tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53242495251332464012024-03-13T01:44:15.290-07:00Review CarnivalReview blog featuring romance book reviews, business book reviews, j-pop review, manga reviews, anime reviews, author interviews, non-fiction book reviews, j-drama reviews and ratings with pros and cons.bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.comBlogger286125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-73769718649376677132015-07-07T04:20:00.000-07:002015-07-07T04:20:04.481-07:00Book Review: Wishcraft by Barbara Sher <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm back with another review. This one's a self-help workbook/book. Wishcraft by Barbara Sher was an eye opening book for me. The book's subtitle is 'How to get what you REALLY want'. I think that describes it pretty accurately. The book is intended for people who have been shelving their dreams or people who don't know how to get there. The book challenges your mind and forces you to come up with ideas to turn your dreams into reality. If you're an amateur looking to be a pro, this book is a good starting point. Equally, if you want to be self employed, develop a secondary source of income or just live your dream, this book may be very useful.<br />
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The book is broken into eleven chapters. The sequence of the chapters is one of the things that makes the book work. Barbara Sher focuses on removing mental blocks to success in the beginning chapters. She makes the reader re-examine their childhood and weed out all the negativity and excuses that are holding them back. Instead of fearing negative thinking, she teaches us to embrace it.<br />
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What I absolutely loved about the book was its 'hands on' nature. It's filled with exercises that force you to think. I had a lot of fun doing the exercises. When I was done, I had a plan for success. Though the book starts out at a very approachable and basic level, it quickly progresses to the nitty gritty of making dreams come true. Barbara Cher talks about many important facets of success like how to leverage connections or 'barnraising', goalsearch, time management, delegation etc. But none of these sound like a chore when you do the exercises. I am a kinaesthetic learner so I loved doing the exercises. I think it helped me overcome the first weakness of any amateur- inaction (or procrastination).<br />
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As you progress through the book, she makes you challenge your ideas and weed out the unrealistic or unrelated bits. She inspires you to follow the plan. When you write down a plan as realistic and achievable as this one, it makes you feel like success is within reach.<br />
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Barbara Sher correctly identifies the areas in which amateurs need work. The book is planned in such a a way that it never gets pushy.<br />
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Overall, I enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to turn their dreams into reality.<br />
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Overall rating: 4.2/5<br />
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Pros<br />
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Structured (step-by-step)<br />
Detailed<br />
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New readers may get lostbestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-88310661324843273792015-07-07T02:50:00.004-07:002015-07-07T02:50:54.408-07:00Book Review- Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi there. I'm back with another book review. It's been a long time since I reviewed a book. The book I'm reviewing today is very different from the kind of books I usually review. Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by famous new age guru Deepak Chopra is a spiritual and philosophical work. Like many other books on success, it seeks to demystify the elusive ideal of success. The book however focuses on spiritual success and seven laws that anyone can follow to achieve it. The book is very short at 118 pages and makes a good coffee table book or quick read. It however requires a few re-reads to fully understand and apply the content of the book.<br />
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What I liked about the book was that it is well structured and clearly organised into seven distinct chapters. The seven laws are as follows:<br />
1) The Law of Pure Potentiality<br />
2) The Law of Giving<br />
3) The Law of Karma<br />
4) The Law of Least Effort<br />
5) The Law of Intention and Desire<br />
6) The Law of Detachment<br />
7) The Law of Dharma.<br />
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The book is inspired based on Hindu spiritual traditions and practices. However, it is not a religious work and doesn't seem to preach any religious philosophy.<br />
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If you've ever wondered why many successful and famous people achieve success, this book will decode their state of mind. The book was an eye opener for me too. After reading the book and listening to the interviews and life experiences of many successful people, I realized that they subconsciously follow these laws. I often wondered why many successful people give similar answers in interviews. Is it because they have similar experiences or is it something to do with their state of mind?<br />
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The law of least effort and law of detachment were particularly relevant to my current life. When you re-read it, you may find yourself dwelling on different parts of the book. You may even notice sentences you didn't before. Sometimes sentences we read during the first or second read shine with a completely different meaning upon re-reading the book. The book focuses on success from a mental and spiritual point of view. It endeavours to get the reader into a state of mind which is conducive to success and achievement. In other words, it makes your mind a fertile ground to sow the seeds of success. It however, does not offer any practical ways to succeed in any particular field.<br />
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Overall, Seven Spiritual Laws of Success is a great read. If you enjoy self help and new age books, this may be your cup of tea. I seem to have developed a sudden interest in spirituality and meditation these days. Therefore, I found this book to be useful. It is a good read for someone who doesn't want to read a full length novel but try out something new. Give it a try and maybe you'll decode the keys to success.<br />
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Overall rating: 4/5<br />
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Pros<br />
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Easy to understand<br />
Structured<br />
Quick read<br />
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Cons<br />
Not very detailed<br />
May not interest someone who is not into this genre<br />
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<br />bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-50997298793104083682015-02-04T13:33:00.001-08:002015-02-04T13:35:16.376-08:00Book Review- Trade Me by Courtney Milan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trade Me is a new young adult novel by Courtney Milan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.8em;">Here is the blurb: Tina Chen just wants a degree and a job, so her parents never have to worry about making rent again. She has no time for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to inherit Cyclone Systems. But when he makes an offhand comment about what it means to be poor, she loses her cool and tells him he couldn’t last a month living her life.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To her shock, Blake offers her a trade: She’ll get his income, his house, his car. In exchange, he’ll work her hours and send money home to her family. No expectations; no future obligations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But before long, they’re trading not just lives, but secrets, kisses, and heated nights together. <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">No expectations</em> might break Tina’s heart...but Blake’s secrets could ruin her life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.8em;">The two things that made me interested in this book</span><span style="line-height: 1.8em;"> were 1) the premise of trading lives. I wanted to see how this would work out. 2) Interracial romance- I am always interested in these. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 28.799999237060547px;">It starts off okay. I have to admit though, I found it a bit hard to like Tina in the beginning and even in the end. Blake, however, I liked from the start. He is sweet, sensitive and mature. I found Tina a bit too difficult to understand and stubborn and always using her poverty to become defensive about everything. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 28.799999237060547px;">But anyway, on to the story. The story was well paced and there was some interesting stuff going on. A lot of it is similar to other contemporary romances, in how you would expect it to develop. Towards the end is when it becomes really exciting as many secrets about the characters start surfacing. Also, this could just be my opinion, but I found Tina's poverty a bit too exaggerated and becoming the theme of every conversation in one way or the other. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 28.799999237060547px;">The supporting characters, especially Blake's father and Tina's father and Tina's roommate were very well fleshed out and I probably liked them even more than the main characters. However, I found Tina's mother just as annoying and stubborn as her in her ways. I guess it's genetic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 28.799999237060547px;">But flaws aside, this series has an interesting backdrop and some really good characters whom I hope to read more about in future books (especially Blake and Tina's fathers). If you are interested in new adult romances and anything with the word 'billionaire', this book is a good read. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 28.799999237060547px;">Characters-4/5</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 28.799999237060547px;">Writing style- 5/5</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 28.799999237060547px;">NOTE- I received this book for review. However the opinions are not influenced by this in any way. </span></span></div>
bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-41217076684552478762015-01-22T07:59:00.003-08:002015-01-22T08:05:10.434-08:00Author Interview with Courtney Milan<h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi there, everyone. I am excited to present to you an author interview with historical (and now contemporary) romance writer Courtney Milan. </span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">TRIVIA</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite color- Blue/Red</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Zodiac sign- Cancer</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Place of your dreams- I like variety, so if I could go back and forth between London and Telluride I'd be happy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite writer(s)- Way too many to list! I have a list on my website, though: <a href="http://www.courtneymilan.com/whattoread.php" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1421941687835_4113" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: #196ad4; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.courtneymilan.com/whattoread.php</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite romance novel(s)- Agh, again, how am I supposed to restrict myself? I love Tessa Dare's <i>A Week to be Wicked.</i> And my latest obsession is Nalini Singh--and I don't think there's anything better than <i id="yui_3_16_0_1_1421941687835_4136">Heart of Obsidian.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now the questions: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RC- Trade Me is your first contemporary romance. How was writing a contemporary new adult romance different from writing a historical romance? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CM-That is a really difficult thing to describe. For me, I felt like I had a lot more direct experience that I could bring to bear in writing the contemporary. For my historicals, I have to do a little more extrapolation of "what would this feel like" and "how would we deal with it" and that kind of stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also had to do a lot more research for my contemporary--everything from current video technology to reading biographies of, for instance, Larry Ellison and Bill Gates, to reading multiple books and articles about modern-day China.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RC-The main characters Tina and Blake are pretty much polar opposites: Rich-poor, good looking-average looking etc. Generally, what kind of main characters do you like to create or read about?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CM-I don't think Tina and Blake are polar opposites in many ways. Yes, Blake is rich, and yes, Tina is poor. That's just about it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't think Tina and Blake differ so much in objective attractiveness, except to the extent that Blake has had stylists picking his clothing and doing his hair since he was a kid and so has always presented himself as the most attractive version of himself.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tina and Blake are actually quite similar: being at the extremes of wealth as they are, they've both been put into positions of responsibility that are unusual for their ages, and they respond to that in each other. In that sense, they're older than their peers.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RC-Is the life of a writer how you imagined it to be? How is it different?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CM- I don't know that I ever imagined what a writer's life would be like except in the very abstract. There's certainly a lot more time wasting, and a lot less time spent furrowing my brow over word choice. I spend a lot of time figuring out what I'm writing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RC- What is a typical day in the life of a writer like?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CM-It varies. I have no typical days. And I'm sorry if that sounds like a cop-out, but there are days I get nothing done and don't even try, and there are days I work 19 hours and sleep furtively because I have things I need to do.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RC- What hobbies/interests do you have other than writing?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CM-I walk, a lot--right now I'm training up for a walking half-marathon that I'm doing with friends. So after I hit send on this, I'm going to go out and get an eleven mile walk in.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do a lot of reading, and I try to read on lots and lots of random topics.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RC- Please tell the readers more about what they can expect from this series and from you in the future. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CM- Readers can expect (a) more of Cyclone Systems, (b) more of Adam Reynolds, the foul-mouthed founder of Cyclone, even though he won't be sitting in the CEO position, and (c) more characters in interesting situations who I hope you will relate to.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her latest book Trade Me has just been released. You can find out more about this book and her other works on her website- http://www.courtneymilan.com. I will shortly be reviewing Trade Me on Review Carnival.</span><br />
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Hi there everyone. It has been a long time since there was a post on Review Carnival. However, here I am today, interviewing j-pop group 4TE. 4TE is a very unique group in that they are a concept group where all members met and collaborated over the internet, to finally release their single More/Ippo zutsu. I was really excited when I heard of something so novel so I decided to interview them. Here is the interview. The details of their first single are at the end. There are 4 members in this group: Jenny, Chii, Micchi and Mei.<br />
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Some Trivia about the members:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Name of member- Jenny</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Favorite color- Red</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Zodiac sign- Capricorn</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Place of your dreams- Osaka</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Favorite artist/singer- Utada Hikaru</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Name of member- Chii</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Favorite color- Pink</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Zodiac sign- Taurus</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Place of your dreams- Harajuku</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Favorite artist/singer- Mariko Goto</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Name of member- Micchi</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Favorite color- Blue</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Zodiac sign- Aries</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Place of your dreams- Akihabara</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Favorite artist/singer- °C-ute</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Name of member- Mei</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Favorite color- White</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Zodiac sign- Taurus</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Place of your dreams- Shibuya</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Favorite artist/singer- Beyoncé</span><br />
