But the weird dude you just saw on the frontpage (and also down there) is indeed yours truly. I did posted one picture of me a year ago, but now you can really see the face behind the blog. Putting your face, wham, on the internet is a bit weird.
A short video giving the latest info in a nutshell. Check it out for yourself. (I’m not quite sure about YouTube though)

-Frox

This site has taken quite a beating the past few months. I must have switched from hundreds of Hosts just to keep the blog up and running.

Then there is my other domain the-frox.com which is the place where I stored all the pictures, don’t ask me why but I did it from the beginning. Japtard.com started on that domain and I always had a seperate folder where I kept all the pictures.
And yes, the-frox.com is down for quite a time now and so are all the pictures. There’s even more stuff on that domain, but it’s impossible for me to check what was on there (and is obviously gone now).
I do have a copy of all the pictures on the computer, but it’s going to take a while to upload them like it was on the-frox.com (folder structure).

And to make it even better, the blog actually got hacked last week.
Japtard.com was leading to a black page with some weird text, darn script kiddies.
It must have been a day or two until I saw it myself, forgot to take a screenshot ;o
Looks like they immediately searched for a victim when Wordpress 2.6 came out, I was still on 2.5.
The upgrade to 2.6 wasn’t that smooth either, as you might have experienced, all the pages and posts were ‘gone’. The hack was more then a simple lead to a different site, but I finally got that fixed as well.

Ow yea, I will not use this blog to talk about my experiences in Japan (Leaving ).
I have set up another site which I will use, just to have a fresh start with a fresh site.
Updates on that very soon.

-Frox

I’ll be going to Japan in August, .
Leaving Amsterdam on August 01at 20:15 GMT+1 with JL412. I should be there around 15:40 GMT +9 the next day.
In the three weeks I’m there I’ll be switching from one place to another. The first week I’ll be in Tokyo and I’ll be leaving for Osaka the next week 9th of August. One week later, 16/08, I’ll be going to Hakata.
And the Japan bonanza ends 24/08.

I still have to look at what I really want to see and do in Japan. One thing has already been arranged;
a-nation on 17/08 in Nagoya.
It was either the 17th or the 10th in Kanazawa, or let me say it was either Otsuka Ai or mihimaru GT.

I went for Otsuka Ai who will be there on the 17th alongside;
TRF・Every Little Thing・倖田來未・大塚 愛・鈴木亜美・東方神起・AAA (Artists)

I’m also looking at paying a visit to Comiket, the world’s largest comic convention. Let’s see if I can take some nice pictures.

Talking about pictures, I’ve been thinking about doing a some sort of videoblog kind of thing over there.
I got an Internet connection over there and will be bringing my laptop, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

Two more months and I’ll be gone. For the time being I’m trying to keep my head above water pushing myself through exams and earning money …. lots of it …. for this trip that is.

If you have any suggestion for my trip leave them in the comment section, I appreciate it.

-Frox

Hello-Online (HPS) released a subbed version of Kago Ai’s Ohmynews.co.jp interview, which was released via the internet in six installments earlier this month.

The interview covers pretty much every event we all so remember very well.
HPS did a fantastic job subbing the interview and it adds alot to what I already knew.
Since the source which HPS used was from a streaming asf/wmv it speaks for itself that the quality isn’t top notch, but hey…..you can’t have anything.

For those who haven’t seen it yet, click to play.

Three things which are keeping me offline.

School. I passed the first semester, and got all the points (31 ECTS). Wóó, which means I only need 9 points to move on to the second year.But as everyone else I’m going for the full 60 points, which gives me my P (propedeuse).

But I’ve noticed that the 2nd semester is going to be tough, and were just starting the fourth week.
And even Japanese is taking it’s toll, after Hiragana/Katakana and JFBP there’s more. This semester were really going to dive into the Japanese language.
Each week new grammar rules are being thrown at us, plus a seperate Kanji lesson.
Aargh. But I love it.

Work. I don’t love it but it’s what creates the money.
Normally I can live quite happily with what I earn, or at least I can’t complain. This time I need to save up the money or find some (more) work.
Because…..

