Music review: Kuroki Mio - Change of Pace

Artist: Kuroki Mio (played by Alisa) Album: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Original Song Album "Dear My Friend" Release date: 6/23/04 Video link: A slideshow featuring the song

English translation: Step by step, one by one Stepping firmly on the road The boring days pile on top of one another In this dazzling world

Worrying only about appearances Acting like other people takes some boldness Do we have the kind of relationship We can't tell people about, The two of us?

You might be convinced You've gotten hold of The treasure in front of you But she's going to vanish like an illusion Say goodbye to the girl of convenience

*In the unbearable ?Morning mist of 5 a.m. ?I repeat the same story ?I only want to just ?Cuddle with someone ?I want to feel more free ?Change of pace

The momentary love is over The agreement was for one time only You won't get anywhere Step by step, one by one Stepping firmly on the road The boring nights pile on top of one another In this dazzling age

I just make whatever excuse works And run out Pressed by my quota Behaving awkwardly, you know It's ridiculous, the two of us

Looking just at what I see I feel like I know reality But in a city accustomed to crowds Without doing that You can't live life

Like it permeates my body, this Emotion I have to be careful of sweet traps Since life has only just begun I'm being stingy with The real high points, all the time

*Repeat

The eternal love affair I realize is fate, but I'm taking the long way round Step by step, one by one Stepping firmly on the road The rose-colored days pile on top of one another Love you, love me, please About the song: Change of Pace is a very catchy song from the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon drama. Kuroki Mio is a villian sent by Queen Beryl to defeat Tsukino Usagi, the human form of Sailor Moon. She becomes an idol (like Aino Minako) and transfers into Usagi's school. Once there she tries every mean trick to undermine Usagi's cheerfulness. Anyone familiar with the Sailor Moon universe knows that the bad guys never win.

This is one of my favorite songs from PGSM. Each of the main female characters has a couple of songs they sing on a variety of albums. Most of them are cutesy types of songs. Change of Pace is more on the mature side of things. Kuroki Mio may be a bad girl but, in my opinion, she makes a better idol than Minako!

Jmovie review: Nana

Title: Nana Release date: 9/3/05 Genre: Romance, Slice of Life Cast: Nakashima Mika, Miyazaki Aoi, Matsuda Ryuhei, Matsuyama Ken'ichi, Narimiya Hiroki, Maruyama Tomomi Plot: The story of the lives and loves of two Nanas. Osaki Nana (Nakashima Mika) is a punk princess determined to make her way to the top of the Tokyo rock scene. Komatsu Nana (Miyazaki Aoi) is a naive girl following her boyfriend to Tokyo in the hopes of marriage. The girls meet on a train in the middle of a snowstorm. Little did they know how intertwined their lives would become from that one fateful meeting. What is good: The emotional rollercoaster that is the girls' lives. What is bad: Since this movie only takes us about halfway through the Nana storyline, the ending seems a little abrupt. Letter rating: A Overall: I adore the Nana franchise. On one hand, I wish I could rock like Osaki Nana but on the other hand, I wish I knew how to be the "perfect" housewife like Komatsu Nana. I watched the movie before watching the entire anime series so it really was this version of the story that I fell in love with. Nakashima Mika was the perfect choice to play singer Osaki Nana and I thought that Miyazaki Aoi did a really good job bringing the innocence and puppy-dog characterization that is Komatsu Nana. While I didn't like the Trapnest songs very much, I did enjoy GLAMOROUS SKY, the movie's theme song which was written by Hyde of L'arc~en~Ciel fame. This is definitely a girly movie but I think any girl who has ever loved a boy before would love this movie.

Jconcert review: Gackt - TRAINING DAYS 2006 DRUG PARTY

Artist: Gackt Concert: TRAINING DAYS 2006 DRUG PARTY Date: 12/19/06 Location: Zepp Tokyo GacktJOB members: You, Chachamaru, Ju-Ken, Jun-Ji Song list:

1. Cube 2. Maria 3. uncontrol 4. Emu-for my dear- 5. seven 6. REDEMPTION 7. Ash 8. NINE SPIRAL 9. Speed Master 10. Lu:na 11. Storm 12. Papa lapped a pap lopped 13. Kalmia 14. Fragrance 15. mind forest 16. Metamorphoze 17. Birdcage 18. Mirror 19. ANOTHER WORLD 20. Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume

Tell me about the concert: This is one of Gackt's most laid back concerts. There are no costume changes, no backdrops and few videos. The entire concert is just Gackt and the band playing their hearts out in a smaller venue. None of his dancers are there but two new dancers - Kaori and Chika - dance in masked nurse uniforms to Storm and Papa lapped a pap lopped. On the DVD, only the second half of Mirror is performed. When you reach the extras, you will find that You and Chacha sang the first half of the song while Gackt slammed away on the drums. It is extremely funny to watch but I wish they had kept it in the context of the concert. I was very confused when the second DVD began with the infamous Gackt yelling in the middle of the song. There is also a beautiful rendition of Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume at the end of the concert. It begins slowly - almost like a tinkling jewelry box song - then it picks up speed, giving you a very satisfied ending to the event.