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The interview<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1) Your group concept is very unique and all of you are from very</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">different backgrounds. Just to make it clear to your fans, can you</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">describe what you do (or used to do) and how you met the other members of</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the group?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Chii: Living in a Mexican community that values its rich heritage, it was</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">difficult to find other fans of Japanese music and like many others, I</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">turned to the internet to reach out to like-minded people. I started a</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">youtube channel where I uploaded primarily anime theme songs and Showa</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Kayou. I knew most people wouldn’t listen to my songs if the videos only</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">featured audio so I decided to give MV-type videos a spin. Naturally, the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">more time I invested in this hobby, the more I took it seriously and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">learned more about lighting, cameras, recording etc. Without even feeling</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">it, I had invested all of my attention in music production and all of the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">things that follow it. Eventually, I was contacted by a net-idol group and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">through that, met the other members of what would finally become 4TE.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mei: Before I became a part of 4TE, I was auditioning for commercial</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">acting and singing gigs. I owned a Youtube channel, but had only stuck to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">solo covers and originals. The amount of collaborations I’d done online</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">were close to zero. One day when I was searching for auditions, I found</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">one for a net-idol group - and it was through this project that I had met</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the other talents and staffs in 4TE. I honestly felt like the whole “idol”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">image wasn’t my thing, it felt way superficial (now that’s not saying</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">nothing else in the music industry isn’t, haha!) - but it wasn’t me. So</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">after we left, we decided that we were going to create a J-POP group that</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">didn’t restrict us to one image, and this was perfect for us. We’re</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">artists, we create, each of us are unique, and each of us have something</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">artistically different to offer. Not being bound by one image gave us the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">freedom to create this beautiful mish-mash… thing that we call 4TE, and I</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">love it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Jenny: I originally started off on youtube as mainly a vocaloid cover</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">artist (utaite or youtaite as they call it in the community). I met the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">rest of 4TE after I auditioned and became part of a “net-idol” project</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">over the internet. On our own, we decided that we wanted to start our own</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">thing and follow our own path into J-pop so we created our 4 member group,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">4TE.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Micchi: I had been a fan of anime since I was a little girl, and I</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">eventually discovered Japanese pop music through youtube. When I saw that</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">people were posting recordings of their singing and dancing online, I</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">wanted to join the fun and made my own channel when I was 12. I also had</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">been taking various dance lessons, so my love of dance and performing</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">inspired me to make videos. To this day, I’ve been posting singing and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">dance covers of Japanese songs to youtube. The J-pop youtube community was</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">very small when I first started out, and it’s amazing to see how much it</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">has grown since then! I auditioned for the net-idol group that everyone</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">else was in, and from there, I joined 4TE.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2) Producing and releasing a single is hard work. How did you share the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">work? Who wrote the song, who produced it and how did you record it and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">get a label to release it since you are all in different places.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Chii: If there is anything unique about this group, I’d definitely say</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">it’s just how much we all individually take part in the creative process.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Anything from music to video production, we all have a strong voice in the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">matter. One song may feature the writing of Mei , for example, and another</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">may be all of us. In “MORE”s case, our producer (known as promwolf on the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">internet) created a short concept and Jenny and I worked at coming up with</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">a vocal melody on top of it. Turns out, we both really liked how ours</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sounded together! So, we went with: intro, verse, spoken part, written by</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">me, and chorus, ad lib, written by Jenny. From there, promwolf extended it</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and wrote based on the structure that was being formed. Some little</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">snippets of instrumentation thrown in were actually parts I wrote myself</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">too. (such as the piano part and a synth heard in the background of the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">chorus) Our other producer (Felipe) contributed to the chord progression</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">in the chorus to give it more energy. Once lyrics were completed in</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">English, our manager Berry wrote the Japanese lyrics. I mix the vocals in</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the first stage, and it gets sent back to Promwolf to master. In short, we</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">certainly all do our part in bringing our music to fruition.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Jenny: We have a few producers working with us. Our producer, “PromWolf”</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">is mainly responsible for our sound. He’d come up with a demo and we’d</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">kind of pass it around and record melodies over it, we listened, and tried</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to figure out what worked and what didn’t. Then when it came to recording</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the real thing, we’d have to do it seperately in our own homes and then</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">send it to Chii who would mix everything together to create the final</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">product. As of right now though, we actually aren’t apart of any label.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We’re what people would call “Independant” and all the work and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">distribution is done by both the members, producers, and managers.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">3) When did you decide that you wanted to be a singer and what advice</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">would you give to aspiring singers who want to pursue their dreams?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Chii: I grew up being too afraid to sing. I only began to seriously work</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">towards it once my confidence went up and I finally pushed myself to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">publicize my growth. My biggest piece of advice to aspiring singers is to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">find a balance between high confidence to keep going, taking risks even</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">when the outcome is slim, and having humility to continue improving.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mei: In elementary school, we were taught to memorize dozens of patriotic</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">songs, and in second grade, I remember having to sing in class with</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">everyone else. My teacher noticed my singing (or wailing at the time, I</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">can’t honestly remember how I sounded in second grade.) and told my mom I</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">could sing. Not long after, I found myself awkwardly singing on top of a</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">desk in front of the school, swallowing my mic while singing the national</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">anthem. That was my first performance, and since then, I had been working</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">towards my goal of becoming a singer. My advice to singers who want to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">pursue their dream is to keep going. You’re going to get a lot more “no”s</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">than “yes”es. Sometimes it is you, sometimes it isn’t you, but regardless</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of the reason, keep working on your craft, be in the know (knowledge is</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">power), and always aim to better yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Jenny: For a long time, singing was only a hobby for me. I originally</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">wanted to go into Illustration haha but I’m honestly not very good. It</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">actually wasn’t until I met my fellow members that I really decided to go</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for it as a singer. The best advice I could give to other aspiring singers</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">is to educate yourself in as many aspects of the field as possible. It’s a</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">bit cliche’ to say I know, but I can speak from personal experience that</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the classes I’ve taken in music business, sound engineering, and vocal</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">training has proven it’s worth time and time again.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Micchi: I mainly focused on dancing, but I would always enjoy singing my</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">favorite songs everywhere I went. I never took singing too seriously until</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I started posting song covers online, and my singing started to improve</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">over years of making videos. Joining 4TE was really what caused me to push</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">myself further in singing, and my parents also helped in supporting me! My</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">advice for aspiring singers would be to just have fun and to never give</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">up. If you really love what you do, then that will truly inspire you to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">keep going at it and keep improving no matter what obstacles you face!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">4) What are your future plans? Are you planning to release more singles,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">or maybe an album?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Chii: We’ll probably release a couple more singles to get ourselves</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">established and then we’ll have enough of an audience to release a full</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">album. That’s just my thought process anyway~</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Jenny: We have a lot of songs in the works! I wish we could show everyone</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">everything we’re working on! But they say patience is a virtue so… haha</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">5) Where can fans watch you perform live? Do you have any plans of touring</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">yet?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Chii: Although we wouldn’t necessarily associate our music with anime,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">there is much more of an appreciation for J-pop in that community here in</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">America so we will most likely make plans to tour at cons in the US. As</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for Japan, there aren’t currently any solid plans but we are certainly</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">willing!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mei: Right now, we’re aiming for performing at cons. However, if the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">occasion arises, we would also be open to performing at events - music,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">fashion, anime, anywhere that you can possibly imagine hearing J-POP</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">performed. We do have touring in the works, and if it were to happen,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">we’ll probably have something up and running towards the later half of the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">year.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Jenny: We would like to try and book a small tour at the end of the summer</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">in texas at different anime cons. It would be nice to spread out from just</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">cons but time will tell!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Micchi: Conventions are definitely places we are aiming for. It’d be</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">exciting to be able to perform in front of an audience that shares our</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">love of Japanese music! As we continue to grow as a group, hopefully our</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">venues will expand as well!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">6) What message would you like to give your fans?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Chii: We promise to be an ever-growing group so please stick around to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">witness it! Thank you for all the support.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mei: You guys are freaking awesome! Thank you guys so much for all the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">help and support. Every bit of support pushes us to work harder. We love</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">creating art that you all can enjoy, so we hope that you continue to</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">support us!!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Jenny: Thank you so much for the overwhelming show of support for our</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">group. We did not expect to gain as much attention as we did. I really</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">hope you truly enjoy what we do as much as we enjoy doing it for you and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">please look forward to hearing more from us in the future!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Micchi: We truly appreciate all the love and support we’ve been getting!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We have so much more amazing things to share with you all, and I hope you</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">continue to stay with us along the way. Thank you all so much!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">And as promised here are the details for their single:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"M O R E / 一歩ずつ "</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">released 08 January 2015</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Debut Double A-side Single</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">credits</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1. M O R E</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Melody: Christi Arredondo, Jennifer Diaz</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Lyrics: Berry Risa, Christi Arrendondo</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Music: Richard Garza, Felipe Vilches, Christi Arredondo</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2. 一歩ずつ (Ippo Zutsu)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Melody: Christi Arredondo, Jennifer Diaz, Mei Sasmita</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Lyrics: Berry Risa</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Music: Richard Garza, Christi Arredondo</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">3. M O R E (instrumental)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">4. 一歩ずつ (Ippo Zutsu) (instrumental)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Right now it can only be purchased through the group's site </span></span><a href="https://4teofficial.bandcamp.com/album/m-o-r-e" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1421262346902_3300" shape="rect" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">https://4teofficial.bandcamp.com/album/m-o-r-e </a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> but there are plans for an iTunes release. </span>bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-83455671189365995992013-12-09T13:45:00.002-08:002013-12-09T13:45:55.581-08:00NOTICE- Currently not accepting any books for reviewWe are sorry but due to our tight schedule, we will not be able to accept any books by authors for review for a while. Author interviews, blog tours and other promotional events are welcome during this time.<br />
