PV screenshots of "Kuroi Namida" by ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES)

Here are the screenshots of "Kuroi Namida" performed by ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) which is also the new ED for the anime version of NANA.

In tune with the title, the whole PV is in monochrome with Tsuchiya Anna in a simple black dress. There isn't much variation in the setting except that you will get to see her being drenched by a shower tap or lying on the desert.

Favourite animes of 2006

Although I've watched quite a number of animes in 2006, I found that when it comes to naming my favourites, only two titles come to mind i.e. Hachimitsu to Clover II & Death Note. I have issues with the rest of the titles I watched and there were a siginificant number of animes which I even dropped halfway. As such, I'm not sure whether it is the quality of the animes which has gone downhill or my expectations have gone higher which is leading to this situation.

First of all, let me talk about Hachimitsu to Clover II which should be my No.1 series for the year.

After watching the first season in 2005, it got me so interested in the story that I went to buy the manga once the series had ended its run. The bittersweet tone in the story makes it very engaging and anyone who has gone through friendship, school life, separation from friends or even one-sided love could easily relate to the circumstances of the characters. I think that's the power of Hachikuro which is drawing many to read the manga and watch the anime. I'm not sure how the real-life adaptation movie fares when compared to these two versions though because I've not watched it yet.

Anyway, coming to the second season, it's more like a resolution to the situation trapping these characters and how it appears that they have finally found a way out of the seemingly hopeless state which their lives are stuck in. The love triangle between Takemoto, Hagu and Morita did not have a conclusion though but it's rather obvious that Hagu feels something different for Morita and vice versa as compared to her views of Takemoto. On the other hand, Mayama has shown his conviction to stick with Rika while there seems to be some hope for Yamada and Nomiya to work things out one day. What was a bit surprising would be the fact that Hanamoto's feelings for Hagu which appeared out of the blue although it was obvious that his love for Hagu had already seemed overboard for an uncle and niece.

Since the manga has already ended, it doesn't seem likely that there will be a continuation of the series or even a spinoff. I feel that it's better to leave things as it is instead of spoiling the wonderful impression which viewers have of Hachikuro. It's important to know when to stop just as it is important to know when to let go.

The other series which has got me very interested would be Death Note. The situation for this title is slightly different from Hachikuro where I watched the anime before reading the manga. In Death Note's case, I've already read the manga before watching the anime so I'm very familiar with the story and knows what to expect.

I'm glad to see that the anime is following the manga's story closely instead of putting in nonsensical filler episodes like what NANA has been doing at times (the Junko no Heya recap SPs which get on my nerves). Even though there may be some developments which seem to be simplified to ensure that there is sufficient time to cover everything, the essence of the story is still very much intact. I also like the voice acting by Miyano Mamoru (Light) and Yamaguchi Kappei (L) and hope that the anime can cover up at least till the Yotsuba arc.

With the start of the new season coming soon, I can only hope for better works to come our way in 2007 so that I will have more titles to write about when the end of the year approaches.

明けまして、おめでとうございます！Happy New Year!

2006 is coming to an end and it's been a very busy time for me especially in the second half of the year. That's why I've not been keeping up with the updates on this site for as much as I would have wanted to do thus leading to queries from visitors as to whether I'm still maintaining this site. Rest assured that although the updates are slower than before, I will try to clear the backlog of stuff which I want to post at a comfortable pace. As such, I can only hope for your continued support and patience while I try to strike a balance.

I will be posting a recap on the anime/manga which I've enjoyed and disliked in the year 2006 so please keep a lookout for this feature which should appear within the next few days.

See you in 2007 and may you have a great year ahead!

NANA 2 real-life movie trailer

The trailer of the NANA 2 movie can now be viewed via its official website.

Although I enjoyed watching the first movie (unexpectedly), I'm not that thrilled about the sequel. The issue which bothers me most is the change in cast members. It's not that I have something against Ichikawa Yui but getting used to seeing Miyazaki Aoi as Hachi means that it's more difficult to picture Ichikawa in the same role. Likewise, Hongo Kanata taking on the role of Shin is totally unimaginable especially if the movie touches on his relationship with Reira played by Ito Yuna. I can't imagine those two doing a bed scene although Hongo does look closer to the Shin in the manga due to his age. To think I was looking forward to seeing Matsuyama Kenichi and Ito together on screen all the while! Last but not least, although I don't fancy Matsuda Ryuhei as Ren, it just feels awkward to see Kyo Nobuo taking his place. Well, that's the problem with being replacements for the original cast in sequels, they can't avoid being compared and criticised by viewers. And I happen to prefer that everything stays status quo unless the replacement can do a much better job.

