Archive / 2011

Showed Up and Showed Out

That’s right. They showed up and we SHOWED out.

If you’ve noticed the slack in my posting for the last couple of weeks, it was for a reason. (If you haven’t noticed, well…I didn’t like you anyways, so there). It’s because this past weekend, I was apart of one of the most exciting mass fanatical, rabid rabbit, fangirling (and fanboying for the gents) events New York has probably seen since the days of N’Sync.

To preface this, events like these don’t happen often. In the past for us that lived anywhere other than the West Coast, attending such an event would have required us to update our passports, purchase a plane ticket ranging in the thousands, room and board, AND a concert ticket. (not to mention the money that would have been put aside for the massive amount of merch that would be purchased as well).

The event?

S.M. Town NYC 2011.




(The Ad in Times Square)

S.M. Entertainment is your Def Jam, Interscope or RocNation of Korea. The recording company is home to some of the biggest talents in South Korea. BoA, Kangta, DBSK, Super Junior, SNSD, SHINee, and F(x). Groups that have managed to not only conquer Korea and Japan, but by the looks of what New York City looked like this weekend, are well on their way to taking a huge chunk of U.S. Soil as well.




This year marked the first ever sold out Asian event at Madison Square Garden. As in the entire history of Madison Square Garden.





(and this was like only…10 minutes after the doors opened)

15,000 seats jammed packed with a 70% NON Asian crowd. (I was surprised how mixed the crowd was. Especially when I saw these two…)

Yeah. They had tickets. GOONS had tickets.


S.M.Town Live is a world tour. They have hit cities such as Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Paris and now after countless flash mobs, groups, letters, petitions, and cries (because Paris showed all the way OUT and we are NOT to be outdone), it was finally brought to New York. The general consensus of most New Yorkers this weekend was “What in the world is going on?” (We kind of threw them off, we have our own language as “OPPAR!!!”, Who’s your Bias?” “Wae?!” “Aish!” and “DuBulge” were thrown out without a care.)

The reason they asked? Because when KPoppers hit the streets of Manhattan, it was for one purpose only. To socialize, collect and mob. To show the world the impact KPop has on their fans and why they are so loyal to the music and most importantly, the artist involved. The fans took over New York City with flash mobs in front of Madison Square Garden. They invaded KTown where the artist ate their dinners. They camped in front of the W hotel. They attended fan meets. Collected outside of the MTV studios. They did everything in their power to show the world how serious they were.





And if that wasn’t enough, when the S.M. artist showed up at Madison Square to perform, the fans showed out. Signs, lightsticks, banners, t-shirts, dance routines, the MAD PANIC at the merch booths (My God) and hours and hours of screaming, flailing and the pouring out pure genuine love.

PANIC at the Merch Booth

The shockwave of what KPoppers did in New York this weekend was enough to draw the attention of several news outlets.

The New York Daily, The New York Times, Complex Magazine, Billboard Magazine, MNET, MTV were some of the many outlets that had articles the next day, lines full of amazement, confusion and wonder.




How did these acts, spoken in a completely different language attract THIS many people? (My answer to one interviewer was “If people can listen to Racks on Racks, they can listen to songs in Korean.)

I could review the concert, but unless you’re a fan it won’t mean much. I could drop some videos, but you wouldn’t understand. The pictures, although gorgeous and flashy, won’t mean the same to you as they did to us. But I will tell you one thing, the Hallyu wave was a force to reckon with this weekend, and I’m sure with THAT kind of turnout, that kind of media coverage and now a nation wondering what the hell exactly is KPop, there will be many more weekends like this to come.

Watch out.

I like the way you comb yo hair, UH! I like the stylish clothes you wear UH!


Oh! And here is the Teddy Riley (who was at the concert) produced album set to be released through Interscope Records. SNSD’s “The Boys.”

P.S: You like my concert outfit? I was READY, you hear me?

My Ode to SHINee and their Leader “Onew” (becauseIlovehim)


*photos courtesy of Ashley Wike, the EVER awesome members of WE WANT A “SMTOWN NYC”!!! @Facebook group, Facebook SMTown, and Google (._.)

Die Like A Samurai

Quentin Tarantino is a director to be praised. One for not really caring for anything other than his vision and seeing that his vision is executed to perfection (much to the happiness of Tarantino-fanatics everywhere), there is no surprise, no wonderment, no pause in mentioning and hailing him as one of the premier and most talented filmmakers of our generation. With movies under his belt such as Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Death Proof, Quentin has proven that not only can he put together an insightful cinematic masterpiece, he can do it with lots of blood, kung-fu and general kickass-ness.