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Thank you very much for your patience and understanding.<br />
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<br />bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-3055359718856581692013-09-23T09:44:00.001-07:002013-09-23T09:44:25.365-07:00Drama review- Kasuka na Kanojo<br />
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Kasuka na Kanojo is a supernatural/romance/comedy drama starring Katori Shingo, Anne and Maeda Atsuko. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Junior high school teacher Kamiyama Akira has the ability to sense ghosts, and his new school has a ghost named Akane who used to be a teacher. (DRAMAWIKI)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">This drama starts off quite interesting, following the typical j-drama mould of focusing on the problems of one student in an episode who then starts believing in Kamiyama-sensei. Atsuko Maeda plays the role of a spoilt teacher, who just wants to quit her job and is not interested in the welfare of the students. Anne plays the ghost in Kamiyama-sensei's apartment. She is by far the most interesting character. She had a terrible past, but she is always so chirpy. Her character is very lovable. The supporting cast including the new vice principal and the teacher with a crush on Maeda's character are also very well characterized. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The best thing about the drama is that all the character grow and develop through their relationships with each other. The drama also has a fair bit of suspense, which keeps it from getting boring. As you would expect of a decent j-drama, it has tear-jerking, heart-warming and funny moments all rolled into one. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Definitely a great drama worth watching. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Characters-5</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Plot-4.5</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Acting-4</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Overall- 4.3</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Pros</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Interesting storyline with fun, suspense and tears</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Good characterization and character development</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Cons</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Anne overacts sometimes and Atsuko Maeda's acting leaved something to be desired</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">A bit of a typical 'teacher' drama</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">NOTE- Picture from dramawiki</span></span><br />
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bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-15676577554233959742013-06-12T12:50:00.001-07:002013-06-12T12:50:11.084-07:00Drama Review- Karei Naru Ichizoku<br />
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Karei Naru Ichizoku is a human drama comprising of a star studded cast that aired in 2007. It stars Takuya Kimura as Teppei, the eldest son of the Manpyou family as the protagonist. Here's a summary from dramawiki:<br />
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<em>Originally a novel by </em><a href="http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Yamazaki_Toyoko" title="Yamazaki Toyoko"><span style="color: black;"><em>Yamazaki Toyoko</em></span></a><em>, and later a 1974 movie, Karei naru Ichizoku depicts the conflicts within the Manpyo family, famous in Kansai's financial <nobr><a class="FAtxtL" href="http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Karei_naru_Ichizoku#" id="FALINK_3_0_2"><span style="color: black;">circles</span></a></nobr>, amidst the tumultuous reorganization of the financial industry of the late 1960s. Unlike the book, the eldest son, Teppei, and not the father, Daisuke, is the central character of the drama.</em><br />
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<em>This drama is set in the late 1960s decade of Japan and depicts the rivalry between Manpyo Daisuke , a powerful banker, and his eldest son, Manpyo Teppei , the executive managing director of a steel firm. For reasons not yet entirely clear, Daisuke seems to dislike his own son and when Teppei finds out why, the Manpyo family is turned upside down.</em><br />
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I will start with the positives. It is easy to say after watching the drama that it was adapted from a novel because it is very well plotted. There is a lot of story that goes into the twelve episodes. The story is filled with ample twists and turns and for a human drama has a large share of suspense. It is not like the emotional and gentle human dramas that we usually see (1 litre of tears and the likes). In fact, if I had to compare the style of this novel to a western author, the first one I would think of is Sidney Sheldon. That is not to say that this drama is not original but to say that the plotting is world class. For western audiences, this would translate to something like Sheldon's Master of the Game (this is my opinion). This is a drama that spans many generations in a period of time where Japan was rapidly expanding especially in the steel and banking sectors. Therefore, there are conflicts due to the difference in thinking between generations one prominent example of this being the perception of marriage. The novel was well adapted into script and directed. There are quite a few popular plot devices that the drama utilises but I don't want to spoil it for you, so, I won't reveal them.<br />
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Another big plus point of this drama is the cast. Of course, anything with Takuya Kimura already passes the test but the other characters here were not sidekicks but experienced actors in their own right. For me, this was one of Takuya Kimura's best performances. I always thought of him as a romance hero but after this drama, I think he does these kinds of roles better than romance. Teppei, Kimura's character is the protagonist and one of the characters you want to root for. Besides Takuya Kimura, Suzuki Kyoka's acting stood out. Her portrayl of Aiko was done well. I think her enigmatic appearance matched her role and she managed to stir emotions of hatred in the viewers towards her character. Kitaoji Kinya'a portrayal of the head of Manpyou family was another A+ performance. All these three characters made a strong emotional impact. I saw Aibu Saki but she is not her best here. I found Sanae's acting very bland compared to the other characters but maybe that had something to do with her role. Overall, the cast was great and made the drama work. A lot of them were good looking and added to the visual appeal of this drama which may not have been so appealing on TV otherwise.<br />
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As for the negatives, there is a long list of them as well. The picture quality is oldish considering that the drama aired in 2007. I guess this is okay to create a sense of the time period.<br />
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For me, the biggest problem with this drama was that it was very hard to relate to. The time period is a bit old. The characters seem solely motivated by lust, ambition, money or jealousy and rarely display the more tender feelings of love or compassion. <br />
Teppei was the only character that you can relate to and probably Daisuke. All the women were very flat as characters except Aiko maybe. It may be due to the fact that women didn't occupy a very important position in society at that time. Nevertheless, the characters are a bit one dimensional and even though you can sense the depth in them, they still lack the wholeness of being human and having those gentler moments. The atmosphere of the drama is very tense and this seems very unusual considering that the main cast is supposed to be one family. Despite that, they lack a general feeling of love underlying all the complexity. The drama did a very good job of portraying the myopic view of the time it was set in and I can relate the older people around me to that generation. The portrayal was very realistic. <br />
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Additionally, the ending was the biggest strength and weakness of this drama. My Japanese friend and I were discussing this drama once and we both agreed that the ending was not very pleasing. The pacing is also a bit rushed towards the end. Most of the events in the beginning are not very important and spaced out but the events towards the end progress very fast to the climax. <br />
The drama projects the frail nature of human emotions especially ambition, and desire. Misunderstandings and how they get built and create baseless hatred is also another theme in the drama. Change, transformation and the winning and losing parties in the constant evolution of societies is also looked at. <br />
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Overall, the drama was very strong if you look for a human drama that presents the dark side of human nature. Also, for those wanting to learn more about Japan post World War 2, this is a good drama. I would also recommend it to Takuya Kimura fans. His acting is wonderful here. If the novel is translated, I would want to read it because I think there are some things I would understand better if I read the novel.<br />
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Plot-4.6/5<br />
Characters-4/5<br />
Acting-4.4/5<br />
Overall- 4/5<br />
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Pros<br />
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Cast<br />
Plot<br />
Detail<br />
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Cons<br />
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May be hard to relate to<br />
Ending<br />
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I am sorry I can't upload photos now. My laptop's giving me trouble. bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-11939768173671441832013-04-09T06:23:00.000-07:002013-04-11T08:26:08.986-07:00Drama review- Zenkai Girl<img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-167311 aligncenter" height="195" src="http://static2.tokyohive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/20110628_zenkaigirl_aragaki_nishikido_800s-600x367.jpg" width="320" /><a href="http://wiki.d-addicts.com/static/images/a/a8/Zenkai_girl.jpg"></a><br />
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Devoted to becoming an international lawyer, Ayukawa Wakaba is full of ambition. Her hard work pays off when she lands a job at an international law firm, but to her disappointment, the first prestigious assignment that is given to her is to babysit the boss' 5 year old daughter, Hinata. Wakaba loathes kids and nursing, but unwillingly takes on the job as she is fixated on wealth and success. One day when she goes to a preschool to pick up Hinata, she meets a man named Yamada Sota. Sota is a man without higher education, wealth, or a future goal, someone that Wakaba absolutely cannot stand, the complete opposite of her ideals. Once again, contrary to her will, she ends up looking after Hinata and a few other kids along with Sota. Despite being exhausted from all the first-time experiences in child care, Wakaba begins to realize what is truly important to her. A heart-warming comedy about work, relationships and love. (dramawiki)<br />
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Ayukawa Wakaba (Yui Aragaki) is the typical career woman, or rather wannabe career woman. The typical career woman would have to be her boss, Himejima Sakurakawa, who effortlessly manages to make huge deals and is a super achiever, and even manages to buy her daughter expensive things. Her daughter Hinata, whom Wakaba looks after, is actually a very mature kid, who can do everything on her own, so she hardly needs Wakaba's help. She has a bit of a princessy attitude, but is never annoying or tyrannical. In fact, she even schemes to help Wakaba with her love life and provides guidance and advice throughout the show to Wakaba (talk about reversal of roles). I really liked Hinata's character. She even has a cute little crush on Sota's (Ryo Nishikido) son, as they go to the same play school. <br />
<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=zenkai%20girl&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=206bTlzIK_o2MM&tbnid=i8b9dCEDZTEzgM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcouchkimchi.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F11%2Fzenkai-girl-episode-5-confession-time%2F&ei=yhVkUZ3oKcKw0QXE9IHICg&psig=AFQjCNGt_z4J6z4b52Ls0mMXcdTcrLjvAw&ust=1365600065447172" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img height="254" id="irc_mi" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSaI_-ABmPP_70spQO8qpobF2pcvL4QVLdwzMU4yuRhJpJt-AcK5A" style="margin-top: 70px;" width="454" /></a><br />
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I found the drama very addictive and watchable, especially because I have been looking for this kind of drama for a long time. It is lighthearted, has enough romance to satisfy the viewer and also has touching and emotional scenes about parenting and life in general. <br />
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Wakaba's character is a very strong one, unlike the typical feminine, weak heroines. She has been fending for herself since she was young and as a result, is extremely materialistic and looks down on those with 'no achievement' like Sota. She is apalled to think that someone would be a stay-at-home dad even though her own father was one (I didn't really get this), but slowly warms up to Sota and the other dads and realizes the importance of family. As a result, she even reconciles with her father. Wakaba is very image conscious and struggles with the mind-heart conflict. This made her seem very real a women in her position would struggle with the thought of whether to marry for security and money or love because of her life circumstances. Of course, in the end love triumphs (expect a happy ending) since this is a rom-com drama after all. Her personality is a bit unlikeable at first, but even then, she is very hardworking and persevering and her personality slowly becomes much better. <br />
<br />
I really liked the interaction between the kids as well, who were much more mature than their parents, for sure. They spot Wakaba and Sota's budding romance even before the leads and plot ways to get them together. The drama has funny parts, but I wouldn't say that it is a laugh-out-loud funny drama.<br />
<br />
As the synopsis accurately says this drama is a heart-warming comedy about work, realtionships and love. I would definitely recommend it as I enjoyed it very much. <br />
<br />
Ratings<br />
Plot-4<br />
Characters-5<br />
Story-4.5<br />
Acting-3.5<br />
<br />
Pros<br />
Happy ending<br />
Strong characters<br />
<br />
Cons<br />
A bit unrealistic <br />
<br />
NOTE- Images do not belong to mebestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-29368168088069747162013-04-09T06:06:00.000-07:002013-04-09T06:06:40.636-07:00Book review- The Professor and the Housekeeper by Yoko Ogawa<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=professor+and+the+housekeeper&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=RNWBTC1qJdTMJM&tbnid=_5TD2nWe5yev9M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fand-the-plot-thickens.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fhousekeeper-professor-yoko-ogawa.html&ei=eA9kUdvaGI_s0gXXwYDABw&psig=AFQjCNGtVBEXx7N1Y76risA59BgEsEzkIg&ust=1365598425436586" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img height="393" id="irc_mi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwYsAeLzch425LMJQQ2BQZasuNc8CEd8cEboXpQ0td6USCu_GXMrcb4LhFXIleV4v-knJlE3ZFkkwbvlOz9N4iTg3E_XpwXgFtyYeYLixIwWIKQh4q-qrNBB4LT2rLagCGCjeUoURgQ/s1600/n265264.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="246" /></a><br />
<br />
Professor and the Housekeeper by Yoko Ogawa was originally written in Japanese but has been translated into English. I for one, am glad that so many Japanese novels are being translated into English. I have always wanted to read Japanese novels but I don't know how to read Japanese. <br />
<br />
'He is a brilliant math Professor with a peculiar problem—ever since a traumatic
head injury, he has lived with only eighty minutes of short-term memory.
<br />
<br />
She is an astute young Housekeeper—with a ten-year-old son—who is hired
to care for the Professor.
<br />
<br />
And every morning, as the Professor and the Housekeeper are introduced to
each other anew, a strange and beautiful relationship blossoms between them.
