yo
kaeri michi namida ga tomaranai
boku wa zutto
sora ni omoide ga borori
namida horori koboreteku yo
kanashii hodo kirei da ne

sora ni mukatte utau yo
sou utau yo koe no kagiri
fushigi da ne hitori janain da
boku wa zutto
itsumademo wasurenai yo
wasurenai yo kimi to itsuka
sora ni egaita mirai

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Top 10 movies' ranking (23 Nov 08)

1) Red Cliff Part I

2) Watashi wa Kai ni Naritai

3) Happy Flight

4) Yes! Puri Kyua 5 GoGo! Okashi no kuni no Happy Birthday

5) Yogisha X no Kenshin

6) Tropic Santa

7) Blindness

8) Handsome Suit

9) Room 1408

10) Maboroshi no Jama Daikoku

Monday, November 24, 2008

Top 10 nicest couples chosen by females (Oricon)

1) Takahashi George & Mifune Mika

2) Sorimachi Takashi & Matsushima Nanako

3) Eguchi Yosuke & Moritaka Chisato

4) Karasawa Toshiaki & Yamaguchi Tomoko

5) Nakao Akira & Ikenami Shino

6) Fujii Takashi & Otoha

7) Sasaki Kensuke & Hokuto Akira

8) Shindo Haruichi & Hasegawa Kyoko

9) Kuwata Keisuke & Hara Yuko

10) Nakamura Tooru & Washio Isako

Saturday, November 22, 2008

PV of Beautiful Days by Arashi - Theme song of Ryusei no Kizuna

Here are some screenshots of the PV for Beautiful Days by Arashi. Basically, there isn't a central storyline in the PV. The members are in a room filled with light bulbs on the ceiling as some CG graphics play in the background.

Romaji lyrics of this song will follow soon.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Top 10 movies' ranking (16 Nov 08)

1) Red Cliff Part I

2) Happy Flight

3) Yes! Puri Kyua 5 GoGo! Okashi no kuni no Happy Birthday

4) Yogisha X no Kenshin

5) Handsome Suit

6) Maboroshi no Jama Daikoku

7) Centre of The Earth

8) Homeless Chuugakusei

9) X Files

10) P.S. I Love You

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Mawang vs.Maou - Differences and Which is Better?

I know this has been long overdue but this took up more time than I expected. I wanted to make this as detailed as possible so I apologise if you have been waiting to read this all this while. That being said, I have tried my best to include every detail I can remember. If there are any mistakes, please let me know by writing your comments here. And since I don't know Korean, I have relied solely on the subs so I think the character names could be an area where I may make mistakes too.

I will first list the similarities and differences between both versions and end this review with my verdict of which is better. This is just my opinion so you are free to disagree with me.

Title: Mawang vs Maou
Well, they mean essentially the same thing literally: the Devil King. Mawang's English translation is The Devil.

Number of Episodes: 20 vs. 11
There were times where I hope Mawang would speed up because I know the story well after watching Maou. However, there were parts where the plot in Mawang was more intricate and fascinating. Maou was sometimes a bit fast if you look at it comparatively. On its own, Maou's pace is just right for me.

Average rating: 7.4% (TNS Media Korea) vs. 11.51% (Video Research)
Since both countries uses different systems, it's not really a meaningful comparison. One thing for sure, even though the ratings don't look impressive, the dramas have gained a rather strong following. Well, strong enough in Korea to warrant a remake in Japan.

Timeline: 12 years (or 15 years) vs. 11 years
In Mawang, there is a bit of confusion for me. In the beginning, they mentioned that the murder Oh Soo committed was 15 years ago but switched to 12 years somewhere towards the end. In Maou, it was always clearly mentioned that it was 11 years ago.

The Devil / Predator: Oh Seung Ha a.k.a Jung Tae Seung (Joo Ji Hoon) vs. Naruse Ryo a.k.a. Manaka Tomoo (Ohno Satoshi)
Both are lawyers known for helping those in need and may not be rich. However, the biggest difference between them is that Seung Ha's elder brother, Tae Hoon was killed while in Naruse's case, it was his younger brother, Hideo.

