Turning 20 part 1

Someone actually said this to me, and I quote

“If you like someone,’ attack’ his/her birthday”

I’m aware of people agreeing to the statement as well as who don’t. I on the other hand am not sure myself. True, who doesn’t like at least once in a year surrounded by people they love, people close to them singing them a birthday song right when the clock struck 12, stowing cake into their mouth followed by a kiss in the check (err.. objection, maybe ‘stowing’ is not the word cuz I’ve actually seen those who purposely smudge the cake on the face =P), and wishing them till the end of the day. Well at least I know one; Bella doesn’t like birthday surprises, because she hates it to be reminded she’s gradually getting older than Edward.

Some also thought they’ll look silly if people prank them surprise-sake and believe it or not, I know this one girl who hates her birthday celebrated for she’s afraid there would be none. So rather than hanging anticipation, to be on the safe side she refuses surprises and parties getting paranoid that nobody cares for her. But still, people throw her one and that just shows she’s surrounded by those who loved her out of literal conscious =)

I’m wasn’t born in a family that goes all out celebrating birthday, just a cake and some wishes will do. Though my earliest memory started at 3, but I can’t remember celebrating birthday party then. But mum still keep pics from my 1st birthday. I was in stripes red baby gown, just learnt how to walk she claimed. Along my growing years, seldom did I get to celebrate it with friends since it always fell on school holidays; so I didn’t get to have a cake-smudged face on my party and instead enjoyed doing it to others, maybe one of the reasons why I tried my best not to anticipate any. As ironic as it seemed, I turned 18, 19, and 20 having one, and I realized it can’t be that bad.

So what happened on my birthday?

Sudden wishes from housemates; I remember most Reen was the one leading the line =)
Inbox started to get full of best wishes; Aziey was one of the earliest =)
Facebook notifications overflood =)
The next day colleagues continued wishing =)
Some surprises from my smart circle buddies; credits to Kak Fatin, Ecot, Mimi, Yan, Tikah, Awatif =)

Here comes the climax!

So much of choral speaking has become the so-called trend of Al Razi, like I mentioned in my previous entry we were ought to make ‘Cavernous Sinus’ an interesting performance.

musical sketch by group A ~pic credits to zt~

Choral dikir by group B ~pic credits to Reen~

Choir medley by group C ~pic credits to Reen~

The topic was ‘Dangerous Area of The Face’. After some cracking-the-head-ideas squeezing veins and diseases into the scripts, pain-in-the-neck practice, and good job everyone! I was laughing along the way amused and I considered that as an indirect present from all =)

But what made me happier was when;

Dr Hisyam: Isn’t there anyone who’s going to be the emcee?
Man and I bet some of the girls too: Zawani, the birthday girl!

I know this meant sudden emceeing, but expecting Zawani Zainudin to say no to it is an off beam. I distinguished I’m not that all good in emceeing but thinking about holding the mic and having people’s attention on me all at once for even a short time is just my side hobby.

So people thanks for the surprises and wishes
Lel thanks for the cake
Janah too thanks for the cake
My smart circle sisters, thanks for the bag
Ain thanks for the phone straps
Dilah too thanks for the phone straps
Dibah thanks for the lunch
Sis Addie (read: my 2nd sis) thanks for your tiramisu
Aziey thanks for the blog post specially dedicated to me
Farhah thanks for the phone call

Ps: I’ve got 2 climaxes, fairly telling one =)
Pss: Next post, a birthday present from Sis Honey (read: my 1st sis) =)

Little sweety adorable killer whale
It rings to motions
Peeping inside a crystal cookies’ space
In baby blue enclosing sided with lollipop
Just don’t underestimate them
They’ll speak when others stay silent
(^^)…

Turning 20 prologue

I’m about to start on my ‘Turning 20’ The Series.

