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wStuff You Don't Wanna Know But Are Reading Anyway |
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I dunno how you found this, but alas, here you are. So enjoy the frightening fruits of my troubled little brain.
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wTuesday, December 30, 2008 |
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feeling: um...
listening to: nothing
It's not my fault the thing is spawning... why do I have to go go along on the hospital visit when the creature worms its way out of its host?
Also, I think I figured out why I've felt so sluggish the past few days. December is always insanely busy with holiday preparations and practices and events and dinners and shopping and family and stuff, and it all ends on Christmas day, after which pretty much nothing happens for the following week or so. And most years I spend that little span of down-time playing with my new toys. >> Reading new manga and books, playing new video games, etc. But I didn't have as much of that this year since my parents gave both me and my brother cash instead to facilitate both of our travel plans at various points in January, so instead of playing through the rest of "winter break," I just sit around watching videos and movies and being sluggish and wondering why I have no motivation to get anything done. Yeah, that's it.
Granted, I did get two new PS2 games, but... I dunno, I just keep putting those things off. Look how long Dirge of Cerberus sat here collecting dust before I started playing it, and even then it was only because a certain friend of mine wanted to. >> I'm not complaining; once we got into it I wished I had started it sooner. Not as utterly hopeless at it as I thought I'd be.
Anyway, since this will probably be my last blog of 2008, here's the annual end-of-the-year thing I've been doing for the past few years here and at my LJ...
Year in Review meme: Go to your Calendar and find the first entry (excluding memes) for each month of 2005. Post the first line of it in your journal, and that's your 'Year In Review'.
FREAKING COWS. XDDDDDDDDDD!!! You know, yesterday I had something in mind that I was all ready to post here... something about something-or-other that happened a while ago finally dawning on me and making me feel stuff, or something... but I have completely forgotten what it was. Been sort of a crummy week. Blogger can schedule future-dated posts now? Just a brief interlude... I've decided that, since the post I was putting all my J-drama reviews in has gotten so long, I'm going to just create a new post for each new review I write (or batch thereof), and subsequently label that post my J-drama master post and add links for all newer reviews to it. A is for apathy. Best way to describe how things have been lately is that I feel powerless about a ton of things. HaHA! Stupid Blogger. WHY are they not going away? :\
Wow, my years are pointless. The beginning of 2008 was apparently pure crack, though. :P And that meme thing was the only post I made in August, so that sort of failed. Also, this reminded me that I need to write up a review for my latest drama Ryusei no Kizuna. Which in turn reminds me that Ohno Satoshi, star of Maou, has another drama lead role coming up in the middle of January. Yay!
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 12/30/2008 01:21:00 PM
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wThursday, December 25, 2008 |
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feeling: hungry
listening to: the spawn babbling downstairs
WHY are they not going away? :\
Ok. For as long as history has been recorded, it's been a given that my grandparents would come over on Christmas morning. In the past it was to see what goodies my brother and I had received. Then it was just to visit. Then Grandma passed away, but Grandpa and William and his little demon spawn (who is now heavily laden with a bastard spawn of her own) still come over. The past couple years I was able to avoid them by just pretending to still be asleep up here, since they all come over at some ungodly hour like 9am and usually just stay until dad feeds them cold cut sandwiches or something. But now it's almost 1:30 and they're still sitting down there hogging the living room to watch stupid Western flicks and with bellies full of the freaking feast that my father apparently prepared this morning. Yeah, if I had known he was going to pull a repeat of Thanksgiving today, I might have tried to precede them and gotten up earlier. I've been awake since who knows when anyway thanks to the cat stealing my bed.
Now, I have nothing against my grandpa. It's my uncle and that little demon spawn of his that I can't stand. If I had already been up and about and downstairs before they came it would be somewhat more tolerable, but the problem here is that I would have to "make an entrance" by walking downstairs and through the living room where they're all sitting around staring at John Wayne in order to reach my destination. And every single time I have to go downstairs when they're already here, no matter what time of day it is and how long I've been up and active already, they give me the "It's aliiiiiiiive! Hehehehehehhhh" treatment. Yeah, because sniggering around at my expense just because I don't get up before the crack of dawn every day like they do never gets old.
Even worse, since today is Christmas and the parents apparently put a couple little gifts under the tree for me, as soon as I go downstairs they'll make me sit there on the floor like a little 5 year old and open them and show them off to everybody. Um, no thank you. I do that when I can sit in a chair and open the things when the parents are too busy running around getting ready to visit Chris and Braeden to really care what I'm doing. I know exactly what they are anyway - they've had me pick out my own gifts for years now. I have no idea why they still put me through the Santa treatment with them.
...FINALLY THEY'RE LEAVING NOW *dawdles a few more minutes before lunching*
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 12/25/2008 01:16:00 PM
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wThursday, November 20, 2008 |
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feeling: heavy
listening to: Tainted Reality
Well, I guess now that it's finally announced and official, I can rant about it.
BLOOD, the J-rock band I've been helping since 2004, is disbanding. They're coming to the US Jan. 30 through Feb. 2 (3? 4?), and that will be their last tour, and indeed their last live shows.
I've known about this for several months, really... Kiwamu vented his frustration and sadness and tiredness about it to me for what felt like several hours back in summer sometime. But of course, this is the kind of thing staff was sworn to utmost secrecy about. Actually, I sort of saw it coming several months before that, too... when Kaede stopped traveling with them. At the time I thought that would be the extent of it, and when Ryo officially joined the band earlier this year, some of my fears were alleviated as it seemed like they were still moving forward, still growing. But even Ryo's addition couldn't save it, I guess.
Still, it was all just speculation until... what, May or June? when Kiwamu told us. I know the initial reason for the dissolution too... despite some of our expectations, it was Fu-ki who first decided that he wanted to retire from music. Kiwamu was hoping that after a few months of rest and hiatus they'd be ready to find a new vocalist, pick up the pieces and continue, but yeah... a few of us knew long before this that Kaede was ready to give it a rest, too. So instead of repeating the audition process for BLOOD's 4th vocalist in 4 years, they decided it would be less stressful to just call it off.
I know there's some comfort to be taken in knowing it wasn't a harsh breakup, with anger or hatred or any bad feelings at all. The members just... grew up. Had their fun, conveyed what they wanted to convey, and were ready to move on with their lives. Fu-ki and Kaede will retire from the stage, but Kiwamu will continue running Darkest Labyrinth and helping out GPKism and all the other units he's been working with. And he did ask me if I would continue to help him with those projects, so I'll still have that connection at least.
But it's sad knowing I'll probably never see the other members again. They were some of the nicest guys I've known, and some of the best memories of my life were centered around the few times I spent with them. And of course, the whole thing feels like the end of an era - possibly the greatest, most significant era of my life. I found them in 2004 while I was stuck in the darkest, emptiest period of my life to date, and they gave me a place to belong, to contribute to something that would be felt all around the world, and to grow as a person. Almost all the friends I still have in my life now are people I met through BLOOD. And it was thanks to them that I became involved with Tainted Reality and Suicide Ali, and through all these connections I gained the confidence to actually use my Japanese in mediums that would be seen all over the world, not just practice it within my own walls... I made some money for it on the side thanks to Kiwamu's connections... and through all that I grew and improved and developed exponentially more than I ever would have on my own. A huge portion of my existence as it is right now would not exist at all if not for BLOOD.
The weight of this announcement on me probably doesn't come across or make sense except in my own head... but oh well. Maybe I'll feel better now that I've gotten this rant out that's been jumbling around with my head and emotions for so many months.
*sigh*
It's been an emotional night... I think I need some cake now...
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 11/20/2008 09:27:00 PM
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wMonday, November 17, 2008 |
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feeling: eh
listening to: Cowboy Bebop - The Egg and I
Stupid Blogger.
I finally, finally found a template I might be willing to use for this blog after stubbornly clinging to the current half-dead one for 7 years... but experiments with uploading new templates at my BLOOD blog result in those idiotic bX-nxiwqe errors. I don't trust Blogger to keep my current template intact if I try to upload this new one here and it fails. It already forced me to pick one of those boring Blogger-made templates for the BLOOD blog - or I should say it picked one for me when my attempts at uploading another one failed.
Oh well, whatever. Point is, DIE BLOGGER DIE.
Followers of my LJ already know, but ohgod, Suicide Ali is amazing. ♥ Last weekend was one of the greatest times of my life. They really, really, really, really need to come back sometime. I have a public report whittled out, but now it's a matter of deciding where to put it, since it wouldn't exactly fit on the BLOOD blog... I'll probably end up just throwing it on my LJ...