The "Victim" / Prey: Kang Oh Soo (Uhm Tae Woong) vs. Serizawa Naoto (Ikuta Toma)
Both are police detectives. The biggest difference separating them could lie in their feelings for the heroine. Oh Soo is obviously in love with Hae In and there are some scenes which seem to suggest that Hae In herself may have some feelings though not in the same sense as for Seung Ha. In Naoto's case, the only inkling that he felt something for Shiori was that he felt uncomfortable when seeing her with Naruse. Sparks were evidently missing between them.

The Queen / Angel: Seo Hae In (Shin Min Ah) vs. Sakita Shiori (Kobayashi Ryoko)
Both are working in the library. Four main differences between them:
1) Hae In has a stronger character and would speak her mind. She refused to help Oh Soo initially because he was rather rude and didn't seem to trust her. However, Shiori didn't react that strongly towards Naoto initially.
2) Hae In addresses Oh Soo by his surname i.e. Detective Kang while Shiori has called Naoto, "Mr. Detective" for most, if not throughout the whole drama. Seems like Shiori keeps Naoto at a further distance than what Hae In does to Oh Soo.
3) This is linked to the previous point. Hae In and Oh Soo did seem to have some feelings at the beginning but when it was obvious that Hae In loved Seung Ha, that spark with Oh Soo fizzled out. However, it wasn't even clear that Naoto had any feelings for Shiori and even if so, it was always one-way traffic. Shiori only had eyes for Naruse.
4) Hae In's psychometry power is not that "reliable" since there are times she cannot see anything from the object. Shiori seems to be able to see things every time she uses her power.

Extra help for Oh Soo:
1) Ban Chang Ho (the office manager in Seung Ha's law firm)
In Maou, there wasn't such a character at all. In Mawang, he helped Oh Soo indirectly because he also conducted some investigations on his own.
2) Sung Joon Pyo (the Japanese equivalent being Ikehata)
Actually, Sung wasn't on Oh Soo's side at all. However, the investigations he made on his own contributed in one way or another to Oh Soo putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

How Sung Joon Pyo / Ikehata died
Sung Joon Pyo was knocked down by a truck (deliberately...because the driver was manipulated by Seung Ha) while Ikehata fell to his death in a warehouse.

Hae In's mother vs. Shiori being an orphan
Hae In's mother is mute so there's a bit of sign language used in the drama. She's somewhat like a pillar of strength for Hae In when she is troubled and gives Seung Ha a bit of motherly warmth at times. However, Shiori is an orphan and has nobody in particular to pour out her woes except her friend.

Hae In's friend vs. Shiori's friend
Hae In's friend, Joo Hee owns a tarot card-themed cafe while Shiori's friend, Eri operates a cafe which also sells tarot cards. The main difference between both places is the atmosphere. Joo Hee's place is rather dark and the focus is obviously on tarot card reading rather than it being a cafe. On the other hand, Eri's cafe seems to put tarot cards on a secondary position and is brightly lit.

Sora vs. Sora
I don't know whether it is coincidental but the name of the child whose mother killed Oh Soo / Naoto's loanshark friend is Sora in both dramas. Seems like this name can be used in Korean and Japanese.

The symbol of the killed brother: Mint sweets vs. Harmonica
At the scene of the murder, Tae Hoon's bag had mint sweets which he meant to give to his mother as a birthday gift. (Why did he buy so much anyway?) In Hideo's case, he left behind a harmonica. The significance of the items is featured differently. Seung Ha eats mint sweets when he's carrying out his plan while Naruse just stares at the harmonica to reaffirm his resolve to take revenge.

The red room in Maou
Seung Ha doesn't have a red room full of photos of Oh Soo and the related parties unlike Naruse who crosses out his victims once by one whose photos are pasted in a huge collage on the wall.

The nameless mastermind vs. Amano Makoto
There were no names written on the packages sent to Oh Soo but in Naoto's case, Amano Makoto is a name which he's forced to remember from the start. And there is a greater meaning to the name than it seems.

The way the packages were sent and the contents
Both Oh Soo and Naoto had packages containing tarot cards but Oh Soo had something more. The mastermind would sometimes write letters (of course in collage form or computer-printed). Depending on how you look at it, these letters seemed to guide Oh Soo to find what he should discover earlier than the guesswork which Naoto had to go through.

