May Pang's Asian Media Internet News

As we all know, Japan is going through one of the worst earthquake/tsunami disasters in history at the moment. Despite all of the turmoil, T.M.Revolution (Takanori Nishikawa), has decided to release the long-awaited music video for “Save the One, Save the All.”

The single itself was released December 1st of last year and was used for the the fourth movie in the anime franchise Bleach.

TMR’s staff tweeted the following:

Now that the music video is finally finished, T.M.Revolution hopes that the victims of the terrible earthquake/tsunami will see this and will hopefully pass on his wish that the victims will hold on to courage and hope.

The video itself is monochrome, just like his last music video for the single “Naked arms.” It seems to stick with a Bleach theme and shows Takanori being bound up in chains (don’t get any freaky ideas). It shows Takanori doing what he does well… dance to his own songs. He even pops his collar towards the end, which is highly amusing to fans such as myself. He even throws in some spins and massive arm movements. It’s a pretty funny music video if you’ve never seen him before.

To see the video, click here to his official site and follow the link to his new music video.

Source: TMR_Staff Twitter, T.M.Revolution’s Twitter

The long wait is finally over, and Pokemon Black and White have finally been released in the United States. It has been available for less than a week (in most areas) and the game has already shattered sales records and is being acclaimed as the best Pokemon Game of all time. I have to agree. So far this game is incredible. I haven’t completed very much of it yet since I like to take my time training most of the Pokemon that I catch. Even though I’ve played this game for at least an hour every day since I’ve bought it, I’m only on Rt. 4; or in other words, I just beat the 3rd Gym. So for

Normal type Pokemon, Lillipup

this review I’m only going to comment on what I’ve seen so far.

The music in this game is great. I love the new battle music the most, but the music designed for the towns are excellent as well. Most of the newly designed graphics are amazing. No longer are you looking down on the Pokemon World. In Pokemon Black and White Versions, you are on more of an eye level with your surroundings. You still have a vantage point where you can see everything around you, but I feel more involved in the game. If you haven’t made it to Castelia City yet… hurry. Crossing the Skyarrow Bridge from the Pinwheel Forest into Castelia for the first time reminded me of the first time I saw the New York City skyline lit up at night. Castelia City was modeled after the real life cities of Tokyo, Hong Kong, and New York City… although I think NYC inspired this tiny little ghetto street called Slim street. If you were going to get “shanked” in Pokemon… it would be here.

I really enjoy how the Pokemon Center and the Pokemart are now in the same building. It wasn’t something that bothered me in the other games, butit’s very convenient. One of my favorite changes of the game is that TM’s no longer break after using them. This means that they can be used over and over again just like HM’s, but can me forgotten when a Pokemon wants to learn a new move from gaining enough levels. HM’s still cannot be forgotten without the aid of the Move Deleter.

I really enjoy how the Pokemon being used in battle are constantly moving. It gives them more life. The designers also found a way to have the eyes of sleeping Pokemon close…which is beyond adorable. The animations of the moves, and when you use items such as potions, status effecters, and battle items all seem to move faster, which helps speed up the battles. I have yet to experience a rotation or 3-way battle, but I’m really looking

forward to it.

I do have a few complaints about the game however. The view of the Pokemon your character uses in battle is very pixelated. With all the new attention paid to having the Pokemon constantly moving, and the seamlessness of the attack animations, I figured that’s something that could have been figured out. I miss not being able to name your Rival. It was a fun customization aspect of the game that I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed it until it was gone; and let’s just say Cheren and Bianca are no Gary/Blue/Giant Douche/whatever your personal taste in a Rival name may be. Also

Castelia City

that Pokemon you are able to catch are very limited in the first half of the game. You really only come across about ten or so Pokemon, none of which are very exciting. Think of it as only being able to use Ratatta, Pidgey, Caterpie, Abra, and your starter to get through the first half of the game. Finally, I need to ask Nintendo a simple question… Why did you get rid of having a

Pokemon follow you around? Ever since Pokemon Yellow version, Pokemon trainers young and old have been raving about having a Pokemon follow you around. The ability to have any Pokemon available in the game follow you around in HeartGold and SoulSilver was a huuuuuuuuuge hit! So why, WHY DID NINTENDO GET RID OF IT?! I also really enjoyed using the Pokewalker that came with my SoulSilver game, and I’m curious why Nintendo got rid of two new and very popular features so quickly. So, overall I’m going to give Pokemon Black and White Version 8 out of 10.

It was clearly inevitable that we’d have to review this single, especially after Akanishi Jin took the plunge from KAT-TUN and decided to go solo. So how did he do?

