Christmas in Boracay

So hello! I'm finally back from our Christmas vacation spent with family in Boracay~ It's been a while since I've been on hiatus; if Instagram wasn't so picky I would have already left you all with some pictures from my trip. Haha! But anyway, anyway.

Before we go into the nitty-gritty of my experience, I just wanted to take the opportunity to greet a very special actor/singer dear to my heart:

December 26: Tenimyu Seigaku 2nd cast's Tezuka Kunimitsu, Shirota Yuu

During our last day in Boracay, I decided to do a little sand kanji for my favorite actor Shirotan~ Granted the first kanji should be more compact, but it's not that easy to raise sand, mind you. x) But birthday greetings all the same~

It definitely took some time but it was well worth the effort!


That aside, onto some pictures! Our dad drove us to the airport early in the morning to catch our flight at around 7 in the morning. We managed to all get on the same flight as opposed to taking two separate ones, so all 19 of us rode on the same airplane headed for Caticlan.

Since it was just a small plane, it was a first to actually board the plane on the runway, and get down the same way. The airport (picture on the right)was very accommodating and modern, which was pretty neat considering the last time I came to Boracay was some years ago when I was a wee little child who came last minute. xDD


After that, it was a series of transportation via shuttle, boat and van just to get to the resort, which was all the way in Station 1. But boy was the trip worth it! We stayed at the Boracay terraces Resort, which is technically the last resort along the white sand beach, which was perfect since it was rather secluded.

Not surprisingly, swimming turned out to be a necessity despite the salty content. The water was cool and the waves that frequented coming our way was just another excuse to have fun in the sun. Sunsets always made it more and more breath-taking, a testament to an experience at the beach.

The afternoon of December 24, I went with a little troupe of hikers down to another resort called Nami, which is owned by my cousin's boss (who I met back during my time at the Global Enterprise Challenge). Here's me and my mom posing by the beachfront sign after looking at the place and having a very refreshing glass of Lemongrass tea

On our way back to our resort, we spotted someone in the distance. And lo and behold, it was my dad! He came up with an ingenious plot to trick my mom into believing that he wouldn't be able to come with us to Boracay this Christmas. He apparently wore a disguise and all but was thwarted by my sister's keen eye. My mom and I ran over to him to give him a big glomp. Uberly pumped to know that he would be able to join us for Christmas after all! For dinner that evening, we headed off to Guily's Island for a buffet and decided to walk along the beachfront. Below is a picture of me and my dad in front of Friday's during out walk~ The second picture is a family picture taken after our dinner.

 After hearing 9pm mass, we headed off to Epic since our cousin was a guest DJ come Christmas Day (poster below). Of course it was a truly epic experience (no pun intended), but since I'm not one to drink I headed home early.

 We made a return trip to the Nami resort for Christmas Day lunch care of my cousin's boss, and below you see a picture of me in front of the entire resort. It was gorgeous, but the steps and elevator brand it as a resort not for the faint of heart. Regardless, the view was to die for~

That evening, since the family was complete and it was raining, we just decided to call in for a Yellow Cab delivery (yeah there's a Yellow Cab in Boracay!) while we watched Shrek Forever After on HBO. Good times and good company especially. :3

The last three pictures mark our last day in Boracay before our return to Manila. It was a truly new experience, celebrating Christmas at the beach, but when you bring together the merriment and company of family there can be no greater experience. This is one to remember, and I'm more than grateful that we got to spend it together as a family. Until the next time, Boracay!

  

Birthday Celebrations + Shirota Yuu

So yesterday I had my birthday. My 21st. Much like most birthdays that fell on a weekday, I went to school, was greeted by some friends, classmates and teachers before going to dinner with family. Lunch was reserved to be spent with Kai, but she was plagued by sickness so we postponed for the weekend.

