finally it was released. Its written by Tomoya and arranged by TOKIO together. i am posting the translation as well as kanji and its romaji for fans who would like to know. all the credits goes to TOKIO LJ http://community.livejournal.com/to_ki_o/.
[sugar]
作詞・作曲：長瀬智也 編曲：TOKIO
kyou mo ashibaya ni sugisatte shimaunda soko de nani wo mite nani wo omou no ka
雲の形や 風の感じは きっと君の居る場所とは違うだろう
kumo no katachi ya kaze no kanji wa kitto kimi no iru basho to wa chigaudarou
人だかりで 立ち止まって それでも旅はまだ続いてて
hitodakari de tachidomatte soredemo tabi wa mada tsuzuitete
陽の明かりが消える前に 気付いてまた次を探している
hi no akari ga kieru mae ni kizuite mata tsugi wo sagashiteru
日々をくぐり抜けて 君の場所に向かっている
hibi wo kuguri nukete kimi no tokoro ni mukatteiru
まだ道は続いているから 君の事だけ考えながら歩いているんだ
mada michi wa tsuzuiteiru kara kimo no koto dake kangae nagara aruiteirunda
人が何処からか溢れてくるんだ 今日も忙しくまた動き出すでしょう
hito ga doko karaka afuretekurunda kyou mo ishogashiku mata ugokidasu deshou
何処で悩み 何処で眠り そんな風にただ繰り返して
doko de nayami doko de nemuri sonna fuu ni tada kurikaeshite
言葉には出来ないカラー どんな時でも伝えている
kotoba ni wa dekinai color donna toki demo tsutaeteiru
足りないよ温もりだけじゃ 明日もきっと考えながら
tarinaiyo nukumori dakeja ashita mo kitto kangae nagara
誰かの事 思い出して 傷の痛みに背中押されて
dareka no koto omoidashite kizu no itami ni senaka osarete
夢が終わる その間に 気付いてまた次を探している 探してゆく
yume ga owaru sono aida ni kizuite mata tsugi wo sagashiteru sagashite yuku
日々をくぐり抜けて 君の場所に向かっている
hibi wo kuguri nukete kimi no tokoro ni mukatteiru
まだ道は続いているから 君の事だけ考えながら
mada michi ha tsuzuiteiru kara kimi no koto dake kangae nagara
歩いてるんだ 考えているんだ 逢いに行くから
aruiterunda kangaeteirunda ai ni yukukara
[sugar]
Lyrics・Music:Tomoya Nagase Arr.:TOKIO
Today flies by again What am I looking at and thinking about
The shape of the clouds The feel of the wind They're probably different from where you are
In the crowd My feet stop And yet my journey still continues
Before the sunlight fades I figure it out and look for what's next again
Passing through the days I'm working my way to you
Because the road still goes on Thinking only of you, I'm walking
People overflowing from somewhere Another busy day has started today
Where to worry Where to sleep Just repeating the same things over and over
Color that can't be put into words Conveying all the time
Warmth just isn't enough I'll be thinking the same tomorrow
Remembering Someone Pushed on the back by the pain of a scar
Dreams end In the meantime I figure it out and look for what's next again Searching
Passing through the days I'm working my way to you
Because the road still goes on Thinking only of you
I'm walking Thinking of you I'm on my way to see you
This is my most favourite song of TOKIO. it's taken from Green single that also contains songs Green and Southened. this single has to be the best single of TOKIO. the song Neighbor is written and arranged and performed by Tomoya himself under his pen name Tom Nashville. This song truely reflects his unique talent.
and their performance in 58th NHK Kohaku Utagassen
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS SONG.
Now that i have came out of closet properly regarding Tomoya, i might as well post all my wallpapers of him in here. i have to say that i am very impressed by this person. his acting, his style and his music (together with other TOKIO members) are so unique and amazing to me. and everytime i see something new by him my facination about him gets more and more.
well, life truly IS filled with millions of miraculous 'coincidences'.
after taking a month long (okay, month and 1/2) break from my blog, i began writing again today, working to finish pt. 2
of ASIAN FLAVOR. i'm almost done with it, (i began it in early august!) but wanted to check a few 'references' when i happened upon THIS bit of news on imdb:
First Asian Oscar Winner Umeki Dead at 78
Miyoshi Umeki, who became the first Asian performer to win an Oscar -- as best supporting actress for 1957's Sayonara
-- died in Licking, MO on Aug. 28 of cancer at age 78, the Associated
Press reported Wednesday. She also courted controversy the following
year when the Japanese-born actress was cast as a Chinese girl in
Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical Flower Drum Song,
for which she was nominated for a Tony award for best actress. (She
reprised her role in the 1961 film version of the musical and received
a Golden Globe nomination.) On television she was best known for her
portrayal of the maid Mrs. Livingston on ABC's The Courtship of Eddie's Father, which ran for four seasons beginning in 1969.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the BOLD line i emphasized (courting controversy re: casting) is remarkable because of what i had JUST written in my pt 2 post. (PRIOR to reading this news).
considering the fact that FLOWER DRUM SONG is one of the movies i had JUST highlighted in my pt 1 post (chop suey) ...as well as a tiny bio about umeki san included in that post (there is also a clip of her singing her signature song from that film, "a hundred million miracles").....well, i was pretty floored.
anyway, just wanted to post this news, as a tribute to such a lovely japanese actress, certainly one of the best known in my early years. her performances always had the sweetest charm, and although she had retired MANY years ago, she will always remain an indelible presence, and an enduring memory for ASIANS in HOLLYWOOD.
sayonara, miyoshi san.
someone posted this lovely tribute to miyoshi umeki...just pictures, but beautiful background music.
