Music Elixir
Eavesdrop on a conversation between two friends about their favorite Asian artists and music and how music is their tonic of life.
Music Elixir
Blending Cultures: From Opening Ceremonies to Global Music Festivals
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What happens when Japanese culture meets the global stage? That's exactly what Hideaki Takizawa is achieving as he orchestrates the opening ceremonies of the IG Arena in Aichi, leading up to the prestigious Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. We give you a peek into his hectic schedule designed to bring the vibrant tapestry of Japanese culture to audiences around the world. Also, join us as we cheer for the 88rising "Head in the Clouds" Festival in California where the group, Number_i will perform, alongside G-Dragon, DPR Ian, 2NE1, and more.
On a more complicated note, the music scene faces its own set of challenges. We discuss NewJeans' legal tussle with their label, Ador, and their aspirations to rebrand as NJZ amid binding contracts. We draw parallels with the journey of G-Dragon and his plans for the 88rising Festival and a world tour. These stories reveal the intricate dance between identity, law, and creativity that artists must perform today.
We also indulge in a bit of nostalgia with Hello Kitty collections and "otaku" culture. This episode offers a colorful blend of music, advocacy, and heartfelt anecdotes, promising to entertain and enlighten.
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DJ Panic Blog:
OK ASIA
Hello everybody, welcome to another episode of Music Elixir with me, sarah, and.
Speaker 2Miss Panic.
Speaker 1Alright, gonna do a Rants and Ramblings With a little bit of news that we can find there's been some good news.
Speaker 2You know, nothing major, major, you know. I know we were talking about, about, oh my goodness, at the beginning of the year, this january, being like, oh it's so, like cray cray. But uh, I guess, personally, for me it's just been uh chaotic, you know. But the news hasn't been that chaotic though. It's just been some things here and there. Yeah, little stuff besides just griping about ticket master, oh my god, anyways, uh, so, yes, it's uh, yeah, ransom rambling, sarah and I before getting into, you know, the recording we uh were discussing about Takisawa's projects. He has some new adventures.
Speaker 1The head of 2B CEO of 2B Entertainment. He's got some projects, apart from managing all the musical talent, doing some stuff himself, something actually he used to do before where he used to be Right.
Speaker 2So he has plenty of experience to take on this role. So Sarah and I found this article on Tokyo Hive. He announced that he is the director of the opening ceremonies for IG Arena in Aichi. This was revealed on February 6th through the official IG Arena website. Oh so that's cool. The IG Arena is set to open in July during the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. I would love to see that. Well, I see it on YouTube and they're like done in like minutes, yeah, sometimes seconds. It's so fascinating to see that.
Speaker 1Well, I see it on youtube and they're like done in like minutes, yeah, sometimes seconds. It's so fascinating to see. Years ago, I was, you know, dream, dreaming, planning a dream trip to japan. My plan was to stay in the entertainment district near the sumo stuff that's cool, I was like I want to be there.
Speaker 2It just seemed like a really cool idea I would love that would, yeah, I, I would love to see a you know go to uh some more wrestling yeah, that's why I looked at, because I was like that would be so cool.
Speaker 1Go check that out so see.
Speaker 2prior to this, aichi prefecture will hold the ig arena opening days over the two days on May 31st and June 1st. The opening ceremony will take place on May 31st and, of course, computer.
Speaker 1They go on to say. The official announcement on their website states entertainment industry leader, music producer and director Hideki Takazawa will direct the opening act. He commented I am honored to be in charge of directing the opening ceremony for IG Arena. It is a privilege to be part of the history IG Arena will create in the future. My aim is to design the opening ceremony with the theme of sending out entertainment, sports and japanese culture from ig arena, nice. Very cool, I wasn't sure I I took over because I thought you were.
Speaker 2I just like I thought you were saying your computer. No, I thought you lost your computer, so no, I lost my voice for a minute, for a second he further expressed something else.
Speaker 1Do you want to follow that up? No, go ahead, he says. I look forward to seeing many historical moments born from this venue as we send ig arena to the world.
Speaker 2Ig arena to the world.
Speaker 1How familiar that sound yeah, well, he's like he's all about bringing everything to the world, so that's really cool and now that you said that he's who is, which group is he bringing to the world?
