...the reverse side of beauty..//..Mantified

I'm writing this just after watching their press conference that was broadcast live on UStream TV. Luna Sea has announced that they will be going a world tour to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The main aims are to bring good music back on stage to thank their fans for their continuous support, in addition to reaching out to newer and younger generation fans.

The following are confirmed:

Germany (Bochum)
November 27, 2010

USA (Los Angeles)
December 4th, 2010

Hong Kong
December 11,2010

Taiwan (Taipei)
December 18 2010

Japan (Tokyo Dome)
December 23/24 2010

More dates and locations will be announced at a later time (when things are more organized). Ticket sales for the Hong Kong show will begin as from September 3.

There will be an official subtitled version of the press conference posted up later.

So...anybody wants to go to the HK show with me??

Okay, I've given in...I've actually bought Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty game...along with the Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction pack. I really haven't gamed in ages, and trawling through the fields of Act 1 and the jungles of Act 3 have really brought about a sense of nostalgia of why I loved gaming so much.

I really should think about getting back into Battle.net again. And play a corpse explosion necromancer while playing 13STAIRS[-1] in the background! Serious pwnage is needed for the Fetish kids...

I've finally got to "attend" Miyavi's lives! Well...not really, hahaha, but it is technically watching him live when he's streaming in real time.

So far, I've watched 6 lives...all of them were really awesome. Part of what I love is the interaction with the other fans on the chat channel. You could recognize some of them after a while too. And his lives tend to sound a lot better than the CD versions as well, I remember when one of his lives had a jazzy version of one of his classics. Of course, I always laugh whenever he sings What's My Name?, and I love some of the newer stuff too.

Guess I should pre-order that new album soon...

Seriously, when will these guys actually stop teasing us with different versions of this video?!

But anyhow, they have announced that they will be holding a press conference in Hong Kong, at 15:00 local time! WOW! And it will be broadcasted live on UStream! I'm really excited!

For your convenience, check some of the following time zones to see when you can watch the conference (may edit this at a later date).

Hong Kong 15:00
Japan 16:00
London 08:00
New York 03:00
Toronto 03:00
LA 00:00
France 09:00
Germany 09:00

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I laugh whenever I think about TMR's music video for Hot Limit. I'll get into that at a later entry, but first, a new single!

The single is very true to T.M.Revolution's style, though with less of the crazy costumes. It feels very retro, somehow... Maybe it's because he's keeping it more naturally cool?

I've finally got myself to sit down and watch the Cartoon KAT-TUN series! I've been meaning to watch them, but YouTube only has snippets of funny bits and all that randomness. I'm currently only up to episode 19 (out of 152 for all 3 seasons). Season 1 features 100Q, where guests fill up the questionnaire sheet of 100 questions prior to the show. Some of them were interesting, others were pretty boring (you would think so too if you have to endure watching one episode after another for 3 hours straight!)

Most of it features Taguchi getting his ass kicked (literally!) by Koki in the beginning, and I do love the Smiley Olympics, which is mainly made of Nakamaru's epic failure to smile. XD



And now that I've got my sound back (YIPEEEEE!!!), have to catch up on the other Japanese dramas. I've been aching to watch the Japanese version of Hana Kimi for ages. Nakatsu is hilariously funny when he's talking to himself. Oh! The music! The music that always get switched on when Nakatsu sees Ashiya! Ah...comic relief! Now, I should go and getmyself some Gokusen and Wallflower. Oh, how I <3 those streaming videos!

Ore wa homo ja naaaaaaaiiii!!!

After weeks of waiting, I finally got to listen to KAT-TUN's No More Pain album properly. Overall, it's a very pop fueled collection and definitely so compared to Queen of Pirates, which is still my overall favourite album. The good thing is that it didn't take me long to like the majority of the songs. I certainly had a hard time coming to accept Break the Records properly. Maybe it's because I had high expectations back then?

I also think it may have something to do with the solo pieces. Not that I don't like Tatsuya, but when he's always singing about flowers in every song, it gets old - particularly as every piece has always been some ballad. Rabbit or Wolf? surely came as a pleasant surprise. Given I've never been a fan of Taguchi's solos, Love Music really came across as a brilliant change. It's easy to listen to, and it doesn't feature that weird crudeness (sorry guys!). What an improvement!

