Reviews Written By: A2P49WD75WHAG5provided by Amazon.com |
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 | Random House Japanese-English English-Japanese Dictionary | |
 | "Good enough reference work for home or travel" | 2007-07-27 |
Nakao Seigo-san's waei/eiwa, or Japanese-English/English Japanese dictionary, is a nice-sized quality paperback with enough entries, more than a pocket-sized edition, but nothing ultimate like the legendary Green Giant by Kenkyusha. The English-Japanese entries have the translations in romaji (written in Latin alphabet) as well as the kana and where appropriate, kanji translations. They also cover homophones, such as bridge (for crossing) and the card game. However, for those not versed in Japanese, the guide preceding the Japanese-English section is imperative reading, as it covers basic grammatical nuances and rules in Japanese. Regarding words borrowed from English, for example, one might observe how most Japanese words end in a vowel sound, hence Christmas is pronounced "kurisumasu," plastic is pronounced "purasuchikku." Then there are the copular nouns, or "keiyoudoushi" that accompany some adjectives. For example, "an elderly person" would be "toshiyori no hito." "Toshiyori" is elderly, "hito" is "person," which makes the copular noun "no." There are also some verbs whose infinitives include "suru," which is kind of like "do." For example, "emancipate" is "kaihou suru." Others don't, like "to reside," which is "sumu." I wore out my copy of this during my 72 day trip to Japan, and boy did it come in handy. This time, for my upcoming stay in Japan, I will treat my new copy much better. | ||
 | Creative Muvo V100 2 GB MP3 Player White | |
| "My first step into the even more portable realm" | 2007-07-08 |
| Having decided to go to Japan without my vast library of CDs in their original form--I'm burning them on DVD+Rs and will take them that way--I figured a more portable form of music player would be more efficient for a crowded country. While riding on the Yamanote Line in Tokyo, I was struck by the sight of teenagers carrying around their portable MP3 players aboard the train and found myself grossly inefficient and past date with my CD player. It was with this state of mind that I finally decided to join the even more portable realm with the Creative Muvo. Its relative smallness, slightly larger than a pocket lighter, fitting in my jeans pocket or polo shirt pocket, boggles me. Its 2G capability was something I was willing to settle for, as given my collection, 512 songs would be scarcely sufficient. There is indeed a shuffle option, and with its no-repeat dynamic, it's like walking around with your own portable radio station. One can fill up the player with random songs from the PC. That I may experiment with in the future, though given my collection of oddities, that may prove disastrous. I filled it with only a fraction of the songs on my PC, which doesn't take an exhaustive amount of time, and I observe it does play the songs alphabetically in order of file name. But it does read foreign characters, as I have some Japanese pop songs on there, so it is smart. It goes down to a third of its size when detaching it for plugging into the PC for downloading, so quite a technological marvel there. For the price I paid for it, a worthy investment. | ||
 | Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation | |
 | "This panda says yes!" | 2007-06-27 |
| Does seeing the following make you want to yank your hair out? Or if you're bald, shred your toupee? "We are open during the hour's of 9 AM to 5:30 PM", "Sorry, were closed," or "Your a cool guy?" Then Eats Shoots and Leaves is the book for you. As someone who still goes through the trouble to capitalize at the beginning of each sentence and make it is properly punctuated even in emails, Lynne Truss's Eats Shoots and Leaves was a perfect book for me. I thought I was anally punctuation-oriented, this woman takes the cake, but I really respect her for that. She alone seems to hold the tattered flag of commas, apostrophes, semicolons, colons, and dashes in an Internet world where such little marks are considered excess characters. Basically, the way she puts it, "punctuation herds words together, keeps others apart." But they also serve as necessary pauses between sentences or clauses. Per Cecil Hartley's poem, a comma is one pause length, a semicolon two, a colon three, and a period four. An interesting bit, I thought. She gives equal time to apostrophes and takes the time to discuss possessives--you remember those, mine, his, ours, its, etc. She also explains when and how they are used, such as a possessive in a singular noun, or the quantity of time--one week's work. What I didn't know was how ancient historical figures don't need an `s' after the apostrophe, such as Socrates' or Archimedes', but that more modern figures do, such as Keats's. However, she does point out how certain families, institutions, companies, etc. have authority over how they spell their names, so technically, it should be St. Thomas's Hospital, but it's St. Thomas' Hospital. Seeing as how the famous panda joke was caused by an excess of commas, Truss leaves no doubt that the comma is a very important punctuation mark, after the period, of course. For example, "What is this thing called love?" and "What is this thing called, love?" are two sentences that have two totally different meanings. Basically though, she does reaffirm the basic info that commas are correctly placed if they can replace the words "and" and "or." For example, "You can take your vacation in Tokyo, Osaka, Himeji, or Sapporo." However, I noticed one crucial difference. Had it been in Britain, the above sentence would not have the comma after Himeji. In America, there is. Throughout the book, Truss's no-tolerance approach to the punctuation-challenged masses can be seen, yet she endows her writing with quite a sense of humour and passion. When she mentions how she would've loved to bear the children of Aldus Manutius the Elder, who flourished during the 15th and 16th century, and who along with his offspring took the virgule and made it into a comma, as well as inventing the italic typeface and semicolon, well, need I go on. But she also relates, the way she upstaged a pen-pal of average writing skills by demonstrating her superior vocabulary and using a semicolon properly. The pen-pal never wrote back, clearly bewildered by Truss's prowess. As she quotes from that one scene in Crocodile Dundee, "That's not a knife. THAT's a knife." But she does go through the history of punctuation marks, even citing various modern and classic works to illustrate her point. She is a bit mixed on Netspeak. Granted, no one person is in control of it, as in Big Brother in 1984, but its overinclusiveness means that all rules on punctuation are off. She isn't a fan of emoticons because whoever uses them "cried out for an ornamental function," plus they are "a paltry substitute for expressing oneself properly." I'm guilty as the next person for using them, but it depends on the person I'm emailing or Instant Messaging. Having this as well as Strunk's book on writing style will put one far ahead in the game for punctuating properly. And a panda-sized thanks to Ms. Truss for writing this book. P.S. This panda eats shoots and leaves. Ha! | ||
 | Ichi the Killer (Unrated Edition) | |
| "There's no love in your punches at all!" | 2007-06-15 |
| Koroshiya Ichi is probably the ne plus ultra of violent movies that makes A Clockwork Orange like The Sound of Music. The last time I saw something so gruesome was Ilsa-She Wolf of the SS. A mob boss named Anjo disappears along with 3 million yen, and his devoted lackey Masa Kakihara, a scar-faced blond-haired yakuza with piercings sporting a flashy purple trenchcoat, with two slits on either side of his cheek, takes it upon himself to find out who kidnapped him. Kakihara is quite the sadist, but just as equally a masochist, as he even cuts off his own tongue to apologize to a syndicate boss. Given a tip by Jijii, one of a group of Chinese immigrants eking out livings doing dirty jobs in Shinjuku, he kidnaps Suzuki, a yakuza boss, strips him naked, hangs him from the ceiling with hooks, and pours boiling hot oil over the guy's back! Yakuza tempura, hmmm....He also has his trademark long pins, which he uses to deadly affect, resulting in human pincushions. The mastermind is Jijii. His killer is Ichi (Japanese for one), a mentally fragile guy who dresses up in a black rubber suit with a day-glo "1" on the back. His goal is to wipe out the yakuza in Shinjuku. And he persuades the easily swayed Ichi that they are like the people who bullied him in high school, and that it's his role to rid the world of bullies. "They beat upon the weak and pretend to own the world. Vengeance is yours. If you don't kill the bad guys, who will?" However, Jijii doesn't hesitate to use Ichi to get rid of his helpers, who are just tools for his crusade against the yakuza. Ichi is so extreme in his killings that the people who witness what he has done see a mass of blood, entrails, splattered walls and ceilings, and at one point a human face that has been sliced off. "As gross as ever," says one of his cleaners, who has slipped on the scarlet mess on the floor. In fact in one scene, Ichi kicks down a door, jumps inside a room filled with yakuza. We then hear screams, then yakuza blood and guts flying out the door. A repeated motif is his slicing the carotid artery, and then fwoooshhhh, out comes, as Alex from A Clockwork Orange would say, the red red kroovy. This movie is very very sadistic, meaning those with a weak stomach watching this during dinner will find themselves emptying breakfast stuff! Although given the comic-book like depictions of mutilation, it will also garner some laughs for the really twisted--the drug-addicted Kano in the TV set for example. But the scene of a pimp savagely beating one of his prostitutes and then violating her ranks high on the cruelty list. Don't worry-he gets his from Ichi and how! And a prostitute is not only beaten but has her nipples sliced off by Kakihara! Ouch! After being expelled from the syndicate, Kakihara continues the search for Anjo. With him are tough guy Takayama and a disgraced ex-cop Kaneko, who looks a bit like Barack Obama. Kaneko's probably one of the more decent characters, he's just had rotten luck. In fact, he is one of the few genuinely nice to Ichi, as he's reminded how Anjo took him in after he was expelled from the police force for losing his gun, something that even Jijii recognizes. Then there's Karen, a Chinese call-girl who speaks heavily accented Japanese and English. Her anecdote of her wishing someone's dog dead is funny. Note: in that story, she mentions a nawatobi rope which is merely Japanese for a jumprope. This is kind of a departure from Asano Tadanobu's usual roles. This actor, the Johnny Depp of Japan, normally has a soft-spoken undertone, but the blond hair, scarred face, wicked smile, and slits that cause his mouth to open extra wide, make this one of his more memorable roles. With a soundtrack veers from weird gibberish techno to a slow synth score, and a kind of retro-70's style cinematography, liking Ichi the Killer depends upon your stomach, and an open mind to extreme violence. "Listen, when you're hurting someone, don't think of the pain that he feels. Only concentrate on the pleasure of causing him pain. That's the only way to show compassion to your partner."---Kakihara to Karen. | ||
 | Moon Over Tao | |
| "Samurai+sorcery+sci-fi=Moon Over Tao" | 2006-09-09 |
| How's this for a combination? Samurai, sorcery and sci-fi? Well, that's what's in store for you if you check out Moon Over Tao-Makaraga. It is the Sengoku-jidai, or the Period of the Warring States, sometime during the 16th century, in Japan. Lord Tadaoki, a player in the game to take control of Japan, sends his former military advisor Suikyo, now a hermit-priest/sorcerer who has come down from the mountains, to seek out the source of a sword made out of "a special, superior kind of steel." He is accompanied by Hayate, Tadaoki's laconic chief samurai. Their quest takes them through the woods, where they meet Renge, a plucky self-reliant young girl armed only with a dagger given her by her late grandfather. Together, they track down the source of the sword's steel to a cold-blooded archenemy of Suikyo who wants nothing more than "a power strong enough to place absolute fear into the hearts of men." And what is the Makaraga? Without giving anything away, Renge says it best: "something that is never to be used." And the Tao is a gun-like device with a yin-yang motif. The battle scenes are great but the blood spills like wine (or should that be sake?) in many scenes. Suikyo comes through as a reliable fighter whose main weapon gives a new meaning to the phrase, "the pen is mightier than the sword." The recurring music theme is contemporary light drum machines with a violin that comes in, and helps set the atmosphere. Toshiyuki Nagashima gets a big-up, playing Suikyo as someone with a dignified, compassionate nature, a great contrast to the gruff and rough Hayate. Yuko Moriyama (Iria in the Zeiramu movies) has a triple role as Abira, Marien, and Kuzto, the three aliens who have tracked the Makaraga to Earth, and the makeup between the three are different enough that one forgets she's playing all of them. However, Sayaka Yoshino is appealing as the pre-teen/early teen Renge. Her shorts and high boots give the same eye-opening sensation like Silvana Mangano's outfit in Bitter Rice. Roots of this movie include the usual samurai movies, but Suikyo is a variation of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the aliens bug-like helmets reminded me of either Zuckuss or 4-LOM in Empire Strikes Back. Their suits are clearly based on SCUBA gear. And Renge's statement about the Makaraga hints to Japan's being the only country to have experienced nuclear devastation. An interesting twist on the samurai movie. | ||
 | Moon Over Tao | |
| "Samurai+sorcery+sci-fi=Moon Over Tao" | 2006-09-09 |
| How's this for a combination? Samurai, sorcery and sci-fi? Well, that's what's in store for you if you check out Moon Over Tao-Makaraga. It is the Sengoku-jidai, or the Period of the Warring States, sometime during the 16th century, in Japan. Lord Tadaoki, a player in the game to take control of Japan, sends his former military advisor Suikyo, now a hermit-priest/sorcerer who has come down from the mountains, to seek out the source of a sword made out of "a special, superior kind of steel." He is accompanied by Hayate, Tadaoki's laconic chief samurai. Their quest takes them through the woods, where they meet Renge, a plucky self-reliant young girl armed only with a dagger given her by her late grandfather. Together, they track down the source of the sword's steel to a cold-blooded archenemy of Suikyo who wants nothing more than "a power strong enough to place absolute fear into the hearts of men." And what is the Makaraga? Without giving anything away, Renge says it best: "something that is never to be used." And the Tao is a gun-like device with a yin-yang motif. The battle scenes are great but the blood spills like wine (or should that be sake?) in many scenes. Suikyo comes through as a reliable fighter whose main weapon gives a new meaning to the phrase, "the pen is mightier than the sword." The recurring music theme is contemporary light drum machines with a violin that comes in, and helps set the atmosphere. Toshiyuki Nagashima gets a big-up, playing Suikyo as someone with a dignified, compassionate nature, a great contrast to the gruff and rough Hayate. Yuko Moriyama (Iria in the Zeiramu movies) has a triple role as Abira, Marien, and Kuzto, the three aliens who have tracked the Makaraga to Earth, and the makeup between the three are different enough that one forgets she's playing all of them. However, Sayaka Yoshino is appealing as the pre-teen/early teen Renge. Her shorts and high boots give the same eye-opening sensation like Silvana Mangano's outfit in Bitter Rice. Roots of this movie include the usual samurai movies, but Suikyo is a variation of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the aliens bug-like helmets reminded me of either Zuckuss or 4-LOM in Empire Strikes Back. Their suits are clearly based on SCUBA gear. And Renge's statement about the Makaraga hints to Japan's being the only country to have experienced nuclear devastation. An interesting twist on the samurai movie. | ||
 | Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi - Fate (Vol. 1) + Series Box and Figurine | |
| "The bonds that tie people to one another..." | 2006-07-14 |
| I accidentally saw the first eight episodes of Enishi, the second season of Ai Yori Aoshi, before backtracking to the first season. I was so enchanted with Aoi Sakuraba, the kindly soft-spoken landlady in the indigo kimono, I felt I made a new friend that day. Enishi lasted for twelve episodes. The second season's subtitle "enishi" harkens back to the first season, as the first episode was titled "Enishi."
