Archive for the ‘J-Pop’ Category

I know I don’t really pay attention to most of the happenings regarding Arashi (gotta admit, I kinda miss AMNOSnet being an Arashi site, otherwise I would have wrote this on the blog section. Anyway, moving on.), but when I got on my Twitter after arriving home from church choir practice, I see this piece of news in the Arashi ON LJ Community.

While a lot of the fans there are utterly shocked at the news, me being an old-timer fan wasn’t at all surprised. This is where I become very tempted to tell the JE fandom world that no matter what odds and ends things may end up, one way or the other from the most trivial to the more serious situation, NEVER mess with JE!

[More... »]

• Current Location: Home
• Currently Drinking: Kombucha Drink (yum!)
• Currently Reading: Decoding the Lost Symbol by Simon Cox
• Mood: Contemplative

PRECAUTION NOTICE:

If you are sensitive to direct rant blog entries in general, the door leading to the exit is at that red X button at the top right corner or at the browser tab itself. If you are sensitive to a direct rant blog entry that may possibly be directed at you (though all of my rants are always general anyway), you can do the same with that X button. If you are looking for a good laugh, you can proceed to reading this, but I doubt if it would make you laugh.

But if you have an open mind, then please feel free to read. It may somehow be directed at you, maybe not. Either case, keep in mind that I’m not out for blood for this one, but rather, just another person writing her own opinions based on observation. I’m not hating on people, therefore I’d like to hear your opinions too and share your words regarding the subject matter. Good discussions and debates are always welcome, but please do not take this personally.

Lately in the Japanese entertainment industry there have been many foreign talent, or gaijin tarento to some people as of late. I’m not talking about Japan-born and/or U.S. military brats like Crystal Kay or may-j or BENI, but I’m talking about the ones who were born outside Japan that happened to have the opportunity to succeed in the Japanese entertainment industry. It’s only natural for many of us as Hollywood always has a lot of foreign talent making it in the American entertainment industry from year to year, but when it comes to the industry in other countries, most notably Asia (in this case, Japan), it seems that foreign fans (who are NOT from Japan) seem to get negative comments about these gaijin tarento.

So I ask myself, why? In fact, I ask myself more of a so what? rather than why are so many foreign fan(girls) are being haters towards foreign (as in non-Japanese or non-Japan-born) talent? Now, I will have to admit something that’s quite factual that many (and yes, many) fan girls around would want to have their chance to be on the Japanese entertainment spotlight for God knows what reason. Most likely, they want to get close to their favorite idol or something, but if you think about it a bit further, Japan (or just Japanese showbiz in general) have some kind of an invisible charm that ensnares the foreign eyes in to something new, something cool.

That’s just how it is, people. Japan, or rather, the people in the industry, are very predictable when it comes to recruiting foreign talent and make them famous in the industry. Not all minds are the same with each other. It’s like in Hollywood where someone gets “too” popular and the “general public” (mainly girls… again) start to do the hating on that someone simply because that someone is becoming a lot successful in that person’s career. Sure, each person has their own preferences, but now it would be like if one person is hating on that particular personality, then everyone else starts hating too. I mean, really. We may not like what we see, but this is reality. It’s just how things go, sadly.

I mean, really. Why not use whatever time you’ve got to spend actually flailing over something you like instead of leaving hate comments on some community journal on a news article about a particular foreign talent? Apparently the industry has seen something special within these individuals and the haters didn’t.  Seriously if you’re annoyed by seeing all these foreign talents in news articles, seriously, just ignore them. Those who are getting annoyed with all this hating going on would truly appreciate it. Everyone’s different as well as their opinions, but jeez louise, the hating is really unnecessary.

It’s late night here and I’m not thinking straight. Maybe I’ll do a bit of editing with this entry when I get to it. If not, I’ll just move on and leave it as is.

Eh.

• Currently Drinking: AriZona Peach Iced Tea
• Currently Listening: Blame the Other Duck by SNRG
• Currently Reading: Badass by Ben Thompson
• Mood: sleepy

PRECAUTION NOTICE:

Please see the previous precaution notice. It’s pretty much the same except with a few additions.

In case you are wondering, I have never done any fansubbing work or anything to do with media files. The only “media” that I have done is audio files. I thought of streaming edited audio files on a streaming mp3 player at AMNOSnet as part of our promotional system to get the fans to purchase the CDs. Anyway, that’s just a sidenote.

Here’s Part 2. This would probably be more of a Q&A format rather than a standard article/blog entry.

As fans, sharing is (probably) the prior factor in a general fanbase of something or someone. Otherwise, no fan would ever appreciate their love and devotion to their favorite idol or group. Obviously, if they are foreign, you pine for any subtitled clips that feature your favorite idol or group. Sadly, the only thing that anyone can rely on at this point is clips subtitled by fellow fans who have the skill, equipment, and time to do so.

In the case of J-idols, or to be more specific, Arashi, nowadays it’s pretty easy to gain access to these fansubbed clips, be it via downloads or (yes…) streamlined media. Though it is considered easy, there are also restrictions that fansubbers enforced on fellow fans and users regarding downloads and usage. As a user, you would think that this is all ridiculous and what not and may be thinking that the fansubbers were just being elitist over their projects.

