Shiraishi Shunya

First thing first. It’s been a while… and lately I’m back to watching TV Series. My last two series were both played by Shiraishi Shunya. Good Morning Call as Hisashi Uehara. and Kamen Rider Wizard as Haruto Soma.

After watching Good Morning Call, I find him interesting and liked to watch his other works. I’ve stumbled upon Kamen Rider Wizard and I am officially smitten-ed.

Probably because I liked the characters he played. Hisashi Uehara looks a bit cold but really nice on the inside. I like that he’s smart and compassionate. Haruto Soma is super duper nice and has a hero complex. He wants to save the world and is very sensitive. He also is very cool. Somehow, I like those kinds of traits in the main actor of the show.

Based on his two shows, one word would describe him. Kakkoii.  I like how he portrays the roles he’s in. Very believable. Two different types of personality but it was really convincing. I also like his expressions. Not over-acting. He just transforms into the character.

The only problem now is there’s not much information about him. I’m glad that he has a twitter account. I just need to brush up on my Japanese. And I’m waiting for the second season of Good Morning Call.

Credits for the Photos
Amazon JP
Jefusion
Kamen Rider Wikia
Dryedmangoez
GoodMorning-Call

 

 

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Yuzuru Hanyu

I’ve been a fan of Yuruzu Hanyu after seeing him in the Winter Olympics in Russia.

He was so passionate in skating and he’s very humble.

The recent news about him breaks my heart. He was injured during warm up practice when he collided with a Chinese skater. In the end, he performed with a head bandage and chin bandaid.

Credits: http://www.mercedsunstar.com

Credits: http://www.theaustralian.com.au

Yes, he fell in most of his jumps but the will to finish the program is super inspiring. In fact, after the program, he was struggling to skate, walk and stay awake.

When the results were shown,  he cried… It was so touching. Too bad, he didn’t win overall. But he really did what he can and I am super proud of him. Will continue to support him and watch his health progress.

Get well soon, Yuzuru Hanyu!

You Tube Clips
The Fall
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0HBmQwdZA1U

Performance
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mqjs2hmzqAc

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The Sound of Music Musical

[tweetmeme source=”ibethyap”] “The hills are alive… with the sound of music…” They’re here! In Resorts World Manila from October 15 until December 11 . I was lucky enough to watch the opening night, thanks to my shobby. The only drawback is I watched it alone since we can’t get tickets for husband. That being said, he watch Real Steel instead.

While waiting for the show to start, they showed teasers of what to expect in the play. The rehearsal, the cast and a bit of the interview, building up the crowd’s interest in the play. I was a bit impressed with the cast, their voices sound really good.

The opening was spectacular. The combination of the LED screen and the voices was amazing. The stage was awesome as well. However, they weren’t able to sustain the greatness throughout the show. Towards the end of the 3 hours, it was a bit boring and dragging. Although the talent of the casts is still remarkable.

The Sound of Music is memorable to me, I remember watching it with my dad. That’s why I can’t help but compare the play with the movie. I think that some of the “must” scenes were removed from the musical. This includes the Captain singing Edelweiss in the garden. The only time this song was sang was towards the end of the play. Do-Re-Mi was a bit over-sang. They sang it for more than 3 times I think.

Another observation is the inclusion of minor parts, I mean they let Max and Elsa sing 3 songs, I have no complains on their talents, they are really good. It’s just that, because of these minor parts, the love story of Captain Von Trapp and Maria was a bit rushed. And these minor parts also caused the play to be super long.

The kissing scenes were also a bit excessive. I mean, it’s supposed to be based on a classic movie. Do people kiss that much during that time?

After the negative reviews, here’s what I like about the play. The opening number is super good. The voices of the nuns are really angelic. It feels like you’re in heaven with angels singing.

I also like the dance of Captain Von Trapp and Maria, it was super romantic. It feels like they were the only people left in the world when they were dancing. The passion they have for each other is super infectious. I suddenly miss my husband.

The youngest daughter, Gretl is super cute. She’s talented at an early age. I like the musical sequence of the Von Trapp kids, it was super fun. Like you were transferred back in time.

The voices of the cast are really good, it’s heartwarming. And you just want to listen to them. Right after the play, I want to listen to the songs all over again that I keep on singing the songs in my head and aloud.

