Heartbeat
G.E.M.
By the time Hong Kong-based singer G.E.M. released her latest album, fans were already familiar with several of the tracks.
The star of the second season of televised contest I Am A Singer (2014) has been steadily releasing singles over the year and tracks such as Long Distance and One Way Road have topped music charts.
The ballad Long Distance is a winner with its cascading piano accompaniment and an earnest chorus: “I can get used to the long distance, love isn’t always up to us/Would rather use a different way, to love you from afar.”
All of the songs, wholly written by G.E.M., are catchy material that plays to her strength as a powerful and emotive singer.
But the album feels like a disparate collection, its parts never quite coherent as a whole – which may be the reason for or the result of the piecemeal release strategy.
(ST)
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Best Asian gigs of 2015
For Music, For Life... Liang Wenfu Concert 2015
The Star Theatre/April 10 and 11
Singer-songwriter Liang Wern Fook, whose name is pretty much synonymous with the home-grown Mandarin music movement that is xinyao, held his first solo concert and showed why he is the quintessential chronicler of Singapore life.
So what if he is primarily a songwriter and not a singer? His modest voice has a charm of its own and the fans lapped up the little anecdotes behind the famous compositions.
Jolin Tsai 2015 Play World Tour – Singapore
Singapore Indoor Stadium/July 25
Taking inspiration from her album Play (2014), Jolin Tsai morphed from Medusa – complete with a headpiece of writhing mechanical snakes (left) – to roaring 1920s flapper girl to underwater princess.
The Taiwanese diva shimmied with a bevy of statuesque dancers and delivered on both the high- octane tracks as well as the ballads. She even performed We’re All Different, Yet The Same – a song banned on radio and television here for its homosexual content – by presenting it as a broader anthem of inclusion and acceptance. Well played.
JJ Lin Timeline: Genesis World Tour
Singapore Indoor Stadium/Sept 5
Home-grown singer-songwriter JJ Lin kept it all in the family in the homecoming leg of his latest tour. He sang duets with his mother, father and elder brother and proclaimed to the full-house crowd: “Don’t blame me for being partial on my Singapore stop.”
There was also an SG50 moment when he sang Our Singapore, the English theme song for this year’s National Day celebrations. Singapore fans had no problems with him playing favourites at all.
Worst
S.H.E. / Aaron Yan Forever Stars 2015 Singapore
Singapore Indoor Stadium/ Nov 10
Popular Taiwanese girl group S.H.E. find themselves in this awkward spot no thanks to their labelmate Aaron Yan. He had problems with pitching and high notes and the loudest applause came when he announced his final number. Enough said.
(ST)
For Music, For Life... Liang Wenfu Concert 2015
The Star Theatre/April 10 and 11
Singer-songwriter Liang Wern Fook, whose name is pretty much synonymous with the home-grown Mandarin music movement that is xinyao, held his first solo concert and showed why he is the quintessential chronicler of Singapore life.
So what if he is primarily a songwriter and not a singer? His modest voice has a charm of its own and the fans lapped up the little anecdotes behind the famous compositions.
Jolin Tsai 2015 Play World Tour – Singapore
Singapore Indoor Stadium/July 25
Taking inspiration from her album Play (2014), Jolin Tsai morphed from Medusa – complete with a headpiece of writhing mechanical snakes (left) – to roaring 1920s flapper girl to underwater princess.
The Taiwanese diva shimmied with a bevy of statuesque dancers and delivered on both the high- octane tracks as well as the ballads. She even performed We’re All Different, Yet The Same – a song banned on radio and television here for its homosexual content – by presenting it as a broader anthem of inclusion and acceptance. Well played.
JJ Lin Timeline: Genesis World Tour
Singapore Indoor Stadium/Sept 5
Home-grown singer-songwriter JJ Lin kept it all in the family in the homecoming leg of his latest tour. He sang duets with his mother, father and elder brother and proclaimed to the full-house crowd: “Don’t blame me for being partial on my Singapore stop.”
There was also an SG50 moment when he sang Our Singapore, the English theme song for this year’s National Day celebrations. Singapore fans had no problems with him playing favourites at all.
Worst
S.H.E. / Aaron Yan Forever Stars 2015 Singapore
Singapore Indoor Stadium/ Nov 10
Popular Taiwanese girl group S.H.E. find themselves in this awkward spot no thanks to their labelmate Aaron Yan. He had problems with pitching and high notes and the loudest applause came when he announced his final number. Enough said.
(ST)
Best Mandarin albums of 2015
Amit2
By A-mei/Mei Entertainment
On her second record under the moniker of Amit, Taiwanese diva A-mei gets darker with songs such as Freak Show and Matriarchy.
She flirts with reggae and electronica on Jamaican Betel Nut and bristles with disdain on What D’ya Want?. Through them all, her pop instinct remains unerringly spot-on.
A Bloody Love Song makes you want to embark on a grand gothic romance simply because you have found the perfect soundtrack for it.
