Copying off our Boys? Really?

Hi, I'm here for another Arashi post! I'll talk about people outside the group this time, these are the ones crawling over twitter and blogs because they are said to have done a bit of snooping and copying off the popular Japanese group. Weirdly the following allegations had nothing to do with their music or dance steps:

Shun Oguri, Sho Sakurai and Satoshi Tsumabuki in Lupin Live Movie

The Tokyo Sports newspaper on Friday and Saturday that Monkey Punch's Lupin III manga and anime will have a live-action version! Shun Oguri is lucky enough to snatch the title role Arsène Lupin. The newspaper added that Arashi band member Sho Sakurai will also play the sharpshooter Daisuke Jigen, while Satoshi Tsumabuki will be swordsman Goemon Ishikawa. However NTV, the television broadcaster of the Lupin III anime, has not officially announced a live-action Lupin III film.The film (tentatively titled Lupin Sansei ~Meitantei vs. Lupin~/Lupin III: Famous Detective vs. Lupin) will begin shooting in early autumn for release on March 2014. 

However, the newspaper added the project is still casting the main female role of Fujiko. Mirei Kiritani, Masami Nagasawa, Anne Watanabe, Airi Taira, Kyoko Fukada, Asami Mizukawa, Tsubasa Honda, Kiko Mizuhara, and Kou Shibasaki are the popular candidates.

Source 1,2

Music for the Day: Be Free by GReeeeN

I love GReeeeN. Period.

What I Just Learned #6

I just about this certain legend concerning an ancestor of Richard I. He is called Fulk Nerra “The Black”
He is described to be one of the most brilliant figures of French history, reigning for fifty three years. Though he was orphaned at eight, Fulk still grew up to be terrifying, at 14 he defeated the veteran fighter Conan of Rennes, by 17 he inherited his father's title of being Count of Anjou. But he is also subject to passionate moments that results in violent rage, extreme cruelty and just all around batshit crazy when the situation asks for it. 

The legend I was interested in has nothing to do with wars and political intrigues though but actually pertains to he woman Fulk Nerra married or according to THIS source, his mother. It's is not surprising since legends tend to have many variations, but I'll stick with the Fulk Nerra one. I tried doing research online but surprisingly only a few related results showed up. This legend was quite known  in the past, it's obviously either black propaganda, cover-up story or a tribute to the family's legacy of being truly memorable. 

Fulk went on a journey without disclosing any destination, after some time he came back with a wife. The lady named Melusine, was significantly of unearthly beauty but of an unknown origin. Plus she had no relatives or friends, and was popular as "the dark princess of the forest.". She rarely attends Mass, but if she does, she is noticeable uncomfortable, leaving quite too early as she won't witness the consecration of the Host. This peculiar behavior and strange revulsion for the Mass aroused the suspicions of the Count's men. One day, they urged Fulk to compel her to stay in church. He reluctantly agreed. When she was about to leave, her way was blocked by four of her husband's men. They seized her, but she uttered a scream, shook her cloak off her shoulder, took two of her four children under her arms and flew out of the stained glass window of the church. She was never seen nor heard of again. This woman was said have been the one to have brought demon blood through the two younger sons she left behind, into the House of Anjou and later House of Plantagenet and all the the Angevin kings of England. Thus their unofficial saying / excuse for their actions "We who come to the devil must go back to the devil" 

This Guy is Finally Thirty Years Old

Which reminds me, I believe my next project would be making an info graphic documenting how this miracle Ninomiya went through years and still looking like a teenager. I know Nino might be a guy with good intentions but it sure is creepy that seems to be an immortal or something. His face had long been a joke among the fan girls. Asking friends (who doesn't know a group of pretty males called Arashi exist) on guessing Nino's age on a certain photo with a certain proof of the photo's date has always been an amusing pastime.But back on the project thing, I'll surely do it, watch out for the output two months from now ;) I might even cover other "immortal" beings like Masako Mizutani and this another Japanese actor whose name I unfortunately forgot. I'll do a bit of research so stay tuned!

But no really, let us all celebrate since it's his birthday today! Wooohoo! Here's another pretty pic of Nino:

Unrequited Love in a Few Blog Posts

I was doing online journal hopping again. I stumbled upon two old Filipino blogs and I was both amused and saddened. An interesting one was AMIDST SPELL, a blog that only had 5 posts, but I guess the blog was made as an outlet for a girl’s feelings. I'm not so sure if the following entries are authentic or just fiction, but I'm sad for her all the same.

A post written in August 2002 says:

“...may gusto akong sabihin sa kanya pero di ko masabi, natatakot ako baka di nya ako maintindihan. minsan, nararamdaman kong ganun din sya sa akin, pero bakit di nya sinasabi. naguguluhan na ako. tama nga bang ibigin sya ng tutuo? hay....naku! kailan nya kaya malalaman? sana, di maging huli ang lahat...”

("..there something I want to tell him but I can't, I'm afraid he won't understand. Sometimes, I feel he might feel the same way about me, but he's not saying anything. I'm confused. Is it even right to love him? hay.... naku! I wonder will he ever know? I hope it won't be too late...") 