In other news, there is no other news.
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 11/17/2008 03:07:00 PM
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wSunday, October 19, 2008 |
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feeling: annoyed
listening to: Roxette - The Look
When I actually own a car in my own name, remind me to NEVER, EVER let my brother touch it. Nothing against the guy, but honestly, somehow he manages to destroy every vehicle he operates. That first Escort, the two Thunderbirds, his Jeep... and now, possibly, my Toyota.
What happened: a couple nights ago he showed up here with his Jeep making disturbing noises (again), and dad deemed it unsafe and loaned him the Toyota again. And conveniently, this morning he was supposed to hop in that Toyota and head off to Atlanta to spend a week training for the new job he just landed. And remember how this Toyota burns oil, but otherwise performs perfectly as long as it's kept topped off? Well, apparently my brother didn't feel the need to top it off when the light started to flicker, and the engine broke down. The parents just left to pick it up somewhere in Tennessee and tow it back.
So now I might really be without a car. Like, indefinitely. Have to see what the verdict is when he gets it back here and gets to look at it.
Just another reason I should be looking for work and a way to finally afford a car myself... but things keep coming up and swaying whatever resolve I manage to muster up. I'm kind of at a crossroads now. As if I wasn't before, yeah. But this one... I dunno... is bigger? Has a differently timed traffic light? Is actually a crossroads instead of a big empty desert of emptiness? Too much to think about... too much here, too much there, too much not here and too much not there...
*sigh*
Fortunately, when I need to just laugh for a couple minutes and forget about everything, I have retardery like this. Ah, escapes.
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 10/19/2008 01:17:00 PM
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feeling: good question...
listening to: Dreams Come True - Thank You (sort of >.>)
HaHA! I have disk space again! And of course the first thing I do is fill it up with Maou, Ryusei no Kizuna, and the Hana Kimi special! *pets brand new spindle of 100 DVD+Rs*
Yeah, this is weird... there are three J-dramas on this season that I want to see. Only actively watching one, though. I had missed the first episode of Room of King by the time I heard of it, and I could've started watching Bloody Monday but it was on at some yegads-awful hour like 8:00 in the morning in this time zone. So I decided to just download them later and focus on Ryusei no Kizuna, which is on the exact same channel and schedule that Maou was. Of course, I got up at 9am Friday to see it, and the channel wasn't coming in on my streaming player... so I had to download it anyway. Oh well, hopefully it'll work next week.
Anyway, yeah, no one cares~ So here's a review of my most recently completed drama...
Yoiko no Mikata
A short drama (9 episodes), and a simple one; also cute and happy and fluffy, which is something I've needed recently. The title means "ally of good children," and it's about a young guy named Suzuki Taiyo who has dreamed since childhood of being a preschool teacher. He finally achieves his dream by landing a substitute position in place of a teacher who's gone for maternity leave, and he has three months in which to win the hearts of the kids and the all-female teaching staff of his preschool. Yes, apparently in Japan it's expected that preschool teachers are supposed to be female, and at least in the world of this drama, there's a HUGE prejudice against male teachers like Taiyo. But though he lacks maternal instinct, he has something just as important: a heart that sympathizes with those of the children.
As I said, it's a simple drama, obviously not as high-budget as newfangled stories like Hana Yori Dango and Hana Kimi and etc... and sort of overly cheesy and exaggerated and more than a little predictable... but darn it, it's cute. I don't even like kids and I still found it cute. More because of Taiyo than because of the kids, though... he's just so bumbling and eager and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and *cough* played by a young shaggy-haired Sakurai Sho. Who, by the way, performed MUCH better than I expected in this. And the actress who played his fellow newbie teacher has always annoyed me before (i.e. in Bambino and Yamada Taro Monogatari), but in this role I actually liked her. Oh, and three of the other Arashi members made little pointless cameo appearances throughout the series. >.> The best was Ohno... "Depressing... so depressing..." Ahem, anyway, that's pretty much all there is to that.
I should go to bed considering I have to get up in 5 hours...
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 10/19/2008 02:48:00 AM
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wMonday, September 29, 2008 |
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feeling: like giving up
listening to: Maou OST - gEHENNa
I had it all worked out, but I'm not sure how much further I can take it. I lose. Big surprise.
Anyway, another review for the J-drama post.
Zettai Kareshi
Also known as Absolute Boyfriend and based on a manga. Dear God, this drama ate my brain and chewed it up into senseless mush. The first several episodes were cute and fun enough to get me addicted, and the developments through the middle were enough to keep me there... even through the frustration of the ending. But before I spoil anything, here's the actual review.
Izawa Riiko is a young woman who happens to be a bit on the needy side when it comes to relationships. After another painful rejection, somehow she gets lured into taking a survey asking for everything she looks for in her "ideal boyfriend." Then, shortly after, she finds a very large box delivered to her apartment - inside which is what first appears to be the body of a man. But a closer look reveals... a user manual. She has been selected to test the prototype of a robot designed and programmed to be her ideal boyfriend. At first, she's thoroughly freaked out and wants nothing to do with it... but over time, she grows fond enough to save him from being scrapped at the end of her trial period. She even gives him a name - Night. But meanwhile, things are getting interesting between Riiko and her boss, Soshi, as they work together on a few new projects and discover that they have very similar aspirations - and just might like each other. Of course, there's more to the story, but this is long enough already... and the central focus is naturally the love triangle. And the drama is evil enough to make it unclear who you're supposed to be rooting for, and it keeps teasing all 'shippers of both possible pairings right up to the end, and GAH. Once I got into it, I couldn't stop.
As for me, personally? SOSHI FAN FOR LIFE. From the moment I saw him in the first episode and recognized him as Mizushima Hiro, who also played Nanba Minami in Hana Kimi, I knew I was in for either a lot of squeeing or a lot of heartbreak. At first he seems overly carefree and self-serving, but we learn that he has his ideals and goals and they're actually probably the most respectable of all the characters in the series. Riiko's goals are well and good, but she's easily diverted from the path she sets out on. And Night... well, he's a robot who knows nothing but what's programmed into him - absolute dedication to Riiko. Everyone else is just out for money or sex or pride. But SOSHI. *fluffs him*
...Er, I won't give away any more. But yes. Ridiculously addictive drama.
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 9/29/2008 11:08:00 AM
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wThursday, September 25, 2008 |
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feeling: not sure how I'm supposed to feel
listening to: nothing
Just another review for the master list. Forgive any typos... my eyes are finding it kind of difficult to see through the blur right now.
Binbo Danshi
The title translates to "poor man," which is exactly what it's about. Oguri Shun plays Koyama Kazumi, a college student who's too nice for his own good, as in he has the absolute inability to say "no" and can't help but grant any favor asked of him. This includes monetary favors - which ends up putting him in debt so deep, his card gets cut off. So, at the recommendation of a friend/acquaintance made in the first episode, he borrows from a guy who owns a host club and is made of so much money he has nothing better to do than loan it to people and put them through all kinds of hell in their efforts to pay it back. Of course, the rest of the series follows his adventures in repaying his debt and the relationships he forges along the way, while centering around the endless duel of people's hearts/relationships vs. the power of money.
Technically, the story may be a little over-the-top at times, but it's fun. Seeing Oguri Shun play the overly optimistic Koyama Kazumi was a refreshing change from his usual moody/bully-ish guy roles, and he made the most of his versatility and pulled it off well. Miura Haruma was also adorable, if not a bit exaggerated, as his next-door neighbor Shiraishi Ryo. And I very nearly fell out of my chair when I realized that Omu Omu was played by Yuusuke Santamaria, a guy I haven't seen since my very first J-drama, Wedding Planner. He looked like an old yuppie twerp then, but in Binbo Danshi he actually looks GOOD. Fits the host club owner's role perfectly. Pretty cute series overall; it's exaggerated, but the exaggeration fits.
Also, it's not a review, but last night I got to watch the Hana Yori Dango Final movie. It was... different. Still trying to decide if that's good or bad. But then, even if it veers toward bad, it still had the disgustingly sappy-happy sweet factor to make up for it.
And I guess I should go find something for lunch even though I don't really have much appetite.
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 9/25/2008 01:02:00 PM
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wTuesday, September 16, 2008 |
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feeling: oh my heart
listening to: Maou OST - LiVE/EViL
Second post in one day! And it's Maou AGAIN! Just some interesting info related to the soundtrack this time though, saved more for my own reference than anything. Mostly Wikipedia excerpts, so feel free to skip.