Which leads me to my personal favorite of Mr. Tarantino; the infamous Kill Bill.


Anyone who knows me personally knows that I’m a fanatic of this film; I’ve inhaled all the facts and intricacies that most people bypass, even going as far as regular heated debates, and once a drinking game that almost finished in a fist-fight over who would win the brawl of revenge between Nikki and B.B. (I chose Nikki, just for that vengeance you could see in her eyes.)

The most heated of all debates I continue to participate in (and will continue until I’m of an old ripe wrinkly age) is who I believe should have had more attention in these movies. Ultimately, it would require some rewriting on Tarantino’s part, but I’m of sound mind and good insight, and I’m sure this would be a positive move in the right direction of infamy for this movie.


The movie stars Beatrix Kiddo, scorned lover and attempted murder victim.


Now don’t get me wrong. The Massacre at Two Pines really was tragic, her story was sad. The people she trusted turned on her, attempting to kill her and the child she carried. The fact that the outcome was an indefinite coma, where she loses four years of her life, subject to countless acts of rape, AND they took her child…well that would piss me off too. And I’m not saying that she didn’t have a right for revenge. She had EVERY right. But this isn’t about rights, this is about entertainment.

I, for one, always questioned two things in this angsty Kill Bill universe. All surrounding my personal favorite and villainous hero, O-Ren Ishii.


Since this movie has a way of baptizing villains in a light of positivity, if we compare Beatrix to O-Ren, we’d have a tilt in whose story actually was more entertaining. Quentin gives us no REAL back-story on The Bride before her joining the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. We know nothing about her parents, her childhood, her adulthood, why she joined the Viper Squad, why is she an assasin. And although mentioned before that Beatrix story was woeful, when the credits are rolling, she’s experienced a happy ending. The people that died in the chapel? She’d known them for mere months. The man she was going to marry? A diversion from her REAL love story with Bill.


Beatrix knew what kind of life she lived BEFORE she was pregnant and therefore by having sex and knowing what kind of man she was having sex with (Bill, you sex god, you), knew she ran the risk of pregnancy and being saddled with a megalomaniac as a mate. So, why didn’t she have a contingency plan? Why did she think running off would be a brilliant idea?

Did she not KNOW the company she kept?


So in all, although tragic, her fate was actually an ironic one and not a surprising tale of turncoats coming to kill her. She fled a group of the most deadly assassins in the world, carrying the seed of one in her womb. Betrayal begets Betrayal that surmounts to the Massacre at Two Pines. At some point you have to stop and go, “Well, yeah…” (I’m starting to believe the reason her name was Kiddo was that because although calculating, she was not very bright)

O-Ren Ishii on the other hand, we know EVERYTHING about her. Her family, killed at the hands of a violent Yukuza boss for reasons she probably couldn’t comprehend and never understand. And not only were they killed, but they were killed in front of her. Nobody will forget the scene of O-Ren watching her own mother’s blood drip from the mattress above her, or her attempting to save her own life.


This wasn’t a choice she made, it was a choice made for her. Now we take, eleven year old O-Ren as she meticulously plans the execution of the man who caused her parents death, using her own body as bait. She disembowels, tortures and then has him killed. All of this as a preteen.


Less than 10 years later, O-Ren is hailed as one of the top assassins in the WORLD.


Her childhood already is more interesting than the whole Kill Bill Franchise, especially the hailed “hero” of the movie. The most Quentin could have done after giving us such an insightful look into one of the most BADASS female character we’ve ever met, would have been at the very LEAST to give us more. The Biography of Cottonmouth, I would have bought the SHIT outta the book/movie. But instead we are given a Kill Bill 2, which although entertaining, lacked the attractiveness that Kill Bill Vol 1. did. (Because you can’t top The Bride taking out an entire Yakuza army with actual PLOT, Quentin.)

This leads me to my next point. If we ARE going to focus on the Bride’s Story (after all the name of the movie was Kill Bill), and if we are going to have a sequel, (hopefully a trilogy, I prayed to Based God about it last week) it would have been paramount to think of the grand scope of things. The movie, just with Quentin’s name attached to it, was enough for people to be entertained and come back for more, no matter how non-linear the timeline was. Killing off the Deaddly Viper Assassin Squad in order of entertainment instead of ease of kill, would have made for a better series.



