Blog - February 2018 Archives

February 2018 Archives

Index

.25 Weekly revue: 2018 week #8 (February 17 to 23)
.18 Weekly revue: 2018 week #7 (February 10 to 16)
.11 Weekly revue: 2018 week #6 (February 3 to 9)
.03 Weekly revue: 2018 week #5 (January 27 to February 2)

February 25, 2018

Weekly revue: 2018 week #8 (February 17 to 23)

Food: - Yaoyu, Chiyoda-ku
- Fish & chips and more at Bespoque! 6th anniversary!
- Good Luck Curry, Ebisu

Events: - This week's big event was a show by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu! While she normally plays in large venues, this time she played Liquidroom, one of my favorites. It was a recording for Space Shower TV, and it was free for those who applied and won! Yay!! :) With a simple stage and Kyary wearing her own clothing, the show was adapted to this type of venue. Kyary sang about 15 songs of covering her whole career. I got to watch from the center at about the 10th row. :) What a treat!

Having been a fan since "moshimoshi Harajuku" (2011), this show made me feel again thankful to Kyary and Nakata Yasutaka for all of these great catchy songs full of cool synths. I'm always looking forward to what will come up next. Kyary did say that she has been recording some new songs..! Official report and photos can be seen here at Natalie. The show will be aired on Space Shower TV on March 31 from 21:30.

Set list: Fashion Monster / Invader Invader / Mi / Ninja Re Bang Bang / Mondai Girl / saigo no Ice Cream / Serious Hitomi / Kira Kira Killer / Candy Candy / jelly (Capsule cover) / tsukema tsukeru / Sai & Co / Harajuku iyahoi
Encore: Pon Pon Pon / Mottai Night Land

- Dropped by the Chiyoda Cat Festival 2018. It was quite crowded! There were a lot of booths selling cat-related goods, and there were appearances by singer Judy Ongg, Tokyo governor Koike Yuriko and Chiyoda ward head.

Music release news: Emerson Kitamura, Bakubaku Dokin

This week's video: The Scooters "Basement Tape" official trailer
(Video footage from last month's show at Koenji U.F.O. Club. I was there!)

February 18, 2018

Weekly revue: 2018 week #7 (February 10 to 16)

Food: - Lamb kofta & more at Bespoque, Higashi-Nakano
- Curry at Bangera's Kitchen, Ginza

Music release news: Yogee New Waves, Nakajima Megumi, Ushio Kensuke, Ozawa Kenji, Plastics, ECD, Scooters, tofubeats

This week's video: tofubeats "Immortal Love"

February 11, 2018

Weekly revue: 2018 week #6 (February 3 to 9)

Food: - Dinner & ice cream at Cochin Nivas, Shinjuku
- Special latte at Aux Baccanales, Kioichō

Movies: This week was movie week! I went to the theater thrice!! :D

- "The Brand New Legend of the Stardust Brothers" (「星くず兄弟の新たな伝説」) by director Tezka Macoto (son of Tezuka Osamu) finally started showing in theaters on January 20! This movie is so special for me because I had the great opportunity to be part of it as an extra in one scene. Not only that, but as it turned out that the movie also featured Nomiya Maki and a whole bunch of people who I like, and also excellent music. It's a kind of rock musical (with most scenes turning into a song) with a surreal sci-fi twist and an overall fun and good feeling. The movie is of course wonderful! I can't recommend it enough to those who like music and out-of-the-ordinary movies.

I had seen the movie once at the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2016 (yes, over a year ago!), but I was really looking forward to see it again once officially released. Last weekend I went to see it once, and then on February 9, the last day at Theatre Shinjuku, there was a special event after the movie with the director and many guests so I went again! :) It had already been announced that the director, actress Arakawa Chika (who played Usako/Candy Bunny), Issay (singer of Der Zibet) and composer Chikada Haruo would be present, but there were a lot more who appeared on stage: actor Miura Ryōsuke (young Kan), more actresses (who played two of the angels and the (fake) script supervisor), art director Okudaira Yla, music composers (Akagi Chūji, Maki) and Sasha (of Sunny Kubota and Old Lucky Boys)... This dozen of people each greeted the audience in turn, and then they all sang theme song "hoshikuzu kyōdai no densetsu" karaoke style, with the audience chiming in. What a great finale!

Now the movie is showing in other cities in Japan, with more to come in the following months.

- I also went to see "Rokuroku", a horror/fantasy movie that features nine different yōkai (Japanese folk ghosts), namely Nurikabe, Karakasa, Umibōzu, Hako-onna, Rokuroku aka Rokurokubi, Nekome, Hitotsume, Kamaitachi, Daidara (Daidarabotchi). Most surprisingly, all of these are played by actress/model/singer Nomoto Karia! While using a large dose of CG to accomplish the surreal apparitions, Karia's face, hands, etc. were used to create each of the monsters, for a very impressive result. I was always intrigued by yōkai, although I didn't know much at all, so this movie was a great introduction. It definitely quite scary at times!

This screening also had a special event after the movie. Karia sang the movie's theme "shukumei" live on stage for the audience. This song, for which she also wrote the lyrics, is heard during the end roll. This was followed by a talk show with director Yamaguchi Yūdai, actors Nishina Takashi and Asakura Erika, and theme song composer Kashiwabara Shūji.

I really wish both of these movies make it outside of Japan, and especially that they get picked up by the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal which I enjoyed for several years before moving here. I think they'd fit the festival so perfectly!

Music release news: Robochu, BTB, Juicy Fruits, lyrical school, The Suzan

This week's video: SOLEIL 1st album "My Name Is SOLEIL" teaser
The album will be released on March 21!

February 3, 2018

Weekly revue: 2018 week #5 (January 27 to February 2)

Food: - Lunch at Tapir

Music event: I went to event "Cult Club" at Shimokitazawa Three, a special free edition underlining the birthday of Manon who just turned 16 at the end of January. She came from Fukuoka to perform at this show which also featured She Talks Silence, Dreamcast, Cherry Brown, and DJs Gikyo Nakamura, HNC, Shūichi Kawabe, Threepee Boys and Shakke-and-Wardaa. There was also a flea market space with several vendors. The whole event was a lot of fun!

Manon set list: xxFANCYPOOLxx / Wavy Pineapple Days / Somewhere (New song!)/ 2 Live In Real World (New song performed for the first time!) / Beat the Bad Luck / Popcorn Crisis

MANON