Aphasia
By Tanya Chua/Asia Muse Entertainment
Who knew that Tanya Chua and electronica would go so well together?
The Singapore singer-songwriter takes a gamble on her 10th Mandarin album by venturing into a new genre with long-time lyrics partner Xiaohan.
The result is Tanya as you have never seen or heard before. The term aphasia might refer to a speech disorder, but she is far from tongue-tied in this game-changing album.
Why? Art
By Yen-j/B’in Music International
Taiwanese singer-songwriter Yen-j draws on jazz, electronica and rap on this album. He also taps into a whole gamut of moods, from anger to playfulness to wistfulness.
The title track Ashtray is pulsing with energy and wordplay, while Traveller is languorously beguiling. This is artful pop music.
Worst
Because There’s You
By Ocean Ou/ Ocean Entertainment
Somebody has to tell Taiwanese singer-songwriter Ocean Ou that this is 2015, not 2003 – so move on already. His lone big hit of yore, Lonely Northern Hemisphere, actually appears here twice – as a reworked album opener and again in a karaoke version. Milking it much?
(ST)
Amit2
By A-mei/Mei Entertainment
On her second record under the moniker of Amit, Taiwanese diva A-mei gets darker with songs such as Freak Show and Matriarchy.
She flirts with reggae and electronica on Jamaican Betel Nut and bristles with disdain on What D’ya Want?. Through them all, her pop instinct remains unerringly spot-on.
A Bloody Love Song makes you want to embark on a grand gothic romance simply because you have found the perfect soundtrack for it.
Aphasia
By Tanya Chua/Asia Muse Entertainment
Who knew that Tanya Chua and electronica would go so well together?
The Singapore singer-songwriter takes a gamble on her 10th Mandarin album by venturing into a new genre with long-time lyrics partner Xiaohan.
The result is Tanya as you have never seen or heard before. The term aphasia might refer to a speech disorder, but she is far from tongue-tied in this game-changing album.
Why? Art
By Yen-j/B’in Music International
Taiwanese singer-songwriter Yen-j draws on jazz, electronica and rap on this album. He also taps into a whole gamut of moods, from anger to playfulness to wistfulness.
The title track Ashtray is pulsing with energy and wordplay, while Traveller is languorously beguiling. This is artful pop music.
Worst
Because There’s You
By Ocean Ou/ Ocean Entertainment
Somebody has to tell Taiwanese singer-songwriter Ocean Ou that this is 2015, not 2003 – so move on already. His lone big hit of yore, Lonely Northern Hemisphere, actually appears here twice – as a reworked album opener and again in a karaoke version. Milking it much?
(ST)
Best films of 2015
Ex Machina
Novelist Alex Garland of The Beach (1996) fame makes an auspicious directing debut with this cool, stylish and deeply unsettling sci-fi drama.
Programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is tasked by his mercurial boss Nathan (Oscar Isaac) to probe the thin line between human and artificial intelligence, and artificial intelligence just happens to come in the shapely android form of Ava (breakout Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, above).
The questions come fast and furious: Why was Caleb chosen? What is Nathan hiding? Are deception and seduction uniquely human traits? The disturbing ending is just perfect.
The Theory Of Everything
While only Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar, he and Felicity Jones gave two of the year’s best performances in this warm, honest biopic of famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking directed by James Marsh.
Redmayne’s Hawking was a layered one – cheekily charming, prey to doubts and frustrations and someone capable of falling in and out of love. Jones was just as compelling as the fiercely supportive first wife who was very much his equal.
The Songs We Sang
Film-maker Eva Tang’s documentary about the Singapore music movement known as xinyao is both heartfelt and meticulously researched. It is ambitious in scope as it traces the roots of today’s glittery Mandopop to the music written by students in the last days of Nanyang University before it merged with the University of Singapore in 1980.
Besides interviews with key musicians such as Billy Koh and Liang Wern Fook, there is also rich use of archival material from televised performances and newspaper articles.
Worst
Blackhat
For a movie that was supposed to be a globe-trotting cyber thriller, Blackhat was deadly dull. The story made little sense and wasted the international A-list cast assembled, from Chris Hemsworth to Tang Wei. The director responsible for this travesty was Michael Mann, whose previous work included well-regarded titles such as historical epic The Last Of The Mohicans (1992).
(ST)
Ex Machina
Novelist Alex Garland of The Beach (1996) fame makes an auspicious directing debut with this cool, stylish and deeply unsettling sci-fi drama.
Programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is tasked by his mercurial boss Nathan (Oscar Isaac) to probe the thin line between human and artificial intelligence, and artificial intelligence just happens to come in the shapely android form of Ava (breakout Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, above).
The questions come fast and furious: Why was Caleb chosen? What is Nathan hiding? Are deception and seduction uniquely human traits? The disturbing ending is just perfect.
The Theory Of Everything
While only Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar, he and Felicity Jones gave two of the year’s best performances in this warm, honest biopic of famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking directed by James Marsh.