Japan. Yes, I’m planning to go to Japan this year, in August to be precise.
It’s going to be Frox in Japan for three weeks, in 3 cities; Tokyo, Osaka and Hakata/Fukuoka. I’m 90% sure it will be this year that I’ll be going to Japan.
I’ll be surfing along with Shiranai Travel. And although I’m not 100% sure and the trip is still a long way from now, I’m already preparing.
I can’t make any promises, but I’m looking into video’s and geotagging.
More on that later.

But that’s about it, I hope to be back soon

-Frox

Woops, looks like I need to update the PV Drop-off more frequently. Since I need to catch up on the PVs, I will post another PV Drop-off withing a few days.
This time we have 13 PV’s on the platter! (Remember that you can also view the latest PVs on the frontpage at the video overview)

• Tohoshinki - Purple Line
• Koda Kumi - Under
• Suzuki Ami joins S.A. - Bitter
• the brilliant green - Ash Like Snow
• UVERworld - Roots
• MARIA - Yurari Ouzora
• Ketsumeishi - Deai no Kakera
• Itsco - Water Lily
• Ikimono Gakari - Hana wa Sakura Kimi wa Utsukushi
• BEAT CRUSADERS - WINTERLONG
• Home Made Kazoku - Oboeteru
• Nakagawa Shoko - snow tears
• WaT - Yume no Tochuu

I’m happy to see Korean artists trying to enter the Japanese market; Tohoshinki and Big Bang (more about Big Bang in the next drop-off). Purple Line might be short but it’s indeed one of their better PV’s, give it a try.

And after the collab with Tohoshinki, Koda Kumi is pushing out a few more pvs.
Under and anytime, both also to be found on the next album (the PV for anytime will also be released on the next drop-off).

Another surprise; MARIA.
MARIA is a 6-piece girl band headlined by Maiko, formerly of ZONE. Yurari Ouzora… (ゆらり桜空・・・) is set to be released on February 6th.

I’d also like to recommend Ikimono Gakari’s Hana wa Sakura Kimi wa Utsukushi. A really nice song and it’s Ikimono Gakari’s 8th single released. It’s a new version of the song with the same name included in their first indies mini-album.

I’m still waiting for a proper release of Densen Uta but it looks like that’s going to take a while. I have no idea when that movie will be released on DVD, so don’t ask me. But for now we have this movie. A movie with Riko Narumi and Atsuko Maeda, Riko as acting veteran and Atsuko in her movie debut.
Let’s see if Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata will be a good alternative to feed my AKB48 hunger?

A short summary (possible spoilers) :
The movie starts with Sugitani Juri and Hanada Kanako in their final year of middle school. It’s the tale of two girls faced with that typical adolescent choice, fit in or be cast out. Juri portrays the role of the ideal daughter at home and in school, but is it really the role she wants to play? She admires her popular school classmate Hanada . However, Hanada suddenly becomes the class outcast.
At the school library right after graduation when everyone else is saying their goodbye’s, Juri has had her last chat with Hanada in person, regarding her opinions on lying about your true self. Hanada ends the conversation with a quote from Dazai Osamu;

‘You’re a good liar, so at least do the right thing.’

And that’s what Juri does when she overhears that Hanada is moving. She manages to get Hanada’s mail adress and she feels the urge to help Hanada. She starts sending mails that describe the story of Hina and Kotori, Hina representing Hanada and Kotori representing Juri. Presenting Hina as Juri’s image of a popular girl, she indirectly gives tips and advice on how to fit in the group and be popular, eventually succeeding. Juri herself is having a hard time, she escapes from her family problems (including a divorce between her parents) and has to deal with putting on different ‘masks’.
-