Speaker 2he's bringing number I, oh yeah oh yeah, because the group right now is going to be part of uh 88 ricIN's Festival. Oh my, God.
Speaker 1When is that happening? Do you know? Good question.
Speaker 2I want to stay summer and I want to stay after Coachella. Well, that would make sense. I saw the announcement Number Eyes Returns to California, of course. So it's going to be May 31st and June 1st, so you found it. Yeah, yeah, isn't?
Speaker 1that Memorial Weekend. Well, I was going to say it's the same time that Taki's doing the opening ceremony for the IG thing. But it's cool because I just saw not just number, I apparently is going to be there, g-dragon's going. Oh yeah, this is huge. Dpr Ian 21. Oh yeah, this is huge. Dpr ian 21. Wow, this is well. I hadn't huge, I hadn't actually seen a lot of who was going. So that's pretty cool because, on top of apparently doing this, I'm pretty sure I saw that g dragon just announced like he's gonna do a world tour, yeah. So, hey, I hope he's coming here.
Speaker 2This is awesome. G-dragon 21 dean dpr ian yeah, rich brian yeah yeah porter, robinson, higher brothers, let's see who else, who else, who else for eve is gonna be there. Oh really, yeah, bixby. Uh, dpr arctic and dpr cream. Oh, he's bringing the gang. I was gonna say yeah everybody's gonna be the whole dpr team.
Speaker 2That's awesome. Yeah, you were people that never heard of, but there's some people here that have not heard young kai. Why? Why is that? Why? Why does that say why? Why? Not sure what that say, but there's some artists here that I have not heard of that.
Speaker 1I need to check them out yeah, well, I mean, it's a a great opportunity to be introduced to new people.
Speaker 2So yes, no pun intended. You know we're gonna have uh number I in here. Wow, that's awesome. Yeah, that's so cool that it is wow, wow, wow. So congratulations guys. So you know, taki is, you know, getting busy and doing stuff like that.
Speaker 1Well, in this whole directing the whole opening ceremony thing, is him like stepping into another portion of all of what he does it to be. That's cool, though, wow, yeah, he's definitely bringing not just the ig arena to the world, but he's bringing his artists and himself. That's awesome. But, yeah, that 88 right, that's gonna be. That's quite a lineup, wow, awesome.
Speaker 2Yes, it is Something's going on with Arashi.
Speaker 1Oh really.
Speaker 2Yeah, twitter's showing Arashi stuff and there's a baby picture of Ono.
Speaker 1Or a young Ono. Wow, well, people have been actively trying. You know, keep it going, keep it going, mm. Hmm Well, so did you want to transition to that?
Speaker 2Yes, let's transition to that.
Speaker 1Because we were going to talk about right, janino, yes, is that what you're thinking?
Speaker 2Janino Channel.
Speaker 1Okay, yes, we haven't talked about Janino in a while. It's been a while, exactly, but they've. They're trying to get Nino's bandmate and friend, matsumoto Jun, to appear on the show, and it's so cute how Yamada and Fuma are kind of like starstruck, like well, but it's too soon to ask him. We're not ready. We're not prepared.
Speaker 2We're not prepared for King MJ and Nino's just like, let me get him on the phone. It's different, you know the kohais are just like oh my god, it's june, it's, it's, it's, it's not tomorrow's june, what are?
Speaker 1we yeah, it was. Yamano was like isn't it too soon, exactly, you know?
Speaker 2how much how Yam loves Arashi, you know, and Arashi for him are just like my idols, I know right. Like I'm so happy to work with Nino, but like, oh my good.
Speaker 1But see, like now he and Nino are sort of almost even because they're working on the same thing. He's a little more comfortable with him, everybody else but, like I said, said for nino, it's just like I'm just calling my friend. Yeah, I'm just calling june. Meanwhile, while he's, asking so when can you come? June's like you'll have to talk to my agency. June is like please, he's all business. Nino's like come on exactly, do me a solid here. Dude, just show up I love nino that it's so, nino, right?
Speaker 2I love nino he's just like dude. We we've been together. For how long we've seen each other naked. We have room together, we have eaten meals together.