A joy to listen to. Even though we won't be seeing Jin in KAT-TUN anymore.

I have been listening to my limited list of Nightmare songs on repeat the past week, which has been truly enjoyable for my want and desire to get to know them more. Ideally, I'd still like to add more songs to my inventory before starting to buy their releases. My amount of love comes first you know!

My favourite so far is the World. It's rock, wonderfully upbeat, not to mention extraordinary on its guitar solo. And, if it sounds familiar, it's one of the opening pieces for Death Note,which, I must say, is one of the most exciting thriller mystery series I've ever read for the manga...would definitely look into watching the anime for it too. The reason for adoring this single? It's the sort of auditory introduction for this sort of action-mystery fueled anime should be like: something with a moderately fast tempo, easy on the ears to listen to, and interesting arrangements. Nice! I love the original PV too, the use of tarot cards, candles and elegant candle stands, a cloaked being, Hitsugi blindfolded...it really all adds up to the atmosphere of not knowing what fate will do.

My favourite web-series The Guild is back with season 4 (which I didn't find out until last week or the week before...)!

Being the gamer geek I am, I watched the entire seasons 1 and 2 in one sitting (given episode is only around 5 minutes long). Love that Bollywood music video to promote the latest season!

Game On!

If you're a fan of the Fallout series (or just love a good RPG with the FPS feeling to a game), I'm certain you'll love the new Fallout that's set to be released this Fall...Fallout New Vegas

Oh boy! I'm totally excited for this new game! Using the same Bethesda game engine, Obsidian is making this one similar to the Fallout 3 game play, but with elements of things like reputation from Fallout 1/2 and a couple more old weaponry I haven't seen in ages in the new one.



I love the whole Las Vegas lush environment, which makes you think you're in some similar world like Sin City. *is hoping to see sex happening like in Fallout 2...not that you actually get to see anything, but at least with the possibilities...*

And companion commands got way easier to handle too! And with how agressive/passive you want your companions to be, you gain tighter control of how you want to battle the uglies, raiders and maybe a couple of deathclaws.

And there's a new trailer too! Check it out...



Can't wait to get back to the wasteland and hope for some ghoul pr0n...and guess I know what birthday/Christmas present to ask for this year!

Personally, I'm not a die hard BUCK-TICK fan (yet), but given there's so much hype going on over this legendary group...post worthy alarm bells!

It will be released on October 13. Razzle Dazzle is the name! CD Japan is already accepting pre-orders and, if you're into the technology, the limited edition comes in Blu-Spec format with a DVD included! How appropriate for a super group to celebrate its 18th album on their 25th anniversary! XD

Tokyo Hive also has a few more minor details about its track listing.

And! And, in closer to the present excitement, don't forget that their new single Kuchizuke will be out on September 1! And in 3 versions too! So...is anybody buying?

Just to give you some flavour of who BUCK-TICK is (as well as a snippet of what their latest single will be like), Sony Music Japan has provided a teaser for us. ^^

Methinks it'll be an interesting piece, but we'll wait until the actual release before the commentaries start flowing.

My favourite song is Zangai [残骸]. A totally seksi song and complementary video! XD Seriously, if all men could look this good as they age, the world would be filled with happy women.



Right, time to leave the flat...must try and stay awake after a night of no sleep. D:

As if there isn't already enough hype with the GazettE doing their finale on Boxing Day, there's a bus tour for fans going to Tokyo Dome for the show too! More details about it can be found on the musicJAPAN+ site.

Wow, if I wasn't actually going to the live with a couple of American guys, I'd probably have thought of maybe participating in the bus tour. Then again...it's already kind of crazy enough to drag some dudes around to watch other men. LOL.

Then again, I think the GazettE has already eaten a lot of money from me, and will do so again when I buy some fan merchandise on the day itself. We'll see what happens when I actually land myself some tickets!

CD Japan's now accepting pre-orders for the GazettE's single RED. The CD information's also available!

