Weather Girl Love

Otenki Oneesan is rolling along quite nicely, and like I mentioned before, the BEST thing about this show is not only do you get to see all the quirky and eccentric personalities you've come to expect from Emi Takei, but since she's the Weather Girl, she's always dolled up in the cutest and girliest outfits, looking adorable as heck during her "broadcasts"and sending me to Emi-Takei Heaven! 

Will ya look at all that Emi Takei Prettiness! Wow, I haven't loved a Weather Girl this much since Sharie Shima in her KITV days...and if you understood that comment, you must have lived in Hawaii during the 80's, LOL

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

For What It's Worth: My SNSD Fave Song Rankings, One Year In!

Right Now, It's Girls Generation!!

It's now been a year since I first fell in love with the sweet, sweet sounds of the lovely ladies of GIRLS GENERATION, and looking back, who'd have thunk that they'd eventually become pretty much my favorite K-pop Artists out of them all! To celebrate my year-long love and admiration for them, I've decided to update my old SNSD TOP40 song ranking which, thanks to the girls' incredible output of kick-ass songs, now consists of a solid 80 songs!

Additionally, I've also decide to update my individual members ranking. At the time I made this list last year, I only had a Top 5, but as the year's gone by I can now say more strongly where each member fits on the list to my heart! Sooooooo, without further ado....

Z's GIRLS GENERATION TOP 80 SONG RANKING

updated 05/2013

1. How Great Is Your Love (The Boys)

2. Stay Girls (Girls & Peace)

3. Goodbye, Hello (TTS Twinkle)

4. Sweet Talking Baby (Oh!)

5. Echo (Run Devil Run)

6. Hoot (Hoot)

7. La La La (CM)

8. Time Machine (The Boys Repackage Album)

9. Top Secret (The Boys)

10. All My Love Is For You  (Girls & Peace)

11. Chocolate Love (CM)

12. Library (TTS Twinkle)

13. Lazy Girl (The Boys)

14. Sunflower (The Boys)

15. Boys & Girls  (Oh!)

16. Ooh La-La! (Girls Generation)

17. Ha Ha Ha (CM)

18. Telepathy (The Boys)

19. Be Happy (Oh!)

20. I’m In Love With The HERO (Girls Generation 2011)

21. Show! Show! Show!  (Oh!)

22. Trick (The Boys)

23. Tinkerbell (Girls Generation)

24. Oscar (The Boys)

25. You-aholic (Girls Generation 2011)

26. Paparazzi (Girls & Peace)

27. Beautiful Stranger (Girls Generation 2011)

28. Girls & Peace (Girls & Peace)

29. Reflection (Girls & Peace)

30. Complete  (Girls Generation)

31. Gee (Gee)

32. Mr. Taxi (The Boys)

33. OMG~Oh My God (TTS Twinkle)

34. Day by Day (Oh!)

35. Kissing You (Girls Generation)

36. Girls Generation (Girls Generation)

37. Tell Me Your Wish~Genie (Genie)

38. My Friend Haechi (OST)

39. I GOT A BOY (I Got A Boy)

40. I'm a Diamond (Girls & Peace)

41. Way To Go! (Gee)

42. Express 999 (I Got A Boy)

43. Oh! (Oh!)

44. The Boys (The Boys)

45. Animal (Girls & Peace)

46. Baby Maybe (I Got A Boy)

47. Flower Power (Girls & Peace)

48. Vitamin (The Boys)

49. Beep Beep (Flower Power)

50. XYZ (I Got A Boy)

51. Child (Genie)

52. Say Yes (The Boys)

53. T.O.P. (Girls & Peace)

54. Bad Girl (Girls Generation 2011)

55. Born To Be A Lady (Girls Generation 2011)

56. Mabinogi~It’s Fantastic! (OST)

57. Beginning (Into The New World)

58. Diamond (2011 Winter SMTown – The Warmest Gift)

59. Perfect for You~Honey  (Girls Generation)

60. My Best Friend (Hoot)

61. Dancing Queen (I Got A Boy)

62. Talk Talk (Boomerang)

63. Romantic St. (I Got A Boy)

64. Visual Dreams (CM)

65. Girlfriend (Genie)

66. Love Melody  (2007 Winter SMTown – Only Love)

67. Not Alone (Girls & Peace)

68. My J (The Boys)

69. Let’s Talk About Love (Gee)

70. Etude (Genie)

71. The Great Escape (Girls Generation 2011)

72. Stick With U (Oh!)

73. Twinkle (TTS Twinkle)

74. Mistake (Hoot)

75. Run Devil Run (Girls Generation 2011)

76. Merry Go Round (Girls Generation)

77. Baby Baby (Girls Generation)

78. Into The New World (Into The New World)

79. Touch The Sky (OST)

80. One Year Later (Genie)

* Like the other lists before, this is purely for fun, an interesting way to remember “where I was” at this stage of SNSD fandom. And as usual, though it is a list of ranking, in the end, the best I can do is give a sort of "general" placement of the songs in the list. By that I mean that a song ranked at, say, #11 isn't necessarily more loved than a song at #13, but probably more beloved than a song at #18 or so.