In that vein, Elle Driver would have died (or lost and eye, whatEVER was her fate) first, because we could all feel the hate, contempt and lust for betrayal oozing off of her and we know Beatrix felt it too. Next Vernita (because face it, outside of the whole Nikki ordeal, Vernita’s story was the driest), Bud (shrugs, sure)…THEN O-Ren.


The fact that Kill Bill Vol 2. ended in a sappy mess of closure and ancient hand techniques (that apparently was Tarantino’s ode to Westerns —the walk off then die finish) left us with a climax of this movie that was well, anti-climatic. The waves of unabashed-inhibited-fanatic-excitement and endearment we felt about the Showdown at the House of Blue Leaves would have been a perfect action based precursor for that emotional ending.



O-Ren was the perfect villain. Outside of her childhood, and her involvement with the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, she rose above racial and sexual discrimination to become THE Bosses of ALL bosses in the Japanese Yakuza. That may not seem very monumental to you, but if you know any…. ANY history of the gokudō (we talking fuckers who have an OFFICE with a sign that clearly states “We are the fucking Yakuza” on it and DARE the police to come and knock), you know that they are no joke, and the amount of pure intelligence, indomitable bravery and BALLS it takes to have any kind of standing in them is a feat that deserves tribute.


And to do that being a woman (in a death society ruled by men) and a (by their standards) half breed that wasn’t even a child born in their country, can you IMAGINE what she had to do to get there? She was intelligent, ruthless (that’s gotta be an understatement), skilled and in charge.


She led an entire army of killers and her First Sword was a psychotic sociopath, who rather run you through with a sword, than have sex with you. (I’ll write a rant later to express the frustration of how The Bride managed…JUST MANAGED to escape Death by Go-Go Yobari, because it was extreme luck.)


And even with all of THIS, Quentin technically has O-Ren killed off first. The only thing that saved The Bride’s life….was that damn sword. Damn you Hanzo. Damn you.



I leave you with O-Ren’s most imfamous scenes, filled with such badassness that I had to nod proudly before posting it.

Three Reasons Why Disney Ain’t Shit

The Walt Disney company is a megalomaniacs dream come true. They’ve managed to corner the market on kid’s dreams. Movies, theme parks, toys and even cereal. There is nothing that this company can’t do and won’t do. And I meant that in the literal sense. Because despite the magically innocent image that Disney portrays, they are as wholesome as a gang of teenage boys with nothing to do on a Friday night. Disney films are packed with racism, sexism, stupidisms and unnecessary-isms that apparently we thrive off of for entertainment to this day.

Racism and Sexism


There is no surprise with the first one, if you REALLY think about it. The Walt Disney Company was founded in the early 1920’s. Not a year you’d expect Walt and the crew to go against (I’m pretty sure it was the norm during that era) racial and sexist propaganda and slander in to the mouths of young babes. Racist and racial thinkings aren’t BORN you silly goose, they’re learned. The sly thing about Walt and ‘nem was the racial bigotry presented was enough to catch your attention in this anti-racism modern culture but subtle enough to pass for good laughs on the editing room floor, theaters and most conveniently your living room.

One of the most BLARINGLY, what the hell were they thinking, is this REAL what I’m watching episodes of Uncle Walt’s tactful “look and point, they’re different” examples is Walt Disney’s Fantasia. It’s a wonderful movie; beautifully drawn and composed, a story without words, really.

The scene opens up with beautiful, ultra feminine, scantily clad (and by scantily I mean nude) centaurs of all complexions ( by complexions I mean white). Looks to be another chapter of mystical and mythical wonders created by the Disney company. Until we hit the :10 mark. WHO THE HELL IS THAT?



She looks absolutely in heaven shinning that horse-hoe’s feet.

There’s not much to say, but I didn’t think there would be a need for a black pickaninny hoof polishing centaur-maid when you’ve got cherubs going around cheerfully completing those mundane task.

The Indians in Peter Pan, *facepalm*.



Aladdin; this speaks more to cultural insensitivity rather than racism, seeing as we were on our way to having a wonderfully multicultural giglefest at Disney when this film was created. The lead female role, was strong and wise and who can’t help but love Jasmine? But I can’t remember a time in Arabic history where a woman, royalty or commoner, was allowed to prance around like some woman out of a harem.