Reading outcomes; by the end of the reading, viewers will be able to know;
1. 20 things about me (prologue)
2. What happened on my birthday (part 1)
3. What happened a day after my birthday (part 2)
4. Thoughts and more thoughts (finale)

20 things about me - taken from Aiman’s, credits =)

1. I was supposed to be born on January 1991, but I was 3 weeks early (I wouldn’t have met you people if so)

2. So I was born on December 24th 1990, 5 minutes to midnight. Mum insisted the nurse to get me registered under the December 25th babies but the nurse refused (kalau tak mesti birthday kita sama Reen. Haha)

3. Started going to kindergarten by the age of 4. Want to know why? Because my 2nd brother who’s a year older won’t go to his pre-school without me (yeah we were that close). As a result I dozed off in class most of the time.

4. Used to be a big fan of Backstreet Boys since kindergarten till i graduated boarding school. Even thought of marrying Nick Carter once!

5. Attended boarding school for 5 years; 7 months in SMKA Segamat, and the next 4 years and 5 months was in SBPI Mersing, currently known as SMSSI aka Sultan Iskandar Science School (was the first batch back then)

6. Mum won’t allow me gone working during holidays. So yep I’ve no experience working.

7. People called me differently;
Family called me Za
Friends called me Wanie
Some called me Zwen (I suggested this)
Juniors back in school used to call me Kak Awnie (since there were a few Wanie existed)
Raja Nurul Ain Az Zahra called me Nini (fuh~ nama penuh (^^)v)
Reen called me … this is embarrassing … Chawan (sebab presentation chado tu ke? Haha)

8. My younger brother addresses me as Wanie (never heard he call me Kakak)

9. And I address my 2nd brother as Az (never call him abang even once. Huhu)

10. Never gone for friends hangout until I was 16 (was so innocent back then)

11. Never been good with numbers, wonder if I really am arithmophobic

12. I started to love English when I was 7
First choral speaking when I was 10
Experienced my first public speaking when I was 12
Joining debate team when I was 14

13. Started writing in diaries when I was 9

14. Me and my 2nd sis looked pretty much alike and people often mistaken me being the older one. Sheesh~

15. I love heels

16. I wear contact lens by day and specs by night (vision -1.0 for both eyes)

17. I can hardly eat currypuff (personally think the taste of its crust and core aren’t harmonious enough for my tongue)

18. Prefer J-entertaiment rather than K-entertainment

19. Right-handed and I’m wearing watch on my right wrist

20. Used to be a bulimic when I was a teen. Don’t worry, am a sober now. Hoho

Ps:I wish I could write more than 20, but guess best to leave it to that or else it’s going to be an endless list.
Pss: Got 3 phone straps for my birthday, means I have to use 3 cellphones?
Psss: Please anticipate the ‘Turning 20 part 1’

some nostalgic pics

Nick Carter from 'I Want it That Way' scene

See that 'Nick' in the background?

School I missed lots

The first batch, spot me?

Heroes 0307 bagde

Chawan is some of cup for chado (read: Japanese tea ceremony)

And btw Reen, I'll let you go on this. Haha

Cell senescence

The clock struck 7.30 am and I’m getting ready for campus;

Atin: Wanie, tak bawak sweater ke?
Me: Tak
Atin: Tak sejuk ke?
Me: Sejuk
Atin: …….

And as I thought, Al-Razi is as cold as always; the temperature could go as low as 16˚C. For a moment, I regretted leaving my white fluffy sweater home. But of course, I did that purposely for a reason.

I purposely left my trunk-and-upper-limb-chilly-shield fabric (read: sweater) so I colud freeze myself; the proliferating cells, its chromosomes, its DNA in it, the ATP-dependant biomolecular processes, the tissues of the organs of the systems, every inch of my living, growing and AGING self so it would stay 19 forever. As absurd as it sounds, I know it won’t happen.

At this rate what makes me nothing distict from a pre-menopausal woman is the idea of having your emotion seriously distracted. Started to ask creepy questions, acting moody on a jagged onset, sudden change of temporary characters; also called the oh-my-god-I-am-turning-another-year-older syndrome, and I’ve been having one since this morning. Which I’m pretty much sure this momentarily affecting disorder can’t be observed simply through the basic clinical skills assessment.

I know this feeling will go away; I’ll live normally like any other 20 year-old fellas do and it can’t be that bad right? No biggies (and I’m smirking).