Redmayne’s Hawking was a layered one – cheekily charming, prey to doubts and frustrations and someone capable of falling in and out of love. Jones was just as compelling as the fiercely supportive first wife who was very much his equal.
The Songs We Sang
Film-maker Eva Tang’s documentary about the Singapore music movement known as xinyao is both heartfelt and meticulously researched. It is ambitious in scope as it traces the roots of today’s glittery Mandopop to the music written by students in the last days of Nanyang University before it merged with the University of Singapore in 1980.
Besides interviews with key musicians such as Billy Koh and Liang Wern Fook, there is also rich use of archival material from televised performances and newspaper articles.
Worst
Blackhat
For a movie that was supposed to be a globe-trotting cyber thriller, Blackhat was deadly dull. The story made little sense and wasted the international A-list cast assembled, from Chris Hemsworth to Tang Wei. The director responsible for this travesty was Michael Mann, whose previous work included well-regarded titles such as historical epic The Last Of The Mohicans (1992).
(ST)
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Winter Endless
Sodagreen
Singapore might not experience winter, but Sodagreen’s ballad Rainy Night is still perfect for the season.
Lead vocalist Wu Ching-feng croons gently, offering comfort: “On a rainy night, your heart is shattered, let the rain quietly hide your tears.”
Six years after the luminous Daylight Of Spring (2009), the acclaimed Taiwanese band finally complete their ambitious four-
season Vivaldi project.
Following from the fervour of Summer/Fever (2009) and the melancholy of Autumn: Stories (2013) comes the darker-themed Winter Endless.
Song titles such as Accusing A Murderer, Dream Of Chernobyl and We Don’t Know evoke death, destruction and uncertainty. As if in contrast, the music can be lush and orchestral, blooming against the stark imagery.
The band also venture into new territory with their first all-English track, but the lyrics seem rather plain in comparison to their Chinese ones, which draw on everything from Sisyphus of Greek myth to a nuclear plant explosion.
Album closer Must Keep Singing offers a glimmer of light, but Wu is weary and conflicted even as he soldiers on: “I must keep singing/I cannot keep trying/I must keep dreaming/I must keep cheating myself.”
This seems like a rather sombre note on which to end the four seasons, so good thing there is a second disc.
It features largely instrumental pieces, including a four-movement piano concerto, Ode Of Winter.
It feels like the seed the band planted in Daylight Of Spring, in the track Symphonic Dream, has finally borne fruit.
The circle and cycle are complete.
(ST)
Sodagreen
Singapore might not experience winter, but Sodagreen’s ballad Rainy Night is still perfect for the season.
Lead vocalist Wu Ching-feng croons gently, offering comfort: “On a rainy night, your heart is shattered, let the rain quietly hide your tears.”
Six years after the luminous Daylight Of Spring (2009), the acclaimed Taiwanese band finally complete their ambitious four-
season Vivaldi project.
Following from the fervour of Summer/Fever (2009) and the melancholy of Autumn: Stories (2013) comes the darker-themed Winter Endless.
Song titles such as Accusing A Murderer, Dream Of Chernobyl and We Don’t Know evoke death, destruction and uncertainty. As if in contrast, the music can be lush and orchestral, blooming against the stark imagery.
The band also venture into new territory with their first all-English track, but the lyrics seem rather plain in comparison to their Chinese ones, which draw on everything from Sisyphus of Greek myth to a nuclear plant explosion.
Album closer Must Keep Singing offers a glimmer of light, but Wu is weary and conflicted even as he soldiers on: “I must keep singing/I cannot keep trying/I must keep dreaming/I must keep cheating myself.”
This seems like a rather sombre note on which to end the four seasons, so good thing there is a second disc.
It features largely instrumental pieces, including a four-movement piano concerto, Ode Of Winter.
It feels like the seed the band planted in Daylight Of Spring, in the track Symphonic Dream, has finally borne fruit.
The circle and cycle are complete.
(ST)
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Hubert Ng
Hubert Ng
This four-song EP marks the debut of Singapore singer-songwriter Hubert Ng as well as points to potential pop idol, given the styling of both his songs and the photographs.
Moreover, the business undergraduate has fresh-faced looks and a voice that passes muster.
Opening number Can’t Let Go shows a good grasp of the tuneful ballad with a chorus that soars into falsetto territory. He switches things up with the breezy Angel, which chugs along with rhythmic claps, and the electronic dance-pop of Game Strong.
The lyrics need a little more work – they can sometimes feel too run-of-the-mill.
The challenge with putting out accessible pop is not to stick too closely to the middle of the road – you can easily get lost in the mass of traffic there.
(ST)
Hubert Ng
This four-song EP marks the debut of Singapore singer-songwriter Hubert Ng as well as points to potential pop idol, given the styling of both his songs and the photographs.
Moreover, the business undergraduate has fresh-faced looks and a voice that passes muster.
Opening number Can’t Let Go shows a good grasp of the tuneful ballad with a chorus that soars into falsetto territory. He switches things up with the breezy Angel, which chugs along with rhythmic claps, and the electronic dance-pop of Game Strong.
