So I Finally Saw "Lupin The Third"

The Cast of Lupin The Third

 Man, I was really looking forward to this movie, but after watching it...I dunno. I mean, Oguri Shun and Company certainly look like the characters from the classic 80's and 90's animated series I used to rent, but it didn’t have the fun and sassiness that I remembered. Most of the shows that I remembered was full of zany double crossings and outrageous hijinx (mostly between Lupin and his sexy colleague Mine Fujiko), and while the movie does have its share of double crosses and larger than life action, it opted for a more realistic and gritty tone, which, when you have a samurai with a sword cutting through 3 foot solid steel doors and pinning moving trucks to asphalt, makes for a really unbalanced feel!
 I will admit that I haven't seen any of the more recent animated movies, so maybe this is how Lupin's character and  stories are portrayed nowadays, but it's so seriously done (albeit with the quirky attitudes added in) that I felt like I could be watching  any action hero's film, not necessarily Lupin the Third. Just my opinion, demo sa...

Meisa Kuroki as Fujiko Mine

Of course, the main reason I wanted to see the movie was for pretty Meisa Kuroki, and pretty she was indeed, although her portrayal of Mine Fujiko has to be the most un-fun take ever…who knew she could be so grumpy and morose! I mean, I knew she wasn’t going to be as hyper-sexualized as the animated versions (a guy can dream, but I like the think realistically, LOL) but I didn’t think she was going to be so subdued and bitter.

Oh well, visually she was as stunning as ever, so that’s a plus!

Speaking of a plus, one character that I DID really love was that crazy and over the top wacky evil assassin named Maria played with sheer delight by new actress Nakayama Yuka, WOW was she fun! 

Wow! Yuka Nakayama as Maria

With an almost cartoonish zest for guns and other weapons of mass destruction, THIS is what I came to see! They did have a bit of a sub-storyline between her and Fujiko Mine and their no-holds-barred smackdown was one of the best scenes!

So yeah, the movie definitely had that going for it, but in the end, I have to say that Lupin The Third was just an okay movie for me, very visually appealing, but ultimately not one I’ll be rewatching anytime soon.

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Legends Of Otomejuku

Watching recent Japanese dramas Sayonara Watashi and First Class, I have to say how much it marvels me that even 20 years after both Ribbon and CoCo have been disbanded, I can still see both Hiromi Nagasaku and Rieko Miura in dramas on a pretty regular basis!

 I remember the first time I ever saw Rieko on a show back in 1995 (Mokuyo no Kwaidan) and being THRILLED seeing her in something after CoCo, but I couldn’t have guessed that she’d still be doing it decades later! Rieko's roles fluctuate from the guest-star for one-episode types to full supporting cast members, but she sure has had a steady output of dramas over the years!

The first time I saw Hiromi in a drama was as the “unrequited love interest" for Etsushi Toyokawa in ‘Aoitori”, and I remember after spotting her, telling everyone, "Hey , I think that actress is the girl from ribbon! I was so fascinated that an idol from one of my beloved groups was acting in a real drama on KIKU TV! 

Little did I know she'd go on to not only her own starring dramas, but become a become a prominent MOVIE actress as well!

And Now...My Favorite f(x) Songs!

f(x): Amber, Luna, Krystal, Victoria and Sulli

After a good 7 months of solid listening to f(x)’s latest album and still finding it amps me up, gives me goosebumps and flat out blows me away, I think I can now safely say that RED LIGHT is not only 2014’s best release, but one of my very, very favorite K-pop albums of ALL TIME, even surpassing 2013’s PINK TAPE, a feat I’d have not thought possible giving how much I loved it!
      Listening once again to Red Light last night and marveling over how every song just sang out, it occurred to me that I never made a proper Top 40 Favorites List for f(x), even though they’re by far one of my favorite acts in K-pop,  and I thought it was HIGH TIME I rectified that!
 Funny, back in the early days when I was first dabbling in K-pop, f(x) was a group I had only a cursory interest in (since member Krystal was the little sister of Girls’ Generation’s Jessica)... I’d downloaded their songs La ChaTa, Nu ABO and Chu!, but it wasn’t until their 2012 release “Electric Shock” that they entered my field of fandom, not only with that album’s titular track, but the sonic song “Jet”, two powerhouse songs that made me run out and begin buying up all their albums! 
 Now almost 3 years since I first started listening to them, I’ve now got a whole catalog of huge, huge cherished f(x) favorite songs, so making a “Top Ten” list of any kind seems daunting, but I love these songs so much, I just feel like I’ve GOT to at least TRY to show how much these songs MEAN to me!