I’m glad I watched this play, it’s been a long time since I watched a play. The venue was also great, Resorts World Theater is so cool, they are a bit strict on food and drinks. These are not allowed in the theater. The washroom as outside the theater, in the lounge. So I suggest you use it first before going inside. They start the play on time. At 8 PM, there were still some people coming in, but the curtains are raised and the nuns started singing. The drawback of this? A lot of people are still walking while the play is starting. If they should be strict on the time, they should close the door at a certain point so that no one will come in anymore. Interrupting the play.

If I was to choose which I like better? It would still be the movie. Going to this play is a good experience. I would like to watch a play again.

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Prince William

[tweetmeme source=”ibethyap”] Because of the royal wedding hype, I’m starting to like Prince William again. Back in high school days when everyone has a crush on Prince William, I caught on the William fever. I liked him during that time also. I mean, who wouldn’t he was handsome and he’s a prince.

I have to be honest, before the royal wedding, I can’t help but wonder what happened to him. How come he was losing his hair. And Kate came out super pretty, I was sad that he’s not as handsome as he was before. During the wedding, while inside the car with Prince Harry, I can’t help but swoon. I mean, he looks so good in his uniform. And I like the fact that he was waving to the crowd. He’s super nice and it’s one of my weaknesses. When he took off his hat, “hmm” that’s my only reaction. It was a bit sad seeing aerial shots of the wedding.

I love his voice when he was saying his vows. I was even hushing my dad because I can’t hear his voice even if it was already the third time I was watching the replay. His voice was so good. And his smile, “sigh” I can let go of his baldness.

After the wedding and ready all the reports, lip reading news, I loved him more. I can’t believe he’s so sweet. I’ve saved some of the things I love.

William the worrier: Even on his wedding day, Prince watches out for his little bridesmaid

‘Did you see how terrified Grace looked? ‘Grace, she was like with her hands on her ears.’ – He even imitated her. Prince William is so cute.

During the Balcony Kiss

A lip reader’s analysis showed that, following their first kiss, William touchingly told his new bride ‘I love you’ before going in for a second crowd-thrilling embrace.

‘Let’s give them another one. l love you. One more kiss, one more kiss, okay,’ he said.

When Kate and her dad arrived at the altar

Turning to Michael Middleton and his dazzling daughter, he quipped with mock innocence: “I just thought it would be a small family affair!”

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David Beckham

[tweetmeme source=”ibethyap”] I’ve found my modern day rake image in David Beckham. I mean, he’s talented, handsome, and rich. Has style, hot bod and a killer smile. He has the ability to make everyone in the room swoon when he comes in. There’s only one thought entering my mind when I see his pictures… ” He’s perfect!” Well, sort of, until he speaks.

I know he’s really good in football. I’ve never seen him play but I’ve seen some youtube clips. Too bad, he doesn’t play much lately. But at least we still see him.

What makes him more lovable is the feelings he shows towards his wife and sons. I love seeing his pictures with his family. Watching NBA with his sons, kissing them in public. He’s an amazing father, as in the novels, a reformed rake. I absolutely have no idea what his life was before Victoria, but I would like to continue imagining he was once a rake.

I love him and Victoria. I’ve been following Victoria since Spice Girls. I love Posh the most. I’m happy that after all these years, they are still together, looking strong. Looking more in love. My heart skips a beat seeing their pictures happy. I love seeing all their photos. Given that they are also the paparazzi’s favorite, I see a lot of their pictures. I’m glad they found one another. They are perfect for each other.

David looks like a Knight in Shining Armor, always there to protect his family. I can see the protectiveness towards Victoria more. I also like seeing their public display of affection. This makes him live up to my rake image.

I’m sorry I’m fulfilling my own fantasy. It’s hard to find someone who can live up to the images I have conjured. I’ve searched through the internet and I can’t find someone good looking enough to meet my expectation. I’m so glad I found my rake and he’s so hot.

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What I’ve Learned from my Wedding Gown Designer

[tweetmeme source=”ibethyap”] Getting a designer who lives near you have it’s own advantages. Over the past few months, I’m almost always in my designer’s store. Fitting my gown, waiting with my entourage to fit their gowns or checking accessories and stuffs. I’ve learned some of the inside info in the designer’s world and I would like to keep it in my blog.