Over the Rainbow
Both dramas use this song whenever Seung Ha and Naruse think of their families. However, Seung Ha even uses it as his mobile phone ringtone. I read in Nikkei Entertainment previously that the Japanese dramas don't use music for the mobile phone ringtones because they have to pay copyright fees for that. As such, all characters would usually have boring ringtones despite reality being otherwise. Naruse would have used this song if he could.

Seung Ha's mother vs. Naruse's mother
Well, both mothers died but in different circumstances. Seung Ha's mother was mentally affected by the death of her son and ended up being knocked down by a truck. Naruse's mother died of illness.

The real Oh Seung Ha vs. the real Naruse Ryo
Both died. The real Seung Ha died in a traffic accident (again!) while the real Naruse died in an accident at a construction site.

The man who provided clues to Seung Ha / Naruse's real identity
In Mawang's version, it was an old man who subsequently ended in hospital due to illness and could not tell Oh Soo what he knew. In Maou's version, the middle-aged man worked at the construction site and was blackmailed by Naruse thus did not reveal the truth.

What happened to Hee Soo (Oh Soo's elder brother) & Noriyoshi (Naoto's brother) Hee Soo was arrested while Noriyoshi committed suicide in the police station after he was caught.

How Seung Ha / Naruse sustained the stab wound
Well, Naruse was stabbed by Yamano, his accomplice in the whole incident. The latter was roped in to help as he had been guilt-stricken about not testifying that Naoto stabbed Hideo. Yamano sensed that Naruse wanted to stop the revenge and stabbed him.
On the other hand, Seung Ha was stabbed by a stranger. Of all days, why did that person who had a grudge against him want to stab Seung Ha on the day he was to have a showdown with Oh Soo?

How Seung Ha & Oh Soo / Naruse & Naoto got to the place where they had their showdown
Seung Ha and Oh Soo drove which was a "miracle" since Seung Ha was already injured. However, the Japanese version was even more amazing since Naruse and Naoto walked all the way to the place. Well, it was a miracle that Naruse did not bleed to death before he reached his destination.

How Hae In / Shiori got to the final destination
One took a taxi while the other ran all the way there.

The final death toll
Mawang: Seung Ha, Oh Soo, Soon Ki (the gangster friend who blackmails Suk Jin and Oh Soo's sister-in-law), Dae Shik (the loanshark friend who was killed by Sora's mother), Kim Dong Hyun (Oh Soo's father), Sung Joon Pyo, the real Oh Seung Ha, Tae Hoon and his mother (9)
Maou: Naruse, Naoto, Kasai, Souda, Ryosuke, Yamano, Hideo and his mother, Serizawa Eisaku, Noriyoshi, Kumada, the real Naruse Ryo and Ikehata. (13)
Most of the people involved in the case were dead in Maou while there were some survivors in Mawang.

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

My verdict in terms of various aspects:

1) Story: Maou
Mawang is very detailed since it stretches over 20 episodes and it featured some clever manipulation which were omitted in Maou. However, there were a few times when I hoped that the story would move faster. As I watched Maou first, the suspense was gone by the time I watched Mawang. Maou is more condensed and fast-paced but the ending wasn't handled too nicely. Both versions have its shortcomings but I still prefer Maou.

2) BGM: Mawang
I like the waltz-style theme and classical music mainly made by string instruments in Mawang. Maou's BGM isn't that bad but it is not as infectious as what I hear in Mawang. Honestly speaking, I can never come to terms as to why Korean dramas tend to play the central theme or theme song every now and then (Taiwanese dramas are doing the same too) and it really gets on my nerves most of the time. Japanese dramas usually play them at the climax towards the end of each episode. Much as I don't like the practice of repeating the themes so often, I like what I hear in Mawang.

3) Theme song: Mawang
Truth was OK but it gets really boring over repeated listenings. The main theme of Mawang 사랑하지 말아요 (Love Theme) - JK 김동욱 (don't ask me to translate since I don't know Korean at all) grew on me over time even though I don't know what is being sung. All I could catch was "sarangheyo" (i love you).