Z’S f(x) TOP 40 RANKING

Paper Heart

Electric Shock

Jet

No More

Dracula

Vacance

Summer Lover

So Into U

1,2,3 

Sorry (Dear Daddy)

Signal

Danger (Pinocchio)

La ChaTa

Red Light

Rum Pum Pum Pum

Chocolate Love (Electronic Pop Ver.)

Hot Summer

Beautiful Goodbye

Joahaedo Doenayo (Is It OK?) 

Thrill Love 

I Love You, I Love You

Step

Love Hate

Snapshot

Milk

Dangerous

Shadow

Stand Up!

My Style

Gangsta Boy

Ending Page

Nu ABO

Chu

Mr. Boogie

Love

Airplane

Rainbow

Sweet Witches

Step By Me

ME+U

F(x) have always been SM’s sort of “experimental” outfit, so the group has had quite a few different “sounds” attached to them at various times, from bubblegum poppy, childishly silly and cutting-edge electronic, but my Top Two favorite songs, Paper Heart and Electric Shock, to me, represent everything I love about f(x): Electric Shock is everything loud, electronic and ROCKING about the group, a powerhouse, thumping song that gets your groove on, while Paper Heart shows how gentle, soft, and vulnerable they can be, with a breezy acoustic melody that showcases the five girls’ sweet and beautiful vocals.

The world of K-pop nowadays has been in such turmoil and tragedy, and with Jessica gone, even my beloved Girls Generation has had a bit of a time. When Sulli announced her break from the entertainment biz, my heart sank as this was yet one more group to be changed. But with her recent reappearances with members in public, I now have kind of a glimmer of hope that the next time I hear from f(x), it will be with all five of them. But whichever lineup four or five, I know when their new album comes out, I’ll be cherishing it and loving it!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

A Parcel of Coquettish Kyoko

 After all the purchases I’d made this past year on CDJapan, my bonus points were building up, several of which were set to expire soon, and as I’d racked up about 2770 points (About 28 dollars) in credit, I thought I’d go ahead and grab myself the new Kyoko Fukada photobook “Down To Earth” . 
  Down To Earth features our Ms Fukada in the most delightful of bikini outfits, a sight I remember seeing regularly back in her BOMB days but not so much later when her acting career picked up... She looked so doggone FINE, and then it crossed my mind that I still hadn’t picked up her LAST photobook, the ULTRA provocative and salaciously SEXY “Un-Tonch” where Kyoko went all out with the LINGERIE, all draped in the skimpiest of Nighties, Bras and Panties! That HAD to be rectified, and so I put in an order for that one too, and just today, BOTH books came in!
God DAMN but does Fukakyon look HELLACIOUSLY FINE here!!!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

The Last of the "Jessica" Girls' Generation Releases

Along with my Chisato Moritaka Bluray shipment, I also received another awesome concert DVD set, Girls’ Generation’s two disc release of their early 2014 Japan Tour promoting their awesome Japan-released album LOVE & PEACE! I think I’ve mentioned before how much I love this album, and the terrific performance only add to its greatness!

 I’ve seen quite a few fan-cams of some of my favorite songs from this album like My Oh My, Galaxy Supernova, Karma Butterfly and Do The Catwalk, and I even downloaded a Japan Television Broadcasted Live Special, but it's having the whole concert in nice crisp digital form that has me so happy! Songs so catchy, dance moves so great and the gals looking soooo fine!

 As you know, my beloved Jessica left the group in early November, and her last album with them was their Japan Greatest Hits collection, thank GOD they shot this Concert when she was still a part of the group ( the tour was from Feb-July 2014), I don’t think my heart could have taken a whole concert of them singing the LOVE and PEACE songs without her. As this is the very last official release with her in it, I feel it’s a fine send-off as it’s Jessica at her very best!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Chisato Moritaka's "Kokon Tozai" Concert Gets The Deluxe Treatment!

