It's a shame really because I like his outfit. Man...it's been a while since I've said that. It's nice to see him in clothing that isn't insanely tight. Or ugly.
Quite frankly, I'm glad as hale that Tae Yang is BACK.
Speaking of Teddy, I loved his brief cameo in the music video.
Overall, the song is a nice lead back into the solo career that Tae Yang started more than a year ago. I wish he decided to promote this song because the lives would have been sweet, particularly, choreography wise. I'm looking forward to his next single, "Wedding Dress" more than ever now.
Despite my feelings towards Big Bang as a group at the moment, I'm still looking forward to the solos of three members: Tae Yang, TOP and Dae Sung.
Tae Yang already went solo last year, but he's at it again and I can't wait. He's fully capable of shining on his own and most importantly, in his own way.
TOP used to be an underground rapper and later became a member of an idol group. So...something tells me that musically, there is a side to him that I haven't seen and I would love to get to know it. Especially because I know he has good taste in music. I always loved this video of him singing Black Street's "No Diggity", one of my 90's jams and I'm still pissed YG didn't bother to train his voice because I think he would have been good.
No really. From this:
About 3 weeks ago before my exams ended, I ordered Girugamesh's CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY DVD from CDJapan for my birthday [sweet sixteen =D]. As my holidays were only 3 weeks long, I was really anxious for it to arrive and visited the post box more than was necessary. XD Fed up with the disappointment of opening an empty post box, I finally decided to call the tracking number I was given when I last went to visit on Saturday and oh the irony, it arrived that day but after I had checked. So I happily went to the post office today with the reference code only to find there was a long line that practically lead out the door. I was little phased at how long the queue was but I don't really mind waiting in lines so the 15-20 minute wait wasn't really so bad.
It was what came after that that ticked me off. I told the postal lady that I'd come to collect a package and gave her the reference number and saw her disappear into the parcels room. Several minutes later I saw her emmerge empty-handed and begin wondering round the back-area looking under files and stacks of other stuff before she disappeared out of my line of sight. At this point, I thought, "Oh my gosh...they've lost my package! >_<" For some obscure reason, she was gone an over the time you'd normally give someone to look for a parcel and I'd been stuck at the post office for almost 40 minutes. Finally she came back but then told me that I needed to get the actual slip from my post box which is several floors down. -_-; After a brief panic that the box keys were left at home when they weren't, I got the slip and went back up to the post office....only to be met by another out-the-door queue! DX
...Eventually...I got my package and once I had it in my hands, all my annoyance disappeared and I was really excited when I got home and opened it! =D
When I saw the, "Are you crazy?" sticker I couldn't help but laugh since it really seems like something the guys of Giru would think of putting in but also because of all that I'd been through to acquire the DVD! XD [Seriously, I've never had so much trouble trying to get a package from the post office...afterwards, my mom told me to never order anything online again. XD]
One thing that struck me as strange about the DVD was that while the sticker, DVD cover and DVDs all have the logo featured on the MUSIC album, the spine has their old regular logo. I suppose the use of the new logo is to show a link with the MUSIC album.
The DVD features two discs: the first is the concert DVD with super-cute, anime-styled character designs of the band members looking sullen and the second is footage documenting the nationwide tour as indicated by the yellow design of Japan. ^_^
I've already watched the DVD once and am happy to say I'm quite satisfied with my purchase despite all the craziness involved. ;3
After almost a year-and-4-months of on and off painting, I finally finished my first canvas piece!!!! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you vocalist Ruki from the GazettE as seen in the COCKROACH PV! (*＾▽＾)／
- Time: Unknown
- Medium: Oil paints on canvas, blue bejeweled gem, pointed studs
- Reference: Ruki - The Mad Hatt
Overall, I'm really happy with the way it turned out since I was stressing a little. Having painted the suit and hat first, I was afraid I'd mess up my painting when doing the face and hair but that seemed to turn out alright...although both could do with a little more work
At first, I wasn't sure whether I was going to use the blue sequined gems I had for the eyes or the pointed studs for the jacket but once I stuck the gems down I thought I might as well finish my painting to the last very detail and so used the studs. I didn't want to cut into my canvas to screw them in in case I made a mistake so I glued them on instead. Haha, I had so much fun putting in these details! I think they really tie the painting together! (^.^)
I'm really satisfied with this painting and will be more than happy to have Ruki hanging on my wall ♥! :3
P.S Everyone refers to the subject matter as a "she" whilst I automatically say "he". XD
I bought a new pair of headphones...（＾▽ ＾）
I've been wanting to buy a pair like this for ages and today I finally gave in and bought myself a pair! They are iFrogz' Ear Pollution Nerve Pipe headphones aka. the cheaper alternative to Skull Candy headphones. XD They come in a number of different colours with various designs but in the end the two that caught my eye were a red pair with black widow spiders and a pink pair with a flowers. I'm so ambivalent! XD And so deciding to go with something different for a change [usually I wouldn't buy something like this... a bit too girly for my tastes...], I bought the latter. XD
So far they've been pretty good: comfortable, adjustable, fold-up-able with relatively good sound quality. This is the first time I've had a full headset with cushioned earphones and I must say they're a different listening experience to the in-ear phones I usually use. With in-ear's all outside noise is blocked out; the music is louder, more direct and sharper whilst the cushioned headphones allow for a least-likely-to-make-you-deaf more unobtrusive listening experience. The only problem is that if you'd really like to pick up those small nifty things in a song, the volume needs to be turned up a considerable amount and thus, the music leaks. I can only imagine the looks I'd get from leaking Japanese music... not to mention I doubt people want to hear me listening to DIR EN GREY'S Obscure. DX
...Haha, other than that, I'm really glad I bought them! （＾ ＾)
FYI: VK the SA Way = Visual Kei the South African Way. XD
South African Anime Lifestyle Magazine, Otaku, has finally launched it's own J-music internet radio show! \(＾∇＾)/
The Otaku Show
- Music: J-pop, J-rock, Anime OSTs, Visual Kei
- Site Stream: Live Radio
- Time: Sundays, 4pm - 7pm +2 GMT (That's 11pm - 2am Japan time XD)
- Host: DaRC
Host of the show DaRC is currently in Gunma, Japan on the JET Programme (Japanese English Teaching) where he [besides being an Assistant Language Teacher and scaring little kids XD] has been attending Versailles, LM.C and D'espairsRay's shows and will be attending Deluhi and exist†trace lives.