4) Acting: Mawang
I'm assessing this based on the 3 leads and will indicate who is the better one:
a) Joo Ji Hoon vs. Ohno Satoshi
Ohno Satoshi gets my vote here for showing the versatility in switching from bad to good seamlessly. Joo Ji Hoon is even colder and ruthless but his good self is displayed too subtly that the stronger impression I have of Seung Ha is just a cold-blooded mastermind. As such, the gap shown between both facades of the devil and how these sides affect each other is what makes Ohno a better choice.
b) Uhm Tae Woong vs. Ikuta Toma
Uhm Tae Woong is my choice here. It's not to say that Ikuta didn't do well. However, Uhm showed that he could shuttle between a passionate cop and guilt-stricken ex-murderer with much ease. I found Ikuta bit too heavy on the angst part that it got on my nerves. Ikuta's transition from angst to guilt and vice versa was awkward at times.
c) Shin Min Ah vs. Kobayashi Ryoko
Shin Min Ah, for sure. Hae In is definitely more likeable than Shiori who just keeps saying "Naruse-san" all the time. Hae In strikes me as brainy, gentle and with a character of her own. Maybe it's the way the role was developed or there is a gap between Shin and Kobayashi's acting experience. I do like Shin's potrayal of Hae In much better.

Overall verdict: Mawang provides a more complete package of good acting and nice music. The story may be a bit boring at some junctures but I think I would have enjoyed it better if I saw it first. Maou is good in its own ways but the number of episodes proved to be a double-edged sword. It pushed up the excitement index and tempo but glossed over some important and interesting happenings.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Review of Galileo Zero (Drama SP)

Title: Galileo Zero
Shown on: 4 Oct 2008, 9pm
Broadcaster: FujiTV
Cast: Fukuyama Masaharu, Miura Kazuma, Kitamura Kazuki, Nagasawa Masami, Watanabe Ikkei, Karina, Kanie Keizo, Maya Miki


Review:

This drama SP was shown on the same day the Galileo movie, "Yogisha X no Kenshin" was screened in the cinemas. As such, this was somewhat like a gimmick to boost interest in the movie and grab headlines since I believe this was the first time the drama SP was shown on the same day as the movie release. As such, you will see a live performance of the theme song for the movie, "Saiai" by Shibasaki Kou and Fukuyama Masaharu. I believe that was taken from the music programme, "Bokura no Ongaku". There was also a short trailer at the end but I think that was a bit too short and a tad boring as compared to the full version.

Anyway, coming to the SP, the timeline was 3 years before the Galileo drama started so you will not see Utsumi Kaoru (Shibasaki Kou). She only appears in scenes sporadically at the beginning and end when Kuribayashi (Watanabe) does a recap of what has happened.

Instead, Nagasawa Masami and Karina were added to the lineup for the sake of gender balance (eye candy for the guys?) since the cast is predominantly male and the limelight was definitely hogged by Fukuyama and Kitamura. That being said, Nagasawa was again playing a chirpy girl who is a student of Yukawa and I found myself being irritated by her again. On the other hand, although Karina was not as good as she was in Boku no Aruku Michi, she was still OK in this SP given that she has a small role.

As for Fukuyama and Kitamura, they were good in their own ways. Fukuyama maintained the same level of performance as Yukawa but I still cannot accept why he has to write those physics formulas everywhere just to solve the case. Anyway, he still manages to make Yukawa an interesting character. Kitamura was featured more prominently here in the SP as compared to the drama so it was good to see his interaction with Yukawa. And with two good-looking guys around, it only makes the watachable index go higher. :D

The biggest surprise here should be Miura Haruma. Although he didn't appear for a very long time, his resemblance to Fukuyama or should I say the adult version of Yukawa was so strong. I mean his appearance. His mannerisms are close to Yukawa but somehow, his style of acting is rather stiff, as if he's not at ease. I still feel that his acting skills need a bit more improvement but he has an advantage over his peers i.e. his looks and height. Frankly speaking, teenager actors like Kamiki Ryuunosuke are better in terms of acting but their appearances and images make it difficult for them to play slightly more mature roles. In this sense, Miura should be able to take on a wider variety of roles and in the process, improve his acting skills. Otherwise, he will soon be labelled as someone who looks good but cannot act.

