Magical Realism

The garden out in my little patio looks great! The honeysuckle is climbing...




Wisteria is blooming...



Lavender smell is wafting...



Peonies are...peoning...




And the dogs are confused about their leashes.

Jeff and I spent last weekend in Nashville, IN (Brown County). We got tipsy at a wine tasting, ate delicious pulled pork nachos, and browsed in various craftsy shops.


Also, I'm pretty sure I accidentally made Turkish coffee.



Posted via LjBeetle

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AIBA MASAKI!!!!

 Check out all the flowers that are blooming (or about to bloom) in my garden!

( By the Window )









 

( The Fence Exterior )










( On the Patio )






( Hanging Baskets )

Few people can handle bleaching their hair from black to blonde.  Just check out this Ohno Satoshi travesty:
( But that's not what we're here for... )

It's the long-awaited return of the famous Hair Scandalization Diary!  What better way to bring it back than with every Mizushima Hiro hairstyle ever?

( Warning! This will hurt. )

Do you know what this means?   It means this.  Which, in turn, means this year's August 4th will pretty much be the best one ever.  Just look how overworked and tired happy they are!

And yes, I will be accepting plane/concert tickets as birthday presents.  Sorry, nook, you are put off until Christmas.

Jang Guen Suk is confirmed for the Korean Kimi wa Petto! 

Aw, don't get too nervous, buddy.  I'm not sure how it's going to come off, either, but I'm still excited. 

( This is really more about the Japanese drama, but whatever. )     

I've always been a hair person, but lately there have been some particularly scandalous styles. 
( Check out the bane of my existence. )

Yes, they are.  I did not breathe for a full forty-five seconds of that trailer, GANTZ.
Okay.  The upcoming GANTZ movie has gotten pretty polarized reactions from fans--just like every other movie that was ever based on anything.  Ever.  Some people think it will be amazing; others think it will drain the life out of the entire world. 

I have to admit that the preview makes the movie seem pretty watered-down...but oh my God, who cares because it will maybe be distributed in the US!  Also, (and this is more fangirly than I'd like to let myself be right now) there is a Ninomiya Kazunari. 

Seriously, though.  It's a movie based on some other work of fiction--shouldn't we all know what to expect by now?  Just enjoy the film for itself.  ...Of course, it's probably easy for me to say that, since I never particularly cared about GANTZ before now.  Still, it's not like we haven't all been in similar situations before. 

...And off to watch the trailer again.  (What?  Jeff needs to see it.)

Have you heard of Queen Christina of Sweden?  I hadn't either until a week or so ago, which is pretty much a crime against humanity.  (Okay, so I assumed you hadn't heard of her.  But.  You know.) 

Way back in the 1600s, her father raised her just like he would a male heir to the throne.  Consequently, she learned all kinds of cool "boys only" stuff like hunting and schoolwork.  She became queen and helped end the Thirty Years War through leading efforts to negotiate the Peace of Westphalia.  Opting out of marriage, she abdicated the throne and left to go live in Italy...wearing a full suit of armor. 

Amazing?  Yes.
Crazy?  Possibly.
Real-life Oscar de Jarjayes?  Definitely.

Does it make me a terrible feminist that the fact she's like Oscar almost overshadows Christina's own awesomeness?  ...No?  A little?

I still think the queen's really cool all on her own.  Also, boy do I want to watch some Rose of Versailles.

So we're all well-acquainted with the hilarity utter amazingness of sweatjeans.  H&M's selection has nothing on Sakurai Sho's closet, however.  Check out these bad boys:(And, yes, they are his own clothes.  The TV people did not make him wear them.) 

These pictures are from...early 2008?  (That is, if my Arashi hairstyle carbon-dating is correct.)  So the sweatjeans have been around for a little while, people.  From Japan's pop idols to the world.

Keep your eyes sharp for this hot little number--the double parka!  (That's two hoodies at once.)  Hitting New York Fashion Week the next fall season.

PS:  Sweatjeans photos totally lifted from arashicrackaday.

I've heard of people being made fun of for wearing sweat pants that look like jeans.  That's probably the most horrible thing you've ever heard of, right?  H&M does not agree, my friends.  They are all about the "treggings" this season, which are...sweat pants that look like jeans.  But they're leggings.  In a store near you.

I had to stifle my laughter for a good five minutes when I went to the mall and saw almost a whole rack of these things.  That's right, a whole rack.  These are the style, people.  And now you're in the know.  You're welcome.