That is one insulting blow to the Arabic culture AND women, Disney. She’s strong, she’s smart, powerful and rich, resourceful….but she dresses like a slut. Good job.

Hidden Sexual Messages



This isn’t so much as a BAD thing. If I were a parent, I’d be PISSED, but seeing as a I’m still a vamp 20-something youth (cough) I giggled my little ass off about these things. The sexual subliminal messages.

The most notable, other than that lame Lion King spelling sex with some poppyseeds or whatever the hell, dandylions…something, would be the phallic center of Ariel’s kingdom. As mentioned in , Mermen probably don’t have penises, so the fact that Walt’s gang decided that a penis belong on top of Ariel’s home is rather…funny.


In the same movie, when Vanessa (Ursula) and the brainwashed Prince are about to get married (don’t tell me you ain’t think Ursula was gonna take him home and tap that ass before destroying the MerKingdom) we get to see this WONDERFUL image of the priest salivating over Vanessa’s body.


(You shoulda showed that boner to Ariel so she wouldn’t have the SHIT scared outta her on her wedding night.)

Dear LORD I didn’t know this existed until someone told me to google. We’ve all seen Who Frame Roger Rabbit right? (shoots the guy in the back with the blank expression). Right. I’ve seen it a million times, (I learned my little sexy strut from a Mrs Rabbit by the way). Did anybody ever notice the scene where they’re fleeing via cartoon taxi (mistake, duh), ole boy with the google eyes throws the ooze, they hit a lamppost part? Did you know it supposedly has a two second upskirt shot…and Mrs. Rabbit doesn’t like to wear underwear? Gasp! Le Gasp!


Not like it ruin my childhood, Jessica spent the better half (and by half, I mean all) of the movie damn near naked. So this goes to show the only thing keeping her from showing ALL her goodies to the world was a vamp, sequenced TINY slip of fabric she called a dress 🙂

Sequels Shitfest



Although not as radical as the others, this one actually makes me the angriest.
Thus I don my hopping mad Jade talk. I decided to write Disney an open letter, from the heart. Written by me, narrated and edited by Samuel L. Jackson.


Dear Disney,
Ahem.

WHO in the hell is in charge of the SEQUELS round that bitch? I can take ya’ll being racist and shitty as fuck, but you ain’t gone ruin The Little Mermaid in THIS house. Who the fuck told ya’ll to give us insight on Ariel and Eric’s lives. We were fine knowing the two were off somewhere having painful, scary, mermaid virgin sex. We ain’t need to know about her caterpillar eyebrowed daughter and her stupid, yet predictable plot reversal need to jump in the damn ocean. We ain’t care about Ursula’s skinny ass sister either. Where was she when Ursula was tryna take over the ocean anyways. Sit yo ass down somewhere, Morgana.


And another thing Disney. Not one, but TWO unnecessary Aladdin sequels. Although Aladdin Daddy was fine, that didn’t distract me (yes it did, I’m lying).



Let them two brown fools get MARRIED already! I don’t wanna see em court. I don’t wanna see em fight and break up. I don’t care about family angst and relationship woos. And DisneyStraightToDVDBasedGod ain’t DIE for ya’ll to let me hear a Genie that don’t sound like Robin Williams. Fuck outta here!

One mo thing, muthafuckah. There ain’t NO COUNTRY for Lion King 2. I know you guys have a penchant for throwing Shakespeare around like you’ve got the royalties to it, but nobody trying see this wack ass Romeo Must Die version of The Lion King. AIN’T THE LIONS GONE THROUGH ENOUGH WALT? Now you wanna pit them against EACH OTHER? Fuck. Let Kovu and Kiara-whats-her face smash. It’s bad enough you was a BITCH as a kid Simba, now you wanna be a bitch ass daddy too? It’s because you had two black parents and you white as a the driven snow, isn’t it? Or is it because they kidnapped you from Japan, changed your name, painted you gold and THEN told you you was black?


Nala shoulda lion-bitchslapped you. Go get some lion-help somewhere Simba. You angsting up the Pridelands with your regressed sadness and misplaced anger. I’m kidding Simba. I love you.



Before I go. Lady and the Tramp Two? A Goofy Movie ….TWO? The HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME TWO? CINDERALLA TWO!?!

*goes to pop the trunk*

You stay here. I’ll be RIGHT back.

You lucky when I found out about Ferngully 2 , that you weren’t responsible for it. REAL LUCKY.