1. Length of studying fashion design is variable. They have a quota of the drawings so if you draw fast, chances are you would graduate earlier. The school would also ask you to compile all your drawings so when you graduate you already have a portfolio. It’s normally finished in 3 years time.
2. There’s really no school for bead working. It’s normally acquired through practice. The best way to do so is to start in a small piece of cloth, draw your designs and start to sew beads into the pattern. Mind you, there’s a counting that needs to be followed. It should be precise to the counting otherwise the beads would be loose.
3. For the beading process, the designer would draw it in the paper. And then pass the dress and the paper to the one who would do the beads. They would draw patterns in the dress. Afterwhich, they would send back for the designer’s approval. Once it’s okay, they would start the beadwork.
4. If you want to start learning about sewing, start with sewing handkerchief and then difficulty should progress.
5. Wedding gowns would be dirty after all the people touching it, sewing beads to it or fittings. The way to clean it is to soak it in Ariel and clean it off with a brush to make the gown white again.
6. As a designer, you are not expected to do everything by yourself. You just have to get good staffs. Someone’s who good in doing measurement, sewing, beading and looking for accessories. But it is a must that you know how to do the rest just in case something fails, you have to fix it all by yourself.
7. The normal places we visit, Divisoria, Greenhills becomes the designer’s haven as they are able to get prices cheaply.
8. Designers have their own suppliers that’s why even if  those suppliers won’t sell the cloth in retail, you can get it from the designer.

I love Emil Ocampo, he’s simple, down to earth and really talented. He thought me a lot of stuffs and he’s super patient with me with all my requests. I got to admit that some of his drawings look familiar. But you can choose your own design and make him modify. I’m glad that our style matches that it’s easier to talk with him. He’s super nice even if you have lots of revisions, he ensures that the quality of the dress is good. And thinks of ways to improve the dresses. I think I found my permanent designer. He’s also not super costly.

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U-Kiss in Manila DVD

[tweetmeme source=”ibethyap”] Being a fan of concert DVDs, I was truly disappointed with the quality of this DVD. I’ve watch Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese concert DVDs, and because of that I’ve set the bar high.

There was no problem with the performance of U-kiss, as I’ve experienced live, they provide a really entertaining performance. Basically, the group performances were great. I liked watching it, seems that I’m seeing them live again. The solo performances were a bit short, less than 2 minutes for each of the members I think. I’ll be a bit biased, I loved seeing Zander’s performance. I love the effort he took to sing Bebot. He has a cute Filipino accent. Super loved the performance. Although majority, I liked the concert performance. I can’t help but criticize the Stupid Cupid number. It was plain stupid. I didn’t understand what it was for. It even made U-kiss members wear mascot costume. It was really weird. One suggestion is they don’t need back-up dancers. Having 7 members is already enough, it looked a bit crowded in the stage. To make things worse there were some scenes where U-kiss is hard to find due to lots of people on stage. Backup dancers are not advisable for small stages like Araneta.

Comparing to Japanese costumes, the costumes of U-kiss were a bit tamed and cool. The solo performance costumes seems to be too plain for the artist. Nevertheless, the performance out-shown the costume. Stage, hmm… it’s a bit hard… of course, it’s the Philippines, I can’t expect much on the stage design. In fact, I didn’t see any stage design. The lighting is poor, not much laser and spotlights. It was hard to see the artists in the performance. Comparing to Taiwan concerts, the screen design is super poor. The videos looks genetic like flash samples. They’ve used neon lighting in the videos that the lights are bouncing back. It hurt my eyes to look at it.

Now on the DVD critique, it was worth 500 Php with a free booklet. I’m a bit bitter to discover that my copy is damaged. The plastic in the DVD case is torn and the carton cover is done defectively. It’s a bit sticky because the paper didn’t cover all the gum. Anyway, this is the worst case of merchandise that I bought original.

Moving on to the video and audio quality. It was crappy. Video wise, some of the scenes looked like a fancam coverage. When U-kiss is dancing, the video becomes pixelated. To make things worse, in some parts, I can’t see the face of U-kiss even if they are not moving a lot. In the dancing part, there are scenes where not all members are captured in the video. They show videos of fans in poor timing. And I really hate the blacking of the video at the start of every song. The talk parts were cut out, not really showcasing a true U-kiss concert where they interact a lot with the fans. Video coverage is really poor, I saw better fancams videos. Audio quality is super poor, there’s no static but the volume is unstable. Like a cheap pirated DVD. There would be loud and hush sounds in a song. It was hard to hear some parts of the ballad.

