May Pang's Asian Media Internet News

When it comes to video games, I usually tend to play games that encourage the player to think strategically. That’s why games like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Pokemon are among some of my favorites. But one of my absolute favorite game series would have to be Professor Layton (or レイトン教授シリーズ in Japan). With the upcoming release of Professor Layton and the Unwound Future in the USA, Professor Layton is my Pick of the Week.
Professor Layton is an action/adventure/puzzle interactive novel in which the player must complete a series of puzzles to progress in the story line. Developed by company Level-5, the series consists of a total of four games and one feature film. With the announcement of the Nintendo 3DS, the series is due for at least two more games and another movie.
The series started with Professor Layton and the Curious Village. This game sold me for the whole series. Each game has over one hundred puzzles and more that can be downloaded via wi-fi. In the first two games released in America, you begin with famous archaeologist Professor Layton and his young apprentice Luke Triton. Together, they solve all sorts of mysteries. Along the way, they encounter many obstacles including the main villain of the first three games, Don Paolo who holds a deep hatred for the professor. Professor Layton even adopts a daughter, Flora Reinhold, under the instruction of her late father’s will.
The series also has an amazing soundtrack. The game itself has a very vintage feel. With the series being partly inspired by Sherlock Holmes, you can only imagine what the actual game is like. The soundtrack is very classy, chic, and even includes accordion. When I heard Don Paolo’s theme, my mind was blown. It’s an eerie yet addictive soundtrack that really puts the player in the mood for some good puzzles.
Now this all seems like a fairly simple story. Professor and apprentice receive a letter, they solve some puzzles and save the day. But really, the plot in each game is quite odd. It’s more like Professor and apprentice receive a letter, solve many puzzles and get involved in a ridiculous plot twist, and then they save the day. But that’s what makes the game quirky and fun. You never know what will happen!
With the third installment about to be released next month, I think I’m now prepared for yet another incredibly strange story (and yes, I did pre-order it already).

For more information, take a look at the official website for Professor Layton and the Unwound Future!

Watch the trailer for Professor Layton and the Unwound Future!

Credit: MachinimaTrailer

Is this year a good year for marriages? This year, many Japanese artists announced their marriages.  Starting from famous model and talent Rika’s marriage in January, many other new couples have got married this year.

Kabuki actor Ebizou Ichikawa and the announcer Mari Kobayashi held their press conference on January 29.  They first met each other last November, during an interview with Ebizou in the NTV news program “NEWS ZERO.”  Ebizou said that he will “keep loving his wife for his life time.”  Mari was considered to be the number 1 lucky girl in Japan when the news was still hot.

Another surprising marriage is the one of actor Eita and singer Kaela Kimura.  They announced their marriage on June 1, and admitted that they are expecting a baby, which was 5 months into pregnancy then.  The estimated time for birth of the baby is November this year.  Indeed, they already had the plan in mind last year, however, due to the new drama of Eita and Kaela’s latest single “Ring a Ding Dong”, both released last April, their entertainment agencies wanted them to hold the announcement back as it may affect their drama and single ratings.  I personally met Kaela in a ramen shop in Meguro, Tokyo a few weeks after they announced their marriage.  She looks really cute and her tummy was big then.  I even said congratulations to her and she thanked me with a sweet smile.

The latest marriage news is this new couple: SU from Hip-Hop group Rip Slyme and solo artist Ai Otsuka.  The news came out on June 26, and they first met during the collaboration in Ai’s song “aisu x time.”  Another Rip Slyme member ILMARI also got married with model Yuri Ebihara last December, and they held the ceremony in Paris last month.

Who will be the next couple? Lets look forward to it!  Before that, lets enjoy the music video “aisu x time” by Ai and Su:

While the Korean summers are often miserably rainy, humid and hot, I have to say summer here is still my favorite time of year, mostly due to the plethora of rock festivals taking place. I love going out and discovering new bands and meeting awesome musicians. And this is how I discovered my pick of the week: Guckkasten.

I’ve caught them at a couple shows and still have a lot to learn about them, but just those couple of shows were enough to get me hooked. They have a stage presence that is funny and entertaining and their music sets them apart from other bands in the indie scene. With anywhere from 200 to 300 indie bands vying for attention and fans in Hongdae, it definitely takes something special to stand out from the crowd and these guys have it.

The four-person band has a sound all their own. Describe as psychedelic rock and ‘hauntingly beautiful,’ their sound sticks with you even after they’ve stopped playing and their somewhat dorky lead singer, Ha Hyun-woo makes sure that all eyes are on them once they hit the stage. After the first time I saw them, I couldn’t get their song, “Faust” out of my head for days. Until I succumbed to buying their first album “Guckkasten,” that is. From the opening, “la, la la,” by Hyun-woo, the listener is definitely hooked on the song. Some songs are upbeat and some are more mellow, making you want to sway slowly with the music. Sometimes I feel as though I’m transported back in time, and sometimes I just want to dance.