Z's SNSD INDIVIDUAL MEMBER RANKING!

as of 05/2013

9. Sooyoung

Easily the most stunning of all the girls with a rock solid body with legs up to here, Sooyoung’s the girl that my friends refer to as the runway model of the group and watching her sultry Glamazonian gazes during life performances I gotta agree, but it wasn’t always that way- the first time I took notice of her was in both the “Hello Baby” episodes and “Intimate Note”; at the time, Sooyoung sported a short shag hairstyle, and personally, this look didn’t suit her at ALL, I actually thought she was the oldest girl there as she looked more like a woman than a girl, imagine my surprise when I found out how young she was!  

 Despite her place on this list, I DO really like Sooyoung, but I have to say that unlike the rest of the members, I haven’t really seen too many things with her in it, and so her personality is still sort of a mystery to me. I’m sure that once that perfect show showcasing her comes out, I will grow to love her even more!

8. Taeyeon

Suffering the same fate as Sooyoung, Taeyeon is another member that I feel I’ve never really gotten to know despite the fact that I’ve actually seen her in quite a few shows, including multiple appearances on Running Man ( that crazy variety show where EVERYONE’s personality comes out!) but she’s always struck me as someone who  stays in the background, funny for the girl who’s actually the LEADER of Girls Generation AND the member who has the most AMAZING set of pipes you’ll ever hear- when it comes to singing, Taeyeon (along with fellow crooner Seohyun) take this idol group’s status to a higher level, really, she’s THAT good!

7. Seohyun

When I first got into SNSD, Seohyun’s innocent ways was what really captivated me about her, and as I learned more about them, I found that this personality was no joke, out of all the girls, she’s the one most serious about things like preparing for her future, duites and responsibilities. So funny to watch her driving the other girls crazy, at times she comes off like Margaret in the old “Dennis The Menace” strips- all prim and proper and no fun at all, LOL!!! But she is really quite darling, and in fact there was a time period where I thought she was the prettiest member of them all! But what she shines at the most of course is her amazing vocals- along with Taeyeon, they make up the base of the “Power Vocals” within the group along with Tiffany and Jessica, and in my opinion, these are the core voice members of Girls Generation!

6. Hyoyeon

While it looks like Hyoyeon’s gone down on my list since the last evaluation, it must be said that I like her just as much as I did back then, but truthfully a LOT of the other members have moved UP! She’s still just about the coolest member out there and still quite attractive to me (though I can’t say I ever got past her “new” eyebrows look, I thought she was so pretty the “old” way) and though many may argue with me, I happen to really love her voice, both talking and singing, she has that raspy flavor to it that I just love (her middle rapping in “Top Secret” is a fave) and I love to hear her laugh! And of course she’ll always be SNSD’s “Dancing Queen”!!

5. Sunny

Our beloved Sunkyu! Like many others before me, I discovered how cool, fun and outgoing Sunny was during her epic stint on Invincible Youth (along with Yuri), Sunny’s statement about how she was SNSD’s “Energy Pill” was NEVER more evident than watching her on this show- from working in the fields, raising her animals and nurturing the other girls, Sunny really shone as the charismatic girl that everyone wanted to be around as she set about her chores with the cutest aegyo and (along with funnywoman Shinyoung Kim) the most slapsticky variety show skillz!!  Once She and Yuri departed, the show was never the same (even when she came back!), so much of the original G7 was based around her enthusiasm.

4. Yoona

When I first was getting to know the girls, Yoona was the one more than the others that I had a hard time understanding why she was so highly regarded. My earliest memories of Yoona (when I could tell who she was ) was in the Hello Baby scenes where she and Jessica are pranking the girls, and at the time, she seemed like nothing more than a plain if very fun girl.

  Then I saw her along with Sunny in an old episode of Running Man, Yoona was dressed in regular street clothes, jacket, blouse and jeans, and I don’t know why, but this REALLY DID IT FOR ME- she was so doggone pretty, and added to her incredibly fun and playful demeanor throughout the race, she simply stole my heart, since then she’s always had that glow of beauty and goofiness to my eyes, and I’ve cherished everything she’s done since, whether it be antics on Happy Family Outing, return appearances on Running Man or even the variety shows (where we get to see her do her famous “Flatfish” grimace now and again, LOL!) she’s one I’m always looking for! A BIG Move up on my list, Yoona is one of my very fave members!