Last Tuesday during my 7.5 hour break, I decided to treat my fellow labmates to a pizza dinner; a rare treat since I never really was in the habit of doing that kind of stuff unless it was important. In exchange, they got me a nifty birthday cake, so it was a great early celebration~

This weekend is going to be busy since I can relax from all the schoolwork, having a lighter load than most weekends so far, both days practically booked. Tomorrow I plan to spend the day with Kai, go out for lunch, attend an event in the afternoon then dinner out. Then she'll be sleeping over since I have my birthday party the following day with the extended family and some friends. ^o^/

Finally, my fangirling for Shirota Yuu returned while I finally stumbled upon the song he sang with Backstreet Boys' Howie D entitled 'If I Say'~ It was released two months ago but it's still as epic as hell! \*o*/ You can listen to it below~

U - Sisyphus

My fanaticism for Shirota Yuu, or Shirotan began with Tenimyu. It continued with the various acting projects he's had big and small that I've had the opportunity to watch and enjoy (Samurai High School, Rookies, Rookies Sotsugyou,Team Batista and Koshonin among others). Now, he steps out of the platform of D-Boys and Tenimyu to pursue his solo singing career, going by the name U next month.





This is the PV of Sisyphus, one of the three songs included in his first single. The PV of the two other songs, U and Heart of Glass, also two epically awesome songs, are also available on YouTube in the same channel.

--It's been a while since Shirotan's wowed me with his voice. And these new songs are just giving me chills every time I listen to them. (~u~)

The song U is currently being used as the theme song for the JDrama Shitsuren Hoken, where Shirotan plays one of the lead roles named Kazuki Ayumu or Luke. This drama is currently airing, and I hope to find a subbed version to watch his acting prowess once more.

(>u<)b (>u<)b (>u<)b (>u<)b (>u<)b (>u<)b (>u<)b (>u<)b

Dry Cough

空咳。（からせき） Karaseki. trans. Dry Cough.

So for the past few days I've been plagued with a dry cough (not a sore throat as I originally thought). And last night I donned on my scarf and hat I got about two years ago and took some random pictures. It was funny how when I showed them to my girlfriend (two slightly different pictures) she pointed out how I looked like Hamao Kyousuke and Matsushita Yuya (left and right respectively). I dunno why but hehehe. v(^-^)v

And finally, greetings to Tenimyu Seigaku 2nd Cast's Tezuka Kunimitsu, Shirota Yuu on his birthday today!!! :*:・(￣∀￣)・:*:

Dream Live 7th

ドリームライブ　７ｔｈ。（どりむらいぶ７ｔｈ）Dorimu Raibu 7th. trans. Dream Live 7th.

FINALLY I HAVE A COPY OF MY OWN TO FANGIRL OVER!!!!

It took about 5 days or so to acquire but I'm really happy that I can finally watch this highly anticipated musical directed by Ueshima Yukio. I may not have been a fan from the very beginning back in 2003, but I quickly became one back in 2008 and brought myself up to speed with everything up until this epic concert.

The songs performed during the DL were stellar, and even though Ryuuki had a cold he still kicked ass! I really came to love most if not all the songs during the span of 7 years Tenimyu had been under Ueshima's care. It's hard to say you hate a song because in the long run it just sticks to your head quite randomly after hearing it enough times. A case in point would be songs like 'Kagayake, Motto', 'The Top', 'Shinogi wo Kezuru Monotachi yo', 'Koitsu wo Taoshitai', 'Closed Eye', 'Do Your Best' and well, EVERYTHING in the repertoire. xDD

And I must say, seeing Shoudai Seigaku Cast aka First Cast was just so awesome. Coming back to the stage, especially in the condition Yanagi was in was quite telling of how tight-knit these guys are. Sadly Abe couldn't make it but oh well. I'm even inclined to admit that they got better in their singing!!! 8DDDD That's always a welcome remark.

Let's not forget the special guest(s) for Senshuuraku in Yokohama! SHIROTA YUU!! It was awesome that he got to redeem himself by singing a beautiful acapella version of 'Yume wo Tsunage' that he bawled on back in Dream Live 3rd. Awww happiness. And of course there was our ever-favorite mangaka Konomi Takeshi who graced us with his presence and gave flowers to Ueshima-sensei as congratulations for everything. That was a nice moment for them. 8D

So all in all, DL7 really was a great experience. I'm hoping to see more of them in the future.

Rookies Sotsugyou #2

ルーキーズ　卒業＃２。（るきずそつぎょう＃２）Rukizu Sotsugyou #2. trans. Rookies Graduation #2.

I have returned with a tabulation of the graduation 'speeches' of the members they dedicated to Kawatou on the baseball field. From Skewed Subs. ^__^ I got teary-eyed with each speech the first time I watched it, including some of Shinjou's epic lines.

Shirota Yuu = EPICSAUCE.

