Thanks to Tsubalicious for the info.

The drama Takki did for 24jikan last year is going to be released on DVD.

=====================================================

+ CDJapan info +

title: 24jikan TV Drama Special - Chichi no Umi, Boku no Sora
Release Date: 2005/05/25
Starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Hideaki Takizawa, Aoi Miyazaki, Kazuo Kitamura
Special Features: Extras expected
price: 3800yen

======================================================

Have not been in a genki/cheerful mood for the past few days. I will be fine in a few days time. I will still post entries, but just the main info that I get. Sorry for the really short posts and 1-liners.

3 within about a year's span. Everything I did felt so familiar and it is so totally wrong to feel this way. It's not like I want to feel this way. I do not have a choice. Everyone around me were so surprised. Usually, someone around my age range would not be familiar with such things. I know this is inevitable. But I hope it doesn't happen, at least not in the near future.

The bonus track for the new single has been revealed. It's entitled "Romantic".

Happy Birthday Hideaki Takizawa.

+ ONE + + TWO + + THREE + + FOUR + + FIVE +

(editted @ 3AM)

Takki appeared on NHK StudioPark on Tuesday (050322). I only got a short part of it (02:22). But it's the essence I think. They showed Takki's appearance on NHK StudioPark when he was 15 years old, doing a dance!!!! So cute!!!!!

When the hosts first tell Takki that they are going to show Takki's appearance on NHK StudioPark when he was only a 15yr old boy, Takki's expression went from shocked to embarrassed to anxious. (& anticipative?) I think he was worried also, didn't really know what to expect.

The VTR is from 1997.5.5 NHK StudioPark.

15-yr old Takki enters through a side-door when the hosts of StudioPark introduces him. He looks soooo excited and raises both hands in the air repeatedly as the live audience cheers and screams loudly. Takki was so excited that he forgot to close the door after that!!! Then the female host says, "Kawaii desu ne~~~" (Of course yo! It's Takizawa!!! ) Then the scene cuts to Takki standing at a side of the couch and the 2 hosts watching him. Music starts and Takki starts moving to the beat of the music as if in preparation before the start of a dance. (In the inset, we can see 22yr-Takki laughing hysterically at 15yr-Takki. ) And then Takki starts dancing to the music!! Takki was so embarrassed that he said, "Yamete kore~~!!!"

And...and....and...then........01:19.
TAKIZAWA, YOU ERO ERO JIJI-SAN!!! (at 15 yrs old!!!)

After the VTR ended, Takki was so embarassed. But all the hosts and other guests were like, "Sugoi desu ne~~~~" And of course Takki couldn't stop grinning!!!!!!!!!! Ahh.... Takki's grin!!! Kawaii~~~~~ Takki was so hot from the embarrassment that he had to use his hands to fan himself!! Takki was like, "Hazukashii~~~" and "Bikkurishita~~~"

01:29. They showed a spilt second of the live audience. The ones lucky enough to sit on chairs inside the studio were mainly middle-aged women. And the majority of the fans were watching from outside the glass window. Btw, I saw 2 handdrawn potraits of Yoshitsune which fans held to the glass window.

I wonder if anything else interesting happened after that? The clip I have ends shortly after the VTR. Hmm.... I do have StudioPark on my cable. But the schedule for the airing of StudioPark is totally unearthly!!!! If I am still a student, I would still be able to watch it because I sleep at insane times. But as a OL now, I can't afford to. StudioPark airs @ about 4+ PM and 4+ AM on my cable. Hmm.... I have to move my butt and seriously schedule some timer recordings!!! I have to utilise my NHK channel more yo!!!

(Credits of info & clip to Blu & Elysia @ JC. )

第158章 - 滝連合 (050321)

お疲れちゃん
今日はこないだ言ったコンサート裏側を話そうかな!!
長いよ・・・？いいの・・・？？？
とりあえず今回は、コンサートはスケジュール的に難しいって
話しになり、一年間お預けって感じだったんだけど、いきなり
Ｊ『ＹＯＵ～達コンサートやっちゃいなよ!!』
Ｔ『だってやらないって言ってなかった？？？しかも何も準備してないよ』
Ｊ『じゃーやらないって事でいいのね!?』
Ｔ『あっヤルやる』って感じで決まったの!!
だから俺達もコンサートスタッフもアタフタアタフタだったよ
まー今も焦ってるんだけどね
色々なやり方あると思うけど俺達の場合は、大体コンサートの構成などは、本番の４ヶ月ぐらい前からイメージをして、まずは文章に起こすんだ!!
例えばオープニングは赤のイメージで火を使った演出・・・。
みたいな感じで進める感じかな！
そこから曲を決めて、ある程度の流れを作るのよ!! !!
それから、会場によって可能な演出や特効などなど調べて、ステージの形を決めて、衣裳のデザイン画を作って、初めてリハーサル＆振り付けをする！
この時は大体本番の１ヶ月前ぐらいかな
文章に書いてあるイメージを自分たちが動いて再現する感じかな。
細かい所を直しながら本番を迎えるスーパー簡単に言ったらこんな感じだよ
よく手紙にこの曲やってって書いてあるんだけど、貰う時には既にその時期が過ぎてるんだよねもうちょい早く貰えると助かります
また滝連でいくつか演出するから、マメにチェックしてね
じゃー早速今日から一発目の演出ね!!
ちゃんとメモしといてよー。