Also:  Roll up your pant legs.  (This is from Cosmopolitan.  It would not lie to you.)

 ...Not like these will be spoilers for most people, since I'm only through the first three hours of gameplay.

Okay.  First, the griping:
1.  FFXIII thinks I am a terrible gamer.  My characters regenerate health after every battle, and there are seriously save points with shops every three feet.  I am not that bad at RPGs, FFXIII.  Also, I can only control one character during battle sequences.  What. The. Crap.  Stab me in the heart, why don't you?  (The battle system is turning out to be pretty complicated, though, so maybe that's why...?)
2.  FFXIII thinks it needs to add some more stereotyping to the franchise.  Sazh, our African-Cocoonian, afro'd friend, makes me feel kind of guilty for liking his character.  He is (1) supersticious, (2) comic relief, and (3) scared of things.  The guy hasn't broken out into a soft shoe yet, but...yeah.  (Oh!  On the plus side, he is apparently bad at jumping.)

Gripes are done!  On to the shameless drooling:
1.  Sazh carries a baby chocobo in his afro!  Yes, this is the best character design ever.
2.  Final Fantasy is known for having basically the same set of characters, who just kind of trade hairstyles and take turns at being the main character for each new game.  (There are some changes and each character is endearing on his/her own, but you know what I'm talking about.)  I'm not going to say this game doesn't do that, but it does do a nice job of setting up unique character relationships.  Maybe it's just that the animation is getting so much better, but you can see a wider range of emotion in the characters' reactions.  I'm actually interested in how things are going to develop here.
3.  The sickly sweet Aeris-type character is already dead!  Hooray!  She does pop up in some flashbacks, but I can deal with that.
4.  Snow tucks his pants into his boots. 
5.  The pretty.  Oh, my God, the pretty.  I've been watching my husband play Oblivion and Dragon Age for so long that I forgot video games were allowed to not look like crap.

Did you know Jane Austen had another novel?  No, not Sense and Sensibility or Emma or (my favorite!) Persuasion or even Mansfield Park or Northanger Abbey.  I am talking about Sanditon, which was left incomplete after Austen's death in 1817.  "Another Lady" (not kidding, that's what it says on the book cover) has graciously taken up the task of finishing it, and the dern thing was published in 1975.  Why was I not informed of this?

I found two copies of the book while searching in Borders for Mansfield Park, and decided to pick them both up.  My sister and I are starting a mini book club, and what an awesome book to read first, right?  Let's hope it's good and that "Another Lady's" writing ties in seamlessly with Ms. Austen's own. 

PS:  Here is a real picture of Jane Austen, because, well...I'd feel bad otherwise.  

Oh, Gackt.  I thought you'd pulled your posing muscle ages ago.  Don't work it too hard... ;-)

Worst. Dancing. Ever.  Nino, you will always be my favorite.

Because I wish this series had been "phoned in."  Ahaha.  It's a pun.

...I just spent over an hour writing a lengthy review, only to have my browser crash.  (Thanks, Firefox.)

Suffice it to say, the drama Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge starts out great, but is quickly approaching HanaDan-level retardedness.  

Also, Kamenashi's "Kyohei in disguise" look is amazing.

Monkey Majik is pretty awesome, you guys.  They have a new promotional video (read: "music video" for those of us in the States) out for their upcoming single "Sakura."  Their videos are always cool and inventive, but this one takes the cake for me.  It's modeled after old samurai movies and the dubbing doesn't match up!  This is priceless, people, and probably on purpose.

The tune's refreshing and...contemplative?  Is that the word I'm looking for?  Anyway, it's good.  Also nearly the whole thing's in Japanese.  This is new for them (at least, what I've heard from them), as they're a Canadian/Japanese band.  Usually, there's more English in their singles. 

Check out "Sakura" if you haven't already.  "Change" is also an oldie but a goodie as far as promotional videos go.  There's a kitsune court and a dark mystery.  Oh, it's cool alright.

I used the Arashi Ranker to set my fandom affairs in order.  Nino is back at the top, because his songs are awesome even when his singing is...well, better than Jun's at least.  Poor Sho is stuck in last place forever.  I love you, Sho, just not as much as Nino, Jun, Ohno, or Aiba. ;-)  Probably you're the best in real life?

Who is Arashi's Awesomest Sauce?

1: Ninomiya "It's A Joke!" Kazunari	2:  Matsumoto "Because I Like Myself" Jun	3:  Ohno "Oh, No!" Satoshi

4:  Aiba "Very Danger" Masaki	5:  Sakurai "Failboat" Sho

...I've got to have better things to do with my time.