Aoi tells the precocious and cute Chika Minazuki "Enishi means the bonds that tie people to one another. Everyone here is tied to one another by Enishi. That's why we all met, tied to each other by Enishi." There is a mystical and deterministic spiritual sense there, of how the various lines of fate intertwine to form those bonds, and yet it was meant to happen. Anyway, two years have passed since Kaoru Hanabishi and Aoi Sakuraba were united. The romantic mood is set by Aoi gazing at the cherry blossom petals drifting with the gentle breeze, highlighted by her savouring the mood, eyes closed, arms outstretched, remembering the anniversary. We meet Chika Minazuki's two best friends at Fujimino High School for Girls, the lively Natsuki Komiya and shy but gentle Chizuru Aizawa, all three the most serious members of the swim team. When Natsuki discovers a photo of Chika and Kaoru, and the former says that they live together, Natsuki and Chizuru freak out big time, thinking she's gone to third base with Kaoru at so young an age. That demands a visit to the Sakuraba mansion on Sunday. However, Chika's nervousness at trying to keep her friends away from Kaoru so they won't ask him questions leads to all sorts of comedy, including a fight between Natsuki and Mayu. When Chika needs help practicing tennis at high school, it turns into a tennis outing for the gang, with Miyabi-san being their coach. Aoi turns up with a very fetching outfit, a change from her usual kimono. But there's lots of mischief and ginger from Tina, who flips up tennis skirts, and in the showers, gets to fondle the other girls, all of which is overheard by Kaoru. There are some salacious moments involving Aoi in a pink apron and nothing else. When Kaoru says he wants dinner first, she removes her kimono and says, "Please eat up." Yeah boy! When Tina is freaked out on some strange noises from the attic at night, it's up to Taeko, who's a bit of an occult freak, to lead the gang to exorcise the ghost. Tina's a cowardly lion here, so clearly monsters are her Achilles heel. However, this is a throwaway episode, an excuse for all of them to cosplay in the Shinto priest robes a la Kikyo in Inuyasha. The special Christmas episode, "Miyuki,"--beautiful snow in Japanese, is set before the first season. Kaoru is rewarded with a day with Santa when he finds the pendant without which she cannot return home. Santa suspiciously looks like a certain cute woman who habitually wears a blue kimono. A more preferable secular role for Santa is demonstrated. Santa Aoi says "The presents we give to children are not objects. We let them see pleasant and happy times in their dreams. ... Their joy, even if it's only an instant, is our joy." Less materialistic for sure. This was featured in the sixth manga, in which it was confirmed that some time after this, Kaoru and Aoi were reunited. However, a continuity question arises. Chika and Taeko clearly see Kaoru when he's with Santa Aoi, so why don't they remember him when they first meet? And why doesn't Mayu recognize Kaoru, having met him previously? Finally, there is some idea of where Kaoru and friends live. Chika meets and later sees off her friends at Shiki Station. They are near Fujimi City in Saitama Prefecture, about 30 km away from Tokyo. Shiki and Fujimino, four stations away, are served by the Tobu Tojo line which runs from Ikebukuro in Tokyo to Yorii in Saitama. Good start to the second season, let down by the silly poltergeist episode. Overall rating: 4.4, rounded down to 4. The limited edition of this comes with an Aoi Sakuraba capsule toy. | ||
 | Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi - Fate (Vol. 1) | |
| "The bonds that tie people to one another..." | 2006-07-14 |
| I accidentally saw the first eight episodes of Enishi, the second season of Ai Yori Aoshi, before backtracking to the first season. I was so enchanted with Aoi Sakuraba, the kindly soft-spoken landlady in the indigo kimono, I felt I made a new friend that day. Enishi lasted for twelve episodes. The second season's subtitle "enishi" harkens back to the first season, as the first episode was titled "Enishi." Aoi tells the precocious and cute Chika Minazuki "Enishi means the bonds that tie people to one another. Everyone here is tied to one another by Enishi. That's why we all met, tied to each other by Enishi." There is a mystical and deterministic spiritual sense there, of how the various lines of fate intertwine to form those bonds, and yet it was meant to happen. Anyway, two years have passed since Kaoru Hanabishi and Aoi Sakuraba were united. The romantic mood is set by Aoi gazing at the cherry blossom petals drifting with the gentle breeze, highlighted by her savouring the mood, eyes closed, arms outstretched, remembering the anniversary. We meet Chika Minazuki's two best friends at Fujimino High School for Girls, the lively Natsuki Komiya and shy but gentle Chizuru Aizawa, all three the most serious members of the swim team. When Natsuki discovers a photo of Chika and Kaoru, and the former says that they live together, Natsuki and Chizuru freak out big time, thinking she's gone to third base with Kaoru at so young an age. That demands a visit to the Sakuraba mansion on Sunday. However, Chika's nervousness at trying to keep her friends away from Kaoru so they won't ask him questions leads to all sorts of comedy, including a fight between Natsuki and Mayu. When Chika needs help practicing tennis at high school, it turns into a tennis outing for the gang, with Miyabi-san being their coach. Aoi turns up with a very fetching outfit, a change from her usual kimono. But there's lots of mischief and ginger from Tina, who flips up tennis skirts, and in the showers, gets to fondle the other girls, all of which is overheard by Kaoru. There are some salacious moments involving Aoi in a pink apron and nothing else. When Kaoru says he wants dinner first, she removes her kimono and says, "Please eat up." Yeah boy! When Tina is freaked out on some strange noises from the attic at night, it's up to Taeko, who's a bit of an occult freak, to lead the gang to exorcise the ghost. Tina's a cowardly lion here, so clearly monsters are her Achilles heel. However, this is a throwaway episode, an excuse for all of them to cosplay in the Shinto priest robes a la Kikyo in Inuyasha. The special Christmas episode, "Miyuki,"--beautiful snow in Japanese, is set before the first season. Kaoru is rewarded with a day with Santa when he finds the pendant without which she cannot return home. Santa suspiciously looks like a certain cute woman who habitually wears a blue kimono. A more preferable secular role for Santa is demonstrated. Santa Aoi says "The presents we give to children are not objects. We let them see pleasant and happy times in their dreams. ... Their joy, even if it's only an instant, is our joy." Less materialistic for sure. This was featured in the sixth manga, in which it was confirmed that some time after this, Kaoru and Aoi were reunited. However, a continuity question arises. Chika and Taeko clearly see Kaoru when he's with Santa Aoi, so why don't they remember him when they first meet? And why doesn't Mayu recognize Kaoru, having met him previously? Finally, there is some idea of where Kaoru and friends live. Chika meets and later sees off her friends at Shiki Station. They are near Fujimi City in Saitama Prefecture, about 30 km away from Tokyo. Shiki and Fujimino, four stations away, are served by the Tobu Tojo line which runs from Ikebukuro in Tokyo to Yorii in Saitama. Good start to the second season, let down by the silly poltergeist episode. Overall rating: 4.4, rounded down to 4. The limited edition of this comes with an Aoi Sakuraba capsule toy. | ||
 | Ai Yori Aoshi - With All My Heart (Vol. 5) | |
| "Aoi-a kind and pure person who heals one's heart" | 2006-07-12 |
| The final four episodes demonstrate how integral Aoi Sakuraba is to her fiancé Kaoru, and his classmates, housekeeper Taeko and overall party girl Tina Foster, as well as friends Mayu and Chika. She more than anyone forms the core of this informal "family." More on that later. Everybody learns how Aoi-chan is the house's central pillar when she catches a high fever and is laid down. They pull together and do her chores, something observed by and which touches Miyabi-san, the manager and person in charge of Aoi's education when she was a child. Kaoru and the others realize how much they have taken for granted that the house and yard is so clean. He thinks, "Aoi-chan always smiles, thinking about everyone. She doesn't make one sour face as she does such hard work. Aoi-chan is really amazing." Gee, where can I find someone like that?