Anime Spotlight: Openings

Although a good anime opening, or closing for that matter, doesn’t make the anime, if it is your first time watching, the quality of the opening is equilvelant to the cover of the book. Can’t judge it, but the better that shit is, the more likely you’re going to sit through that episode.

As many anime as I’ve had the pleasure of watching, only a few will make it off my screen and into my iPod. The fine line of great opening animation, the actual music, and the amount of anticipation it gives for the upcoming arc usually how I rate if it’s a good opening or not. Of course, I have my personal prefrences, because if I could I’d put the entire Bleach and Naruto soundtrack up here as well (they were all good ass openings), but I won’t.

Here’s a list of a few openings and their artist. (in no particular order).

Bleach – High and Mighty Color “Ichirin No Hana”
When I first got into Bleach, Asterick, the first opening song was pretty good, as far as first openings go, but when we got to Ichirin No Hana, that led into one of the most solid and entertaining arcs that Bleach had to offer, they did an awesome job building the excitement, and did it with a pretty dope song.



Naruto- “Haruka Katana” Asian Kung Fu Generation
So, we’ve gotten past the sappy, “we’re giving you these episodes to bond Naruto and Sasuke for the HOURS and HOURS of friendship angst you’re about to watch” episodes. And now we’re at the Chunin Exams. This opening did two things. Got you ready for some apparently great matchups and fighting, and then scared the hell outta you with Gaara. It also help introduce the Konoha 10. Plus the song is badass, pretty much anything Asian Kung Fu Generation touches, is badass.


You don’t know this opening, then I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t need to construct any kind of synopsis or reasoning I put this up here.


Cowboy Bebop The Seatbelts “Tank!”


EASILY my favorite opening yet, the animation and the music, completely encompass everything that Champloo is, Shinichirō Watanabe flawless crafted effort to combine historical martial arts, a compelling story and best of all, and urban style hip-hop centered soundtrack. Dead Poetics are dope.



Samuari Champloo Dead Poetic “Battlecry”



The popular anime D.Gray Man boasted some pretty spec’tac opening music too. I was already hooked on the show after the first opening performed by J-Rock legend led Abbington School Boy’s “Innocent Sorrow”, but then we get to this one, and I smoothly started loading their songs onto my iPod.



D.Gray Man- Doubt & Trust “Access”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhat8dj0J2s

You can’t talk about Anime openings without mentioning the one that girls young and old can sing (the English version I have to add) on cue. All you have to do is play the first three cords and you’ve got a sing-a-long. Most of the opening songs for Sailor Moon were cheesy, filled with glitter, flowers, and in one season, unicorns, but they are timeless classics that never fail to excite you about the mystical world and adventures of it’s stars.



Sailor Moon “Moonlight Densetsu” DALI


I don’t know how many people have seen this anime, it was pretty decent. Lot of gunplay with a blending of mercenary action and baddassay. The opening let’s you know this isn’t your ordinary magical anime. Somebody is gonna get shot. A lot of people are going to get shot.



Black Lagoon Mell “Red Fraction”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E3-BqG8aJQ

Most of the songs for Rorouni Kenshin were lighthearted, probably in light of Kenshin’s aloof and merry nature. They do a good job of hinting at the darker being within him, but overall, poppy happy tunes. Leading into the Makoto arc, we get 1/2, that similar to Bleach’s “Ichirin No Hana”, we get a blitz of character introductions. Makoto Kawamoto’s chipper voice adds to the cute and addicting.


Rouruni Kenshin” ½” by Makoto Kawamoto
As mentioned before, if I could put every Naruto song on here, I would, and then you all wouldn’t like me anymore. But if there were going to pick a way to welcome back Naruto after his two year hiatus and us fans anticipating the second season of Naruto, Nobody Knows’s Hero’s Comeback and the apparently crisper looking animation worked.


Naruto- Hero’s Come Back Nobody Knows – “Hero’s ComeBack”

Since I’m an 80’s baby, I do well when I hear a synthesizer. Like it wakes me up and makes me want to do an air guitar solo. Every Little Thing’s Grip does that to me. Inuyasha’s third opening which introduces the Seven (Hey there, Bankotsu ^_^) where the crew go up against their first set of human (although undead humans) and the supercharged musical opening reminds you of a fairy warrior going into battle…or something.



Inuyasha Every Little Thing “Grip”