It's the long one you've all been waiting for! The highly acclaimed and requested UPDATE.
GACKT:
Gackt has been very busy this year with filming his first
Hollywod movie (although still a smaller-scale semi-arthouse one) with
Josh Hartnett called
BUNRAKU. What we do know is that filming has finished, and the photoshoots have been done, now it's just a matter of time before the film is cleaned, polished and put into the cinemas.
Considering how long ago the actual filming finished, I think it's safe to say that BUNRAKU will come out next year, but when we can only guess. I'm placing my bets on the early half of next year ( between March and June ).
I'm gonna be one the the people that watch the movie on the first day, squeeing as he butchers the English language (it's about time! We've been slaughtering Japanese with our Wapanese for way too long!) and if Gackt attends the premiere, I'm gonna be one of many leaning against the railings yelling "
GAKUTO, AISHITEIRUUUUU!! MAGUNUM! MAGUNUM!" <<only true Gackt fans would get that xD
Also, Gackt has been doing some recording before and after filming the movie, so I'm hoping there will be a new album some time soon. I DO know that his new single,
Jesus is coming out very soon (3rd December this year) and have already ordered that and his 2009 Calendar. I can now tell my neighbours, who are staring at me for camping out at my mail box, that I am "Waiting for Jesus to arrive. He should get here around Christmas time, due to the time lag from shipping" xDD.
Anyways, the PV preview can be found
here, and I'm sad to say that Ryu the drummer, after being with Gackt for many many years, has been replaced with a younger,
Ju-ken clone that goes by the name of
Junji. Not that I'm against this. It seems that bringing some new blood into Gacktjob may be helping Gackt to return to his harder rock roots, since Jesus sounds a bit darker and faster than his last release
Yami no Shuuen ~Returner, which while being awesome in every single respect, is still a bit slow and ballad-ey.
On another note, Gackt's famous
nine*nine box came out this year. The box set famous for having the most CDs ever in a box (13, I think it was) and being the most expensive thing ever on YesAsia (originally around
$200US, which translates to about
$300AU because of the stupid financial crisis T_T). This amazing box has each concert recorded on CD, so we can listen to his live performaces like we were actually there. I really like this idea, also his performances always sound better live in my opinion, so this is an added plus.
There's also an extra DVD containing a special interview and cameos from two special musicians. One is
Miyavi, who jumps in and glomps Gackt, talks a bit then leaves (maybe this is hinting at possible work together, hopefully the continuation of the currently inactive
S.K.I.N.?!).
Kamijo, the vocalist of
Versailles Philharmonic Quintet (stupid US copyright laws and Versailles US band!!) also visits. Apparently he was a
Malice Mizer roadie back in the day, so him and Gackt are sorta tight? Seeing this pleases me, as Gackt is still keeping up with the Visual Kei scene (also shown by
Asagi blogging to say that Gackt visited
D's performance). This also points to Gackt returning to his
Visual roots, which makes me happy as he was getting a bit pop-ish lately. I think this is a good omen for the coming year, it sort-of makes Gackt seem less likely to retire any time soon (as stated in an article this year).
Gackt is also going on another tour at the end of this year that continues until next year some time in January.
It's even more stupid than the Girugamesh Stupid Tour, since there's 52 tour dates (and people wonder why Gackt faints? That's like almost two months non-stop touring!). Of course, it's restricted to Japan and I think some other Asian countries, but I believe that Gackt is slowly making progress in his
World Domination. He's got all of Asia wrapped around his finger, the US is also under his control (through S.K.I.N.) and I believe that Europe is very close, so hopefully Gackt will grace Australia with his presence soon!
Gackt is also going to be on the cover of two magazines in December (Fool's Mate and I think Shoxx) so I'll be on the lookout for those!
On another "another note", Gackt's newest platinum box,
Platinum Box IX (holy crap he's up tp nine already?!) is also coming out, and they all look like private school boys xDD (how does Gackt manage to look 20 years younger with only glasses and a blazer?! Oh yes, that's right,
he's a vampire).
Also, Gackt lost a valued friend this year
Ken Ogata, and he makes a tear-jerking comment about him
here.
I also was able to finally track down a copy of Gackt's concert DVD
Requiem et Reminiscence, and I have to say it is one of the BEST CONCERTS I HAVE EVER SEEN. In this concert, the video plot throughout makes more sense, and the transition between the serious and fun part of the concert is hilarious. What was surprising though was the
absolute lack of fanservice.
Gackt did not touch himself or any others in the whole concert. Maybe that makes this concert a good introduction for those not able to handle any fanservice just yet. Either way, the songs were from his older
Rebirth album, and because of this were a lot darker and heavier than his recent songs, and each performance was perfect. Also, if you like s
eeing Gackt go crazy and singing while lying sideways on the floor or Gackt in an
army unform (SQUEE) then this concert is for you!
Okay, now on to DORAMA NIUZU!!
