5 Centimeters Per Second

Akari: Hey, they say it's five centimeters per second.
Tono: What do you mean?
Akari: It is the speed at which the sakura blossom petals fall. 5 centimeters per second...

This Makoto Shinkai animated masterpiece is a concoction of pure and unadulterated artistry and depthness. It boasts of great art and an even greater story about growing up, destiny and love. The story introduces us to two unforgettable characters, Tono and Akari. They were childhood best friends, and from the scenes they had in the film, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to deduce that they share a deep connection---something that most people are not blessed to have or encounter in their lifetime. In time, they realized they were in love with one another.

However, no matter how deep that love was, it was still not enough to keep them together. After so many years of yearning and searching for Akari, who was at that time, was already engaged, Tono still missed the chance of having the woman that he so longs to be with since the moment they parted on the day the sakura trees started to slowly shed their petals.

At the crossroad of a railway, they met once again. Tono knew in his heart that the girl he saw by the crossing while the sakura petals were slowly falling down was the only girl he ever truly loved. Upon reaching the other end of the crossroad, he noticed that the girl was also about to turn around to look at him, but it was then when the trains started moving, hindering him from seeing the girl he always longs to hold and love.

Tono waited for what seemed like an eternity, until suddenly, the view was cleared. It was his chance to finally see Akari for the first time in years. He saw the usual buildings, structures, the light emmited by the train signals...but the girl was there no more. He never said anything, but he might have said to himself, "It must have been my imagination. She will never be here. She will never be with me." With that thought, his feet slowly turned around, then moved forward back to the ordinary world.

"At what speed must I live to see you once again?"---Tono

The Man Who Can't Be Moved

The Script's new offering, The Man Who Can't Be Moved, is all the range since its release. With thousands of youtube viewings and album sales, no one can deny that The Script is the hottest pop/alternative band to hit the music circle since Maroon 5.

The Man Who Can't Be Moved by The Script

Going back to the corner where I first saw you,
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag I'm not gonna move,
Got some words on cardboard got your picture in my hand,
Saying if you see this girl can you tell her where I am,
Some try to hand me money they don't understand,
I'm not...broke I'm just a broken hearted man,
I know it makes no sense, but what else can I do,
How can I move on when I'm still in love with you...

Cos if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me,
And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I can be,
Thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet,
And you'd see me waiting for you on the corner of the street.

So I'm not moving...
I'm not moving.

Policeman says son you can't stay here,
I said there's someone I'm waiting for if it's a day, a month, a year,
Gotta stand my ground even if it rains or snows,
If she changes her mind this is the first place she will go.

Cos if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me,
And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I can be,
Thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet,
And you'd see me waiting for you on the corner of the street.

So I'm not moving...
I'm not moving.

I'm not moving...
I'm not moving.

People talk about the guy
Who's waiting on a girl...
Oohoohwoo
There are no holes in his shoes
But a big hole in his world...
Hmmmm

and maybe I'll get famous as man who can't be moved,
And maybe you won't mean to but you'll see me on the news,
And you'll come running to the corner...
Cos you'll know it's just for you

I'm the man who can't be moved
I'm the man who can't be moved...

Cos if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me,
And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I can be,
Thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet,
And you'd see me waiting for you on the corner of the street.
[Repeat in background]

So I'm not moving...
I'm not moving.

I'm not moving...
I'm not moving.

Going back to the corner where I first saw you,
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag not I'm not gonna move.

I've been listening to this song for more than a week now. It's in my MP3 player, my computer audio files, my brother's car CD player...It's everywhere. My brother even swore that he's gonna flip once he hears the song again. Guess what? He did, but he didn't flip. It was milder than than. He just threw his stress ball all over the car.

When will this "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" addiction gonna fade?!