The lyrics need a little more work – they can sometimes feel too run-of-the-mill.
The challenge with putting out accessible pop is not to stick too closely to the middle of the road – you can easily get lost in the mass of traffic there.
(ST)
Monday, December 14, 2015
Li Fei Hui Concert
Esplanade Concert Hall
Last Saturday
Home-grown singer-songwriter Roy Loi’s solo gig was equal parts music concert and story-telling session.
His signature hit is the ballad Waited For You Till My Heart Ached. But some fans got to know about the singer, better known as Li Feihui, from the classic ballad he wrote, Love Like The Tides, sung by Taiwanese star Jeff Chang.
Still others encountered him as an actor first, including from his turn as a baddie in the long-running Channel 8 drama 118 (2014-2015).
Over the course of four hours, the full-house audience of 1,600 got to know him better.
He recounted how he started out listening to Western heavy metal and hard rock, was inspired to pick up the guitar on his own and how he was given a chance to release his first album in 1988, despite being overweight when the record label first contacted him.
He was a personable presence on stage. He could laugh at himself and was also happy to crack jokes at the expense of old friends such as singer Eric Moo, who was performing in Taipei that same night.
At one point, he sang a snatch of Moo’s hit, Too Foolish, before cheekily adding: “That’s not written by me, you won’t hear it tonight.”
After all, there was more than enough material for him to cover.
As a singer in his own right, he released five albums in Singapore and then three in Taiwan in the mid-1990s, with hits such as Please Pass Through My Heart, Time Flies, Love Flies and Only You Can Complete My Song.
He also penned songs for the biggest stars of Chinese pop and the likes of Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung sent their best wishes in video segments played during the concert.
Loi displayed a talent for mimicry when he imitated Lau’s way of singing for the track Practice.
Impressively, he even sang the xinyao classic, Friendship Forever, in the distinctive styles of a few singers.
Even those who know him as a talented songwriter might be surprised at how prolific he is.
Sandy Lam’s Shadow Lover, Daniel Chan’s A Man Like The Wind and even the theme song of Jack Neo’s long-running sketch show Gao Xiao Xing Dong (Comedy Tonight) were all penned by him. Neo showed his support by turning up to sing that familiar number.
The evening ended, of course, with a mass singalong of Waited For You Till My Heart Ached.
The concert may be over, but with Loi continuing to write songs and to act in more projects, it is clear that he is not quite done with telling stories just yet.
(ST)
Esplanade Concert Hall
Last Saturday
Home-grown singer-songwriter Roy Loi’s solo gig was equal parts music concert and story-telling session.
His signature hit is the ballad Waited For You Till My Heart Ached. But some fans got to know about the singer, better known as Li Feihui, from the classic ballad he wrote, Love Like The Tides, sung by Taiwanese star Jeff Chang.
Still others encountered him as an actor first, including from his turn as a baddie in the long-running Channel 8 drama 118 (2014-2015).
Over the course of four hours, the full-house audience of 1,600 got to know him better.
He recounted how he started out listening to Western heavy metal and hard rock, was inspired to pick up the guitar on his own and how he was given a chance to release his first album in 1988, despite being overweight when the record label first contacted him.
He was a personable presence on stage. He could laugh at himself and was also happy to crack jokes at the expense of old friends such as singer Eric Moo, who was performing in Taipei that same night.
At one point, he sang a snatch of Moo’s hit, Too Foolish, before cheekily adding: “That’s not written by me, you won’t hear it tonight.”
After all, there was more than enough material for him to cover.
As a singer in his own right, he released five albums in Singapore and then three in Taiwan in the mid-1990s, with hits such as Please Pass Through My Heart, Time Flies, Love Flies and Only You Can Complete My Song.
He also penned songs for the biggest stars of Chinese pop and the likes of Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung sent their best wishes in video segments played during the concert.
Loi displayed a talent for mimicry when he imitated Lau’s way of singing for the track Practice.
Impressively, he even sang the xinyao classic, Friendship Forever, in the distinctive styles of a few singers.
Even those who know him as a talented songwriter might be surprised at how prolific he is.
Sandy Lam’s Shadow Lover, Daniel Chan’s A Man Like The Wind and even the theme song of Jack Neo’s long-running sketch show Gao Xiao Xing Dong (Comedy Tonight) were all penned by him. Neo showed his support by turning up to sing that familiar number.
The evening ended, of course, with a mass singalong of Waited For You Till My Heart Ached.
The concert may be over, but with Loi continuing to write songs and to act in more projects, it is clear that he is not quite done with telling stories just yet.
(ST)
Wednesday, December 09, 2015
Five things for anime fans to do in Japan
Relax at Animax Cafe
At Animax Cafe in Akihabara, Tokyo, the staff dream of becoming professional seiyu, or voice actors, and handily belt out songs to entertain diners.
The theme at the concept cafe changes regularly and extends to the merchandise, food and drinks menu and also the coasters. The popular taiyaki snack, a fish-shaped cake with various fillings, gets an anime twist and is shaped into characters from shows.