I didn’t regret buying this DVD mainly because of Zander and Kibum, the 2 members that I like that are not part of U-kiss anymore. Overall, I enjoyed their performances and I love the fact that I have my own copy. There are opportunity areas for Universal in future concert coverage and production. It’s a bit sad that the talk part were removed from the concert DVD. As a fangirl, this is an essential part of a concert. That’s where you can see how the artists treat their fans. I can’t imagine an Arashi concert without talk or MC. U-kiss is a really good group and I think they would be more successful in the future. I’m not sure if I can follow them as before since Zander is not part anymore. I’ll try though. They have good songs and really good dance number. It’s fun to watch them.

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Jang Keun Suk

[tweetmeme source=”ibethyap”] I never thought that I would like an actor younger than me. But I started following JKS after I’ve watched You’re Beautiful the first time. Why the disclaimer? Because I’ve watched the series more than 20 times in a span of 1 month. 🙂 I was attracted to his character, Hwang Tae Kyung and I can picture it as him.

Recently, I’ve started discovering his personality and interests. I like him trying to reach out to fans by uploading a load of pictures via twitter. Even if he is using his friend’s account or using the organizer’s accounts, he still makes it a point to update his fans of what he is doing. What’s nice about it is that he is natural in those pictures, sometimes wearing a sando, signing autograph or eating something.

I’ve discovered that he is truly passionate about his work. In his latest drama, Mary Stayed Out All Night, he fought the writers to justify his character in the story. And I absolutely love the fact that he rewrote the ending of the show just to make the followers of the drama happy. He takes his craft very seriously.

He has a nice voice. In fact, I love all of his songs in You’re Beautiful and Mary Stayed Out All Night. It’s full of emotions. Some of the CM songs are also addictive specially Toucholic.

He has a great personality, in his recent visit to Taiwan, not only did he showcase his English speaking skills, he also showed his fans how fun he is. The hosts didn’t had a hard time conversing with him. He’s game about anything.

JKS is on the go now. I’m sure in a few years time, he’ll be more successful. I’ll just have to wait and see his future works. Waiting for his rendition of Kimi Wa Petto, after all, Matsujun also portrayed the role of Momo.

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Matsumoto Jun

[tweetmeme source=”ibethyap”] Since I’m starting to flail on my idols, I’ve decided to dedicate one entry to my ultimate ichiban… Matsumoto Jun, better known as Matsujun. He’s the youngest member of Japanese Idol, Arashi. But he certainly share a big part in the success of Arashi. A lot of the fans got to know of Arashi through Hana Yori Dango, where Matsujun starred as Doumyouji Tsukasa. Yes, I was Jun-baited into Arashi fandom thru Doumyouji and I remained loyal. He’s my ichiban from 2007 until now.

Matsujun has a DoS personality, he likes bullying Aiba. Which makes it fun to watch Arashi shows. Often times, he whacks Aiba-chan’s head. Even if he treats Aiba-chan that way, he loves the members of Arashi. Being part of the Nakimushi duo, I’m super touched when he shows his true feelings.

He is super confident. He’s not afraid to share his opinion. And he carries himself well. He knows what he wants and stands by it. Of course, he has an undying passion to improve. He takes on any challenge and try to make the most out of it.

He’s an ikemen. A lot of the first impression of him is he’s super handsome. I agree completely. But he’s not all that. In fact, the main reason why he is attractive is his charm. He can also have any hair style he wants. Even if at first it looks horrible. At the end of the day, you would wish that he would stay with that style longer. I’m a living testimony for that.

He’s not known for his voice, but I certainly love him dancing. He dances naturally. I guess he compensates his weakness. What he can’t do with singing, he express in dancing. I’m super happy with his latest solo song. At last, there’s a solo song of his that I love dearly. He now knows how to choose his solo. Even his performances are awesome. Super love!

He has perfect legs! I super love his legs!

Even if he’s the youngest, he is the most organized member. Thanks to his OC personality, the concert of Arashi is always a success. He conceptualizes and executes the concert ideas. From moving stages, costume, stage design, setlist, he’s the man! Thank you, Matsujun for making all concert fun and memorable.

I like him because he always put Arashi first. He ensures that when he is introduced, “Arashi” is mentioned. It helped a lot in the status of Arashi. From the decrease in their popularity back in 2005. They all worked hard to achieve the status they have now. I’m super proud of them. They are like a family, they don’t fight and they think about the welfare of each other.