Speaker 1Oh my, you know like why you gotta be like that that's such is like oh no, wouldn't give me this trouble, exactly.
Speaker 2Oh no, be like oh no, be like, okay, I'll be there soon. They love each other. Oh my god and or even iba oh my god, of course I'll be there oh, please he will be like okay he's just so busy.
Speaker 1I'm sure nina was like we can't bother him. He doesn't. He doesn't view june as being busy, even though he's like no, no, no, no, I'll, I'll bug him oh, you know I would like to relive the sweets club.
Speaker 1Oh yeah oh my god, that was so cute. I love the sweets club love the sweets club oh well, it's so, nino and Iba right, that's just like they are the sweets oh my God, they're so cute, the sweet club. And when they finally, though, were showing it to the president. Oh, no President of the club here. These are what we found for you. He's like what have you?
Speaker 2guys been doing Exactly.
Speaker 1He's like you're nuts, he's like what?
Speaker 2is this.
Speaker 1Oh my God, Too funny.
Speaker 2Yes, I like Nino's reaction to the candy, especially the Reese's Pieces Peanuts, peanuts. He's all like what yeah?
Speaker 1How did you not know? Why is this a surprise to you, nina? He's too funny, yeah he's too funny.
Speaker 2I do like I was like feed me I'm like what? Oh, I know right omg, my girl fangirl gun, that was my hey why. I'm like what is he doing? Oh, I'm just going crazy.
Speaker 1I'm like yay well, they're so cute. They've just got such a special little bond between the two of them because remember that they did that performance for the song ubi yeah that was so adorable. They're in their little boyfriend sweaters and skinny jeans and they're like they're dressed similar. Dancing with each other, the choreography. It was so cute.
Speaker 1It was so cute that was. Just If you don't know what we're talking about, it was the concert they put on YouTube. God, I forget which concert it was, because now they've got all kinds of stuff up there. Rsu is like we're just putting all our music on Spotify. We're putting all our stuff on YouTube, giving it all to you. If you Google it, you know, or I mean search it, ub, rsu you'll see. It's the cutest little performance between those two. I was like, oh my God, I love that.
Speaker 1And you know I love Ono, but come on, that was like.
Speaker 2They're just adorable. They're so adorable it's ridiculous. You know, you got Nino and you got goofy Aiba. He's so cute. He's like eee, hello everybody so cute. I love my Aiba too. Yeah, hello everybody so cute. I love my Awa Kun. Yeah, what was the Christmas song that Nino sings?
Speaker 1Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2I think in one of the episodes we were thinking that song was for Aiba we're like, oh my god, sing it to IBA. What that's so cute? Of course, you know IBA's birthday is near Christmas Eve, right? Yes, the 24th.
Speaker 1Let's see what else. Oh yeah, I know, since this came out, the news about this, I've sort of been thinking about it. We're going to shift from Japan to South Korea and stuff. We've talked about this whole dumpster fire shit show going on with New Jeans, oh yeah and Adore. So they announced right that they're renaming themselves.
Speaker 2Yes.
Speaker 1And Jay-Z. Now Adore had something to say about that rebranding of themselves. But I just myself had this sort of personal internal dialogue because I was like, well, see, you didn't really rename yourself because I'm not 100% sure, but I do believe that NJZ was like sort of their social media handle for some of their stuff. So there's that. But that to me NJZ is sort of like BTS.
Speaker 2Bts isn't actually the name, it's Bangtan, sonyeondan, yeah All right, but so BTS isn't a separate thing, it's Bangtan Sonyeondan.
Speaker 1Yeah, all right. But so BTS isn't a separate thing, it's not a whole new name, it's just like acronym, yeah, and like SKZ is Stray Kids, right, ok, it's not a separate, it's not a new name, it's just a shortening, it's just a cute way of referring to them. So I don't know why, because I have nothing against new jeans.
Speaker 2I've liked their music.
Speaker 1Yeah, we like the situation that they're in is really bad yeah but what made them think that njz was somehow different?
Speaker 1and apparently that's. I haven't read the statement from Adore, but I'm sort of assuming that that's what they're saying. Right, and especially since all of their little sort of ongoing legal issues are ongoing, they're not solved, it's not resolved, they haven't fixed this. So let me see here. Here's an official statement from Adore.
