Which Is Better, Being Multitalanted Or Multilingual?

It's impossible to have seen the Imperial Match production of Tenimyu without noticing the lanky lad in glasses heading up the Seigaku cast. At 6'2", Shirota Yu tends to stand out amongst his peers in more than one way. I'm not sure if I'm more impressed by his acting or his multilingual ability: he can speak Japanese, Spanish and English quite well, and switch almost seamlessly between them.

He gained celebrity status as a member of the acting group D-BOYS, but it's the numerous shows he's performed in since then that have actually made him famous. Aside from portraying the stoic, determined tennis player Tezuka in the Prince of Tennis movie and several musicals, he's had the opportunity to act in several dramas in varying capacities. I haven't been able to locate them all online, but I can give a quick rundown of the shows I've seen. But first, an example of his vocal ability from the Prince of Tennis musical soundtrack (did I mention the boy can sing?):



Onto the shows:
Team Batista no Eiko
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v16249437SKJmasQw

This is a new series that's just started airing in Japan, with a few non-subbed episodes available online. A crack surgical team at Tojo University Hospital specializes in a heart procedure that normally has a 60% survival rate. They revel in the attention after 27 successful consecutive procedures, but when three patients die on the table one right after another, an investigation is launched that could reveal a sinister plot. We haven't seen much of Shirota yet, but he's one of the medical team directly involved with the surgeries so it's a guarantee he'll be around.

Koshonin
http://www.mysoju.com/koshonin/

Hooray for psychopathic inmates! This is another recent series, focusing on the only female in a special investigation/negotiation team as she struggles to overcome a horrific event five years ago that ties her to a merciless serial killer. The opening scene of Koshonin features a rather scary, insane Shirota as he speaks to the main chracter through six-inch prison glass. Considering the first role I ever saw him in was the serious and very down-to-earth Tezuka, this role was a delight from an actor's standpoint as I was able to see a much wider range of his acting ability.



Heat Island

I've only seen a little of this and it wasn't subbed, so there's not much I can say about it. It seemed rather violent, but given the subject matter I guess that's to be expected. Shirota plays a street thug whose gang stumbles across money belonging to the yakuza--a group not known for their forgiving ways. I'm not a big fan of yakuza plots, so the point may have been lost on me. It didn't seem like a bad film, per se, it just wasn't aimed at my demographic.

There's one other show I've seen him featured in, but I'll reserve that for my next post since that particular drama stars another actor I'm going to highlight. And before I get hit with questions regarding this, I might as well say it up front: yes, Shirota also apparently played Tuxedo Mask in a stage musical version of Sailor Moon. This would be the part where I tell my audience that there are some shows that, no matter who may be in them, I simply can't watch. (Especially Sailor Moon. A live action version of Sailor Moon is bad enough; a musical is just...wrong.)

From the Tennis Court To Outer Space

When I started watching Saitoh Takumi in the Prince of Tennis musicals, there were a couple of other actors that caught my attention for one reason or another. I noticed immediately that Kazuki Kato (Hyotei's Atobe) had a clear—and good—singing voice, which is probably why he was given one of the two roles with the most solo lines. At any rate, I decided to see what other projects he's been involved in, and was surprised at the wide variety in his career. Let's jump right in:

Shigoku Shoujo—Ichimoku Ren

Literally translated, it means “Hell Girl”. A live-action drama based on the supernatural horror anime, it focuses on a young girl who lives in a world of eternal sunset. Named Enma Ai, she exacted vengeance on her village 400 years ago and now serves her punishment by fulfilling the vengeance of others and escorting people to Hell. When humans require her services, she offers them a contract and a warning: “When one is cursed, two graves are dug.” Three companions aid her in her work, carrying out her contracts. Kazuki plays one of Enma Ai's companions, Ichimoku Ren—the spirit of a katana who takes the form of a young man.

Ichimoku has a larger role in the anime, but Kazuki did get some pretty good scenes. For some reason, my absolute favorite scene came about halfway in episode 10; I loved the almost frightening smile on his face when he said “Ja, iko ka?” (“Well, shall we go?”) right before dragging the Victim of the Day out into oncoming traffic. It just seemed so very different from the other roles I've seen him in, which is always a treat from an acting perspective.

Hotaru no Hikari—Teshima Makoto

This show gives a good idea of the Japanese viewpoint regarding single women approaching their 30s, which makes me suspect that the typical Japanese citizen would probably consider me very strange since I'm not much for the dating scene myself. Hotaru works at a famous interior design company, but once at home she lounges about in jerseys with a cat, a can of beer, and a decided lack of interest in men. Her landlord's son, recently separated from his wife, decides to live on his father's property for a while—not realizing Hotaru also lives there. Even worse, it turns out the man is Hotaru's own boss. Kazuki adds fuel to the fire as the young designer Teshima, who's smitten with an increasingly confused Hotaru.

The best way I can describe this series is “a light but screwy comedy, with surprisingly deep moments”. I didn't actually finish the series—not because it was bad, but at times the love triangle plot was almost painful to watch (which may have more to do with my own emotional hangups rather than anything in the actual show.) It's the usual comedy/angst series, although well worth watching if you're interested in Kazuki given the amount of air time he has. You can see the series on Crunchyroll.com; just follow this link.

Kamen Rider Kabuto—Daisuke Kazama/Kamen Rider Drake

The latest Kamen Rider series in a list of many, Kabuto celebrates the franchise's 35^th anniversary. It focuses on a high-minded man named Tendou Souji, who's trained for seven years to use the Rider belt. He makes many enemies in the process, his ego and aloof personality isolating him from everyone but his sister Juka. He meets other Riders, each with vastly different personalities from his own, and often teams up with ZECT member Kagami Arata to fight the growing threat of Worm invaders.

