#and Isshi was so nice

[petiteredlady]

I think all Kagrra fans know that beautiful speech by Isshi :

“During the course of our lives, many things might happen to us and to you. But if you’re in doubt, remember the gentle, heartwarming drumbeats created by Izumi. If you’re on the verge of forgetting what fun is, remember the freewheeling sounds of Nao’s bass. If you’re troubled, or if you’re at a loss, remember the gracious sounds of Shin’s koto. If you’re sad, remember the sorrowful, beautiful sounds of Akiya’s guitar. And if you’re not sure if you have the courage to take the next step forward towards the future, remember my voice.”

I've never seen another translation (I don't even know who translated it O_O), but I was curious to know what the Japanese version was. Today I finally realised I could look for Japanese fan reports on the internet^^ I found two accounts here and there. Thanks to the second one, I realised that what was translated as "many things might happen to us and to you" was apparently 「これから…俺達にも皆にも、色んな事があると思います。」 ... which doesn’t sound about the past at all ! It even starts with "kore kara", "from now on". So I'm guessing Isshi was talking about the future of band members and fans. Even though they're disbanding, many things are still going to happen for everyone, it's not the end !

That is such a nice sentiment <3

[zukadiary]

Hoshigumi Small Theaters ~ Spring 2019

I am five entire shows behind on reviews and I hate it!!

But I finally make it to Kansai!! I conveniently managed to see these guys on back to back days upstairs and downstairs in the same building. If nothing else I think I am 500% more educated on Hoshigumi after this trip.

Man from Algiers / Estrellas 2.0

Man from Algiers ticks all the National Tour buttons—old, done many times, ambiguous time period (useful for traveling costume recycling, i.e. why not just use the rainbow sports jackets we need for Estrellas anyway!)—and while I’m not surprised that Coto can make just about anything good, I was a bit surprised at how much I enjoyed the show itself (this was the first time I’d seen it at all, which was a blessing as the surprise ending was my favorite part). 

I can definitely envision it in all its original 70s glory, and it made me wonder if they really just wanted to exploit a West Side Story aesthetic’s swoon-inducing abilities and came up with the plot later; the opening looks and choreography were awfully familiar. Am I saying it didn’t work?

No I am not saying that.

(And the resulting prologue number was really cool).

The story, while dated, was simple and easy to follow, and does a great job of making sure you understand each character’s motivation with minimal info (difficult AND clutch for one-acts). There’s a good summary on the wiki, I’m including spoilers not mentioned there.

Team National Tour is definitely the lighter side of the troupe split, especially with regard to upperclassmen, but I thought Algiers was a good fit for this particular arrangement of members, and everyone really nailed their characters. Most notable: 

Julien is a despicable person, and it’s a testament to Coto’s pure heart and brimming talent that she made him a totally valid protagonist, complete with moments that made my heart lurch a little (when his old friends are bullying him in his cute little chauffeur outfit; how quickly he abandons everything to stand by Sabine when everything goes to hell at the end). 

It was very weird first not to see Aichan in Ocean’s and then to see her hanging out with a percentage of Hoshigumi, but this cast needed her. Her Jacques (albeit very reminiscent of her Bernardo) was a good balance for Coto; they both played unsavory people, but Aichan playing bad has kind of a darker streak that suits the more evil friend well, whereas Coto playing bad still has an undercurrent of goodness that gets you fully on board with his journey to reform.

Otoha Minori as Sabine was a good choice not only for her abs in the gold night club bikini dress, but for her maturity, which lended sincerity to Sabine’s fantasy-level selflessness in her concern for Julien and her desire to watch over him. When she shoots Jacques in her dressing room to get him out of the way so he can’t interfere with Julien’s new life, I was so impressed that it read as an act of sacrifice (however excessive and stupid) purely out of love and desire to see Julien continue to grow and succeed, instead of “look at what I did for you, come back to me!”

Asamizu Ryou played Bollinger, the dude who takes Julien in and grooms him for upper-crust success, opposite not just Coto (her senpai) but Shirotae Natsu (her mega-senpai), and she did it with a surprising amount of gravitas. She’s got that face which definitely helps, but she was a little scary and exuded a lot of authority. Shirotae Natsu was hilarious as the extraordinarily airheaded wife, and her interjections may have even been singlehandedly responsible for keeping the pacing of the show brisk and entertaining. 

Sakuraba Mai played the Bollingers’ daughter Elizabeth. She was detestable, but in the way that indicates a great acting job. She’s at that awkward spot where it looks like she’s getting almost heroine weight roles in small theaters and disappearing in grand theaters. I hope they keep pushing her because she’s very strong.

Number one heartbreaker Kozakura Honoka (voice of an angel!) played blind Annabel, daughter of Kumichou/a very influential duchess. She mostly stays inside alone, and then Julien woos her with the intention of climbing the social/political ladder (while developing feelings for Elizabeth and also really never getting over Sabine). Annabel overhears Julien confessing his feelings to Elizabeth and asks her attendant Andre (Kiwami Shin, in love with Annabel) to let her kill herself. Honoka apparently put an immense amount of time and research into acting blind and it showed. 

Fellow American Sayaka Rin had probably the most lines she’s had yet, in a role formerly held by both Takashio Tomoe and Hyuuga Kaoru <3 

My personal MVPs of this show were Shidou Ryuu and Kiwami Shin, Shidou not even for doing anything particularly spectacular, but just just for having grown so much since I first became aware of her existence via the Koumori shinko 3+ years ago. She’s always going to be on the cute side rather than the devastating side IMO, but she’s developed enough confidence and control in her acting that she’s become a really lovable best friend/brother type; her character’s relationship with Julien and secret-but-obvious admiration of his far superior coolness was really adorable. Andre (Shin) isn’t a super juicy role until the very end, but the way Shin did Andre’s quiet breakdown when Annabel was explaining she didn’t want to live anymore, and then her poise when Andre came out of nowhere and shot Julien just as he and Sabine were trying to run away from shooting Jacques (?!??!) was like, my jaw actually dropped. Granted she’s still super young, but Shin isn’t someone who has thus far impressed me proportionately to the amount they’re pushing her, so this mini breakout was nice to see. 