EDIT: Ok, so I caved and turned it into a review with just summarized versions of the Wikipedia excerpts for background. Not a very in-depth review or anything, mostly just the stuff that came to my mind in the time frame that each song was playing; when one song ended, I stopped and started typing about the next. Went back to edit some later, though. Anyway, on to the babbling!
Maou Official Soundtrack - review
You know it's going to be a long, heart-gripping 11 weeks when you watch the first episode of a drama series and already start to think, HOLY CRAP, I want this soundtrack. And of course, in an ingeniously evil move, they didn't release it until just before the final episode aired. And it was SO worth the wait. The Maou soundtrack is a masterful blend of musical styles, from symphonic to industrial to hard rock/metal, with some spatterings of opera, goth, and even dance - all integrated together so smoothly that it's like the album creates a genre all its own. The overall mood of the soundtrack is dark, haunting, tense, and dangerous; from start to end, it's a dramatic ride that grabs your heart and beats it to a pulp in the most amazing of ways. Just like Maou itself.
And in an interesting touch (knowing that "maou" means the devil), most of the tracks are named after demons or other demonology-related concepts. A few of them were names I'd never heard of, so I had the idea to do a little research and find out just who or what they all are, and include summaries in my track-by-track reviews. (I'm still not sure, however, why they all seem to make such random use of upper and lower case letters...)
Schlaflied
The title is German for lullaby (right?), but this haunting operatic piece really sounds more like a dirge. It's an appropriate sound though, strangely, all piano and a single smooth female voice singing verses I can't understand (note: confirmed that she's singing in German, but seems even German speakers are unsure what she's saying) - like an angel singing for one who has fallen. Beautiful, intriguing composition to open the soundtrack.
LiVE/EViL
Ah, yes. This is the song we all think of when we think of Maou. The one that starts out fairly quiet and then explodes into a dramatic symphony of strings and percussion, and repeats these two in a cycle for almost four minutes. Mild one moment, booming the next, but heavy and tense and expressive throughout - this song is definitely Maou.
BeeLzeBuB
Regarded in popular culture as one of the Principal Infernal Spirits ruling Hell, Beelzebub's name likely originated with the pagan deity Ba'al Zebûb of the Philistine city of Ekron. Later Beelzebub came to be recognized as a demon entity, and the name is now often used synonymously with Lucifer, the adversary of the Christian God, or sometimes referring to lesser devil.
The best description I could give this song is just one word: danger. Actually, that describes a lot of this soundtrack, but while many of the other songs embody quiet, unseen danger, BeeLzeBuB is clear and present, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE danger. With its quick tempo, blazing electric guitars and percussion, there's an obvious heavy metal influence mixed in with the industrial-ish style that's so prominent throughout the album. There's even an interesting vocal part that seems to roar in chorus while managing to remain musical and harmonious. Very effective mix of rock, industrial, and almost gothic symphonic elements.
RequieM
An appropriate title for another slow, intense symphonic number. This one begins with a few somber strings, then adds some more strings and layers, then keeps adding more and more until they all... suddenly stop and are replaced by a piano and a low brass tone. Then just as suddenly the strings come roaring back along with a rising percussion riff and vocal chorus.
LuCiFer
Latin for "morning star," the name Lucifer is frequently given to the Christian devil, Satan. This usage originated with a particular interpretation of a passage in the Bible (Isaiah 14:3-20) describing someone with the name "morning star" as being a fallen angel, once seated in Heaven but hurled down to Hell when he contrived to overtake the throne of God.
Another of the definitive Maou pieces, this song is 100% tension. It's building up to something, from the strings in the beginning to the electric guitars in the middle to the cellos and brass toward the end, all layering on each other along with sizzling percussion in a driving rhythm that simply smolders from start to end. The kind of song that makes you want to walk purposefully down a dark street with a glare in your eyes that could melt souls. Another amazing blend of industrial and symphonic.
AstArOth
In demonology, Astaroth is a prince of Hell in the first hierarchy of demons. The Grimoire of Pope Honorius names him as one of the three Principle Infernal Spirits, alongside Lucifer and Beelzebub.
Now we have an interesting twist. This song makes me think of opening night in the newest goth nightclub to open up in Hell. It still has that dark intensity and combination of strings and persussion and chorus and twisted synth melodies, but with a moderate dance beat and some distorted vocals added to the mix.
fLEurEttY
The Grimoire of Pope Honorius names Fleuretty as lieutenant commander of Hell, one of the Superior Spirits under the three Principal Infernal Spirits, Lucifer, Beelzebub, and Astaroth.
This track returns to the almost twitchingly tense melodic style of the first few tracks, this time driven by percussion and synthesizers until the strings pound their way in near the end. Another song that you know is building up to something, that you know must have been used in scenes where something was about to go down...
pSYCHOMETRy
This song... buzzes. Appropriate considering it's the theme for the moments in Maou when Shiori used her psychometric power, which was always accompanied by jolts of electricity and similar effects. It's an interesting layering effect, though, with the searing lightning-like sounds joined by an operatic female voice chanting a dark, haunting melody.
aGaLiaRePT
Agaliarept is said to be a grand general of Hell and commander of the second legion. He possesses the power to discover all secrets and is especially good at stirring up enmity and distrust among men. He is one of two demons directly under Lucifer; Satanachia is the other.
Slow, dramatic, and centered around piano again. The beginning seems smooth and deceptively peaceful, but then a bit of discord starts to show through in the middle - a subtle and very interesting expression of change in atmosphere without drastic changes in volume or instrumentation.
GracE
Maou's equivalent to a love theme. The beginning is all harmonious piano and sweet strings, which slowly, slowly builds up to a dramatic burst of orchestral climax in which you can actually feel something tremendously emotional slamming into your heart, but it's wonderfully ambiguous as to whether that something was good or bad.
sAtAnAchiA
Satanachia was mentioned in the list of the principal demons established by the Catholic Church at the time of Council of Braga. He is a general of Hell, a commander-in-chief of Satan's infernal army, who has control of a Legion of the Spirits as well as the Grand Dukes of Hell.
This song is an interesting mix of a mid-tempo, almost danceable synth-driven melody with rock-inspired percussion and guitars. Until the latter half or so when those symphonic strings come back to create a smooth, passionate harmony, just edged by an element of danger in the synth riffs and powerful bass line. Yet another successful variation on Maou's own blend of industrial, symphonic, and rock.
luciFUGE
According to the Grimoire of Pope Honorius, a demon named Lucifuge Rofocale is in charge of Hell's government as its Prime Minister by order of Lucifer. He could only assume a body at night and he hated the light, as his name indicates - "[he who] flees the light" in Latin.
Another take on LiVE/EViL, but even more dramatic, if that's possible. It opens with heavy, pounding drums, soon layered with the usual strings, before dipping briefly into another riff of tense synthesizer and then building into that familiar climax of strings, made even more intense by the doubly explosive drums and slower tempo. Electric guitars and increasing layers of strings add to the dramatic effect in another amazing blend of musical styles.
saRgaTaNAs
Barlowe's Inferno details artist/author Wayne Barlowe's imaginary journey to Hell. The narrative explains that Barlowe has made a deal to be taken on a tour of the Pit by Sargatanas, the Revealer of Hell and one of the Demons Major, Hell's ruling class. A third canto to Barlowe's original Inferno, God's Demon, sees the Lord Sargatanas leading a campaign against Beelzebub in order to lead demons and souls alike back Home, to the gates of Heaven itself.
Ah, this is the song that makes me want to sit in a dark room with a single red light on and formulate some kind of evil scheme. Slow and quiet and eerily sensual, but tense and dangerous, this song is driven by a hypnotic mingling of percussion and synthesizers. It's dark and creepy and electric and sharp and absolutely breathtaking.
Cliche
Somehow appropriately titled, this is the slow, balladic, almost "normal" song in the Maou collection. Another love theme? (In which case, THANK YOU, whoever named this song, for dubbing love plotlines as "cliche" ♥) Simple, mostly comprised of soft, flowing strings, it's also the only song on the soundtrack with vocals that aren't used just for operatic or chanting effects. English vocals, in fact. Slow and smooth and pensive, maybe even nostalgic.
