My apologies to everyone for completely forgetting Saturday. Things have been hectic and catching a break between stress and everything else has been difficult.

Today isn’t a review, but a countdown (as mentioned in my Friday article). Last time I counted down Buono!. This time I’m counting down Melon Kinenbi.
This Wednesday marks the final Melon Kinenbi release: the DVD of their final concert, entitled “FINAL STAGE: MELON’S NOT DEAD.” (I hate how they keep trying to convince me they’re not dead…)
I will probably give a review of the concert soon (I had the concert rip the day after, I just haven’t had any visual aid), but for now, here’s a countdown of DM’s most favourite Melon Kinenbi songs.

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I’m going with something different. I’m turning my MP3 player on, and reviewing ten (or however many songs I can squeeze in before my crappy battery dies) songs that I get on shuffle. No images because I have no photo editing software on this computer.
Just pure, unadulterated text.

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A wild elusive writer appeared. Don’t you just hate it when wild Pokemon attack you when you’re walking in the tall grass?

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This past month, the dusty fields of South Africa have served as the world’s playground and battlefield. Thirty two futbol teams came seeking victory; though, the victor of the competition has yet to be decided.  Like most people, I tuned into a couple of games; however, there was one team that surprised me; it did not win or tie a game, but it just it being at the World Cup raised a few eyebrows.  The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or in layman’s terms: North Korea.  This team is one shrouded in mystery; other than when they are playing or practicing, they are seldom seen by the press and hardly give press conferences.  

After scoring once against Brazil in a losing effort, the team came under the international spotlight again briefly; for there were rumours of defection. These rumours turned out to be false, when the two players in question, showed up for practice a few days later.  This, however, was not the most bizzare event in the chronicles of the North Korean team.  The coach, Kim Jong-Hun (no relation to the dear leader, we think) told the press that before a game, he gets advice from Kim Jong-il on how to succeed via an invisible phone. Yes, an invisible phone.  According to the coach, the dear leader developed the phone himself.  Unlike, the folks at Apple though, Kim Jong-il has been careful not to leave a prototype at a local cafe (or maybe he did; how would we ever know? The phone is invisible.)

A month before this, state media in North Korea reported that North Korean scientists had discovered a way to harrness the power in nuclear fusion, and then there was the development of this super drink.  In order to understand why, the rogue hermit nation believes in leprechauns and lucky charms; we must dive deeper into the psyche of the North Koreans.  This is a country that worships it’s leader, he is a demi-god; in reality, everything is done for the leader, not the state.  The Korean War led to the manifestation of information by the state; all dissidents were seen as traitors and were thrown in jail.  Transportation was limited; to this day, if you live in a village, you need a visa from the state to travel outside your village.  Anti-American and Japanese images dominate the media, newspapers and the movies that the privileged few get to see.  The brainwashing starts in kindergarten, where children are told stories about how kind and gentle, the Dear Leader was when he was a child.  For example:

One day, high above in the mountains, the dear leader got new boots.  He went outside to play in the snow with his new boots.  But, he saw his comrades wearing wet sneakers, and he became sad.  So, he went back in and came out also wearing wet sneakers.

Sadly, this story (except for the last part) can easily be applied to North Korean life.  While, Kim Jong-il and the party elite, eat whatever they want and drive Benz cars, the rest of the population struggles to survive. The only people who get a decent amount of food are those who are civil servants or those who are in the army (this partially explains why the North Korean army is the 4th largest in the world).

Back to the children, when they are not concentrating on their studies, they, along with the rest of the population,  spend their time practicing for the next large parade for the Dear Leader.  As I said before, the whole country revolves around Kim Jong-il and his late father, Kim Il-sung.  Kim-Il sung is the eternal president of North Korea, and the country dates its years from the time Kim Il-sung was born.  So, 2010 is 98 Juche.  Each room in every building, must have one wall dubbed the ‘portrait wall’.  On this wall, nothing hangs, but two pictures of Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung, in their younger years; hanging straight and next to each other.

So, it is not that the North Korean people are ignorant. But rather, the belief in outlandish claims is born out of an effective use of propaganda.

To those who know the subject matter, more than I do, I apologize if I have mischaracterized or misunderstood the country in question.  A bulk of my information was obtained by reading Pyongyang by Guy Delisle; a graphic novel which details his short stay in the country.

Light is a freelance writer and former administrator of LW, who pops in once in a while, when he’s not fishing for Magikarp off the coast of Goldenrod City.  

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The Four Shreks

In the first Shrek (Mike Myers) loves his swamp. It’s his home after all. He does everything there from playing, to eating swamp creatures, to just lazing around. However, when the fairytale creatures are dumped at his swamp by Lord Farquad, Shrek takes a talking Donkey and sets off for the Castle to get his swamp back, encountering that lovely Princess Fiona, and a Purple Dragon along the way.