Short sketch, choral speaking and choir medley on cavernous sinus tomorrow, anticipating. If you guys made it to get me laughing out loud (and I bet you would), I'll definitely consider that as a birthday present =)

To whom it may concern 1;
Ps: Really? I’ll try to prepare mentally though

To whom it may concern 2;
Pss: Jdrama download here http://www.yellowcinema.com/category/drama/japanese-drama/

FYI the Japanese version of birthday song is;

O-tanjoubi omedetou

O-tanjoubi omedetou

O-tanjoubi omedetou *insertnamehere* ni

O-tanjoubi omedetou

*don't bother bout the grammar =D

To whom it may concern 3;
Psss: Does trying to exist with others means to squeeze into the community to be noticed and approved? Yappari, I'm still the one who doesn't know how to exist with others.

To whom it may concern 4;

Aka Farhah Fakhira

I love you so much dear~

Thanks for the loooong phone call =))

If you think (insert premise here), then you're wrong

I’ve gone through this a lot, and now finally I can come out with my own analysis.

Extended report of my adrenaline rush;

Stage one
Fast-forward occurs; sudden skip-a-bit heartbeat takes place. At certain extent, thinking about the upcoming big awaiting event brings about tachycardia. Plus if involved atmosphere is a 16-20˚C cold lecture hall, quiver lips with gritted teeth comes into package.

Stage two
“I doubt this is the right place for me”
“I shouldn’t be here at the first place”
“This doesn’t feel like home at all”
Are common lines heard; I would try ridiculously shutting my eyes tightly wishing the next image after I open it would be my housemates in A16-05, or my group B tutormates, or even best my family at home. The next fragile thing to happen is of course tears dropping. Tough enough it held, appear brittle it shreds.

Stage three
This won’t take long, mysteriously it emerges. A total contradiction of 2nd stage; acute talkative syndrome attacks. I would start talking regardlessly, ridiculously, randomly (Read: 3R). Next line heard, “Oh my god! I can’t think straight. This is worse than falling in love!”

Stage four
Emotion, cognitivity, physiology, physical get back to normal and everything makes sense again.
“Yosh! Let’s do this!”

The 14th Royal Debate in UTHM

The second Royals experience, honestly there’s nothing really that interesting to tell. We can’t make it to semi-final*. This year just like the last, I was in the senior team. What does that mean? Well nothing much, just means that we’re much more easily crushed by other way more experienced teams. But still, it was a good exposure. Faye, Hanisah, Maryam thanks for being in the team.

Cuppys from our friendly runners

Before role call

This house will make dating websites compensate for cheated spouses
This house shouldn’t give mandatory death for its drug traffickers
This house should endorse the right to nuclear weapon
This house believes that food aid gives destruction to recipients’ economy

On the welcoming dinner night

Stalked! Guna phone Faye je pun~

*Not telling doesn’t mean cheating. Actually we didn’t even get to go to quarter-final; stuck at preliminary.

The best part having your sis home is, you boleh rembat pakai baju die~

Ps: If you think Zawani Zainudin can’t get fat, then you’re wrong
Pss: Anticipating choral speaking for anatomy. Ok, gen05 started this choral thingy trend, so we have to pay for it.

Let me tell you one dirty lil secret

As helpless as a denaturated DNA under 60 ˚C temperature, these few days had been tiring. It was FPSK annual dinner yesterday.

Well, not to say I doubt choral speaking as a performance. But honestly with less than a week to practice along with those who haven’t experienced being a choral speaker (precisely 3 days ONLY), and yeah I mean my instinct said this is going to be hard.

From choosing the scripts, editing, photocopying, editing again, practice, editing again, rehearsal, more editing we stayed nervous and anxious until that very last minute of our dinner performance. Not to mention the delayed practice due to some emotional circumstances, so I’d say wow! Can you guys believe we made it? We enjoyed it don’t we? =)

Flashback…

On the night of the 1st practice;

The delayed practice I was talking about, damned disrupting emotionally. Just a lil bit more if you let us get too carried away, most probably Al Razi will turn into a Convent class sebab rmh2 gene XY kena bakar ngan girls.

Rehearsal, a day before the dinner performance;

Prof Shahrir: I was having a very high expectation towards korang, korang tau tak.
Miss conductor: Abes tu, cmne performance kitorang tadi?
Prof Shahrir: Emm… Boleh la, so so.