3. Tiffany

I’d already fallen for Tiffany’s beauty when I first was introduced to her, but little did I know that as I saw more and more shows with her in it, I’d soon discover her inner beauty as well, of all the girls she’s the one who shines the most to me when it comes to pure, innocent sweetness, such a kind and friendly girl if it wasn’t plain enough watching the girls in their day to day activities, there’s also the testimony of so many other artists who praise her for her thoughtful and giving nature.

And then there’s that VOICE! Along with all that other goodness, Tiffany’s got one of my favorite voices out there, beautifully sonic with just a hint of raspiness, the way she enunciates her lines just sends me to heaven!

 And as far as her physical beauty, well, even THAT got amped up as I saw more and more shows of her looking more beautiful with every look! I dunno, maybe it’s her California upbringing, but there’s something about her that reminds me of every girl I’d ever had a crush on growing up here in HAWAII! Someone had uploaded pictures of her middle school class pictures, gads, she looked SO MUCH like my childhood crushes in those pics, and it was clear that even THEN she had that “brighter than Gems” quality about her!

2. Yuri

There was a time when just about every variety show I was watching had SOME element of Yuri’s adorably wacky and fun personality about it, whether it be Invincible Youth, KkoKko Tours, or even their guest appearances on shows like Lets Go Dream Team, Weekly Idol or Beatles Code, etc, naturally, being exposed to all of this cute Yuri goodness affected my view on her as a whole, and that’s why at that time she always seemed to be alongside Jessica for my top spot of all-time fave member, but you know, in recent months it seems like we don’t get to see much of our dear Black Pearl anymore, when I do get to see her, she’s mostly regaled to the background only adding snippets into the current dialog going on. It’s only at times when I’m focusing only on her and I see that she’s the same adorably klutzy girl that I remember how much I love her! Really, we need to see more Yuri again!

1. Jessica

I don’t think there’s anything more I can say about how much I love Jessica. From the very first sight of her back in 2011 when I saw her in the VITA500 commercials, then following her through the months, falling in love with all of her different looks, from bangs, to bobs, to long, straight, blonde, black and brunette hairstyles, and discovering her unusual (for an idol) personality of hunching her shoulders up and withdrawing to the back of any conversation, her dry remarks and cold demeanor (which of course is why she’s lovingly known as the Ice Princess, natch!) as she’d run away from an open mic, fearful of having to talk to the audience, all of these quirks make me love her even more!

   Though my love for each individual member has fluctuated and swayed from time to time, and there have been occasions when I’ve greatly felt like it was Yuri or Tiffany who was my “Favorite” member, in the end, it ALWAYS came back to Jessica, she is the one I’m listening for whenever a new song comes out, whenever I see a live performance, she’s the one I look for, in the end, Jessica’s the one that MAKES Girls Generation for me! And that’s all I got to say about that.

Jessica Still My Bias after Two Years!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

My SNSD Collection, So Far!

And just to round out my little celebration of One Year (Later) of Life in the SNSD Fandom as a rabid SONE, I thought I'd actually get out my CDs and DVDs and take a picture of what I've amassed so far, looks like the start of a nice Li'l Collection!

Aw, it may not look like much, but SNSD is one of the handful of cherished artists where I absolutely worship each and every release, album by album, song-for-song , trust me when I say that each item up there is a huge source of happiness for THIS (relatively) new K-pop fan!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

West Side Story, Japanese Style

Takei Emi and Tsumabuki Satoshi in Ai To Makoto

I’ve just a J-movie that is such a mish-mash of genres that it's end result must be one of the most unusual amalgams ever! This movie has it all: Romance, Roughnecking, Truimph and Tragedy, and it’s all set to campily enthusiastic SONG AND DANCE!   

Good Girl Ai Saotome

Bad Boy Makoto Taiga

For reals, when I sat down to watch AI TO MAKOTO, I was only in it for the sweet babe-ness of its main star Emi Takei, but as soon as I saw the opening scene where delinquent bad boy Makoto (played by Satoshi Tsumabuki) beats up a rival gang all the while singing and DANCING, I knew I was in for SOME movie! Seriously, this was the Jets fighting the Sharks all over again!

Sing A Song Of War

West Side Story's "Jets and Sharks" Style fighting alive and well here...

The story is this: As youths, Makoto saved Ai from a dangerous skiing accident which has left him with a huge scar across his forehead. Feeling responsible for the thug life he’s led since then, she makes it her life goal to rehabilitate him when she crosses paths with him as teenagers. Through the magic of music, we hear beautiful Emi Takei singing the virtues of her love for him and her resolve to “save” him, and so the tale is set in motion…!