Kazuki enters this series as a famous metrosexual makeup artist who will go out of his way to help any woman in trouble. He travels with a little girl named Gon, who often finishes his sentences when he can't think of the right word. He also happens to possess a Rider belt, allowing him to transform (“Henshin!”) into Kamen Rider Drake.

Um...yeah. Let's just say this series gave me bad flashbacks of the endless fight sequences in Sailor Moon. I'll say upfront I'm not a big fan of the superhero-type shows, where “Henshin!” is a phrase you're guaranteed to hear at least once per episode (although, to be fair, I was warned that the Kamen Rider series is most known for it). That being said, I have to admit the NON-“henshin” portions of the series were very impressive. I was most struck by the rocky friendship between Tendou and Kagami; the producers didn't take the cheap way out by throwing them together and having them become best friends within the first three episodes like too many shows have done. Instead, difficulties of every variety confront them constantly, keeping a barrier of tension between them until the very end. I also enjoyed the sibling-like relationship between Daisuke (Kazuki) and Gon; we don't see much of either of them after episode 28, but the dynamics of their relationship were able to add a refreshing spice to the mix.

A side note: Kazuki also shows up in two Kamen Rider movies. One is a retelling of the series Kamen Rider Kabuto in an alternate universe, taking place in outer space. (Yes, you read that right. No, I don't know what they were thinking either.) I haven't actually seen it yet, but if I can find it online I'll post my opinion. The other movie, Kamen Rider the Next, is a sequel to Kamen Rider the First—and makes about as much sense. Kazuki plays an entirely different character from the Kabuto series, and frankly, not even his acting skills could have saved that flick. It's on YouTube with English subs if, for some unknown reason, you're struck by the impulse to see something that makes stabbing your eyes out with an ice pick sound like more fun.

As it turns out, Kazuki is just as involved in the music world as he is in acting. Along with being featured on disc 002 of the Tenimyu Best Actor's CD series (under his character's name, Atobe Keigo), he's released a number of singles and full CD sets. My favorite songs happen to be “Faith”, “Yume Hikoki” and “Warning”, but he has quite an assortment of songs out—including the strange but catchy “Vampire”. He has music videos for nearly every song, and you can look them up on YouTube.

Next time: Shirota Yu and a show that everyone should see at least once in their lives.

Different Doesn't Always Mean Worse

Before I get into my next post, I have to say one thing: Buses are helpful. Exact change is evil.

Anyway, here's a list of the “normal” (read: non-BL) Japanese TV shows I've been watching, featuring a few of the actors I've decided to keep track of. The funny thing about these shows is that you can usually end up playing the Six Degrees of Separation game (based on the theory that everyone in the world can be connected to virtually anyone in six steps.) So I would watch one show because of X actor, then find Y actor from the same show pop up elsewhere, who just happened to co-star with Z actor, whom I'd already seen in another series with X actor...repeat ad infinitum. Even I can't keep up with all the connections, so I may miss a few when describing the shows.

Also, for the record, I freely admit Japanese names confuse me and I can often get the order wrong. Although I'm aware the surname comes before the first name in Japan, I've seen the names below written both ways so I'm not always certain which is which. I'm 100% certain Saito(h) Takumi is correct, but the others are open for interpretation.

There is an order to this, I swear (at least, I think so). So as not to bore everyone with a long post again, I'll probably end up breaking this up into a couple of segments. Let's start with the first three non-BL projects that I watched:

Boys Este
Featuring: Saitoh Takumi as Shikishima Shichiri

Not subbed in English yet, but the general plot involves Akagi Hibiki, a high schooler who starts work at an esthetic salon, and a young girl named Shizuka who lost confidence in her looks when her former boyfriend insulted her. While they struggle with their feelings for each other, Shikishima's eye also lands on Shizuka.

A 12-episode light romance/comedy series, not to be confused with Saitoh's darker and more graphic movie Boys Love. No BL in this show, although it's hinted at least once that Shikishima is bisexual. The humor takes some getting used to, but once you get past Shizuka's overacting in the comedic parts, it's actually an enjoyable series. I had a difficult time locating all the episodes, but it isn't impossible.

Princess Princess D
Featuring: Kamakari “KenKen” Kenta as Yutaka Mikoto; Saitoh Takumi as Arisada Shuya

An all-boys high school (which is apparently a popular setting for TV shows) has established a rather unusual practice: choosing three first-year students every year to dress as “princesses” and be the school's official mascots. A very reluctant Mikoto is coaxed into it by his friends, and discovers a few things about the true power—and trials—of friendship.

KenKen was also Hyotei's Shishido in Tenimyu. I don't know what it is with Japan and cross-dressing, but at any rate Saitoh is practically one of the only actors who don't end up in a dress by the end—and let me tell you, seeing the rowdy and incredibly boyish KenKen dressing in pink lace is enough to give anyone nightmares. There were also hints of BL sprinkled liberally across the ten epsidodes, although not enough to be classified a BL-genre show. Overall, the series was “cute”, but I doubt I'd sit through the whole thing a second time.