Though he cannot hold memories for long (his brain is like a tape that begins to
erase itself every eighty minutes), the Professor's mind is still alive with
elegant equations from the past. And the numbers, in all of their articulate
order, reveal a sheltering and poetic world to both the Housekeeper and her
young son. The Professor is capable of discovering connections between the
simplest of quantities—like the Housekeeper's shoe size—and the universe at
large, drawing their lives ever closer and more profoundly together, even as his
memory slips away.' (amazon.com)<br />
<br />
The synopsis on the back of the book that I have reads a bit differently. The one line that attracted me to the book was the last line of the synopsis. 'With each new equation, three lost souls forge an affection more mysterious than imaginary numbers, and a bond that runs deeper than memory'. I wondered, is it possible for a bond to run deeper than memories? Aren't bonds built on memories? I was intrigued so I wanted to read this novel. <br />
<br />
This novel is not a romance novel, in fact I don't think it fits neatly into any genre. In some parts, when the professor lectures about mathematics, it can actually seem like you're reading a non-fiction book. In other parts, the story is quite tender, a human drama. <br />
<br />
Gentle and touching are good words to describe this book. The language is extremely simple but very beautiful and brings about the story and emotions in the book very clearly. Yoko Ogawa's writing style is an asset to this novel. <br />
<br />
The story revolves around the housekeeper, her son 'Root' (because his head looks like a square root) and the sixty-four year old retired mathematics professor, who has only eightly minutes of memory. Even though this is quite a disturbing condition, in the story it seems just normal. <br />
<br />
Throughout the story, the housekeeper, her son and the professor become closer through mathematics, such as when the professor describes the relationship between the housekeeper's birthday and his watch (they are amicable numbers). The housekeeper feels that there is a 'connection' between them through these numbers. The professor also acts as a grandfather-sort-of figure for her son Root. <br />
<br />
I thought that the story was very simple and beautiful. The book is pretty thin compared to the standard length of novels. <br />
<br />
I would recommend this book for those interested in deep and profound books, with simple language (like the Little prince). <br />
<br />
Ratings <br />
Story-4<br />
Characters-5<br />
Style-5<br />
Plot-2<br />
<br />
Pros<br />
Interesting characters and realistic relationship building<br />
Makes mathematics seem like a language and relationships between numbers like poetry<br />
<br />
Cons<br />
Even though it was a gentle story, it lacks a bit of emotion. I never even came close to crying. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-75554017079164745292013-04-09T05:51:00.001-07:002013-04-09T05:51:37.108-07:00Book review- Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=salvation+of+a+saint+keigo+higashino&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=Jgz9EJTND_xBLM&tbnid=sVFhWhMoh69FjM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwwwshotsmagcouk.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F12%2Fforthcoming-books-to-look-forward-to.html&ei=kw5kUbbcIoOn0QW6y4CgCg&psig=AFQjCNHkHJEtjViUOr5e8xgPjHhWJCiC7A&ust=1365598218119835" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img height="393" id="irc_mi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZ5UBwNkI6Zu8FITNp3FDp5Ygu_7AaZbWEY9YSZSrBSNgMEds8rCgngg_eI_-SS6lYLUVmnHAAevbmIxpEF930oLZYAmusnrgC-4INE_PUg39E01PnoPWPp_n0rirOcSYz5rdZww9U9-w/s1600/Salvation+of+a+saint.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="258" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
I have recently become a Keigo Higashino fan after reading his book the Devotion of suspect X and watching the Galileo drama series. Salvation of a Saint is another novel in the Galileo Series that has been translated into English. The third full novel in the series, A Midsummer's equation will be translated in the future, I think. I can't wait!<br />
<br />
The basic premise of Salvation of a Saint is the murder of businessman Yoshitaka in his apartment. He was poisoned after his wife left to meet her parents. Once again, we see detective Kusanagi and professor Manabu (aka Galileo), but joining them this time is rookie cop Utsumi Kaoru. I have seen Kaoru's character in the drama where she was the one who is always seeking professor Manabu's help rather than Kusanagi, and received more screen time. I was very happy to see her in this book. She adds a much needed 'female' dimension to the novel. <br />
<br />
Like the previous book, most of the book consists of talking to suspects, visiting places and tracing leads connected to the time. Galileo comes up with a few theories that need to be discarded in the beginning. I really liked that he was failing and trying again, rather than everything just coming to his as a solved mystery at the end of the book. <br />
<br />
From the beginning of the book, the murderer is known, so the focus is on proving how the murderer committed the murder since the murderer has an airtight alibi. However, I felt that the motive for murder was pretty weak. <br />
<br />
The characters are also a bit boring when compared to Devotion of Suspect X where I found Ishigami's character quite intriguing. Ayane's character is among the better ones but I really liked Utsumi Kaoru's enthusiasm and drive. She trusts her feminine intuition completely, but is not illogical. <br />
<br />
Overall, this book was a very solid mystery novel that will keep you turning pages. This is also in the same genre of 'intellectual mystery' where the detective figures out a very complicated method of murder with just their brains. I really like these types of mysteries. They are somewhat similar to Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes but set in modern times. <br />
<br />
Galileo 2 drama is going to be airing in spring, by the way and I can't wait!<br />
<br />
Ratings<br />
<br />
Plot-5<br />
Characters-3<br />
Story-4<br />
Style-4.7<br />
<br />
Pros<br />
Great writing style that keeps you turning pages<br />
Interesting plot thatw ill keep you guessing<br />
Great conclusion<br />
<br />
Cons<br />
Characters are not very interesting<br />
The whole situation seems a bit 'mundane' and 'ordinary' rather than 'spectacular'<br />
<br />
NOTE- Images do not belong to me and have been taken from Google image search<br />
bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-4066474398679978092013-03-25T12:22:00.002-07:002013-03-25T12:31:11.134-07:00Book review- Playing the Maestro by Aubrie Dionne<span id="freeText3460444448553400551"><img height="449" src="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/9781622668724_500.jpg" width="299" /></span><br />
<br />
Melody Mires has sworn off dating musicians, but when the sexy European conductor Wolf Braun takes over her struggling symphony, her hesitation almost flies out the window with the notes of her flute—until he opens his mouth. Wolf is arrogant, haughty, and seems to have a personal vendetta against Melody. Oh, and he’s her boss. If she wants to keep her job as principal flutist, she’ll have to impress Wolf while simultaneously keeping her undeniable attraction to herself.<br /><br />Wolf came to America to get as far away from his past as possible, and to recover some of the swagger he had as one of the world’s best maestros. He never imagined being forced to reassess the entire orchestra’s talent—and potentially fire anyone who doesn’t make his cut. Dating the attractive flutist is out of the question, but as their feelings reach a fever pitch, can they risk both their careers for a chance at love? (from goodreads)<br />
<br />
The heroine has quite an unusual name. This romance is a typical modern love story but with a musical twist. However, I did not find that the music aspect of it was featured often enough, for example as a tool to deepen or develop their feelings for each other or someone else. There are many scenes involving music, obviously, as both of them work for an orchestra and there are other sub-plots involving music as well, but it all boils down to just description of music and what is being performed, rather than taking it to a deeper level. This wasn't necessarily a negative thing, but just that it annoyed me that the music aspect, which was so interesting, is used just like a job, like in other novels the characters who are lawyers, accountants, ceos etc. have their jobs and events happening in their job featured prominently but it acts as a secondary plot rather than a force for bringing the characters together. <br />
<br />
Other than that, the hero was interesting and a strong character in the novel, because he was the perfect balance of good looks, hurtful past and caring personality. Although there's a lot in his past, he never falls into the brooding hero stereotype. <br />
<br />
The novel was quite interesting and a quick and breezy read. If you're looking for a good contemporary romance novel with a little unique twist, Playing the Maestro would be a good choice. <br />
<br />
Ratings<br />
Story-4/5<br />
Characters-4.5/5<br />
Style-4.6/5<br />
<br />
Pros<br />
A musical romance<br />
Hero and heroine are not very stereotyped or annoying<br />
<br />
Cons<br />
The music aspect could have been used better<br />
<br />
NOTE- I received a copy of this book from the publisher but my opinions are not biased and the review is in no way influenced by thisbestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-36416770816332540462013-03-08T10:20:00.001-08:002013-03-08T10:20:49.227-08:00Book review- Devotion of suspect X by Keigo Higashino<img src="http://www.rundpinne.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/TheDevotionofSuspectX.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Devotion of suspect X is a mystery/thriller novel by Keigo Higashino featuring the genius physicist and detective, Yukawa Manabu and inspector Kusanagi. It is part of the Galileo series. This novel has caused a lot of buzz recently so I decided to give it a try. Also, since I have watched the drama Galileo and loved it (You can find the review on this blog as well), I really wanted to read the book. <br />
<br />
The book starts off pretty unsually for a mystery where so much hinges on how the murder was committed. It shows exactly how the murder happened and the events surrounding it. This tricks the reader into complacency as they feel they already know how it was done, but this is not a good assumption (as the book subsequently shows, assumptions are the biggest barrier to cracking a case). An interesting character featured right from the start is that of Ishigami, a maths teacher who lives next to the victim's wife's house. <br />
<br />
The writing style was what really captured me, apart from the very interesting plot. The style is so simple that even a middle schooler could easily read. It doesn't feature any vocabulary of high level. I don't know whether the credit for this goes to the translator or the writer himself. Because of its simplicity, it is even more addictive. <br />
<br />
The plot features a brilliant twist at the end as well as throughout. This is a mystery novel along the lines of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie mysteries which feature impossible to guess, startling endings in which all the threads are tied together. <br />
<br />
The characterisation was quite well done, and one easily gets a sense of the characters, who are not stereotyped but real people. Even though it is a plot focused novel, the personality of characters still manages to shine through. <br />
<br />
Overall, this was a great novel. The writing style, plot, characterisation were all good and the ending was the icing on the cake. I couldn't wait to read the next page. Thsi novel will keep you hooked. <br />
<br />
Ratings<br />
Plot-4.7/5<br />
Characters-4.5/5<br />
Style-5/5<br />
Story-4.3/5<br />
<br />
Pros<br />
Addictive and a racy read<br />
Full of surprises and a great ending<br />
Does not lose out on emotion even though it is a mystery novel<br />
Clear and simpel writing style which works well for the book<br />
<br />
Cons<br />
Is wholely focused on the mystery; characters or other things are not explored in detail.<br />
The ending page could have been better <br />
<br />
Overall, I will definitely be looking foward to reading The Salvation of a Saint, the next in this series.<br />
<br />
NOTE- Images taken from google image searchbestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-57992981664316391972013-02-22T13:36:00.001-08:002013-02-22T13:36:39.434-08:00Book Review- Georgette Heyer- Faro's Daughter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOVQNC1QEKzAHn6SRq3eYi9_yjPduBQIz_10_zTnSMx3a2BvEOATmY9md4YJ-Gl6ZAfMj8CfPRgn_nHtwRGTK0_RF-JgVW4b2xrNp_bFDe2d1TbpTt90xbEkjxN2w5A8ZN4B0OsPVLl5q/s1600/Georgette+Heyer+-+Faro's+Daughter.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOVQNC1QEKzAHn6SRq3eYi9_yjPduBQIz_10_zTnSMx3a2BvEOATmY9md4YJ-Gl6ZAfMj8CfPRgn_nHtwRGTK0_RF-JgVW4b2xrNp_bFDe2d1TbpTt90xbEkjxN2w5A8ZN4B0OsPVLl5q/s320/Georgette+Heyer+-+Faro's+Daughter.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here I am, reviewing yet another wonderful book by Georgette Heyer. Of course, everyone has their own opinions when it comes to best books, but in mine, this is one of her best books. I haven't read all of them, but I've read most of them. The Grand Sophy is very good too. The romance was well developed and even though it had the plague of a rushed ending, it still managed to shine. <br />
<br />
Faro's daughter tells the story of Deborah Grantham, who runs a gaming house in regency London alongside her aunt. Adrian, a young gentleman is smitten by her and wants to marry her. This makes his socially consious mother uneasy who ends up enlisting her nephew's help to end this relationship. The arrongant Max Ravenscar belives that this gaming wench with lack of upbringing can be bought off. However, his presumption infuriates the well bred Deborah Grantham who in her attempts to extract revenge ends up creating a chain of funny situations which culminate in her falling in love with him. <br />
<br />
Max Ravenscar is quite a typical Heyer hero but Deborah Grantham is quite unusual. His frequent visits to the club to plan his counter measures push the relationship along well. Adrian is out of the game from the beginning because we know this is a romance novel written by Georgette Heyer and it will have a happy ending. However, he manages to find love in his own way with a runaway gentlewoman. The side stories here, were quite interesting, especially Adrian's. With every meeting, Max Ravenscar's opinion of Deborah changes until he finally admits being in love with her. Her sense of fair play (though not always intact), independant personality and wit attract rather than repulse him. <br />
<br />
However, even I have to admit that the protagonists at times are quite inconsistent, especially Deborah. She is full of pride and honour at one point of time and then she devises immature schemes for revenge which do not always display her sense of justice and maturity. The hero just switches from wanting to buy her off to falling for her unyielding spirit. The other contender for Deborah's hand (I can't even remember his name!), was not any serious competition from the beginning and even though he keeps recurring, the ending is quite predictable. <br />
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<br />