A new branch of the cafe opened in Osaka in June.
When The Straits Times went to the Tokyo cafe last month, Star-Mu, an anime series about high school students of a music academy, was in the spotlight, while collectibles from the swimming series Free! were on sale.
Where: 3-7-12 Sotokanda Chiyoda-ku Tokyo
When: Noon to 10pm (weekday), 11am to 10pm (weekend)
Admission: 500 yen (S$5.70) plus a mandatory food and drink order for the table area and a mandatory order of either food or drink at the cafe area
Info: cafe.animax.co.jp (in Japanese)
Play at J-World Tokyo
Shonen Jump is a long-running weekly manga anthology and many of its popular titles have been adapted into anime, including ninja action drama Naruto, pirate comedy One Piece and volleyball series Haikyu.
At J-World, step into the shoes of your favourite character and, for example, solve puzzles to collect Dragon Balls or try to spike a volleyball set up by star player Kageyama. There are also limited-edition merchandise to buy and character-themed food and drinks to tuck into.
Where: 3-1-3 Higashiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Sunshine City World Import Mart Building 3F
When: 10am to 10pm daily Admission: An Unlimited Attractions Pass costs 2,600 yen for adults and 2,400 yen for children (aged four to 15) and includes the entrance fee and unlimited one-day access to rides and attractions. A Night Passport for use between 5 and 10pm costs 1,800 yen for adults and 1,600 yen for children
Info: www.namco.co.jp/tp/j-world/en/
Learn at Suginami Animation Museum
Find out what goes into the making of an anime.
Learn the basics of animation in a workshop and take a shot at dubbing a character’s voice at an interactive display.
There are also exhibits on the history of the genre, a library stocked with anime-related material and photo opportunities such as pretending to be a member of classic character Chibi Maruko-chan’s family. Note that most of the material is in Japanese.Where: 3-29-5 Kamiogi Suginami-ku, Tokyo
When: 10am to 6pm. Closed on Mondays, from Dec 28 to Jan 4 and on the day after a national holiday
Admission: Free
Info: sam.or.jp/english–home
Work out at an Anisong concert
Animax Musix, organised yearly by Animax Japan since 2009, is one of the biggest anisong (anime song) live concerts in Japan.
At the Nov 21 edition at the 17,000-seat Yokohama Arena, fans were on their feet for more than six hours in a song-and-dance extravaganza, waving their lightsticks in perfect timing to the rhythm of every track.
Apart from hearing their favourite anime theme songs from more than 40 acts, they were also treated to one-off collaborations between artists.
Rocker Gero caused a stir when he appeared in drag as the seventh member of girl group iRis for the pairing Gero-Ris.
The next Animax Musix concert will be held in Osaka on Feb 13.
Info: musix.animax.co.jp (in Japanese)
Get a sensory overload at Robot Restaurant
This could well be a draw for those who love mecha, a specific genre of robots and humanoid machines with titles such as Gundam and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
The kaleidoscopic waiting area, with its lights, mirrors and glittery surfaces, is merely a tease for the over-the-top neon fantasy to follow – performers drum up a storm, laser beams bounce off the walls, a clown sits in the lap of a giant female figure and, yes, there are robots dancing.
Sit in the first row and have the action take place a hair’s breadth away.
Where: 1-7-1 Kabukicho Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku Tokyo
When: Daily shows at 4, 5.55, 7.50 and 9.45pm. Arrive 30 minutes before showtime. Closed from Dec 31 to Jan 3
Admission: 7,000 yen a person, discounts available on the website
Info: www.shinjuku-robot.com/pc/?lng=en
(ST)
Relax at Animax Cafe
At Animax Cafe in Akihabara, Tokyo, the staff dream of becoming professional seiyu, or voice actors, and handily belt out songs to entertain diners.
The theme at the concept cafe changes regularly and extends to the merchandise, food and drinks menu and also the coasters. The popular taiyaki snack, a fish-shaped cake with various fillings, gets an anime twist and is shaped into characters from shows.
A new branch of the cafe opened in Osaka in June.
When The Straits Times went to the Tokyo cafe last month, Star-Mu, an anime series about high school students of a music academy, was in the spotlight, while collectibles from the swimming series Free! were on sale.
Where: 3-7-12 Sotokanda Chiyoda-ku Tokyo
When: Noon to 10pm (weekday), 11am to 10pm (weekend)
Admission: 500 yen (S$5.70) plus a mandatory food and drink order for the table area and a mandatory order of either food or drink at the cafe area
Info: cafe.animax.co.jp (in Japanese)
Play at J-World Tokyo
Shonen Jump is a long-running weekly manga anthology and many of its popular titles have been adapted into anime, including ninja action drama Naruto, pirate comedy One Piece and volleyball series Haikyu.
At J-World, step into the shoes of your favourite character and, for example, solve puzzles to collect Dragon Balls or try to spike a volleyball set up by star player Kageyama. There are also limited-edition merchandise to buy and character-themed food and drinks to tuck into.