What are your feelings? TRAINING DAYS is my favorite Gackt concert. All of the guys seem more relaxed here and therefore seem like they are truly enjoying playing music together. There are some amazing performances in here. Fragrance and Birdcage are absolutely stunning. While I know that some people didn't enjoy this concert, I think that the lack of theatrics made it much more breath-taking than anything else he has done. This is a perfect example of the musical genius that is Gackt.

Music review: Do As Infinity - One or Eight

Artist: Do As Infinity Members: Tomiko Van, Ryo Owatari, Dai Nagao Album: True Song Release Date: 12/26/02

English translation: (Listen...)

...But you're still too dull. Look, you're still wandering lost, always wasted. You're back to being a whimsical lady -- [!!] Your ideals are great but still unclear.

Close your eyes -- try feeling it, This speed. Feel your dream -- there's no limits On that field.

Until you grasp victory, don't stop those legs -- Whether you sink or swim, do as much as you can. [1] Aim for your goals, Like the heroes on TV That you always watched.

It's gonna be crazy, that perverseness of yours... You're doing whatever you want again; it's all monkey business. Selfish lady, hurry up and stop crying A splendid life is reckless and OK.

Can you hear? The cheering Won't stop. Play the truth -- You're shining On that stage.

You don't have to mind rumors -- Whether you sink or swim, do as much as you can. Awaken a miracle, Like the heroes on TV That you always watched.

Until you grasp victory, don't stop those legs -- Whether you sink or swim, do as much as you can. Aim for your goals, Like the heroes on TV That you always watched...

...Awaken a miracle. About the song: Do As Infinity is one of my favorite Japanese bands. Sadly, they disbanded in 2005. This song is great because it has a very upbeat feeling to it. Of course, the lyrics go along with that. As the theme song to Japanese satellite station WOWOW's Europe Soccer show, the song drowns in sports references. The title of the song is a sports pun in itself. In Japanese, one or eight sounds similiar to ichi ka bachi ka meaning sink or swim. So you have a happy, upbeat song telling you to do your best. A great theme song for a sports show.

JDorama review: Tokkyu Tanaka San Go

Title: Tokkyu Tanaka San Go Also known as: Tanaka Express 3 Broadcast date: 4/13/07 - 6/22/07 Number of episodes: 11 Genre: Romantic comedy Cast: Tanaka Koki, Kuriyama Chiaki, Tsukamoto Takashi, Akiyama Ryuji, Kato Rosa, Hiraiwa Kami Plot: Tanaka Ichiro (Tanaka Koki) is a big talker. While he claims to be a "big shot," he is, in fact, a ronin-turned-freshman at a third-rate university. He accidentally meets Meguro Terumi (Kuriyama Chiaki) and declares her his "personal heroine." After befriending two tetsu (train fanatics), the three men find themselves trying their best to romance Terumi and her friends while finding their way in life. What is good: The writing was excellent. You learn a bit about the tetsu way without going completely overboard. What is bad: The first episode is pretty terrible. Letter rating: B+ Overall: This show was recommended to me by a friend. After watching the first episode, I thought maybe she had lost her mind or something. However, from the second episode on, I fell in love with the characters and their personalities. At first, Ichiro is extremely annoying but once you learn why he acts the way he does, it's difficult to dislike the guy. I'd love to really talk more about the show and why I enjoyed it but that really requires a lot of spoilers since the show revolves around the relationships of the three main characters. All I can say is watch it. Don't let the first episode fool you. This really is a great series.

Amateur Voice Acting - A Geeky Hobby

I have a lot of really geeky hobbies. One of them is amateur voice acting. A lot of anime fans have a desire to lend their voices to their favorite characters. Maybe they think they can do a better job than the dub actor that was hired. Maybe they think they can get rich doing voice acting. Maybe they just like doing silly voices. For those of us that don't live near the major studios (basically New York, California, Texas and a few places in Canada), there is amateur voice acting. This is when a group of fans get together to put together a show using their voices. Sometimes the project is dubbing an animated series, though they aren't always anime shows. Sometimes the project is a radioplay where you don't have to worry about matching your voice something visual. No one gets paid for working on these type of projects and most people are just doing it for fun. However, some people use amateur voice acting as a springboard for paid voice acting. They will use clips from productions to put together a demo reel to send out to various companies.

So how does one get into amateur voice acting? First, make sure you have a good microphone and headphones. Producers, the people who are putting all of the pieces of the show together, don't like recordings with a lot of background noises, clicks or fuzziness. The headphones will help you listen to the original work while you record your piece of the puzzle.