Hotel Paper

I have been a fan of Michelle Branch since her debut sometime in 2001 when she was still a fresh-faced artist trying to map out her niche in the music business...Okay, that's not really accurate. Her music wasn't my cup of tea at the time because all the while I thought she was like all popstar wannabes releasing poorly made singles after singles. You could say I'm really skeptic about new artists especially the ones marketed towards the teen population. Why, you say. Well, let's just put it this way, whether we like it or not, teen artists don't have full and total control of their musical taste. They are feigned and formed by producers, managers and fans that are clamoring for a certain kind of artist and style. For most artists, they are swayed by what's in whether it's trash music or just a bad imitation of someone else. However, I figured that Michelle Branch was never like anyone else from her style to the way she views her craft.

I came across Hotel Paper, her second album, while I was browsing for some CDs to burn my money for. At the time, the carrier single, Are You Happy Now? is already getting some airtime on the radio and it was getting great reviews, so I never wasted a wink and bought one for myself.

The album kicked off with the carrier single. It's a different turf for Branch trying this song. She sounds angry and frustrated albeit having a sweet and innocent rep when she was just starting out as a popstar. I've got all that I can take, and I'm not about to break. Are you happy now?, Michelle angrily asks in her first cranky song. Although a bit off tangent with her known style, she was still able to make the song work without making it sound like a song of another artist. The beats and adlibs are still undeniably very Branch-y sans the angst and grunge. Putting it as the first song of the album is such a great idea because it is like sending a subtle hint that she is now older, more experienced, matured, and well, more angry (Isn't that what happens when people age?).

The grunge of the kick-off track was mellowed down by the next track, Find Your Way Back. This song, I believe, is reminiscent of her previous album with a better treatment on beats, lyrics and melody. No one can deny that this song is one of the catchiest songs of the album.

Tuesday Morning is just a meaningful song that reflects honesty leaving you with a feeling of euphoria and nostalgia about the lost years. With provocative lyrics giving off great imagery of love, sadness, regrets and growing up, the song is made even more enchanting with her sweet vocals and light guitar strums. I was finding out who I was/If you turn around to see me and I was gone/just take a look outside your window because the sun is coming up---These words would make you want to click rewind and listen to the song over and over again.

Love Me Like That, collaboration with Sheryl Crow, is another chick song with angst-stricken beats and strong guitar sounds. Listening to it would give you the image of Sheryl Crow jamming with Michelle with their signature styles and fan-swooning vibe.

Taylor Swift and Joe Jonas Officially Split

Jonas and Swift

Dating rumors between Teen popstars, Joe Jonas and Taylor Swift are not officially confirmed by the two. However, words circulating in Hollywood confirmed the split of the talked about couple. Joe Jonas was said to have ended the relationship through a phone.

This is always the case in the entertainment business. Actors stay mum about their love affairs until the breakup news leak out. Maybe it's a way for them to veer away from gossips. After all, they must have learned from Bennifer's (Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez) unfortunate split because of pressures from paparazzis.

Megumi and Hyde Sealed the Deal

Hyde of L'arc en~ciel

I’ve been a fan of L’arc en~ciel for almost a decade now, and I have to admit that I was just like all young fangirl-ish who worshiped them because of their vocalist, Hyde. Well, that was years back. Now, I love them more for their music…okay, and still because of Hyde.

Like any fangirl, I try to keep myself updated of the latest news and gossips about Laruku (what they’re commonly called). Recently, I’ve heard their songs, and man, they haven’t lost their touch. They just keep getting better with every album they release. No doubt about it. Laruku is destined to be stars having rocked the music scene since 1991.

Then, I found out that Hyde got hitched last December 25, 2001 to some girl named Oishi Megumi…!!!

“It’s seeing the man of my dreams and then meeting his beautiful wife.”

Hyde and Oishi met during an Utuban (a popular Japanese show) interview for Laruku's Dive to Blue album in 1998. Hyde has proudly professed in other interviews that her ideal girl should be someone like Megumi Oishi. He even said that he likes her for her beautiful face and how it has a light tone. In the show, the hosts and his band members set them up for a formal meeting since the two apparently haven't met in person despite working in the same showbiz circle. Hyde and Oishi had an instant spark during the their first meeting. It was a rare (so rare indeed) sighting of Hyde's funboy-y side. He was strangely inarticulate and shy (contrary to his usual strong presence on stage) during his small talk with the girl of his dreams. That was their first date, so to speak.