With regards to the story of the SP itself, the highlight was of course solving the mystery. It is usually easy to guess who the culprit is but the rationale behind the unnatural happenings is what keeps people watching. Maybe it's due to the fact that the scriptwriter was overly ambitious in trying to include various subplots e.g. Yukawa helping Kusanagi for the first time thus leading to the tension for the main plot to be undermined. I hope that the movie version will turn up the tension since they have a lot of time just for one case. Since they have good actors like Tsutsumi Shinichi and Matsuyuki Yasuko in the lineup as well, it just wouldn't do for them to be confined in a lousy plot.

And my ratings for this drama SP...
Story: 7 out of 10 (A little lacking in focus and the tension factor)
Acting: 8 out of 10 (Kudos to the beach volleyball guys Fukuyama and Kitamura)
Theme song: 5 out of 10 (I don't think this SP has a theme song to its name so I decided to judge this category based on the drama's theme song)
Visual effects / Scenery: 7 out of 10 (The experiment scene was what deserved this. A bit of scenery here and there too. Oh, and for the guys, lots of bikini-clad girls at the beach too!)
Teamwork / Chemistry: 7 out of 10 (Yukawa + Kusanagi have good chemistry but I think Yukawa + Utsumi is a stronger pair. Kusanagi seems a bit too dependent on Yukawa at times and grumbles behind the latter at times while Utsumi dares to argue. The bickering in the drama was absent in the SP.)

Total score: 34 out of 50

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Review of Team Batista no Eikou Ep 1 - 謎 Nazo (Mystery)

O.A. Date: 14 Oct 08
Ratings: 15.2%


As this is a suspense thriller, I expected the first episode to be nothing more than introducing the background of the key characters. However, some of the cast members put up a rather compelling performance which should help to pull in more viewers as the action thickens. By that, I am referring to Nakamura Tooru and Ihara Tsuyoshi. The lead character Taguchi Kohei played by Ito Atsushi simply bored me to death. I just don't see why he gets to play this lead role and repeats his one-pattern acting time and again. Since he looks like a meek guy who gets bullied, shouldn't the casting director choose someone else to turn up the chemistry and tension between Taguchi and Shiratori? Compared to Nakamura or Ihara or even members of the Batista team who had much less airtime, Ito fails to impress, at least from what I've seen so far. I do hope that he will prove me wrong.

Given the fact that this drama adaptation comes after the movie adaptation, there will no doubt be comparisons. However, as I've not seen the movie nor read the novel, I can't judge which is better. Nonetheless, on paper, the movie version boasts of a stellar cast including Takeuchi Yuko, Abe Hiroshi, Kikkawa Kouji, Ikeuchi Hiroyuki, Tamayama Tetsuji, Igawa Haruka, Tanaka Naoki, Sano Shiro and Nogiwa Yoko etc. I guess the movie version had a bigger budget to begin with but I'm generally OK with the cast selection except for Ito. By the way, the movie made 1.56 billion yen at the box office when it was shown from Feb this year. Another interesting thing which I noticed was that the movie was produced by TBS but FujiTV is making the drama. Let's see who will do a better job at the end of the day.

Coming to the story, I'm OK with the pace so far but I hope the scriptwriter can turn up the speed a little and focus more on the development of the investigation instead of showing Taguchi weeping all the time. It does get on my nerves when I'm obviously watching this for the suspense. Like what I said, the first episode serves mainly to introduce the team members i.e. the suspects in this possible series of murders. It has yet to be established that the deaths during surgery were intentional but going from case 31, the operation looked flawless. As such, like what Shiratori said, this is likely to be a serial murder which could destroy the hospital too if it is really the case.

