#hitomi takahashi

[doppelgenkan]

[liure00]

【Tsuki Kitsune】Candy Line【UTAU Cover】

[allicaj]

I listened recently this BEST <3 I love it

[barklikeagod]

pause to pay respects to a legend

[mondopazzo]

Masterpiece.

Fruits of Passion (1981) | dir. Shūji Terayama

[kanashimitwilight]

[jpidolspic]

[hitomi-kozue]

It's Glasses Day, so Fujin and Takeda are wearing glasses.

[magicmorningmeteora]

モーニング娘。 『恋は発想 Do The Hustle!』 (MV)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Ring (1998)

I enjoy comparing original films to their remakes. 90% of the time, the original proves itself the superior film but seeing the same story done by a different set of hands is exciting. In theory, the remake is an opportunity to polish away the blemishes, set up the sequel(s) no one knew was coming, give the standout character more time to shine, etc. I saw 2002’s The Ring by Gore Verbinski before Ring (also known as Ringu), so this was an interesting experiment. This horror film starts with a great premise. This 1998 film is scary and takes some unexpected turns, culminating in a terrific ending. You can immediately see why it was remade by Hollywood four years later - but is it the superior movie?   After her niece’s mysterious death, journalist Reiko Askawa (Nanako Matsushima) investigates an urban legend about a videotape that supposedly kills anyone who watches it. First, you get a phone call, then, one week later, you die. Thinking nothing of it, Reiko watches the tape. After receiving the ominous phone call, she reaches out to her ex-husband, Ryūji (Hiroyuki Sanada). They search for the video's origins, hoping it can save Reiko from the vengeful spirit it unleashes.   One of the film’s big strengths is the killer recording. Before the tape, you see the curse's end results: the victims and their twisted faces. You're curious, so you watch along with Reiko. At that point, your heart sinks. It’s a series of black-and-white, disjointed scenes that concludes with a shot of a well and a screeching sound. "Weird" is an understatement. Where do you even start? Keep in mind, Reiko had to track down the tape in some cabin where its victims stayed a week ago and everyone who’s already seen it is dead. Making things even more dire is that she catches her young son (Rikiya Ōtaka) watching the video one night. Now, if she fails to decrypt this mystery, he'll die too.   The thing with horror films like this is that you want to see what happens, but your instinct tells you to run away. The "danger" is engaging, which makes Ringu a fun enigma. You could ever solve where it came from yourself but you're eager to find answers. Like Reiko and Ryūji, you’re scrutinizing every frame of that tape. Are the contents metaphorical? Is it real footage? Could the people we see be real, but the images be fake? The unique thing about Ringu is that while each clue might bring us closer to the finish line, it doesn’t feel like it’s getting any easier. The more clues we gather, the spookier things become. You know what’s happening is fiction, but there’s a small part of you that can’t help thinking you shouldn’t be watching. If you suddenly received a phone call midway, you'd jump out of your skin.

The biggest difference between Ringu and The Ring is the curse's rules. In some ways, it’s clever. In other ways, it feels like a bit of a cheat. Without revealing too much, the key to solving the mystery in Ringu depends heavily on Ryūji’s psychic visions. With no supernatural abilities, it would be impossible to figure everything out so Reiko’s niece and her friends never had a chance. In a way, that explains why the thing is an urban legend. You only get the phone call under certain circumstances and receiving the phone call doesn't mean you get those much-needed visions - only psychics get those. This means most people would watch the video, go “Well, that was weird” and then die a week later for reasons no one could figure out. The tape is so obscure it would take a long time to make the connection. That makes it feel like a "real" urban legend. The downside is that it makes the scenario feel a tad convoluted. We're asked to believe in 1) cursed videotapes, 2) ghosts and 3) psychic powers. While these do come together during the conclusion, it’s still removed from reality by one more level than the Gore Verbinski film. It also feels much more Japanese than the American version, which is neither a good nor a bad thing, but worth mentioning. This might be controversial, but I like the simplified horror of the American remake better.

I say 2002’s The Ring is an improvement over the original for several reasons, the biggest of which being that the story feels much more universal and its mechanics are less complicated. Don't let that discourage you from viewing Ringu. It’s a more subdued, stranger-feeling horror movie that’s steeped in Japanese culture. It’s also scary and memorable, with a great premise and scares that will stick with you. (Original Japanese version with English subtitles, June 7, 2023)

[babygray]

BEAT CRUSADERS - Woh I Nee [Official Music Video]｜TV TOKYO anime “Gintam...

[myost]

[now-playing] - pacific breeze : japanese city pop, aor & boogie - 1976~1986

[gintama-polls]

Gintama OP/ED Song Tournament

"Wo Ai Ni" is the 14th ending theme (episodes 164-176).

"Genjou Destruction" is the insert song for Gintama the Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya.

Songs under the cut.

Apologies for the Dailymotion video. I could not find the original "Wo Ai Ni" video on Youtube, or even the original song. Just the ending and a lot of covers. You can find a clip of the original music video on Sony Music's website (third row, left), but it's loud and low quality and not... easy to link to.

[galaxy--supernova-scans]

recent additions to my photocard collection, please like/reblog if you save!

[rheallsim]

It was The Big Game day, and this very stereotypical division along gender lines happened autonomously. x___x

The ladies in the kitchen, the dudes in the living room watching the game on the TV…

In attendance was Micah and his family (his wife Orion and his daughter Belle), their step-sister Evangeline, Abigale's best friend Hitomi, and also poor Guillermo.

[tokusongs]

"The Braves - The Heirs to the Dinosaurs' Path", from Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger (2013). Performed by Takahashi Hideyuki, Matsubara Tsuyoshi, and Yoshida Hitomi.