My enthusiasm level for the movie is rather low but as to whether the sequel would turn out to be better than the first in terms of quality, I'll only pass judgement when I've watched it.

Romaji lyrics of "Hitoiro" by NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA

Title: Hitohiro
Sung by: NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA
Lyrics: AI YAZAWA
Melody: TAKURO

mata hitohira hanabira ga chikireru
kaze wo tomeru chikara wa nai
mukou kishi de naki kusureru kimi ni
semete mono hanamuke ni nare
ano hi no yakusoku wa waserete ii yo

tada hito ashi nori sugoshita ai ga
naze konna ni subete hikisaku
mata hitosuji hoshi kusu ga nagareru
toki wo tomeru chikara nante nai kara
inori wo sasage na yo hitotsu de ii yo
jibun no shiawase wo negaeba ii yo

onaji iro no itami wo yurushi atte
chigau iro no ayamachi wo semeta
onaji iro no akari wo tomoshi atte
chigau iro no tobira wo kakushita

ima kimi no tame ni iro aseta hana ga chiru
ima kimi no tame ni iro aseta hoshi ga chiru
sono yume no naka de oyasumi

ato hitosaji ire sokoneta ai ga
naze konna ni subete kuruwasu
mou hitoware kisou na machikado
kizu wo kabau kasa nante nai kara
deguchi wo mitsuke na yo hitotsu de ii yo
jibun no shiawase wo sagaseba ii yo

onaji iro no rizumu wo kizami atte
chigau iro no ashiato keshita
onaji iro no keshiki wo egaki atte
chigau iro no kisetsu wo tozashita

ima kimi no tame ni iro aseta yoru ga chiru
ima kimi no tame ni iro tsuita asa ga kuru
sono yume no naka de oyasumi

SWEET DREAMS, BABY
SWEET DREAMS, BABY

doko ka de itsu ka mata deaetara
yari naoseru kana? tsuzuki wa aru no?
risetto dekinai jikan ni oikosarete shimau
nakanai de yasashisa to yowasa wa chigau yo ne

onaji iro no itami wo yurushi atte
chigau iro no ayamachi wo semeta
onaji iro no akari wo tomoshi atte
chigau iro no tobira wo kakushita

ima kimi no tame ni iro tsuita hana ga saku
ima kimi no tame ni iro tsuita hoshi ga furu
sono yume no naka de oyasumi
SWEET DREAMS, BABY
SWEET DREAMS, BABY

Death Note new real-life movie sequel + Matsuyama Kenichi in anime as guest seiyuu

There will be a new Death Note real-life movie to be screened in 2008 where L becomes the lead for the first time. Matsuyama Kenichi, who has played the character L for both of the Death Note real-life movies shown this year, will continue to take on the role of this genius who pits his wits against Yagami Light (Fujiwara Tatsuya). What is known about this project would be the fact that the story is an original creation and the time setting is before Light gets hold of the Death Note. At the moment, the cast and exact storyline including whether Light will appear in this spin-off movie are not decided as yet. The 2-part Death Note movies have grossed 2.85 billion yen and close to 4 billion yen respectively. The manga has also sold more than 2.3 million copies to date.

Matsuyama Kenichi will also make his debut as a voice actor (seiyuu) in the Death Note anime currently showing via NTV. He will not play the role of L though. During the recording session on 30 Nov, it was disclosed that Matsuyama will play Jealous, the Death God who died for Amane Misa by sacrificing his life to save her from the attack of a stalker. His appearance will be in the 26 Dec episode.

Yes, more Death Note and more of L or rather Matsuyama Kenichi! ^__^ That's why I'm so excited to read about this piece of news. However, I don't understand why they have to wait until 2008 to screen the movie. It would be better to take advantage of the Death Note boom and try to show it before summer next year. Anyway, if it's something worth waiting for, it would be better for the production crew to take their own sweet time.

Since the story is going to be focusing on L, this would probably mean that Light will not appear after all since his contact with L stems from his acquisition of the Death Note. I wonder if the story would be linked to the Los Angeles BBS murder case featured in the novel version...which means Misora Naomi gets to return to life? Or they might create a new story to show how clever L is? In any case, as long as I get to see more of L and the story is exciting to watch, that would be great!

And the anime...it's a pity that Matsuyama only gets to appear in one episode since Jealous makes a very brief appearance in the story. Given that he's quite busy with a lot of movies, I guess he won't have the time to do regular recordings for the anime. Can't wait for the 26 Dec episode!