Forbidden Siren 2
Featuring: Saitoh Takumi as Itsuki Mamoru

This isn't actually a series, or even a movie—it's a video game for the Japanese PS2, following in the tradition of the survival horror genre ala Silent Hill. 29 years ago the remote island Yamijima was thrown into darkness when an underwater cable snapped. The next morning, all of the island's inhabitants were gone. A group of present-day travelers are visiting the island for their own separate reasons when the boat they're on capsizes--and that's just the beginning of their terror.

Even if Saitoh hadn't lent his voice to the main protagonist, I probably would have been interested in this game anyway. The story seems fairly complex, the developers made the creepiness factor actually work, and apparently one of the main features is the fact you end up playing many different characters by the end. Very much like Alan Wake, light plays an integral role in gameplay, which I find fascinating. Even the violence level isn't all that bad compared to its English counterparts. But Japanese games won't work on American consoles, so I guess I'll just be happy with the cutscenes others have uploaded to the internet.

Up next: Kazuki Kato, Shirota Yuu and how I ended up expanding my search beyond the grads of Tenimyu.

The Different Side of Japanese Movies

My last two posts have been about the Prince of Tennis musicals, but the truth is I ended up getting interested in them because of Saitoh Takumi, and I only saw Saitoh because one of my perverted friends suggested watching a movie called Sukitomo. (I'm not saying I'm ungrateful for finding him, but come on—he has done non-BL projects...)

I also held off discussing other Japanese movies until I covered Tenimyu because, as it turns out, nearly every Japanese-made movie or TV series since 2005 tends to feature one or more “graduates” from a Tenimyu production. This may be due to the fact that there are so many cast members in the various productions (not to mention the various people who have played the different characters over the years) that it's practically a given for the acting industry to be inundated by them. This is particularly true in the BL genre, where a certain few actors seem to dominate the stage.

I'm breaking this up into two posts, of which the order will hopefully make sense. This post will review the BL-genre movies I've seen, and the next one will review the non-BL projects. For this post, I'll review the ones with so-called “happy” endings (read: no one dies, tries to kill someone, or ends up in a similarly unfortunate situation) first. The ratings are mine, keeping the content in mind:

Sukitomo
Rated PG












Summary: Yoshiki (Aiba Hiroki), a photographer for his school newspaper, takes pictures of his childhood friend Tomokazu (Saitoh Takumi) at boxing matches. A frightening incident makes him realize he just might like the clueless Tomo more than he thought. The only problem is, so does Tomo's own stepsister.

Review: This was the first project where I saw Saitoh Takumi and Aiba Hiroki, and had no idea they had been in Tenimyu together (as Hyotei's Oshitari and Seigaku's Fuji respectively.) While I rate it PG, the truth is nothing ever actually happens; it's probably the “safest” movie out of everything I saw, which is why I suspect my friend suggested it first. The tension is entirely emotional. It's the content of the film that makes it PG—aside from being a BL movie, it touches on the subject of incest (despite the fact Tomo and his stepsister aren't blood related.) On an unrelated note, this is also the movie where I learned the appropriate time to say Ja, matashita (“Then, see you tomorrow.”)


Itsuka no Kimi e
Rated PG-13












Summary: More photography! Photography major Hayase Kouhei (Ryunosuke Kawai) can't figure out his new classmate, the introverted and unapproachable Noboru Fukami (Saitoh Takumi), and ends up befriending Noboru's more outgoing brother Ryu. But the dark secret of Noboru's past may not be what Hayase expected.

Review: Another Saitoh movie—he must have been really busy in 2006. This time he stars with Ryunosuke Kawai, who played Hyotei's Hiyoshi in Tenimyu. I have to say, out of all the BL movies I've seen, this movie had a plot that was the most believable (and interesting.) Admittedly it's predictable, but the acting makes it impressive. However, there are a couple of decidedly suggestive scenes you may not appreciate, and an actual kiss towards the end. If you can handle that, then you might want to take a look, just keep one thing in mind: “Aniki” is the term for a brother, not a name.


Takumi-kun Series: Soshite Harukaze ni Sasayaite
Rated PG









Summary: Takumi Hayama (Tomo Yanagishita), a youth with an acute fear of being touched, attends an all-boys high school where he attracts the attention of the school's idol, Saki “Gii” Giichi (Kato Keisuke), much to the chagrin of Gii's longtime admirer Izumi (Yasuka Saito). Unfortunately, he also catches the eye of a devious, predatory student, who has plans of his own for Takumi.

Review: Tomo Yanagishita (Seigaku's third-generation Kaidoh from Tenimyu—of course) plays the lead; Aiba Hiroki (Seigaku's Fuji) also makes a brief appearance as a violinist. For the most part this movie is relatively safe, and even kind of sweet, if grossly overacted. (Although I get the feeling from other people who have seen the movie that it was intentionally done like that, since the manga is much the same way.) The plot was simple and predictable, but again, it was clearly intended to be like that so I can't fault them. There's a suggestive scene at the end, but the frosted lighting simply makes it too comical to be realistic.

Ai no Kotodama
Rated PG-13












Summary: University students Ootani (Hidenori Tokuyama) and Tachibana (Yasuka Saito) have been living together for two years, hiding their relationship from others. A girl from their high school days suddenly shows up out of the blue, sparking jealousy and misunderstanding between them.

Review: At first I thought there was no Tenimyu connection in this film, but as it turns out Yasuka Saito (who was also Izumi in Takumi-kun) had played Higa's Hirakoba in the "Progressive Match" Tenimyu performance. It's an interesting take on the BL genre—the two actually start off together and face challenges as a couple, rather than getting together halfway through the movie. There are a couple of suggestive scenes and at least one kiss, but nothing too serious or dramatic.