Estrellas (a revue that I loved!), like all tour revues with less than half the cast and no staircase, felt quite small, at least from the B-seki side box. But in the smallness, normally unseen people get to shine, and there were moments that had me bouncing in my chair. Amato Kanon is going to grow up dangerous (if Tennis Daughter doesn’t just consume all the otokoyaku below 98th); in the opening with everyone else beaming she was smoldering. Aichan and Anru took Kai’s medley (with different songs) and made it a very cute douki thing. Sazanami Reira needs to dance closer to the front more often. Ruri Hanaka (who, bless her heart, cannot sing, at least not like a musumeyaku) somehow snagged Airi’s part in Tonight is What it Means to be Young, and despite the singing, absolutely killed it; that girl can DANCE and she’s got sass and arm muscles for days and a look in her eye like she’ll superglue you to your makeup table if you cross her. 

And boy, Coto looks good in that top position. The talent is really stupid, but on top of that she has such warmth. I’m really excited for her Hoshigumi.

Kamatari

Kamatari accomplished a feat, because admittedly I went in having already biased myself against it; I thought Beni and Airi getting a weird nihonmono for their last small theater was dumb and just about as NOT THEM as you can get.

But I take it back! It was lovely!

For starters it was visually stunning, which feels like the thing you say when you’re trying to convince yourself that you liked a nihonmono you didn’t actually understand a word of... but in this case, it really was just a bonus. The story (summary here) is not actually all that complicated, and the dialogue was even on the friendly side for nihonmono—no weird dialects (beyond what it always takes to decipher Beni), no 12th level keigo. 

Act 1 introduces Kamatari (Beni) and Soga no Iruka (Hanagata Hikaru) meeting as youths in school and developing a friendship, and then takes us, as far as I can tell, fairly historically accurately through the events leading up to and including the Isshi Incident. Act 2 was a little harder for me to follow; but it seems to be just a progression of Kamatari’s struggles living under the new post-incident emperor Naka no Oe (Seocchi), with whom he’d conspired to eliminate Soga no Iruka, and the former empress/Naka no Oe’s mother (Kuracchi), who wants to see Kamatari suffer, because she both loved Iruka and couldn’t side against her son. 

Most of the roles were pretty small so there are fewer standouts, but here they are:

This was the third in a progression of Hoshi shows I saw live (the other two being Another World and Elbe) that really helped cement my respect for Beni and Airi’s brand of chemistry. At the beginning of her top run, I was skeptical about Beni’s ability to generate romantic chemistry with anyone at all (Scarlet Pimpernel didn’t really help me with that, and I haven’t seen anything between that and Another World). They definitely don’t have sizzling hot chemistry, and they don’t have that cute newlywed chemistry either, but I noticed watching Kamatari that in the last few Hoshi things I’ve seen, I’ve found it very easy to believe how deeply Beni loves Airi in whatever world they’re portraying. They have like, comfortable old married couple chemistry (yes, even when they’re playing love at first sight). Their moments in Kamatari were very tender, but in a wholesome “aw, she cooked for him” kind of way. Yoshiko (Airi) also had a lovely part at the end, where the two of them are old, and Kamatari’s health is failing, and they go back to the spot where they met, and she says their life wasn’t always easy, and they suffered, and they struggled, but in the end she can honestly say she had fun, and she’s truly happy. I teared up! It was sweet and meta! That alone convinced me it wasn’t a bad last small theater for them.

Hanagata Hikaru was SO much the star of Act 1 that it had me wondering if this was gonna turn out to be HER taidan present (but then she died and didn’t appear in Act 2 at all). I can’t complain because she kicked ass. I feel like I said this exact thing re: Another World, but Mitsuru is normally about as vanilla as it gets for me, but she blew me away. The pompous genius school kid to the idealistic young man to the uncertainty that comes with the reality of seizing power to the change to tyranny mixed with love for the empress and complicated feelings for his childhood friend all flowed seamlessly.

Not that I’ve watched a ton of Hoshi recently, but this was the best role Tenju Mitsuki has gotten in GOD I can’t even remember how long. Esaka is in service of the (state? empire?) as a historical record keeper, and serves kind of as a narrator as well (along with Itsuki Chihiro). I don’t even know how to describe how she characterized him... he’s odd? Maybe a little off? Regardless, she was brilliant. Watch it.

Arisa Hitomi has that empress energy for sure. I read up on the history of the events afterwards, and the explanation of why she had to give up the throne after witnessing such violence (the idea back then that an empress couldn’t be sullied by such things), and that made the sensitivity with which Kuracchi portrayed her feel even more poignant the more I sat with it afterwards.

This was the first show where to me Seocchi felt like she belonged up there with Beni and Mitsuru. She definitely put some weight behind Naka no Oe and was very princely. NOW I wanna see her tackle a more interesting/challenging (and tbh more Hoshigumi) role from up in this spot. 

All in all now I’m a little sad I won’t be around for God of Stars.

[cutiepotato123]

So I am gonna tell you a little story about little ole me and my favorite band in the entire universe, Kagrra. This all started in high school, I believe, whenever myspace was popping. Anyways, I was really into like j-pop and all that jazz... ok, that’s not being fair. w-inds was bae, Ryuichi was bae, they made my heart go dokidoki lol. But me being all into j-pop, I was able to look through other people’s pages and their j-pop playlists and what not and one day this page had a bunch of rock songs. so I was like, I haven’t listened to j-rock so let’s try it out. I clicked through the songs and liked some and others not. And then BAM! I hear this beautifully kinda grungey kinda traditional Japanese music and I was just like “This is what I like”. So I got the song and put it on my myspace page for the rest of the time myspace was relevant. So high school is going on and I have a lot of shit to do so I rarely logged into myspace and then it happened, I FORGOT THE GODDAMN PASSWORD. I panicked, you guys. I panicked and I tried to get the info back but it was not happening and I had to come to the realization that it was not going to happen. All I could think of were the songs and how I was never going to be able to listen to them because 1, I didn’t read Japanese, 2, there were only like 3 other people that liked them, and 3, I couldn’t even remember what albums or anything the songs were on. I gave up.