Pacing was a big advantage for this novel. The ending was a bit rushed but not as much as some of her other novels which only start the romance in the end. The streamlined pacing allowed more events to take place so that the love developed consistently and the conclusion sounded more believable. The side story was another big plus. Okay, Adrian was a little slow but he got there in the end- all's well that ends well!<br />
<br />
As always, Heyer's dialogue and sense of time period are commendable. A lot of historical romance writers these days just dump contemporary characters and mannerisms into a historical setting and disguise it as a historical novel. However, Georgette Heyer's novels are well researched and depict society accurately to a larger extent than current novels at least. They are also based on love rather than lust which helps the plot and overall quality of the novel. Her characteristic wit and humour are there and shine though like any work of hers though Devil's cub was a lot funnier than Faro's daughter.<br />
<br />
Overall, a very good read with strong characters. <br />
<br />
Plot-3/5<br />
Characters-4/5<br />
Dialogue-4.5/5<br />
Setting-4/5<br />
<br />
Pros<br />
<br />
Characters- main and secondary<br />
Historical detail<br />
Dialogue<br />
Pacing<br />
<br />
Cons<br />
<br />
Characters inconsistent at points<br />
Predictable (I guess that's true for all romance novels!)bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-71699880630923941582013-02-22T13:06:00.002-08:002013-02-22T13:06:21.310-08:00Book Review- Georgette Heyer- A Lady of Quality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
I have lately been enjoying Georgette Heyer quite a lot. I read a few of her books a while ago and didn't remember to write reviews. I'll start with this one. Lady of quality if brimming with Georgette Heyer's trademarks- wit, humour, romance and strong protagonists. The historical element is not emphasized in this novel when compared to some of her others. This was her last book to be published before her death. <br />
<br />
Lady of quality tells the story of the Annia Wynchwood, a wealthy and independant spinster who moves into Bath. There, she takes charge of Lucilla, a girl running from an arranged marriage with an equally unwilling fiance. However, her guardian sends her uncle, Oliver Carleton, a rake to investigate this. Miss Wynchwood refuses to let go of the girl fearing that he will force her into marriage. With the shared concern for Lucilla's future as a premise, romance blooms between the independant Miss Wynchwood and Oliver Carleton with each trying to cut the other down with their sharp insults and observations. <br />
<br />
The most exciting part of the story is probably the main relationship. Both characters are fairly experienced, making it an equal relationship. They argue most of the time and that is actually more interesting than it sounds. Oliver Carleton appreciates her independant thinking and ability to stand up for herself. <br />
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<br />
The social events in Bath act as a good backdrop for the development of this romance. The plot is pretty predictable for most part with the romance taking a foreseeable direction. However, it is an enjoyable read that brings Bath to life.<br />
<br />
The characters, especially the protagonists are the most endearing part of this novel. Both are well developed even though they do not change much during the story. Their personalities, to start with are interesting and unusual for the era in which the novel was set (especially the heroine). The side characters, especially Lucilla, just push the story along. I don't have a vivid recollection of all the characters since I read this quite a while ago but I do remember enjoying the protagonists' conversations. They become like guardians to Lucilla by the end. The hero is a bit typical in that he appreciates the heroine's unconventionality much like all of her novels. The difference is probably he appreciates this quality from the beginning rather than being forced to accept it in the end. <br />
<br />
Overall, quite an engaging and interesting read. As usual, Heyer's humour, wit and good sense of time period are intact in this novel. It doesn't drag like some of her other novels. Though this kind of story has become quite common these days, Heyer's superior writing ability makes it shine. A good read for any historical romance novel fan. It is one of my favourites by her.<br />
<br />
Plot-3/5<br />
Characters-4.6/5<br />
Setting-4/5<br />
Development-3.6/5<br />
<br />
Pros<br />
<br />
Characters<br />
Historical detail<br />
Dialogue<br />
Writing style<br />
<br />
Cons<br />
<br />
This plot has become very common these days<br />
The side characters are a little bland and sometimes pointlessbestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-13365239013702674682013-02-19T10:00:00.002-08:002013-02-19T10:02:15.835-08:00Book review- Third grade Mix up by Michele Jakubowski<img src="http://michelejakubowski.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Sidney_and_Sydney_2.png" /><br />
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I know it's been a really long time. Merry christmas and happy new year. Hapy Chinese new year as well! I'm finally back now. This year I have decided to review a wider variety of books across more genres. As a first, I will be reviewing a children's book, (Sidney and Sydney) Third grade mix-up by Michele Jakubowski with illustrations by Luisa Montalto . I received a review copy from the publishers but the opinions are mine and honest. <br />
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<span id="freeTextContainer534511753477732781">When Sidney Fletcher moves to Oak Grove, things get a little strange for Sydney Greene. Not only does Sydney share a name with a boy, but he's in her third-grade class! First-day-of-school drama has them at odds, but Sidney and Sydney soon find out that they share more than just their names. Can boys and girls actually be friends?! (goodreads)</span><br />
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Actually, I must admit that reading this book felt strange. I have been reading books that are much longer and this book felt like a chapter rather than a book. But I think it would be a big step for younger readers. It's just that I haven't read a children'sbook in a long time. The book has color illustrations which make it a fun read. The characters are strong and unique, which is usually not seen in many adult novels nowadays. In fact, when I compared them to the characters of most of the books I have reviewed, I felt like they had much more depth and strength to stand up for their beliefs, even though they are just in third grade. Even the supporting characters are interesting and have lovable personalities. Sydney (the girl) is a fashion conscious girl who likes playing Galaxy conquest and Sidney (the guy) has just moved to the school. They initially start out on a sour note (due to a mix-up involving their names) but come together with their similar interests. <br />
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The main event of the book if of course the halloween and how Sidney and Sydney work together to make it a great halloween for their friends and themselves. <br />
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I thought the concept of the book was quite good. The writing style was clear and easy to follow. However, the book lacked the 'wow' factor or even the 'emotional factor' that connects you to the story and characters. <br />
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The interview of Sidney and Sydney at the end of the book was something I really liked. Alternate chapters are written by the same character, so we get to know both of them through their as well as the other one's perspective. <br />
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Overall, I think it is quite a decent read and young children might enjoy it more. <br />
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Ratings<br />
Plot-4<br />
Characters-5<br />
Style-5<br />
Development-3<br />
Overall-3.5<br />
<br />
Pros<br />
Good characters <br />
The concept is interesting<br />
Clear and easy to understand writing style, especially for children<br />
<br />
Cons<br />
Lacked the 'X' factor<br />
The halloween plot was a bit too predictable and is a commonly used plot in children's booksbestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-31923010906006091632012-11-17T12:14:00.003-08:002012-11-17T12:14:40.107-08:00Author Interview- Dan O' BrienIt's been a long while since I reviewed an author. Here's a new author interview from an upcoming fantasy writer, Dan O'Brien whose novel 'The Path of the The Fallen' has received rave reviews on amazon. <br />
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<strong>TRIVIA</strong><br />
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<strong>Favorite color</strong>- Blue<br />
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<strong>Favorite author-</strong> Ernest Hemmingway<br />
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<strong>Favorite book-</strong> Les Miserables<br />
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<strong>Zodiac sign-</strong> Libra<br />
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<strong>Place of your dreams-</strong> Mendocino Coast<br />
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<strong>Your motto-</strong> "There are no limits, only mountains you are unwilling to climb."<br />
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<strong>On to the serious questions....</strong><br />
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<strong>Is the life of a writer as you imagined it to be?</strong> <br />
When I first started writing and publishing over a decade ago, I had very different ideas about what being a writer was. Now, it is as I imagine it to be: a joyful struggle tempered by a will to succeed. I love writing and I love sharing what I have written with others. <br />
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<strong>What genre do you write and why?</strong> <br />
I write in a variety of genres; the only genres I have yet to write in are romance and Westerns (though a Western is the works). I love to write fantasy and science fiction, though horror can be fun as I end scaring the daylights out of myself.<br />
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<strong>What inspires you the most?</strong> <br />
People who do more than is expected of them, or what they are told they can achieve. Despite the content and endings of my novels, I like when there is a happy ending, though it has to be believable. Life has too many unhappy endings as it is, so I love to watch or read something that pushes the limits of the human experience and then believably overcomes the obstacles. <br />
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<strong>What kind of characters/ settings do you like?</strong> <br />
I love any book as long as it is well written, though I do love fantasy and science fiction the most. Lost worlds and distant realms top my list of settings that I love. Characters who are not predictable or push the boundaries of an archetype are by far my favorite, with antiheroes and villains topping the list. <br />
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<strong>As a reader, what is your favorite genre? What is your least favorite and why?</strong> <br />
Fantasy would have to be my favorite, though I adore historical fiction. Romance would be at the bottom. I never really got into them and I imagine I am not the target audience. <br />
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<strong>Have you ever suffered the dreaded writer's block? How do you deal with it?</strong> <br />
I generally don't get it because I have so many books going at any particular time. If I reach a point in the book where I want to contemplate where it is going, then I simply jump to another novel I am writing. <br />
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<strong>What message would you like to give to your fans?</strong> <br />
Support of indie authors makes this whole process so rewarding. Leave reviews and tell your friends, as indie authors need that word-of-mouth. Be sure to visit my on blog (http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com/) to stay up-to-date on what is going down with my publishing schedule. <br />
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Thank you and wish you all the best for your latest novel!<br />
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You can find information about Dan's other books here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dan-OBrien/e/B0079T7TCC/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0">http://www.amazon.com/Dan-OBrien/e/B0079T7TCC/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0</a><br />
You can purchase his latest book, The path of the fallen here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Path-Fallen-Volume-1/dp/1470177900/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348514673&sr=8-1&keywords=the+path+of+the+fallen+dan+obrien" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1353179246047_1762" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/The-Path-Fallen-Volume-1/dp/1470177900/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348514673&sr=8-1&keywords=the+path+of+the+fallen+dan+obrien</a><br />
The kindle version can be purchased here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Path-Fallen-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B009D2PNIU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348514673&sr=8-2&keywords=the+path+of+the+fallen+dan+obrien" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1353179246047_1804" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/The-Path-Fallen-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B009D2PNIU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348514673&sr=8-2&keywords=the+path+of+the+fallen+dan+obrien</a><br />
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bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-40312780117725119582012-11-02T10:01:00.000-07:002012-11-02T10:01:51.073-07:00Zard Golden best ~15th Anniversary~ jpop album review part 2Sorry for not posting anything in almost a month. I will try to be more regular in November. Anyway, here is the review of CD 2 of Zard's Golden best. I already reviewed the first CD in the previous post which also contains information about the album like sales etc. Here is the CD 2 review<br />
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1. My friend- The lyrics of this track are heartwearming and the bittersweet relationship between friends is expressed in an optimistic way by the cheerful tune accompanied by brass instruments and a cheerful instrumental. This was the ending of Slam Dunk and sold more than a million copies. Agin, ZARD's vocals sound happy as she remembers her childhood friend. Sakai reaches some really high notes on this track with effortless ease. <br />
Rating-5/5<br />
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2. Kokoro wo hiraite- My friend is followed my another upbeat track. It strts out a slow tempo acoustic track. Then it explodes into a cheerful chorus while still retaining its feeling. <br />
Rating- 4.3/5<br />
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3. Today is another day- This also starts out slow with just a piano intro then the guitars come in along with the brass instruments to create a lively atmosphere. There is something very feel good about this track. As Sakai sings the verse, there is a feeling of just riding a bike in the wind. This song seems like a tribute to everyday. The chorus is not high but flows well with the song. <br />