"You're not the only one hurting! We're all hurting. That's also... our Nikogaku's injury... Don't worry. You ain't gonna be left behind. Let's all go... to Koushien." (Shinjou talking about Wakana's dislocated finger)

"I'll hit it with this..." (after promptly tossing away his bat and grabbing Wakana's for his turn at bat)

The Speeches:

"The time when we were running with everything we've got towards Koushien was really the best. But then, as I thought, the best times... were the two years you swiftly ran with us. Thank you for everything!" (Center Outfield, Sekikawa Shuuta)

"So far, you are the first teacher I've ever liked. I like you a lot! Thank you for everything!" (Right Outfield, Okada Yuuya)

"A life's worth... I got a life's worth of memories to be proud of! Sensei... For these two years... Thank you for everything!" (Left Outfield, Imaoka Shinobu)

"Someday, when I find a new dream, once I achieve it, you'll be the first one to know, nya~ Thank you for everything!" (First Base, Yufune Tetsuo)

"I feel fucking relieved I won't be seeing your damn face starting tomorrow... or so I thought...but... You are the best! For teaching me things other than fighting, and teaching me things more fun than that. Thank you for everything!" (Shortstop, Hiyama Kiyooki)

"Hey rookie! Someone who's a passionate nut like you, and believing in people that easily. Crushed with all your might.... and in the end be hurt... But, well... I cannot hate that kind of man. That time... when you made me run around the grounds once again, Thank you for everything!" (Catcher, Wakana Tomochika)

"I will never forget the palm. I will definitely never forget you. I... I want to be someone like you. Sensei! For believing in us 'til the very end... Thank you for everything!" (Third Base, Shinjou Kei)

"Kawatou! I'm glad you met a genius like me who'll change the world. But... I also... for meeting you... I too... I too... I too! Well... Thank you for everything!" (Pinch-hitter, Hiratsuka Taira)

"You taught me... that there is nothing wasted in great efforts. You taught me to have a spirit that never gives up. You taught me how to cherish a dream. I'm really grateful to you. Thank you for everything!" (Pitcher, Aniya Keiichi)

"Just like you said, we were able to graduate with a smile! I'm glad I had confidence in your words! Sensei. For giving us faith, for giving us courage, I deeply thank you for everything!" (Captain, Mikoshiba Tooru)

Tenimyu, Futatabi

ミュジカル「テニスの王子様」、再び。（みゅじかる「てにすのおうじさま」、ふたたぶ）Myujikaru [Tenisu no Oujisama], Futatabi. trans. Musical The Prince of Tennis, Again.

So I return with another post about TeniMyu, the one thing that make perhaps the biggest impact on my life. Why the sudden entry, you ask? That will easily be answered by the fact that the run of this musical that started back in 2003 has finally come to end last Sunday with the Senshuuraku show of Dream Live 7th.

I guess this entry would be meant for my own personal thoughts as a fan. So here goes everything.

So as I may have mentioned in one of my previous Tenimyu-related posts, I only started becoming a rabid fan of this some two years ago. This in effect started a chain reaction that opened my world to not only this musical, but to the anime and the manga counterparts, as well as other projects the actors involved in this have. TeniMyu was literally what started everything. And I'm humbly grateful to have been exposed to this masterpiece.

I realized that in the span of those seven long years of TeniMyu's run, it brought so many people together, and some others probably closer than intended (can't blame me for fantasizing some nice TakiKime or ShiroAi or WaFuru here and there xP). You never really know. But this is one thing I do know; I've said it already before but it can't hurt to repeat it: It starts and ends with TeniMyu. I'm confident that even if things have officially ended it's not really over.

The memories will remain.... The unforgettable effort spent on perfecting a dance routine or sing a note on key for the actors, and even the opportunity of having met each other is a prized treasure for them, I'm sure. ^____^ Without them, TeniMyu wouldn't be held in much esteem, nor would be as epic as it has become.

すべてのキャストメンバーの、本当にありがとうございました！

(Translation: All of the cast members, I deeply thank you for everything!)

I salute Ueshima-sensei and his shining brilliance with this musical the past seven years. As TeniMyu's 'father', Ueshima-sensei guided this musical to become as successful as it is and will always be; engraving it deeply into the hearts and minds of not only the cast and crew involved in it, but the fans who support them as well. Myself included.