The two never ended up dating right after their fateful meeting for Oishi was still engaged to a Japanese athlete at that time. It wasn't until 1999 that they started going out after meeting once again at a party. It was said that Hyde only had eyes for Megumi and stayed beside her the whole party. Eventually, news about them dating came out of the tabloids. The rockstar and weather girl are officially the targets of paparazzis in Japan.

The two finally got hitched on December 25, 2000. The news about the wedding leaked out right after the ceremonies. They had their first baby in 2003 and never disclosed the gender or name of their child. Until the end, the two have been very discrete about their family life and relationship.

Allegations of divorce have bombarded the couple, but they have confirmed the rumors to be nothing but lies.

Hyde and Megumi, in my opinion, are the real deal. He might seem to be unable to nurture a monogamous loving relationship because of his rockstar reputation, but the Utuban interview sealed the deal for me. Enough said.

Hyde and the rest of L'arc en~ciel are going to conduct a tour in Japan and overseas this year.

Dragonball Crossover---From Japanese Anime to Hollywood

Dragonball the Movie is confirmed to be released this 2009. With its star-studded cast that includes Justin Chatwin, Emmy Rossum, Joon Par, James Marsters, Eriko Tamura, Jamie Chung, Randall Duk Kim, and Chow Yun-Fat, the live-action adaptation of the smash-hit anime Dragonball Z is making fans of the series excited and skeptical.

As a fan of the anime myself, I was thrilled with the thought of making a live-film of DB, but when the box-office tragedy, Speed Racer, crossed my mind, doubts started overpowering my enthusiasm about the movie. If the movie doesn't hit the right buttons with viewers, this might just be another sample of great-movie-ideas-gone-wrong.

DB may be all the rage now that news about the film are starting to leak out, but let us not forget that the producers of this film probably has thought about the negative aftermath to this venture. A series as popular and ancient (Haha) as DB is definitely very difficult to live up to. The script has to be right, characters have to properly cast and the whole product should at least make a decent, if not original, rip off of the anime. Aside from these, pleasing the taste of the many generations of avid DB fans is another factor. Some may disagree with my claim, but I believe that not all fans are DB-o-phile. They won't love the live-action just because its DB. Moviegoers and fans alike are smarter than how they are commonly depicted. If DB the movie doesn't exceed or the even equal the genius of the anime, then losing the box-office race is going to be least of the producers' priorities. Tainting the legendary Dragonball might be another

Movie adaptations are hard to pull off because of the expectations that come along with them. I believe that the people behind DB are smart enough to not make a mess out of the anime.

I'm looking forward to watching the film because I want to know how they're going to plot out the story...and also because I want to see how they're gonna deal with Goku's hairstyle. Seriously, the success of this film might just be the beginning of anime-inspired movie productions. On the other hand, it could just be one of those movies that should have never been made.

My Two Cents on the City of Ember

I really have high expectations for the film adaptation of Jeanne Duprau's masterpiece, City of Ember. A major book fan as I am, I definitely wouldn't want the film to be a poor rip off of this amazing book. There have been lots of great novels turned into films that did pretty outstanding in the box office, but never really stood well against the book's reputation. Worse, some of them should have never been made into a film.

The casting is heaven sent. I think Saoirse Ronan is perfect for the role of Lina with her inquisitive blue eyes and natural acting talent. Harry Treadaway is also an amazing pick for the rebellious role of Doon. Murray and Robbins just fit the bill for their roles in this film. I have no qualms about the casting despite not having seen the film yet. The personalities of the actors just seem to resemble those of the characters they play.

I've seen the trailer, and I have to say I was a bit disappointed that the treatment to the story is a bit out of line. The trailer readily gave away what was meant for the moviegoers to figure out. When the trailer mentioned that it was a city UNDERGROUND, I thought to myself, "so there goes the surprise".

The City of Ember is an intelligently written book, and I am really waiting for October 10 to see if the movie is just as good as the novel. With its powerhouse cast in front and behind the camera, the movie is deemed to give the novel the credit it rightfully deserves.

Blue-eyed princess, Saoirse Ronan, as Lina

Rebellious Harry Treadaway as Doon