Rating-4.5/5<br />
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4. Don't you see- As most ZARD songs, ZARD sings the verse to an accompaniment of piano and guitar. It has a calm and mellow atmosphere, but the energy level keeps building up. Even though there is nothing special about it, it is just an uptempo pop track, it's chorus is very powerful and Sakai's clear vocals are the highlight. \<br />
Rating-4.2/5<br />
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5. Eien- Unlike most songs on this CD, Eien is a pure slow, acoustic ballad. The background instruments are kept to a minimum to ensure that ZARD's voice shines. It sounds like a ballad that plays in dramas at the scene when the main character is looking back at memories. It is a very relaxing track. <br />
Rating-4.3/5<br />
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6. My baby grand- A typical ZARD uptempo acoudtic track. Not as good or catchy as some other tracks on this album. But it is not bad, either. It is something that could keep playing in the background and you would never notice. <br />
Rating-4/5<br />
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7. Unmei no Roulette Mawashite- This has a darker tone. It also has heavier guitars. It sounds a bit like Ai ga mienai. It is fast paced and could almost be a dance track. The beat is strong. <br />
Rating-4.5/5<br />
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8. Get u're dream- Another track with a dance feel. The instrumental has a retro feel to it. The verse is mellow but good. The beat is very rythmic. ZARD's singing shows a lot of dynamics on this track. <br />
Rating-4.7/5<br />
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9. Motto chikaku de kimi no yokogao miteitai- The chorus, if it had a different arrangement would be an epic ballad. It has a japanese feel. The chorus is very loud and powerful. In contrst, the verse is almost like mumbling. It has a very mysterious tone. Listening to the track, a strong feeling of longing takes over. <br />
Rating-4.8/5<br />
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10. Kyou wa yukkuri hanasou- A track that has some folk elements. It flows easily and is accompanied by a bright arrangement. <br />
Rating-4.2/5<br />
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11. Hoshi no kagayaki yo- An average pop track which doesn't have anything unique. The chorus sounds like an anime song, it's fast paced. It has chime instruments which make it sound like stars after the chorus.<br />
Rating- 4/5<br />
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12. Natsu matsu sail noyouni- Clearly the most mediocre track on this album. It's too laid back to be good, and even though it is uptemp, the melody fails to make an impact. <br />
Rating-3.4/5<br />
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13. <span lang="EN"></span><br />
Heart no hi wo tsukete- It has a clapping kind of rhythm, which make sit easy to listen to. <br />
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Rating-4.1/5</div>
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Overall, Golden best is a must buy, whether you are a new fan or an old fan. It contains ZARD's best tracks in a great sequence. Even though some of her amazing new songs like Tsubasa wo hirogete and Shoujo no koro modotta mitai ni were not on it, it is neverthless the best ZARD compilation till date. All other complation, even from the same time period don't contain all these great single tracks together. </div>
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ZARD's brand of pop is easy listening, but not boring. It has a lot of emotion (especially songs on CD1) and most melodies are very catchy. CD 1 was slightly better in my opinion because of variety while CD 2 was also great but was filled with very similar upbeat, uptempo pop tracks. ZARD's lyrics and voice will definitely mersmerize you. It might sound a bit oldish to some people, but you will start loving it after a few listens. </div>
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Overall rating-4.9/5</div>
bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-54145853672014728712012-09-28T11:45:00.000-07:002012-09-28T12:03:55.101-07:00J-pop album review ZARD Golden Best ~15TH Anniversary~<img height="438" id="il_fi" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cb/Zard_Golden_Best_15th_Anniversary.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="500" /><br />
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ZARD is one of the highest selling acts in j-pop history with music station ranking them at #8. ZARD started out as a band but slowly because Izumi Sakai's solo project. ZARD songs are usually acoustic, easy listening pop tracks. All lyrics are written by Sakai herself and according to me, are a high poit of ZARD's work because her lyrics are really good. <br />
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This album has 2 CDs. Usually, I review albums as a whole, but I haven't had time to listen to the second CD so I am just reviewing the 1st CD for now. <br />
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CD1<br />
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1. Goodbye my Lonliness- This was ZARD's debut single. The use of piano is prominent, but there are guitars as well. The song has a melancholic and 'rainy' atmosphere, which reminds one of lonliness. ZARD's vocals are crystal clear and sharp, but they sound too happy for such a sad song. There is a saxophone part towards the end which is really good. The instrumental part of this song (into, outro, saxophone part) are all really good. <br />
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Raing-4.8/5<br />
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2. Nemurenai Yoru wo Daite (Embrace the sleepless nights)- This follows a somewhat generic pattern of 80s pop, but doesn't sound as oldish. ZARD hits some pretty high notes in this song. It is basically an acoustic pop song. It does tend to get boring at times. <br />
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Rating-4/5<br />
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3. In my arms tonight- The instumental intro is very melodic and somewhat jazzy, like a slow dance song. ZARD's voice is full of nostalgia and yearning in this song, which suits the song perfectly. I think this is my most favorite track on this album. There is just something about this song- the extremely melodic chorus, the nostalgic verse, but it all comes together brilliantly in the end to produce a very emotional track. The lyrics are very fitting. <br />
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Rating- 5/5<br />
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4. Makenaide (Don't give up)- This is ZARD's highest selling single. It sold more than a million. It is an upbeat and bouncy track with optimistic vocals. The lyrics are wonderful, and the melody perfectly matches the spirit of the song. <br />
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Rating-4.8/5<br />
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5. Kimi ga Inai (You're not here)- This track starts off badly. I didn't think the chorus was all that good, but the verse is nice, even though the transition between the verses and chorus is jerky. This is an alright track, nothing spectacular. Before trying this album, I was hesitant to try something from ZARD because I thought that most of their songs are just generic acoustic pop songs with mediocre melodies. This one supports that kind of thinking perfectly. <br />
<br />
Rating-3.5/5<br />
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6. Yureru Omoi (Trembling feelings) - The chorus is high and catchy. The verse is more easy listening, but what this song showcases is Sakai's vocal ability. This was another million seller for ZARD. I don't like the lyrics so much, because it's full of meaningless description, but the song is good. <br />
<br />
Rating-4.3/5<br />
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7. Mou Sukoshi Ato Sukoshi (Just a bit more, just a bit longer)- The lyrics are heartbreaking about a love that has ended, but Sakai wants to hold onto it desperately. The melody is quite melancholic and mysterious. It has a good flow and captures the feeling very well. The arrangement is also minimilastic and supports the song well. <br />
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Rating-4.8/5<br />
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8. Kitto Wasurenai (Surely, I will not forget)- This is a happy pop track with guitars, drums and all. <br />
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Rating-3.9/5<br />
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9. Kono Ai ni Oyogitsukaretemo (Even if I get tired of swimming in this love)- This song sounds mysterious. It is different from the kind of tracks ZARD usually does. It starts off with almost no instruments in the background and increases the speed and adds more instrument as every verse passes by. The lyrics are about love when it gets hard. As always, the lyrics are realistic and optimistic at the same time. <br />
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Rating-4.8/5<br />
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10. Oh my love- This is a spring pop tune. It sounds a bit like In my arms tonight. I like it when ZARD uses english words in her song. It gives them a somewhat jazzy, modern feel. This song is a great easy listening track. <br />
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Rating-4.8/5<br />
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11. Konna ni soba ni iru no ni (Even though I am this close to you)- Some ZARD songs have really long titles. This sounds more like a disco song from the 70s, even though the beat has been toned down a bit. ZARD shows her versatility by singing a different tupe of song. It has a dark tone. <br />
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Rating- 4.2/5<br />
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12. Anata wo Kanjiteitai (I want to feel you)- This is a cheerful pop song with chimes and stuff. ZARD's vocals sound powerful on this one, but the melody is not very remarkable. <br />
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Rating-4/5<br />
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13. Ai ga mienai (I can't see the love)- This song starts off like a dance song with a strong beat. The melody sounds minor and moody. I really like the lyrics, which speak about how everyone is caught up in the rush of life and becomes lonely and about how love slowly fades and bcomes discord. I think the lyrics are different from ZARD's usual positive lyrics, as if she is reflecting on life. As always, the melody is a perfect fit for the lyrics. <br />
<br />
Rating-5/5<br />
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14. Sayonara wa ima mo kono mune ni imasu (Goodbyes remain in my heart now)- This finishes the first CD perfectly. It is a breezy, easy listening track with a somewhat summery feel. <br />
<br />
Rating-4.5/5<br />
<br />
ZARD had their own brand of pop, which while not catchy, is easy listening with great repeat value. Sakai's vocals and lyrics are the the best and bring out the full potential of every song. Definitely try out this wonderful artist. bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-41979477790292342682012-09-28T11:27:00.000-07:002012-09-28T11:27:15.293-07:00Best j-pop dance songsLike all other industries, danceable songs are really popular in the j-pop industry as well. There are a lot of groups that do dance tracks and some of these songs (as well as their choreography) is brilliant. Here is a list of dance songs that I think are the best. Obviously, I have not heard every dance song, so feel free to comment with your favorites. <br />
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The songs are in no particular order of preference and are not rated. <br />
<img height="200" id="il_fi" src="http://www.ne.jp/asahi/nagoya/ahomaro/ongaku/maximum2.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="199" /><br />
1. Give me a shake by MAX- MAX is a group from Okinawa. The girls used to be part of Super Monkeys with Namie Amuro but are now a separate group. MAX has high-impact, powerful choreography and are nothing like the cardboard-cutout cutesy idols. Most of their songs are really well written. Give me a shake is one of their most popular songs and features really powerful vocals for a dance song. Its rhythm is easy to follow. <br />
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<img height="172" id="il_fi" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/Feel_So_Right_cover.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /><br />
2. Feel so Right by MAX- This is another song by MAX. It also features great dance moves and has a strong beat. It features low parts which showcases MAX's vocals. It is a song that will get you addicted on first listen. It was the ending theme of captain tsubasa. <br />
<br />
<img height="200" id="il_fi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9s9utN1s4zIGGqP_IdMkTlm3qowUUWUNUBYY6odrtoGsW7aI_K0kLUOXLPmCqaPpQsq1Po1UEDTWjP2wxafthVMcmbBnl6AZv6Rf_-ss_glu-7eL6rk_aDrgA9U1ZHY3VVwrMgpOt8Xg/s200/cover1.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="102" /><br />
3. BODY FEELS EXIT by Namie Amuro- This was Namie's debut single and is still one of her most powerful singles. The vocals are a bit high pitches and nasal, especially compared to Namie's current vocals, but the song has a strong melody with a latin-like atmosphere. Namie has also done a lot of good dance tracks. UNUSUAL, a collaboration with Yamashita Tomoshisa as well as some other tracks on her CHECKMATE album are really good too. <br />
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<img height="200" id="il_fi" src="http://sakurapoptarts.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/globe.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /><br />
4. Can't stop Falling in love by globe- Tetsuya is a famous dance music producer and his own band globe has a great wealth of good dance songs in its discography. Can't stop falling in love really stands out in my opinion because of its mellowness even though it is a dance track. <br />
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<img height="138" id="il_fi" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_R3sQsfjAOBI/TJ1kE77DtBI/AAAAAAAAEF0/qCdsQE949a8/s200/news_large_AKB48_beginner_art.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /><br />
5. Beginner by AKB48- This is a techno-dance track by girl group AKB48. The dance moves are quite good and this song is different from what AKB48 usually does. It is quite unique for a dance song because it features comparatively girly vocals with multiple vocalists. I think Seifuku ga jama wo suru by AKB48 is also a good dance track, though it might sound a bit oldish. <br />
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<img height="196" id="il_fi" src="http://loveforabunny.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/computercity.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /><br />
6. Computer City by Perfume- Although perfume is an electropop group, their songs are seriously danceable. Polyrythm, Love the world and chocolate disco are some of their other tracks which are very good. <br />
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<img height="197" id="il_fi" src="http://www.jpopasia.com/img/album-covers/1/2952-believe-g62t.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /><br />
7. Realize by Nami Tamaki- This is a dance song with strong vocals. IIt was used as the ending for Gundam seed and has a somewhat 'superhero anime' feel. But it sounds mysterious in the chorus. <br />