上島ーせんせい、本当にありがとうございました！！

(Translation: Ueshima-sensei, I deeply thank you for everything!!)

Without all of you, I definitely wouldn't be half the person I could be today.

Thank you for all the laughs, the cries and the life lessons.

Thank you for the bonds.

Thank you for making me believe in hitsuzen.

Thank you for the memories until now.

だから、ありがとう。すべてしてください。

(Translation: So, thank you. For everything.)

Rookies Sotsugyou

ルーキーズ　卒業。（るきずそつぎょう）Rukizu Sotsugyou. trans. Rookies Graduation.

So earlier this morning I finally finished watching this J-drama-turned-movie finale of Rookies entitled the title of the blog. Basic synopsis include the regulars of the Futakotamagawa Baseball team enter into their third and final year of high school, with one last chance to achieve their dream of reaching Koshien (National High School Baseball tournament), guided by their teacher Kawato Koichi.

With all the cussing and stuff this series has given us, there's an equal taste of lessons to be learned and dreams to admire. It really makes you feel part of the team's struggle to achieve their dream.

'Flutter towards your dreams! Glitter into tomorrow! Aim for Koshien! by Kawato Koichi'

That is what Kawato repeats to the team, and becomes their drive to win their matches. All the raw emotion is definitely felt as I watched this 2-hour long finale to the awesome rendition of the manga that I was never able to finish because I couldn't find all of the chapters.

Along with Kawato and the team: Mikoshiba, Aniya, Shinjou, Wakana, Hiyama, Sekikawa, Yufune, Okada, Imaoka and Hiratsuka, I enjoyed accompanying them running after their dreams. It's inspired me to never give up until the very end and believe in myself with every fiber of my being.

I started watching this because my favorite Shirota Yuu was in it. And as I watched this, I realized just how epically awesome it was that he got the best scenes and delivered the best lines in the film in my opinion when things were getting tough for them in the final match.

What got me though were the graduation speeches of the graduating students that they delivered one by one to Kawato on the baseball field. Knowing a little Rookies background having read some of the manga and followed the drama from start to end, I can definitely and truly understand the meaning and sincerity behind those words, and tears started flowing from my eyes with each speech leading up to Mikoshiba's.

I'm all too late in watching this, I know. A year late, even. But having finally watched this, I can close the book on this part of my Jdrama fanaticisms and continue with my head held high. This series will always inspire me! And I'm so glad I watched it from start to end!

To the directors, producers, cast and crew of the drama and film Rookies and Rookies Graduation, and the creators of the manga......

本当にありがとうございます！！！

(Translation: I deeply thank you for everything!!!)

^____________________^b

Kangae wo Haikai

考えを俳諧。（かんがえをはいかい）Kangae wo Haikai. trans. Wandering Thoughts.

For the lack of anything else to do (and procrastinating while doing so), I decided to type a random entry today about my little inquiries concerning the group of people I've been a fan of for almost two years: the group that is TeniMyu. With the 21 musicals they's done so far (not counting Dream Live 7th that just finished its first run in Kobe), it's a wonder how close all those actors get in the time they spend with one another.

I was talking with Toru yesterday and he says he's quite a big fan of the franchise and was lucky enough to have watched a few musicals when they came out; particularly when Seigaku 4th cast took the stage (that's from Progressive Match Higa - Dream Live 6th).

He and I were talking about this little collage I made of TeniMyu that Yukio asked me to do for him composed of different pictures of the actors. Doing that little project helped me realize one thing: IT STARTS AND ENDS WITH TENIMYU. I've noticed in the line of musicals, dramas and what-have-you that goes on in the entertainment buzz of Japan, it all leads back to this musical where a grand cast of about 133 people (I counted xD) have starred in.

Putting into consideration the other projects these actors engage in before or after their time as part of the TeniMyu cast, it wouldn't be a surprise if they become the center of interconnections in the J-drama world. Each individual actor pulls in others not part of the TeniMyu franchise, and in contrast end up expanding their connections in the long run. A nice system, I'd imagine. ^___^b

Here are a few examples:

Shirota Yuu (but of course he gets first dibs!), 2nd cast Tezuka Kunimitsu, starred in quite a number of J-dramas and still continues to do so even today! Some of the dramas to mention would be: Team Batista no Eiko, the Koshonin franchise (series and movie), Rookies (and its movie Rookies: Sotsugyou) and Samurai High School (aka Samurai Seventeen).