JangGuenSukinKimiwaPettoJangGuenSukinKimiwaPettoJangGuenSukinKimiwaPetto

High-five, buddy!

I can't tell you how much I want this to be true.  Can Jang Guen-Suk out-Momo a near-chibi MatsuJun?  Can I work more hyphens into one sentence?  We shall see.

Can I just say?  The big "Keyser Soze" reveal?  Lame! XD  (I mean that in the best way possible.  It was pretty fun to expect a grisly terrorist to rear his head and get Jun's Farrah Fawcett hair-shake instead.)  Also, I'm really disappointed with myself for (1) not figuring it out before the movie started and (2) still not getting it when Nino's boss said there were only five terrorists.  Wow, self, you are dumb. 

I'm not meaning to be bitchy; I actually like cheesy stuff like this.  I love the plot holes.  Aiba is super friendly with the boss lady, but later hasn't even worked at the building long enough to know where the exits are.  Nino's big emotional "I hate myself" scene that was a turning point for his character turns out to be totally fake.  Sho gives up on making an insurance sale to the boss lady and runs away, even though he has to stick close and tail her for the rest of the movie.  Aiba calls the police for no discernible reason.  Arashi are fully prepared to pay for their crimes, so they go to a park...?  And what was with Jun's Mizushima Hiro impersonation for the first fifteen minutes?  These are gems, people.  I went in expecting a toned-down Die Hard with five Bruce Willises, but then Arashi reminded me that is so not their shtick.  They are terrorists for youth and friendship!  Despite (or because of) all the cheese, I'm not kidding when I say I want a TV series.

Police:  Arashi, we're not arresting you.  All you did was set off some fireworks and interrupt the flow of a workday.
Aiba:  I shot Jun!
Police:  Well, that, too.  But we need your dedication and youthful energy.  The people of Japan have forgotten all about the power of friendship.  We're the police, so we can't deal with fuzzy stuff like that.  But a gang of youth and friendship terrorists...
Sho:  Are you saying you want to hire us to scare people into appreciating friendship?
Police:  Yes.  In a super family-friendly way that will ensure high ratings.  It will be like The Rogues, only not as illegal because you're secretly working for the government.
Nino:  Every week a new and exciting caper?  With disguises and needless plot twists?
Police:  ...That tie up neatly within an hour.
Jun:  Can I do my Farrah Fawcett hair-shake?
Police:  Yes.
Ohno:  Do I have to talk?
Police:  No.
[Jun and Ohno high five.]

You guys!  They could hijack planes in order to get two friends to stop fighting over a boy!  Threaten to bomb the subway unless Little Timmy learns to share with his brother!  And, in a very special episode, pretend to gas the entire city unless a pregnant woman resumes talking to her AWOL father, now trying to make up for past mistakes and be a part of her life again.  Only it would be glitter!  Oh, Arashi, glitter is not poisonous gas.

Failing that option, Arashi could always play Pollyanna in their prison--organizing a talent show to bring rival gangs together, melting the icy heart of the warden with their puppy-like hijinks.  The possibilities are endless.

Okay, I will definitely start posting on this thing again. 

Apparently, Mizushima Hiro won a Japanese Oscar for Drop.  (Okay, so it was a "rookie" Oscar with like five other winners in the category.  Still.)  This has made my day, because I always thought he was a talented actor, but...well, there's not much you can do with Mei-chan no Shitsuji, is there? 

In all honesty, Drop looks pretty goofy, too.  And I'm not going to pretend I'm happy about the hair.  (What the crap, Japanese gangs, why do you do that to yourselves?  At least American gangs have the sense to cover their bad hair up with do rags.) 

Hair scandalization aside, there's got to be something compelling in this movie.  Can't wait to watch it.

PS:  Beck is promising its own load of awesome.  2010 is shaping up to be a good year!

Rank	Arashi Ranking Favorite (Top) to Least Favorite (Bottom)

There's been an upset in the rankings!  Ninomiya's recent smarminess has landed him down with the likes of Sakurai Sho.  (Whom I really don't hate.  Sho is totally...Sho-tastic.)  ::sigh::  I had tried so hard not to become a Matsumoto Jun fangirl, but it looks like that just wasn't in the cards.  Even if he's a whore for attention and probably a kinesthetic learner, the man can stand like nobody's business.

Ah well, Fandom is a volatile nation; I'm sure a new order will crop up within a month or so.