So high school is happening, I am exploring other bands. I got really into T-rax, Laraku, Gackt, Dir-en grey, Glay, etc. I still listen to Kgrra but I kind of lost interest a little because back then it was really friction hard trying to find music in other languages if you couldn’t read them. Then I started getting into Big Bang and all the other YG artists and hip-hop was my thing now and I started getting into kpop like text, super junior, lee hyori, etc. I still listened to my j-rock but not as much now. 

I graduate high school and my college has decent internet connection so I am just like, Yes I can download all the songs lol. So I do. I get a whole bunch of Kgrra songs, Laraku, Gackt, even Hirai Ken (Strawberry sex was my jam). And I am having a blast listening to my beloved Kagrra and stuff. BUT, I still could not find that one song that made me love them as much as I did. I looked through all their albums and listened to all their songs but I could not fucking find the goddamn song. I’m older no so it’s not as critical and I move on with my life, sort of. For the past few years, every year i would just make a little ritual where I would spend a day listening to all Kagrra songs just looking for that one and it had not panned out but I just liked spending the day listening to their songs so I did not mind. I was also the only one of my friends who even listened to Japanese music so they weren’t really any help. My college life is filled with all these new artists but it still bugged me that I could not find that song. I thought I was literally going crazy, and for a time I really thought it was just a hallucination because I knew how the music was arranged, when the guitar solo played, the rhythm of the singing, and everything but the words. I thought I made everything up. But, every year I still did the same thing, planned out a day where I would listen to the old songs and new songs and try to find it.

It was 2011, I was looking through akp and other sites and there was an article about Kagrra. THEY DISBANDED. Ya’ll I was so heartbroken and I felt like I was a disappointment and everything. But what made it even more heart wrenching was their reason for disbanding, people were listening to their music but no one was buying their albums. I got so sad. I was just like “I did this to them. I am the one who doesn’t buy their songs and support them. How can I even call myself a fan when I can’t even buy one single album?” I was just like I failed you guys. You made me feel good but I failed you. But 2011 was not done with me yet, Isshi, the lead singer, the voice I had looked up to of r all these years passes away a few months after they disbanded. I cried my heart out. Like literal tears like I had lost a member of my family like my uncle died. And I’m just sobbing and my friends don’t know why but I’m just wailing and crying and there’s  snot everywhere. 

I graduate 2 years after that, still doing my same yearly routine and looking through their songs now as a sort of tribute and I am still looking for the one song. 

It is January 26, 2017 and after about 12-13 years I finally found the fucking song. I feel at peace now. I still feel like a piece of shit because they are not making music together anymore but it’s like I can die in piece, a hole in my life has been filled, also I am not crazy lol.

Anyways, thanks for reading ( or not this shit was pretty long)

TL;DR: Girl finds song from favorite band after looking for it for 12-13 years. Is also happy she is not crazy lol

[terror-teru-bozu]

So I found a fan translation someone did of one of the Persona 4 (Vanilla game!) CD drama’s, it’s quite long...but I just want to post the parts that have Dojima and Adachi in them because...well, because it’s those two!

The translation/localisation was done by aatash on Livejournal. So, more under the cut!

:: For the context of this particular excerpt, Dojima has returned home from work early, Adachi was tagging along.  The investigation team have been working on their homework::

Dojima: I'm home! Adachi: Sorry for the intrusion! Nanako: Dad! Chie: Two excellent role models... Nanako: Welcome home! You're back early! Dojima: Yeah, I came back straight from the crime scene today. Souji: Welcome home. Dojima: Whoa, lots of people I see. All: Sorry for the intrusion! Nanako: Big Bro and the others are studying! Dojima: Really? That's pretty passionate. Naoto: We're not making much progress, I'm afraid. Rise: Maybe you could teach us, Dojima-san! Dojima: What? Me? Adachi: Haha, you can't ask Dojima-san! He's never even taken the exam for a promotion before! Dojima: Adachi... I'm more interested in a hands-on investigation. Adachi: Sure, that's what you always say. Rise: What about you, Adachi-san? Adachi: I may not look like it, but I'm quite an elite. Yosuke: Elite? Teddie: That's a wind instrument. Yukiko: That would make him a trombone. Chie: I think you mean a flute! Adachi: Let's see... Whoa! This is terrible! Single digits as far as the eye can see! Kanji: That last part was unnecessary. Adachi: Man, this brings back memories. What stuff are you learning in high school again? Mercury, Venus, Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto? Naoto: Adachi-san, Pluto is no longer considered a planet. Adachi: What?!  Dojima: Looks like you just embarrassed yourself, Mr. Elite. Adachi: W-Well...! What about the Taika Reforms in the year 640? Chie: The Taika Reforms? Adachi: Heh, that's not good, guys! You should work on your Japanese history. Naoto: Are you talking about the Isshi Incident? Adachi: Huh? Chie: Oh, I've heard of that one! Fujiwara no Kamatari's involved, right? Naoto: Prince Naka no Oe and Nakatomi no Kamatari. Later known as Emperor Tenji and Fujiwara no Kamatari, they assassinated Soga no Iruka in the Isshi Incident. The Taika Reforms occurred thereafter due to an imperial decree proclaimed by Prince Taishi-- Yukiko: I thought you were a science person, Naoto, but you're well-versed in history too. Naoto: As a detective should be. Yukiko: Really? Chie: Just how super are detectives exactly? Adachi: 1192 is the year the Kamakura shogunate was formed! ... that hasn't changed, right?

Kanji: There's no point in learning history if it changes.

Adachi: H-History has nothing to do with investigations anyway! That's just for the college entrance exams!

Yosuke: What subjects apply in investigations, then?

Dojima: First of all, you need to be good at Japanese literature. Adachi, you made a mistake with the victim's name the other time.

Adachi: Do-Dojima-san! You don't have to say that here! L-Look! Once you use a computer too often, you tend to forget your kanji...

Dojima: Then why did you make that mistake on the computer? Geography's important too, but this guy can't read a map for nuts. He got lost with the patrol car for 30 minutes once.

Adachi: The streets of Inaba are really narrow! They don't even show on the map!