LiVE/EViL (Guitar)
An interesting take on the definitive Maou BGM, this time expressed through a mellow acoustic guitar with only light spatterings of the tense, hypnotic percussion that defines much of the rest of the soundtrack. None of the dramatic build-ups or climactic explosions of sound that characterize the other versions of LiVE/EViL, but that's what makes it such an interesting twist.
gEHENNa
The name Gehenna is derived from Gehennam, the name of a burning garbage dump near Jerusalem which has been metaphorically identified with the entrance to the Underworld. The name appears in the New Testament to represent the place where evil will be destroyed. In both Jewish and Christian writing, Gehenna as a destination of the wicked is different from Sheol, the abode of the dead.
The longest and, as such, most varied song on the soundtrack, gEHENNa opens with a weighty, intense rhythm of low piano notes and eerie sound effects like haunted voices carried on the wind. Then comes the hypnotic percussion and synth, along with some trippy rhythmic sounds that I honestly can't even describe, as amazing as I think they are. Eventually there's barely any melody left and it's all just a symphony of sound, while somehow still coming across as music and not a chaotic mess. I think the best way to describe this song is a nighttime walk through some very dark, lonely, unwelcoming place - perhaps a ruined alley, perhaps a post-apocolyptic wasteland, perhaps the depths of Hell itself.
GracE (Guitar)
This is probably the most surprising song on the soundtrack. A guitar remix of the drama's powerful love theme, surrounded by all these murderously intense tracks and following immediately on the heels of a walk through Hell - and now suddenly we're taking a peaceful stroll down the boardwalk? Strange in comparison, and I honestly have no idea where it was supposed to fit in the drama, but on its own it's an interesting acoustic rendition, and of course, beautifully performed.
neBirOs
In demonology, Nebiros is the most valiant Marquis of Hell, and has 19 legions of demons under his command. Nebiros is depicted as a raven or a three-headed dog, which has caused him to be associated with the Greek demon Cerberus and is thus commonly considered the same entity.
Now we're back to the deceptively quiet, eerie compositions that define much of this soundtrack. Hypnotic and driven by mild percussion notes and artificial sounds, this is another one of those melodies that makes you want to hide in the dark and concoct some evil scheme. Catchy, too, for a song of its nature.
Oblivion・Male・Expiation・Nightmare
Another interesting and unique addition to this collection, utilizing acoustic guitar again but in a much darker, more intense melody. It actually threatens to blend in a bit of country western flavor in the beginning, but that quickly changes. Overall it's driven largely by sound and quiet but powerful percussion beats that are so deep, they seem to resonate more as sensation than sound.
666
Dominated again by deep percussion and tense, electric synth sounds, this song simply radiates danger - quiet, unseen, but deadly danger. It's the kind of thing I'd expect to be playing somewhere, somehow, when Something Very Very Bad is happening in the world that nobody is supposed to know about.
LiVE/EViL (Orchestra)
The final rendition of Maou's characteristic main theme, this time performed solely by strings and winds and minimal percussion. And like the other versions, it's an emotional ride, this time starting out quiet and fairly mild but then building to the dramatic climax, driven by tympanis and trumpets. Then suddenly it's just a single, subdued piano tapping out an utterly simple, utterly quiet, utterly heart-wrenching-without-knowing-why conclusion. Well played, Maou.
Schlaflied (Chorus)
A reprise of the dirge-like "lullaby" that opened the soundtrack, but this time with a chorus backing the solo female vocalist instead of a piano. Heavy and dramatic in its simplicity; a good choice to wrap up the incredible musical journey that is the Maou soundtrack.
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 9/16/2008 04:33:00 PM
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feeling: impressed
listening to: Maou OST - luciFUGE
HOLY EFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.
Ok, two posts coming today. Both centered upon my latest J-drama, Maou, which was INCREDIBLE. Because it will not get out of my head since I watched the final episode yesterday and have been listening to the soundtrack pretty much all day (such as it is thus far).
First, a review of the drama to add to this post, followed by a bit of info gathered for my own purposes inspired by the soundtrack, which may or may not turn into a review. So here goes...
Maou
Oh my. This. I can't even. INCREDIBLE. It absolutely boggles my mind that this drama didn't get higher ratings than it did, because it was one of the most mind-blowing things I've ever experienced. This was the first drama I ever watched without subtitles by choice, and it was 100% worth getting up at 9:00 every Friday morning to watch. (And hey, I followed it pretty darn well.)
Ok... I'll try to start with a nice neutral summary. "Maou" means devil king, or as this drama is often alternately titled, "The Devil." It was based on a Korean drama, which some people have said was better, and if that's true it must have been among the MOST AMAZING THINGS EVER CREATED because the remake alone is a masterpiece. Anyway... the title character is a lawyer, Naruse Ryo, known as an angel in his profession due to his superior capability and high success rate. However, in reality he's a demon, a mere husk of a human, consumed by his lust for revenge against the man who killed his brother Hideo 11 years ago. That man just happens to be police detective Serizawa Naoto, with whom he very frequently crosses paths due to the overlapping nature of their careers (and their working in the same office). In a nutshell, Hideo was stabbed in a schoolyard scrap, and the one holding the knife was Naoto. The grief was so overwhelming that Naruse's mother died too, leaving Naruse Ryo with nothing and nobody - and to top it off, Naoto was found not guilty on the grounds of self-defense. From that day on Naruse devoted his life to taking revenge through amazingly intricate murder plots that would take away everyone Naoto values in his life.
It could be considered a bit predictable for a "suspense" drama in that you know who's behind all these murders. But what's amazing is how these schemes are woven together, so intricate and flawless - and all designed to look like somebody else's fault. And after a few episodes it becomes clear that it's not about who's doing the killing or how - it's about humanity. This man was so convinced that he had none of it left, but gradually, various turns of events make him see that he does. The drama further unfolds as he takes in the reactions of the people affected by the murders he's carried out, and as more vital details of Hideo's death are revealed. You're not sure whether to sympathize with Naruse for all he's been through, to support him in his quest for justice, to hope he can be saved, or to condemn his murderous intentions.
In terms of the technical stuff, pretty much everything about the production of Maou is no less than breathtaking. The gorgeous imagery (Naruse's darkroom *__*), the us of tarot cards as clues and references to Catholicism and even demonology, the darkness and tension hanging in the air over every scene, the ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE of a soundtrack which I swear I will listen to until I've memorized every note (if it doesn't kill me first, because dlskdagdjaks it's just that amazing)... and oh, the acting. Naruse Ryo alone has the capacity to shatter hearts and souls. This was Ohno Satoshi's first lead role, and honestly, every drama production team in Japan should be after him now because saying he nailed it is a grievous understatement. Every look, every movement, every expression, from the patented Maou Glare that actually pierces your soul to the heartbreaking tears shed for his dead brother to the demonic smirk when his latest plot is carried out to the utterly blank face devoid of all expression... and the ending... just. Wow. And his co-star Ikuta Toma, who played Naoto, deserves mentioning for his utter passion and intensity as the hot-blooded young cop who does a lot of running and shouting, and later, the raw emotion that I can't even really describe as events unfold around him. But really, everyone in this series was perfect - the little girl with the teddy bear, the stubborn and self-serving Serizawa father, the sweet and blind older sister, the guys who played Naoto's buddies (especially Souda)... everyone.
I will stop babbling soon, I promise. In closing, Maou is definitely worthy of recommendation, especially for those who prefer something a little more dark and intense than your typical high school dorkiness and romantic shenanigans. I will definitely plan on a re-watch, probably several of them... but only after I watch something more fluffy and crack-filled to loosen my brain from the burning vice-grip Maou has held it in for the past 11 weeks.
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 9/16/2008 04:26:00 PM
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wMonday, September 08, 2008 |
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feeling: small
listening to: KinKi Kids - Aisareru Yori Aishitai
Best way to describe how things have been lately is that I feel powerless about a ton of things. Some things that shouldn't even matter to me, others that should and do but I can never do anything about... some things I've been trying to change or at least work on for ages but it never seems to go anywhere, others I can't do anything but sit and watch... and everything in between. Even my cat being sick for the past few days kicks up the helplessness meter by a few points.
Sometimes it just seems like no matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, it's never enough and might as well be all for nothing. For a brief shining period of time over the summer I was just starting to feel a tiny bit better about myself and various things in my life, but gradually it's all been coming apart again, I guess. Dreams don't help either... dreams of betrayal, dreams of being hated, dreams of being used, dreams of death...
It's probably a good thing I was destined to live and die alone. This way I'll never have to let anyone down again. I just wasn't made to associate with people. When things happen, when moods change, when I'm supposed to do something... I freeze. I never know what to do. It gets tiring being a letdown all the time.