And now for the “Not So Happy Endings” (otherwise known as “the crippled puppy drowns after watching his mother get hit by a car” endings). Do not watch if you're depressed, or don't want to get depressed:

Boys Love
Rated R

Summary: Magazine journalist Taishin Mamiya (Yoshikazu Kotani) is hired to interview the famous model and temperamental high-school student Noeru Kisaragi (Saitoh Takumi), only to find himself in deeper water than he imagined. After a rough start, their relationship is further tested by the demons from Noeru's past and the wanton promiscuity they drive him to in the present. And then there's the matter of Noeru's overprotective friend Chidori (Hiroya Matsumoto)...

Review: The title says it all. Saitoh's back, teaming up with yet another Tenimyu alumnus: Yoshikazu Kotani, formerly Seigaku's Kawamura. First, I take serious issue (!) with the way the relationship between the characters started, but after witnessing far worse things in Kichiku Megane I suppose it's to be expected in this genre. And the ending...granted, the opening scene already gave the impression it wasn't going to end well, but literally everything changes in the last three minutes. It's basically like a sucker punch with an added knife-twist for good measure. I've noticed this theme a lot with BL products, which strengthens my belief that the producers of such projects think these endings are appealing to women. (I would really like to meet these women, because I didn't find it appealing in the slightest.)

While you never actually “see” anything, there is partial nudity and a few scenes that don't leave anything to the imagination, which is why I gave it an R rating. Still, the acting is pretty damn good for a Direct-to-DVD film, so if you can handle the scenes mentioned above, it's a decent enough picture. And for the record (MAJOR spoiler alert; highlight to read): Saitoh can do a fantastic death scene.


Renai Shindan
Rated PG-13






Summary: This is actually a 12-episode TV series instead of a movie, with four completely separate story arcs covering different aspects of “forbidden love”: the first and last arcs are BL, with three episodes each.

In the first story arc, the young painter Tsubasa (Tomo Yanagishita) is constantly being harassed by a gang of thugs when he meets two other boys: tough rebel Leo (Shiozaki Airu) and quiet sculptor Kain (JURI). When he has to choose between the two, the consequences may prove more than he can handle.

In the last arc, physician Kei Katsuragi (Ryunosuke Kawai) is saved by lifeguard Kanade Maki (Kumai Kouhei) when he nearly drowns. No sooner does the relationship start than Kanade is diagnosed with a serious—and fatal—heart condition. (Think of it as Love Story with a truly gut-wrenching twist at the end.)

Review: Like everything else I've seen, Tenimyu actors abound in the BL portions of this series, although Saitoh is absent. Tomo Yanagishita (Seigaku's third-generation Kaidoh and star of the Takumi-kun movie) shows up again, along with Shiozaki Airu (Rokkaku's Amane) and JURI (Yamabuki's Jin). In the other story, Ryunosuke Kawai (Hyotei's Hiyoshi) is back after doing Itsuka no Kimi e to play the role of Kei.

Like the movie Boys Love, nothing is ever actually shown, but you do see some kissing and fade-to-black scenes. Again, the focus seems to be more on emotional trauma than anything else, and this series has that in spades. Without spoiling anything, I can only say you shouldn't expect a happy ending. Ever.

So there you have it. Really, the only reason you'd see these films is if you're a fan of any of the actors (like me *coughSaitohcough*) or you like the genre. If I had to recommend one out of all of them, the acting in Itsuka no Kimi e impressed me so I'd go with that one. Up next: the "normal" Japanese projects I've seen.

Dream Live Third

Mini-post this time, partially to make up for the 300-page post before, but also because I don't have time to write anything more than something short.

Someone asked me which Prince of Tennis (Tenimyu) Dream Live concert the Hyotei cast showed up in. While it's true they briefly appeared in the 4th concert, they were featured in the 3rd. Thankfully, someone uploaded the entire concert on Youtube; even better, it's subbed. To make things easier, I'll post them here--there's 14 in all. If it sounds like a couple of them are crying during their solos, it's because the entire Seigaku cast (except for Aiba Hiroka/Fuji) was leaving the show after 18 months in Tenimyu.

Before I post the videos, two things. First, a friend told me they couldn't find my favorite song ("Ikki Uchi") in the Imperial Match in Winter show, so here's a YouTube link to it. It features Shirota Yuu (Tezuka) and Kato Kazuki (Atobe), the two strongest singers, as their characters prepare for the "ultimate showdown" between team captains.


Second, I finally watched the Advancement Match show--it featured the cast of Rokkaku, but the Hyotei cast was there as well. Like the cast of Seigaku in Dream Live 3rd, this particular production marked the end of the entire Hyotei cast's run in Tenimyu, which gave a very sad feel to each song, but on the other hand that only made this song (called "Remember Hyotei") absolutely AMAZING. (And yes, Takuya is crying, which is why his voice is so rough):


Okay, with that out of the way, here are the subbed videos for DL3. Remember what I said about innuendo? Still, it seems like they had a lot of fun with the show, which is always more interesting to me than the actual content.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Part 4:


Part 5:


Part 6:


Part 7:


Part 8:


Part 9:


Part 10:


Part 11:


Part 12:


Part 13:


Part 14:

Mada Mada Dane

Warning: way too damn long post ahead. Sorry (truly, I am), but I couldn't break this one up in a way that made sense. Go make your phone calls now and grab a soda—this may take a while.