By December 2002 however:

"...malungkot ako ngayon. nakausap ko si eppy ko sa phone last sunday. akala ko magiging masaya na ako ulit na marinig ang boses nya. nang sinabi nyang masaya sya ng matanggap ang sulat ko, ganun din ang lola nya, natuwa ako ng sobra. ngunit di ko inaasahang yun na pala ang magiging last ngiti sa aking bibig. biglang napigil ang aking pagngiti ng sinabi nyang may girlfriend na sya. sa mga time na yun dear blogger, di ko malaman kung bakit lahat ng mga salitang dapat ay lumabas sa aking bibig ay biglang naglaho. ang tangi ko na lamang naramdaman ay ang init ng naglalaglagang luha sa aking mga mata. marami syang sinabi na di ko na marinig. marami syang tinanong na di ko na masagot-sagot. ngunit ang di nya alam, mas maraming bagay sa akin ay di nya nalaman. at yun ang pinakamasakit. ang maglihim ng isang damdamin sa taong iyong iniibig. at ang magpahiwatig nito kung kelan ay...huli na ang lahat ;( dear blogger, mahal ko si eppy at di ko kayang mawala sya sa akin... di man nya alam, di man sya naging akin. "

("I'm sad at this moment. I've talked to Eppy through the phone last Sunday. I thought I would be happy once more with hearing his voice. He said he was cheered when he got my letter, the same thing goes for his grandmother, I was overjoyed. However I hadn't realized that it would be my last. That smile froze when he said he finally had a girlfriend. And during that moment my dear blogger, I don't know why but all words are lost and I couldn't say anything back. The only thing I could feel was the warmth of my falling tears. He went on talking, but I couldn't hear him already. He asked questions but I couldn't reply. He isn't aware that there are still a lot of things about me he doesn't know about. And that hurts the most. To keep your love for someone a secret, and by the time you're ready to show your feelings... it's already too late ; (
Dear blogger, I love Eppy and I can't afford to lose him...even if he knows nothing, even he didn't became mine")

How I'm imagining her after that phone call

Soooooo, I think she'd rather preserve their friendship instead of confessing her feelings and risks losing whatever relationship they have. Such martyrdom.

Helping in AncientLives

We could all dream to be like Indiana Jones once in a while, but to actually help in any archeological studies is not something anyone could have an opportunity of. However the online project of AncientLives is a great place to volunteer and somehow contribute to history is your own little way.

The papyri on displayed at this website were the product of the project's collaboration with various institutions like Oxford Papyrologists and Researchers, The Imaging Papyri Project, The Oxyrhynchus Papyri Project, the Egypt Exploration Society, etc. Plus these were discovered in Egypt were written many years ago. However, the collection proved to be so vast, it gave today's scholars such a drastically time-consuming job. The process of reading the papyri have been easier these past few decades due to the advancement of technology.. In Ancient Lives, and using the power of the internet, anyone could assist in this large-scale project. 

In the website, you could help by either transcribing ancient alphabet or measure the papyri. There are good tutorials you could use first before doing either work. The data gathered and combined from both human and computer intelligence would be most beneficial for identifying, translating and studying ancient texts and documents. 

Project director Dr Dirk Obbink said: 

"We aim to transcribe as much as possible of the original papyri, and then identify and reconstruct the text. No single pair of eyes can see and read everything. From scientists and professors to school students and ancient enthusiasts, everyone has something to contribute - and gain."

The project's overall goal is

"...To rapidly transform image data from papyri into meaningful information that scholars can use to study Greek literature and Greco-Roman Egypt; information that once took generations to produce."

So, if you've got any interest in history or ancient Egypt, this is about one of the best opportunities to be productive online.

Everybody Hates The Red Wedding

Game of Throne's season 3 finale is set for this weekend. Everybody I believe isn't so excited due to the "Rains of Castamere" episode.
First of all, I should say I was happily gloating over my non-reader friends and teasing them with spoilers. This week is just one of those finest moments. I'm just sitting alone in a dusty shadowed corner, wearing my knowing smile as the rest of humanity watched the ninth episode of The Game of Thrones. There had been predictions of course, also warnings floating around the web, but I guess the horrifying elements of The Red Wedding is still so compelling.

When I came upon this part in the books, I was actually calm, not even sad. Why? I was so sure they escaped and expecting Robb and Catelyn to pop out in later pages alive and strong and normal and that the Freys actually  killed the wrong people and shit. Seriously, it was only when the Undead Catelyn showed herself that it dawned to me that Robb was really really really dead. The non-readers had it worse since even if Robb in the books wasn't given as much exposure. he was generously bombarded with importance in the show. In TV, he has longer screen time, and even showed how his love story took place. I understand the all the sadness, but I still retain the evil happiness of seeing everything in action.
For those who are condemning HBO to the pits of hell, please be reasonable, you don't want to miss the dragons right? Right. 

Trailer for VHS 2 is Here

Ok, I'm actually late in posting this since the trailer's been around since last month. I'm still super excited for this though. Thanks to my friends, I enjoyed the first movie despite the varying degrees of quality of the stories (It's expected since it's an anthology). I tried reading the Wikipedia article but I have to crawl away from that place at once. Apparently someone had given some effort in making detailed summaries of the movie's subplots. WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THAT.

Hurr durr, it's Karma talking I'm sure. This must be my punishment for spewing Game of Thrones spoilers like there's no tomorrow. Anyway, VHS 2 will be out in theaters in July 12.