Aishiteru Da Yo JapanAnime: Japan

Monday, October 5, 2009

Winter Sonata Anime Airing on October 17!

So I did change my header. LOL Just for this one, Joongie. And who says Korean drama and Japanese anime cannot go together?I was looking for anime releases this spring and look what chartfag gave me:

Wheew. I cannot watch all of these but what I'm rooting for since years ago is Winter Sonata. I followed the K-drama series when I was in high school and it hit me like a winter storm. Bae Yong Joon was like my on-screen crush before and I when I've learned that he had something going on with co-star Choi Ji Woo I truly hoped they will marry. XD Ahhh~! I so love happy endings.

Winter Sonata (Fuyu no Sonata) anime episode previews have already streamed on their animation official website. What I love about this anime is that the stars of its original Korean TV romance drama were its voice actors/ actresses or "seiyuu". So it still has its original feel.

The original 2002 drama follows a girl named Yu Jin Jung and her male classmate Joon Sang Kang as tragedy and angst befalls them and those around them in the years between high school and young adulthood. The 2004 Japanese broadcast triggered the ongoing "Korean wave" of pop culture in Japan and turned the lead actor Yong Joon Bae into a superstar among Japanese female viewers. The Japanese publisher Ohzora Publishing Co. eventually imported and translated the drama's manhwa adaptation under the title Winter Love Song.

And that was the start of the Hallyu wave in Japan. Weee~ Thanks to that, I've come to know the best boy band in the world through Japanese entertainment!

The animation looks great! I'm sure the story is already ten, I'm looking forward to the dialogue too.

Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, Bae and Choi also spoke of the difficulties they have had doing the voice-overs for their characters, highlighting the differences between acting in front of the camera and behind a microphone.

"I feel as if I've gone back to seven years ago," the 37-year-old Bae said, looking back to the time when the original drama series was first released in South Korea. "I'm thankful that I'm able to feel once again the passion, warmth and happiness of first love which I felt when doing 'Winter Sonata.' "

To compare the real BYJ with the animated one, I have to say that the real one is more beautiful. I was expecting a bishounen Hyung Lee but they really got him perfectly animated!

Glad to see these two together again after so many years.

Bae Yong Joon expressed: “Thanks to the blessing from everyone that I was able to go back seven years ago to feel the Winter Sonata’s first love, warmth and happiness. For that I am really very happy.”Choi Ji Woo said: “I have deep feelings in this seven years. I hope to bring joy and happiness to the people who like ‘Yu Jin’ in Winter Sonata.”

Seven years. Wow. The drama was popular in Japan as well as here in my country particularly among moms. Mom religiously watched this too but why can't I when I'm also a sucker for romance? (~__^)

The anime Winter Sonata consists of a total of 26 episodes and each series is 30 minutes which will be broadcast on Sky PerfecTV starting Oct. 17.

I sooo can't wait for the pilot episode! Oh well, who wouldn't want to miss Yon-sama and Ji Woo-hime?

Sources: chartfag@wordpress, Saishin Anime Jōhō, Via Mk.co.kr, JapanTimes, Yonhap, Koreanclicks, celestialkitsune@wordpress

Just a thought, I can see what Jaejoong will look like if he's already 37 years old through BYJ. Still beautiful! LOL

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

h. Naoto X ハローキティ (Hello Kitty) 35th Anniversary Commemoration Merchandise

It's going to be the 35th birthday of Japan's most loved kitty & the most famous cat in the world, Hello Kitty! ^__^
Ahhh~ It makes me think of going to Japan more & more.

Before when I want to get something from my parents, I just stumped my feet & threw tantrums but that can't be applicable now. I have to device a mutualistic strategy. But I really want these goods sooo sooo badly that I have to blog them just in case my mom wants a presentation.(^_~) It's her fault. She has always bought me Hello Kitty (in pink! I hate too much of pink!) before since she was a huge fan but now I dunno.

What I love about this line is that HK tied up with Naoto Oka, a famous designer, artist & musician in Japan to create these unusual & very unique stuffs! It's sooooo kawaaaaiiii! It's not the usual pink Kitty! With it's fashion punk-gothic-loli-like theme, I'm sure Jaejoong will also choose this line with his manner of taste. LOL

But no matter how much I would like to have these veeery veeery cuuuute items, it's almost impossible since only stores in Japan are selling them. And what's worse is that these are limited edition too. TT__TT

I look like a reseller posting these with the price & dimension but heck. If I can't have them then why not have a picture of them. (^0^) I just translated the goodies' name into something we could understand. Well sometimes it's obvious in the pictures.

In connection to this, here's what TVXQ's Micky Yoochun & Hero Jaejoong composed for Hello Kitty this year's commemoration, "Colors (Melody & Harmony)." Atashi wa hontouni daisuki desu! ^__^