In my last post I mentioned discovering the work of Saitoh Takumi and Kato Kazuki. While they both have considerably extensive careers for their age (27 and 24 respectively), they co-starred in a few stage musicals based on the Prince of Tennis series from Shonen Jump. (I actually saw Saitoh in other projects first and backtracked to his work in this musical, but I'm mentioning Prince of Tennis first for reasons I'll discuss in my next post.)

Prince of Tennis, simply put, is a manga series that's been adapted into an anime, countless Drama CDs, a movie, and several live musicals/concerts. The main focus, at least originally, was on 12-year-old tennis prodigy Echizen Ryoma and his struggle to rise in the ranks of Seishun Gakuen's (Seigaku for short) prestigious tennis club. Since then, it's grown to encompass a much larger cast of characters from rival schools across Japan: Fudomine, St. Rudolph, Hyotei, Yamabuki, Rokkoku and a slew of others, all of whom regularly have tennis matches against Seigaku and each other.

The truth is I don't even LIKE Prince of Tennis in general. I'm not a fan of sports-related series, and I doubt I ever will be. I never felt the need to read the manga, and I never got past episode 3 of the anime. Even now I'm in no rush to read or watch the series. Nor am I a fan of the anime-turned-musical formula, and I've stayed far away from any musicals connected to Bleach, Naruto and Sailor Moon. (Especially Sailor Moon.)

But there's just something about the Prince of Tennis musicals (nicknamed “Tenimyu” by its fans) and the correlating Dream Live concerts that's quite compelling. It's really embarrassing just how much I've come to enjoy the Tenimyu productions I've seen. The music is actually good, the acting is believable, and the characters are three-dimensional. Seriously, it's addicting.

I came across the subbed version of “Imperial Match in Winter” featuring the characters from Seigaku and Hyotei; at first I resisted watching it, despite the fact Saitoh was in it, just on principle alone. Still, my insatiable curiosity won out and I downloaded it. Saitoh Takumi plays Hyotei's blue-haired, spectacle-wearing genius Oshitari Yuushi, while Kato Kazuki plays Hyotei's talented (and astonishingly arrogant) team captain Atobe Keigo.

My interest in the show itself comes from a few sources. First, each Tenimyu production is truly an “ensemble cast” in every sense of the word, something that's practically unheard of in America these days. Although the hero is technically Echizen Ryoma, the PoT universe is so vast it encompasses many other characters, each with their own unique personality quirks and tennis-related skill. For example, there's Inui, who systematically collects data on his opponents to use against them; Kawamura, whose entire personality suddenly changes whenever he touches a tennis racket; and Atobe, who can almost psychically detect his opponent's weakness just by placing his fingers between his eyes. Each character has a fully fleshed-out personality and background, which makes them more interesting to watch.

For this reason, there are no “filler” characters in the musical—they all have a reason for being there, and some of those reasons are explored onstage. Echizen doesn't even appear for most of the performance. Even the so-called bit parts in each production feature characters who had much larger roles in the other shows. Everyone's role in the show is equally important, truly making it a group effort. While there are ensemble casts in American musicals, rarely will they ever get the chance to stand out in such a way.

Up front, I can honestly say most of the actors weren't hired because they could sing, which seems ironic for a musical. Saitoh certainly can, but by far the most powerful singers were Kato Kazuki and Shirota Yuu (Tezuka)—which is probably why they ended up playing the two team captains and getting the most solo lines in the songs. Many of the others seem to have been cast more because of their acting skills than their voice; at first I actually wondered why Yanagi Kotaroh was cast as Echizen Ryoma since it looked like he couldn't move OR sing, but after reading this article on Wikipedia I'm simply amazed he was alive and well enough to walk, let alone perform onstage.

Still, what the actors lack in singing range, they make up for with an honest, unmitigated passion. They truly valued their roles, and you certainly see that. As someone who's observed a great number of the cookie-cutter musicals on Broadway where many actors phoned in their performances, the raw energy and enthusiasm I see coming from every member of the Tenimyu cast is quite refreshing.

For a musical based on a manga, it surprisingly builds tension at all the right moments. Not every live production is able to have that constant progression to the climax/denouement, although I guess it's easier for a sports-based show that leads to a “final showdown” than for others.

Although the school that PoT mainly focuses on is Seigaku, while I greatly admire Tezuka's steadfast determination and Fuji's unshakable composure, I must admit I'm very much a Hyotei fan at heart. The Hyotei cast had me by the second rendition of “Koori no Emporer”; I'm pretty sure that would have happened even if Saitoh didn't play Oshitari.

Not that anyone is likely to care, but I found my absolute favorite number to be “Ikki uchi”, the duet between Tezuka and Atobe towards the end of Imperial Match in Winter. I've always had a weakness for reprisals of earlier songs that manage to harmonize seamlessly with each other, especially when they're sung by two opposing characters who each have everything on the line. Other favorites include “Do Your Best”, “Data wa uso wo tsukanai yo”, “Yudan sezu ni ikou”, “Koori no Emporer”, and “Katsu no wa Hyotei”.

So why is PoT considered a staple in the BL world? Well, considering the sheer number of male characters alone, it was probably a given from the very beginning. Even though the series itself isn't geared towards BL, a cast like that would certainly invite it.