Chisato Moritaka's 1991 Kokon Tozai Deluxe Edition Bluray Set

 I've always considered Chisato Moritaka’s 1991 Kokon Tozai ~ Oni-ga DerukaJa-Ga Deruka Live Video as one of the “Holy Trinity” of live Chisato concerts, (the other two being her 1993 Live Rock Alive Concert Tour and her 1994 Lucky Seven Tour Concert) where Chisato was at the absolute top of her game, right at the crossroads of Cute Idol and Contemporary Songstress, her repertoire full of songs both adorably poppy and full-throttle ROCKING! Add to that Chisato’s almost endless supply of energetic choreography to the mix, and you’ve got a powerhouse Live experience! Boy did I play those three Concert laserdiscs over and over and OVER again, til they quickly became the Live J-pop concerts that other must compare to!  

The Chisato "Holy Trinity" of Live Concerts, 2000 DVD releases

 I was thrilled when Warner Music released these concerts on DVD back in 2000 (see above), and didn’t waste time grabbing those, and now, the news of Chisato’s concerts out all newly remastered on BLURAY got me excited ALL OVER AGAIN!
   Besides the allure of seeing the Kokon Tozai concert on Bluray, the biggest draw for me was when I realized that the set was going to come with TWO versions of the Kokon Tozai concert, one bluray featuring the regular released 23 song version, and, unbelievably, another bluray featuring the complete 26 song concert in its actual performance order! Holy crap, I just couldn’t wait to check that one out!

Kokon Tozai Bluray Box

My package arrived this morning, and wow, I had no IDEA it was going to be such an elaborate package! First off, I thought it was going to be jewel-box sized, what I got was a big 8x 11/½ x1” glossy case just filled to the BRIM with goodies!!! Along with the Bluray of the Regular released Concert, the Bluray of the Extended, Compete Concert, a Double Disc CD of the complete remastered concert, TWO beautiful glossy photobooks and even a sheet of stickers!!

Kokon Tozai 2 Blurays,2 CDs

Kokon Tozai Concert Program Reproduction and Photobooklet

Man, watching the concert right now, and damn if the bluray clarity isn’t out of this WORLD! The detail is SO FINE I can see every sparkle and brilliant colors of her outfits, the glossy sheen of those luxurious long locks of hers, and even the smooth texture of her lovely skin, oh man, such a mind blowing sight to see!

 The sound is, as to be expected, also awesome, with bright highs and bassy lows; my all time favorite tracks for this concert have always been “Funky Monkey Baby” and “Yoru No Entotsu”, and I gotta tell you, blasting those songs to the high heavens, I can safely say it’s just NEVER sounded so DAMN GOOD!!!

  Looking at the CDJapan catalog, I see they’ve also given Chisato’s previous 1990 Moritaka Land Concert Tour the deluxe treatment, after watching this concert, I am just hoping and wishing and praying that my other fave concerts Live Rock Alive and Lucky Seven get this wonderful deluxe treatment as well!!!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Kohaku Uta Gassen 2014

Continuing on with Arashi in toto paired up with a lovely lass as Team Leaders, we have the cute ’n’ goofy Yuriko Yoshitaka as this year’s Red Captain against Arashi’s White team!

Must say....Yuriko's lookin' pretty darn fine!

The show opened with a bang as HKT48 covered the stage with their girlish charms…

followed by Sexy Zone (who are now a trio, it seems) to balance things out…

Then for a little more sass E-Girls came out to up the ante

and is quickly countered with a sombre AAA

 We are introduced to the judges, and…HEY! Is that Jiro and Naoko from TRICK sitting there??? They must be working on a case! (PS: Betcha Tamori turns out to be the killer!)

SKE48, NMB48, AKB48…Holy HECK, NHK Hall is being simply overRUN with “48” Girls!!! If they ever decided to pool their resources, these gals could take over the world!!!! 

 

 

Not to be outdone by the girls, Hiromi Go came out with the loudest suit in the place…

And then it was time for some refinement with elegant Ayako Fujii...