Legal Dispute Impacting Music Group
Speaker 1We would like to share Adore's position regarding New Genes announcement of a new team name. It is deeply regrettable that the members made this unilateral decision before any legal ruling has been made regarding the validity of their exclusive contracts with Adore. Regarding the validity of their exclusive contracts with Adore. So basically, yeah, they're going ahead with all this stuff when they're not even free and clear. So Adore will continue to do our best to protect the brand value of new jeans. So this is like the flip side of it, right, they're not saying they're going to protect the girls, they're holding on to the brand of new jeans. Additionally, we would like to clarify once more that we are always open to meeting with new jeans members or their legal representatives to resolve any misunderstandings and discuss the group's future activities well, now they do, because remember in the last year they were like they don't want to meet with us, they didn't want to answer these questions.
Speaker 2There was like a lot of like they're not doing anything for us, so you know.
Speaker 1So now they well because the door was like we have a contract and you're bound by this contract, which is sort of essentially still their, their meaning here. But that's why I'm like, before you even have any of this stuff settled there, it's like they're just sort of going ahead with their own little plan without thinking of the legal ramifications, like, like I said, njz is like skz bts I saw bb for big bang.
Speaker 1I mean, you know what I mean? It's not. It's not different, it's just a cute sort of way of referring to it the acronyms of the old song, of the old song, their old name right so when I saw that, when I was like you didn't come up with a new group name, you're just and you can't. You can't do that while you're still legal, legally bound to this company and especially, like I said, I I can't remember, but I'm like I've seen the njz before somewhere, so I think it's one of their social media sort of ways of referring to them or it's part of the.
Speaker 2So I was just like wow, wow, wow like I wonder if the girls feel like, if we, they kind of need to still resemble that kind of name Because they're afraid to lose fans.
Speaker 1Right, I'm sure that's part of it, but, as the legal team of Adore pointed out, you need to get together with some lawyers and discuss this whole thing if they wanted to do an acronym, why not like their names, unless their?
Speaker 2name doesn't make a you know a word?
Speaker 1no, but you know yeah, I mean, sometimes you just gotta yeah, it was like thrown in start over. Yeah, they should just start over, start somewhere new and because your fans are still when you have fans.
Speaker 1They'll be with you with a new name or or what you know anyways, I I found that because the minute I had read that news I was just like um, but see, that's not a new name, no, and that can still be attributed to adore and they can still hang on to that. So it's just poor girls. Their saga continues with this company and with the everything going back and forth right and hopefully there can be some resolve for them.
Speaker 2So when is their contract ending that? I don't know, because if they still tied with that contract, you know like, but they don't have any activities for them. That's the thing. They have a contract with them and there's no activities, right.
Speaker 1It's ridiculous.
Speaker 2Yeah, there's no album, there's no songs, there's no shows to go to, there's nothing.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, and that's the thing is. If they don't have new music like this is a door's music, it's not theirs, right, but it's, you know, if they have a contract, you know like yeah, I'm not, that's crazy I'm not sure if they still have like contractual stuff with a door, but because this is an it is ongoing, right.
Speaker 1It is an ongoing legal dispute over many different things, right. So this is just yeah. Until that gets fixed, they can run into some trouble, so I don't know, eventually it will all get worked out. But yeah, like I said in my own head, I was just like I don't view that as a new name. You know what I mean. I was like, no, like everybody else, gd G-Dragon, you know what I mean? Yeah, but he's got his own.
Speaker 2He has his name.
Speaker 1Yeah well, his company gave it to him. They knew there was no. Like you can't keep that from him. No, he's such a cutie. Sorry, I was just had a little image of him in my head. He when he smiles, he looks like he's four. He's so cute right, right, he looks like a little kid I know, considering all the shit he's been through and had to deal with and the fact that he can still just smile and be happy man you know, the poor guy, please.
Speaker 2They just, they just keep finding anything to just I don't know. Oh, the whole song that. Oh no, you cannot sing this song because of Airbnb or whatever. Yeah Home, sweet Home. I'm like why is that song banned? That is so ridiculous.