Where: 3-1-3 Higashiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Sunshine City World Import Mart Building 3F
When: 10am to 10pm daily Admission: An Unlimited Attractions Pass costs 2,600 yen for adults and 2,400 yen for children (aged four to 15) and includes the entrance fee and unlimited one-day access to rides and attractions. A Night Passport for use between 5 and 10pm costs 1,800 yen for adults and 1,600 yen for children
Info: www.namco.co.jp/tp/j-world/en/
Learn at Suginami Animation Museum
Find out what goes into the making of an anime.
Learn the basics of animation in a workshop and take a shot at dubbing a character’s voice at an interactive display.
There are also exhibits on the history of the genre, a library stocked with anime-related material and photo opportunities such as pretending to be a member of classic character Chibi Maruko-chan’s family. Note that most of the material is in Japanese.Where: 3-29-5 Kamiogi Suginami-ku, Tokyo
When: 10am to 6pm. Closed on Mondays, from Dec 28 to Jan 4 and on the day after a national holiday
Admission: Free
Info: sam.or.jp/english–home
Work out at an Anisong concert
Animax Musix, organised yearly by Animax Japan since 2009, is one of the biggest anisong (anime song) live concerts in Japan.
At the Nov 21 edition at the 17,000-seat Yokohama Arena, fans were on their feet for more than six hours in a song-and-dance extravaganza, waving their lightsticks in perfect timing to the rhythm of every track.
Apart from hearing their favourite anime theme songs from more than 40 acts, they were also treated to one-off collaborations between artists.
Rocker Gero caused a stir when he appeared in drag as the seventh member of girl group iRis for the pairing Gero-Ris.
The next Animax Musix concert will be held in Osaka on Feb 13.
Info: musix.animax.co.jp (in Japanese)
Get a sensory overload at Robot Restaurant
This could well be a draw for those who love mecha, a specific genre of robots and humanoid machines with titles such as Gundam and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
The kaleidoscopic waiting area, with its lights, mirrors and glittery surfaces, is merely a tease for the over-the-top neon fantasy to follow – performers drum up a storm, laser beams bounce off the walls, a clown sits in the lap of a giant female figure and, yes, there are robots dancing.
Sit in the first row and have the action take place a hair’s breadth away.
Where: 1-7-1 Kabukicho Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku Tokyo
When: Daily shows at 4, 5.55, 7.50 and 9.45pm. Arrive 30 minutes before showtime. Closed from Dec 31 to Jan 3
Admission: 7,000 yen a person, discounts available on the website
Info: www.shinjuku-robot.com/pc/?lng=en
(ST)
Cooties
Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion
The story: Clint Hadson (Elijah Wood) is a struggling writer who returns to his old elementary school in Chicken, Illinois, as a substitute teacher. His high school crush, Lucy McCormick (Alison Pill), is teaching there too, but she is dating the boorish physical education teacher, Wade Johnson (Rainn Wilson). Meanwhile, the children start to exhibit terrifying behaviour as an infection spreads rapidly through the school.
The recent Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse crossed the zombie flick with the teenage sex comedy to middling effect. The more successful hybrid is Cooties because it energises the genre by juvenilising it.
If you have always had the sneaky suspicion that children are little monsters, well, this movie is firmly on your side. It smartly blurs the line between pint-sized terror and flesh-eating hellion because really, who can tell sometimes when it comes to kids?
And so we get this macabre scene of an infected child taking a bite out of another pupil – and it does not strike the substitute teacher as anything out of the ordinary.
Kudos to the debut directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion, as well as writers Leigh Whannell (Saw, 2004) and Ian Brennan (co-creator of horror comedy television series Scream Queens, 2015), for not handling the subject matter with kid gloves.
They pull no punches with the gore and violence in the scenes of carnage on the playground, even showing the kids playing with detached eyeballs and substituting human intestines for a skip rope.
There is a generous serving of humour as well, from the oddball characters to the droll dialogue. When things start spinning out of control, Wade exclaims: “You can’t eat the teachers, man.”
It would be tempting to write off Wood for slumming it after the blockbuster success of The Lord Of The Rings movies by making smaller, quirky movies. That would be doing him – and the offbeat charms of films such as Cooties and mystery thriller Grand Piano (2013) – a grave disservice.
(ST)
Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion
The story: Clint Hadson (Elijah Wood) is a struggling writer who returns to his old elementary school in Chicken, Illinois, as a substitute teacher. His high school crush, Lucy McCormick (Alison Pill), is teaching there too, but she is dating the boorish physical education teacher, Wade Johnson (Rainn Wilson). Meanwhile, the children start to exhibit terrifying behaviour as an infection spreads rapidly through the school.
The recent Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse crossed the zombie flick with the teenage sex comedy to middling effect. The more successful hybrid is Cooties because it energises the genre by juvenilising it.
If you have always had the sneaky suspicion that children are little monsters, well, this movie is firmly on your side. It smartly blurs the line between pint-sized terror and flesh-eating hellion because really, who can tell sometimes when it comes to kids?