HAPPY BOYS:
One of the most awesome and cute dramas I have started watching, it has
Koji Seto and
Shindo Gaku (both awesome actors) and also some other less known (to me) actors, all of which are good-looking. Yes, even the gay one.
Shindo plays the old-fashioned Gen, who is the butt of most jokes, Koji plays the smiley guy,
Kato Keisuke plays the emotionless glasses guy,
Kamakari Kenta plays the former host with funny dress sense,
Nagashima Shugo plays the adorable kid,
Sugawara Eiji plays the gay chef and
Tanaka Tetushi plays the manager person.
I really like the way that each character is given 2 episodes to explore their own past and reasons for working as a butler at the restaurant, and you can really see the bonding that the characters go through as the series progresses (the interactions between them are very entertaining!) and each character has their own distinct personality and are portrayed well.
This show only gets better, so I recommend watching, the only downside is that this is one fo the 30minute slot dramas, so it's so disappointing when the fun journey of the butlers come to an end.
TOKYO GHOST TRIP:
You can tell right from the get-go that this drama is one of the lower budgetted dramas, but what pulls this series through is the fact that the actors portray their characters very well and start to grow on you as you watch.
Synopsis:
Setsu and Souwa are members of the Inui family, descended from
itako. Their high school graduation is coming up, but the head of the Inui family suddenly runs away. Their older brother Kai, a priest who studied exorcism abroad, becomes their guardian, and Setsu and Souwa are forced to take over the family business of dealing with spirits. --
TokyographShindo Gaku is in this one as well, as the Grim Reaper who ominously appears usually once per episode, the ON/OFF twins
Naoya and
Kazuya appear in cameos each episode (interchanging their roles but because they're twins YOU CAN'T TELL WHICH ONE IT IS),
Juri and
Yagami Ren play Inui Setsu and Inui Sowa,
Kotani Yoshikazu (the PoT boy and BOYS LOVE) plays another cousin in the Inui family,
Takiguchi Yugihiro plays yet ANOTHER cousin but with glasses, and
Kiriyama Renn plays the older priest brother to the itako boys (I know, a Japanese priest in an itako family?! WTF?!?!)
This series is funny in the low-budget way, and the many weird relationships remind me of a Shojo manga (moreso than HAPPY BOYS) but the series does get interesting the more you watch, and the acting is definately high quality. I only saw half of the series, but I was hooked by ep 3, and am waiting for the rest to be subbed!
SHINJUKU SWAN:
An extremely short show (6 episodes) but one that also grows on you, though maybe for more mature audiences due to the nudity and nature of the show (prostitution and AVs).
DramaWiki Synopsis:
"Shiratori Tatsuhiko works as a scout for
Burst, a talent agency in Kabukicho, Shinjuku's red light district. In a business where money means everything Tatsuhiko finds himself at a constant struggle between rival talent scouts, and the yakuza."
I found this show as the actor
Kitamura Eiki (from the Bleach musicals and Gokusen) was in this drama as a semi-main character. Eiki plays the shady/smiley friend who'll utter your death sentence while still smiling just as sweetly as if he was talking to a child (and has an AWESOME scar, just wish they went into how he got it). The main character, however, is
Kawamura Yousuke who plays the righteous talent scout (he is also in ROOKIES, but with black hair and a beard you wouldn't be able to connect him with his Shinjuku Swan blonde hairdo).
While being a bit too graphic at times for my taste, what with its almost-rape scene, semi-full Adult Video shoot and un-blurred showing of a "Bosom Bar", the dirtier humour (somewhat along the lines of Chobits with the "Are you okay down there?" idea) redeems the show, as well as the performances by Yousuke and Eiki. Also, the realistic portrayal of the sex trade in Japan was done very well compared to other shows too shy to show the raw truths of the industry.
Overall, I liked the show. After getting over the first graphic episode, the show grows on you. Again, the show is extremely short (6 30 minute slot episodes) and the last episode doesn't really seem like an ending, but it is still a decent show for being another low-budget one.
HERE IS GREENWOOD:
This show is full of so much random awesomeness, it's really hard to explain how amazing it is. The cast comprises of mainly unknowns except for
Suzuki Hiroki (who plays Reira in Fuma no Kojiro), and Okuchi Kengo (Aizen from the Bleach Musicals)
This show is basically like HanaKimi, except is in short 30min slot episodes, is even more random and actually has proper issues (such as a brother's wife/sister complex).
Synopsis from DramaWiki:
"The story based on the manga of the same name and focuses on the lives of Kazuya Hasukawa and his dorm mates at Ryokuto Academy where they live in a former insane asylum turned dorm, called Greenwood."
This drama works because of its' random plot and it's seemingly random cast. All the actors are small-time, which makes it even better as the show doesn't rely on flashy famous actors to pull it through and really showcases the amazing talents of these guys. It's nice to see fresh faces in the Japanese acting industry instead of the same big-timers, and these actors probably deserve just as much screen time (if not more) than some of the actors out there (*COUGH*
BAKANISHI*COUGH*).