Yet Aoi is too hard on herself, apologizing to Miyabi-san for not being good enough, and to Kaoru for not being a good enough fiancée. Come on, Aoi, anyone can get a fever. You've been working too darn hard! Miyabi then gets a phone call that upsets her. There follows a chain of events where she takes Aoi by car and days pass without them returning. The strict, ultra-serious Miyabi-san is gentler here, as she finally seems to have accepted Kaoru and vows to protect him as well. It seems that Aoi's father, Mr. Sakuraba, has found an overseas trader for Aoi to marry. If Miyabi seemed strict in the series, Mr. Sakuraba makes her look like Shirley Temple. She even gives the two some time so they can escape. True, that means Aoi can never return to her family, but at least they'll be together. However, the two decide to face Mr. Sakuraba together. Intercut between that scene are cuts of each of the girls thinking about Kaoru and listing his good points. Tina sees him as an awkward guy who can't lie to himself. Taeko thinks he's straightforward and so bright. Chika feels so much at ease with him, making her forget anything bad that happens. Mayu sees him as someone with a kind heart who's strong. "He knows more pain in his heart than anyone else." That touches on the sub-theme of loss. Kaoru lost his father in an accident and was separated from his mother, whom he never got see before she too died. Indeed, when Aoi is confronted by her father, Kaoru has a nightmare of losing her, making him realize something is wrong. For the most part, Tina is the optimistic cheerleader, soothing the usually bright Chika. However, she and Mayu's arguing is a clear sign how Aoi and Kaoru's absence affects the others. She tells Chika, who wonders why she and Taeko are preparing dinner with enough food for Aoi and Kaoru despite not getting a call from them, that "getting dinner ready so they can come home and welcoming them with a smile--that's what it means to be a family." Indeed, Aoi refers to Miyabi as part of their "family." There is another subtheme of the past revisited, as Kaoru takes Aoi to visit his mother's grave. However, another magical moment has them visiting the woods where she and Kaoru played when they were children. Some more gaps during that time are filled in via flashbacks. Both were nervous of each other when they first met, but Aoi was glad to see Kaoru laughing and playing. To Kaoru, Aoi resembled a doll with her shiny hair, so he delighted in playing pranks on her to see her react. We finally discover the root of Aoi's name. Her father tells her, "The day you were born, the sky was a piercing blue. The color blue heals one's heart. Kind and pure. Such a meaning lies within your name." The story goes on for a bit after the final resolution, with an epilogue. It's another flashback of Kaoru and Aoi as children, which hinted at another series of adventures. A small bonus episode, "Speaking of Dreams," takes place when the usual gang are eating lunch during cherry blossom watching, and share what they dreamed of being when they were kids. A wonderful way to finish the first season. Followed by a second season, Enishi. | ||
 | Negima Vol. 3 : Magister Negi Magi | |
| "Evangeline and Chachamaru--delightful evil in Vol 3" | 2006-03-03 |
| Along with having the bad-tempered Asuna as a housemate, battling nasty high school students, and getting lost on Library Island, ten-year old Negi Springfield is confronted with another crisis. What if you're a teacher at a junior high school, and one of your students happens to be a vampire? Meet Evangeline McDowell, student no. 26 on his roster, a.k.a. Dark Evangel, a dour-looking customer who's in the go and tea ceremony clubs. After the attack on Makie Sasaki, Evangeline is revealed to be the so-called "vampire of Cherry Blossom Street," where the attack took place. Turns out she's not only a wizard, but knows of Negi's father, the Southern Master, who defeated her, and using a spell, trapped her in the body of a junior high school girl. The way to lift the curse is to drink the blood of the nearest relative of whoever cursed her. Guess who that is? And she's so villainous, "even the villains want to kill her." However, despite seeming to be powerful, she lacks natural talent. She needs cloaks and catalysts, and a partner, a Ministel Magi. Evangeline tells him, "while we wizards prepare a spell, we can't defend against attack. Selecting a `ministel magi' [is] about finding someone to block incoming spells while you cast your offensive ones." In Evangeline's case, she has Chachamaru Karakuri, an android given the long prongs she has for ears. "Two evil-doers in my class--as if the regular cut-ups weren't enough!" wails Negi. The need to defeat Evangeline dominates the third volume of Negima!, as a funny character makes his debut. The slick fast-talking Albert Chamomile, or Chamo for short, was an ermine Negi rescued from a trap, and who's on the run for stealing 2,000 pairs of female undies. Chamo aids Negi in trying to find him a Ministel Magi, and they settle on Asuna due to her fighting abilities and reliability, but they form a partnership under a probationary contract. The last part of the volume involves the first real confrontation between the partnered teams of Negi and Asuna versus Evangeline and Chachamaru. Negi though, sees Evangeline and Chachamaru as his students, and sees the good side of the latter through her good deeds, taking in stray cats for example, for which he cancels an attack on her, something not missed by the robot. She's not bad, she just has to obey her mistress. And when Evangeline is sick in bed, he doesn't attack her, he sits by her bedside. But he does get discouraged, and apart from crying-hey, he is ten years old-he flees into the woods where he gets some help from his student Kaede Nagase, who helps him clear his troubled mind with the self-sufficient weekend outing she does in the woods. And when Nodoka the librarian girl gets all except the very top part of her blouse and her socks blown off, I wondered if I was reading Battle Vixens instead. Yet one mystery arises. Why did his mentor Takamichi, scribble above Evangeline's picture, "ask her advice if you're in trouble"? The introduction of Evangeline, Chachamaru, and Chamo, as well as the Harry Potter-like casting of dueling verbal spells between Negi and Evangeline ensures the magic continues in Volume 3 of Ken Akamatsu's series. | ||
![Primus - Frizzle Fry [Bonus Track]](product_images/1222000/1222585_thumb.jpg) | Primus - Frizzle Fry [Bonus Track] | |
| "Quirky but energetic bass romps from Claypool and friends" | 2005-11-20 |
One of the goofiest yet outstanding bands I ever heard on the college radio at NMSU was Primus. I nearly got to see them, but more on that later. Les Claypool's thundering electric and string bass is complimented with some downright catchy stomping punk-metal riffs by Larry LaLonde, quirky and goofy lyrics, and supporting percussion by Tim Alexander, which didn't make Primus the Les Claypool Experience. Just from the title, "To Defy The Laws of Tradition" is a winner, while asking some interesting questions, such as who is worse, someone who murders someone, or someone who decided not to pay the taxman coming to town? A witty lyric that is a howler is why do brides wear virgin white? Most do not deserve that right." So, what should they wear, sl-t silver or already-slept aquamarine? The song cuts in midsection with some quirky bassing and Les's vocal mumblings, before going back full force. Two songs here can be considered classic Primus. One, possibly my favourite Primus song, is the manic grind stomp of "Too Many Puppies," which I initially considered a triumph of crazy style, especially with that ringing triangle. However, on closer examination, it's a sober look at the effects militarization has on the youth. One lyric in particular made me shake my head in wonder, as it predicted the Gulf War-this album was released February 1990: "too many puppies are trained not to bark at the sight of blood that must be spilled that we may maintain our oil fields." Maintain our oil field...gee, didn't something like this happen, uh, two years ago? The other is "John The Fisherman" the story of how a boy somehow knew that catching fish was his destiny, feeling "alienated by clique society" and grew up to be an ocean fisherman. Primus would later continue the adventures of John in other songs in at least Sailing the Seas of Cheese and Pork Soda. For sheer goofiness, how about "Mr. Knowitall," either some presumptious ivory-tower resident, or fancy poser. But catch that funny lyric at the end: "They call me Mr. Knowitall, I am so eloquent, Perfection is my middle name, and whatever rhymes with eloquent." The metaphor of "Groundhog's Day," of the groundhog seeing his shadow, plays a part in the weary protagonist, who finally decides to go out and be that "big man in the public eye," i.e. forget that bad sensation, described as "an ice cold bath" when he discovered "you had to pay to play." In other words, no six more weeks of winter-spring starts now! The churning slowed down grunge of the title track, sounding what Metallica would later toy around with on their black album presents some weird visual imagery and some bizarre pairings: "I don't believe in pinochle...I do believe in Captain Crunch." So who or what is the Frizzle Fry? Too weird to contemplate, but amusing nevertheless. The frantic "Pudding Time" shows how money can buy things like sweets or material things, but happiness is something that can't be bought like the distractions that seem to make us content. Things like fish dying or happiness can't be replaced: "laughter is a sweet you can't put a price on. When laughter's all gone, daddy won't buy you anymore." In early January 1992, before the onset of the new semester, Primus was opening for Rush on their Roll The Bones tour. Because the closest seat was way in the back, I decided not to plunk down the already reduced rate for students. Today, I look back on that and kick myself, because I missed the opportunity to catch two really great bands. Frizzle Fry is a great debut album, but I prefer to go Sailing the Seas of Cheese. | ||
 | Culture Club - At Worst...The Best of Boy George and Culture Club | |
| "In Praise of Boy George and Culture Club" | 2005-11-11 |
| Of the stalwart popsters heralding the second British invasion, Culture Club definitely opened eyes due to openly gay lead singer Boy George, formerly Bow Wow Wow's Lieutenant Lush, whose gender-bending makeup made him better looking feminine. CC's brand of music was infectiously fun dance pop and some great ballads mixed with some soul, enhanced by George's feminine vocals, small wonder that they won 1983's Best New Artist Grammy. But Boy George's heroin problems put a fast end to the group after their fourth album, From Luxury To Heartache. After getting cleaned up, Boy George went solo, still a hit in Britain, but in the US, alas no! Pity, because he came out with pretty great solo material. Most of the singles are present, from CC's 3 weeks at #2 hit "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" from their debut Kissing To Be Clever. This ballad highlights George's soul-tinged vocals, as well as the backing section of soul singers and airy, lounging synths. My favourite CC ballad is the tearjerking non-charter "Victims," with its melancholy piano and backing crooners, as well as a midsection that briefly goes into a classic disco crescendo before settling back down. The upbeat Caribbean-like "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" peaked at #9, demonstrating CC's dance pop skills. However, the non-LP "Time (Clock of the Heart)" which also peaked at #2, incorporated some classic disco synths with a funky bassbeat, telling that illusory theme how time won't give us time, making lovers feel like they got something real. Guest artists that helped Culture Club include Jermaine Stewart, who was on their #5 dance hit "Miss Me Blind" before he sang about not having to take one's clothes off. Ironically, it was this song that has the lyric "kissing to be clever," and not their debut album. Helen Terry's wailing soulful vocals found their way not only here but on the #10 "Church of the Poison Mind," an infectious dance tune Wham! would've given their blow-dried hair for. Terry later helped George on his solo single "Generations of Love" also included here. And it's no contest that Colour By Numbers was their best albums, as that yielded four Top Ten singles, including the three-week chart-topper "Karma Chameleon," of how love games make that love touch and go, like the chameleon that camouflages itself to become invisible. George performed this and I believe "Move Away" when he guest-starred on the A-Team episode "Cowboy George." However, nothing from Waking Up With The House On Fire is present, meaning no "The War Song," one of my favourite CC singles. The sole representative from From Luxury To Heartache was the #12 "Move Away," CC's last Top 40 hit and one of my favourites, a slick number highlighted by a snappy drum machines and bass, but with some downbeat lyrics, made more so as Boy George's drug problems probably contributed to low sales of what was an underrated album. Two quibbles. One are the spoken bits preceding "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" and "Sweet Toxic Love." The others are the exclusion of "The War Song," "Black Money," "Mistake No. 3," and the pro-gay rights anthem "No Clause 28," in response to an anti-gay legislation pushed by then British PM Maggie Torture. Boy George hit #1 in the UK with his reggaefied cover of Bread's "Everything I Own." He branched out, going a bit mystical with the acoustic singalong of "Bow Down Mister," where he called for doing whatever your religion called for you do, with the same soulful CC choruses, with some hare Krishna refrains. Some sitar is present in the bittersweet two-sides-of-the-coin "Sweet Toxic Love," proving he never lost his touch-just his American audience. In it, he embraces yet feels agony over love, "give me some of that sweet toxic love...to lift me up, to drive me insane." Elsewhere, he assertively tells his lover-"I'm not your punch bag, I'm not your floor, you cant walk on me until you get bored." Pretty intelligent stuff. His last big hit in the US was the #15 title song to The Crying Game, which ranks as one of the best emotionally-racking songs I've ever heard-"first there are kisses, then there are sighs, and then before you know where you are, you're saying goodbye." Per the song, I've asked myself-not the moon-why are there heartaches and tears. Culture Club was way too progressive for many parts of the U.S., where a clear homophobic element was rife. The name though was just right. Consider their original incarnations-In Praise of Lemmings (bizarre) or Sex Gang Children, (small trouble marketing that). | ||