Souji: Aah. I got lost when I first came here, too. There are quite a few places to visit, like the riverside and the shopping arcade...

Adachi: It's complicated, isn't it? When I first got here, I lost my way even when I asked for directions. It was terrible!

Chie: That's an elite?

Yosuke: Makes you wonder what we're studying for. Teddie: Ohhh! I know what you're talking about! I saw it on TV! Because the economy is going into a recession, businesses are trying to stay afloat by laying off their employees!

Yosuke: So close and yet so far!

Dojima: Anyone hungry?

Souji: We've had dinner. Kanji made croquettes for us. I'm sorry, we weren't sure when you would return, so there aren't any left...

Dojima: No worries. We'll eat outside. Let's go, Nanako.

Nanako: I want a hamburger!

Dojima: Sure.

Adachi: Since we're going out, why don't we go for a Korean barbecue?

Dojima: Why don't you go home?

Adachi: Oh c'mon, you said you'd order take-out for us!

Dojima: They can't study if we're around!

Souji: That's not true.

Adachi: That's why you owe me a treat!

Dojima: What do you mean, "that's why"? Geez. Come on, let's go. Don't let the girls stay too late, you hear!

Guys: Yes, Sir. Adachi: Okay, thanks for having me over! 

:: Later on in the CD drama, there’s a sports festival going on at the school:: 

Nanako: Big Bro! Souji: Nanako! What's wrong? Shouldn't you be with Teddie? Dojima: Yo. Work ended earlier than I expected. It's not your turn yet, right? Souji: Dojima-san! Adachi: Hi~ Naoto: Adachi-san? Adachi: He made me give him a ride in the patrol car. You're a slave-driver, Dojima-san! Dojima: Shut up! Go home already. Adachi: Since I'm here, I might as well watch you run before I leave. Nanako: You're running, dad? Dojima: There can't be any competitions for me to run in... Naoto: Ah! I believe there is still a competition for family members... 

  Announcer: We will now accept family members for the three-legged race. If you wish to apply, please proceed to the admin committee's tent. Souji: Dojima-san. Nanako: Is Big Bro and dad gonna take part? Souji: You are, Nanako. Nanako: Me? Dojima: Let's run together, Nanako. Nanako: But I'm really slow. We won't win first place. Dojima: We don't need to win first place. Nanako: But dad, you've always gotten first place. Dojima: I just want to run with you. Don't you want to run with me? Nanako: Nuh uh. I want to run with you, dad! Naoto: I will take care of the application, then. Yukiko: Ah! Naoto-kun, you shouldn't move. Souji: I'll do it! Dojima: Wow, he's fast. Adachi: Dojima-san, don't get too enthusiastic! You might fall! Dojima: Who do you think I am? Adachi: Well there's no point in getting first place, right? Dojima: Yeah there is. Adachi: There's a prize? Yukiko: Ah... um... if you win first place, you'll get vouchers to stay at Amagi Inn... Adachi: Really? That works then. Dojima: That's not the point, idiot. Souji: I've entered you just in time for the race. Dojima: Okay. We'll be right back. Hold my jacket for me. Souji: Sure. Dojima: Let's go, Nanako. Nanako: 'Kay! Adachi: Dojima-san definitely knew about this race. Souji: What? Adachi: He forced himself to finish all his reports so we could get here in time. Souji: I see. Adachi: Man... guess I provided some assistance to your family! Hehehe... Souji: Thank you very much. Adachi: It's nothing. I didn't do it for you, anyway... Track 9 Dojima: There we go. Is the string around your legs too tight? Nanako: Nope, it's okay. Dojima: Let's practice a little. Nanako: Okay. Dojima: On the count of two, we move our legs. We should decide which leg. How about the left? Ready, set... one, two--! Nanako: Dad... when I move my right leg, you have to move your left leg. Dojima: Ahhhh, I see. Sorry, sorry. Announcer: Participants of the second race, please gather at the starting point. Dojima: All right! Let's go. Nanako: Okay! Announcer: On your mark, set... Dojima & Nanako: One, two, one, two (x repeat) Chie: Nanako-chan! Dojima-san! You can do it! Rise: Hey, they're doing pretty well! Yukiko: Yes! They've bypassed one pair, so they're in second place! Naoto: Perhaps... it is altogether possible... Girls: Ah! Yosuke: They fell! Chie: It's okay, Nanako-chan! Naoto: It is all right. Dojima-san is providing a nice follow-up. They have dropped a few places, but... Souji: Nanako... Rise: Nanako-chan! Just a little more! Announcer: Participants of the third race, please gather at the starting point. Nanako: Fourth place... Dojima: We fell, huh. Did it hurt? Nanako: I'm okay. Dojima: Then let's go back to the rest. Nanako: I'm sorry, dad. Dojima: You don't need to apologize. Nanako: But we didn't get first place. Dojima: Did you want first place? Nanako: I wanted to get that with you. Dojima: So you didn't like running with me because we didn't win first prize? Nanako: No... Dojima: Then it's all right. Fourth place is very good, you know. Nanako: ... yeah! Dojima: C'mon, let's go back. Nanako: Okay! Souji: Welcome back. You did your best, Nanako. Nanako: Uh huh! We fell, but I tried my hardest! Souji: Yes. You did well. Nanako: Look what I got! It's a consolation prize! Jumbo pencils! We got four of them, so I'm splitting them in half with dad. We have matching pencils! Dojima: Hehe... they're a little long for a police organizer, but they're not bad. Adachi: What!? You got mad at me when I stuck stickers on my organizer! Dojima: This is different!