If you get the chance, watch it, you'll NEVER EVER REGRET IT.
MAOU:
Another AMAZING drama, starring Ikuta Toma and Ohno Satoshi (I don't need to go linking them, it's pretty obvious who they are!).
Synopsis from DramaWiki:
"This drama is a remake of the popular suspense drama
The Devil that was aired in Korea last year. Ohno Satoshi will be playing the role of a two-faced lawyer, one of which is a kind hearted soul and the other who is plotting revenge, using his brilliant mind, on the person who killed his relative. On the other hand, Ikuta Toma will play the double lead role of the man, who has become a detective due to his dark past, who is pursuing the mysterious series of murders and fighting against the devil (maou)."
The Japanese version, adapted from the Korean TV show of the same name, but changed so that you know who the killer is from the first episode. Structuring the show this way right from the start shows you another side of the story, the killer's side, making it much more sadder, and you start to sympathise with him and wander if all he does is actually a bad thing. I really like dramas that question normal beliefs and give you an ambiguous answer, and this does exactly that. It also showcases Ohno's AMAZING acting ability. People say that Nino can act with his eyes? Well he must have learnt from the master, because Ohno is amazing in this show, and delivers his lines extremely well.
There's also performances from
Oshinari Shugo (in Yamada Tarou as the gay friend) and
Waki Tomohiro (KUMA in Gokusen) as friends of the main character.
OTHER DRAMA NEWS:
Watching:
ROOKIESThis show has SO MANY
D-BOYS (it's like D-boys spamming) and SO MANY PEOPLE FROM THE
CROWS ZERO MOVIE, IT'S NOT FUNNY.
Very good, very "tough guys can cry too", very Shirota-thug.
Nino's (Yamada Taro, the ARASHI guy) new drama:
Ryusei no Kizuna:-
Apparently switches between extreme funny and extreme serious, and Nino has a sister complex which is funny xDD
Shirota's (ROOKIES, HanaKimi's Kagurazaka) new drama:
Team Batista no Eiko:-
ANOTHER serious Shirota role as a brain surgeon -_-". I wish he'd get some more funnies in his career, you know? I mean, he's so funny in real life, why not be funny in his acting life?
And LOL Shirota is gonna be in a period piece drama called
Tenchijin (man, he's gonna stick out>>HUGE AND HALF-SPANISH xDD). I wanna see how Japanese they can make him look!
Mizushima's (HanaKimi Dorm Leader and Absolute Boyfriend rival BF) new drama:
Room of King:-
Seems funny, but wish someone would sub it! It reminds me of The Wallflower anime, except they don't have to improve a girl, but still must fight over an apartment xD
Kitamura Eiki is in a drama that reminds me of Shinjuku Swan called
Walkin' Butterfly.
Kimura Ryo (gay guy in HanaKimi AND Nodame Cantabile LOL) is in a new drama called
Akai ItoAlso, SHIROTA YU LIKES SHOJO MANGA (AND SPECIFICALLY PEACH GIRL) AND MIZUSHIMA LIKES EMINEM and OTHER R 'n'B xDD
The movie
MW is in production, which has
Tamaki Hiroshi playing the crossdressing villain and main character (who's a seme with the appearance of an uke xD) , with
Takayuki Yamada as the priest who is the gay partner of the villain ( who is the seemingly seme yet an uke). This is weird as I'd say that the priest was meant to be manly (in the manga he is) yet Takayuki can't even pull off a beard without looking like he had it plastered on to try and look older (no offence to any of his fans out there), and Tamaki looks more manly and I think is taller than him, further detracting from his manliness.
Now, onto LIFE!!!:I went out on both the Thursday after Chem, and then on the Friday and the Saturday, and then on the Monday!
On Thurs, Michelle, Janita, Jinyi, Odom, Jason/Bob/Nguyen and myself. I scored the Gackt RnR concert, the NEWFACE mag with the DVD interviews of Koji Seto, Shirota and Mizushima, a matching ipod sock with Janita (mine's pink, her's is blue, hurr~) and some Japanese food.
On Fri, Lawson, Michelle, Jessica and I went to eat at the Iron Chef in Cab and playes on teh swings for HOURS, after wandering around the shops and playing with the escalators and in that creepy TIME-GONE place xDD. It was very very fun and I would like to do it again (if Jessica's cup stops peeing itself!).
On Sat, had M Y E R training (long and tiring, but i must think about the money xD)
On Monday, saw a movie with my cousin, called Mirrors. Pretty scary (covered my face once, squinted twice ) but I really liked it. It was made very well, and the setting and ideas used (creepy mall with poor visibility and when your reflection doesn't do what it's supposed to? BRILLIANT). Had heaps of fun with my cousin.!
Sorry my life part was so short, mum wants to use the comp xD
+ 
LOL jrock Jun! 
LOL, SQUALL SHIROTA
EPIC RULER AWESOMENESS
LOL, pimpin' Shindo with Shirota's Heat Island streaks!