とりあえずツアーＴシャツ着て（?.ー；）
前回なんか着ろって言ってんのに着てない人いたし（＞_＜）
会場全体が同じＴシャツ着ててもウケルけど、俺達はかなりうれしいよ
着てなかったらマジで抱きしめちゃうよもしかしてこれが逆効果なの（・_・）？？

あと、福岡のみんな大丈夫か？
新潟といい福岡もだけど他人事には思えないよ。
頑張れ!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ostukarechan!! Phew, such a longgggg Takiren!!!!! Please excuse my extremely limited knowledge of the Japanese language. Nere will definitely have a much better translation. (erm, actually, mine is not even a translation. It's more of a summary. ) Ok, bascially, Takki mentions about how he found out about the concert. Johnny-san told (more of commanded actually) him, " YOU are doing a concert na yo!!" (Eh?? Mata? Has Johnny now decided to spring a surprise on his artistes about their concerts?? Or is it just Takki & Tsuba? ) He also says that the concert schedule this time is difficult. Therefore, the preparations for this concert are taihen. Various preparations, among others, is to think about the venue, general outline composition of the concert etc. He is thinking a lot about one's image and mentioned the example of using fire (I think he is referring to his image last year, where Takki had a fire at his "T" and Tsubasa had a wing at his "T"). He also mentioned about using stage props to match one's image. This time, there is little time to decide and prepare the design of the costumes.

And guess what? Takki wants us to buy the concert tee and wear it at the concert. So, there will DEFINITELY be a concert tee again this year. Hai Takki, iyo, we will buy and wear it yo!!! But you have to have SMALLER SIZES!!!! Most of your fans are females!!! The sizes were humongous last year!! We were all literally swimming in the tee!!!! I really wana wear the tee to go out but it's so huge!!! So till date, I have only worn it about 3 times?

And he asks if everyone in Fukouka safe because there was quite a strong earthquake there yesterday. (Near to 7 on the Richter Scale) And he mentioned about the previous Niigata earthquake and tells everyone to ganbarre. Hmm.... mata charity and Takki as charity-ambassador?? Like an angel sent to them from heaven. Ii ne~~~~~ You are going to make many school children in Fukouka very very happy. Lucky school children again. Sigh.

( どうもありがとうございます to Bee&Jan )

戴きます!!!

+ ONE + + TWO + + THREE + + FOUR + + FIVE +

Glomp glomp.....yum yum.....

Wow, are Takitsuba fans fast or what? Kamen lyrics are up and can be found @ + 2nd Face + & + Ray-san's romanised lyrics + (She has the Japanese lyrics as well.)

(どうもありがとうございます to Jenn & Ray-san for the lyrics )


Sidetrack: Nere sms-ed Snuffles yesterday who then sms-ed me and told me that Kimutaku was in MALAYSIA yesterday!!!! Woah!!!! Then I found out that Kimutaku has a new dorama entitled "Engine" coming up. It is due to air on April 18th, Monday @ 9pm on FujiTV. He is starring as a racing/test driver. So it's dorama shooting @ Malaysia GP. Lucky fans in Malaysia ne~~~

(花になれ　空になれ　夢になれ　この変化して
鳥になれ　海になれ　夢になれ　時代変化して...............)

The mad rush for downloads starts again with Takitsuba's new single releasing soon. It seems that Takitsuba appeared in a VTR on Mezamashi TV news this morning for their new single. It was not a very long clip apparently.

Sponichi
Nikkansports
Daily Sports

(Original source of links from Yahoo Japan News. Thanks to Junko for the info @ JC)

I LOVE KAMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG!!! It's really very very good!!!! (Besides the fact that it's going to be used as the theme song for Mask 2 ) But the song sounds GREAT and to me, that is all that matters!!!!!

Tsubasa played Takitsuba's upcoming new single's song Kamen on tonight's ToBase. He played the whole song!!! It's really very good! I liked it the first time I heard it already. Love at First Hearing!!! And this time, you can really hear it so much more clearly on ToBase and feel the vibes of the song! And I can hear Takki singing!!! This is a UNIT song!!! Unit songs should be sung by BOTH of them!! I mean, the live version from the baseball game was only Tsubasa singing and there was alot of background sounds from the audience screaming as well. So, tonight is really the first time I heard Kamen so clearly!!! Like what Jenn said, I too feel that the first time the fans hear a new unit song, it should be properly sung by BOTH of them! This way, fans would be able to get the right impressions and feelings for the song.