 | Fruits Basket - A Great Transformation (Vol. 1) | |
| "An anime that'll leave you warm and fuzzy inside" | 2005-10-11 |
| Tohru Honda is a cute, bubbly orphaned high school sophomore who lost her mother in May, and is secretly living in a tent in the woods. She pays for her own tuition via her janitorial job. She's got it rough, but she feels blessed to have two friends, tough talking blonde Arisa Uotani and the goth-like Saki Hanajima, with a soft but low menacing voice who threatens to zap anyone bullying Tohru with harmful vibes. But as she says, "one of my virtues is that no matter the times, I will not be discouraged." Meet the Sohmas. Tohru does and discovers to her amazement that they are a family cursed with the spirits of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. Whenever their bodies weaken or they are hugged by a member of the opposite sex, they turn into their totem animal. Shigure turns into a dog, Yuki into a rat, and Kyo into a cat. She then becomes greater friends with Yuki, the handsome and androgynous popular "prince" of Tohru's high school. In exchange for keeping their secret, Tohru gets free rent and cooks and cleans for them. The Sohmas become like a new family to her, as she finds somewhere she belongs, bringing to mind the game Fruits Basket, where each child was given the name of a fruit, and when their name was called, they'd join in the center. Tohru was given the name "onigiri" or riceball, as a cruel joke, and hence she was excluded. According to legend, the zodiac animals were invited to a banquet by god, but the mischievous rat told the cat the banquet was the day after. The cat missed the banquet and was thus excluded from the zodiac. Thus the cat and rat are at odds against each other, and a large piece of the story involves the short-tempered and embittered Kyo threatening to physically beat Yuki, to become a formal member of the zodiac, but alas, Yuki amazingly kicks Kyo's a** repeatedly, as well as bickering. As an injoke, Saki and Arisa says the pair's arguing reminds them of that cartoon, "something and Jerry." Kyo, though, feels he isn't cut out for socializing, but Shigure tells him that "unless you interact with people, hurting them and being hurt by them as you learn about them as well as yourself, you'll never be the kind of person who can be concerned about others." But Tohru, who wept as a child upon hearing the cat's fate, is someone who loves the cat and despite Kyo's temper, some of it aimed at her, realizes that Kyo is someone "who is a little more awkward than others, but a good person deep down, a gentle person who knows when he feels sorry." Both Yuki and Kyo are socially awkward with people, and popular. Whereas Yuki feels inferior because of his shyness, Kyo doesn't react well to people he doesn't know, but once they get to know him, he tends to attract people like a magnet. Yuki says that he's nice because he wants to be liked by others, but that makes him hypocritical. But Tohru recalls her mother saying how people weren't born with kindness, and that it's easier to doubt than to believe and better to do the latter. "Kindness is something that develops just as our bodies do, and the heart that grows inside is our conscience. ...Tohru, become a girl who believes in others. That will surely lend strength to someone." And she does, to both Yuki and Kyo. Voicing Tohru has given Yui Horie her most lovable role ever. Other veterans include Tomokazu Seki (Kyo), who's done work for Chobits (as Shimbo) and more recently, as cosplay costume designer Tanaka in Genshiken. Pop singer Aya Hisakawa (Yuki) also voiced PE teacher Kurosawa in Azumanga Daioh and Sailor Mercury in Sailor Moon. I was soooooooo enchanted, mainly because of Tohru, who is that rare of people, a romantic, a cooperator, "someone who understands other people's feelings," and someone who wants to be friends with everyone and charms everyone she meets with her personality. When at first it looks as if her memory might be erased to keep the Sohmas' secret, she fully understands and cheerily asks Yuki, who feels stunned and guilty, "When my memory is erased, please be my friend again, okay?" The revelation of her mother's death kind of stirred something in me, as my own mother also died in May. Small wonder she is my second favourite anime character, after Aoi Sakuraba (Ai Yori Aoshi), and FB my third favourite anime series. | ||
 | The Hypnotist | |
| "Beware of the green monkey!" | 2005-10-11 |
| "You're falling deeper and deeper into the dark abyss. You can't stop now! You're falling feet first, dragged into the depths of your heart, and you will meet the conscience which you've never known." Three bizarre and grisly suicides take place. A 73-year old man jumps out of his apartment window after giving his wife a present on her 70th birthday. An 18-year old girl literally runs herself to death on an outdoor track, grisly for the shots of her twisted and bent legs. And a groom strangles himself to death at his own wedding reception. What they all have in common is that before they went berserk, they all mentioned "the green monkey." Officer Sakurai, a veteran officer in his early sixties, is in charge of the case, and baffled, as he is unsatisfied with possibilities that they just suddenly lost hope. He bewails the state of affairs at a bar. "In the old days, murderers stole money to escape from poverty. Later, they wanted money to buy expensive things for vanity. Then they grow tired of material desires. Humans lives are so devalued. Humans are losing their hearts. When did people start dying so illogically?" However, a young psychologist named Saga, whose specialty is disassociative identity disorder, poses the possibility that the three were hypnotized. Sakurai befriends Saga and asks for his help. Saga points out that via post-hypnosis, an outside sign could have been given to the victim while under hypnosis, and when that sign is given, they act as ordered. "They all mentioned what broke their hearts and acted on it. They were hypnotized to isolate those wounds and widen them. Anyone would want to die then." Heck, I've had enough wounds that don't need hypnosis to widen them-I do that fine myself, but maybe memory control to erase those bad memories would help me. Hypnosis does have its benefits, motion control, pain control during surgery or dental work, and memory controls, namely, erasing bad memories. Furthermore, the hypnotized reacts only to the hypnotist alone. However, one's actions is controlled by one's unconsciousness, so one cannot be forced to go against one's own morals, say killing someone. The hypnotizer is a guide, to help people into warm places. But there are ways can be abused. Jissouji is the main offender in this film. This nefarious, smug-looking creep likes nothing better than to use his powers to get women in a state of undress, or even exhibit them on a sensationalistic live variety show, mainly to get laughs from the audience. A frightened girl named Yuka Irie frantically beseeches him to help her from the green monkey, but when he realizes there is another personality existing within her, an alien named Andria from Fatima who speaks in a mechanical monotone, he doesn't hesitate to exploit her. Nice guy, right? Furthermore, people are bombarded by subliminal advertising on billboards or TV, so one can't stay pure in the big city. The police find out about Yuka and Jissouji and start investigating Yuka, who was hospitalized for anorexia. Sakurai and his cute female assistant, Mitsui, learn some sordid details that occurred while she was being treated. As the story goes on, more people commit suicide in hideous ways, such as locking oneself in a freezing meat locker, and turning on the gas stove while washing one's face as the flames engulf the face. All the while, Saga tries to help Yuka and figure out what the sign is. As the frightened Yuka, Miho Hanna does a superior job portraying someone suffering from split personality and retreating into another personality when feeling cornered. Kanno also appeared in two other horror thrillers, in Eko Eko Azarak as Mizuki, and the title role in the first of the Tomie horror films. An interesting police thriller with some grisly images. One image has a neon billboard reading TERROR, with a dead person forming the T, and an unexpected villain. However, in the final half hour leading to the climax, the Hypnotist veers into Ringu territory, namely scary long-haired women wearing white. Not bad of its type. | ||
 | Toshiro Masuda - Mahoromatic | |
| "Mix of bubbly fun, heartfelt instrumentals, that's Mahoromatic!" | 2005-10-07 |
The songs and instrumentals of Mahoromatic Automatic Maiden, the story of a devoted and gentle android maid to Suguru Misato, an orphaned junior high student, provide a successful mix to the comedy/action anime series. It benefits from strong opening and closing theme songs, cutesy synth pop instrumentals, and is one of my favourite anime soundtracks after Fruits Basket and Azumanga Daioh. The heartfelt pop strings ballad "On The Way Home" or "Kaerimichi" is sung by Ayako Kawasumi, Mahoro's voice actress, and this is the full-length version, with a second verse not used in the anime. Kawasumi's singing voice is plenty good. Where as the opening song was a heartfelt pop ballad, the closing theme song-also full length-is an infectious mambo number titled "Mahoro de Mambo," sung by Yumi Kikuchi, Manabi Mizuno, and Asami Sanada, the voice actresses for Suguru's female friends Miyuki, Rin, Chizu, respectively. They shower Mahoro with praises as a femme ideal. However, there are some suggestive lyrics: "Oh my maiden's purity/use force if you have to but just take it." Hokay! However, I got a laugh out of "small b-bies, big eyes, oh, do you know Mahoro?" If I were a girl, I'm not sure how I'd feel being described as such. One of my favourite anime theme songs ever! And yes, there are karaoke versions of both themes. Most of the instrumentals are brisk and cheery gems, such as "Yes, That's Me," used whenever Suguru leaves for school and Mahoro says "have a nice day" before starting on another hard day cleaning house. "Take A Break" is the same tune, but with a pizzicato synth and a gentle samba-type guitar. The danceable "Miss Maid Came To My House" is also used throughout the series, and for sheer bubbliness, there's "The Grade 8, Division 4's Everyone," used when Suguru's friends are on the scene, though it is used when Chizu's dishing out loud praises over Mahoro's dishes. The frantic "Clamor! Clamor! Clamor!" sports a bouncy synth and some rock guitar matching the tempo. A silly kazoo and squeaky noisemaker makes "That Brat Almost Cut To Pieces" comical. The quaint classical-like strings of "I Think Dirty Thoughts Are Bad" are used in the Satellite Poem segments of the show, as well as when Mahoro lectures Suguru on her disapproval of dirty magazines. A funky jazzy motif is used for Saori Shikijou, the busty homeroom teacher of Suguru and friends, on "Lady Teacher." However, "Shikijou's Eroticism (Night Section)," features a wailing naughty sax, used in Shikijou's naughty fantasies with her and her student-hasn't she heard of statutory you-know-what? It's amazing what anime can get away with. Some of the instrumental tracks are on the grim side. "Vesper's Great Soldier" is a quick-paced action themed number used in the opening narration explaining Mahoro as the ultimate combat warrior. However, "Sadness Beyond the Battlefield" is the haunting , complete with airy synths, tense drums and keyboards, and a haunting vocal chorus. This was used in the first half of the promo trailer for Mahoromatic and also battle flashback scenes, particularly one that fills Mahoro with guilt regarding her master's father. The sombre "Memory of Mistake" is used when Mahoro reflects how if Suguru found out the connection between Mahoro and his father's death, that Suguru would hate her. The cello and violins of the gentle "Last Wish" is a theme on Mahoro's last wish, of serving Suguru with every fibre of her being until her runtime expires and she dies; it reminds me of some of the emotional tunes in the Ai Yori Aoshi soundtracks. A variation of that song uses some acoustic guitar and a synth sound similar to the sound used in the instrumental section of Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony." And "At The Hydrangea Garden" is an instrumental of the song Mahoro was singing when Suguru hears her singing in his garden before she introduces herself to him. OK, those who want to play this on random may want to burn songs 1 through 27. Tracks 28 through 32 are spoken word tracks by Ayako Kawasumi, Mahoro herself. Her wake up call and comforting good night call are soothing and gentle, something one'd expect from that maid pure of heart. However, Cup-O-Noodle timer has her counting up to 180, interrupting the countdown by various factoids and advice on cup ramen. Often she has to comically and frantically catch up and count faster. "This path we walked together. Someday, someday, I will return here. Is my voice being heard? To my love" --"Kaerimichi." | ||