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<img height="200" id="il_fi" src="http://www.dennisnguyen.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/angelus.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="198" /><br />
8. Angelus by Hitomi Shimatani- This is a latin-inspired song by Hitomi Shimatani. She usually does crossover songs with a strong dance element. Out of all her dance songs, Angelus stands out most because of the energy in the song. It starts with a brass intro and choppy verses accompanied by Hitomi's fluid vocals. <br />
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<img height="108" id="il_fi" src="http://fareastvibes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Girls-Generation-The-Boys1.png" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /><br />
9. The boys by Girl's generation- This song is seriously addictive. The more you listen to it, the more addicted you will get. Girl's generation is a relatively new act in the j-pop scene and they are rapidly gaining popularity. The beats are strong and the girls' voice has enough attitude to pull such a song off smoothly. The dance moves are beautiful and will keep your eyes glued to the screen. A flawless track but it takes a few listens to stick on you. <br />
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<img height="200" id="il_fi" src="http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/14405585/TABOO+Inside+Scan+CD+2.png" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="199" /><br />
10. TABOO by Koda Kumi- This is a club dance track by Koda Kumi. Her sandpaper like gruff vocals just take this song to another level. There are no high parts, but teh main highlight of this song is Koda Kumi's voice, which is perfectly suited for dance tracks. She has produced many other great dance tracks in her career like FREAKY, JUICY and SHAKE IT. SHAKE IT is a really good album track with arabian elements, so you may want to give it a try. <br />
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So that ends my list of teh best dance j-pop tracks. Hopefully, as I listen to more amazing dance songs, I will add them to this list or make another list. bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-25095027086398911072012-09-25T12:47:00.000-07:002012-09-26T10:56:26.796-07:00Jpop album review- EXILE Ballad Best<br />
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EXILE has become quite popular in Japan with their string of million sellers earning them a coveted spot among the best-selling jpop acts of all time. Here's a review of their ballad best which was a million seller.<br />
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1) Ti Amo- This successful million seller hits off in the right direction with the intriguing Spanish influenced Ti Amo. This song has bounce and rhythm while managing to incorporate a deep sense of pain and mystery. The lyrics automatically come across as sad and painful. Atsushi and Takahiro’s vocals are at their best here with both of them singing one emotional sentence after another. The beat and melody are probably the strongest point of this single. Ti Amo starts the album with high expectations.<br />
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4.8/5<br />
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2) Lovers Again- A karaoke favourite. Lovers Again follows the rhythm of Ti Amo while incorporating a wintry feel. This happens to be the biggest difference between the two. The chorus carries on in a typical EXILE style with a strong beat and emotional vocals. <br />
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4.6/5<br />
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]3) Your eyes only ~Aimai na boku no katachi~- Your eyes only is a popular EXILE ballad. This song sounds very similar to Lovers Again but with a little less ‘wintry’ feel. Falsettos are liberally used especially in the beginning and end. The chorus moves onto a higher plane. This song has slightly less beat than the previous two but manages to be a decent track.<br />
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4.4/5<br />
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4) Song for you- Song for you breaks a little bit from the mold with an elaborate orchestral intro. The airy and bouncy vocals slowly come in till the song reaches an emotional climax. This song is a lot less emotional compared to the previous three. It has a breezy atmosphere with a pinch of melancholy. The chorus is airy and R&B-ish. <br />
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4/5<br />
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5) We will ~Ano basho e~- This song has a lot less beat than any other song. It starts off with a quiet verse devoid of any drum beats. The chorus has a classical/orchestral feel that adds to the value of the song. After the breezy Song for you, We Will manages to sound quite dramatic. <br />
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4.1/5<br />
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6) Unmei no hito- Starts off with a jazzy piano introduction and follows in the style of the orchestral We Will. It is an emotional track but does not bring in anything new to the album. It is quite similar to We will and lacks a beat as well.<br />
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4/5<br />
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7) Holy Night- This is probably one of the most unique and experimental songs in the album. Holy Night is an acapella song that lets Atsushi and Takahiro’s powerful vocals shine through. Acapella is not very common among pop artists. EXILE took a risk with this one that paid off. The chorus escalates in power till the main vocals and harmonies form a perfect balance. This gospel track manages to be a stand out track and one of the most powerful ones on this album. <br />
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4.5/5<br />
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8) Last Christmas- Begins in the style of Holy night with bare harmonies and flows into a bouncy beat. This is a cover of Wham’s hit Last Christmas. It follows well after Holy night. It was released as a single as well.<br />
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4.2/5<br />
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9) Tada....Aitakute- Tada.....Aitakute is the best selling single of EXILE’s cover. For that, it is quite unspectacular. Tad......Aitakute is a wintry ballad devoid of beat. Atushi and Takahiro do their best here to bring out emotion. Tada Aitakute is nothing great but manages to stand out after the bouncy Last Christmas. <br />
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4/5<br />
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10) Boku e- Boku e is a piano ballad devoid of beat. Frankly, it offered nothing special to the album. The emotion, melody etc. Were all there but this track doesn’t stand out after Tada Aitakute which was quite similar. <br />
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4/5<br />
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11) Kawaranai mono- Kawaranai mono picks up the typical EXILE style of ballads with beat and sadness. It is a little different from Boku e but the chorus is quite weak. Definitely not one of the better tracks in this album. <br />
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3.8/5<br />
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12) Michi- Michi has a mix of beat, piano, orchestra and emotional vocals. However, it doesn’t take away the monotony of the album which seems to be setting in at this point but rather reinforces it. Despite being a good track, this offers nothing to the album.<br />
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3.7/5<br />
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13) One love- One love is a piano ballad that is quiet and lacks beat or any other instrument. Since this song comes towards the end, it fits the mood well. In terms of emotion or high notes, one love is mediocre. <br />
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4/5<br />
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14) Love, dream and happiness- For the ending tracks, this song is quite upbeat and breezy. It has a strong easy listening vibe to it that kind of reminds me of Koda Kumi’s Wind. The chorus is airy and R&B/Hip hop influenced. Quite a typical song coming from EXILE. There are some female vocals in the end. <br />
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4/5<br />
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Overall, EXILE Ballad best, though not wildly original is an album that has a lot of re-listening value. Atsushi and Takahiro’s vocals are powerful, emotional and consistent throughout the album. Some songs like Lovers again, Ti amo and Holy night manage to be quite distinct and leave an impact. The album easily falls into easy listening because EXILE’s vocals are easy on the ears and their ballads have beat. EXILE’s ballads are no power ballads but they shine in their unique style. What the album lacks the most is originality. The tracks are similar sounding. For EXILE fans, this is a great album to buy. For others who enjoy ballads but are new to EXILE’s style, this can prove to be a good try. Some of their songs have a western styles and can probably impress <a href="http://www.casinotop10.net/Maria-Carey-Idol" target="_blank">western singers and music judges</a>. <br />
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Pros<br />
<br />
Vocals<br />
Style<br />
Songs<br />
Re-listen value<br />
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Cons<br />
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Repetitive<br />
Best- does not contain many new songs<br />
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<br />bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-45551402432759500312012-09-19T02:19:00.003-07:002012-09-19T02:20:12.698-07:00J-pop album review- Cover You by morning musume<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cover You is a cover album by popular j-pop idol group morning musume. It contains songs written by the late lyricist and novel writer Yu Aku, who is the highest selling lyricist of all time in Japan followed by Tak Matsumoto and Tetsuya Komuro. <br />
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1. Nagisa no Sinbad (Sinbad of the beach)- I had already heard this song on Pink lady best album and also reviewed it, but this time the vocals are by morning musume. There is hardly any variation from the original. It just sounds cuter and more girlish due to morning musume's much more high-pitched and sugary vocals. It is quite a short song but extremely catchy. It is a breezy pop summer song. <br />
Rating-4.8/5<br />
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2. Dou ni mo tomaranai (Just can't stop it) - Originally by Linda Yamamoto but I have never heard her version. Morning musume's voices sound a bit more mature and oldish here than the previous track. This song is like a disco samba tune extremely reminiscent of the 80s. <br />
Rating-4/5<br />
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3. Izakaya (Pub)- This is an enka song. This song is a real gem. It has a smooth and rythmic arrangement. Right from the opening instrumental, it draws you in. It is a duet with Itsuki Hiroshi, a famous enka singer who also sang the male parts in the original. Takahashi Ai does the female parts. Her voice sounds nothing like an enka singer, but its mellowness fits well in this song. This song is brilliant from start to finish. A real standout enka song. <br />
Rating-5/5<br />
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4. Pepper Keibu (Inspector Pepper)- I really like the lyrics of this song. Like Nagisa no Sinbad, I have already listened to this song on Pink lady's best album. Morning musume version is more like karaoke, because they have altered nothing in this song. <br />
Rating-4/5<br />
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5. Shiroi chou no samba (Samba of white butterflies)- An okay song. Sounds oldish. Morning musume's voices did nothing for this song. The verse repeats a lot of times in the song. <br />
Rating-3.8/5<br />
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6. Seishun Jidai (Youth)- This song has some rock elements and there is use of electric guitars. It is different from morning musume's usual style. <br />
Rating-4.5/5<br />
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7. Ringo Satsujin Jiken (Apple murder case)- Seriously, I don't like this song. It would have been an alright song, except that annoying 'funifunifunifuni' part just gets on my nerves. Morning musume's high pitched voices sound really nasal on that part. As soon as that part comes in, I really feel like skipping this song. <br />
Rating-3.8/5<br />
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8. Romance- This is definitely 80s sounding. That sharp 'ting ting' sound (I don't know what instument that is) is quite prominent in the arrangement. It's verse sounds like it's part of some dance song. It is much like the verse of many MAX songs. But the chorus brings it back to pop. Quite an interesting song that sounds a bit melancholic. <br />
Rating- 4.8/5<br />
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9. Machi no Akari (Streetlights/Lights of the streets)- A very easy listening ballad. This song could best be described as 'mellow'. It has a haunting atmosphere and really makes you feel like you are standing in the middle of a cold street with streetlights on at night. <br />
Rating-4.7/5<br />
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10. Koi no dial 6700 (Love's dial 6700)- I actually think the concept of the song is quite good. A number to dial for love. There are all kinds of telephone noises in the beginning and thoughout random parts of the song. The lyrics are also cute and about being unable to express love. <br />
Rating-4.5/5<br />
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11. Pin Pon Pan Taiso- This is a really unique song because it is a children's song (at least I think it is). If you read the lyrics translation, this fact becomes evident. It is full of amazing tigers, crocodiles and such things. It also seems like an exercise song, because of the part division. It's structure is not like that of most pop songs. It talks about a different creature or event in each verse and the melody is also different. <br />
Rating-4.1/5<br />
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12. Watashi no Aoi Tori (My Blue bird) - A nice easy listening ballad, but seems a bit monotonous compared to the other songs on this album. It has no high vocals parts or anything to make it seem special. <br />
Rating-3.8/5<br />
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13. Johnny e no dengon (Letter to Johnny) - It has high parts which Morning musume manages quite well. It is also a ballad, but I found it stuck in my head after a few listens. It has a 'leaving town' atmosphere and that's what this song is about anyway. <br />
Rating-4.5/5<br />
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14. UFO- Another Pink lady classic. This song has interesting lyrics and an 'extraterrestrial' sounding arrangement. Morning musume has once again, not changed the arrangement or anything else about this song. <br />
Rating-5/5<br />
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Overall, a good album where you can listen to many older j-pop songs which you might not have a chance to hear by various artists. Morning musume did not alter any of the original structures or arrangements significantly so this really sounded like a karaoke session. But not too bad. bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-71960929576896388922012-09-02T22:41:00.001-07:002012-09-02T23:12:39.662-07:00J-Drama Review- Kaeru no Oujosama<br />