Aiba Hiroki, 2nd, 3rd and for a short time 5th cast Fuji Syuusuke, has a few of his own movies and series to brag about: Sukitomo, Tadashii Ouji no Tsukurikata and as Ikenami Ryuunosuke in the popular sentai series Samurai Sentai Shinkenger.

Watanabe Daisuke, 4th cast Tezuka Kunimitsu, is best known outside the TeniMyu universe to replace Kato Keisuke as Saki Giichi in the Takumi-kun Series movies 2 and 3. He stars opposite Hamao Kyousuke, 4th cast Kikumaru Eiji, who plays Hayama Takumi, as well as Agri in the newest sentai series Tensou Sentai Goseiger.

Furukawa Yuuta, 4th cast Fuji Syuusuke, starred in Fuuma no Kojirou and its musical counterpart, and will become a Kamen Rider in an upcoming Kamen Rider Trilogy movie.

Sakamoto Shougo, 4th cast Echizen Ryouma, won the role of Ciel Phantomhive in the first Kuroshitsuji musical, starring alongside Aoyagi Ruito, Original Hyoutei Cast's Mukahi Gakuto and Uehara Takuya, Shitenhouji A Cast's Oshitari Kenya.

Saito Takumi, Original Hyoutei Cast's Oshitari Yuushi, is most famous for his sash of yaoi movies, co-starring with Aiba Hiroki in Sukitomo, with Kotani Yoshikazu, 2nd cast Kawamura Takashi, in Boys Love.

It's sometimes interesting as well that there are some J-dramas or J-movies where the main cast is composed entirely of TeniMyu actors!!

Here's a few I know:

Tokyo Ghost Trip

Yagami Ren (Original Rikkai Cast's Yukimura Seiichi), JURI (Yamabuki's Original Akutsu Jin), Takiguchi Yukihiro (3rd Cast's Oishi Shuuichiro), Kiriyama Renn (Original Rikkai Cast's Marui Bunta) and Baba Ryouma (5th Cast's Tezuka Kunimitsu), plus Shindou Gaku (Rokkaku's Kurobane Harukaze)

Takumi-Kun III: Bibou no Detail

Watanabe Daisuke, Hamao Kyousuke, Takiguchi Yukihiro, Baba Ryouma, Acaba Mio (Rikkai 2 Cast's Marui Bunta), Saito Yasuka (Higa Cast's Hirokoba Rin) and Bishin Kawasumi (Shitenhouji B Cast's Zaizen Hikaru)

Cafe Daikanyama

Aiba Hiroki, Baba Toru (Original Rikkai Cast's Yagyuu Hiroshi), Kiriyama Renn and Ookawa Genki (Original Rikkai Cast's Kirihara Akaya)

Life must be a hoot for them. xD

Samurai High School

One reason or another, I had a feeling that this j-drama series would leave me with a good feeling of taking the time to watch it. Samurai High School, comprised of 9 episodes follows the story of one Mochizuki Kotaro (played by Haruma Miura), who is possessed by his great-great-great-great grandfather with the same name, a general from the Sengoku period some 400 years ago who died at battle.

By virtue, Mochizuki is a senior high school student on the verge of graduating and preparing for entrance exams into university, who gave no effort into studying and joked around very often. When he came to be possessed by the samurai after his visit to an old historical library, he gains a friend in the form of Nakamura Tsuyoshi (played by Shirota Yuu) after saving him from shoplifting threatened by some group of girls from their school.

After just watching the final episode, you learn to realize just how defining the plot is. It seems you learn a lot from a samurai possessing you. Hahaha. I think what I learned can be best summarized by what Kotaro said to his classmates and teachers in the final episode:

"I... made a friend. He is conceited, stubborn, and to make matters worse, he died at age 17. But he told me... "Although you are alive, you are not living!" This made me furious! But truthfully... I realized something. Because until I met him... I had always buried my true feelings by joking around. I... I had completely given up on myself. Now... inside of me, there are so many things that I've learned from him.

As long as one doesn't fight, one cannot win.

One cannot give up until the end.

One should admit one's mistakes... if... one believes there was one.

It's wrong to blame others for your own failures.

Do everything you can to live fully since you're on this earth anyway.

That is why... I will fight. Please let me fight!"