My latest obsession lies in the realm of Korean dramas, also known as kdramas. My roommate introduced me to a TV series called All In.
It is about a bad boy named Kim In-ha who grows up helping his father gamble illegally. On one fateful day, he meets schoolgirl Min Soo-yeon on a train and his life changes from then on. The series surrounds these two future lovers from different worlds. It starts off in the present when they are grown-up. When In-ha is shot during a mysterious job, the story reverts to flashbacks when he was a little boy to when he was a teenager. Each episode I've seen so far (there are 24 in all) has an incredible storyline. It really holds your interest throughout the hour or so time-length that they each run for.
From what I've been told, the main actors who play the adult In-ha and Soo-yeon (Lee Byung Hun and Song Hye Gyo respectively) have dated in real life. They are a cute pair to watch! However, I instantly grew a liking to actor Jin Goo who plays In-ha as a teenager.
His mannerisms and playboy attitude glued my eyes to the screen. He was so adorable! I really want to see his other film/TV projects. So, if you like kdramas, Asian culture or dynamic love stories, check out All In. I can't get enough of it!
It's coming on Friday, August 10th!! Hiro looks simply amazing in this film. Not only does he make a white suit look good, but he shows off his sword skills against Jackie Chan. I don't know about you guys, but this time I'm rooting for the bad guy. ;)
The official site also has a section for cellphones where you can purchase a game, wallpapers, and ringtones. Two of the wallpapers feature yours truly! MovieFone has two clips online. Clip No. 2 has a few snippets of Hiro battling Jackie on the Eiffel Tower. It's a thrill to see!
If any of this has already been posted, I sincerely apologize! I'm just all hyped for this film and I can't wait to see it on Saturday.
i named this post SUKIYAKI...because it was another well known asian 'dish' ....comprised of a MIX of
ingredients. i actually thought this was a WESTERNIZED version of JAPANESE cuisine...but was surprised to
learn that sukiyaki goes WAY BACK in japanese culture.
then, while LOOKING UP THE MEANING...(means 'steamboat dish') i found this WILD piece of TRIVIA!
in the 1960's, the SONG, became a #1 billboard HIT in america! (sung in japanese language!)
but the ACTUAL title of the song was "UE O MUITE ARUKO". loosely translated, it meant "look up while walking..."
kyu sakamoto's original version of the song was released in the united states, with the title: SUKIYAKI.
here's the WILD part:
the actual title, and lyrics of the song, had no connection or relationship to the meaning of the word, sukiyaki.
the record producers chose THE TITLE, ONLY because it was a RECOGNIZABLE japanese word, familiar to English speakers, (most of whom could NOT understand the lyrics anyway!)
A NEWSWEEK COLUMNIST NOTED THAT RE-TITLING THE SONG SUKIYAKI, COULD BE LIKENED TO RELEASING THE SONG, "MOON RIVER" IN JAPAN, AND GIVING IT THE TITLE: "BEEF STEW".
(hysterical!)
sadly, kyu sakamoto had a tragic twist of fate, which would end his life (and many others) in 1985.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukiyaki_%28song%29 "Ue o muite arukō" again, thanks to you tube...
it's an odd video, but you can see kyu singing about 30+ seconds into it.
i had originally chosen to title part 2, SUKIYAKI as a light 'play on words'...chop suey (chinese) and sukiyaki (japanese) for FLAVOR. i had NO idea that the circumstances surrounding sukiyaki would actually MIRROR the MOVIE that i decided to highlight!
the MENTALITY of the rather flippant attitude of the record producers in 1960, and choices they made, to 'market' this song to american audiences, was the SAME lack of regard, that the director had when making the film that is the subject of this post.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA was embroiled in more CONTROVERSY AND NEGATIVE FEELINGS than any film that i can recall in recent memory...on several DIFFERENT fronts. (casting issues, cultural issues, costuming/style issues, and language issues) it SADLY stirred up the long history of rather venomous relations between the japanese and the chinese cultures.
there is an odd irony (IMO) to this.
i left my blog almost 2 months ago at CHOP SUEY, and THE FLOWER DRUM SONG...the 1960's film featuring a chinese american family, and ALL ASIAN cast, with most of the leads being portrayed by japanese actors.
there is one DISTINCTIVE point of difference here, tho....FDS was a CONTEMPORARY story, with CHINESE AMERICAN issues, and several JAPANESE/ASIAN AMERICAN actors.
the STORYLINE spoke to the UNIVERSAL themes of 'generation gaps, old country ways vs american ways, and integrating into a foreign land'. (becoming americanized...no matter the country of origin) the CULTURAL issues essentially focused on ASIAN vs. AMERICAN ways. OLD vs. YOUNG.