And on rare occasions when I do get something right... well... all my life, with practically every person who ever called me a friend, every person in whose life I thought I made a difference... it's like I only exist when nobody else does. They'd come crying to me when they were in pain or needed help or just wanted to vent whatever emotion they felt at the time, and as long as nobody else was around, they'd treat me like I was the sweetest friend on earth and was so important and meaningful in their life... but then, when I'm gone and they're talking to other people or speaking in more public venues, I don't even exist anymore. Not a mention, not a side glance, not a word of appreciation or even recognition... unless I'm there looking them in the eye and nobody else is around to notice. So what difference do I really make?
But it's rare that I ever even reach that point in someone's esteem. More often than not I'm just worthless. And still that only covers a couple of the things I feel powerless to affect right now.
Whatever; enough about me. On a much more interesting subject, I just discovered a few days ago that all the Sims 2 data on my PS2 memory card somehow got corrupted and vanished. None of my other games, just that one. Curse technology. My girls were doing really well.
And now I'm going to go climb into bed and fail at sleeping for half a day or so.
comment! (2)
dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 9/08/2008 12:39:00 AM
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wSaturday, August 23, 2008 |
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feeling: ...
listening to: Ohtsuka Ai - Planetarium
The ABCs of me
A is for apathy.
B is for blank spaces that don't fill in.
C is for cold and lots of it.
D is for dark. Mmm, dark.
E is for elephant. Yay!
F is for figuratively speaking, which I do a lot.
G is for ganbare! because it's the first thing that came to mind.
H is for hands, which tend to have so much potential.
I is for ice that surrounds and ensnares so easily.
J is for jackalope. It just is.
K is for knots, like the ones that clog up my brain.
L is for lazy.
M is for murr...
N is for nothing - my dominant element.
O is for opinions, which I store up a lot of because letting them escape leads to pain.
P is for purged of emotion.
Q is for quiet, my other dominant element.
R is for round and round and round and round...
S is for subtle, silence, solid, snow, and solitude, all in equal distribution.
T is for tangible, which pretty much nothing in life is, so you never know if it's really there.
U is for under. Under anything. You name it, I'm beneath it.
V is for vague.
W is for the wings I wish I had.
X is that little button in the top right corner that destroys things.
Y is for \o/ ^o^ oC /o\ - get it?
Z is for zippidydoodah.
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 8/23/2008 04:30:00 PM
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wThursday, July 24, 2008 |
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feeling: lots of things
listening to: Caramell - Caramelldansen (Speedycake mix)
Dfhasdfkgdsk. This song is BOTH HATE AND LOVE. Seriously. It's like, it SHOULD be evil, but it's not. It's cute. And fun. And GAH. *dies of sugar rush*
...Or maybe it's because right now EVERYTHING sounds awesome on this computer. New speaker system. HOT. And the sad thing is, it's one of the lower-end setups, only $30, pretty basic two speakers and a subwoofer. Guess that proves how pathetic my old speakers were.
Yes, today is a day of many moods. Way too many. Giddy over the awesomeness of every single sound that comes from these speakers, annoyed and pressed by the transition of 130-some fansubs and 2000 watchers from my old Taiji Project to the new community, disturbed by dreams last night that for once I remember in too much detail to be able to write down...
Ok, now I have Canned Heat by Jamiroquai on, and ajghdjkf. I'm dancing sitting down. >.> This is ridiculous. Annoying music should never sound so awesome. But on the other hand, that means GOOD music is gonna be, like, orgasmic. I played Embryo by Dir en grey earlier with the bass turned up and I FREAKING MELTED.
Oh, and you know what's awesome? If I recall correctly, we still have homemade vanilla ice cream. And now we have fresh milk chocolate brownies. And the usual chocolate syrup. I'm thinking brownie sundaeeeeee.
Wow, I am weird today.
[edit: well, cancel the sundae. but the brownies are still good...]
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 7/24/2008 07:01:00 PM
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wSaturday, July 12, 2008 |
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feeling: screwed up
listening to: badly out-of-sync audio
Found this old Japanese TV show tonight that had this segment where the intent, I suppose, was to help people improve themselves by hearing what the people around them really think of them but have trouble saying face to face. They bring the person into the center of a dark room and, behind him, bring in 12 of his friends/acquaintances/whatever dressed in cloaks and masks and hooked up to voice distortion mics so he won't recognize them. In this particular episode, the guy sat in his chair practically curled up in a ball whimpering and crying while his 12 "friends" verbally ripped him apart, making him sound like the most horrible, disgusting human being in the world, and sounding more like his mortal enemies than his companions and colleagues. When it was over, he fell to his hands and knees and groveled in front of them for a moment before hightailing it out of the room.
I think I could really use something like that. Just feeling a tremendous need to be kicked around and taken down to size right now. Even if the fault isn't 100% mine (which I'm convinced that it always is no matter what because everything that's gone wrong in my life always has been), still some part of it is... because if not for some action or lack thereof on my part, the people I love most would not hurt. Ever.
Every time it's the same: I don't know what to do, and I'm afraid anything I tried or said would only make it worse, but doing nothing makes it worse anyway, which leaves me with no other visible options and I end up alone again. My life is an endless repeat of this cycle, has been for years and years, through a dozen different people. Maybe if I could get all those people, past and present, to put on cloaks and masks and distort their voices and thoroughly chew me out until I was on my hands and knees begging for mercy, I could at least keep the past from repeating itself. It would hurt, but whatever. I never cared about myself. If turning myself into a punching bag, verbal or otherwise, would make anything better at all, I'd happily do it. Because I don't know what else I can do.
Maybe there really is something to be said for relationships. At least the part about having someone to hold you when everything is dark and cold. Or maybe I'm thinking of S&M relationships where the masochist feels redeemed after doing something wrong by having the filth beaten out of them.
...Wow, this post sucked. Here, have a more meaningful rant: I FREAKING HATE CLUBBOX.
Ok, I'm going now.
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 7/12/2008 11:20:00 PM
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wSunday, July 06, 2008 |
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feeling: ...
listening to: old Recomen
I've decided that, since the post I was putting all my J-drama reviews in has gotten so long, I'm going to just create a new post for each new review I write (or batch thereof), and subsequently label that post my J-drama master post and add links for all newer reviews to it. Soooo, the first victim of this new system shall be...
Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai o Sakebu
Roughly translated to Crying Out Love from the Center of the World. From all I heard, this is supposed to be one of the saddest J-dramas of all time, and as such it's extremely well-known. Personally, though... I didn't really see it.
The whole idea of the story is that this guy, Matsumoto Sakutaro, is looking back on himself in high school 17 years ago and recalling his first true love, Hirose Aki, who died of leukemia. No, I didn't spoil anything with that. That much of the story is told flat-out in just the first couple minutes of the first episode. And every episode is set up the same way - Present Day Sakutaro is trudging through his daily adult life, STILL a miserable shell of a human 17 years after Aki died, on some kind of "mission" to find the perfect place to scatter a little vial of her ashes. After a few minutes of this, he stumbles across something that reminds him of something that happened 17 years ago in his life with Aki, which leads to the flashback portion of the episode (which is the majority of its length, of course). Then somewhere in the middle it cuts back to the present for a few minutes, then back to the past, then back to the present again at the end of the episode. Every episode is the same format and you already know the girl is going to die; it's just a matter of how long they can drag it out.
I'm not saying the drama is bad, though. It's well-made, with some gorgeous camerawork and scenery, the actors are respectable, and I'll admit it - the way they built up Sakutaro and Aki's relationship really made you feel that they genuinely, truly loved each other. It's sweet and pure, and almost actually makes you hope they'll have a happy ending, despite knowing what's going to happen. When Sakutaro cries for her, it feels real. So that part is well-portrayed... but it doesn't really cover for the overall predictability. Maybe it's just me... I like to be kept guessing in a drama. Having something new to discover in every episode, or whatever.
Guess that's all I have to say about that one. My next one will be Maou, which I am watching in real time for the first time in my J-drama viewing history. Which means 1) no subtitles, 2) getting up by 9 every Friday morning to catch it in my time zone, and 3) it'll be another 10 weeks or so before I see the end and get to babble about it. Oh well. I could watch Zettai Kareshi in the meantime, but something about the idea of watching two drama series at once makes me twitch. Might change my mind though. Waiting for Maou #2 is already making me edgy.
