'Midsummer Showery Rain' - an Okada Masaki MV

Midsummer Showery Rain from Icha74 on Vimeo.

I made this MV because I wonder how Yamada Haruhiko’s love story could be. Chiisana Kyojin wasn’t a series about love, hence we only had Kosaka-Misa’s relationship there. Given that Yamada is a very career-oriented person, I imagine he would have broken the hearts of some women… or he himself was broken-hearted because of his decision. When I was shifting through Okada Masaki’s old movies, I found that Matataki (with Kitagawa Keiko) could fit the story if I altered it (big time – chronologically). Hence this MV, featuring Kitagawa Keiko’s character as a past love that Yamada left behind to pursue his career, yet she was also the one who never left his heart.

YouTube and Daiymotion rejected this MV (because of Utada Hikaru’s beautiful song I think). Thus I could only post it in Vimeo, and partly (140 sec) in Twitter as well. I adapted the lyrics translation by Nakari Amane (beautiful, beautiful translation, by the way). I post the adapted translation below the break. I hope you like it. If you can’t view Vimeo, I have uploaded the MV in three parts in Twitter, and they are embedded below the break.

Oh yeah, I borrowed Aoki Ikkō's scene when he woke up from his sensual dream in Himitsu 2016. I should make a specific Aoki MV, right? Many Okada-sama's fans these days seem to split between loving him or loving Yamada, hehehehehehe! (Update: the Aoki Ikkō MV is here!)

My one-year review of Macbook 2016 (rose gold!)

English roses for my Rosie...

Breaking a bit from my Okada Masaki-fever, I’d like to talk about my laptop now. My 2016 Macbook rose gold, to be exact…

There was only one good thing that happened after Trump went into power last year for me. That was: suddenly The Good Guys had a massive discount on their Apple-related products. Since I had always coveted for the rose gold 2016 Macbook, as soon as I realised that TGG dropped the Macbook price, I went to one of their stores. Using my very rare pay for a big work that I did in Oct-Nov 2016, I went in, and went out again with an AUD 2,000 rose gold Macbook 2016. The 20% off was certainly appealing… (and no, I don’t think TGG dropping the Apple price had anything to do with Trump winning, but it was a weird coincidence…).

Now, a year later, I thought that I’d better give a review of how my life has been with Rosie, the rose gold 2016 Macbook. For reference, she’s my first Mac, and I have loved her since I saw her. I organise the review in no particular order, and since I’m not an IT person, if you want to get this baby, you better read other people’s review, like this one, for better reference. Oh, and this website gives a good review of why many of us love rose gold (“Rose gold is compelling, Eiseman says, because it offers a subtle sense of peacefulness. It's soothing and calming.” – dang right!). 

'Under Pressure' - an Okada Masaki MV

If by now it's not yet clear that I love Chiisana Kyojin 小さな巨人 (TBS 2017), well here I say it again: I LOVE the series. I have summarised all episodes, but haven't finished giving a review. However, I do love the series, very much. I love that Okada Masaki got that role, as I said here, it diversified his portfolio big time. It's not that Masaki has never played detectives before, but this is the first time he played a detective with such a jagged, shaded character, that it definitely is a breath of fresh air for me! Hence this MV, using Queen's classic 'Under Pressure' (feat. David Bowie).

Okada-san himself has apparently been waiting for a long time for such a role that he got very excited when he was chosen to play Yamada Haruhiko. He also had to shoot at crazy hours, including up to 3 am in the morning (poor baby... no wonder he was often angry in the series, LOL!). The snippet of his interview is after the break, as well as the lyrics for 'Under Pressure'.

Chiisana Kyojin 2017 summary and review

Okada Masaki as the hot, secretive Yamada Haruhiko (山田春彦) 

I finally finished Chiisana Kyojin (小さな巨人 , literally translated as "Little Giants"), albeit it's not yet subtitled, hence following it is rather difficult. The series is so good that I watched it twice, partly to get a better understanding of the story, and partly just to have a Masaki-festa. Okada Masaki played as another detective, but unlike when he was at the Scientific Investigation Squad (as Inspector Yurine Tomohisa), this time Yamada Haruhiko (山田春彦) was a serious detective at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Trivia: 春彦 Haruhiko means “the lad of spring time”, hence Yamada’s name can be interpreted as “the lad of spring time that wanders around the mountains and paddy fields”. Nice, eh?

I’m VERY happy that Masaki took this role, because Yamada diversified Masaki’s portfolio a lot. Yamada Haruhiko is officially my favourite Okada Masaki character to date (excluding those I haven’t seen, e.g., Nijimura Keichō and Katsura Kotarō). Seriously, Masaki was AMAZING as Yamada Haruhiko. Aside from the fact that I totally think he’s hot as Yamada, Masaki as Yamada also had a screen presence. Yamada’s steps were decided, determined and – at times – also threatening.  His manner of speaking was brisk and at times clipped, such that it created throbbing sensations in my heart (and I’m not the only one thinking like that…). Unlike many of Masaki’s characters (the unlucky yet kind Kakushidate Yakusuke comes to mind) who had the penchant of speaking long sentences very fast, Yamada’s sentences are jagged and to the point. Yamada isn’t a person who beats around the bush, and he’s generally very clear of what he wants. Masaki also retained his habit to pronounce every “u” in any “desu” Yamada said (instead of just “des”), and this actually had lent to more impactful conversations with his jagged deliveries.

(I have uploaded the short review as well! Scroll down to the last section)

Bloodthirsty Justice - an Okada Masaki MV

So I made my first Okada Masaki MV last night! I didn't think I'd finish it so quickly, but I did! I chose Rurutia's 'Hallelujah' as the music, and it's a beautiful arrangement by the very talented singer. The music, however, is full of beats that I have to sync with the clips, hence I thought I would need at least a full day's of work for that. Glad that I finished it in just a few hours.

I combined three of Masaki's recent characters that I love: Nijimura Keichō 虹村形兆  (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure live action 2017), Yamada Haruhiko 山田春彦 (Chiisana Kyojin 2017) and Aoki Ikkō 青木一行 (Himitsu: the Top Secret 2016). I thought it would be nice to pit Masaki's characters against each other, in this case Keichō vs the team up of Yamada and Aoki.  I quite like the result.

Was thinking of using Masaki's character as Hazama Kurō (the Young Black Jack 2011), but I had no space for him in the MV. Perhaps next time if I can find Seinaru Kaibutsutachi clips, for that would mesh well with Black Jack.

Rurutia's 'Hallelujah' lyrics are after the break. Hope you like the MV!

A Lost Love, A Found Love

A Chiisana Kyojin fanfiction, starring Okada Masaki, Yoshine Kyoko and Hasegawa Hiroki. Contains spoilers, thus those who prefer not to be spoiled might be better off not reading this fan-fiction… 

Okada Masaki-kun as the sizzling hot Yamada Haruhiko 山田春彦 (Chiisana Kyojin, Ep 5)

The autumn rain kindly drizzled just as the funeral service was being concluded. Since it was just a drizzle, none of the very few attendants moved away from around the grave; they just produced their umbrellas and respectfully waited until the priest had finished the procedure. Yet, as it rained harder, one by one the attendants left, leaving Yamada Haruhiko standing in the rain as he watched the workers industriously closed the pit.

Sayōnara, Otō-sama…

Yamada felt warm drops slowly running over his face. Warm, so uncharacteristic of the autumn rain. Yet, it wasn’t the rain: it was his tears. Annoyed, he wiped his tears away.

“Yamada, we should go home now.”