How would you feel when you’re shaky all over, rehearsing for the first time, with the scripts kept going in and out of your mind, plus few no-sleeping-until 2 am nights and suddenly your superior claimed your performance is a so-so?

The after-effect was damned dramatic, the atmosphere got too silent. One or two human being spotted at each corner of the lecture hall alone reflecting, looking at the scripts wondering where we have done wrong. No usual chatters during dinner, the ambiance was seriously dry. Moody, emotionally distracted, embarrassed, upset, depressed you name it.

Rehearsal 2 hours before the dinner performance;

Forgotten scripts, unsynchronized chorus, unheard voices, in front of the other rehearsal-ers, the atmosphere kept been filling by densed tense. More editing, repeating over and over again, and off we went as the 1st performance-r.

Somehow…

Noor Aiman, thanks for the ‘brain-wash’ that kept us going
Sayid Aiman, thanks for the impromptu pre-tazkirah an hour before the dinner starts
Jannah, thanks for the post-tazkirah last night
Dear Al-Razian choral speakers, thanks for all the co-operation and hardwork

And indeed we enjoyed our performance! You guys are awesome! Our dean himself said you guys were good =D

Here are few of my solo part:

Oh my god! It’s superman! (It is Gen 5 FPSK)
Kelembutan dan keayuan~ (No! It’s kesopanan dan kesusilaan)
But definitely handsome angkasawan~ (Datuk Sheikh Muzzaffar)
Let me tell you one dirty little secret… (Malaysia’s public toilets are yucks!)

Was it just me or all my lines seemed pretty mischievous?

Choral speakers~

Free-style or malas tengok camera?

Ps: Man thanks a lot for being a constantly enthusiastic conductor.
Pss: Lel thanks for your perfume, sweet! Dah basuh baju pn wangi lg. huhu.
Psss: Syera, thanks for the camera! =D
Pssss: Most probably you won’t see Zawani Zainudin around GV and campus starting today till Wednesday. And if you do, tolong jangan tegur since most likely that’s not me.
Psssss: Still tak puas hati kena bukak kasut time performance sbb I was 2 inches higher. Oh my lil baby blue heels. Isk3…

More pics

Stair-posing

Zwen and Lel

Miss conductor (specially to you Aiman =D)

Mael and Syera, Mr & Miss emcee

Malaysia, truly Asia (winks)

Pssssss: 6th year's dikir performance was sweet~ awesome =)

Preconceived notions

Many would have justified it as a mere inference making, apparently it doesn’t appear so. Here I introduce to you the expectation-underestimating axis;

Set up expectation → observation → general idea plus inference making (read: preconceived notions) → judging → analyzing → (lowering down expectation=underestimating)

Is lowering down your expectation the same as underestimating? If that’s so I favor keeping it high.

high expectation=anticipating?

Crap is my middle name

Try to put yourself in my shoe
1. You were ought to draw a topic
2. Majority insisted you to go for ‘Why you shouldn’t quit smoking’ rather than the original topic ‘Why you should quit smoking’
3. Given 2 minutes to prepare the public speaking
4. And here are what I came out with

Why you shouldn’t quit smoking?
1. Who’s going to buy cigarette if you quit smoking?
2. At a certain extent smoking makes you have status; a 500 bucks cigar for instance
3. If you’re already prone to have cancer due to your bad habit, you know you can’t quit willingly, then why should you quit?
4. So the rate of not only you, as well as other people around you to die because of cancer is increasing. This will lead to the ultimate solution for the overpopulated country. Let them die.
5. If you or anyone else is hospitalized due to smoking-related diseases, you’ll be giving profitable income for not only the government but also private hospitals. Listen, if we asked you to stop smoking and you don’t, you get diseases, we won’t give a damned care to subsidize you.
So that’s why you shouldn’t stop smoking.

Try to use reverse psychology eh? Pretty much, but seriously public speaking (unofficially at least) is way much better than the mock debates (because I can talk crap).

Soon will be the 2nd Royal experience, after a year gap. Let see if my rusty debating skills is near salvage or rather just another talent flushed down the toilet bowl. Anyone to confirm that?