 | Mahoromatic - Automatic Maiden - Combat Maid (Vol. 1) | |
| "A dream maid for anyone-Mahoro!" | 2005-10-05 |
Based on the manga series by Bow Ditama and Bunjuro Nakayama, the first season of Mahoromatic Automatic Maiden starts off with orphaned eighth grader Suguru Misato hiring Mahoro, a former combat android, as his maid. Mahoro used to work for Vesper, an organization formed to combat aliens who invaded Earth in the 1980's. Due to her long service, she had the choice of continuing as she was and having 37 days left to live, or removing her combat armour and living 398 days more. Guess which she chooses? Mahoro makes quite a difference in the lonely Suguru's life. "She wakes me up in the morning, makes good food, bathes with me, and the inside of the house gets cleaner every time I look at it." Yes, bathes!; as she tells a flustered Suguru, "this is part of my natural duty as a maid." Suguru becomes the envy of his main friends, boys Toshiya Hamaguchi, Kiyomi Kawahara, and three cute girls, the tomboyish Miyuki Sakura, Rin Todoroki, and gourmet Chizu Ooe. Chizu's funny, reacting with a delighted scream every time she tastes Mahoro's dishes-"this is like the chicken rice from the Kanta Japanese restaurant Shirokku!" But they soon befriend Mahoro, eliminating earlier misconceptions that she is actually Suguru's bedmate. There is a puritanical streak in Mahoro, though, as she confiscates Suguru's secret stash of dirty magazines, giving him a lecture that women's breasts are for babies, and in line with her own modest bosom, says "a woman's abilities has nothing to do with the size of her breasts!" Well said, Mahoro-san! Please be my maid! The explosion of the water heater causes Mahoro, Suguru, and Shikijou to go to the public bath owned by Miyuki's family. Here, it's revealed that Miyuki's father is excited whenever Suguru comes over. Since he had four daughters, he kind of sees Suguru as the son he never had. And speaking of parents, Suguru's depression over summer vacation is lifted for the first time, as the first day of vacation was the anniversary of his father's death. With Mahoro, he no longer feels lonely, but the android harbours a secret regarding Suguru's father, that if Suguru found out, would cause the boy to hate her. Yet Mahoro swears to serve him for every second she has remaining to live. However, Saori Shikijou, Misato's homeroom teacher, she with what Mahoro calls "unnaturally swollen cow udders," has a crush on him, and sees the flat-chested Mahoro as a threat. "I'm the one who should give him my up close personal and private lessons!" There usually follows a fantasy of Suguru and her in some erotic unclothed fantasy. Mahoro in turn gets irritated as Shikijou doesn't hesitate to sponge off Mahoro's cooking and bathing, and makes sport of Mahoro's modest bosom. But Shikijou is definitely quite a perv, as she humps Suguru with her breasts at a department store, and quite a drinker. She's also vain, thinking herself "so beautiful she upsets the lives of men." After coaxing the overly dutibound Mahoro into joining them on a Sunday trip to the beach, the gang have fun, but an "alien, anti-droid, crab-type armoured robot" with two or three screws loose creates havoc by shredding the girls' bikinis. The funniest scene involves Mahoro pouring suntan lotion over Shikijou's head, leaving her with the umbrella, then warning her that women in their mid-20's will get wrinkled skin if they walk into the sun unprotected, as she leads Suguru away. A nice touch are the satellite poems inbetween each episode, recited by either Mahoro, Suguru, Chizu, or Shikijou, set to a Mozart-like violin tune. Mahoromatic is mostly comedy, with some action scenes, with a winning opening theme ballad "On The Way Home," by Ayako Kawasumi, and a fun infectious and funny dance number, the "Mahoro de Mambo" by Triomatic, a.k.a. the voice actresses playing Miyuki, Rin, and Chizu, who do a cute dance during the closing credits. Thanks to Ayako Kawasumi as the voice of Mahoro. She also voiced one of my favourite anime characters, Aoi Sakuraba in Ai Yori Aoshi. And Mahoro is kind of like Aoi Sakuraba mixed with Chi from Chobits, combining a gentle, hard-working servant with the innocence of a robot. Per the satellite poem, "I hope that you will have sweet dreams from the smell of the sun. Will a fluffy futon be able to cradle you? Will it be able to cradle you softly and warmly?" Yes, if Mahoro was that futon. | ||
 | Ai Yori Aoshi - Truly Yours (Vol. 4) | |
| "And then there's Chika..." | 2005-08-31 |
| The fourth DVD volume of Ai Yori Aoshi introduces my second favourite character in the series (after Aoi-chan, of course). I refer to the cute, hard-working, capable, and spirited Chika Minazuki, who is Taeko's 14 year-old cousin. The usual gang, including Mayu, are invited to the beach house of Taeko's grandmother, where they meet Chika. Mayu is dead set on making this "a sweet yet hot summer story" between her and Kaoru. Miyabi-san's idea of summer is that Japanese pastime of "suikawari," or splitting watermelons with a bat and not cavorting on the beach. But the battle between Tina and Mayu extends to the battle of the bathing suits, with Tina preferring those with an adult charm, while Mayu goes for those that are cuter and elegant, not obscene. Aoi herself buys a tasteful one-piece, but is too embarrassed to show so much bare skin in front of others, a sentiment I deeply share, and becomes the wallflower, watching Tina, Mayu, Taeko, and her fiancé Kaoru play on the beach. There, Taeko's feelings about Kaoru, her university senpai (senior), are aroused. "Senpai is kind, easy to speak to and he helps me out in times of need. Perhaps my feelings are..." However, the precocious Chika decides to play Cupid and conspires to get Kaoru and Taeko together. A success? Put it this way, the best type of comedy is a matter of timing, and that happens. In introspection, Taeko realizes the strengths of her friends: Aoi is someone who can do anything, Miyabi-san someone strong-willed, Tina someone bright, and Mayu someone honest to herself. If she could be just like all of them, she'll be so much better. Chika later repays the visit to the gang's mansion, where she asks them to let her stay so she can finish her summer homework, something she didn't do because she wanted to help her grandmother. The others are more than welcome to help her if she needs it, but Chika proves capable. In return, she helps out around the mansion, dressed in a cute maid's outfit similar to her cousin's. She impresses everyone, even Miyabi-san, who is astounded at Chika's putting away her files without asking her everytime! And get a load of her kicking Tina's pants in a fighting video game! Although fond of everyone, she has lots of affection for Kaoru, calling him "oniichan" or "big brother." For Chika, an only child, she is all to delighted when Aoi says we're your family, eating together, sleeping under the same roof, and sharing fun and sad times. Indeed, she has some big sisters, one who's a good cook (Aoi), one full of energy (Tina), one who does her best (Taeko), one who works very efficiently (Miyabi), and a very kind brother (Kaoru). This is one of my favourite episodes for its tenderness. And, as Miyabi prophetically says after Chika says goodbye, "Perhaps we'll have another tenant soon." An outing to an animal park turns into an overnight stay for Kaoru and Tina, when flooding disrupts the train lines. The hidden feelings Tina has for Kaoru surface. She says something interesting when asked why she loves animals so much. "Because snimals can't talk, people have to understand how animals feel. Of course, people can talk, but they don't really say how they really feel all that much." Ironically, that describes her to a tee. The end of this story has Satsuki Yukino, Tina's voice actress, doing a special ending theme song, "I'll Be Home." The photo club's tea shop, originally in manga #2, finally makes its appearance here, though with Mayu and Chika's appearance, something not in the manga. The photo club's cosplay animal café for the 3-day university festival is a disaster when Tina's idea of cute animals include certain members of the family Reptilia. However, sometimes simpler is better, and Aoi-chan's deliciously brewed green tea leads to the traditional Japanese Café Aoi, named by photo club president Suzuki. This is a great moment for Aoi, who's in her element, but she clearly has fun working hard with things. But at the sight of Kaoru's ridiculous bunny costume, she bursts out laughing loud, surprising Miyabi-san. Another of my favourite episodes. There is no such thing as too much Chika. Her appearance lights up the already tender-hearted series. | ||
 | Pebbles - Pebbles | |
 | "Nice dance-R&B outing, but needs more oomph" | 2005-08-18 |
| Fitting in with the R&B-dance flavour of Jody Watley, Karyn White, and Cherrelle, was the cousin of the latter, Perri McKissack, who went by the moniker Pebbles. Although I don't see the resemblance between her and the cartoon character of the same name, Pebbles yielded a few albums before going more into management. Pebbles though did better on the R&B and dance charts. The first I'd heard of her was her contribution on the Beverly Hills Cop 2 soundtrack, the funk dance of "Love/Hate," which was produced by Andre Cymone, who'd done splendid work for Jody Watley's first album. This could've easily fit on Watley's album. "Girlfriend" though was her first Top 40 hit, reaching #5. A typical piece of soul-dance with a pulsing funky bass and string orchestration, it's not bad, but an unlikely song to reach its position. The version of "Mercedes Boy" here is not the heavily redone radio mix. Why is it I prefer the original versions to the radio ones in all songs? Pebbles' highest charting pop singles hit, reaching #2. Nice enough song with a smooth beat, but again, an unlikely song to get so high. Two other songs I was keen on other than the singles were the back-to-back Jets-like "First Step (In The Right Direction)" a reasonably upbeat number, and the swinging horn and synth tune "Take Your Time." "Do Me Right" is a more relaxed mid-paced number with the usual funky synths and a host of nice backing vocals. "Baby Love" is along the same line, but the closing song "Give Me Your Love" is a nice lush synth ballad that could've been a single. Pebbles got a lot of help on her debut, including the Sembello brothers, Babyface, Andre Cymone, and the man whom she married, Bam Bam, sorry, I mean, L.A. Reid, who also wrote songs on Karyn White's debut album. While her debut album boasts some standout tracks, and nice instrumentation, the album's mostly in second gear as opposed to Jody Watley's fourth gear debut. | ||
 | Yuichi Ichikawa, Akio Fujita, Kaoru Hagiwara - Ai Yori Aoshi: Sakura | |
| "Mostly tender music to a sweet anime series" | 2005-08-18 |