Statistically, Akanishi Jin did great. His single was released last week and has reached #1 on the Oricon weekly charts with 217,000 in sales. He is also the first male artist to break 200,000 sales in the first week since Yusuke’s “Himawari” in March 2009.

Maybe it’s me, but I was totally hoping for some fun beats and talks of something sexually driven when listening to his stuff. Maybe “LOVEJUICE” and “Pinky” have rubbed off on me too much. But deep inside, I knew what I was in for. After all, these songs have already been performed live before… when he was still in KAT-TUN.

As soon as I started playing “Eternal,” better yet, as soon as I heard the title “Eternal,” I knew this song was going to be somewhat meaningful. As it turns out, it’s a ballad and Akanishi Jin and Yamashita Tomohisa (Yamapi) had already performed it as a duet before. It’s obviously very sweet just by listening to it. You don’t even need to understand what he’s singing to get the song. But after reading a translation, you realize that it’s a man singing about his lover and how special she is and how difficult it is to sometimes express his feelings to her. It’s a cute song. Nothing I’d particularly listen to more than a few times. Maybe it just needs time to grow on me.

The second song on this single is 「ムラサキ」 (Purple). Akanishi Jin has actually performed this song years ago when he was still in KAT-TUN so I guess finally releasing it is a good idea. I listened to this song one time through and I couldn’t tell what it was about. After reading the translation and getting a better idea of what the song was about, I didn’t feel that Akanishi expressed this feeling correctly while singing. I do feel his vocal ability has improved but this song wasn’t for him. He reminisces that purple sunset they saw together but he only saw sadness in her face as their relationship crumbled. I didn’t really feel the emotion that should’ve been conveyed in this song as I did in “Eternal.”

Akanishi Jin has also released the music video for “Eternal.” I’m not gonna lie, I hated it. He kinda just walked around emotionless and you can barely see his face under that hood. He also mumbled the lyrics of the song so I couldn’t even tell if he was supposed to look like he was singing or what. Definitely a throw off from what the song is about. Maybe this would’ve made a better video for 「ムラサキ」.
In a nutshell, this single is a release of two songs he never got around to releasing. I guess better late than never.

Watch the music video for “Eternal!”

Watch a live performance of「ムラサキ」 !

And just for fun, I’m throwing in an Akanishi Jin favorite of mine, “Ha ha!”

Ahhh… Who else remembers the golden age of anime in the U.S.? I remember the joy of all the great Toonami shows being ushered in by the calm and reassuring voice of Steve Blum through his robot avatar, Tom. When anime was on throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Those truly were halcyon days. Yet we were never satisfied with what the Cartoon Network scheduling gods deemed worthy enough for us to view. Many of us found other… more affordable ways of acquiring our favorite anime. Always fresh of the Japanese subbing sites. I had become so stuck in my ways that no alternative seemed viable. However, I was shocked by a revelation I had just a few weeks ago. I don’t know about all of out there, but I love being able to physically have the anime I watch in file form on my computer. There is something about the certainty of its existence for my viewing pleasure that I prefer over streaming sites. That being said, I may be readjusting my view on this point a tad.

I was fully aware of the fact that Hulu had begun in the past year or two putting anime on the site for its viewers. But it always seemed that all they were uploading were Shonen-Jump-esc anime like Naruto and Bleach. “Psssshh! Look at that generic mainstream shows they are putting up for the anime-inept masses! Hah I say, HAH,” is more or less how I viewed it. Sure, every so often I would notice a not-so-common anime that I would be surprised to see, but I didn’t think much of it. I still opted towards more lascivious methods of procural. However, after watching through Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood on Hulu (there was no way I was going to take the time to download all fifty odd episodes at that point in time), I came to a startling realization. I had just finished the last episode but still desired to watch more anime. I clicked on the “anime” tag below the show, expecting a few series to come up.

A screenshot of Funimation's page on Hulu

Over 250! From Inuyasha to Mushi-shi.  When the hell did this mass compilation arrive on Hulu! Granted, after a detailed analysis of the anime present, it was lacking in some main titles that any collection should have. That aside, I was impressed by the sheer volume of anime present. For those who need their anime fix as much as I do, Hulu might be the perfect answer to my cavalier “anime fan on the go” lifestyle. No downloads, no fees, no worry of it being taken down due to copyrights. For those who watch the newest and most popular anime out there, our tried and true method will have to continue to be your means of acquisition. But, for those older anime that have migrated to America, via Funimation and what have you, Hulu will be the perfect tool to cut away the slag that plagues your downloading bandwidth. The quality will also far surpass any streaming sites out there.