Matsujun brings me comfort. Whenever I’m down, I just look at his pictures or listen to his songs or watch his videos. It never fails to bring a smile on my face. That’s why, he will always be my ichiban!

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Arashi Fandom Begins

[tweetmeme source=”ibethyap”] I’ve been in the fandom for quite some time now, through the years, I’ve followed Alec Su, F4, 5566, Rain, Lee Hom, Wu Chun, Bae Yong Jun. But nothing compares to the addiction I have with Arashi now. Back then, I remembered trying to listen to Arashi songs, but I think it was Pikanchi that I heard of initially. Since it’s rock-type I didn’t like it at all.

Year 2007 while in Taiwan with Pitet, I accidentally watched a scene in Hana Yori Dango, where Doumyouji was waiting for Makino at Ebisu Garden Place and Makino didn’t come on time. Being a fan of Meteor Garden, I was interested in knowing what would happen in the series. So when we can back home, I tried to look for a copy and Gen lent me her copy. Instantly I was Jun-baited. I fell in love with Doumyouji Tsukasa, and then my fandom begins.

I tried listening to their songs. Back then the latest album was Time, but I liked Arashic better because of Wish. I tried watching the concerts but I got bored watching the others solo so I can’t watch the concert at one go. Until I’ve watched the first Arashi concert in Taipei Arena. I loved Carnival Night Part 2. That’s when I started downloading the concerts. I liked the first Tokyo Dome concert back then because of Carnival Night also. TV shows, I think only Arashi No Shukadaikun was available because I was able to watch the first episode of VS Arashi and Himitsu No Arashi. I remembered watching youtube videos of Arashi with Pam, mainly Aiba baka scenes.

I followed the fandom from then on, with the 24 hours TV special, watching their TV series, SP, release of singles, album, concert DVD. In three years time, they are now one of the best idols in Japan. I’m very very proud of them. Before, I was so happy to see posters of them uploaded in the net. Now, according to my sisters who went to Tokyo, they are almost everywhere. I also experienced this in the magazine store in Taiwan, almost all of the covers are Arashi. That it’s so hard to select which should I buy if I don’t want to go bankrupt.

What hooked me to Arashi is their versatility. They are first an idol, they sing, dance, act and host. They have their own radio shows. Sho-chan is a newscaster and Aiba-chan even if he’s the baka-type, host gymnastics competitions. They are now the tourism ambassador for Japan. They faces are shown in the domestic flights of JAL.

From 1999, I read about how Arashi struggled. Their popularity dropped when Kat-tun was formed. But I was glad and thankful for Hana Yori Dango. I super love Matsujun for what he did for Arashi. He agreed to play the Doumyouji part IF Arashi would sing the theme song. Although he’s not the leader of the group, he pulled everyone up with him when Hana Yori Dango was a hit. Member love is the best. They think of Arashi always, when they introduce themselves, it’s always “Hi I’m Arashi’s Matsujun” for example. In the 10 years that they have been together, they haven’t fought yet.

They are a group of very different people but they jive. Their relationship is true that’s why it’s fun to watch them. They make fun of each other and their friendship reflect on-screen. They do their best always, not afraid of how they would look like on screen, they just have fun. I especially love them eating on their shows. It shows their true nature. They are still simple boys. Through the years, even when they are super popular now, they are still humble. They don’t boast of the achievement they have now and continues to do their best for the fans.

Concert DVDs are super duper fun. They do a lot of fan-service and they perform for 3 hours normally. The MCs are funny. Random,  light-hearted and natural. It’s fun listening to what they are talking about. Concert details, I can’t be more proud of Matsujun who plans and executes for the concert, from the setlist to the costume and the nitty-gritty details. Even if he’s the youngest, he does his best.

Their sounds now are getting better and better, from the bubble-gum pop at the start, they have R&B, ballad, rock, pop. It’s fun listening to their different kinds of music and I’m glad that they are improving more and more. I listen to their songs everyday, it’s weird when I don’t hear their song for a day.

I also love the fans who are so up to date with everything happening with Arashi, to the subbing team, without them I won’t be able to truly appreciate the works of Arashi. It’s been years and until now, the fans support are not yet dying. I’ll always be thankful to share my love of Arashi with everyone.

Year by year, Arashi doesn’t fail to surprise me. They keep on doing something new each year. And I love them dearly.

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