| One of the things that made Ai Yori Aoshi my favourite anime series was the accompanying musical soundtrack, which helped carry through much of the tender feelings exuded by its lead characters, Aoi Sakuraba and her fiancé, Kaoru Hanabishi. Of the two soundtracks, Sakura has the music from AYA's first season. Both opening and closing theme songs are presented in their bite-sized on-air versions, Yoko Ishida's lovely ballad "Towa no Hana" or "Eternal Flower" and The Indigo's pleasant mid-paced "Na Mo Shirenu Hana," or "A Flower Without A Name." Both are available in full length versions on the artists' respective albums Sweets and Indigo Suite. The instrumental material veers from heart-tugging to zany and upbeat. Decidely falling in the former category is "Fate" made all tender with the slow and melancholy violin accompanied by the Hiroyuki Koike strings and piano. "Promise" is the reflective tune playing while Aoi is riding the train to find Kaoru in the very first episode, with a prominent clarinet and piano playing. A sad piccolo introduces "Loving Heart" before the some Narada-style keyboard synths and violin take over. The same melancholy violin starts off "Cherry Blossoms" before giving way to the same Narada-like keys. There is some more cheerful stuff, such as "Early Evening" which sports some calypso-like keyboards, and "Early Afternoon," whose opening rhythm could fit into Petula Clark-style pop, and which also sports a nice brisk "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" type rhythm in the middle. The stark piano number "Parting" and oboe and strings number "Alone" account for the really melancholy material, along with the haunting keyboard synth tune "Distance." Of the zany stuff, "Clamor," which is used when things go into an uproar, has the feeling of a western tune, featuring a fiddle that wouldn't be out of place in Hee Haw, while "Tina's Theme" is a poppy calypso tune reflecting the rowdiness of this character. "Be In A Mess" fits more into the 40's swing jazz category, also used when things get chaotic, but there is room for a sax and sizzling guitar solo in the middle. "Wild Joy Wild Dance" mixes "Tequila"-type mambo rhythms with a clarinet solo. Speaking of themes, both "Miyabi's Themes" are laid back jazzy numbers reflecting the stern Miyabi-san's belief in an quiet atmosphere needed for inner peace. In the earlier episodes, Kaoru hears Aoi humming a tune and realizes it's the lullaby his mother sung him and that he taught Aoi. The instrumental version of that tune, which has a melody reminiscent of the reflective parts of the second movement of Dvorak's New World Symphony, "Flower of Words," is included in two versions, once in a guitar and flute version, the second a quiet music box version. Anyone thinking of playing this on their player using random play may want to burn a copy sans Track 36. That's because it's a spoken track, set to "Early Afternoon" and "Cherry Blossoms" recounting Aoi's spoken diary of the gang watching the cherry blossoms in a great spot. She recalls how Kaoru ate a lot, and how Tina, having drunken lots of sake, offered some to the underage Chika and Mayu. Taeko's super spicy omelette caused Mayu to fall over, and how Miyabi-san seemed to be the only one to be properly gazing at the cherry blossoms. It ends with Aoi recounting how she and Kaoru will be able to watch the blossoms year after year from now on. The first Ai Yori Aoshi soundtrack is thus a nice sweet collection of instrumentals, some romantic, others relaxing, some bleak, others brisk, and others manic. | ||
 | Ai Yori Aoshi - My Dearest (Vol. 2) | |
| "Aoi Sakuraba and friends, just like a real family" | 2005-08-02 |
| The second volume of the Ai Yori Aoshi anime corresponds roughly with most of the second manga, but without the story of the photo club having a traditional tea house for the college fest-that's put off until the fourth DVD! And only a few stories from the third manga are incorporated here. Story so far: Kaoru and Tina are tenants in a Western-style mansion, with lovely Aoi Sakuraba as the landlord and strict Miyabi-san as manager. Kaoru and Aoi must keep their engagement and relationship secret to avoid a scandal. Taeko joins the group proper when after being fired as a live-in housekeeper, finds herself without a job or place to live. Kaoru and Tina want to help, and Aoi wants to hire her. However, her clumsiness sorely tests the patience of Miyabi-san. Aoi though sees that Taeko tries very hard, and because of her clumsiness, she has to give it her all just to give average results. Taeko also has no sense of direction, as seen when the photo club members and Aoi go on a hot springs trip, and tops herself by accidentally booking everyone for reservations for the next year. What to do? Tina, Suzuki, and Sato are clearly the party animals, as they pig out on food to the bewilderment of the more modest Kaoru and Aoi. In one scene, Tina is putting away both sake and beer, so that before long, a wall of bottles appear in front of her. The difference is that in the manga, Taeko is employed AFTER the hot springs trip and not before per here. "A beautiful atmosphere is needed for inner peace," says Miyabi as she polishes the grandfather clock. However, when Tina brings home a cute and cuddly ferret, Miyabi-san gets anything but inner peace, as the animal is a bit mischievous. When the ferret steals Miyabi's fountain pen, Miyabi loses her temper and chases the animal around. An exterior shot of the mansion is overlaid with sounds of crashing and screaming, including "it's [whizzing] over here!" A devastating scene of destruction is then seen. In the manga, Miyabi's freaking out over the ferret having a bug and the naming of the ferret was in the special episode in Volume 5. They have combined elements of the ferret's introduction in manga vol. 3 and naming in the same story here. But despite her apparent strictness, Miyabi-san does have her soft side. Aoi and Miyabi then leave for a memorial service, while Taeko plays train conductor for a photo shoot for Suzuki and Sato, leaving Kaoru and Tina alone in the mansion. Here, we see how Tina has a crush on Kaoru, but is unable to express herself. However, she fills us in on how Kaoru was before meeting Aoi and shows a keen admiration for Aoi. From her POV, Kaoru looked rather lonely, not wanting to let anyone inside his heart, and that was why Tina invited him to join the photo club. "The landlord and manager put your heart at ease. They don't look at me funny `cause I'm American, and when I'm in trouble, they actually worry about me. It's just like a real family. Miss Landlady's really nice and can do any household chore. That's you'd call a traditional Japanese beauty. I wanted to be born Japanese just like Miss Landlady. If I had been..." Aoi is interested in Kaoru's fun stories of his time at college, and impulsively gets the opportunity to visit Meiritsu College, just to share some taiyaki with him, the reason being that the mythically delicious taiyaki is from a shop that shows up in random places. However, her traditional clothing draws stares from the more modern-dressed students, who think she's an actress or model, causing the poor girl bewilderment. There's a cute scene when she flops down on Kaoru's bedding. She grows a pair of cat ears and wagging tail! With the addition of Taeko and Uzume the ferret, the tableau is missing two more characters, one of whom debuts on the next disc. However, the lineup so far is, just as Tina mentioned, just like a real family. | ||
 | Mick Jagger - She's the Boss | |
| "He's the boss on his first solo album (except the title song)" | 2005-07-26 |
Before the Stones' Dirty Work hit the shelves in 1986, Mick Jagger released his first solo album a year before. Like Phil Collins doing a different sound to distinguish his solo material from Genesis, so too does Mick to differentiate She's The Boss from another Rolling Stones album with guitar chores from Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend and some keyboard work by jazz great Herbie Hancock. It has a smoother sound yet manages to rock with a pop polish. Most of the songs are produced by Bill Laswell, but Nile Rodgers of Chic does his hand on three of the tracks. Those are "½ a Loaf", which features a sound one might recognize on Like A Virgin, also helmed by Rodgers, who also does guitar here, with former bandmate Bernard Edwards on bass. Having a clandestine affair is deemed "half a glass, half a dream, half a life" and in the bridge, a frustrated Mick just says to heck with it and let it all hang out. He then calls upon some overprotective guardian to "Turn The Girl Loose." Featuring a strong bass, Mick really belts it out when he yells "let her out of jail." It even has Alfa Anderson doing a sassy rap declaring her independence and free will at the end. "Secrets" shows that a respectable wife isn't that respectable but has been really out on the town. Even though not produced by Rodgers, the sound on the first danceable single "Just Another Night" is a disguised cousin of "Material Girl" in terms of sound. It hit #12 on the singles chart, somewhat low considering his long history with the Stones, but it was a #1 mainstream rock hit. Jagger seems to be shucking off the bad boy persona of the Stones: "Can't you see that I'm human" and "I get hungry, I get thirsty, I get moody, I need attention." Some great percussive effects by Sly Dunbar here. The closest thing to the Stones comes from Keith Richards' co-penning of the energetic rocker "Lonely At The Top" a warning on how fame, the thing "that leads young girls astray" eventually strips away one's soul once one reaches that pinnacle. One might indulge Jagger, as his band is considered one of the greatest bands in the rock and roll pantheons. Another lively track, "Running Out of Luck" has Mick on harmonica. This also spawned an extended concept video of the same name, and which I presume had the videos for "Just Another Night" and "Lucky In Love" on it. Where the Stones were chauvinistic on some of their previous albums, a few songs champion the woman. Other than "Turn The Girl Loose," there's "Hard Woman," a tender and melodic ballad with some strings that's actually one of my favourites tracks and could've been a single. Lots of famed players are here, Tony Thompson of Chic and the Power Station on drums, Jan Hammer on piano, and Beck and Townshend on guitars. Despite the woman being materialistic, cruel and unfaithful, he has no regrets of the time spent: "Alone at last, I could've loved in vain for a thousand years, I have to let her go." The tongue-in-cheek title track, this time is a humorous role reversal, with Mick as the submissive half: "she's the boss in the office, she's the boss in the kitchen, she's the boss in bed, she's the boss in my head." In a spoken bedroom banter later in the song, he says stuff like "I got a headache," "I gotta wash my hair" and that old favourite, "it's my time of the month." OK, Mick, I don't think we needed to know that. "Lucky In Love," the other single, is a humorous tale of someone who doesn't come up trumps in gambling but when it comes to the ladies... Well, Mick is one with the ladies, to be sure. And the challenging rap at the end, with Mick betting and raising with the full house he's been set up with is amusing. I like this better than the first single, so why it managed a #38 showing is beyond me. Top Ten for sure! Hardcore Stones fans may not take too kindly to this smoother pop/rock sound. The solid and consistent She's the Boss showed Mick could successfully break away and do his own thing without his bandmates. | ||
 | Jane Monheit, Jane Monheit - Come Dream with Me | |
| "Great showcase for Jane Monheit" | 2005-07-24 |
| Having first heard of Jane Monheit on noticing her CD in the store, plus finding out she covered "Under The Rainbow" for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, my curiosity was further piqued upon that track also appearing on Come Dream With Me, which preceded Take A Chance On Me, as well as certain other cover tunes. That being said, I got CDWM, and it's usual smoky lounge jazz, with Monheit sporting some nice pipes, more resonant and crystalline than say, Karrin Allyson. The covers in question are Bread's "If," one of my favourites here, a mellow affair sporting a resonant bass and hushed piano and brushes. The other was one of my personal and perennial theme songs, "I'm Through With Love," the song Marilyn Monroe sings towards the end of Some Like It Hot. However, the bluesy piano and tempo is akin to la Monroe's "I'm Gonna File My Claim." The tempo somehow plays havoc with lines such as "I've locked my heart, I'll keep my feelings there/I've stocked my heart with icy Frigidaire/and I mean to care for no one." Monroe sung it with a more morose tone in keeping with the song. As with Bread, her cover of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You" demonstrates her pop roots. The only other cover I've heard is Tori Amos's version, so chalk up two who can do justice to that song. Her cover of "Over The Rainbow" is one of the better versions of Judy Garland's Wizard of Oz classic I've heard, as her vocals resonates over the initially a capella first verse before accompanied by piano and later, by trumpet. The bonus track is her at an early age warbling a few verses of it. She does her touch at samba on the swaying and lively "Waters of March" penned by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Good for a light dance. For the lonely at heart, here's one for you. A melancholy piano and tone sets her cover of Frances Landesman's "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most." It's one of those mellow songs one hears at the bar and gets even sadder on tuning into the words, feeling like "a horse that never left the post/I lie in my room/staring up at the ceiling." If one's lucky, one will drown oneself with another strong one, preferably a double. If not, one might stagger back home and search for something sharp and metallic. Something of a similar tempo is the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn-penned "Something To Live For." It's basically a yearning laundry list of fulfilling things for the heart and soul, having "life as an adventurous dream" and "kissing the one I could care for" as opposed to material things. This is a real showcase for her voice. Ditto for the introspective "So Many Stars." Jane sings of a song or dream for every star, and wondering which song is hers, a metaphor for which path and destiny is hers to go. "So many stars, so many hearts, so many smiles," which one to choose, indeed? And the things go with the immature and untried trials one goes with an early love is demonstrated in "Blame it On My Youth." With a great voice, Jane Monheit does have a possibility in being the next big modern jazz dame after Diane Krall. Come Dream With Me succeeds as a showcase for Monheit's wonderful vocals, overshadowing the instrumentation at times. | ||
 | Pretear - Vol. 4 | |
| "The final battle-Leafe Knights versus Fenrir" | 2005-07-24 |