So, I compiled up some possible Frequently Asked Questions for an easier explanation and to have everyone aware as to why fansubbers and fansubbing groups enforce their regulations to the general fanbase.

[More... »]

• Current Location: Home
• Mood: Sleepy *yawn*

First up to the peeps of the U.S. of A, I want to wish all of you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Second, to the peeps of the AMNOS tribe, let’s all greet the O a (belated) Happy 29th Birthday!

Third, Monday is the last day of NaNoWriMo! Though I already won the challenge, my story is not yet finished! I hoped to finish everything by that day so I can finally rest and move on.

Fourth, TFL approved my application for the Samurai High School Fanlisting! Once after my novel is done I am seriously gonna get down and dirty in building this site. I may make it in to a mini-informational site, so watch out! The more I’m seeing this series episode by episode, the more I feel like I’m getting PWNED. It’s not because of the SURF DUDE or the Senorito, but the overall storyline is really well worth watching. I love the characters— all of them— including the self-centered cop and the bitchy principal.

Fifth, the menu for our Thanksgiving Dinner would be the gobble-gobble bird, stuffing, mashed potatoes, daing na bangus, pancit, lumpia, sinigang, pinakbet, rice, and pumpkin pie and more various Filipino desserts for dessert. Now that’s what I call Filipino-fusion style Thanksgiving!

Sixth, the folks are here. Time for me to sign off.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU’VE GOT and not moan in sadness for what you don’t have.

• Current Location: Home
• Currently Drinking: Iced Mandarin Red Tea
• Mood: Thankful ^_^

PRECAUTION NOTE:

A friend suggested to me that I should write some kind of a pre-warning note before I start writing one of my (Male) J-Idol Fangirlism series entries for the sake of the ones who take fangirlism seriously and of course, for the sensitive types. I thought it was a stupid idea to write such notice but after being attacked by the said individuals thinking everything I write in my blog is aiming specifically towards them, I reconsidered putting one up before the actual entry. Sure, these entries may direct towards fangirls in general, but these people have to keep in mind that they are not the only fangirls of a particular fandom that exist in this world. Sadly (or rather somehow), they think the opposite. Oh well.

This particular entry (and yes, it’s another novel-length entry, so if you hate long blog entries, best leave now ) is another request from one of the users who stopped by my blog. It’s a pretty good subject too, to be honest, though I did mention a bit of this at my past entries. This particular entry will aim directly towards the said subject on the title.

In addition to being novel-length, this may even become in to a mini-series of the said subject. There is actually a lot to cover regarding fansubbing that all users and fans should be aware of. I don’t want to bore all you readers by putting all the information and such in one entry, so I’ll make it easier and break it down for you all. Sound fair?

Going back to the paragraph before the previous. In other words, if you come here and read this entry and then attack me and claim that you’re not interested in reading this entire entry (but you read it anyway, what the hell…), then seriously do yourself a favor and click the X button on the top right corner or next to your browser tab and get over yourself.

One of the benefits of being in a fandom of something coming from a foreign country online is being able to gain access to various sources presented by fellow fans to fellow fans. One of the most common sources that us fans are fortunate to gain access and enjoy more of our fandom is the ability to download and watch video clips of TV shows, drama series, movies, interviews, and even at times audio clips from radio shows that do not exist in our local TV sets or even at our local stores. Best of all, for a fan of something that exists outside of your own country, the biggest blessing that we are able to have is if these particular media clips have subtitles in them (most especially if they are subtitled in English, since most people around the world understand or have a good grasp of English in general).

[More... »]

• Current Location: Home
• Currently Drinking: Coke Zero (ran out of iced tea T_T)
• Currently Reading: Narrative of the Life and Other Writings by Frederick Douglass
• Mood: Anxious (about her ext. HD problem)
• Quirky Sidenote: 10/14 is my birthday. Happy Birthday to Me! ^_^

Yeah, yeah. Another long-ass “novel-length” entry. Go figure.

But man, I seriously gotta love new fan girls— especially the ones who are seriously biased about their favorite group that they don’t even bother doing some research or ask around fellow JE (yes, I said JE, not just Arashi) fans about the history of their favorite group with the inspiring every-summer event known as the 24-Hour TV.

Now, before some of you start getting oversensitive and gang up on me for “acting oh-so-high and mighty” and picking on the newer fans again, I’ll repeat again like the last time. This has nothing to do with you, but if you keep on believing that I’m targeting you specifically no matter how many times must I re-explain and repeat myself over and over again about my intentions on my writings, then man, you must be very self-absorbed to even think of that, wouldn’t you say? But I do encourage you to read on because I think all fans should also be aware of this, not just Arashi, but all JE fans.

[More... »]

• Current Location: Home
• Currently Drinking: Ito En Iced Jasmine Green Tea
• Currently Eating: Potato Leek Soup
• Currently Watching: Jeopardy!
• Mood: Exhausted