An idea of what to expect on the music side:
Saber Rider Opening Theme (Saber Rider)
Nyan Nyan Fanservice Medly by Various Artists (Macross Frontier)
Truth by Arashi
co.no.mi.chi by Buono!
GHOST by Gackt
Ultra Soul by B'z
Iris by Art-School
Vivid by Fairy Fore (Final Fantasy Unlimited)
Shining Collection by Iceman
End-Less by Exist+Trace
Samurai by Danger Gang
HYPER SONIC by BLOOD STAIN CHILD
Ancient Rage by Galneryus
Rosier by LunaSea
Ike Ike by Tri Star
Dancing by Vicky Vale (Initial D 3rd Stage)
Got alot of Love by DJ 10 feat. Flower of Wave
Ageha (Heaven's wire remix) by Mayka
RIDEBACK by Mell
TABOO by Koda Kumi
Honey Flash by Koda Kumi (Cutie Honey Live Action)
Puppy by Koda Kumi
Butterfly by Koda Kumi
Real Emotion by Koda Kumi (Final Fantasy X2)
Ima Sugu Hoshi by Koda Kumi
Cubic L/Rock by Ayabie
OH MY JULIET by Lm.C
Sora Iro no Days by Nakagawa Shouko (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)
Winter Game by GIRL NEXT DOOR
Tokihanate (Blue Gender)
Trust (Vandread)
Hollow by D'espairs Ray
Ash Like Snow by The Brilliant Green
So tune in for all the latest Music straight from Japan!
Happy New Year! 2008 has been a year that's flown by and I can hardly believe that it's already 2009...next year is the 2010 Soccer World Cup taking place right here in South Africa! But at the same time [strangely enough] this year has also been a particularly slow and stressful one due to school work what with government CTA exams and the transition into the senior phase of my school career with subject choices for grade 10.
Nevertheless, it's been an interesting and exciting year marked with much good fortune and many more moments both significant and insignificant but memorable in their own way:
- [Jan] Discovered Visual Kei - Perhaps I'm being overtly dramatic but this might possibly be one of the biggest turning points of my life. I don't think I've ever immersed myself so deeply into any interest I've ever had...I
trykeep up with the latest releases;stalkread more than three VK related blogs; my music library probably has more songs sung in Japanese than English; my bedroom wall's are plastered with the faces of J-rockers...I've even come to writing about it daily!VISUAL KEI HAS TAKEN OVER MY LIFE! DXAnd to think, it all started with a simple yet amazing drawing I saw on deviantArt:
- [April] Started Blogging - I started off with Xanga [after a friend convinced me to join] and spent just the right amount of infrequent time updating and off loading some thoughts to no-one in particular; writing more, reading less. It was fun and still early days of when I was still starry-eyed over how awesome Miyavi, the GazettE and Ayabie were. XD Eventually I discovered the Wordpress blogging platform and found it to be more suited to my needs. I started working on Splice, with my Visual Kei article being my driving point, intended the blog to be a source of information on J-rock/Visual Kei. Then I discovered Rockerica and joined Vox. After a month spent lurking around, I finally decide to post something and amazed at how easy Vox was to use, created Asphyxia. Splice is still running, but is updated infrequently with little activity and will most likely become a J-rock/Visual Kei artist database.
- [June] Received a super cute [VK themed!] birthday card from a friend ^_^ :
- [July] Visited Tawain and went to my first J-rock show --> Miyavi @ The Wall Live House, Taiwan 09/07/08
- [September] A drawing of mine was published in the local newspaper - I came second in the "Design an Ad Competition" and won lots of prizes including stationery, gifts vouchers and cash. :3
- [October] Won a free PSP! - I still can't believe how lucky I was to win a PSP without even having to even enter a competition. It was a free give-away and all by chance. In the end I decided to sell it and now I have money just waiting to be spent...
- [November] Learned to Play Guitar - This is in fact a lie because for the 2-3 weeks I had a friend's acoustic guitar within my possessesion, I did not learn to play a single song. DX But I am grateful for being able to have to have held one in my hands. XD It was a real learning experience.
I finally understand how a guitar works now. XD