As for the theme song, it didn't leave a deep impression on me. I guess I need to listen to it a few more times to see if it will grow on me.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Romaji lyrics of ORION by Nakashima Mika (Insert song of Ryusei no Kizuna)

Title: ORION
Artiste: Nakashima Mika
Lyrics and Melody: Momoda Rui
Release date: 12 November 2008


naita no wa boku datta
yowasa wo misenai koto ga sou
tsuyoi wake janaitte kimi ga
itte ita kara dayo
I believe


iki ga tsumetaku naru kaeri michi ni
tada hoshi ga yurete iru

tashikameta bakari no
awai nukumori sae
mou wasure sou

hito wo suki ni nareru koto ni
hajimete kizuita ima wa

naita no wa boku datta
tsunagatta fuyu no seiza
kono sora ni kiete kanai you ni
mitsumete itan dayo
I believe

kajikanda te no hira
hanarenu you ni itsu made mo furete itai

tsutaetai kotoba wo kuri kaesu no ni
mata koe ni naranai

tawai nai koto de waratte
yasashiku tsutsumu yo kimi wo

nagare boshi kazoeteta
kimi to deaeta kiseki ga
ima boku ni
ikite iru imi wo
oshiete kureta kara
I believe

naita no wa boku datta
yowasa wo misenai koto ga sou
tsuyoi wake janaitte kimi ga
itte ita kara da yo
I believe

itte ita kara da yo
I believe

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Top 10 movies ranking (9 Nov 08)

1) Red Cliff Part I

2) Yes! Puri Kyua 5 GoGo! Okashi no kuni no Happy Birthday

3) Yogisha X no Kenshin

4) Handsome Suit

5) Maboroshi no Jama Daikoku

6) The X-Files

7) Homeless Chuugakusei

8) Eagle Eye

9) Centre Of The Earth

10) P.S. I Love You

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Lyrics of "Nocturne" by Hirahara Ayaka (Theme song for Kaze no Garden)

Title: Nocturne
Artiste: Hirahara Ayaka
Lyrics: Fumika
Melody: F.Chopin / Shiina Kunihito
Release date: 12 November 2008
Catalog number: MUCD-5142


Love, true love is to ask nothing in return
You are my destined soul mate
Your love, adoring eyes
We can see the light because we know the darkness
Everything has meaning, even campanula in the wind

Each one of us has pain and sorrow
Sheds a secret tear
But drops of your tears will fall to earth and
Welcome new life into the world again and again with love

Love, true love is to ask nothing in return
Fated love that is meant to last
My love, your gentle gaze
A drop of your soul within me that I adore
Everything has an end, but we'll be reunited

Monday, November 10, 2008

Last Friends - DVD box & OST release information

Title: Last Friends DVD Box Director's Cut
Price: 23,940 yen
Region code: 2
Number of discs: 7
Published by: Pony Canyon
Release date: 15 Oct 2008
Total run time: 505 minutes





Special features:

1) Director's Cut for Episodes 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10
2) Eri my Love (short drama cum spin-off movie starring Mizukawa Asami)
3) Cast interviews (Nagasawa Masami, Ueno Juri, Eita, Mizukawa Asami and Nishikido Ryo)
4) Crank Up Footage
5) Special Encore (broadcast on 26 June 08)

First press freebie: original choker and bracelet



Title: Last Friends OST
Price: 2500 yen (inclusive of tax)
Release date: 11 June 2008
Number of discs: 1
Label: EMI Music Japan
Total run time: 72 minutes

Track List:

1. ラスト・フレンズ::イーチ・リビング
2. ラスト・フレンズ::グッド・フェローズ
3. ラスト・フレンズ::エターナル・コース
4. ラスト・フレンズ::マインド・ベンダー
5. ラスト・フレンズ::スパイラル・ハート
6. ラスト・フレンズ::オン・オフ
7. ラスト・フレンズ::ディア・フレンズ
8. ラスト・フレンズ::インナー・サークル
9. ラスト・フレンズ::レイジー・デイズ
10. ラスト・フレンズ::リトル・シャイン
11. ラスト・フレンズ::ブラインド・リマインダー
12. ラスト・フレンズ::スナップ・ショット
13. ラスト・フレンズ::アイコール・ユアネーム
14. ラスト・フレンズ::メモリー・レイク
15. ラスト・フレンズ::コールド・ブレイン
16. ラスト・フレンズ::フレンド・シップ
17. ラスト・フレンズ::ドロップ・モーション
18. ラスト・フレンズ::シークレット・ポエッツ
19. ラスト・フレンズ::ブランニュー・シーズン
20. ラスト・フレンズ::レッド・ストリングス
21. ラスト・フレンズ::Prisoner Of Love (Inst.Ver.)