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dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 7/06/2008 11:44:00 PM
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wWednesday, June 25, 2008 |
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feeling: ...
listening to: Taro - Danjo
Ok, stuff. My downloads are taking forever and I'm bored.
Was freaked out for a while tonight thinking I'd lost my OSU alumni ring. Found it, though.
Then kept hearing voices screaming outside. Which, considering there are no neighboring houses within sight of ours, is a little disconcerting. Dad is outside investigating as I speak.
Stepping back further, yesterday I finally got FF7: Dirge of Cerberus, which I haven't started yet, and the first volume of the Kimi wa Petto manga. Which still has the STUPIDEST ENGLISH TITLE EVER. Seriously, Tramps Like Us? What were you smoking, TokyoPop? *sigh* I like the manga, though. Feels like it told almost half the story of the live action drama version in just the first volume, so I'm even more interested in reading the rest of it and seeing the differences. So far it's just as cute, and amusing too. And pretty nice art - simple but sophisticated, with an interesting bias toward big pouty lips. Becky wants more.
Also, I've added one more thing to the list of weird foods I've tried thanks to the influence of my weird Japanese TV shows: sea urchin. And... I don't think I'll be ordering it again. Love squid, love octopus, love eel, love frog legs, love several kinds of sashimi... but sea urchin is a little too weird for me. It was cold, so probably raw, and it looks like a formless pile of orange slime but when you pick it up with chopsticks it's actually in strips... and at first it's slightly sweet, then it's salty and seafood-y, then it's bitter, while being weirdly mushy all throughout - soft enough to feel melty, but still solid enough to have to work at swallowing. Strange.
Even dad didn't like it, but he was all amusingly proud of me for being so eager to try something new every time I go anywhere. I love that man. We're father-daughter gourmands.
And uh. Whenever I post here again next time I'll write a review of my most recent J-drama, Sekai no Chuushin de Ai o Sakebu. Meanwhile, trying to decide which series to watch next.
Finally, I need to have enough money to go on BLOOD's next US tour, whenever that will be. February or March again, presumably. It is no longer a question of possibility; it is a necessity. So there's my motivation, I guess.
I'm tired, so that's all.
comment! (0)
dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 6/25/2008 12:17:00 AM
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wFriday, May 02, 2008 |
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feeling: oh, the irony (not really)
listening to: TOKIO - Sorafune (also not really >>)
Blogger can schedule future-dated posts now? Ok, I grudgingly admit that's kinda cool.
Anyway, here's the REAL good news. And I mean that entirely in the sarcastic sense.
Remember how I was without a car a while ago because my brother's Jeep broke down and dad loaned him the Toyota normally reserved for my use? Well, over the next couple weeks dad worked on the little random Chevy pickup my grandpa gave him last year and got it all road-worthy again (forget what was wrong with it - it leaked transmission fluid or something), so Chris returned the Toyota in exchange for that pickup. So for a couple of weeks I had a car again.
Then, this morning, dad decided to drive the Toyota to work... and he hit a deer. >>
The damage is mostly cosmetic, from what I gathered, except the one headlight... so it's still drivable. But heh... I think everyone in the Midwest is aware of how much a deer can mangle a small car. So yeah, I'm not gonna be driving that. Which means I'm carless again. Yay.
On the plus side, though, dad found out yesterday that he got a promotion - sort of - to supervisor in his shop. They probably don't call it a promotion, but it means he'll be the boss, so same general idea. Also means higher salary, shorter hours, much less hard physical labor or no more at all, and a MUCH nicer retirement package. Kinda proud of him. Sticking it out in that dark, dingy pipefitting shop for three decades finally paid off.
Also, this might mean that, when the higher paychecks start to add up, maybe he'll finally be willing to have the Toyota fixed up for good, both the deer damage from today and the bad rings or whatever else was causing it to guzzle oil. That or maybe he'll get rid of it and buy a better one. He never really did get over the sting of being slightly ripped off when he bought it... so he'd probably be as happy as anything just to get it out of his sight.
I seriously was thinking of finally going up to Washington CH today and inquiring at YUSA, until I saw that dad had taken the Toyota to work. Should've done it last week despite my slight sickness and pulled muscle pain, I guess, since now it looks like I won't be doing any driving at all for an indefinite time frame. >> Mom would let me use hers in the event of necessity, of course, but eh.
...I still lovelovelove my kanji book. So why do I end up not touching it for days at a time anymore? I'm only up to kanji #280 when I could've easily been in the 400 range by now. It's a baffling phenomenon - I love doing it, I want to do it, I have a grand ol' time learning and reading and writing all these new kanji and pointing at some new ones and squeeing "So THAT's how you write that! :DDD"... but for some reason I just don't pick up the book. Darn it.
comment! (1)
dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 5/02/2008 12:29:00 PM
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wSaturday, April 19, 2008 |
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feeling: in between many things
listening to: Moriyama Ryoko - Papier
First of all, I added two more drama reviews to this post. That's been overdue for months, but I kept forgetting about it. And I'm in the process of watching another one now, which I'll be adding to the list soon too, if I remember.
So anyway. This week. Remember that stuff about taking a step? Well. I took one. Ended up essentially right back where I started, though. But it was an interesting process getting there.
Thursday afternoon I talked myself into driving out to YSK. I found the lady my dentist had recommended to me; turns out, as I should've expected, she was native Japanese, so other than introducing myself and announcing my purpose there, everything else exchanged between us was in Japanese. In a way I was surprised, but in a way I wasn't; I didn't really expect them to give me a job or even an interview. But they did far more than just take my resume and recite the standard lie that they'd call me later if anything came up.
Basically, as soon as I told this lady I knew Japanese, she was suddenly all perky and squeeing "Oh! Please, come in!" while ushering me into a smaller room to sit down. She then went to get another worker there, a Japanese guy, and both of them sat down with me and talked to me for a good 10 minutes about the stuff on my resume and what I wanted to do and why and etc. All in Japanese. And I was floored by how many times they both made little impressed sounds and uttered "sugoi"s to each other over and over in the course of this thing. I'm not THAT good. *blink* But then, more than anything I think they were impressed that there was someone in this useless little town who actually knew ANY Japanese beyond "anime" and "sushi." >.>
Anyway, in the end they determined that they didn't have any openings available at the time and kept my resume. So it was probably just a longer, drawn-out version of the typical failed job hunt routine. But still, the utter politeness and kindness and thoughtfulness of these people blew me away. The lady even brought up such conversational topics as the sakura trees lined up outside the building we were in, the dentist who referred me to them, and of course, the price of gas. :P
But most surprising of all, no more than an hour after I left there, I checked my email and actually found an email from the lady just thanking me for stopping by and giving me contact info for two other Japanese companies similar to theirs (but further away, of course) who are looking for translators, while still saying that YSK "might need my help in the future."
So... that was YSK. I don't honestly expect them to contact me again, of course, but the way that all played out was much nicer than the quick and concise "No thanks *takes resume and files it away never to be seen again*" response I was expecting.
Next step? This place called YUSA in Washington Courthouse, I guess. Twice the distance away, but still within a fairly reasonable range for the job I'd be asking for there. They handle the same sorts of things YSK does, apparently... which is fine, but honestly a big part of the reason I was interested in YSK was that thing about Japanese people bringing their families to Chillicothe with no knowledge of the area or language, and them having employees dedicated to just helping them find their way around town and do the things they needed to do every day. But since I don't live in Washington Courthouse, I wouldn't be able to do that at YUSA. Oh well... plus side is I'd be just as likely to have a good computer and internet access at my disposal to accomplish written translations.
The other company she named was TFO in Jeffersonville, yet again twice the distance away from YUSA and starting to push the edges of my idea of "reasonable distance." I was hoping to not spend 2+ hours a day commuting. I know I could stay at Kitty's, but if I looked it up right, this place in Jeffersonville is almost as far from her house as it is from mine... I think... maybe I'm confusing it with Canal Winchester...
Anyway. So that's where all that stands.
Then after I got home Thursday, my brother showed up hoping to work on his Jeep, and of course he brought his son with him. And the little spawn is becoming a baseball freak, so he wanted to play baseball outside, but since his dad and grandpa were busy with the Jeep, he wanted me to play with him. And wow. Haven't played catch since I was his age. I'm about as good at it now as I was then, too. :p
I think being out in all that nice sunny weather yesterday got to my sinuses, though. I've been kinda stuffy and sneezy today. Not enough to be a cold; just a change-in-the-weather thing. Annoying when I'm trying to sleep, though. Which I'm going to do go now, I think.
comment! (1)
dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 4/19/2008 02:25:00 AM
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wSunday, April 13, 2008 |
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feeling: tired
listening to: L'arc en Ciel - Time Goes On
Been sort of a crummy week. Was fun last weekend while Kitty was here, but somewhere in the 24 hour period after she left, things started conspiring against my sanity as they so often do.