| A grim tone introduces Episode 11 of Pretear, as Awayuki town is plastered with missing posters of a certain tulip-headed girl missing for three days. That's Himeno the Pretear and Princess of Light, who after the disaster in the Leafe Knights' home of Leafenia, is conducting scattered attacks against demon larvae on Earth. However, Mawata, her stepsister, is on the verge of mental collapse. Part of the problem is that Mawata had kept all her frustrations and pain inside. Her mother, Natsue, assumed that everything was all right, that Mawata really had it together. All in all, the whole family is clueless to her suffering. But keeping her pain bottled up only goes so far, and finally Mawata lashes out: "You're not my family! You're just strangers living in the same house. I wanted to cry but I couldn't. Nobody knew how lonely I was, how sad I was. No one tried to understand. Ever since Father left me, I was always always alone!" Fenrir and her new servant, the ex-Leafe Knight, then complete Mawata's mental destruction. "Free from everything which made you suffer. Your heart smeared in despair will become a shell which shall protect you from this tainted world of humans." Mawata then becomes the core of the Great Tree of Fenrir, which erupts from the Earth, its source of power being the deep loneliness and despair of those who have lost loved ones. The battle is fought on three fronts. Mannen, Shin, and Hajime, the three child Knights, fight off the larvae in the city while helping the population to evacuate. Go and Kei fight the larvae in the ruins of the Awayuki mansion, while Hayate takes on Fenrir's new right-hand. And the Awayuki family, finally realizing what Mawata had been going through, are united in trying to rescue her. "The world which wounded me and made me suffer will soon crumble. Soon, no one will get hurt or suffer, nor love..." For a long time, that was something I wished, for everything to be over so I would never be hurt. However, our brave Tuliphead-I mean Himeno, confronts Fenrir, countering the Princess's argument of never being hurt. "Anyone can hurt someone else as long as they're alive. But if you're scared of that, you can't trust anyone. Even family and friends. There are times when you hurt each other, but they believe in each other, so they can start over and over again." Himeno also hits it on the head in saying that Takako doesn't want to be the Princess of Despair, and being that hasn't helped her, as she's still suffering. The concept of the White Pretear has a Christ-like similarity, of someone sacrificing herself to defeat despair by forgiving everyone their sins. Yoko Ishida's opening theme is titled "White Destiny" and mentions "the snow of happiness falling over the world," something also created by the White Pretear. Villain though she is, Fenrir does have a cool scene in which she enters the Awayuki estate. When Mayune demands who she is, Fenrir coolly walks past her, leaving behind a trail of black. And from the black, emerge those cuddly demon larvae (ha ha) that have terrorized Earth. Mayune totally freaks out and runs away screaming. Given the brat that she is, Fenrir scores points for scaring her. So how does it end? Will the Knights defeat Fenrir and save the world? Will Hayate and Himeno end up together? And will Mawata be rescued? As a whole, the series tries to encompass preserving the Earth and life from destruction, choosing hope over despair, and learning to trust despite being hurt. What it lacks in brains it more than makes up for in heart, though there are times its shojo audience is apparent. Not bad for its kind, telling the story in 13 episodes without any lag or filler. | ||
 | Pretear - Vol. 3 | |
| "Himeno strikes back, but uh oh...so does Fenrir" | 2005-07-20 |
| The third disc of Pretear consists of Episodes 8-10. For much of episode 8, the heroine, Himeno Awayuki, is totally depressed. She is unable to prêt anymore with the Leafe Knights because deep inside, she doesn't want to fight, blames herself for being useless, and goes AWOL, causing great worry among her parents and the Knights. For the first time, though, it looks as if Himeno and her stepsister, the introverted Mawata, are getting along. However, something Mawata says forecasts the direction she is heading towards. "It would be great if you could live alone by yourself. ... If you are alone, you can't hurt anyone, nor will you get hurt." Two sides of the coin, being alone, and being free, are demonstrated here. Himeno, on the other hand, sees so much going on with Mawata, being pretty, having a great figure, and having good grades, but comments that she never sees her smile. Being a Pretear also involves the will and determination to protect people, so when Fenrir shows up with the nearly dead Leafe Knights to taunt Himeno, she finds that will and preting with Hayate, whose rancor against her has dissipated, scores a victory against Fenrir's towering mushroom-like demon larva. In fact an evolving part in this series is pushing Hayate as a love interest to Himeno. Although both clumsily fumble without any verbal commitment, at least here they're on good terms. Back to Mawata, whose introversion, good grades, and lack of smiles I can relate to. Her late father was the only one who understood how she felt, and after his death, she felt alone, and still does. She has never felt so emotionally weak before. That makes her ripe prey for the Princess of Despair, who wants to use her as a puppet of darkness, but something still holds her back. What's striking is how the animators drew Mawata's dead eyes as Fenrir tries to remove her soul-very effective picture of someone who's lost all hope. There is a bit of silliness in Episode 9, where the sight of a bug darkening the ceiling is mistaken by the Awayukis (save Himeno) as a ghost, which is an excuse for them to put on silly costumes to go ghost-hunting. And since when is a bunny costume relevant to ghost-hunting? But that's mixed with the realization that somehow, the Awayuki mansion is the center for the appearance of demon larvae, for which the Leafe Knights search the mansion extensively. Not much happens with Mayune, the older and mean stepsister, but there is a scene when en route to brush Himeno's teeth with some spicy toothpaste while she's sleeping, she is drawn slithering along the floor like a snake, more than a hint of how sneaky she is. She settles for brushing the bald head of the hapless chauffeur/butler Tanaka instead, giving her demented loony laugh in the process. Despite chafing at Mayune's practical jokes, Himeno does show some compassion. She decides to leave the mansion, seeing that the situation has become too dangerous and she doesn't want her family to get entangled. As a gesture of farewell, she spots an obvious trap by Mayune, and just to cheer her stepsister, deliberately falls into it just to make Mayune happy. However, the Leafe Knights are dealt a blow when one of their number, who has silently loved Fenrir when she was Takako the Pretear, defects to join her. And the end of Episode 10 has Fenrir and her new lackey finishing out victorious in this round, leading to the concluding three episodes in the 4th DVD. | ||
 | Pretear - Vol. 2 | |
| "The continuing adventures of Tuliphead" | 2005-07-15 |
| Yes, it's the continuing adventures of Tuliphead, I mean Himeno Awayuki, she who likes powdered green tea/kimchee ice cream, who has chosen to become the Pretear, the Princess of Light, to combat the Princess of Despair, Fenrir, in her attempts to suck out the Earth's life essence, or Leafe. Fortunately, she has seven Leafe Knights to help her-Hayate, Sasame, Go, Kei, Mannen, Hajime, and Shin. This contains episodes 4 through 7. Himeno's still an amateur Pretear, but she's improving, both in fighting and detecting Fenrir's demon larvae. However, they have become cleverer in concealing themselves, which cause consternation for the rest of the Leafe Knights. Yet Himeno seems distracted and at odds with herself, especially after having a nightmare where she is attacked by a host of purple butterflies, Fenrir's familiars who give her Leafe, and is warned by Fenrir herself. But the Knights are supportive of her. Hayate stands guard over her since her nightmare, and the child knights, ever fond of her, want to take turns guarding her. Kei and Go give her encouragement. It's Mikage the friendly maid, who has the answer for Himeno, and that is to figure things out in a methodical manner. Himeno doesn't know anything about the Princess of Despair, so she goes that route, aided by the three children Knights, Mannen, Hajime, and Shin. That means a trip to Leafenia and where Fenrir was originally imprisoned. The overarching theme in this disc is thus her wanting to be on the same page as her comrades and to know more about the Princess of Despair and basically how this whole thing started. The Knights, particularly Hayate and Sasame, are reluctant to divulge this info. So she is shocked to learn from Kei that Fenrir used to be her predecessor Takako, in other words, a human being and Pretear! The story of Takako giving in her to evil side, of changing the direction of her power, mirrors how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. In Takako's case, it was not only inner self-conflict and the fear within her, but despair derived from unrequited love. Basically, this conflict began because Hayate was unable to reciprocate her feelings towards him, and that was the final straw. Also, the difference between a Pretear and the Princess of Despair is akin to that of a Jedi and a Sith. Kei says that one takes (negative) and the other gives (positive). Despite Himeno trying to do her best, Sasame wonders if she really is tough. "A wound in the heart doesn't heal easily. The open wound never closes, nor does the pain go away." In other words, Himeno has the potential of becoming another Princess of Despair should she get carried away with her self-conflict and doubt. That's more apt for Mawata, Himeno's withdrawn and introverted stepsister, where not much happens to her in these episodes, but foretells what happens to her later. However, when Mawata witnesses the fun Himeno has after smashing her father's tuliphead sculpture, she finds the obviously happy relationship Himeno has with her father wonderful. Pretear also borrows a page from Norse mythology-Fenris the wolf. Exchanging the "s" to an "r" gives us Fenrir. And the sight of Fenrir atop a monstrous demon larva that resembles a mushroom with columns hanging down from the cap, might be a nod to Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter, though I didn't see Fenrir smoking a hookah. There are bits of comedy in here, the funniest which involves one of Mayune's backfired practical jokes. Knowing of her stepsisters' morning habit of practicing karate on stacks of roofing tiles, she includes a tile with reinforced steel inside. The tile falls on Himeno's head. The girl just keeps walking as if nothing has happened. When she comes to breakfast, she greets her parents with a bow, where the tile falls off her head, causing the breakfast table to collapse. Just how hard is Himeno's head anyway? The seventh episode ends on a crisis note, something that sets back the Leafe Knights and Himeno. The story develops further, the Knights are fun and supportive, especially Sasame and Go, Thus ends the further adventures of Tulip... I mean Himeno. | ||
 | Lucille Bogan - Shave 'Em Dry: The Best of Lucille Bogan | |
| "Lucille really shaves them dry" | 2005-07-14 |
| Of the 1920's to 1930's female blues singers, Lucille Bogan was one of the earthiest. Shave'em Dry takes the last set of recordings she did on Banner and ARC records, from 1933 to 1935, on ARC records. Accompanying her was pianist Walter Roland, also on that label. Her songs were groundbreaking in terms of explicitness, the use of double entendres, innuendos, and metaphors, and also of a woman in a man's world. She went under her Bessie Anderson persona, Bessie derived from her legendary contemporary, Bessie Smith. One of her better known songs is the somber "Drinking Blues" "The blues have got me drinking, trouble's got me thinking, and it's gonna carry me to my grave," she sings in the first verse, on the oft-told story of trying drink one's worries away. Her use of food as a metaphor for prostitution and the "dirty deed" is abundant here. On "Barbecue Bess," she invites men to her place to sample her goods, if one knows what I mean: "I'm selling it cheap cause I got good stuff and if you try one time you can't get enough" and "If you want my meat, you can come to my house at twelve." But "55 cents and you can get some twice?" Now that IS cheap! Another is "Groceries On The Shelf" where Piggly Wiggly, the name of a grocery chain down South, is analogically a whorehouse. "Stew Meat Blues" revolves around a man who's going up the river, and wants to be credited for some of her stew. Well, stew means, yes, just that. "Hungry Man's Shuffle" is a skit by the Jolly Jivers, which is Bogan, Roland, and singer Sonny Scott, who portrays a man who dances to keep from starving. Roland's uptempo piano and the shuffling sounds of Scott's dancing gives this is a cheery atmosphere, as well as Bogan's generosity in offering Scott some chili. The same trio return for "Watcha Gonna Do," on the problems ones face on the aftermaths of mistreating one's mate. "Boogan Ways Blues" is another "mean mistreater" type song, while "Reckless Woman" is on a love gone cold, with a man whom she lets run around. The cruelty and harshness of the world has turned the protagonist in "Pig Iron Sally" into someone who doesn't even trust a squirrel. "Shave'em Dry" refers to shaving one's skin without soap so that it itches, making it a sort of payback for being wronged. However, it takes on a more explicit meaning in the X-rated version of that song, which is the one briefly played in Martin Scorcese's Blues series, the Warming By The Devil's Fire movie. These recordings were unheard until the days of the LP. Anatomical descriptions, "grind me until I cry," and references to arousing a dead man, are present, and she really gets into strong language until she cracks up laughing before regaining her composure. Ditto for "I'm Gonna Shave You Dry" sung by Roland, with speaking accompaniment by Bogan. And "Till The Cows Come Home" refers to how long one wants to be satisfied. However, she does some gender-swapping in terms of her anatomy. And this sixty years before P.J. Harvey sang "Bend over Casanova" in "50 Ft Queenie"! A copy of an account entry for her services lists the songs she performed, the date and amount paid, and it's criminal how little she was paid for her hard work. Add to this, like many other blues singers those days, royalties was not included in their contract. As many other people, I'd never heard of Bogan until the Scorcese series, and hopefully she'll get some sort of recognition, given a strong vocal delivery that put her alongside Bessie Smith. Oh, and thanks to my Amazon Friend Eric Andrews for getting this for my birthday. | ||