Next, find an amateur voice acting community. I usually visit Voice Acting Alliance when I'm searching for roles. You'll find a wide variety of people and projects on their forums. From teens to adults and anime dubs to singing groups, this is one of the largest amateur voice acting communities today. I'm also a member of Dream Realm Enterprises. They have a very active Yahoo Group where they will list auditions for their new productions.

Finally, audition a lot. Find some projects that interest you and audition for as many characters as you can. Don't get upset if you don't get cast for your favorite character. Great casting can make a great production. Chances are there was someone else with that little extra something that made them perfect for the role. Keep your chin up and keep auditioning. You can only get better by working hard and practicing a lot. Most producers will give you feedback on your audition if you ask for it. If you think you nailed an audition but someone else was cast, ask the producer what he/she thought of your audition and really listen to what they have to say. They will most likely give you some tips that will help you be a better voice actor.

I suppose I should give you some links to productions that I have been in. Some of my early works are quite embarrassing. In my opinion, I was really bad when I was starting out but I'm pretty sure I've gotten better with time. The main acting project that I am currently working on is a radioplay based on the Batman: No Man's Land comics. I play Sarah Essen, Commissioner Gordon's wife. None of my past projects have websites of their own. I have uploaded a lot of the older productions on my Vox.com account.

Hopefully everyone that would like to do some voice acting will give amateur voice acting a try first. You'll quickly find that it is not an easy job and the professionals don't get paid nearly as much as everyone thinks they do. I find it to be a pretty fun hobby though. It's your chance to be a star in the comfort of your own bedroom.

Japanese news - Musical group edition

It's been awhile since I've posted any news from the world of Japanese entertainment. Let's take a peek to see what's been going on. Luna Sea will be getting back together for a one-night concert on December 24 at the Tokyo Dome. This will be their first concert since their Christmas 2000 performance at the Tokyo Dome. The band has said they have no plans to perform together after the one-time event.

This six-girl ska-punk group Oreska Band have wrapped up their time on the US Warped Tour. They will be staying in California to work on an upcoming and yet-unnamed Hollywood film.

The brilliant green have announced their first concert since their reunion will take place at Namba Hatch in Osaka on October 6. They recently released a new single five years after the group's break up.

m.o.v.e. will be performing their first European concert at the Connichi anime convention in Germany. The con will be taking place in Kassel, Germany from September 7 - 9.

Akanishi Jin, a member of Johnny's group KAT-TUN, will be starring in the upcoming drama "Yukan Club." The show, based on the popular manga of the same name, revolves around a group of high school students who form a club and end up solving mysteries in their spare time. This will be the first show for Akanishi without any of his fellow KAT-TUN members.

J-Actor mini bio: Fukada Kyoko

Name: Fukada Kyoko Nicknames: Fukakyon Birthday: 11/2/82 Height: 5'3" (164 cm) Weight: 99 lbs (45 kg)

Where do I know her from? Five (Yodobashi Kanae), Strawberry on the Shortcake (Misawa Yui), To Heart (Miura Toko), Ringu 2 (Sawaguchi Kanae), Onmyoji 2 (Himiko/Amemiko)

Tell me some more! Fukada-san is a singer, as well as an actress. Her songs have been used as the theme song for Imagine and Soshite, tomodachi. She has released 4 albums and 10 singles.

What is your opinion of her? I've enjoyed watching her in various dramas. From what I've seen so far, she has the ability to bring innocence into a character, even if they may not actually be innocent. As for her singing career, I've tried to listen to a few of her songs. For the most part, they are too syrupy sweet for me. She hasn't released an album for a couple of years. Maybe she's left the pop behind for acting, where she really seems to belong.

Music review: m-flo - EXPO EXPO feat. Towa Tei, Bahamadia & Chops

Artist: m-flo with Towa Tei, Bahamadia & Chops Members of m-flo: Taku Takahashi, VERBAL, Lisa Album: EXPO EXPO Release date: 3/28/01

Lyrics: (Sorry, I don't have a translation for the few Japanese lyrics) + people unite, and celebrate no reason to fight all living creatures hear the soothing future music easin' your plight, so unite, and celebrate, no reason to fight all living creatures hear the future EXPO m-flo...

we globally achievin' new heights, innovative creative we made this exposition mission, eli-minated those seekin' to bite

trifocals increasin' ya sight, vocals release and ignite flo bright like a mediarite, chops like chubb rock treatin' em right

future music even tonight so we can excite, the crowd leavin em hype, computer love produces lucid dreamin' in flight,

pantagalactic rhyming, keepin it tight planet shining, seein' the light Verbal Taku Lisa unite with me & Bahamadia freakin the mic, like that!

species of technology collaborate with human breed say we are one yes we are one cosmic message in the breeze will free the world to unity say we are one yes we are one