And in terms of indie bands here, they are definitely one of the top bands, playing at all the major festivals in the country and getting spots on live shows on MNet. They even performed with Kara and f(x), something that attests to their growing popularity, (though I won’t hold it against them. ^_^). The more I learn about them and watch them, the more I think they could be the bridge that helps make the rock scene a little more mainstream in a country that is obsessed with manufactured idol groups.

Not to mention, these guys got their start in the same place that all indie bands in Korea get their start. Club FF. A somewhat hole-in-the-wall live club that was the springboard for other popular bands such as Galaxy Express and the Rocktigers, who both still grace the small stage from time to time.

But don’t take my word for it. Check these guys out. They are definitely worth a listen.

These days a small act can go a long way. We may think that it isn’t much, but to some people it allows them to survive and it allows them to accomplish what they once thought was impossible. The HBO documentary film A Small Act, produced by Jennifer Arnold and Patti Lee, is about one woman that gave a young boy in Kenya a chance in life to overcome the hardships that he faces just to get his education. I thank director, producer, and actor Jimmy Tsai of the movie Ping Pong Playa, a Cherry Sky Films production, for giving me the opportunity to do this interview with Pattie Lee, Producer/DP.

For my ‘Pick of the Week,  recently, I saw “Kites” and it was epic!  Better than the latest Bollywood movies. The actors were not only stunning, but performed brilliantly as well, there was logic and the script was original.

The movie stars Bollywood’s heartthrob, Hrithik Roshan who has starred in many Bollywood movies and leading lady, Barbara Mori, who is a well known Mexican model and actress.

Hrithik Roshan treads the crooked path in the by-lanes of Las Vegas. He has married umpteen girls for the coveted green card and Barbara Mori happens to be one of his abandoned wives. But sparks fly between the two when they meet again, this time under different — and dangerous — circumstances. The mercenary couple are all set to marry a rich brother-sister duo (Kangana and Nick Brown) for their money but they soon discover they are in love and flee the rich and powerful siblings who are hell bent on avenging their dishonour. Will love surmount all odds?

In my opinion, no matter what critics may have to say, this movie was completely beautiful and is now my all-time favorite. It gives you an understanding of love as an expression of emotion and not of language, but at the same time it goes beyond the traditional love story and gives you a realistic sense of what it means to be in love and what it is likely to cost you.

After warming up to Barbara Mori, Bollywood has asked her to star in more Bollywood films.“I will come back in January, if everything goes well. I have to go through the script first before taking a final decision,” Barbara said.

I personally think that Barbara Mori should star in more Bollywood films. She fits in perfectly and who knows? Maybe Barbara will open the eyes of other international actors and actress to take on Bollywood films.

Take a look at “Kites“!

For my Pick of the Week, recently, I have been watching this Korean variety show called “우리 결혼했어요” or in English “We Got Married.” The show is based on bringing two celebrities together, where they both go through the trials and tribulations of being married. The show has been going on since 2008, but it caught my eye this season with, as fans call them, the “Adam Couple” aka 2AM’s Jo Kwon and Brown Eyed Girls’ Son Ga In.

To me, this couple is really cute; just seeing them together, makes me feel all cozy inside. I normally see Jo Kwon being so rambunctious and humorous on other variety shows that it sometimes questions me about his ‘diva’ like personality. However, on We Got Married, we get to see this other side of him; how he cares for his woman and what he would do in such situations. As for Ga In, I love her personality. She is one of those ladies who can stand for her own but when she needs someone to comfort and care for her, one look and she got it. She has these tendencies of making Jo Kwon jealous, the push-pull effect, where the woman pushes the man away but really it just pulls him in to love her more, however I feel like she does that to test if he truly cares for her; and he passes every time. In some ways I can relate to Ga In, since I like putting my man to the ‘test.’

Even though We Got Married is a just a television show and the married couples are supposed to be fake, I personally feel that The Adam couple would make it well in real life; as from watching the show, I see a very strong bond grow between them. Just recently, Kwon spent money out of his own pocket to by Ga In couple rings. Although his event to give it to her was sort of fail (They went to the movies where he hid the rings in the popcorn so when she would reach for some popcorn, she’d find them. Later he found out, she doesn’t like movie theater popcorn.), it still turned out well since she did end up finding the rings, her face glowing in happiness. They were even asked to make a couple song during the 2009 holiday season called “We Fell in Love.” Are they trying to hint their fans? Should they date in real life? It looks like it’s getting serious between those two and I would hate to see this relationship end once their time is up on the show.

For anyone who is interested in a show that shows true character and humor at the same time, I do recommend We Got Married. Maybe future newly weds might learn something after watching it!

Watch “We Fell in Love”

source: BEGISLOVE4 @ youtube