Admirable, wouldn't you agree? ^________________^b

I brand this J-drama series a MUST WATCH!!!!!!

Kiseki (Miracle)

After the longest time, I come back to my blog bearing lyrics to one of my favorite Japanese songs. I first encountered it while watching the J-Drama version of the manga Rookies. The reason why I watched this faithfully was primarily because of Shirota Yuu playing the role of one of the lead characters, Shinjo Kei. ^__________________^v

The song 'Kiseki' was sung by GReeeeN, and besides the awesome melody, the lyrics are one that speaks volumes. Enjoy!! Romaji and English translation below.

Ashita kyou yori mo suki ni nareru
Afureru omoi ga tomoranai
Ima mo konna ni suki de iro no ni
Kotoba ni dekinai
I’ll love you more tomorrow than today
These overflowing emotions won’t stop
Right now I love you so much
I can’t even put it into words

Kimi no kureta hibi ga tsumikasanari
Sugisatta hibi futari aruita kiseki
Bokura no deai ga moshi guuzen naraba
Unmei naraba kimi ni meguriaeta
The days you’ve given me accumulate
The days that have passed, the paths we walked together
Whether our meeting was coincidence
Or fate, just the fact that we met

Sore tte kiseki
Is a miracle

Futari yurisotte aruite
Towa no ai wo katachi ni shite
Itsu mademo kimi no yoko de waratte itakute
Arigatuo ya aa aishiteru ja mada
We walk close together
Making our eternal love tangible
I want to always be smiling by your side
“Thank you” and, ah, “I love you”
Just aren’t enough

Tarinai kedo semete iwasete
Shiawase desu to
Just at least let me say
I’m happy

Itsumo kimi no migi no tenohirai wo
Tada boku no hidari no tenohira ga
Sotto tsutsundeku sore dake de
Tada ai wo kanjite ita
Just having your right hand
Wrapped up
In my left hand
Made me feel your love

Hibi no naka de chiisana shiawase
Mitsuke kasane yukkuri aruita kiseki
Bokura no deai wo ookina sekai de
Chiisana dekigoto meguriaeta
We found the little happinesses in each day
In the slow path we walked
Our meeting is just one small thing
In a big world, but just the fact that we met

Sore tte kiseki
Is a miracle

Umaku ikanai hi datte
Futari de ireba hare datte
Tsuyogari ya sabishisa wo wasurerareru kara
Boku wa kimi de rara boku de ireru kara
Even on days when nothing goes well
Just being together cheers me up
And I can forget the bravado and loneliness
When I’m with you, lala, I can be myself

Dakara itsumo soba ni ite yo
Itoshii kimi e
Just stay with me forever
My beloved

Futari fuzake atta kaerimichi
Sore mo taisetsu na bokura no hi
Omoi yo todoke to tsutaeta toki ni
Hajimete miseta hyoujou no kimi
When we fooled around on the way home
That was one of our precious days, too
And when I finally got up the courage to tell you how I felt
The expression on your face was one I’d never seen before


Sukoshi no ma ga aite kimi ga unazuite
Bokuna no kokoro mitasareteku ai de
Bokura mada tabi no tochuu de
Mata kore kara saki mo nanjuunen
There was a pause, and then you nodded
Our hearts are filled with love
We’re still on our journey
Towards the future that will hopefully continue

Tsuzuite ikeru you na mirai e
Tatoeba hora ashita wo miushinaisou ni
Bokura natta toshitemo
For dozens of years
Even if we lose sight
Of tomorrow

Futari yorisotte aruite
Towa no ai wo katachi ni shite
Itsu mademo kimi no yoko de waratte itakute
Arigatou ya aa ai shiteru ja mada
We walk close together
Making our eternal love tangible
I want to always be smiling by your side
“Thank you” and, ah, “I love you”

Tarinai kedo semete iwasete
Shiawase desu to
Just aren’t enough, just at least let me say
I’m happy

Umaku ikanai hi datte
Futari de ireba hare datte
Yorokobi ya kanashimi mo subete wakeaeru
Kima ga eru kara ikite ikeru kara
Even on days when nothing goes well
Just being together cheers me up
And I can forget the bravado and loneliness
When I’m with you, lala, I can be myself