:: Eventually the baton race that Souji entered starts and determined not to undermine everyone else’s efforts, he throws himself into that race with full zeal!::

Announcer: And now, Class 2-2 has passed their baton! Yosuke: Ohh! He's in the last place, but he's starting off at full power! Awesome! As expected of my partner! Yukiko: You can do it! Chie: Go for gold! Nanako: Big Bro! Yukiko: You can do it! Adachi: Whoa... sweat flying everywhere. What's he getting so worked up for? Dojima: It doesn't matter. Sometimes you choose to do things without reason. Adachi: It's dumb, I tell you! Dojima: You can't call yourself an adult if you don't get passionate about something. Adachi: Right... anyway, I'm heading home. I've already seen your brave attempt. Dojima: You're leaving now? He's gonna win, you know. Adachi: Heh, you're such a doting guardian... Catch you later. :: And as an extra, here’s the actors sign-off at the end of the CD drama, I just found this rather sweet! ::

Daisuke: Thanks for the hard work, everyone. I'm Namikawa Daisuke and I play the main character. Once again, thank you for buying this CD. Um... well, this is volume 3 of the Persona 4 Drama CD collection, so it's quite a happy occasion. It means we've managed to produce a third volume thanks to your purchases. Well, as always, the main character is... hmm, because he's the main character... as always, he doesn't have a name and no one ever calls him by name. Thanks to his calm personality, I got through the recording without damaging my throat. The theme for this CD is: doing your best isn't uncool. That's a good theme! I really like that. It's a phrase I can easily relate to, so it struck a chord in me. I had a lot of fun with the other voice actors again, and the main character is much closer to the other characters now. I think he has gotten a little brighter. He's slowly doing his best to mix in and get more familiar with the rest, step by step. To me, the door to his heart is like a thick, iron door, which is finally opening. I will work hard for future volumes, so thank you again, everyone! This was Namikawa Daisuke. Shotaro: Hi, I'm Morikubo Shotaro and I play Hanamura Yosuke. Thanks for the hard work, everyone. All: Thanks for the hard work. Shotaro: Regarding sports festivals, my high school was really strong in baseball and American football, so we had tons of guys with great physique. Um... my homeroom teacher actually told me not to participate because it could get dangerous. It was so bad that the teacher told me to sit out for the pole crash. Madono: (overlap) The pole crash, huh? That's a dangerous one. Shotaro: It was really scary, yeah. One of my friends from the soccer club actually lost his front teeth... and got kneed by some guy from another class. Memories of my aggressive school returned through this CD! Yep. There were lots of shocking incidents, but I hope you enjoyed it! Coming up next is someone even more shocking. The person who has... tissue... in her glasses. All: LOL Yui: Yes... I'm Horie Yui and I play Satonaka Chie. Thanks for the hard work, everyone. All: Thanks for the hard work. Yui: Um, just to briefly touch on my glasses... glasses have several parts, you know, the bit supported by the ears and the part that connects the main frame, and the screw from the last part recently came off. I wasn't sure what to do, so I twisted a piece of tissue paper, tried pushing it through the hole, and it actually worked. It's holding up pretty well too, so I'm using it as part of my glasses-- Shotaro: You shouldn't do that! Madono: You wore that for a week? Yui: A week... but it really feels totally stable! Shotaro: You had tissue glasses for a week? Yui: Yes, I had tissue glasses. Madono: Get it fixed already! Shotaro: What about the other side? Yui: I might get it repaired if the screw comes out on the other side too, but it works surprisingly well, so please give tissue a try if your glasses get spoilt. Okay, thank you very much! Kanda: Ah, you're done? Ami: I'm Koshimizu Ami and I play Amagi Yukiko. Thanks for the hard work, everyone! Well... it's been a long time since we've had a recording for Persona 4, so I was a little nervous when we first started, but I was very happy to have the chance to play Yukiko again. Also, um... it's been a while since the game, but meeting up with the rest again was like... how should I put it? Like a reunion of sorts! That's how I felt. Yep, yep. Um, this CD focused on a sports festival, and Yukiko gave her support in her own special way, so... wow, I think everyone had magnificent ways of giving support! I've learned a lot! I hope there will be more continuations to come! Thank you again for the hard work! Thank you very much! Seki: Okay! I'm Seki Tomokazu and I play Tatsumi Kanji. So, we've made it up to volume 3 of the Drama CD collection! We've worked together for a while, but I still hope we can keep this up. Um... it's a game I actually managed to play to the very end, so I like it very much. It'd be great if there's more stuff produced besides the Drama CDs. Um... with regards to Kanji, he has far more lines in volume 3 than the last two, so it was great for me! Thank you very much. Kappei: As always, everyone has interesting comments. Anyway, I'm Yamaguchi Kappei and I play Teddie. Thanks for the hard work, everyone. All: Thanks for the hard work. Kappei: So, a sports festival huh? It feels like ages since I've been to one. Somehow, it's... well... um... wow, I really can't remember. It was really a while ago! Well the theme for this CD is: doing your best isn't uncool. We only do the stuff we think we can do. So we have to be confident! And the Class 2-2 cheer was interesting, wasn't it? Humans naturally get caught up in that sort of thing. Of course, this is the finished product, so I'm sure you heard a very good cheer, but I have to tell you, we took many tries to record this cheer properly. Shotaro: Just to say "Class 2-2", right? Kappei: Right. We only do the stuff we think we can do. We learned that lesson thoroughly. Also, it was a very fun CD as always, and we had great conversations that made us laugh very hard. The work was tough, but this series will continue; or at least, I really hope we can continue this series. Um... I hope you found it interesting. Yep! The next person is uh... Risette, right? Rie: Yes! Kappei: Okay. Please do the honors! Rie: Okay! Rie: I'm Kugimiya Rie and I play Kujikawa Rise. Thanks for the hard work, everyone. All: Thanks for the hard work. Rie: Everyone is making such interesting comments, so I'm not really sure what to say. I think I'll just saw a few words and pass it on to the next person... I really don't have much to say, so, um.. if I have to make a comment, the Class 2-2 call was really... really... well, I do wonder why I'm always making the odd comment on the side. Kappei: And meanwhile Yosuke has so many lines. Shotaro: You don't have to put it that way. Rie: That's true. Yosuke-san always pops into the picture. Then I'd get stunned by his appearance. I don't think you can hear that from the finished product. But anyway, I hope the Persona 4 Drama CD collection will keep growing! So thank you very much! The next person, please go ahead. Paku: I'm Paku Romi and I play Shirogane Naoto. Um... for this CD, Naoto said a lot of difficult words again. I really adore Naoto and this is one of my favorite roles, but the one problem I always face is that Naoto uses a lot of difficult words. I wish I could have the extent of her knowledge, but really... um... whether you're smart or not, you can be anything you like as long as you work hard. I think this is amazing. No matter how old you are, I think working hard towards that one goal is an extremely wonderful thing to do, so even if I become an old grandma, I'll do my best to live an ambitious life. I hope you will all listen to this drama CD and reach for your goal as well. Let's live a passionate life together! That's all! This was Paku Romi. Kanda: That was Paku-san's comment. Kappei: Man, Paku Romi's so interesting! Kanda: She's amazing, isn't she? Yes! Hello, I'm Kanda Akemi and I play Dojima Nanako! Thanks for the hard work, everyone! Great job! All: Thanks for the hard work. Kanda: The focus is on the sports festival for this CD, but I don't really have any memories... of my sports festival. I can't remember a thing. I wonder what happened at my sports festival, but... Shotaro: A sports festival happened, that's all. Kanda: *giggles* This time, Nanako-chan managed to run a three-legged race with her dad, so I was really happy with that scene. The highlight for Nanako this CD is um... her dad's little mutter at the very, very end, so everyone, please listen carefully to the very last part of the CD! With that, I would like to pass the mike onto my dad! Unsho: I'm Ishizuka Unsho and I play Dojima Ryotaro. Shotaro: Could you start talking after you get to the mike? Unsho: It's okay, the mike caught my voice. It's fine. Meat is great, isn't it? Right? Once you get to my age, thick meat is kind of painful. All: *LOL* Shotaro: You talked about Korean barbecue? Unsho: I did, yeah. Uh... sports event, was it? That was so long ago, I've completely forgotten what it was like. I don't remember running or anything, but I do remember cheering for people. In the back of the mountains - I lived in the countryside, see - in the back of the mountains, we were supposed to cheer loudly for classmates on the school grounds. We were told to cheer loud enough for a girl sitting on the school grounds to hear us and turn around - man, we were so rural, cheering in the mountains - and I kept thinking, there's no way she'll turn around! I couldn't say that because it was my Senpai who told us to do that, but it was impossible anyway. That's what I remember of my sports events. Sports events... usually they're held in the fall, but nowadays they have them in spring, right? Shotaro: Ah, yeah... Unsho: That's what I've heard. But when I think of sports events, I still think of fall. Anyway, allow me to call on my Senpai. Hey, Senpai. Please do the honors. I've changed, you know. Madono: Please stop. Um... sorry about that. I'm Madono Mitsuaki and I play Adachi Tohru. This is normal for you guys, but it's my first time appearing in a drama CD. Did you know that? Shotaro: No we didn't! Madono: Well it is. Nice to meet you. Yui: Nice to meet you~! Madono: I'm Adachi Tohru-kun. I just heard about this earlier, but... um... actually, fans have been asking for Adachi Tohru to appear on the drama CDs. Kappei: Oh! Shotaro: Really! Madono: They were like, bring him out! Why isn't he out yet? Because they kept asking for him, he finally appeared! All: Ohh... Madono: Some of you are nodding. So.. the voices of fans are important! Yui: Yes. Madono: I'm sure everyone here feels the same way! Right, Namikawa? "Yes, that's right." Namikawa-kun agrees! Rie: Is that how he sounds like? Madono: Right, Paku Romi? "Yes, that's right." Shotaro: They sound the same. Unsho: They do! Madono: Who else is there? Ahhh, Seki, Seki, Seki. Right, Seki? You agree, don't you? "Yeah!" All: *lol* Shotaro: You laugh right after you say it! Madono: Right, Koshimizu? "You're right!" Shotaro: We get it! We get it already! That's enough! Unsho: You actually did it four times... Madono: We all feel that way, so fans... please keep pushing for Persona 4. Thank you for supporting us. I'm the last one, right? Shotaro: Yes. Madono: So... please buy the CD. Thank you very much!