.
so fast forward 44 years later.....to 2005, and move from a CHINESE storyline to a JAPANESE storyline.
REVERSE the CASTING dynamics....and you have....MOAG.
it's not my intention to defend or negate the film. while i DO have my opinions about the movie....i think the MORE significant thing to point out is what a STARK difference there was between the issue of ASIANS IN HOLLYWOOD,
THEN, and NOW. while it often APPEARS that NO PROGESS has been made...i would say that this film reflected
the evolutions, and the inadequacies that remain, related to this subject.
in the 60's it was a JOYFUL, EXCITING thing for ASIAN ACTORS to have a HOLLYWOOD BIG BUDGET movie to participate in. this was before being "P.C.", and although there MAY have been racial issues it was BEFORE the imdb message board, internet, etc. so the CONTROVERSY (if it existed at the time) was not widely known. (*written before miyoshi umeki news article 9/6)
40+ years later, with the INTERNET, and a movie FORUM (imdb) to discuss ANY specific FILM.... you have a COMPLETELY different experience and public reaction. for a time, during the pre, subsequent, and post release
of the movie (MOAG) i would browse the MESSAGE BOARD, and it REALLY blew me away, and saddened me, to read the TERRIBLE animosity between many of the members.
while the biggest CONTROVERSY seemed to be the casting of chinese actresses as GEISHA, (a cherished iconic image of the japanese culture) it kicked up the long and painful history between the 2 countries.
FINALLY, there would be a BIG BUDGET MOVIE about JAPAN, (there had been movies prior about china) featuring a predominantly ALL ASIAN cast, BUT...the SUBJECT was GEISHA...a DISTINCTLY JAPANESE traditional part of their history, and rob marshall cared less about getting any of the details right. and the casting of chinese actresses was almost less significant (imo) than the other choices he made.
1. shot the film in ENGLISH with a cast, most of whom, (unlike flower drum song) were NOT fluent in the language.
2. took one of the most recognizable 'images' of japan....GEISHA, and used CONTEMPORARY hair-do's, costuming, and choreography.
3. a direct quote from one of his costumers was that he said "think geisha on a PARIS RUNWAY".
essentially, the director chose to approach this movie with a FORK AND KNIFE, and serve it to HOLLYWOOD, as a plate of BEEF STEW, with a few chunks of tofu and a splash of soy sauce! (i think i just gave you my point of view, heh heh)
rob marshall, when asked about his choices in the movie, ACTUALLY SAID that he had NO INTEREST OR INTENTION to be authentic! he wanted to 'give it an EXOTIC FLAVOR..have you enter a mysterious world, disorient (funny pun, eh?) the audience'.
at first, i thought that any film that allows asian actors to work, or that shows japan, no matter how skewed is a good thing. but there was something about it that felt 'off'...and did not resonate. (IMO)
critics HATED this film....and audiences stayed away as well. this is nothing against the actors, who certainly tried their best....but when the cook doesn't know what he's doing....the FLAVOR is going to be unappetizing.
i found this review on the movie that was interesting, in light of the subject i'm exploring of 'asians in hollywood'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Craig Baldwin, Other Cinema
"Memoirs of a Geisha (Rob Marshall, USA). Chinese actresses play Japanese women – offensive to Japanese purists (an insult, really), offensive to Chinese nationalists, Most of it was shot in California, in Thousand Oaks (an affluent suburb with rich, model-minority Asians) and Golden Gate Park. Director Rob Marshall claims it's an INTERPRETATION of JAPAN,– a Japan where everyone speaks broken English or a strange species of Engrish.
But it's not about Japan at all; it's really about Asians in America (Chinese, Japanese, dirty knees). We don't wear signs anymore saying we're not Japanese. When we're good, we're docile; when we're better, we're superhot chicks.
And so the geisha suffers because of the war. I'm waiting for the Rob Reiner directed Rape of Nanking starring Julia Roberts as the last foot-bound survivor. It'll have a happy ending, and Americans will eat it up.
Lost in Translation made fun of the Japanese; Memoirs slaps all Asians in the face. Even the requisite leering white Americans are present. A gift-wrapped piece of shit for Xmas is exactly what we need – this movie is the truth, and many of us know it. It is Asian America."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i'll leave you with a video clip that CRACKED ME UP when i first saw it. with the review above, and the subject
i've been researching, i actually have a slightly different view now. still, it's MEANT to end this post on a 'light' note...
but i realize that the subject i'm looking at is FAR from 'light. the plot has thickened..... the 'flavor' has changed and MOAG left a bad taste for almost everyone. this clip is therefore, a PERFECT piece in this puzzle.
for MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA....i'd sum it up with a bit 'too much salt' (on the wound)
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