Based on a novel by 30-year-old Kaori Mado and directed by Jun Ichikawa, Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata is a film in the category seishun eiga (dramas about teenagers, usually set in or around schools). But Jun Ichikawa goes beyond the clichés associated with seishun eiga’s and focuses on how two girls struggle to define their individual identities in modern Japanese society.And if you haven’t figured out by now, the main characters are played by Riko Narumi and Atsuko Maeda. Riko, who we recgnize of her role as Ako in Ichi Rittoru no Namida and Atsuko of the idol girl group AKB48.
And I must say they play their roles really good in Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata. I was really surprised how Riko Narumo adapts to different roles she has been given in movies and drama’s. She can easily switch from a 10 year old child to someone who looks 18-19. And also in this movie there’s a moment when they face high school and Riko easily looks like a young women.
Atsuko (movie debut btw) mainly plays the role of the bullied in this movie, and she pulls that off perfectly. There’s a scene where Juri mails Hanada for the first time (when they are bathing…) and it’s one of my favorite scene in the whole movie, moment where you can smell the drama and the misery they are facing.

When I watch movies I also look at the ‘technical’ part, perspectives which are used etc. I can’t quite explain it (my english sucks) but there are brilliant moments where they pull off a picture-in-picture effect. Also, when they are mailing each other it switches to this dramatic black screen with just only text.
I may have spoiled many things up until now but the last scene when they actually are video messaging trough their mobile is something you must see. The way they filmed this perfectly fits the movie, and adds up to the dramatic moodie vibe.All in all, Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata was a pleasant surprise. But then again, I’m someone who isn’t hiding away from mooshy-mooshy drama/movies. I’m someone with a soft-heart I guess, and I enjoy watching this.
Lol, why am I telling you this…

Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata, give it a chance.

First mail scene

-Frox

Looks like people appreciated the latest PV Drop-off back in November of last year. I planned to continue with that idea but things got in the way. It’s 2008 and I might as well (try) to continue the PV Drop-off.

In Dutch we would say that the last few weeks felt like ‘komkommertijd‘ if we look at the amount of released PV’s. But hey, I still need to fill up my video overview at the frontpage. I searched trough my hard drive to select a few PV’s which I could add to the 2nd edition of the PV-dropoff. So don’t flame for having some pretty old PV included in the list.

Without further adue;

• SMAP - Dangan Fighter (弾丸ファイター)
• AAA - MIRAGE
• KAT-TUN - Keep the faith
• BoA - LOSE YOUR MIND feat.Yutaka Furukawa from DOPING PANDA
• Jyongri - Kissing Me
• little by little - Kimi Monogatari (キミモノガタリ)
• SEAMO - Mata Aimashou feat. Tokyo Marble Chocolate
• FLOW - Fuyu No Ama Oto / NIGHT PARADE by FLOW & HOME MADE Kazoku (冬の雨音 / NIGHT PARADE by FLOW & HOME MADE 家族
• Tenjochiki - One more time, OK
• SEAMO - Hey Boy, Hey Girl feat. BoA
• Lisa Halim - Flow with it
• Hey! Say! JUMP - Ultra Music Power
• UVERworld - Ukiyo CROSSING (浮世 CROSSING)
• mihimaru GT - I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY / Ai Kotoba (愛コトバ)
• ERIKA - Destination Nowhere

-Frox

2008, a new year!
And with a new year comes new calendars, Idol calendars.And yes, the December issue of Bomb includes calendar pictures. Bomb; IMO one of the best Photo Magazines of Japanese Bikini/Gravure Models (not like I own tons of ’such’ magazines)

In this issue;
Yukie Kawamura, Yuika Hotta, Yoko Kumada, Azusa Yamamoto,
Mami Yamasaki, Mikie Hara, Rina Akiyama, Aki Hoshino,
Yuko Ogura, Shoko Hamada, Satomi Ishihara, AI, Moami Yuuki,
Mikako Tabe, Akina Minami, Yuuri Morishita, Emi Hasegawa,
Nana Akiyama, Aya Ueto, Saki Aibu, Ami Tokito,
Yuka Koide etc…

Thought I’d start the new year good, so I’ll share the pictures. The pictures below are previews, download the .rar package. Print ‘m out, blow ‘m up poster size, hang it up your wall,………

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I just wanted to let all of you know that I’m still alive and will be updating the site pretty soon.
All that’s left for me is to wish you all a Happy New Year!

-Frox