[jongieslegs]

[Fan Account] Infinite Japan’s fanmeeting 2018- Sungjong biased*

*naturally

Fanmeeting at Yokohama Pacifico day 1 - 21 Nov 2018

Intro and song performances

A short video of the boys played on a giant screen, then it fell down to reveal the boys on stage and the intro of be mine. Surprise! 

Props to the coordinator noona who put the members in shirts that were open at the neckline, exposing just enough to tease. Except, Jjongs shirt was double layered and buttoned right up. At least the top was tucked in, and his trousers were nicely fitting, so we could appreciate that s-line. Yes, I had binoculars today.

Nothing’s over was next, and Jjong looked like he was really having fun on stage, laughing and playing with Dongwoo during odd moments. They formed a big heart together right at the end.

Later, they also performed Cover girl, and they all thew out signed balls, and Jjong even gave away the basket his came in. I saw him fire some love arrows at fans too,

and all the members ran into the audience and hi-fived people at the back and sidemost rows as they sang, which was awesome because the venue was big.

They were wearing different outfits, with jackets, for the last few songs. Loved seeing the choreo for Tell Me, Jjong was giving it his all and his jacket slid off his shoulder a few times. I have missed seeing his dance!

Singing Japanese songs

Each member pulled a numbered stick from a box, and a Japanese song split into those numbered parts was played. They had to memorise the song and sing their part. In the first song, Myungsoo got a really easy part, the others all managed to muddle through, but Jjong found his part really difficult. He asked the mc to put the words on their autocue but she told him they couldn’t. Sungyeol, the smart one, grabbed a pen and wrote his lyrics down, and so when they switched songs Jongie also asked for a pen. However, even with the lyrics, he couldn’t get the melody down so his first try at the song ‘sampo’ from the movie totoro was bad. The second try he got better, and inspirits cheered him on. After the songs we were given a short free photo time (but no real cameras allowed, just phones). I hope lots of inspirits share their photos as I was too far back to get anything good.

Talking about Disneyland and midnight black

As the guys all sat on stools, the mc went over with each member what they’d been up to, like Dongwoo and woohyuns musicals. There was a lot of Japanese, and Jjong was quiet for a really long time, just nodding in the way that you do when the conversation is mainly in a language you’re not fluent in. He drank a lot of water while the others talked. While Myungsoo was being interviewed, Jjong was asked if he’d been to a maid cafe and he was really emphatically like no no no, waving both hands and looking distressed. (They all said they hadn’t. Missing out!)