Don’t worry, don’t mess yourself with the nasty getting down the toilet bowl to authenticate it for my sake, just be there to say ganbatte! to me is enough (winks).

The centralized debate training in Nilai, I considered myself lucky to be having 2 mock debates within a day (plus that previous pain-in-the-neck topic public speaking in between) after a year of debate hiatus!

THBT we should build network to raise awareness to reduce water usage
THBT zoos should be closed

Another thing why I’m lucky joining the training is because I got to meet this one young caliph who’s able to joke around in his typical serious expression.

Candid shot from an amateur stalker’s cameraphone starring Fazli

Why did I put his pic? Well that’s simple, because I’m a bit pervert in nature. Heh! Because I’d indirectly promised to do so lerr…

Anyways Ratna, Ainil, Fawaz, Fazli, Tyra, Saiful, Amirul, Faye not to forgotten you guys made my day!

Ps: Eventually I figured out Fazli is driving and not riding a motorbike. Hampeh la hang Fazli =P
Pss: Miss Driver claimed the steering is a bit heavy =)

teriyaki unagi bento for dinner memang sedap

Psss: Personally think prefer writing rather than talking now

Crap confab in disguise

‘Pain is very important’
-Prof. J-

As we’re about to learn the topic of pain in Physiology, pain isn’t just important figuratively but literally too...

‘Continuous suture, horizontal mattress suture, skin stapler, a surgeon knows of all kinds of ways to stitch an open wound. But the emotional scars; what can be used to stitch emotional scars? There is no easy way to heal emotional scars. I just think of it this way; wounds of the heart are undoubtedly necessary. That’s because bearing wounds in our heart, we can become aware of other people’s pain’
-Code Blue season 2 episode 9, Yamashita Tomohisa monologue-

…so it can make you stronger.

Ps: Seldom did I put extra effort on someone else’s birthday, if I do what's that supposed to mean? (winks)
Pss: Don’t underestimate what your old I-don’t-want-these-stuff-anymore box could do for you. It might hold a gorgeous idol poster which fits just right as an instant present wrapper!

Post Ps entry

While I’d diagnosed myself having an acute arithmophobia, despite some symptoms I experienced I do wonder if that’s just a hypocritical inference.

Since I got a bit fascinated by one argument in a mathematical reasoning;

Premise 1: When X=1, X is (100/100)
Premise 2: When X is (100/100), X=1

So the above clauses are true. Sticking to above mechanism, I figured out not all basis obey mathematic reasoning;

Premise 1: When you’re distracted, even little unexpected things could make you happy
Premise 2: When you’re happy, even little unexpected things could make you distracted

Don’t you think?

Yatta! At last I got an evidence Math isn’t all time relevant! (Fairly trying to sound Math prejudice on purpose)

Ok, live stronger now

Ironic

Life itself isn’t boring, it’s colorful
Plus living an unspoken repeated ritual we called routine

The thing that bugs you more than getting a suntan
Is not to be able to recover within 3 weeks

There’s something more painful than leaving home sweet home
We called adapting

What could harm you more than lacking of sleep studying
Even worst emotionally that hurts deep within
It’s an insecure self emotional blackmail after seeing an assessment outcome

When you’re templated into a planned future stencil
That you can’t get away on your own but
To live up the public expectation
Though the choice isn’t yours
I believe still eventually there’ll come around
The thing we called resist and potent…

My name is Zawani, many called me Wani. While it is not so much a bother with the pronunciation, it bugs me on the spelling though.

I’ve always wanted people to spell it as WaniE; with the E at the end. Why? So it won’t seem too lame (just accept it as it is, end of discussion).

Well, now who could have expected I would HATE that E damned much!

It’s too ironic…

Blue bug

Ps: Zwen mo ii desu yo, aikawarazu…
Pss: And btw the drama and movie reviews would go on hiatus a while
Psss: Salam Maal Hijrah

Pssss: So the time has come for me, iroiro mo... Yamemasu...

His comeback!