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I have been watching this drama for a while now (and it's over). Kaeru no Oujosama has the alternate title of The princess and the frog and from what is narrated in the drama, the story has a slightly different japanese version. <br />
Kaeru no Oujosama is a musical drama that is an aural treat for all the jpop fans, especially those who like or want to hear older songs. The drama is quite recent (2012) but gives an oldish feeling because most of it happens in a small town. <br />
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Kaeru no Oujosama is the story of a city choir, the Chansons, who try to save the town's music hall from being scraped to build a waste treatment plant. Chansons, which was a four memeber female choir holds auditions and accepts new members to make them better. Amami Yuki plays Mio Kurasaka, the Chansons' coach from Broadway who is originally from Yume town. She helps everyone improve their lives and overcome their problems with music. Roughly, one episode is dedicated to each member's story with Amami Yuki, Yuko Oshima and the male lead (Zeruel) having more than one episode. <br />
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I like the drama because it is very touching and shows how music can make ordinary lives seem extraordinary. Amami Yuki is the driving force behind the Chansons and the drama. Her character and personality were certainly unique. <br />
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The Chansons start of as an amateur choir with no experience in singing or dancing but Mio trains them hard and keeps spotting gigs for them, making them quite good by the end of the show. There are instances when her Broadway past comes up but it keeps going underground again. <br />
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The best part of the drama is probably watching the transformations which can be very touching and inspiring. Through music, The Chansons give everyone in the choir as well as the town hope and teach them to believe in miracles. After watching the drama, I felt that music is such a powerful tool in bringing about positive change. These days, the music industry has become totally commercial with songs being released only to earn profits and achieve fame (not so much in Japan as in other countries). In these times, the drama shines more and makes us remember the true meaning of music. <br />
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The actors do their part well mostly because they need to sing more than act. Amami Yuki definitely remains the star of the show. Her experience in acting shines through here. The personalities of the characters in the choir was distinct and each came from a different background, adding to variety in the drama. Yuko Oshima's acting was a little bland but her singing was fine. <br />
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Kaeru no Oujosama kind of reminds me of GTO, I don't know why. It has the similar feel of one student discovering their potential in each episode under Onizuka/Amami's guidance. More than that, each GTO episode was a tear-jerker just like each Kaeru no Oujosama episode. This is a drama that has made me cry in a long time. <br />
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If you love j-pop, you'll love this drama. I knew a lot of songs in the drama but when I heard them in the context of the drama and the episodes, their meaning became clearer to me and I can appreciate them more now. The prime example of one of such songs is Dreams Come True's Nando Demo. I have heard this song so many times but when it features in the sixth episode, it brings a new meaning and angle to the lyric interpretation that I did not focus on. Other songs that I recognized included Momoe Yamaguchi's This is my trial, Playback, Imitation Gold, Yokosuka story, Yumi Matsutoya's Hello my frind, Chage and Aska's Yah yah yah, , Kome Kome Club's Romantic flight, Princess Princess' M, Sugar's Wedding Bell and some others that I am forgetting. A lot of the songs are from the 80s, 70s time period sung in show choir style. Songs I liked but hadn't listened to earlier were Kaze ni naritai (which I found better than the original), Miagetegoran yoru no hoshii etc. <br />
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The story wasn't wildly original or anything. We've seen these kind of stories many times. But, the interpretation and script stood out. The songs were appropriate and well-placed. Character development was the strongest point of this drama. The characterisation was strong as well. The setting was a little bland and quiet. I know it is a small town but there are hardly any people on the streets (a total contrast toTokyo). The script, in fact was well done. The ideas, development and lines were crafted well to appeal emotionally to the audience- japanese excel at these kinds of things. <br />
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Before I wind up, I want to mention the tale of the princess and the frog. As far as I know it, the princess kisses the frog and it transforms into a prince. But in the drama, the princess calls the frog to the palace but repulsed by its ugliness, slams it on the wall. That instant, it becomes a prince. This kind of behavior is often comapred to Mio Kurasaka's harsh words that actually help the members become better. <br />
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Overall, I quite liked the drama probably because I like j-pop. This year, there have been a lot of mediocre releases and Kaeru no Oujosama seems better to most. I am watching Rich man, poor woman currently and I'll review it sometime in the future when it ends. Despite the good plot and acting, the drama did not have stellar ratings or anything. Nevertheless, for anyone looking for inspiration or wanting to break the monotony of romance dramas, Kaeru no Oujosama is a welcome change. Needless to say, it is a must watch for j-pop fans. <br />
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Story-4/5<br />
Acting-4/5 <br />
Script-4.6/5<br />
Music- 4.6/5<br />
Overall- 4.5/5<br />
<br />
Pros<br />
<br />
Refreshing<br />
Touching<br />
Amami's acting'<br />
Character development<br />
Music<br />
<br />
Cons<br />
<br />
Typical story <br />
Some actors lack experience/ do not act all that well<br />
<br />bestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-69856546853300493032012-08-07T07:27:00.002-07:002012-08-07T07:27:38.147-07:00Book Review- Sophie Kinsella- Can You Keep a Secret?<br />
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Sophie Kinsella is the Queen of Chick-lit. I've read most of her stand-alone books and a few in the Shopaholic series. Can you keep a secret? follows her style of clumsy/clueless heroine and a funny plot. Here's the synopsis from her website:<br />
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<em>Emma is sitting on a turbulent plane. She’s always been a v. nervous flyer. She really thinks that this could be her last moment. So, naturally enough, she starts telling the man sitting next to her – quite a dishy American, but she’s too frightened to notice -all her innermost secrets. How she scans the backs of intellectual books and pretends she’s read them. How she does her hair up like Princess Leia in her bedroom. How she’s not sure if she has a G-spot, and whether her boyfriend could find it anyway. How she feels like a fraud at work – everyone uses the word ‘operational’ all the time but she hasn’t a clue what it means. How the coffee at work is horrible. How she once threw a troublesome client file in the bin. If ever there was a bare soul, it’s hers.</em><br />
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<em>She survives the flight, of course, and the next morning the famous founding boss of the whole mega corporation she works for is coming for a look at the UK branch. As he walks around, Emma looks up and realises…</em><br />
<em>It’s the man from the plane.</em><br />
<em>What will he do with her secrets? He knows them all – but she doesn’t know a single one of his. Or… does she?</em> <br />
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Can you keep a secret? is one of the few interesting books I've read recently. The heroine is clumsy but pure hearted and tries to find something for herself. She is crushed by her family and uber-successful cousin but keeps going. Emma is a heroine almost every woman can relate to. She's lies about her weight, is clumsy, doesn't understand technical terms and wants true love. The fact that she has so many secrets also makes it easy for anyone to relate to her because everyone has secrets. <br />
The hero was a little one dimensional compared to the heroine. He was too secretive and didn't have any prominent personality trait. But, this is a chick lit and not a romance (though romance plays a huge part). The chemistry was fine because the hero was alpha <br />
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The supporting characters were quite interesting. Jemima, Emma's roommate with a ruthless apetite for vengeance stood out quite a bit. She was charged and funny. Her other roommate was relatable. <br />
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The plot was good for a chick lit. Although many events were predictable. Emma has so many secrets that she comes across as a liar at some point. <br />
Sophie Kinsella's writing style is the strongest point of the story. She makes the story humourous and easy to relate to. Her character's internal monologues are distinct and funny. <br />
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Overall, Can you keep a secret? is a very good read. I definitely recommend Sophie Kinsella to everyone. I like her stand-alones more than her Shopaholic series. Can you keep a secret? is a funny novel that is as good as entertainment gets.<br />
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Characters-4.5/5<br />
Plot- 4/5<br />
Dialogue- 4.5/5<br />
Enjoyment/entertainment- 4.5/5<br />
Overall- 4.6/5<br />
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Pros<br />
<br />
Stong main character<br />
Strong supporting characters<br />
Dialogue<br />
Humour<br />
Sophie Kinsella's writing style<br />
Idea<br />
<br />
Cons<br />
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Hero<br />
A litte weak towards the endbestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324249525133246401.post-76850116241951202722012-08-07T07:05:00.000-07:002012-08-07T07:05:41.860-07:00Book review- Romancing Mr. Bridgerton<br />
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I have been wanting to try Julia Quinn for a long while. I read her book To Sir Philip, With Love long ago but got bored halfway. This time, I tried to try the fourth book. I've been reading so many romance novels that I don't have the time to review them. II read the first book in the Bridgerton series- The Duke and I before this. I suggest reading at least one book that comes before this one in the series to fully appreciate the character of Penolope and Lady Whistledown in this book. <br />
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So far, this is the only Julia Quinn book I've finished reading beyond the epilogue- that must say something about it. Penolope was an interesting character from the beginning. She makes her first appearance in the first book as a debutante in a ball. She's dressed by her mother in unflattering colors that make her look like 'an over ripe citrus fruit' in her own words. While her mother believes in her sisters' beauty and ability, Penolope seems to be destined to be a spinster. She fails to attract even a single marriage offer season after season and grows old as a spinster with her dear friend Eloise Bridgerton. Since she is Eloise's friend, the Bridgertons treat her as a part of the family and the Bridgerton mother forces her sons to dance with her year after year during balls so that she does not feel left out. However, Penolope knows that she's not any more interesting than the furnishings in the room. <br />
She has always been in love with the third Bridgerton son, Colin (They're named alphabetically) because he is always kind to her. But she knows that this unrequitted love is not going to ever bloom because she hears him telling his brothers he doesn't want to marry her. Also, he's travelling all over the continent throughout the year and is rarely home. The book starts with news of him returning and thus, their love story begins. <br />
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The story takes place eleven years after The Duke and I. A certain Lady Whistledown, a daily gossip columnist seems to have gained a lot of notoriety during that time for her candid observations of London Society and first hand gossip. Much of the book revolves around finding the identity of Lady Whistledown because of a prize money to the person who discovers her identity. This sometimes seems to detract the focus from the main romantic plot. Mrs. Whistledown's observations appear in the first four books. <br />
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The hero, Colin Bridgerton is a 'charmer' who seems to be popular with the ladies. However, he is looking for meaning in his life so that he does not end up being 'an airheaded charmer'. Colin is well travelled and seems to be easygoing compared to the other two. His characters shows a few inconsistencies when his temper flares without reason but Julia Quinn somehow manages to still make him 'charming'. <br />
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The characters had chemistry especially in personality. Penolope was an interesting heroine who appears pitiable and lonely on the surface but has her own secrets- she's like a diamond that needs to be cut to shine. During the course of the book, Colin looks beyond the image that was created by society and discovers the true Penolope. Colin was good as a hero but paled compared to the first two(Simon and Anthony) and the heroine. His jerky transitions to an alpha male add a certain amount of inconsistency to his character. <br />
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Julia Quinn's dialogue has its own pros and cons. On the sunnier side, it is witty and humourous but on the dark side, does not keep in theme with the Regency era and sounds too short and 'modern'. The portrayl of manners suffer from the same problem- it is not purely historical-there are some things which were not considered acceptable at that time. Julia Quinn's strength lies in her characterisation and main plot. Unlike some authors who drastically alter the personality of all males in the series to make them alpha males in their own books, Julia Quinn keeps most of her character's individuality. Also, her heroines are not always beautiful or smart or feminist. They're all different. Wit however seems to be a part of all the heroines- maybe a side effect of her writing style.<br />
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Overall, the book was quite decent and a good read from the Bridgerton series. Julia Quinn is a good author to try. Begin with her Bridgerton series. I was sad that Mrs. Whistledown would quit writing in the end. <br />
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Characterisation- 4.5/5<br />
Plot-4.2/5<br />
Dialogue- 4.3/5<br />
Emotion- 3.7/5<br />
Overall- 4/5<br />
<br />
Pros<br />
<br />
Characters<br />
Main idea<br />
<br />
Cons<br />
<br />
Drags in the end<br />
Inconsistentbestcritichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853518800251835750noreply@blogger.com0