Dakara itsumo soba ni ite yo
Itoshii kimi e
Just stay with me forever
My beloved

Saigou no ichibyou made
Until the last second

Ashita kyou yori egao ni nareru
Kimi ga iru dake de sou omoeru kara
Nanjuunen nanbyakunen nansennen
Toki wo keoyou
I’ll be smiling more tomorrow than today
Just being with you makes me feel that way
Ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years
Let’s spend the time together

Kimi wo ai shiteru
I love you

Shirota Yuu on Tenchijin

Shirota Yuu as Sanada Yukimura in Tenchijin

Tenchijin is one of those feudal era Japan j-dramas. As soon as I found out that Shirota was going to be in it, I sought out to skim through the episodes for him, but I kind of stopped at episode 16, complaining how long it took before he actually made an appearance.

It wasn't long before I caught wind of Shirota's character's appearance in episode 22 of the series, so I got myself a copy and say him in all his glory. His character is so bad-ass for most of that episode. He's awesome with his spear sword (or whatever you call it) too! 8D

I took that screenshot of him, by the way. ^__^;;

TeniMyu Post #1: Tezuka & Fuji

This will be the first of a few posts, the succeeding ones dependent on how I can quickly assess the rest of the cast members. So please bear with me for the time being.

------

So now that I think about it, I think it's time I sat down and gave my own take on how I appreciate the TeniMyu series. ^_^ So here goes~

To start, I applaud Ueshima Yukio-sensei's awesome work time and again with the past 18 musicals I've thoroughly watched and followed (at this certain point), and I owe him and the entire cast a lot for bringing this awesome anime to the musical stage. It really deserves all the praise, after all. ^_^

I'm sure that for every TeniMyu fan out there, they secretly have their own favorites (whether it be a sole actor, or a cast altogether). So I shall focus on the changing Seigaku cast, and give my take on my favorite/s among them. Sad to say, but I will not be commenting on the 5th cast members (though I shall mention them anyway) for the simple reason that I have yet to seen them on stage enough to share any insight on their performance.

EDIT: Good news. After watching three musicals with the 5th cast, I'm here to provide my insights on them now~ Weee.

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TEZUKA KUNIMITSU

1st CastA: Takigawa Eiji

1st CastB: Ohkuchi Kengo

2nd Cast: Shirota Yuu

3rd Cast: Minami Keisuke

4th Cast: Watanabe Daisuke

5th Cast: Baba Ryouma

~~Personally, each Tezuka actor I've seen so far brings their own take on the stoic captain. ~

1Ca- Takigawa: I will admit that Tezuka was my favorite character in the series, so I had high expectations for whoever would be portraying the role in the musical. I first saw Takigawa in the first cast's performance of Dream Live 1st. And I will tell you that I simply fell in love. I had this deep sense of respect for Takigawa that he could pull off the role so well, regardless of the flaws he had when it came to singing (I will applaud his singing regardless! *pumps fist in the air*). I'm glad that he was cast into that role instead of Inui (who he originally auditioned for).

1Cb-Ohkuchi: His brief appearance in More Than Limit St. Rudolph Gakuen was enough for me to respect him simply as an actor. While I may never accept him as a 'Tezuka' per say, the only reason he earned my respect was when he sang the song 'Dream Maker' with Kimeru. Their blending was quite good, and I give him credit for achieving that much.

2C-Shirotan: I will admit that the moment I had seen Shirota Yuu take on Tezuka's role, I was simply blown away. I had watched the Live Action of Prince of Tennis movie long before I discovered the musicals, so when I did start watching the musicals faithfully, I seriously had to pause and shift from the musical to the movie to realize that the 2nd cast (save for Echizen's role) reprised their roles for the movie. Of course, the whole idea got me excited, since I got attracted to Shirota's portrayal. But the added factor that won my heart was his voice. *squeals in excited fangirl-mode* It was after I watched him take on this role did I start hunting down his other works (SeraMyu, Koshonin, Rookies, Heat Island, Team Batista no Eiko, etc.).

3C-Minami: About the time I was watching Advancement Match Rokkaku feat. Hyoutei (debut of the 3rd cast), I was a bit skeptical with Minami taking on the role. Perhaps I was too caught up in my wild fantasies of Takigawa and Shirota to accept anybody else to get the role. But Minami proved me wrong at some point when I was listening repeatedly to songs off TeniMyu. It had taken a while, but his voice (and his look) was enough for me to accept him in the long run. ^_^ Actually, it's funny how he resembles Tezuka when he was in 1st year. Haha. Yeah.