And so we get this macabre scene of an infected child taking a bite out of another pupil – and it does not strike the substitute teacher as anything out of the ordinary.
Kudos to the debut directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion, as well as writers Leigh Whannell (Saw, 2004) and Ian Brennan (co-creator of horror comedy television series Scream Queens, 2015), for not handling the subject matter with kid gloves.
They pull no punches with the gore and violence in the scenes of carnage on the playground, even showing the kids playing with detached eyeballs and substituting human intestines for a skip rope.
There is a generous serving of humour as well, from the oddball characters to the droll dialogue. When things start spinning out of control, Wade exclaims: “You can’t eat the teachers, man.”
It would be tempting to write off Wood for slumming it after the blockbuster success of The Lord Of The Rings movies by making smaller, quirky movies. That would be doing him – and the offbeat charms of films such as Cooties and mystery thriller Grand Piano (2013) – a grave disservice.
(ST)
Sweet Lemons
Derrick Hoh
Beautiful Melody
Ming Bridges
On his previous Mandarin album Change? (2010), Singapore singer-songwriter Derrick Hoh cleverly sampled Aaron Kwok’s When I Know That You’re In Love and built a new song around it.
Buoyed by its success, he repeats that trick twice on his new album.
The title track Sweet Lemons riffs on Tarcy Su’s Lemon Tree (1996) – itself a cover of a song by German band Fool’s Garden. And the song Forever, previously collected on his English-language EP All I Want (2014), works in the 1994 PJ & Duncan hit Eternal Love.
Whatever happened to originality?
Being an okay cover singer/sampler of other people’s songs will not be enough to break Hoh through to the big time. Sticking to the chirpy dance-pop of Let’s Give Love Another Chance might well be a better strategy.
At least fellow singer-songwriter Ming Bridges is trying to crack the Taiwan market on her own merit.
The opening English- language title track is a declaration of her womanhood as she coos: “Say my name, make my body move/In the way, only you can do”.
The Mandarin version, with lyrics by Xiaohan, is less sensual and more romantic.
Hao Ren Jia, confusingly translated into English as China Wind, is the strongest offering here.
The ballad by Eric Ng and Xiaohan is tailored for Bridges’ voice as she yearns affectingly for a good man to appear.
She still needs to work on her enunciation though, as it sounds a little stiff in parts.
(ST)
Derrick Hoh
Beautiful Melody
Ming Bridges
On his previous Mandarin album Change? (2010), Singapore singer-songwriter Derrick Hoh cleverly sampled Aaron Kwok’s When I Know That You’re In Love and built a new song around it.
Buoyed by its success, he repeats that trick twice on his new album.
The title track Sweet Lemons riffs on Tarcy Su’s Lemon Tree (1996) – itself a cover of a song by German band Fool’s Garden. And the song Forever, previously collected on his English-language EP All I Want (2014), works in the 1994 PJ & Duncan hit Eternal Love.
Whatever happened to originality?
Being an okay cover singer/sampler of other people’s songs will not be enough to break Hoh through to the big time. Sticking to the chirpy dance-pop of Let’s Give Love Another Chance might well be a better strategy.
At least fellow singer-songwriter Ming Bridges is trying to crack the Taiwan market on her own merit.
The opening English- language title track is a declaration of her womanhood as she coos: “Say my name, make my body move/In the way, only you can do”.
The Mandarin version, with lyrics by Xiaohan, is less sensual and more romantic.
Hao Ren Jia, confusingly translated into English as China Wind, is the strongest offering here.
The ballad by Eric Ng and Xiaohan is tailored for Bridges’ voice as she yearns affectingly for a good man to appear.
She still needs to work on her enunciation though, as it sounds a little stiff in parts.
(ST)
Wednesday, December 02, 2015
Go Lala Go 2
Andrew Chien
The story: In this sequel to the hit 2010 romantic comedy, Du Lala (Ariel Lin) finds herself facing challenges on both the private and professional fronts. Her photographer-boyfriend Wang Wei (Vic Chou) seems to have no intention of proposing, while at work, it falls upon her to pull off an important assignment involving a fashion label headed by Chen Feng (Chen Bo-lin). When Chen starts to take an interest in Du, she finds herself torn.
Even though this is billed as a sequel, the cast are completely different from that of the earlier film.
Some key characters remain the same, but previously, Du Lala was played by actor-director Xu Jinglei while Wang Wei was played by singer-actor Stanley Huang.
With Taiwanese television stars Ariel Lin and Vic Chou stepping in and the addition of Chen Bo-lin as a new love interest, the feel is now very much that of an idol drama series.
Specifically, the popular romantic drama In Time With You (2011) casts a long shadow here.
Lin and Chen left such a deep impression as the central couple that it throws one off-balance to find them paired up once again in Go Lala Go 2.
On the one hand, it seems clear that moviegoers should be cheering on Du and Wang.
On the other hand, it is almost a reflex reaction to root for Lin and Chen instead, given their past history in an unrelated show.