Finally the mc mentioned his radio show and we gave him big cheers for that. He looked happy and put his hand to his ear for an encore. He told the mc it’s not tiresome, but fun to do it. Then he wanted to talk about Disneyland, so they showed his insta picture on the screen, and he talked about how fun it was. He was really trying with the Japanese, asking Dongwoo for help with a word he wanted to say at one point. He was able to say he was happy, and the food at Disney made him happy too, but Japanese really isn’t his strong point and he looked a bit flustered at times. when asked who he went with, he wanted to say ‘our stylist’ but it came out as style-isshi and the other guys lost it, jumping up from their stools to laugh and tease him as he hastily tried to correct himself. Oh Jjong. We also saw a similar photo of him with the same Disney character that wasn’t posted on his insta.

Question time

On entry, we were able to submit a question for a member, and the members pulled them from boxes and then visited the seat of the person who wrote the question. Myungsoo pulled a question from the second floor, so while he went up to meet her, Jjong hosted a round of rock, paper, scissors with us and seemed to be very energetic and fun, shouting ‘ah-ha!’ When people lost. Myungsoo hugged his fan as well as answered her question, so that set all of them up to do the same.

Jong pulled his question while one of the others was being answered, and looked at it for a while, before finally going to meet his fan. Along the way to meet her, he got mistaken and thought she was someone else, so he started out by apologising a lot to her. She wanted him to rank the other members, and he asked in what way. She said in terms of the total package- looks, skills,etc. He took ages umming and aahing over i it, then put Woohyun 4th, L 3rd, Dongwoo 2nd, Sunggyu 1st!

Sungyeol looked really annoyed but Jjong soothed him somewhat calling him an angel. Then he called all of the members, plus inspirit, angels too. (I feel like angel is his favourite Japanese word, as he introduced himself as the angelic Sungjong.)

He asked the fan what she wanted, ‘hug?’ And she just kind of flailed, so he hugged her.

In the closing speech, Jjong said ‘oyasumi (goodnight) my love’ which made all the others cringe, so he said it twice and blew a kiss!

Hi-5

We lined up in another room and slowly made our way to the hi-5 and exit. Members stood on the right, and staff stood on the left ensuring you didn’t slow down. Jjong was first, YAY, and he leaned a little over the table to look out for us as I guess me and the girl before me were slow. He looked cute and smiley to see us, but a little tired, understandably. I managed a ‘Jjongburi fighting!’ as we hi-fived. L and Sungyeol were a blur... sorry guys... Woohyun said ‘I love you!’ In Japanese to everyone while giving a finger heart with the non-hi fiving hand.Dongwoo was last in line so we shared a longer smile as we hi-fived, and I said ‘thank you!’ as no one was rushing me along there.

I didn’t get lucky with the group photo lottery this time, so that’s all for me today! The event was from 7pm to 10pm, so they was good value for a fanmeet I think!

Thanks for reading!

[decem-viri]

Christmas wishlist

all muses edition

Akira: Chocolate pie. And Sungmin kisses! Atsushi: Leor to wear lingerie Chobi: A friend? I’m so alone... Claudius: ....the hell is a Christmas? Eros: One of those light up Christmas sweaters! Sang Gil: Home made katsudon. Or any homemade Japanese dish. Ha Min: Peace and quiet for once Ignus: I wanna go to a karaoke bar this year Isshi: Kitchenaid stand mixer. But that’s pricy...A recipe book! Izumi: A Rohan Kishibe figurine. Or any Jojo merch! Kang Seon: A chef’s knife please Kei: A week off Kojima: I want my kids to be happy Luna: A cute girlfriend! Or boyfriend... Lyn: A decent apartment -laughs- But anything would be appreciated Mari: To see my fiance in an elf costume. Or an all black turtle neck. Mink: -scoffs- Saku: Someone cute to cuddle! Seung Jun: Anything’s fine Shinji: A happy wife Shuji: A bottle of wine, red if you will. Shizuma: Lyn to be happy Solei: To hear my baby girl say mama Soo Yong: A new bed set, no light colors please and thank you. Ren: I want to hear someone say they love me and mean it Takashi: Another job to pay off those student loans. And a care package Tsubasa: For someone to know I exist. Everyone forgot about me it seems. Umi: French toast with lots of syrup! Mmm and bacon. Uroko: A cute mug to make my coffee in Wataru: To not be kink shamed in my own house! And some herbal tea Yasu: Some fun shaped cookie cutters would be nice Yuzuru: New pajamas that will keep me warm Zenya: A sketch book. I can’t draw for shit but I wanna learn

[djangeloo]

It’s Nice to have a Friend

Isshi Salamatin as a friend is an excellent example of friendship itself. Open-minded, genuine, strong personality and she can always be counted on to listen and provide support when needed.  Her wonderful sense of humour, adventure, and life experiences has given her the ability to see any situation in a positive sense.  Personally believing that ‘people come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime’, I’ve known for a long time that Isshi is a lifetime friend.

We first met in 2018 when I was a new student in our school and she is also a new student. I was an extremely shy person and Isshi was my first friend in my new school. She allowed me to be me, but also encouraged me to let loose and open up to enjoy the virtues of life. We knew each other before the school year started and she is the one who initiated chatting with me. She is indeed a friendly and approachable person because we had a conversation even if we still do not know each other well enough yet personally. I felt so excited to be her classmate for the next two years.

She is one of the greatest friends one could ever ask for. I could never be more thankful for having her in my life. Yes she is good looking like Ariana Grande. She sings well also like her idol. Also, her words and advices really mean something. She faces different difficulties in life but she is like a stone because of her very strong personality but a unique stone because she has a very soft heart at times when I am so down, she is there advising me and helping to be strong in every day of my life. Also, she is my every day companion when going home. During our walks going to the jeepney terminal, there are times when we laugh so hard, cry so hard and vent all the negative happenings of the day. This is most especially true when I feel that there is too much work in academics. We talk about it and she reminds me every time that everything will be fine and things will be successfully done. She always motivates me to become a productive student because she indeed is a productive student. She can balance herself with her significant other and with our friendship and for me.