4C-Daisuke: This man taking on the role of Tezuka took me by surprise. When I first saw him in a clip of Dream Live 5th (singing Yomigaerishi Mono), my initial reaction was: "WHY IS TEZUKA FLYING AND WAVING?!?!?! D<" But sitting down and watching through Progressive Match Higa feat. Rikkai and Dream Live 5th in full gave me another impression on him: "OMG he looks EXACTLY like him!" When all those impressions of him died down, I took a while to contemplate how I was going to take this new Tezuka actor. Coming into Imperial Presence Hyoutei feat. Higa, Daisuke gave me a reason to forget about his flying act in DL5 and appreciate his 'Jimonjitou' solo, which I did thoroughly. Another Tezuka actor has shown his worth to take on the role just by singing an awesome song. ^_^

5C-Ryouma: To be honest, I think Baba Ryouma is the first one I know among the others who needed a wig to look the part. ^___^;; Ah, backstage footage. *snicker snicker* But anyway, when I got myself a copy of Imperial Presence Hyoutei feat. Higa (5B), I pretty much had high expectations from both the 5th cast members and Hyoutei B cast since my only basis of comparison would usually be the singing voice. I'll be honest to say that at some points I even begin to wonder how or why Ryouma got the part. ^_^;; But hey, I must say he improved with each musical. I had this slight tendency to compare him with Daisuke during the 'Jimonjitou' solo from the same musical, but then I realized that despite that, Ryouma just wants to create his own kind of Tezuka Kunimitsu that you should learn to appreciate. I'm looking forward to this guy's performance during the Rikkai musicals to come.

FUJI SYUUSUKE

1st Cast: Kimeru

2nd-3rd Cast: Aiba Hiroki

4th Cast: Furukawa Yuuta

5th Cast: Hashimoto Taito

1C-Kimeru: A J-Pop singer who's contributed so much to TeniPuri already now takes on the role of Fuji Syusuke. Height aside, Kimeru makes up for that with his impeccable singing. Kimeru truly captures the nature of Fuji on stage, which makes him perfect for the role. The admirable thing about Kimeru is that he listed himself as an understudy to Echizen's role, which he did for Remarkable 1st Match Fudomine after Yanagi's accident before returning to his role as Fuji when Endo was casted. Whether he played Echizen or Fuji, there is only one thing you have to consider: HE BELTED IT OUT!

2-3C-Aibacchi: The longest running actor to have taken the role. Aibacchi makes an appearance with the 5th cast in Imperial Presence Hyoutei feat. Higa before Taito finally took over the role. Aibacchi should be given credit for the way he's so flexible, and I think we have to thank his background as a street dancer (along with TAKUYA aka Jirou) for that. His singing isn't all that bad either! Having worked with 3 different casts over the course of his involvement with TeniMyu, it tells you that Aibacchi truly loves the whole production to offer his services.

4C-Furukawa: Another height issue to take into consideration (he's the TALLEST among the 4th cast!), Furukawa didn't sit too well with me the first time I saw him in Progressive Match Higa feat. Rikkai. Basically I left my judgement at that. But that quickly subsided when he sang 'Tennis to wa' with Ogasawara (4th Cast Kawamura for two musicals). His performance of 'Heavy Rain' during Imperial Presence Hyoutei feat. Higa completely turned it around for me. Furukawa continued to amaze with his wonderful take of the song 'Boku wa Kawaru' from Treasure Match Shitenhouji feat. Hyoutei. Fuji APPROVED!

5C-Taito: By far the youngest Fuji actor in all of Tenimyu history. The first time I really got to see him in action was during Treasure Match Shitenhouji feat. Hyoutei since Aiba had reprised his role in the previous musical. You've got to give the kid credit, though. After all, in that particular musical, Fuji had a major role, especially with the epic match between Fuji and Shiraishi. I would have to comment though that unlike the other Fuji actors before him ,Taito's still moving a little robotic at some points (referring to 'Boku wa Kawaru). Whether it was from anxiety or otherwise, I guess Taito really just needs time to adjust and evolve as an actor. He'd do quite well, I'm sure, so I really look forward to the Rikkai musicals to see how he improves.

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This will be it for the time being. My next post will focus on the Echizen and Momoshiro actors, so stay tuned for that!

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