In the past I have had my doubts about Hulu and streaming sites in general when it came to anime. But, as per what makes us a surviving fanbase, we must adapt. As the Mr. Dylan said, “the times are a changing,” and I think commercialized streaming might be what gets us through. Symbiosis is the name of the game, and I am “lichen” our odds.

I’m sure that all Japanese Hottest (2PM Fanbase) can’t wait anymore for 2PM’s  first single debut in Japan.  Their first single, “Take off,” will be released on 18th May. There will be 4 different versions and they will hold an event on 21st of May for their single in Japan.  They will also release the limited boxset in Japan on 9th March titled “ALL ABOUT 2PM”.  The boxset contains their 1st, 2nd and 3rd single, their 1st mini album and their 1st album, plus a DVD! The beasts’ hot wave is spreading all across Asia!

That’s right! Nintendo World in NYC plans on holding a Pokemon Black and White Launch Celebration! Attendees will be able to purchase the game a day early and join in the festivities.

Some of the festivities include:
•Debut of the new Pokemon song by the band The Presidents of the United States of America
•Purchase the new Pokemon Black and White games
•Get your passport to Unova (the new Pokemon region) and visit fun Pokemon stations
•Meet Pikachu!

Join in on the fun on Saturday, March 5th at 10 Rockefeller Plaza, NYC at Nintendo World. The fun starts at 3PM and continues until 6PM!

For more information, visit the official website for Pokemon Black and White.

I know I’ll be attending and purchasing my copy early. I’ve been waiting for this game to be released in English!

For those of you who can’t attend this event, check out how to plan your own Pokemon party here!

With Pokemon Black and White being released this weekend, some of our readers out there may be interested in throwing their own Pokemon Black and White Bash in honor of its’ US release. Near me, none of the places that will be selling the game around me will be holding a release party, so I wanted to give tips to those out there that want to host their own! I suggest doing this before your group goes to get the game. Let’s face it, once everyone has the game, no one’s leaving their room for a week.
Decorations
There are plenty of places like Party City, Target, and Walmart, that sell premade Pokemon Decorations. While those mostly are for children’s birthday parties, the plates, napkins, and cups would add a great touch to your party. Of course you can make decorations yourself, but that requires a lot of time and preparation. I also suggest putting a sign over your front door that says “POKEMON FAN CLUB.”

Food & Drink
Pokemon shaped cupcakes are a great way to include Pokemon themed snacks at your party. However, they can range from simple to advanced technical wise. The Pokeball is the easiest. Use red icing for the top half of the cupcake, and white for the bottom and BAM instant Poke’cake. You can do this for Great, Ultra, Master, and Kurt’s apricorn balls as well, but those get a little more technical and detailed.
Another really simple idea is to buy frozen meatballs, or make your own, and once they’re cooked/heated put them in a giant bowl. Put a sign next to it that read’s Brock’s Poke’Chow. Chex Mix can be used for this as well.
For drinks, print out customized labels that are used in the game and cover cans and bottles; for example: fresh water, lemonade, soda pop, moomoo milk, berry juice, and tea.

Music
Nintendo and Pokemon have released several CD’s throughout the years. Purchase those to play while games are being played and food is being eaten. I also suggest downloading 16OURS “Pokegear”, a parody of Lady Gaga’s Telephone… shameless plug, yes I know.

Non-Electronic Games
Gotta Catch ‘Em All!:
Hide small cutouts of Pokemon around your house/room/apartment/whatever. Have everyone begin in an area labeled “Pallet Town”, and free the trainers to begin their journey to “Collect them All.”
Poke’Face:
Have a friend that is a skilled artist be available for face painting.
Togepi Egg Race
Paint some regular eggs like a Togepi egg and have a few spoons available. Put your guests into teams and then treat it like a regular egg race. First team to finish the track with their Togepi egg in tact wins.
Electronic Games:
Of course you can’t have a Pokemon party without a few Pokemon battles. Have everyone bring all the games and systems they still have lying around and battle to see who is the Pokemon Master of your group. If you can find games like Pokemon Battle Stadium, Pokemon Pinball, and Pokemon Snap, I would suggest using those as well. Your guests will have a lot of fun playing some “retro” games.

I HOPE EVERYONE HAS FUN AT THEIR POKE’ PARTIES! LOOK FOR MY REVIEW OF POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE COMING SOON!

BIGBANG’s latest MV “Tonight” is finally out! This time, they shot their MV outside Korea and flew to shoot it in Las Vegas instead. The gorgeous night city and the beautiful blue sky and beach matches well with the melody.  The music video was originally broadcasted on SBS’s ‘The BIGBANG Show.’ Don’t let me hold you up any longer. Let’s check it out!