 | Pretear - Vol. 1 | |
| "Hail the Princess of Light" | 2005-07-12 |
| "Leafe-it is the source of life. Leafe-it's a power all living things have." I have to thank Melissa H. for turning me onto Pretear. This fantasy/action/romance anime has some elements I find endearing, and is the second anime series I saw from start to finish. Himeno Awayuki is an energetic and sometimes ditzy high school student whose father, a widowed romance novelist and sculptor, has recently married the wealthy widow Natsue Hojo. As a result, she finds herself living on a wealthy estate and near a city where the nearby businesses are all renamed after her father's surname. However, Mayune, the long pink-haired stepsister, is a meanie with an obnoxious and loud laugh, who specializes in ridiculous practical jokes against Himeno, most of which backfire on her (e.g. a gigantic tube of mayonnaise). The introverted and soft-spoken stepsister Mawata, on the other hand, is somewhat withdrawn and indifferent to Himeno. This is different from the original manga, where Mawata was actually as bad as Mayune. In the anime, she is someone to be pitied, not hated. Meanwhile, the seven Leafe Knights of the world of Leafenia, are out to stop Fenrir, the Princess of Disaster from conquering the Earth with her demon larva. When mature, they are huge slug-like monsters with tentacles and demonic reptilian eyes, absorbing the Leafe from all living things to feed Fenrir. Trees and flowers blacken and wilt when touched by a larva. The Knights' powers are limited, so in order to combat this menace, they need a chosen woman to "prêt" with, a Pretear, the Princess of Light. A Knight and the Pretear merge together, where the Pretear defeats the demon larva with weapons created from leafe, energy from living essence. Well, Himeno is the chosen one, and she is overwhelmed at being needed by the Knights, as she is still trying to find her place in a new family, home, and school, where she is shunned. Each Knight has a special power, be it ice, fire, wind, sound, etc. The child Knights, Mannen, Shin, and Hajime, take to her and even call her "naychan" or big sister. The dashing and quiet Sasame is an isle of reason and kindness, helping her in her training or being someone with a sympathetic ear. He's empathic, hosting a radio program, and replying to postcards, among them being from Mawata. However, the brooding Hayate arrogantly dismisses her, saying that she doesn't have what it takes, saying that they don't a Pretear, which isn't the case. Himeno's not that crazy about him either, and a state of mutual contempt exists between them. That starts to thaw by the end of Episode 4, though Hayate gives her a funny nickname based on her hairdo-"tulip head," which she isn't too chuffed about. When Himeno prets with a Knight, there is a transformation scene complete with fanfare, where she is surrounded by coloured bubbles, reemerging with a colourful costume. Kind of a throwback to Sailor Moon, but minus the "moonlight crystal power makeup" schtick. Once, I noticed the full title, "Pretear-The New Legend of Snow White" and it made a lot more sense. Think about it-Himeno's stepmother is mean, with two stepsisters. Then the Leafe Knights number seven. Aha! But there is an environmental message as well, on protecting the Earth from things that threaten to drain the life and life force from living things. Plus, the Knights also detect the presence of the larvae through their jobs, ever alert to a high level of depression in conversation. Pretear also sports a host of well-known voice performers. Mikage the kindly maid is voiced by Yui Horie, best known as Tohru Honda in Fruits Basket and Naru in Love Hina, while Yuji Ueda, who is Kaoru, acted opposite Horie in Love Hina as leading man Keitaro. Satsuki Yukino (Mayune) was also in Love Hina as Mutsumi, but also in Ai Yori Aoshi as the energetic Tina Foster. Himeno's voice actress, Sayuri Yoshida, also sings the catchy ending theme song, "Lucky Star," but it pales compared to the energetic techno opening theme, "White Destiny," sung by the one and only Yoko Ishida. And Takahiro Sakurai (Sasame) is also Kamiyama in Cromartie High School. Finally, Kikuko Inoue (Natsue) voiced the landlady Hibiya-san in Chobits. A great start for the 14 episode series. | ||
 | Pretear - Vol. 1 + Series Box | |
| "Hail the Princess of Light" | 2005-07-12 |
| "Leafe-it is the source of life. Leafe-it's a power all living things have." I have to thank Melissa H. for turning me onto Pretear. This fantasy/action/romance anime has some elements I find endearing, and is the second anime series I saw from start to finish. Himeno Awayuki is an energetic and sometimes ditzy high school student whose father, a widowed romance novelist and sculptor, has recently married the wealthy widow Natsue Hojo. As a result, she finds herself living on a wealthy estate and near a city where the nearby businesses are all renamed after her father's surname. However, Mayune, the long pink-haired stepsister, is a meanie with an obnoxious and loud laugh, who specializes in ridiculous practical jokes against Himeno, most of which backfire on her (e.g. a gigantic tube of mayonnaise). The introverted and soft-spoken stepsister Mawata, on the other hand, is somewhat withdrawn and indifferent to Himeno. This is different from the original manga, where Mawata was actually as bad as Mayune. In the anime, she is someone to be pitied, not hated. Meanwhile, the seven Leafe Knights of the world of Leafenia, are out to stop Fenrir, the Princess of Disaster from conquering the Earth with her demon larva. When mature, they are huge slug-like monsters with tentacles and demonic reptilian eyes, absorbing the Leafe from all living things to feed Fenrir. Trees and flowers blacken and wilt when touched by a larva. The Knights' powers are limited, so in order to combat this menace, they need a chosen woman to "prêt" with, a Pretear, the Princess of Light. A Knight and the Pretear merge together, where the Pretear defeats the demon larva with weapons created from leafe, energy from living essence. Well, Himeno is the chosen one, and she is overwhelmed at being needed by the Knights, as she is still trying to find her place in a new family, home, and school, where she is shunned. Each Knight has a special power, be it ice, fire, wind, sound, etc. The child Knights, Mannen, Shin, and Hajime, take to her and even call her "naychan" or big sister. The dashing and quiet Sasame is an isle of reason and kindness, helping her in her training or being someone with a sympathetic ear. He's empathic, hosting a radio program, and replying to postcards, among them being from Mawata. However, the brooding Hayate arrogantly dismisses her, saying that she doesn't have what it takes, saying that they don't a Pretear, which isn't the case. Himeno's not that crazy about him either, and a state of mutual contempt exists between them. That starts to thaw by the end of Episode 4, though Hayate gives her a funny nickname based on her hairdo-"tulip head," which she isn't too chuffed about. When Himeno prets with a Knight, there is a transformation scene complete with fanfare, where she is surrounded by coloured bubbles, reemerging with a colourful costume. Kind of a throwback to Sailor Moon, but minus the "moonlight crystal power makeup" schtick. Once, I noticed the full title, "Pretear-The New Legend of Snow White" and it made a lot more sense. Think about it-Himeno's stepmother is mean, with two stepsisters. Then the Leafe Knights number seven. Aha! But there is an environmental message as well, on protecting the Earth from things that threaten to drain the life and life force from living things. Plus, the Knights also detect the presence of the larvae through their jobs, ever alert to a high level of depression in conversation. Pretear also sports a host of well-known voice performers. Mikage the kindly maid is voiced by Yui Horie, best known as Tohru Honda in Fruits Basket and Naru in Love Hina, while Yuji Ueda, who is Kaoru, acted opposite Horie in Love Hina as leading man Keitaro. Satsuki Yukino (Mayune) was also in Love Hina as Mutsumi, but also in Ai Yori Aoshi as the energetic Tina Foster. Himeno's voice actress, Sayuri Yoshida, also sings the catchy ending theme song, "Lucky Star," but it pales compared to the energetic techno opening theme, "White Destiny," sung by the one and only Yoko Ishida. And Takahiro Sakurai (Sasame) is also Kamiyama in Cromartie High School. Finally, Kikuko Inoue (Natsue) voiced the landlady Hibiya-san in Chobits. A great start for the 14 episode series. | ||
 | Cher - Heart of Stone | |
| "Turn back time to 89 and a great album by Cher" | 2005-06-26 |
| Cher followed up the success of her self-titled 1987 album with Heart of Stone, whose first two singles did better on the charts. She had retained the same production team-if it ain't broke... But the followup benefits from having better arrangements and instrumentations, while embodying a musical style now sadly long gone. Instead of merely writing this song, Diane Warren puts on her producer's hat with Guy Roche. "If I Could Turn Back Time," whose strident rhythms with the same synth and fiery guitar from her previous album, made it to #3 on the charts and a week atop the Adult Contemporary charts. With a host of backing vocalists, including Desmond Child, Robin Beck, and Maria Vidal, plus guitar from Steve Lukather, who'd contributed on "I Found Someone," this couldn't fail and it didn't. However, with the video aboard a US aircraft carrier with an ever-so revealing outfit, the song might as well have been called "If I Could Show My Behind." What's also revealing and tried and true are some things I have experienced: "Pride's like a knife it can cut deep inside/words are like weapons they wound sometimes." Words have hurt me too much at times, so I know. The second single, the power ballad written by Diane Warren and Desmond Child, "Just Like Jesse James," challenging a ladykiller and trying to drop him off the swaggering macho cloud he's floating on, indeed has lyrics with the aura of a Western showdown. This #8 hit also features backing vocals by Child, Warren, and Brenda Russell ("Get Here," "Piano In The Dark"). Another winning song. Bolton and Warren co-write, with the former producing and arranging "You Wouldn't Know Love," which is straight 80's synth-laced music complete with its host of backing vocals. His production and songwriting on "Still In Love With You" and "Starting Over," the latter co-written with Journey's Jonathan Cain embodies the same style. Her cover of Desmond Child's reflective "Love On A Rooftop," produced by Asher, also on percussion, was not the first time I'd heard it, as Ronnie Spector had done her version two years earlier on Unfinished Business, which makes at least three versions, including Child's own, which came out in 1991. This has more of a crunch to it, airy keyboard-wise and guitar-wise, the latter courtesy of the Heartbreakers' Waddy Wachtel. A strong single-worthy rendition, though the more low-key version by Spector fits me more. Asher also produced the duet between her and Peter Cetera, "After All," which was from the movie Chances Are. A #6 hit, this spent 4 weeks atop the AC charts, and is a classic 80's type pop ballad, and something Chicago probably'd have no problem doing around their 17 or 18 albums. Wachtel also does guitar here as well. Another favourite here. The other Child-produced songs, "Emotional Fire" has the raging power to be on a Bon Jovi album, with harmonic chorus as strong as on BJ's "Living On A Prayer." Speaking of which, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora help co-write "Does Anybody Really Fall In Love Anymore." A rhetoric question posed here is: "There's a lonely world around me/I get sucked in by the tide/I said, hey, love ain't no crime/so why is everybody so afraid to cross that line." I found out the hard way. This is the song Kane | ||