So much of me attracted to Osaka men, I really adore Nishikido Ryo. But not too obsess so to speak. From his music to his dramas, I love them all. Ryo last acted in the movie Niini no koto wasurenaide back in 2009. A sad-ending brain-tumor fighting high schooler based on true story. Eversince, I was waiting for his new drama and in 2010 he cheered the entire fan with a comeback in the drama, JOKER.

As a heart-broken teen in 1 Litre of Tears (2005)
A charismatic young pilot in Attention Please! (2006)
Domestic-violent spouse in Last Friend (2008)
Spontaneous humorous reckless guy is Ryuusei no Kizuna (2008)
Overwhelmed by dilemma noble man with a devil hand in Orthros no Inu (2009)

His acting is never disappointing. In JOKER, Ryo acted as Kudo Kenji, Kanagawa Prefecture Police Department Identifications Unit (read: forensic team). As unprompted as always, his acting seemed so natural with appropriate facial expressions and precise message-conveying scripts.

A lil bit on the synopsis, this drama is about a mysterious underground organization called JOKER which is closely related to the ‘mystery disppearance’ of all unexecuted criminals. Said to be funded by retired police superiors but never actually been proved, a criminal reporter and a newly recruited police investigator teamed up to figure out what is JOKER about. Genre is crime and investigation.

Leftmost is the main actor Sakai Masato as Date Kazuyoshi

The young lady in the middle is Anne, playing the role of Miyagi Asuka as newly recruited police investigator. Where have you seen her before?

FYI she starred in Samurai High School as Nagasawa Ai back in 2009 along with Haruma Miura as the main cast.

Btw OST for JOKER is the song Scar by Rip Slyme. Catchy one by this hip-hop oriented Japanese group from Kanagawa, it has some sort of Spanish tuning in it.

To whom it may concern
- Unfortunately I didn’t watch Korean dramas
- Personally think Crows ZERO 2 is better too =)

Apocalypse

Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji

Whenever I went scanning for new dramas or movies in my favourite DVD shop, often I came across this movie. Directed by Yuzo Sato and was on cinema back in 2009 adapted from manga by Noboyuki Fukumoto. But I only get to watch it recently.

Starring Tatsuya Fujiwara as Kaiji Itou an unemployed man haunted by his debts, this movie potrays dramatic atmosphere of desparate men who think money can solve everything (obviously when death is in the line if you can’t pay). So in order to pay his debt, Kaiji was proposed by the loan agent to go aboard onto a ship called ‘Espoire’ to join an ultimate gambling cruise. The deal was, if he wins the gambles he’ll be free from his debts. But instead if he loses, he’s forced for a 10 years underground labour which is nothing different from a slave.

The movie is well-directed and having Tatsuya Fujiwara playing emotions most of the time, he made the scenes real. I must say this is the second movie of Tatsuya Fujiwara that I watched; first was the Death Note sequel; him as Light Yagami.

At first glance before I knew what his surname is, I thought Tatsuya Fujiwara has some biological connection with Sawajiri Erika and yes I’m talking bout the main cast of the ultimate tear-demanding drama; 1 litre of Tears.

Seriously I thought they were brother and sister!

Kenichi Matsuyama

Tagged along as the co-star in Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji is Kenichi Matsuyama

Seems familiar? Kenichi Matsuyama played the role of L in the Death Note sequel.

I have to say I fell in love with the character of L. His characters were delicately built precisely according to the original manga sketching. Very original, a fine-designed entertainment masquerade.

Ps: And btw, Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji’s OST is the song ‘It’s All too Much’ by YUI and ‘Never Say Die’ also by YUI. Man, I missed YUI!

First fall for him

More on Flumpool? Well, maybe just a little. The first Flumpool’s song I listened to was ‘Hikari no Hashi’ (Over the Rain) the OST of Jdrama Bloody Monday. Watching Bloody Monday was when I started to fall in love with Miura Haruma playing the role of Takagi Fujimaru.

Miura Haruma

Bloody Monday is a drama directed by Hirano Shunichi adapted from manga by Ryo Ryumon. It was aired in 2008 but I didn’t watch it until 2010 because I thought it was of horror genre; instead it is thriller.

To put it simple, it is a story about a high schooler who hacked the Japan National Security System and got caught red-handed. Turned out later, the government asked him to hack the security database of a terrorist organization who planned in destroying Japan.