The Roughneck and the Girl From the Other Side Of The Tracks

A resolve to take care of her Man!

But things cannot run as Ai would like: Though she's gotten him registered at her private school and has set him up in an apartment, Makoto resents the help from this rich and naïve girl, and rebuffs her help with violence and even more violence. Soon he’s kicked out of the school and sent to the delinquent school,  and an unfazed Ai  transfers there herself to watch after him. Nonetheless, Makoto keeps spiraling even further down the ladder, and in her quest to help him, Ai finds herself being dragged down with him, even resorting to working a a cabaret club to give him money. Rival Gangs, Rival Love intersts, all these problems begin piling up-Soon there are enemies all about them and a happy solution seems bleak!

Leaving her Private School and entering the world of Delinquencies

Working at a Cabaret To Support Makoto

I have to say that this a pretty innovative flick, and though the songs seem to break out at the most inopportune times, some of them are in fact pretty catchy, it was a thrill to hear Emi Takei singing her sweet proclamation of love to Makoto, and I have special fondness for the dark, drawling, song  “Dreams Bloom at Night” which rival-love-interest Yuki (Ono Ito) hypnotically purrs to Makoto to take him away from innocent Ai’s arms… 

Singing a Song about her Love!

Another Song of Love, though far more Sinister

 Ai To Makoto is really like a Manga brought to life, and with waltzing Gang Members, Angry Singing Parents and enemy students brawling at the drop of a hat, it’s sometimes hard to take things seriously! But just like Romeo and Juliet (which West Side Story was based on , of course), this story has the shadow of TRAGEDY looming all over it, and you just KNOW that our heroes and heroines will not come out of it unscathed…

Ah, but let us not bring the zany vibes down! The Verdict for Ai To Makoto: Highly Original movie with an insane amount of nuttiness. Camp Factor: High, Emi Takei Cuteness factor: Maximum!  Cautiously Recommended Viewing!!!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

"Out Of Sight" Animated Short

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
Just saw the sweetest Animated video about a little blind girl who is taking a walk through town when her purse is suddenly snatched by a thief. Her Seeing-Eye Dog breaks away to give chase, and this clip is about the minutes she spends trying to find out where she is and locate her dog... 

This video, called "Out Of Sight",  is fascinating in the way the video shows how the girl perceives objects through touch and sound, everything around her is a blank slate til she hears it or touches it, and slowly the object materializes for her, and it's quite interesting too how she imagines some of the things we take for granted must look like- Planes, Busses, etc.

I'm not sure who made this animated short, but as someone online pointed out,  it certainly gives off a Hayao Miyazaki "Kiki's Delivery Service" vibe... No matter, this is a gentle little clip that will give you a smile to brighten Your Day!

Stormy Weather Up Ahead! The Gals of "Otenki Oneesan"

Emi Takei as Abe Haruko, the titular Otenki Oneesan

I began watching the new Jdrama "Otenki Oneesan" for, as you may have guessed, Emi Takei as the eccentric and morose weather girl Abe Haruko, that peculiar girl with the uncanny knack for weather patterns, though it's mostly just another in the whole "eccentric detective with strange skills" set, so far so good, Emi is cute in her role and despite her dour usual outlook and appearance:

...we DO get to see her in some positively colorful, lacey and girly dresses, so PROPS for that! 

 Additionally on the cute actress homefront, having cute Nozomi Sasaki onboard as the bright eyed and cheerful News Anchor is definitely a plus, (as soon as the two met up with one another, ya just KNEW they wuz gonna butt heads with each other!)

Sasaki Nozomi

The soon to become bitter rivals?

 ...but I GOTTA TELL YOU that from the show’s GET GO, the one gal who has been knocking me out with her lusciously sexy style and persona has been the lady playing Haraguchi, the MORNINGZ TV Channel’s producer! GEEZ, what a BABE! 

Fueki Yuko as Haraguchi

As the thankless Producer of the Morning Show, Haraguchi has the job (among others) of making the funniest of shocked and STUNNED faces every time Emi Takei comes up with some new craziness while the show is on the air, Ahhahaha, sooo funny! Who WAS this actress?

  Going onto the Otenki Oneesan website, I found that her name was Fueki Yuko, and looking at her long list of drams, come to find out I’d seen her before in dramas like Nazotoki Wa Dinner Atode and Attention Please… She’s even appeared in the recent Korean hit dramas IRIS I & II (under her Korean name Yoo Min) , so she’s certainly been in the public eye for awhile-Man, I never noticed how freaking fine she is until now!! More, Please! Okay, back to more Otenki Oneesan!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com