Monthly Archives: July 2006

July 31, 2006

Until Otakon, Together as God Blessed…

By omo

That'll be me in 4 days

This dude strums it out on a guitar and translated the same song, maybe even on a lonely rail. You can now do the same as he does, if you can sing and play at the same time:

F G Em Am
F G Am7sus Am7

Am G
I’m running blind; I know my heart won’t take anymore
F Dm G C Csus C
Hard to forgive, I couldn’t help but fall again
Am G
You’ve shut me out, unreachable and now you’re alone
F Dm G C Esus E#7
You take it all, and you won’t let me share your pain

Am Em
I’ll turn back; and even though I know that it’s over
F Dm Esus E
Will I really leave, do you really want me on that lonely rail

I’ll follow
F
Deep into the evening
G
Even though you’ll leave me
Em Am F
Through the cold I’ll push the hours away until I find you
Dm Em Am7sus A7
Don’t look back; I’ll wait for that day

You’re shining
F
Guiding me forever
G
Past my indiscretion
Em Am Dm
We’re far apart but you’ll lead me back again and my ways
Em F G
Will someday cross with yours again
Asus A
Together as God blessed

F G Em Am
F G Am7sus Am7

Am G
Passionate thoughts, they fall into your crystalline gaze
F Dm G C Csus C
Melting away into our harsh reality
Am G
No reason why, but I still try to find you again
F Dm G C Esus E7
You’re rushing down; I’m swept away by loving you

Am Em
Even so, I believe I’ll capture this moment
F Dm Esus E
Beauty fades away; but I’m always aching for your lonely heart

I’m ready
F
Face to face I’ll tell you
G
No more time for lying
Em Am F
We can’t spare a moment to look; Our love couldn’t survive there
Dm Em Am7sus A7
No reaching back for all our regrets

I’m stronger
F
Always moving forward
G
Destiny is changing
Em Am Dm
I want to know what the morning brings because it’s my wish
Em F G
Completing every plan we shared
Asus A
Together as God knows

Am
I know that we exist
Em G F
Everyone may disappear into a dream,
G Em Am Am7
And yet your vision still remains

Am
I tried to chase the past
Em Em7 F G
I outline all our hopes before they fade away
E7sus E7
But I just trace the scars

I’ll answer,
F#m
I’ll follow
G
Deep into the evening
A
Even though you’ll leave me
F#m Bm G
Through the cold I’ll push the hours away until I find you
Em F#m F#sus F#
Don’t look back; I’ll wait for that day

You’re shining
G
Guiding me forever
A
Past my indiscretion
F#m Bm Em
We’re far apart but you’ll lead me back again and my ways
F#m G A
Will someday cross with yours again
Bsus B
Together as God blessed

Well, he did do a good job, I’d say.

That said I will probably blog once more, working on something long(er) right now and hopefully I’ll get it out of the way before I leave for Baltimore. Lots of loose ends to take care of until then.

Leave a comment | posted in English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture, Seiyuu, Idol, Pop, Suzumiya Haruhi no Uuutsu

July 30, 2006

Songs from Earthsea

By omo

I have a friend who is a huge Joe Hisaishi fan. Huge. We still make fun of him when he chickened out at going to Japan this summer, for Hisaishi’s mini tour thing. Well, we can’t blame him too much; flying to Japan just for a show is a tad extreme, but I think he’s due a trip. This is his copy that I’m enjoying, which is odd because it isn’t Joe Hisaishi.

At any rate, Gedo Senki Kashu (Tales from Earthsea Poetry Book) is actually a vocal album featuring some songs from the Studio Ghibli film, with no involvement from Joe Hisaishi at all, AFAIK. What it is, is the first album by a new vocalist Aoi Teshima. Doubly so interesting is that she plays a character in the movie, too.

But what makes this blog entry happen at all in the first place is how it reminds me of two neat things: KOKIA’s early works, and Akino Arai. The vocal style is rough but soothing, with a stripped and sad-folksy speed to its simpleness. It’s the sort of music that may go with an imaginary dream accompanying a funeral progression at the beginning of a film, or something to that nature.

It’s not all sad, but it is all slow, that said. The CD goes through a variety of moods, but it’s like watching Kino’s Journey; if you “get” one episode, you get them all. And in a way this CD is a journey much like that, too. Our lead protagonist here is a soulful vocal that marches unendingly from one classical arrangement to another, sometimes alone, sometimes with a small troupe. The voice itself is not a bishoujo, either, to stretch the analogy. It would look like someone I’d like to see.

Leave a comment | posted in Gedo Senki, Modern Visual Culture, Seiyuu, Idol, Pop

July 29, 2006

HDTV: High-Deshou Television

By omo

I’m sure all the people who care already knows, but just in case DJ Bouche has a really nice selection of remixes and midi related to Suzumiya Haruhi no Uutsu. Download and all that. And it is good–the tech spins the familiar hits under a new light.

