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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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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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