What is also problematic is the fact that the tightly wound Du comes across as shrill most of the time and it is hard to see why the laidback Wang would fall for her.
Despite her protestations to the contrary, Du is very much a driven professional who wants to shine in her company and much of the movie is about the shenanigans that take place at work.
To tie the two strands together requires the contrivance of Wang working as a photographer for a corporate project and this plays out to largely frustrating effect.
While the movie offers some honest moments of reflection and self-awareness from the characters, it never fully satisfies as either a romance or a workplace drama.
(ST)
Andrew Chien
The story: In this sequel to the hit 2010 romantic comedy, Du Lala (Ariel Lin) finds herself facing challenges on both the private and professional fronts. Her photographer-boyfriend Wang Wei (Vic Chou) seems to have no intention of proposing, while at work, it falls upon her to pull off an important assignment involving a fashion label headed by Chen Feng (Chen Bo-lin). When Chen starts to take an interest in Du, she finds herself torn.
Even though this is billed as a sequel, the cast are completely different from that of the earlier film.
Some key characters remain the same, but previously, Du Lala was played by actor-director Xu Jinglei while Wang Wei was played by singer-actor Stanley Huang.
With Taiwanese television stars Ariel Lin and Vic Chou stepping in and the addition of Chen Bo-lin as a new love interest, the feel is now very much that of an idol drama series.
Specifically, the popular romantic drama In Time With You (2011) casts a long shadow here.
Lin and Chen left such a deep impression as the central couple that it throws one off-balance to find them paired up once again in Go Lala Go 2.
On the one hand, it seems clear that moviegoers should be cheering on Du and Wang.
On the other hand, it is almost a reflex reaction to root for Lin and Chen instead, given their past history in an unrelated show.
What is also problematic is the fact that the tightly wound Du comes across as shrill most of the time and it is hard to see why the laidback Wang would fall for her.
Despite her protestations to the contrary, Du is very much a driven professional who wants to shine in her company and much of the movie is about the shenanigans that take place at work.
To tie the two strands together requires the contrivance of Wang working as a photographer for a corporate project and this plays out to largely frustrating effect.
While the movie offers some honest moments of reflection and self-awareness from the characters, it never fully satisfies as either a romance or a workplace drama.
(ST)
Crescendo Original Soundtrack
Various artists
The Channel 8 television series Crescendo casts the spotlight on the home-grown Mandarin music movement that is xinyao.
But as the soundtrack makes clear, it wants to be more than an exercise in nostalgia. As the movement’s pioneer Liang Wern Fook says in the promotional material: “I hope that xinyao is not just an antique; we still have new songs, fresh talent. In my heart, what’s precious about xinyao is its spirit of innovation.”
So apart from guitar-backed covers of xinyao classics by a fresh generation of singers, there are three new numbers here.
There are the evocative ballads Wish To Tell You, written by Liang and huskily performed by A-do; and Look At You Quietly, written by stalwarts Roy Loi and Xing Zenghua and sung by Tang Wei’en. The light-hearted Happy Youths is a slice-of-life ditty from new names He Shenghui and Guo Weiqi.
The rest of the collection comprises faithful and competent takes on songs such as Xie Hou (Encounter), Lian Zhi Qi (Love’s Refuge) and, of course, that anthem of a generation, Xi Shui Chang Liu (Friendship Forever). There are also pop hits from the likes of singers Stefanie Sun (I’m Not Sad) and Mavis Hee (Regret) included here.
I will always have a soft spot for the originals, though, as those were the versions that formed the soundtrack to my life.
Here’s to hoping that xinyao’s waters keep on flowing and continue to nourish Singapore’s music scene.
(ST)
Various artists
The Channel 8 television series Crescendo casts the spotlight on the home-grown Mandarin music movement that is xinyao.
But as the soundtrack makes clear, it wants to be more than an exercise in nostalgia. As the movement’s pioneer Liang Wern Fook says in the promotional material: “I hope that xinyao is not just an antique; we still have new songs, fresh talent. In my heart, what’s precious about xinyao is its spirit of innovation.”
So apart from guitar-backed covers of xinyao classics by a fresh generation of singers, there are three new numbers here.
There are the evocative ballads Wish To Tell You, written by Liang and huskily performed by A-do; and Look At You Quietly, written by stalwarts Roy Loi and Xing Zenghua and sung by Tang Wei’en. The light-hearted Happy Youths is a slice-of-life ditty from new names He Shenghui and Guo Weiqi.
The rest of the collection comprises faithful and competent takes on songs such as Xie Hou (Encounter), Lian Zhi Qi (Love’s Refuge) and, of course, that anthem of a generation, Xi Shui Chang Liu (Friendship Forever). There are also pop hits from the likes of singers Stefanie Sun (I’m Not Sad) and Mavis Hee (Regret) included here.
I will always have a soft spot for the originals, though, as those were the versions that formed the soundtrack to my life.
Here’s to hoping that xinyao’s waters keep on flowing and continue to nourish Singapore’s music scene.
(ST)
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