...before heading out to electronic land with Perfume (where Yuriko and A-chan compare notes to see who’s the most air-headed, LOL)…

 

A killer duet between T.M. Revolution and Nana Mizuki (and BTW I have to say I think Nana is one of the most passionate performers out there, she’s always so damn GENKI!!!)

Some R&B with Sandaime J Soul Brothers and a sweet performance by Kana Nishino

Enka with Kaori Kozai and Natsuko Godai

 

and Takashi Hosokawa encouraging the judges to get blitzed before casting their votes….

Powerhouse Yoshimi Tendo belts out "Yappa Sukiyanen”

And things get rustic with Fuyumi Sakamoto doing "Otoko no Himatsuri” backed by Momoiro Clover Z as hard-working farmers (LOL)

 Man, does this capture look like a 1960’s Japanese Movie Lobby Poster, and BOY, MomoClo have got to be the zaniest girl group ever! Can’t help but smile when you see them!

They then carried the zaniness to their own performance of "My Dear Fellow"

 HAHA, ya gotta laugh watching these gals...

As if sensing that not even THEY could out-silly Momoiro Clover Z, Kanjani8 went the serious route this time with pop ballad "Omoidama”…

Akiko Wada is back to KICK YOUR BUTTS.

And then after YEARS of waiting, V6 FINALLY make their Kohaku debut with their song "Wa ni Natte Odoro"

Kiyoshi Mikawa does his best Choschirro with "Choito Kimaguren Wataridori”...

...while Kaori Mizumori looks like she fell in a tub of whipped cream for her performance of "Shimane Koi Tabi”, LOL

Time is taken to introduce the star of next year’s NHK Asadora “Mare” with insanely adorable Tao Tsuchiya as the titular character!

Fun and energetic Ikimonogakari are back with “Golden Girl” (man, the lead singer is full of so much vitality!!!)

 

Did I ever mention the first timeI ever saw Kyary Pamyu Pamyu? I was in a store in the country with a small electronic section and Pon Pon Pon was playing on a loop on the TV. I didn’t even register the song as Japanese, it sounded and looked so ALIEN! “Th-this looks like...insanity!” I gasped, but couldn’t take my EYES off her!  That was my introduction to the Harajuku Chanteuse, and from her performance of “Kirakira Kira” here, it looks like she’s as stunningly STRANGE as ever!

Next came TOKIO, doing the song that introduced me to them at one of the very first Kohakus I ever saw, their first single LOVE YOU ONLY!

Ah, we spent many a night crooning this tune out at the karaoke bars, I tell ya….

Not an especially huge fan of FROZEN, but as a lifelong fan of both RENT and WICKED, I have to say how thrilled I was to see Idina Menzel onstage!!! (Okay, she wasn’t really there, but still….)

Taking a cue from TOKIO, SMAP brought out their happy song “SHAKE”  as this year’s tune before going into “Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake No Hana” and “Top of The World”… Shake was one of my early favorites from the guys and really loved hearing it here!!!

Girls 'n' Guitars with Miwa and Sheena Ringo...

...and Miyuki Nakajima reminds us that when it comes to “eclectic” she is the ORIGINAL, with “Mugi No Uta”!

Sayuri Ishikawa's back with yet another performance of “Amagi Goe”

Akina Nakamori made a special appearance beamed in from somewhere…would have been so great to see her actually there!

And speaking of which, Masaharu Fukuyama phones in his performance, as does Southern All-Stars…I'm sensing a trend here...

 

For the White team we had Arashi who pulled no stops as THE vaudeville act of the 00’s…

and for the Festival Closer we had the Idol Princess herself, Ms. Seiko Matsuda, who gave a very heartfelt performance but probably not “festive” enough to rouse the crowd into a BIG finale…

Though I love Seiko and respect the honor it is to have her close the Kohaku, I think they should have switched the acts and have Arashi’s wacky Circus Event close the show for maximum effect!
All in all yet another thoroughly entertaining show!!!

PS: And in case you forgot, Momoiro Clover Z reminds you one more time that they are the zaniest girls ever!!!

OK, ‘Til next year….