Speaker 1So so ridiculous. Well, so he's going to be as we mentioned, because we were looking up the 88 Rising. He's going to be part of that, that, but also heading up his own world tour.
Speaker 2I I think he's headlining that one and then, of course, having his world tour for his upcoming third full-length album, uber mensch.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, that's coming out later this month.
Speaker 2I would love to see him live, but I'm just I know yeah, it's like I have, I don't, I just don't, don't feel like I'm gonna be lucky.
Speaker 1I mean well, you never know, we can try. Okay, gotta see where he's gonna be going.
Speaker 2Yeah, new york yeah, oh, speaking of new york, oh, my god. Okay, see if I can find the article.
Speaker 1Oh, yes, uh, let me see if I can find the article, because that was so interesting on the the heels of our our last rants and ramblings, we sort of went off on this tangent about all the cities and their cleanliness or lack thereof. Yeah, well, I was gonna say, you know, it was so weird, like right after that app episode happened, I was listening to random you know music on my spotify. I just said play my liked list. Yeah, dirty water I. Why do I keep forgetting the name of the band that sang it? It's from the like late 60s, early 70s, but there's a song called dirty water okay, that sounds familiar and it's about Boston they're like I love that dirty water.
Speaker 1Boston, you're my home. You must know the song. It's yeah, yeah, it's hysterical, but I was just like, oh yeah, boston and our nasty charles river, that's like, and it's where they do the the rowing competitions. And again back in the 70s, right you know, when every everything was dingy and dirty boston was, I guess, pretty the river was like highly polluted. I think they had to cancel the rowing sculling competition one year because it was so bad. Which?
Speaker 2which it's a thing here for. You know, for massachusetts, like umass, has uh one right here at the uh connecticut river.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, they have their, but all our, all our rivers have all the garbage from like that starts way up in canada comes through. You know, new hampshire, vermont, gets here. It's, yes, no offense, canada or vermont and new hampshire. I'm just saying that's how it works. Wherever the source of the river is, yep. As it moves, it picks up stuff all along the way. So by the time it gets to us, we've already got yep.
Speaker 2Okay so, on our last ransom rambling we were talking about, you know, like, oh, everybody's gotta go to new york, it's so dirty, blah, blah, blah. And then that, and then I mentioned the uh uh that it was pouring one day and that we went for a show and that you like, were mortified to see this girl walking the streets. It was a river because it was pouring it was a downpour, and it was like a river in the streets of new york and this girl was on flip-flops or sandals sandals it's open, you know know, basically barefoot, exactly, and she's just walking on the streets of New York in that river.
Speaker 1Sarah's face was just like oh my god.
Speaker 2She was mortified Like oh, oh my god, I'm like, I know girl, I know so. So just to let you know, the streets of new york are so dirty, all right, so we. So we dropped that episode on january, no february. Oh yeah, yeah we february, what? Fourth Fourth yeah, no. Fifth Fifth Right was that Wednesday.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2So now we record these episodes ahead of time. So we were talking about that. You know the streets of New York, you know like bodily fluids and then you were talking about the murders and blah, blah blah.
Speaker 1So you know we're talking yeah, okay. So we're talking yeah, okay.
NYC Taxi Driver Bathroom Advocacy
Speaker 2So we dropped the episode and on that day there was an article that came out. Actually, there's I want to call them my senpais. On radio, yeah, found this article about New York City taxi drivers relieving themselves on the streets of New York. I was like what, the synchronicity of this situation? No way that they are talking about it in their radio show on air in the morning about how filthy the streets of new york are because taxi drivers cannot find a place to park so they can use the bathroom. So, all right. So this article that I'm going to be reading from is from the Gothamist, but there's other articles, but this one is more like gives you the nitty gritty, like Gothamist, yes, gothamist, ah, interesting. So New York City taxi drivers need to go and one advocacy group is calling on the city to let them.
Speaker 2I mean I mean. So the New York City State Federation of Taxi Drivers is urging the city taxi and limousine commission and the Department of Transportation to stop fining drivers for parking violations. So I guess because they have to double park or park in places they cannot, so they can just use a public, nearest public bathroom or whatever okay. So instead they're asking for special placards that will allow drivers to park in otherwise stickable locations for 10 minutes to use the restroom. I mean, hello, come on give.