And supposedly the fans already consider two particular relationships to be canon romances: Oishi/Eiji from Seigaku and Shishido/Choutarou from Hyotei. However, as I've witnessed even in non-slashable shows like MASH, that doesn't stop fans from creating their own pairings. From the info I gleaned from Google, the most popular shippers by far seem to be Tezuka/Fuji, Ryoma/, Oshitari/Gakuto, Oshitari/Atobe, and perhaps most surprisingly, Atobe/Tezuka. (Yes, you read that right.) While the main Tenimyu productions don't entertain these ideas, the actors appear to enjoy giving the audience “fanfic fodder” at the Dream Live concerts. Innuendo flows freely, and at one concert Oshitari even apologizes to Gakuto "about yesterday", saying he meant to call. There's also the reputation Tenimyu has as a launchpad for the careers of many cast members, several of whom have gone on to do BL-related work...

There's quite a few Tenimyu productions out there if you're interested, although the only one I've seen subbed is the “Imperial Match in Winter” featuring Hyotei Gakuen (not to be confused with summertime's non-subbed “Imperial Match” with the same cast.) At the very least, try watching that production along with the subbed Dream Live Third concert to get a good idea of what it's all about. Even if you end up hating anything related to Tenimyu, it's good exposure into the world of Japanese live acting.

The following are links to the subbed Imperial Match in Winter. Note: I DID NOT UPLOAD THESE VIDEOS--they came from a LiveJournal website found here. He has a number of other PoT-related videos as well, along with several other Japanese dramas and anime.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

----------------
Now playing: Trapt - Headstrong
via FoxyTunes

A Drama By Any Other Name

I'm not exactly sure how I made the jump from listening to seiyuus in various anime to Japanese dramas (or, as some rather frightening otakus try to insist, “do-rama”...probably the same folks who missed the joke and still insist Hellsing's “Alucard” is misspelled.) The closest tie I can find lies with my attempts at finding a few seiyuus in live-action work. As it turns out, while many of them dub certain English movies that come to Japan, the vast majority stay within the realm of animation.

Oddly enough this makes sense, considering they're completely separate fields of work despite being in the same industry. Even here in America, I can't think of any actors who have managed to maintain a career in both fields at the same time; they usually give one up in favor of the other, or are primarily in one field with occasional work in the other.

At any rate, my venture into the world of Japanese live-action projects led me to a few names in the acting field, and one particularly interesting find: Saitoh Takumi.

Now, let me preface the following by saying that anyone who knows me is well aware how rare it is for anyone to catch my eye. When my friends had magazine photos of the latest “hot actors” on their walls, I had prints of fractals and photoshopped fantasy landscapes. I can be greatly impressed by someone's work, or admire their outlook on life or their humanitarianism, but I don't think I've ever really stopped dead to watch someone since I was about 14.

*ahem* That being said...

Oh. My. God. Saitoh Takumi. I would gladly pay any amount of money to watch him in ANYTHING. (I'm not kidding. Even just reading the phone book onstage. In Japanese. I don't care.) I'm quite proud to say I've never “squee”d once in my life, not even as a teenager, but this is probably the closest I've come to it. He's only two months younger than me, too. (Does this mean I have a thing for younger men? Heh.)

How did I find out about him? Well, the most accurate answer would be to say my friends are perverts (and you know who you are) who were more than happy to point me in the direction of live dramas when I told them what I was doing. They were curious as well to know if any seiyuus had roles in live projects; however, the only references they had on hand were BL dramas.

This means that, yes, Saitoh has been involved in a number of live-action BL movies along with his other “regular” work. Not pornography, mind you—apparently a line is drawn when the actors are actually seen as well as heard, for which I'm eternally grateful. These movies seem to follow the same rules as the games and Drama CDs as far as plot is concerned: they all focus on emotional turmoil over action/adventure (I have yet to see anything catch fire, get riddled with bullets or blow up on the set) and more than one of them have an ending so far from “happy” that driving shards of glass through your arm would actually lighten your mood.

As far as acting ability goes, coming in a close second to Saitoh Takumi is Kato Kazuki. I would explain where I saw him first (and since), but that would completely ruin the semi-chronological order I'm trying to maintain in my posts, so I'll leave that for another time.

Consequently, the fact I'm watching/listening to more Japanese media than American these days has convinced me of the need to actually learn the language—both speaking and writing. Not everything I've seen is subbed, and many of the subtitles I've seen lie somewhere between “awkward” and “completely different from what's being said”. So, in a shockingly rare moment in my life, I'm actually serious about something. God knows I have nothing but time on my hands these days; I might as well use it constructively. To that end:

Nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimas. Demo, mada jozu ja arimasen.

Exactly what projects have I seen Saitoh Takumi in, and what does he have in common with Kato Kazuki? That's in my next update.

----------------
Now playing: Kato Kazuki - Solitaire
via FoxyTunes

Hearing Voices

As mentioned in my previous post, I became curious as to why so many obviously talented Japanese seiyuus would lend their voices to eroge games aimed at women. Considering there's no similar counterpart in America (adult products are completely separated from the rest of the entertainment industry) and the fact that more than one actor's career has been destroyed when their involvement in the adult industry is revealed, I wondered why voice actors in Japan would participate in BL projects without fear of their identity being discovered.

Well, as I've come to learn, seiyuus involved in anything related to the BL genre are treated like nothing short of rock stars. No, I'm not kidding. Just do a search for “Live Pastel Collection” if you don't believe me. This probably explains why so many of them get involved without worrying about their reputation; if anything, it seems to boost their career in other areas.

There's a relatively small group of “regulars” from what I can tell, with the same names showing up again and again. I've actually come to be impressed by a number of them, the most talented in my opinion being seiyuu veteran Yusa Kouji. His resume is longer than the Amazon River, with a career that covers a great deal of projects; he's most famous for voicing Ichimaru Gin from Bleach, but that's far from his only mainstream anime.