Momotato should take note how it doesn't take up the whole screen.

Just like having those 720p encoded raws for the show, on a Sony KDS-60A2000, can spin up a new flavor for an old anime. I guess this blog entry could also serve as a mini-review if you’re looking to buy a nice microdisplay. It really looks nice.

Nice might even be an awfully inadequate understatement. I’m not entirely sure if the High-Definition broadcast of Suzumiya Haruhi was in 1080i or not, but that must have been jaw-dropping if you were watching it on a nice HD display. Hare Hare Yukai on this set was like that for me, even if people complain how the VGA port only allows 768 vertical resolution max, giving me a nice, but “not as big as it could be” replay. I still dropped jaws.

The picture up there is from my phone, and it doesn’t do anything justice, let alone a HD display in a relatively dark room, so never let the picture influence you in terms of what I am saying (always, in fact). Considering that I have already watched the first episode (well, episode 2) 5 times before today, going through it twice more on this set still leaves me hungry for the rest. I suppose that shows how much I enjoy this episode, but I’d like to think it’s because you really enjoy it differently watching it on a big TV, Hi-Def, than watching it on your monitor (well, also Hi-Def I suppose).

And … yeah. Why am I talking about it when I still have 13 episodes left to go? I could be watching it right now! Chronology for a second rewatch is what the Kyoani doctors have called for, so be it.

[And oh, if you are actually curious, these are not resized; but they come from my dinky camera anyways. And also they will probably be around only for a short while.]

10 comments | posted in Modern Visual Culture, Popular Culture, Seiyuu, Idol, Pop, Suzumiya Haruhi no Uuutsu

July 27, 2006

Wanted: Con-Going Bloggers

By omo

Modus Operandi of Takamachi Nanoha

I just went through quickly Otakon’s list of panels, and AX2006‘s list of panels. It’s an impulsive thing, but it just struck me as odd–

Where are the bloggers?

I vaguely recall last there there was a blogging panel at Otakon, correct? There is a webcast/podcast panel this year at Otakon, and I didn’t catch anything even remotely like that on the AX list.

I fully realize such sort of thing could come from all kinds of reason, many of them irrespective of anything substantive to the nature of anime blogsphere. For instance, I know Otakon at least have fairly lax standards with panel applications, and I think if you can get a crowd going you can be pretty motivated. However panel applications have a short window of opportunity, and it is actually hard to get a decent audience at a con with a lot of other worthwhile stuff to do. Perhaps more frequently a panel exist because a dedicated individual, who knows how the system works, was on the ball with the application and promotion in a small venue (like a mailing list, or on a website itself, or a forum), as a semi-official “gathering.” There is a general-public aspect to it, but it tends not to draw as many people. And certainly even if the interest is there, without that key, catalytic individual, it doesn’t happen.

The bothersome thing for me is that we have plenty of huge internet communities with big Otakon panels–4chan.org, for starters. Granted the average /b/-tard probably does not read anime blogs, most of the /a/-tards probably do. Maybe it’s time for an animenano or blogsuki panel? I know it has readers, and some go to cons. If not, why not?

Enough conspiracy theories for one day…

2 comments | posted in Blogging, Conventions and Concerts, English Language Modern Visual Fandom

July 27, 2006

Gonzo Is Snarky

By omo

That looks awfully familiar.

People knows about fansubs even in Japan. Industry people. I recall once such instance when the ROD TV core creative team was fielding questions @ Anime Central 2004. I believe was Hideyuki Kurata-san who asked the panel audience “how do you know about ROD the TV? It’s not in the US yet.” The answer was not awkard, and IIRC someone in the audience gave a very good, short, snappy summary of the nature of fansubbing. We all nodded to concede its impropriety yet its necessity, even our creators.

The reason I thought about that was watching Gonzo’s Welcome to the NHK, I realized the OP used 3D text that dropped shadows and ran on chroma key for overlaying and underlaying. In the scene where various women walked past the screen it was pretty obvious what was the trick–the uniform colored background probably made it easier. That was the key. “Why the uniform background? Was the text applied after animation”? And as a rule of thumb, it was–that’s how we can get “clean” OP and EDs. “Wow, that’s like something you can pull off in aegisub if you spend enough time doing it.” Click. Wasn’t this something we saw in Shinsen’s Speed Grapher subs? How they managed to string the song lyrics into the slideshow ED with a uniform background color?

Could the two be possibly related? They are both Gonzo shows… I mean, it is probably more likely that whoever was doing the credits just went to town and did a great job “adding” to the opening animation. More importantly it was probably coordinated, as the flat BG was kind of necessary for post-processing. Or it just could be someone trying to “fix up” a poor production? I don’t know.

Leave a comment | posted in English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture, NHK ni Yokoso