Speaker 1Yeah, you know, I've never really, I've never really thought about that. I kind of was like I don't know. I guess I thought they just sort of went back to their headquarters, right, and used the bathroom and then went back out on them.
Speaker 2But like you lose money doing that exactly, going all the way back to your station or whatever, to right take care of business. I just, you know, thought that, like you said, they will have like special stations where they just park there, take a break and then go back into the street.
Speaker 2But apparently not so when you gotta go, you gotta go just like the headline says when you gotta go, you gotta go. Yep, and that means just like okay. So fernando mateo, the spokesperson for the uh nys ftd, said the shortage of parking spaces in new york city. What? Oh? No, I was oh no, no, no, sorry.
Speaker 1I was stretching my okay sorry, by panic, thought I was waving her down. I thought she was gonna tell me something then my arm was like going numb because I've got it curled up.
Speaker 2So the shortage of parking spaces in new york city often puts drivers in a tough position, especially those with health conditions, which is true. Some drivers are forced to answer nature's call behind an open taxi, risking even greater fines for indecent exposure. I was just going to say yeah.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2You open the cab door and it's like and make sure that there's nobody around. Kids women anybody, Especially if there's a kid going by and you're out there.
Speaker 1Yeah, woo, you'd be in.
Speaker 2And you're like no, no, no, no, I just need to pee. You know, it's not that kid. Oh, my yeah, oh, you'd be in. And you're like no, no, no, no, I just need to. You know, it's not that kid. Oh, wow, there's some guys. You know that's so crazy. So here's a quote we have a lot of drivers that are diabetic drivers, that have kidney problems and a lot of drivers that are waiting for transplants. Wow, mateo said. And when they double park or they park to use a bathroom, they get ticketed, taking away their entire day's profit. That sucks, you're going to think, yeah, you're sitting. It's like probably worse than a desk job.
Speaker 1Yeah, because you don't even get to like up and walk around and go to the bathroom.
Speaker 2Exactly, you can't go to the bathroom.
Speaker 2The stress of the traffic, the stress of the people that you have to carry around. You're really immobile. You're just sitting there holding on to your necessities. Sitting there, you know, holding on your necessities, you know. Ah, yeah, so, so, let's, uh. So the city, uh, issues fines for various parking violations, including a 95 penalty for parking in a truck loading zone and 115 for parking at a bus stop. Whoa, so so. In addition, the MTA began ticketing drivers who block bus lanes or double park near them last summer, with fines ranging from $50 to $250 for repeated offenses. Yeah, that's like their pay, wow. So, yeah, definitely, come on New Yorkork, come on see now, you, that we know. Then now we know why it stinks so much because these poor taxi drivers have to do whatever they need to do.
Speaker 1You know it's open the cab door and just pissing right there, or who knows what I wonder if it's like that everywhere again, I never really thought of it as anything you know oh, they must just go back to this central station and yeah, yeah, but no I know, I, I thought the same thing you said.
Speaker 2You know like they're, do they're around, and then they go back to this, yeah, their station, and then that they're done for the day. But I mean it, yeah, I don't know how long they're. You know, if it's more than 12 hours on the road? Yeah, I don't know, it's just I'm sure it's not an eight hour day. No, no, no, you're looking hours and hours, these, these guys out there, unless they, let's say, pick up people at the airport, they able to just park at the airport and go do their thing. And because some of the let's see, I think I saw one where taxi driver where he said that it's not easy to like go park at the library and use the library bathroom there or anywhere that is public, so we can use a bathroom.
Speaker 1Well, no, I mean, think about when we go down there trying to find parking is awful. That's why we've started just taking the train in. Yeah, especially in recent years gotten bad trying to find parking. Yeah, that's so funny though. Yeah, we dropped that episode and the article comes up the same day, because it's something. It's not the first time we've complained about it, but no.