I first heard him (perhaps unfortunately) as Midou Takanori in Kichiku Megane and took an interest in the actor behind the voice. This is rather ironic, considering I found Midou's path with Megane-mode Katsuya disturbing at best (outright horrifying at worst). Mini rant and a major spoiler ahead; highlight to read:

I take serious issue against any plot where one character drives another to the brink of catatonia/catalepsy yet you can still get a “happy” end (which, I may add, is only achieved because Midou shows up a year later and can't remember a damn thing during the time Katsuya abused him.) Right, so Katsuya finally realizes at the last second he pushed too far—so what? The player already notices about halfway through Midou's route that he's losing it. Katsuya's way too slow in the realization department.

/digression

At any rate, I first noticed the unique quality to Yusa's voice, and thanks to him I developed a deeper interest in Japanese voice acting as well as the English dubs. I explored the careers of other seiyuus, and wasn't surprised to discover a great number of them have crossed into both mainstream and BL projects: Yasumoto Hiroki, who voiced Honda Kenji in Kichiku Megane, is another Bleach alum and has gone on to voice the hunter Tooga Yagari in Vampire Knight. Even Hirakawa Daisuke, the voice behind KM's protagonist, has an extensive list of mainstream anime to his name. Other voice actors who have participated in both “regular” and BL projects are Fukuyama Jun, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Toriumi Kousuke, and Midorikawa Hikaru, just to name a few.

When researching the different voice artists I came to realize that one of the most popular products in the BL world seems to be the “drama CD”. Similar to the old radio dramas, they usually involve a plot device of sorts, and many of them have a “free talk” session at the end where the actors get together and discuss pretty much anything. Some are safe to play in public, others not so much, but I find it interesting that Japan has managed to keep the art of radio drama alive in the digital age.

From what I can tell, the vast majority of these men are straight, and many of them are married. They all seem to take a light-hearted attitude about the BL genre, which you would pretty much have to if you planned on working in such an industry for any length of time.

Given the extensive resumes of many seiyuus I researched, I wondered if any of them had also worked in any live acting series. Along the way, I discovered a few interesting things about the acting scene in Japan, and learned just how far-reaching the BL genre is.

...but that's a post for next time.
----------------
Now playing: Xandria - Save My Life
via FoxyTunes

You've Done WHAT With Your Time?

So it's been two months. I'm not in Irvine yet, but it's only a matter of time before I end up there or directly in L.A. Does that mean I've entirely stopped my plans to try out the VA field? Hell no. In fact, while I'm stuck in limbo, I'm taking the advice of my former college advisor (who's done VA work herself) and trying to lay out what my demo reel will sound like. She was a great help and did her best to tell me more about the field, even though she got a parking ticket from speaking with me for so long (I'm really, really sorry about that, by the way—if I'd known, I would have run up the street myself to put money in the meter.)

I don't feel like getting into where I've been these past two months, because it doesn't really matter. But I have been exploring a few things as I get my future together. Forgive the seemingly random order of my posts over the next several days, but if I don't break things up it's going to be one unbearably long post instead, and even I can't stand to hear myself ramble that much. At any rate, expect a few separate (yet loosely related) subjects to follow in the coming days when I have the time.

To start off, I'll discuss the springboard for much of my recent research. In a word or two, playing the intriguing yet (very) traumatic Kichiku Megane got me thinking about a few things. I was curious as to who exactly would lend their voice to such a game, if it was normal or even expected of male seiyuus to do so, and why they didn't bother hiding their participation in these projects like the actors in regular eroge games do. (I did indeed uncover answers to these questions, but I don't have room to discuss them in this post.) The results of my research have proven surprising, all the way down to the very basis of the BL universe.

In short, while the “Boy's Love” genre is a relatively new phenomenon here in America, it's actually a runaway success in Japan. It's aimed at women, oddly enough, and there's a definite distinction between BL products and products aimed at the gay male demographic. Generally, BL characters are prime examples of bishonen (“pretty” males, often effeminate) while characters aimed at gay men are more muscular, emphasizing the masculinity. Plotlines found in the BL world are also usually far more intricate and emotionally involving...often to a gutwrenching and/or tragic degree. You're not always guaranteed a happy ending; in fact, many times it's the exact opposite.

Conversely, I also wonder about products aimed at straight men involving relationships between women (AKA “yuri”.) They don't seem to be nearly as popular as the BL genre, and from what I've been told the plots certainly don't have the same kind of emotional depth and impact found in BL products. But would they really be more popular if they did?

So this leads me to believe that the perceived attraction to the BL universe is supposed to lie in the generally accepted idea that women appreciate beauty and strong emotion. My only guess as to why the result of that perception would manifest in the form of homosexual relationships is that it's something “new” for women, watching men take a role traditionally assigned to female characters in a romance story. Since it's not actually a woman being depicted, the usual socially accepted boundaries (such as the pursuer being too physically aggressive) are negated.

Or it could be something else entirely. Someone suggested that watching an otherwise “regular” human drama with an all-male cast attracts women because they don't feel any competition, nor any pressure to identify with the female character. Who knows? Judging from the rapidly increasing number of teen and college-age BL fans, I'm sure someone will write a great psychology paper on it someday.

As this post is getting too long already, I'll end it here. Next up should be my thoughts on the seiyuus who lend their voices to the BL genre, and how my interest in the rather expansive career of one particular voice actor indirectly drew my attention to the live acting scene in Japan.