What I love about the plot is that it gives you extra chill down the spine. One time you think you can trust the character, and the next thing you know he’s a betrayer. Up until one point, you’ll be kept in constant suspense along with the main cast; with the thumping of scared the enemy will anytime appear anywhere. Cool plot!

Line of Bloody Monday casts

Bloody Monday 2 which was aired in 2010 is just as thrilling. The plot was fast that when you missed an episode, you won’t be able to keep up. And still, the OST of Bloody Monday 2 is the song ‘Zanzou’ (After image) by Flumpool. As far as I’m tuning in to their tracks, Flumpool has never let me down. Their lyrics are deep, and their music might sound typical but they’re original.

More on Bloody Monday 2, there are more suspense, more action, more complicated plot, and more tears. Unexpected murders of characters, man! You have to check it out! But I wonder if they’re going to have the third season on, because in the last episode of second season Narimiya Hiroki who played role of Kanzaki Jun or shortly called J (head of terrorist in Bloody Monday first season) is purposely shown alive freely unexecuted.

Narimiya Hiroki

Narimiya Hiroki as Shinagawa Daichi and Naka Riisa as Adachi Hana in Yankee-kun to Megane-chan

I’ve watched him in Yankee-kun to Megane-chan recently, genre high school comedy; interesting, funny and light puppy love (plus, there's Kanata Hongo!). Eventhough it was aired in this recent 2010, unfortunately that's not his latest drama.

Juui Dolittle is! It’s still airing in Japan. Along with Oguri Shun as the main cast, I’m so going to watch it soon!

To whom it may concern,

Ps: The one played Takiya Genji in Crows ZERO is Oguri Shun, and yep in Hanakimi he’s the main cast as Sano Izumi.
Pss: Anime? That’s a lot of episodes don’t you think?
Psss: Yea, I’ve watched Crows ZERO 2 =)

Fated Reunion!

As a breakthrough of my image away from a typical JE (read: Johnny’s Entertainment) fangirl I hereby declare, I don’t only listen to the Johnny’s (NEWS, Kanjani 8, Arashi, Hey! Say! JUMP etc).

Actually I started zero on Jpop. The only artist or song to be precise that I know is ‘Mirai e’ by Kiroro (if you could imagine how old that song is) during the early 90s. Next is ‘First Love’ by Utada Hikaru. Admiring just the songs I didn’t take listening to Jpop so seriously.

But as far as I could remember, my sister and I can’t missed watching those Jdrama aired in the old days; Power Office Girls, Anchor Woman, GTO, With Love, Long Vacation, Narita Divorce.

When you’re small and started developing this innocent obsession, you really can’t help searching the OST lyrics to sing along everytime the drama started or ended. And that was what we did back then. OST I recalled the most was With Love’s ‘Destiny’ by My Little Lover.

I love the song and pretty much memorized the romaji lyrics (if you ask me, I was 8). But once the series was over and replaced with another, not to mention the Jdrama was later changed to Taiwanese dramas, Philiphines, Thailand, Latin, and even Korean. We (read: my sister and I) have forgotten about those songs we used to listen to, added by Backstreet Boys, Five, 98 Degrees, The Moffats etc American boyband fever overwhelmed.

I’d totally erased my memories of Jdramas and Jpop along my high school. The first Jmovie I watched after so many years was Death Note back in 2009 and I started to realize how I missed eastern masterpiece after getting sick of Hollywood products. Then in the same year only I joined in the craze of those who watched Hanakimi (Hanazakari no Kimitachi e), though actually hanakimi was aired in Japan since 2007.

Let’s be a lil bit melodramatic here

One day I was sitting by myself and suddenly the With Love OST rang my mind. I only could recalled first half of its chorus and its bridge as well as the main actor Yutaka Takenouchi (for argument’s sake, I’ve even forgotten the drama title). Actually that wasn’t the first time I tried to find what song, which drama does it belongs to. I’ve did the same when I was 17 but still I can’t find the answer.

I asked a bunch of friends who listened to Jpop but guessed I have to let it slipped since their replies were the same, never heard of it for it was an old song; way too old, and perhaps I was off pitch when I hummed it to them.

