YUI-LIFE

The US is often proud of its diversity, but here in Japan, homogeneity is really a great thing. People look good and seem to subconsciously understand principles of biological attraction, especially cuteness. Femininity is everywhere, and feminism in the least degree is not to be found. Style and fitness come naturally because stores sell fashionable clothing and supermarkets sell fresh foods.

There is not a lot of seediness here. Doors are left unlocked. Even our wireless router is not password-protected. The internet is very fast at 30Mbps down/10Mbps up, and pings are low in the region, but I can’t play US-based first person shooters anymore. My appliances work fine.

There is much harmony and nobility. I’ve stopped judging and have discovered a kind feeling towards others. Even though I’ve done nothing yet, I’m becoming closer to who I really am.

My destination is Tokyo. I have a connecting flight in Detroit. I’m sitting in the waiting area of Gate 40 in Newark International Airport, across from Sleeping Beauty, and I’m sure that I’m caught up in the atmosphere of hope that is all around me! I had a lot of things I wanted to write about leaving and about anticipation, but it all seems so insignificant now.

Do you believe that human beings have souls? Well, I do, and I call souls “ghosts” after the anime Ghost in the Shell. My ghost was bound to the world through its self-reflection off of my parents and friends. Here, I find that that is no longer the case. If I had to say where my ghost is now, I’d say it’s somewhere in between the lines of my face, the paleness of my skin, and the movement of my pupils as they look at you. It’s time to board.

I’m in the air. My bladder is loaded, and I think it’s utterly romantic to pee above the clouds.

Sawajiri Erika’s last song was the chart-topping drama theme song “Taiyou no Uta”, released under Amane Kaoru, her character’s name in the drama. “Taiyou no Uta” ended up selling 481,000 copies, making it 2006’s top-selling single by a Japanese female artist. Now going by just ERIKA, she is releasing her debut single FREE on 2007-7-4.

FREE is a song with high pop sensibilities. The rhythm is strong, and the melody is catchy. Erika’s voice constantly modulates between whispery and confident, and it is truly a captivating voice. Compared to the more acoustic Taiyou no Uta, FREE is a rockin’ song.

In the PV, Erika has changed her image. Whereas before she was snowy and pure, she is now bronzed and sexy. During the numerous scenes in which she is lying on a bed, she faintly resembles a tanned Reon Kadena.

Without the backing of a drama and with the abandonment of her image, FREE is a experiment in change. The great thing that Taiyou no Uta had was a soulful synergy between girl, drama, and song. The acoustics of FREE are nearly on par with Taiyou no Uta, but it feels like something is missing.

Still, the song sounds good, Sawajiri Erika has a major fan base, and there’s a curious air about this debut release. How far will it go up the Oricon charts (I’m guessing 125,000 copies sold)? I can’t wait to find out!

Erika - FREE lyrics:

Nee kikoeru? Kono koe ga
Furitsuzuku you ni kimi ni made tooku todoku kana?
Mou ano basho ni wa kaerenai
Kaze ni kieru negai
Kimi ga iru dake de boku wa toberu yo
Itami sasu basho e doko made mo
Tsunaide itai tsunaide itai
Mada aenakutemo inori nagara hibikiwataru sora e
Aa koko kara dakedaseru chikara ga hoshii yo
Te no hira no mirai sore dake de
Ushinatte kitamono
Te ni shita mono
Zenbu idaite hashiru
Kotae ga aru kara ima wo ikiteru
Mamoritai mono ga koko ni aru
Tatoe ima ga kioku no naka kara kiesattemo
Kimi no koto wa koko de oboeteru yo…
Itsuka deau hi ga kite
Sono te ni furerareru no nara
Yasashiku kono te wo nibiri kaeshite yo
Kimi ga iru dake de boku wa toberu yo
Kienai itami nara sono mama de
Tsunaide itai tsunaide itai itsuka aemasu you ni
Inori nagara hibikiwataru koe de
Ano hibi
I wanna be free…
Ano hibi

作詩：ERIKA・白鳥マイカ 作曲：COZZi

ねえ　聴こえる?　この声が
降り続くように　君にまで遠く　届くかな?
(more…)

Bokurano OP - Uninstall

Ishikawa Chiaki

Uninstall lyrics:

Uninstall.
Ano toki saikou no riaru ga mukou kara ai ni kita no wa
Bokura no sonzai wa konna ni mo tanjun da to warai ni kitan da
Mimi wo fusaidemo ryoute wo surinukeru shinjitsu ni madou yo
Hosoi karada no doko ni chikara wo irete tateba ii?
Uninstall. Uninstall.
Kono hoshi no musuu no inochi no
Hitotsu da to ima no boku ni wa rikai dekinai
Uninstall. Uninstall.
Osore wo shiranai senshi no you ni furumau shika nai
Uninstall.
Uninstall.

Uninstall.
Back then, the greatest shock to our reality
Was that our lives were so primitive and simplistic, it was laughing in our faces.
Even covering my ears, the truth slipped through my fingers and left me confused.
Where in my frail body am I supposed to hold the strength to stand?
Uninstall. Uninstall.
Right now I can’t even begin to understand
How the countless lives on this planet are essentially one.
Uninstall. Uninstall.
It looks like I’ll have no choice but to act as a soldier who knows no fear.
Uninstall.
Uninstall.

After uninstalling Counter-Strike, everything CS disappeared from my reality. I browsed Gamespot for hours looking for a game that could fill the emptiness inside of me, but I couldn’t find one. I reinstalled and uninstalled like an addict trying to quit, and I craved the rush of a headshot for the longest time.

Since then, I’ve also uninstalled WoW, Guild Wars, and Melty Blood. I’ve uninstalled birthdays, holidays, and movies with IMDb scores of less than 8. I’ve uninstalled politics, sports, and the news. I know that it’s working because I haven’t seen the word Iraq in the longest time.

Things that truly matter to me give off a poignant “I’m sad that it’s over, but glad that it happened” feeling when they’re uninstalled. Things that were important wastes of time give off an extremely empty feeling. Unimportant things depart with only a whisper.

Mokkori is a Japanese word that is defined as the “tent” an erection makes against pants or bedsheets. Here on JTV, a mokkori teases 25-year-old model Chisato Morishita 森下千里 during her gym workout, and she struggles to suppress her glee!

Idol and TV host Waka Inoue 井上和香 doesn’t hold up quite as well

Mokkori goes to dinner