----------------
Now playing: Evanescence - Missing
via FoxyTunes

Conventional Humor

This will probably be my last post for a while.

To end things on a positive note, I thought I would show a few of my favorite YouTube clips involving VAs at various conventions. Some are interesting, some are funny, but the one thing I learned from watching many of these clips is just how much a ham Vic Mignogna is. He tends to show up in clips even when I wasn't searching for him.

Anyway, let's get started.

Scott McNeil describes passing out in a VA booth.


Chris Ayres, Vic Mignogna and Lex Lang talk about being recognized as VAs on the street.


Johnny Yong Bosch recounts a day when his empty stomach got him into trouble.


Steve Blum is asked to say something to "Ed Elric" using Spike's voice from Cowboy Bebop. Vic answers "Spike" in an appropriately Ed-like fashion.


Steve and Vic teaming up again to present "Real Fans of Genius".


Yuri Lowenthal (Sasuke Uchiha) and Liam O'Brian (Gaara) are asked to say Naruto's trademark "Believe It!" line in their own character's voice. (Notice the enormous number of actors onstage. It's possible every VA in the country has done at least one voice for this show.)


Crispin Freeman answers a fan's question about who he would be in a Revolutionary Girl Utena roleplay (after having voiced Touga for the TV series.) For the record, Akio is a very...strange...man. Then again, RGU is a very strange anime.


Someone calls Vic on his cell phone and says a "Risembool Ranger" (a fan club member) wants to talk to him...then hands the phone to Travis Willingham (Roy Mustang).



That's all, folks. There are more, but I'll add them another time. The next time you hear from me, it may be from Irvine, CA.

Or from Hell. You know. Whichever comes first.

Ouran Host Club Comes To America

Supposedly for a long time now, either Vic Mignogna (Ed Elric of Fullmetal Alchemist fame) has said he would like to play Tamaki Suou in the dubbed Ouran High School Host Club, or his fans have really wanted it--I'm not sure which. Judging from this YouTube clip, the truth is probably both:

At any rate, Funimation just released the cast list for the English dub of Ouran. Not only did Vic get the role, the show will also feature several other Fullmetal Alchemist alumns, the most notable being Travis Willingham (Roy Mustang) as Takashi Morinozuka...









Caitlin Glass (Winry Rockbell) as Haruhi Fujioka...









And Aaron Dismuke (Alphonse Elric) as Yasuchika Haninozuka.









Looks like it could be worth watching.

On a separate note, for some reason I found this hilarious. Several days ago I listed Ran "Aya" Fujimiya on my Top 8 list of anime characters. I'm not completely familiar with the Knight Hunters universe or even all of its characters, but I saw enough in Knight Hunters Eternity to appreciate the various facets of his personality. So a friend sends me a link to one of those random "Which character are you like?" quizzes online. Thinking it was a worthwhile way to waste five minutes of my entire lifetime, I took the quiz.

Without even trying, this is the result I got:



I may never eat Cheerios again now.

----------------
Now playing: 福田考代 - Lost Resolution
via FoxyTunes

I Won't Wear A Thong

I'm not sure I've ever written a post heading like that...and I doubt I ever will again.

I, My, Me, Strawberry Eggs is a pretty screwball comedy as it is, but someone has finally uploaded the easter eggs (on the DVDs) that featured some interesting outtakes.

The first clip actually has a cute story behind it: apparently one of the dubbing producers was worried that Crispin Freeman would sound too much like the rather frightening Alucard (from Hellsing fame) for the more mild-mannered Hibiki.

Deciding to have a little fun with that idea (and give said producer a heart attack), Crispin recorded the following:


In the next clip there isn't supposed to be any audio when the guys are talking; it's revealed later that they're talking about one of them marrying someone they don't know when they actually love another woman. But this is, apparently, what VAs do when they're bored:


There were two others, but they don't make much sense if you haven't seen the show. All this does is make me more curious to hear the infamous X-rated contest between Crispin Freeman and Steve Blum.

Take That, Atoli

After my last .hack post someone asked me how I could possibly sit through nearly three games worth of cutscenes and actually enjoy it. Well, first off, it's just something I do; I don't always have the time to play games I might like, and the storyline of a game is far more interesting to me than the actual gameplay semantics. I guess you could say I'm letting someone else do the work for me, so I can enjoy the parts of the game that I like to see.

Also, .hack//G.U. happened to have a cast list where I recognized roughly two out of every three voice actors. This is another activity I seem to enjoy--studying the variations in each voice and comparing them to other characters the actor's done.

Lastly, by the time the end of the second game rolled around, Sakaki did what I'm sure every player had been dying to do from the very beginning. You can find what I'm referring to in this clip, at exactly 1 minute and 42 seconds. I think it was worth sitting through all the games just to see that (although Haseo's more physical rebuke may come in a close second.) True, I could barely stand Sakaki, but if you had just seen all the cutscenes I did, you'd be cheering him on.

Finally, someone was able to tell off Atoli. Let the heavens rejoice.

On a side note, I forgot to mention that while all the .hack products have some pretty good music to accompany them, G.U. had some of the most amazing, haunting tracks I've ever heard. It fit the mood of the games perfectly. This page has a number of tracks you can preview before deciding if you want to buy the OST. Out of all the tracks, I happen to have five favorites, all of which are on the second CD. If you want to hear them, some kind person uploaded them onto YouTube. Starting with my utmost favorite:

1. Lost Resolution



2. Grima Lowe Cathedral


3. "She"


4. Endrance ~ The Best Love


5. Underworld Eldy Rue