Kamen is 5.02 mins long. The chorus is the best!!!! Upbeat and dance song!! Yata!!! PV dase!!!! Hayaku!!!!! I want AND need to know the dance movements!!!! Hmmmm..... so this single includes 2 theme songs ne? Kamen for Mask 2 and Mirai Koukai for One Piece. Actually, both songs do sound right for a movie/anime. I wonder what props are Takitsuba going to use for Kamen. Really interested to find out after listening to the song!! It's really upbeat!!! And I am sure they have to use a prop that is somehow in relation to the movie desho? Like how they used shawls and bit the shawls at the end of singing One Day, One Dream because ODOD was used for Inuyasha, to depict a dog biting something. Erm, for Kamen.... masks??? But how are the fans going to deal with masks? If we are going to cover our faces with masks, we wouldn't be able to keep our eyes glued on Takitsuba yo!!!!

皆さん!!! Have you pre-ordered your THREE versions of Kamen + Mirai Koukai single yet?? Kamen really sounds good!!! Plus after hearing it, my head just automatically imagines scenes from the PV. Sorry I cant concentrate on listening to the rest of ToBase to hear properly what Tsubasa said, much less translate it. Too engrossed with Kamen now.

borrows snuffles nick: 仮面は最高

(どうもありがとうございます to yosho for ToBase )

Kamen on endless auto-repeat mode

(re-editted new single info @ 050317 2.08AM)
どうもありがとうございます to nere for the info.

(editted new single info about KAMEN @ 050315 10.50AM)

Firstly,

Takki Rengo No. 157 (050312)

お疲れちゃん！！
春春って言うけど、まだまだ寒い日が続くね
あと風邪も流行ってるし(+。+)
みんなコンサート前なんだから気をつけてね
いきなり決まったから最近は焦ってコンサートの構成を作ってます
前回はナンダカンダ流れが良かったから、今回はカナリ難しいよー
今回もやっぱり皆も踊って歌いたいよね？
ハァ～頑張って作ります
今度さぁ～コンサートが出来るまでを語ろうか！？
そうするとまた違う角度から見れるもんね！！
想像以上に深いよー♪ 今週は義経撮影も大変だけど頑張るぞ！！

P.S. ちゃんとカレンダー見た？
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otsukarechan!!
Speaking of haru (spring), there are still many cold days ne.
The cold is also spreading around.
Everyone, please take of yourselves before the concert ne.
Erm, and he says that the preparations for the previous concerts are easier but this time is difficult yo. (Sorry I can't do an accurate translation here.)
This time, everyone wants to sing and dance along too yo ne?
I will do my best.
Next time, should I wait till the concert is possible before I say something!?
Things will be seen from a different view then.
Imagination is so deep yo
This week is Yoshitsune shooting so it's taihen but ganbaruzo!!
PS: You have seen the calendar?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Takki is the best salesman to boost sales for anything T&T related!!! He always ask if we have heard the new song, seen Yoshitsune, seen dvd, seen calendar etc..... Ahh, I can't really do a direct translation for some of it. Please excuse my poor Japanese language.

Next,

New Single is KAMEN & MIRAI KOUKAI (double A side single, on sale 050504)
KAMEN is officially announced as the theme song to be used for the movie Mask 2 airing in Japan on 050416. (Do you think they will go for the opening in Japan? ). And as we all already know, MIRAI KOUKAI has been the theme song for the anime "One Piece" for some time now.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tower Records
CDJapan
仮面／未来航海 [CD+DVD]＜初回特典封入＞First Special Edition
(includes dvd of Kamen PV shooting + One Piece sticker)
Song List:
+ Kamen
+ Mirai Koukai
+ Kamen (karaoke version)
+ Mirai Koukai (karaoke version)

Tower Records
CDJapan
仮面／未来航海＜通常盤＞Normal Edition
(includes bonus track. "Imai Tsubasa" song kana? )
Song List:
+ Kamen
+ Mirai Koukai
+ Kamen (karaoke version)
+ Mirai Koukai (karaoke version)

Tower Records
CDJapan
仮面／未来航海 [CD+ブックレット]＜初回限定生産盤＞Limited Edition
(includes 36-page booklet + One Piece sticker)
Song List:
+ Kamen
+ Mirai Koukai
+ Bonus Track (unknown yet)
+ Kamen (karaoke version)
+ Mirai Koukai (karaoke version)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is insane. 2 versions I can still handle. But now THREE?! Oh........ Kitagawa really knows how to squeeze all the $$ from fans . Oh gawd, the dvd has Kamen PV shooting!!!! Yata!!!!!! Judging from how Kamen sounds like, I am anticipating a dance PV yo!!! And a THIRTY-SIX page booklet?!!! Ok, it does not say if it's picture booklet or not, but most probably it is. (I think) And a bonus track for the normal edition?! Aiyaya, does this mean I really have to buy THREE versions??!!!!! Okane~~~~~~~~~~

(どうもありがとうございます to Bee & Jan for the above Takiren and info )