For one thing, I've been feeling ridiculously unproductive all week. I haven't touched my kanji book since Tuesday, and even then it was just for reading and review, not actual writing and learning new characters. I've tried to do some translating of G no Arashi (the next series I'm going to fansub after D no Arashi) and a couple other videos people have requested, and a few song lyrics and some other stuff... but I've done so craptastically BAD on some of them, it's gotten just plain depressing. One of these videos has been sitting unfinished for weeks now all because of ONE LITTLE WORD that I can't make out for the life of me. Another one... I have to stop and leave blanks filled with questions marks, like, no more than every 2 minutes. I know these are higher difficulty level videos than I'm used to, but still... after so long, it drives me up the wall.
And yeah, that was a long ramble that no one cares about. Sorry.
Also, this past week I officially ran out of money. And do I have a job yet to start doing anything about this? Do I even need to answer that? Oh, I've put out a few inquiries starting with the things I was most interested in: English-language Japanese culture/music magazines. But it seems such things are still too small and unknown in this nation, as all the places I looked into were either volunteer only, already shutting down, or didn't even reply to me. That last one really ticked me off because SHE invited me to work for her FIRST, then when I contacted her to accept, she didn't reply. >>
I also stumbled across a job listing I'm thinking of applying for, but I'm not sure if it's right for me. I guess I shouldn't be picky, but... well, the listing is for a Japanese translator/interpreter at a company called IForce in Canal Winchester. I'm not even sure what kind of company it is, but I think it's one of those organizations that finds jobs for people (heh, que ironique). Also, it's a temporary position, it's roughly an hour away from here, and it doesn't pay quite as much as my dad says I should expect given my college background (that part doesn't bug me much, though; ANYthing would be an improvement over what I'm making now).
Only thing really holding me back is the distance, I think. All those other possibly negative parts of it would be no big deal to me if the place wasn't so far away. I always said I didn't want to spend 2+ hours commuting every day for a job I'd just consider "filler" until I find one I really want to do. But now I'm not sure anymore what I consider "filler." Used to be any job where I wouldn't be using my Japanese, but after looking at this IForce position... it looks like it'd be just like any other office job, only I'd get to use my Japanese to do it. Which should be enough for me. It's not like I have to stay there forever, nor would I anyway, since it specifies that it's a temporary position. But on the same token, would the trip to and from Canal Winchester every day be worth a temp job consisting of desk work? And if it's not, what are the odds I could find anything more appealing closer to home? Zero, pretty much. And I'm not ready to move out of town yet.
Of course, there's still YSK looming over my head too. Everyone living around here who knows about my chosen course of study has told me I should ask at YSK, the only Japanese-owned company in Chillicothe. I know they're right, and I've been psyching myself up to drive out there and ask them for a job for months now. I don't know what keeps holding me back. I really don't. They specialize in car parts, which is another of those things I was never crazy about settling for, but on the plus side I have some experience in that sort of thing thanks to the freelance stuff Kiwamu has given me over the years. Also, the Japanese people in the company often have to ship their families over here from Japan to live in Chillicothe with no knowledge of the area or the English language, and apparently they hire people just to help those families go about their daily lives here. I could probably do that just as well as I could translate instruction manuals and whatever else they'd have reason to translate.
I've even had a recommendation to YSK from my dentist, who has Japanese clients coming to his office all the time under the guidance of a YSK-employed interpreter lady. He's even told me he would call that lady to put in a good word for me. He gave me her name and told me to just walk into YSK, ask for her, and tell her Dr. Connor sent me.
THAT WAS A YEAR AGO.
Seriously, Becky. WHAT THE FSCK IS HOLDING YOU BACK.
I'm broke. I'm ready to have money again. There are things I want to do, places I want to go. Miyavi is coming to the states again in May, and I've missed him, what, 3 times already when I swore I never would. Freaking X JAPAN, the gods of all J-rock, are coming to NY in September. BLOOD and Suicide Ali will both probably be in the US before the year's out, and DJ SiSen too. And I want to go to Japan so bad it's not funny anymore.
You know, honestly, I think a dream job to me would probably be... working at a zoo in Japan. Yeah, I'm weird.
But anyway. That's where I stand. Two options, YSK and IForce. Next step is to actually... well, take a step. Towards one or the other or both.
I'm done whining now. Sorry for the long boring rambly drivel.
comment! (2)
dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 4/13/2008 12:00:00 AM
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wThursday, March 20, 2008 |
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feeling: stiff?
listening to: Arashi - Kimi no Tame ni Boku ga Iru (part of the latest fansub project...)
You know, yesterday I had something in mind that I was all ready to post here... something about something-or-other that happened a while ago finally dawning on me and making me feel stuff, or something... but I have completely forgotten what it was. Oh well, must not have been important.
I've had a lot of weird dreams lately, but for some reason haven't put them in my dream log. They're all too scattered, I guess. One about that live action/CGI hybrid-ish Chipmunks movie (which I didn't see and hadn't even acknowledged the existence of in months...), a couple about video games, a couple about my nephew, one about a penguin (you heard me), a couple random pointless appearances by Arashi, a couple about BLOOD...
OH! Now I remember what I was gonna post about yesterday! ...But now I don't want to. >.> Not here, anyway. Probably not anywhere. I would say it's too personal, but it's... totally not. No idea how to describe it, and it doesn't matter anyway. So forget it. :D
Anyway, yeah, a couple dreams about BLOOD... in last night's they came back here for another tour, and stayed at my house (that's happened in my dreams a couple times before), and Kaede came... and sort of kept me clinging to his side like a pet the whole time, or something. e_e But anyway...
So yeah, I guess since I defeated my own purpose of posting here without even meaning to, I'm done now. Yay, this post was pointless. :D
comment! (3)
dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 3/20/2008 08:06:00 PM
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wTuesday, February 12, 2008 |
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feeling: slightly sore
listening to: Tainted Reality: Kakumei-cast
...teacup noodle... *snerk*
Anyway.
Heh, mom got these new air fresheners from QVC that she's been scattering around the house, and the one she put in the bathroom is gardenia, which she's now in love with... and so now every time I enter the bathroom, the song Gardenia by Malice Mizer gets stuck in my head. :\
In other random news, remember a couple months ago when I posted about that "chapel pals" thing I was briefly considering taking part in? The thing my mom did last year and was paired with that cute little girl named Ava and got her a Cinderella doll and a pink stuffed dog for Christmas, and I was considering signing up for the program if and only if I could be paired up with Ava or her little sister Gwyn, whom I bonded with at Bible school last year?
Yeah, guess what? This past Sunday the adults drew names for their kid matches, and my mom drew Gwyn.
T___T
Was funny though, cause she was all "They'll recognize my writing now!" :P Then after all the names were drawn there were four kids left unmatched, so they were asking for four more adults to sign up. I didn't... but if I go back next week and there are still spots open, I might actually do it... IF they give me permission to trade. >.> Mom would feel more comfortable with a kid whose parents wouldn't recognize her handwriting anyway, and OMG I LOVE GWYN.
Yeah. Life's a weird thing.
Thought there was more I was ready to blabber about, but I forget what it was.
comment! (0)
dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 2/12/2008 08:07:00 PM
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wSaturday, February 09, 2008 |
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feeling: AHAHAHAHAHA
listening to: Recomen
XDDDDDDDDDD!!!
Oh, God, this program is pure gold. Ok, allow me to provide a translated transcript of this moment from the the Feb. 1 edition of Aiba Masaki's radio show, Recomen, which I'm currently listening to a week late...
Ohtsuka: (reading a letter sent in by a listener) "Aiba-chan, I have a favor to ask."
Aiba: What would that be?
Ohtsuka: "We just got a new dog at my house. I don't know what the breed is called, but I heard that it's one of those types that's so small it can fit inside a mug. So I was hoping, since you love animals, you would pick a name for it. Anything that pops into your head would be fine."
Aiba: That's a hard one...
Ohtsuka: Well, you have been called a master at naming.
Aiba: It's the kind of dog that fits inside a mug, right?
Ohtsuka: You think it's really that small?