Speaker 2Here's another quote from mateo they are no spots in new york. When you drive around the city and you have to go to the bathroom, 90 of the spaces in new york city don't have parking spaces. When you have to go, you have to go. You can't drive for five, ten minutes looking for a spot. Yeah, yeah, no, we've all been there. We've all like pull over. You know, when I, when I was like why does it always smell like urine or smells like this? And you know, and it's like it's. You can't just say, oh, it's the homeless people oh, yeah, no, I mean, yeah, they have that.
Speaker 1I'm sure they add to it, but yeah, it's more than that. Well, and then, just like at night, all the drunk people coming out of bars, and yeah, you know, oh, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2I'm gonna say I'm sorry about the word homeless on house. Oh okay, because now there's there's some people who find homeless word that is now on house unhoused, okay.
Speaker 1So something just popped up while you were talking about that I had tokyo hive open because I was looking at things. Okay, because earlier we had talked about um snowman yes, they're doing like niyadate and daisuke have both done videos. It just popped up that shotowatanabe unveils vibrant oh, I can't even say that I was gonna read that, but you, you beat me to it. Oh my god, I can't get past that. Okay, yes I was just trying, I was trying to look at it and say it all in one thing you get too excited because so he's got his video coming out oh my god, now I gotta see him too yeah, so that's exciting.
Speaker 1So every member is going to be doing a little personal video thing.
Speaker 2Yes, and apparently baby Raul have won in his. Oh, he opened a TikTok. Oh, really, he opened a TikTok account. Why Don't go to TikTok? Don't, don't go to TikTok. No, I'm not. No, no, not you. But I mean, oh okay, I'm not Our friends. No, not you. But I mean, oh okay, I'm out of here. Our friends, I'm not going to TikTok.
Speaker 1Don't go to.
Speaker 2TikTok Anyways. But yeah, he opened now a TikTok account and supposedly is a very impressive display of himself.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2Well, you know his movies, you know the dramatic model that he is.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2Oh, oh, baby love.
Speaker 1So how long ago? Because I saw dice case, like you know something about his video yesterday. When did mia date's come out?
Speaker 2mia date apparently came out before dice game, which I was like what, how can I miss that?
Speaker 1this is a sultry music video.
Speaker 2Girl, I'm telling you, I saw some snippets and he's one is drenched. What is it?
Speaker 1I that day that I run. I don't want to. Mm hmm, ok, and Dice Case is an energetic performance.
Speaker 2Well, can you see the the thumbnail?
Speaker 1Yes, yes, oh yeah, no, it looks like a party going on, oh yeah it's.
Speaker 2It's his his most favorite. What he loves the most? The otaku stuff. Oh yeah, his favorite hobby being an otaku. He's our otaku boy and what's his Mamoritai sono egau. Mamoritai sono egau Interesting. It's cool, it's so cool. I saw that one this morning.
Speaker 1I was smiling I'm like.
Speaker 2I was so like yeah, I don't need coffee, I need to see Daisuke. I was smiling. The family were like why are you smiling? I'm like look at that. Look, doesn't he make you smile?
Speaker 1he's amazing. Yeah, he is. He's so much fun. I still can't forgive those people who are like he's so embarrassing. I'm like who are you and are you a fan of snowman? Get over it exactly. Oh my god, you know. Oh my god, like, why is he not allowed to have fun and enjoy the things he enjoys, the hobbies he has?
Speaker 2Exactly, I mean, you know and his cosplay stuff is amazing. That's what makes him genuine. I prefer a genuine artist than just somebody just pretending to like the stuff and then find out that they just hate it and you're like, oh you're doing it for clown right, exactly he's.
Speaker 1He truly enjoys all this and that's awesome, and the fact that, like he's what? 31, now 32, 32 I want to say 32 yeah, he's 32 now and he's still doing it and then enjoying it and I support him yeah, absolutely. Well, everybody's heard me talk about I've gone to comic cons and what other cons and this econ and you know, yeah, I mean it's fun, I like stuff like that.
Speaker 1I don't dress up, but yeah but I enjoy going and seeing everybody else who does, everybody else who's, I go there to support the other other people.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, exactly, and then I'll just buy merch, whatever, something cuties out there.
Speaker 1We're like, oh my god look at this cute thing, because, oh yeah, we went to anime fest. I mean, we've, we've gone to a few things together too.