+ repeat

to cats who spit zirconium, I vomit jewels with supreme cut and clarity, audible, tetra-sonical telescopic visions wandering from planet earth we got media, compatible, with all machinery appropriately called The Miracle, with 1950's aestheticals host of sick technology to shatter most obsolete ones, we pull stunts beyond your wisdom satellites to venture unknown solar systems

CHATAA ZA kasei kara kita ABENJAA KYAPASHITII mugendai EKISUPO sen kan Zendai-mimon kenbikyou TORINITORON NOOBERU shou FUROO OOTO saikidou Komaku KOCHOKOCHO 48 TORAKKU Saisentan tsumami sousa chakushoku HAADOUEA chuu ni mau Juuryoku mushi joutai suu jikan

C-H-A-T-R (EMUSHII BAABARU) High-tech's the way we are (ANAROGU daisakusen) We on the vehicle, at large (uchuusen GUROOBARU) Shooting off to new stars (kasei kara dai-nana wakusei) Yo, it's about that time (EKISUPO EKISUPO) Yo, it's about that time (SHISUTEMU saikidou) Yo, it's about that time (EKISUPO EKISUPO) Yo, it's about that time (SHISUTEMU saikidou)

peep the architecture, dwellings sectioned off with metallic textures even engineers failed to make predictions 2012, viscious liquid silver condominiums transform to suit residents, state of the art, to transport, we teleport instantaneously, we send them off, multi-dimentional, incredible acceleration of velocity exponential electromagnetic motor aviation in collabo with SwissMetro breakbeat overdrive, cold crash data roller-skating tetsuwan Atom cataracts on photo micrographs particles compact, Duration Studio is re-vamped, enormous voltage back draft last century is brought back

spit spectacular, vernacular, miraculous, m-flo backing it up with the chain-ja' stacking up, 24 bars of me acting up Illadel and Japan be like "ah," similar to the sound when you making love, peep radius of vocal influx catering to thugs and to intellects, EXPO EXPO banging like four-fours expose souls like Edgar Allan Poe, sick live show you know how Bahama' go freak speech techniques from a long time ago breakbeat to techno i get it in through, making your slow on some "3 triple 0" next shit eclectic wit, brain like computer chip esoteric logic infused in it data transmit past 64 bit transfixed in orbit metamorphosis got my MP3 file hot as august it download then burn 2 minidisk analyze, dissect, detect, process analyze, dissect, detect, process analyze, dissect, detect, process analyze, dissect, detect, process About the song: This song joins an interesting group of people together. Towa Tei is famous as the DJ of the early 90s New York trio Deee-Lite who had a hit with "Groove Is In The Heart." Bahamadia is a Philadelphia-born hip-hop artist, DJ and MC. Chops is a Philadelphia-based Asian-American hip-hop producer and rapper. As such, the song is mostly in English. Mixing the rapid pacing of the rap with the lyrics, I wouldn't be surprised if most Japanese people have no idea what they are saying. (I had a hard time myself!)

While hip-hop is not my favorite genre of music, I really like this song. I think my favorite part is how the rap doesn't stay at one steady pace. It starts out at a 'normal' pace then speeds up just before hitting the chorus and going back to regular again. m-flo has definitely changed my view on hip-hop music.

Geeky Parenting Tips: Reading

As everyone knows, reading to your children is very important. But how do you choose what books to read to your child? Here are some suggestions to help you. Before I start talking about book titles or series, I really want to recommend that everyone get a library card. Library cards are generally free at public libraries and it gives you the opportunity to read a wide variety of books to your child. At my local library, you can renew your books online if you need to. If you forgot to renew your books and you haven't finished reading them, there aren't any penalty fees for returning children's books late. I'm not sure if every local library offers these features but I find them very helpful.

The books you choose to read your child depends on your personal comfort zone. I am a big fan of the Great Illustrated Classics series of books. Granted, these books do make changes to the original texts. However, they have short chapters and large pictures that easily capture a child's attention. Through these books, my daughter has been introduced to King Arthur, The Wind in the Willows, Little Woman and many more. We will probably reread these books in their original form when she is a bit older but she is enjoying them for now.

Another series I adore is the We Both Read books. These are made for teaching children how to read. One page is for the parent to read and one page is for the child to read. If there is a word that may be difficult for the child to read, it will be in bold on the parent's page. It's wonderful to be able to read with my daughter instead of just reading to her.

As always, you can always fall back on books like Winnie The Pooh, Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein. Don't be afraid to read anything to your child. As long as you are comfortable with the material in the book, your child will most likely enjoy it as much as you do. How else will they learn that Disney's Tinkerbell is a lot nicer than the book version?

Feel free to leave any suggestions for additional books in the comments. It's great to see what other geeks are reading to their kids.