Aiba: I mean, like one of those "teacup noodle"... er, I mean...
Becky: *falls out of chair laughing*
Aiba: What was it...?
Ohtsuka: Isn't it poodle?
Aiba: Foodle?
Becky: *about to pee herself*
Ohtsuka: Poodle.
Aiba: Oh, right, poodle! Those teacup...
Ohtsuka: You just called them noodles.
Aiba: ...poodle type dogs, right?
Becky: *is dead*
Oh lord, my jaws hurt.
He ended up naming the dog Makapuu, by the way, in some weird wordsquish of the Japanese spellings of mug, cup, and poodle. >>
By the way, I'm back from Chicago and I think just about fully recovered. What was I freaking out about in those last few posts here? Everything worked out. ¬.¬ For those who know where my BLOOD blog is, my review is posted there, but I'm not "formally" announcing it yet until I make sure it's to my liking, so the public will know of it in the next day or two.
...For the first time in my life, I almost - almost - want a poodle. Just so I can name it Foodle. *has exhausted self laughing and thus goes to prepare for bed*
comment! (1)
dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 2/09/2008 02:27:00 AM
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wWednesday, January 30, 2008 |
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feeling: restless
listening to: Ninomiya Kazunari - Yume
9_9
I'm a doof. The concert's not in Mitsuwa Marketplace. The autograph signing event is. The concert is at the Subterranean in Chicago at 6:30.
Guess that's what I get for thinking all along that I wouldn't be able to go on this tour at all and then doing a half-arsed job of checking the schedule with one week remaining.
Doesn't really change much of what I had in mind schedule-wise, I don't think... but it does mean the concert's not free after all. >.> $15 for a ticket... and it doesn't appear to be sold out yet...
Geez, some "official agent" I am.
Wish it was possible to predict the weather... accurately, I mean... *coughs at forecasts that keep changing every 6 hours* That's the main factor holding me back from making firm decisions to drive and lodge and etc. If I do, the tentative plan is to leave as soon as I get up on Sunday, visit Mitsuwa if I get there before 8 pm, stay in a motel half a mile away, hook up with BLOOD on Monday and dedicate that day to them, see them off Tuesday morning, and start the drive back home no later than... maybe 2 pm on Tuesday, so I won't make the whole drive in the dark.
I did remember that I have $50 worth of Walmart gift cards, and since Walmart doesn't have the games I was planning to use them for, I can use that to keep myself fed along the way. There are Walmarts everywhere, right? >.> Or I can sell them to my parents and use the cash at Mitsuwa instead, and pack a couple sandwiches and Capri Suns in a cooler... which I think I'll do anyway... hmmm...
This is all IF the weather holds and I decide to drive.
GOD I RAMBLE TOO MUCH ABOUT THINGS I DON'T EVEN KNOW YET.
*is really twitchy about this whole trip*
comment! (5)
dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 1/30/2008 12:24:00 AM
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wMonday, January 28, 2008 |
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feeling: headache can't decide whether to stay or go
listening to: nothing
AhaHA. I just accomplished stuff. Stuff of the cleaning up nature. Namely cleaned about 8 GB off my hard drive (I'm over 15GB free again, w00t!) and, even more amazing, transferred almost my entire J-drama/movie collection from jewel cases to a 64-sleeve CD case that used to be my brother's but was left to me for some reason and has been sitting around in here for years. That was about... 30-40 discs? Which cleared up a HUGE chunk of space on the floor under my desk where I'd been stacking up all my data CD-Rs and DVD+Rs.
So now I have all this space on my HD and on my floor AND a big ol' pile of jewel cases that can be used for something else.
Why does this feel like such a big accomplishment? I'm such a geek.
Anyway, I've pretty much decided to go to Chicago on Feb. 4-5 to see BLOOD. Now all that's left is figuring out details. Flying would cost $200, which I could afford but barely, and the driving distance would be about 6 hours, barring unforeseen occurrences. Biggest "if" is the weather. Driving in snow and ice is evil enough, but I have a tiny little Toyota that, although 4WD, is so tiny and light that it fishtails on puddles, let alone ice patches. I love the gas mileage though. 40-ish m/g? No more than $30 to fill up the tank? Mmmmmm.
ANYWAY. Off the point. How to plan Chicago... I don't know yet what kind of lodging arrangements and stuff BLOOD's party has made, and Roger won't tell me anything until I tell him for certain that I'm going, apparently. If I drive, I could probably help transport people or bags and be reimbursed for at least part of my gas spendage. On the other hand, if I drive, I'll probably get lost. >> Also have to worry about keeping myself alert on the road, since if I stay overnight with them it's pretty much a given that sleep will not be had. I trust that once I get there I'll be taken care of; it's getting myself there and back that makes me twitch.
Mom and dad briefly entertained the idea of finding something to do for a few days in Chicago themselves so they could drive me, but they don't know of anything they want to see there, and mom isn't keen on traveling in winter.
So that's the dilemma...
Also would be cool to find a way to meet Adion while I'm there, since Lord knows when the next chance might come, but there might only be a window for a few hours unless I stay an extra night, somewhere... hmm... wonder if he'd be interested in just popping into Mitsuwa Marketplace to watch the concert :P
...Geez, I just realized the doors to this event open at 1:00 pm. I'm gonna have to leave at some ungodly morning hour if I drive. x_x Hoboy. I like that schedule in terms of the tour though, cause it sounds like BLOOD and staff might have some time in the evening to hang out, catch dinner, whatever... now I wonder what they have planned...
So instead of leaving at like 6 am, I might be better off leaving the day before and staying overnight in a hotel to ensure plenty of time to rest before they fly in from Boston... but that would add a hotel expense... it'd still be cheaper than flying though...
*head combusts* Whyyyyy am I so broke?
I'm gonna go sleep on this. They say that helps. And anything's bound to help when I'm as sleep deprived and kdjghasdgjdk-ish as I am right now.
[EDIT: It's in Mitsuwa Marketplace! Which is Japanese! Which means free admission and if I leave the day before and spend the night in a motel I might have time to shop for Japanese goodieeeeees! *wiggle*]
comment! (2)
dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 1/28/2008 03:22:00 AM
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wWednesday, January 23, 2008 |
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feeling: lazy
listening to: Katamari Damacy OST - Sakurairo no Kisetsu
FREAKING COWS.
Anyway. So. I have decided that I want to try making panna cotta someday. Ohemgee, it sounds so good.
Speaking of Italian desserts, I need to find an excuse to eat at Olive Garden at least once a month just so I can try all their different flavors of Italian soda. Because the above reminded me that the vanilla one was A THOUSAND LEVELS OF YESNESS. Mmm.
I'm strange lately. Pardon my idiocy.
Anyway, I'm trying to decide whether I should go see BLOOD's Feb. 4 show in Chicago, and if so, how to best go about getting to and from there. Already decided that it would be beyond stupid of me to attempt going on the whole tour when flights alone would easily cost well over $1000. Maybe even pushing $2000 since two of them would have to be nonstop - and, of course, it's less than two weeks away by now and I've learned the hard way that it's quite dumb to book flights that late.
So hmmm...
I've been feeling really lazy and unmotivated for the past couple weeks. It's the exact opposite of what usually happens every year after I come home from Ohayocon - usually I spend the rest of the month on some crazy high and wanting to accomplish things left and right. This year I came home and... haven't really moved since? I suppose part of that is probably because I was sick for a whole week before and during Ohayocon and took a few days to recover after getting home, and as soon as that passed, my computer caught a bug of its own and it took almost a week to get it all cleaned up too. Idiot fools.
So yeah, since then I've been a slug. More so than usual, I mean. Winter might have something to do with it too, I guess. I love the season itself, but it's the stupid dry manufactured heat pumping into the air that saps my energy and dries me out and makes me stuffy and achy and bleh. Our central heating includes a humidifier, which helps when I'm downstairs, but let's face it... 99% of the time I'm holed up on the second floor, where the central air doesn't travel as well and I have to use the old baseboard heater as a backup.
Also, why are all the good Japanese TV shows on at like, 6 or 7 in the morning American time? I finally find a website/software/thing that can be used to watch all the major Japanese TV channels LIVE, and all the good stuff is on at ungodly morning hours. Pout. Some computer genius needs to invent, like, VCR software for computers that can capture streaming video at any time set by the user.
Now to decide whether to play with Sims 2 or finish re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-watching Kimi wa Petto...
comment! (1)
dragged from Becky's stream of consciousness at 1/23/2008 02:15:00 AM
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