RED [Auditory Impression], Regular Edition
Red
VERMIN
AN UNBEARABLE FACT

RED [Optical Impression], Limited Edition w/DVD
Red
VERMIN

So...what will it be? A ballad...? A head bang piece...? I'm still hankering for another rock ballad as a single just because Distress and Coma is so beautifully done (and is still my favourite song). They sure know how to compose ballads that let you immerse into the moment.

Okay, major Miyavi update is in order...his new single Torture will be out on September 15 - his first single release in 3 years! If you buy the limited edition, there will be an extra CD containing some selections of audio recording from some of his lives in Tokyo, LA and NY, as well as a tattoo sticker. Limited Edition anybody?

He'll also be releasing a new album on October 13 called What is my name? (LOL, typical of him to name something like that XD), his first one in 2 years (and a first after his graduation from PSC too instead of simply a compilation).

Definitely something for your wallet to look forward to! Hahaha.

And, he's got a special surprise for us unlucky people who haven't had the chance to watch him live on his tour. We'll have 12 chances (yes, 12! You heard me right!) to see him live in action online as he continues his tour in Tokyo!

How awesome is that?!

Yup, he'll be Screaming out in Tokyo at the following times on UStream:

08/01/10 HARAJYUKU ASTRO HALL
08/05/10 SHIMOKITAZAWA SHELTER
08/13/10 SHIBUYA Lush
08/14/10 SHINJYUKU LOFT
08/16/10 SHIBUYA O-nest
08/17/10 SHIMOKITAZAWA BASEMENT BAR
08/18/10 AOYAMA TSUKIMIRU KIMI OMOFU
08/23/10 SHIBUYA LIVE STAGE GUILTY
08/24/10 SHIBUYA CHELSEA HOTEL
08/25/10 ROPPONGI morph-tokyo
08/27/10 LIVE labo YOYOGI
08/31/10 SHINDAITA LIVE HOUSE FEVER

open 19:00 / start 20:00 (JAPAN TIME)

Check your time zones for your convenience:
Tokyo pm8:00
LA am4:00 (JAPAN TIME -16hours)
N.Y am7:00 (-13hours)
Toronto am7:00 (-13hours)
Vancouver am4:00 (-16hours)
London pm12:00 (-8hours)
France pm1:00 (-7hours)
Germany pm1:00 (-7hours)
Brazil am8:00 (-12hours)
Mexico am5:00 (-15hours)
Santiago am7:00 (-13hours)
Sydney pm10:00 (+2hours)
Barcelona pm1:00 (-7hours)
Moscow pm3:00 (-6hours)
Shanghai pm7:00 (-1hours)

The link to the live stream: UStream.TV
UStream is also available on his MySpace if you forget the UStream link!

(Thanks to Murbella for the info!)

Personally, I'll probably try to catch the lives as from the 13th after I get my computer fixed: it really sucks when you have no sound on your lappy. D: He's certainly a trend setter for fan connections!

And as for purchases...I'll wait out for the album to allow my piggy bank to fatten up a bit first.

I've been listening to only a few sings, but I'm personally starting to love the group Nightmare (or Naitomea).

But before actually buying anything, I'll have to be totally passionate over their songs. Passion! Make me love them to the point I'll want to listen to them over and over again until my ears are overrun with Naitomea lurve. (If they can actually overtake the GazeRock. LOL.)

But yes! I think I should love at least 8 songs before starting to buy CDs of said acts. There isn't much of a point of buying an album if I'm only going to like 1 song out of 10 on it, right? So far, I've got 3.

For now, introducing their latest released single a:FANTASIA. While the PV is kind of iffy, being really dimly lit and I have no idea what's going on, the song is really catchy. Yomi's voice quality is decent (despite his occasional show of his unbumpy chest), and the song's arrangement has its own twist. I didn't expect the song to slow down its melody in the chorus without breaking the hardcore effect. The guitar solo is like adding some light to a dark song, weaved in between rather negative lyrics before reverting back to the bass domination. Overall, it's a good piece to listen to while you trash your flat apart.

Another song for another time.