I was 19 when a friend of mine accidentally told me she likes Yutaka Takenouchi especially when he starred the drama With Love. Hoh! The title suddenly clicked! I Googled the drama and OST right away and downloaded it. OMG! I listened to it for the first time after 10 years; fated reunion huh!

And eversince, I collected drama OST. It’s not that bad, Jpop do have good musics and not just a mere childish Doraemon-like ending theme song.

Talking about Yutaka Takenouchi, can you believe he’s actually 39 and still selling well! His latest drama is of crime investigation genre, BOSS in 2009 acting as Shinjiro Notade.

Line of BOSS casts

Ps: Takuya Kimura is now 38 and is still selling well too. If I put Yutaka Takenouchi and Takuya Kimura side by side, which would you choose? For instance, back in 1996 they both starred in the drama Long Vacation. (Ok this is top-bottom not side by side).

Yutaka Takenouchi

Takuya Kimura

Pss: I’d say Takuya Kimura! He's so cool in his latest drama (2010) Moon Lovers! Btw Takuya Kimura is married with 2 daughters.

He's getting thinner

MW

I’ve wanted to write on this for so long and only now am able to (lame intro).

MW is a movie directed by Hitoshi Iwamoto adapted from a manga by Osamu Tezuka starring Tamaki Hiroshi and Takayuki Yamada. I didn’t know this movie existed (though it was aired in 2009) until I heard its OST; Mr & Mrs Picaresque by Flumpool.

With me recently having a crush on its vocalist watching the MV, plus some scenes of Tamaki Hiroshi; it was an irresistible appeal! Who’s Tamaki Hiroshi if you ask; he was the one who starred the drama Nodame Cantabile as Shinichi Chiaki (yep that orchestra conductor). I personally think he’s getting thinner.

This is Tamaki Hiroshi. OMG he looked like Toma Ikuta!

If you want to know how a Japanese indie band looked like, then you definitely have to checkout on this 4-member band, Flumpool.

It started back in 2002 when Ryuta, Kazuki and Genki (age 17, 17, 18 respectively) established the band along with an outside random drummer (then Ogura joined them permanantly); they came out with 4 independent CD production. After long staying indie and even perfomed live gigs around Osaka, they signed under A-Sketch label in 2008 and start realeasing albums.

To describe Yamamura Ryuta’s voice, honestly it gave out an insecure vibe the first time I heard it. The feeling was pretty much like you’re worrying listening to an amateur singer whose pitch could go wrong anytime. He has such an unsteady quavery voice. But what’s amazing is that, he’s able to hold on to that vocal voyage for the rest of the song. So in short he’s never out of timbre and sings even beautifully live.

Back to the movie, MW pronounced as ‘moo’ is the type of nerve gas developed by American Military base in Japan. Built secretly in a small island away from mainland, this chemical weapon leaked into the village’s water reservoir and caused death of local villagers. To shut the fault of the government from going public, all villagers were killed and all evidences were wiped clean. Survived from this tragedy were 2 little boys whom made it to the mainland and adopted by a priest. They both grew being the oldest childhood friend of each other, starring Tamaki Hiroshi as Yuki, a successful banker who secretly practicing blackmails and murders. While Takayuki Yamada as Garai, a priest; total of opposite personality. Having Yuki commiting crime and can’t do anything to stop him left Garai with a lifetime dilemma.

The thing is I didn’t object Tamaki Hiroshi being the bad guy in this movie, it’s just that I can’t immediately holding a grasp on Takayuki Yamada whom being the priest. If you’ve watched Crows ZERO, then you know who I’m talking about. Takayuki Yamada acted as Tamao Serizawa, one of the head clans of Suzuran High School doing you-know-those-all-violent-part-he-got-into scenes. Him in Crows ZERO got my mind set Takayuki Yamada only suits the bad guy type.

Yep! This is Takayuki Yamada (scene taken from Crows ZERO)

Ps: Only if you noticed how good-looking Takayuki Yamada could be with his clean-shaved image. And btw he’s married with one son.
Pss: Did I mention Flumpool is from Osaka? Oh man! Osaka man rocks!