I have known Isshi as a friend for two years.  She has so many excellent friend qualities.  She truly is a great listener and is willing to offer honest advice if needed.  She is a lot of fun to be around and is easy-going.  She is a very caring person and is genuinely interested in what is happening in your life. I value her friendship and know that she would be there for me any time I needed someone. Some friends come and go, but I know Isshi will be a trusted friend to me always.

Honesty and sincerity are two of Isshi’s assets. Her strengths are her patience and listening skills paired with her sense of humor and a touch of class.  She will join you for a hearty laugh and shed a tear with you any time of day. Also, she has a great smile and big laugh. She is also entertaining and funny, serious and compassionate. I am so thankful because she is a very nice and lovable friend to me that I will cherish forever.

[sgailsheilleache]

Tagged by @adzuki-caramel

Nickname: Kris

Gender: F

Star Sign: Leo

Height: 171cm

Time right now: 10:09pm (I’m sorry I got distracted by High&Low the Live)

Last thing I googled: Exile the Second Live Tour 2016

Favorite Bands: EXILE, 3JSB, nidaime…*inserts more LDH groups*, Kalafina, Kagrra (I was so sad when Isshi passed away), Wagakki Band

Favorite Solo Artists: Shikata Akiko, Matsushita Yuya (before X4 anyway), Atsushi (voice of the angels)

Song stuck in your head: currently Higher Ground, Happy and Superfly

Last movie I watched: HIGH&LOW

Last TV Show I watched: Zero Dragon Blood

When did you create your blog: 2011 I think? The year I started watching Gokaiger and OOO

What kind of stuff do you post: Mainly LDH and High&Low. When I first started, it was 80% tokusatsu, 19% butai and 1% cosplay, animals and miscellaneous stuff.

When did your blog reach its peak: 1) The photos I took at Toei Eigamura, 2) MapleStory cosplay team, 3) KamiAso cosplay team, 4) NaoNao + pool

Do you have any other blogs: yes

Do you get asks regularly: nope =)

Why you chose your URL: It’s the name of my favourite character from a novel series. He died.

Following: 141

Posts: 19409

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor

Pokémon Team: idk I don’t play

Favorite colours: Blue. All shades of blue

Average hours of sleep: 7

Lucky Numbers: 5, 7, 8, 21

Favourite manga Characters: Hiwatari Satoshi (DN Angel), Tao Ren (Shaman King), Tezuka Kunimitsu (Prince of Tennis)

How many blankets do you sleep with: 2, one of which is Naoto’s AW blanket

Dream job: One that enables me to travel around the world (this doesn’t include air stewardess. I’m sorry I’m more likely to kick a misbehaving customer out than to serve them and put up with their bullshit)

Dream trip: to watch a 3JSB/High&Low/TOW/Exile concert in Japan, or a nice, long trip to New Zealand, or to visit a wolf sanctuary anywhere 

[cielospeaks]

honestly if ur gonna do a “kanae has a bad time bc wa kun” thing nows the time to do it, not 6 eps ago

but honestly this whole shithole of a fanbase (at least on here) is so unsympathetic to her if its not for ship reasons

anyways im doing it even if im alone in it, everyone goes to otowakan (like in that crossover cept now virelai and friends are there too) chihaya guda and erlend are back obvs and this time hans was brought w erlend and probably the other lil bros too. gosh thisll probably be even harder for kanae to see now ;n; virelai crew is there so virelai can see his waifu, and anda’s chaperoning them (w leith too probably). guda and nanashi are there, either ritsus are there and freaking out or they had to stay behind and are aggressively skyping guda. mashu is back too bc kouhai friendship. chihaya simultaneously takes his fatefam and the eiyuu crew. i hope if himi is fretting about her chest motes is like “but all oppai are good oppai!” and starts doing a little dance, unlikely friendship number ive lost track. misaki goes to visit cho again and brings some snacks, okki goes w guda and upon hearing theres a hikki in this house nyooms upstairs. idk i guess isshie goes there too to check on kanae and picks like the best time to do so. its like the followup fic to that one last year.

i can imagine misaki meets kanae and is probably, next to isshie, the best person to talk it out w. shes really chill and approachable and i can imagine her stepping up when andantine and the others get too nervous to say anything. misaki is the hero we deserve. isshie is rlly professional and waits outside to be invited in, but possibly the loids or someone drags her in

the aniki trio do their bests, but probably unintentionally make kanae cry. i can imagine if she talks to the westergards about it hans gives a guilty look to the side bc he wonders if this is how erlend feels. meanwhile erlend just kinda does something nice to comfort kanae, he doesnt really say anything but has a kinda “you can get through this” look and stuff.

the cloneposers also are back and wagner sighs when he hears about wa kun. “why is the me in this place such a hecking jerk” and everyones like sideyes him like “boiiiiii” he probably goes off angrily to give wa kun a talking to, mostly bc hes mad that people insulted another version of himself. meanwhile dj bach is looking for his counterpart and accidentally meets schuu who is super shooketh by the whole hip hop aesthetic, dj bach is totally encouraging to him, maybe sousukes there too and is like “yeah! schuu was so cool as a rapper! listen to this remix i did of avocado arigato” and dj bach is super supportive and both of them have a good time spending time w him. dj bach settles for writing a letter to his other self about how he had a good time that day.

also since kaede is in the first one maybe either kaedeloid or a ghost version of kaede visits in this one to cheer up kanae. idk.

id like it if kanae and anda end up sharing their troubles indirectly to each other at some point, and end up saying some kind and encouraging words to each other too. virelai and anacrusis and leith and whoever else are like “you go anda” in the background. when/if virelai meets schuu the others have to fking push him up bc hes so nervous and he stammers out like “y-youre really cool! i- i love you!....r music” and anacrusis is like “yeah! he likes when u show ur abs!” and virelai steps on his foot

hans is super tsun about beet and the whole time is caught staring at him by erlend. “that beethoven-san sure is handsome isnt he?” hans blushing “no! well.... he’s not not handsome..... kinda....” tsun tsun dere tsun