We then continue on into the second film which leads us to Shrek and Fiona coming back from their honeymoon with an invitation to see Fiona’s parents at a wedding celebration. Only to have fight at the dinner table with the parents which leads Fiona to lock herself in her room and speak to a fairy god mother; who is actually quite evil and fossilized for a fairy god mother. Prince Charming comes to try and rescue Fiona, and we go through that whole rescue thing. These things put Shrek in jeopardy, again!

The series, which is losing it’s faith, sense of self, and is becoming more boring and lame than ever comes to a third. It calls itself Shrek the Third to most likely sum up all the lameness, and because our Script Monkeys couldn’t come up with a better title for Dreamworks. At least it’s not as lame as the final installment in the whole series. Basically, we have Shrek and Fiona offered to become the next king and queen of far, far away. And Fiona is Pregnant with Ogre babies. Prince Charming however wants to become king, and captures Fiona’s friends, then captures Fiona after Rapunzel betrays her. This, yet again, send Shrek into another bloody, disjointed and lame jeopardy.

Finally we come to what seems to be the last ever Shrek film. We hope it is the end to such a poor series, with really bad comedic appeal. The title forever after obviously rings that it may be the final installment after all. And basically it’s just Shrek signing a contract with Rumpelstiltskin which is a very bad contract and sends the whole family in jeopardy. So Shrek ventures to retrieve it and the be with one he loves most.

The films are generally catered too the family audience. There are the funny things the kids will enjoy, the whole family will enjoy, and even little inside jokes that the older audience would pick up on that the younger audience would ignore.

And the film has a slight emotional aspect to it which is interesting. But that aspect does not really fit in well with the comedy, and is often easily known as the “yawning sequence”. The in jokes aren’t really necessary considering it was originally written for a family/younger audience, and they tend to distract from the plot.

Yes the characterization does do its best to amp up the films comedic aspect with random fairytale characters doing their iconic motifs from their fairytale. Like Pinocchio growing a really long nose when he lies.

That aside, what really ruins the first film is the blatant rip-offs of well known songs in the karaoke scene at the end to send a happily ever after which is probably the most lamest thing out of the whole four. And even though it may entertain the younger audience, and even though the storyline and jokes are just poor, the animation is very influential, and can carry some emotional integrity. But do yourself a favour, and don’t waste your life watching such rubbish.

2.5/5 Rubber Chickens

Toy Story 3

Andy used to love playing with his toys, creating up epic adventures that feature Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye saving the world and the others from destruction b Mr. Potato Head, Hamm, and Slinky. But now Andy no longer plays with his toys, he is 17 and is going to College on Friday. The toys are worried but Woody keeps strong in belief that Andy would want them to be moved to the attic. After Andy’s mum mistakenly dumps the toys on the kerb, they all get worried that Andy thinks that they are junk and decide to head in the box to Sunnyside Day Care in hopes that they will be loved and played with again. The Sunnyside Daycare center is last place Woody wants them to be, and he tries to convince the others that they belong with Andy.

The previous two films aside, this has a stronger emotional impact. That shown from how we connect with Andy, and how we connect with the toys. And that is all centered mainly around the theme of family. As it’s emotional for Andy’s family when he goes off to College, and it’s emotional for the family of Toys being away from Andy and all. The toys at the daycare center and the kids there can also show us that theme of family, and how they play and work together. This can also be shown during many of the action type scenes, and comedic scenes.

The animation is that genius one of a kind Pixar style. It’s realistic in a way that the younger audience can relate well enough to. And it basically details the success and how far Pixar have come from the first Toy Story. It’s smooth and crisp and when viewed in 3D it does have that extra element that makes you feel more closely involved. Plus the introduction of many different characters using many different shapes, and sizes, and types show us that Pixar can animate just about everything.

The film is truely a masterpiece development in its animation, action and emotional areas. Also due to the fact that it has been over 11yrs this film would be a good choice for the best film of the year. And you could say the same for that short of Day and Night before the film.

5/5 Rubber Chickens

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Now with the longest title you’ve ever seen.

DM is back in the Asiatic mood, and is here with a review of singles from the past couples months. I don’t feel like having a nice, fancy beginning, so I’m just gonna jump right into it.
We got some Morning Musume (‘cos I wanna rant), some MiChi, some Haruhi, some AKB48 and a heck of a lot more.
So much I prolly won’t even include images for half of them. Or atleast the artists I don’t have images for…or can’t find them for…or don’t have them for…SO ANYWAY. LET’S GO.

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