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Pandora Collector's DVD Box

Title: Pandora Collector's Box
Price: 12,600 yen (inclusive of tax)
Region code: 2
Number of discs: 4
Produced by: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Release date: 3 December 2008
Total run time: 471 minutes

Friday, November 07, 2008

Tomorrow - DVD Box & OST release information

Title: Tomorrow DVD Box
Price: 19,950 yen
Release date: 17 December 2008
Number of discs: 5
Produced by: UNIVERSAL MUSIC K.K.
Total run time: 465 minutes (not inclusive of special footage)

First press premium: Special photobook

Special footage: Production press conference video and interviews of the cast

Title: Tomorrow OST
Price: 2500 yen (inclusive of tax)
Release date: 10 September 2008
Number of discs: 1
Produced by: Independent Label
Total run time: 62 minutes

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Kansahoujin DVD Box & OST release info

Title: Kansahoujin DVD Box
Price: 11,970 yen (inclusive of tax)
Region Code: 2
Number of discs: 3
Release date: 28 November 2008
Produced by: Amuze Software Entertainment
Total run time: 354 minutes








Title: Kansahoujin OST
Price: 2625 yen (inclusive of tax)
Release date: 24 Oct 2008
Number of discs: 1
Produced by: NHK Enterprises
Total run time: 61 minutes

Note that this OST does not include the theme song, Shinkaigyo by Yamazaki Masayoshi.



Track list:

1.監査法人のテーマ〔4分08秒〕
2.柱(ささえ)〔2分10秒〕
3.往査(おうさ)〔2分23秒〕
4.闇のその先〔2分38秒〕
5.うごめく影〔4分44秒〕
6.無常〔2分24秒〕
7.金融の奔流(きんゆうのほんりゅう)〔1分20秒〕
8.激震〔22秒〕
9.粉飾決算〔1分09秒〕
10.監査法人のテーマ~ピアノバージョン~〔2分41秒〕
11.巨頭会談〔1分57秒〕
12.実査(じっさ)〔1分03秒〕
13.エスペランサ〔2分25秒〕
14.内部監査〔1分30秒〕
15.健司と知香〔2分04秒〕
16.破綻懸念〔19秒〕
17.夢の代償〔1分58秒〕
18.厳格監査〔2分03秒〕
19.厳しい判断〔1分54秒〕
20.裏帳簿〔17秒〕
21.不良債権〔2分02秒〕
22.失意の中で〔2分20秒〕
23.水面下〔1分27秒〕
24.架空取引〔1分45秒〕
25.密告〔11秒〕
26.監査への誇り〔1分44秒〕
27.上場廃止〔1分37秒〕
28.セールストーク〔1分25秒〕
29.風評被害〔1分48秒〕
30.健司と知香~ピアノバージョン~〔1分57秒〕
31.監査法人のテーマ~Reprise~〔1分53秒〕

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Top 10 movies for week ending 2 Nov 08

1) Red Cliff Part 1

2) Yogisha X no Kenshin

3) Maboroshi no Jamadai Koku

4) Handsome Suit

5) Eagle Eye

6) Homeless Chuugakusei

7) P.S. I Love You

8) Centre of the Earth

9) ICHI

10) Okuribito

Monday, November 03, 2008

Ryusei no Kizuna Merchandise - Hayashi Rice & Beef Curry Packs

Title: Ryusei no Kizuna - Hayashi Rice & Beef Curry Packs
Price: Open (Determined by individual retail outlets)
Date of release: 14 Oct 08 (for a limited period only)
Available at: Supermarkets, convenience stores, TBS Store and TBS ishop

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Kaze no Garden ni Saku Hanabana - Furano Kara 風のガーデンに咲く花々~富良野から~

Title: Kaze no Garden ni Saku Hanabana - Furano Kara
Number of discs: 1
Total run time: 60 minutes
Release date: 28 November 2008
Price: 4,935 yen
Produced by: FujiTV Image Planning Department
Distributed by: Pony Canyon

This Blu-ray disc release features 41 types of flowers among the 365 species planted for the filming of Kaze no Garden. Shiratori Teizo's flower meanings will also be introduced. The producer of the garden, Ueno Sayuki will also be interviewed. As part of the special premium, there will be some wallpapers with the garden in the background.