Speaker 2Now that we're talking about anime. Anime next, no longer. Oh really, mm-hmm, ah-hmm, ah, they're done. They're not going to do it anymore. So the only one that we have near us is Anime Boston, which is already selling tickets. And speaking of that too, again, I just found out one of my coworkers is all into it too.
Speaker 1I'm like where were you.
Hello Kitty and Entertainment News
Speaker 2You just started working like what? Five, five, six months ago, and now you're talking about it.
Speaker 1I'm like, yeah, a lot of people don't like to talk about because people you know get that face like I'm very open about my love for hello kitty, people who comes to me, people who come hello kitty, though, is a little different.
Speaker 2Hello Kitty. I'm like I can hear it in their freaking voice. Look at you with your Hello Kitty lunchbox and I'm like, yeah, hello Kitty is my girl since 1976.
Speaker 1Who's?
Speaker 2your girl. I give people attitude and I'm like or I just get off and I'm like oh my god, I know. Look how cute this is. I even have this like hello kitty where I keep all my utensils. Oh my god, I found at the mall, at the holy mo I found this hello kitty tin that has a fork and a spoon oh, okay, like plastic like metal. Oh really, I'm like yay so a little silverware package.
Speaker 1Yeah, nice.
Speaker 2So now, the only thing that I kind of like, this doesn't have chopsticks, but that that's okay but I should, I'm right but, I'm thinking like maybe because it's more for westerns, so they didn't put chopsticks in there anyways, I don't know.
Speaker 1I've got a winnie the pooh set.
Speaker 2But now I need to find my little containers that will go with my lunchbox.
Speaker 1Do you have a Hello Kitty bento box?
Speaker 2No, I'm looking for one that fits my lunchbox, because there was some that were kind of big so it doesn't fit my lunchbox. So I'll find something, something's out there.
Speaker 1Well, I'm sure everybody at my work they sort of look Because I've got Arashi hanging, I've got some BTS hanging, I've got my RJ little standee doll thing, I've got my Sailor Moon, I've got some One Piece characters, I've got my Okeki tofu heads. You've seen them when we were in the office.
Speaker 2you have your own office. You can do that. Yeah, I have a cubby. I don't want to put that stuff out there because I don't know who's gonna be snatching it.
Speaker 1Oh, I see, yeah, yeah, you know well, even when I shared an office, because I was like nobody else is gonna steal this, it's, it's, yeah, but I've got my Sailor Moon lunchbox, but you know who's the cleaning people at your job?
Speaker 2Oh yeah, that's true. Well, not at my job. I don't know who they are. I used to keep Hello Kitty plushy. Then I was like you know what? I'm just going to take you home. I'm not going to keep you out here, I'll find something else, hello Kitty, to adore my cubicle.
Speaker 1Yeah, that's a little different. I don't think anybody's going to steal my RSG the sort of stiff pictures out of the magazines and stuff the poster, but not really a poster. I've got a few of those all around my office and my boss she was asking me about it. So I went on this whole big thing. I was like it, they're older than this. I said these are photos from 25 years ago. 20 years ago. I was like they're all in their 40s. She's like, oh okay. I was like I just don't have recent photos because they're not, they're not featured in the magazines anymore because they're over 30. You know I'm looking at you over 30. Well, for a long time that's what happened. Yeah, the minute the band was over 30, they didn't get featured the same way in the magazines. So anyway and you know it's funny too I just I had to mention so you know how last time we were talking about um, we had brought up fluvog, like we were talking about going into boston and and whatever and going to yes on my little tokyo hive.
Speaker 1I've got it up. You know, all the ads running are things we talked about, including fluvog. They're like fluvog shoes worn by icons. I'm like what? Why are my ads? You know the little ads that pop up in between. Have you been watching flu?
Speaker 2logs lately.
Speaker 1No, but we talked about flu logs and my computer was open that day and you know how technology is always listening.
Speaker 2My phone is completely listening to what I'm saying, because what was it? I was talking to family, about something, and then I was just scrolling Instagram and there was an ad for that thing that we were talking about yeah, and I'm like oh, look, something that we were talking about. Here's an ad for it. Like why I didn't even look for it I know, but it's just.
Speaker 1Yeah, the fact that it's tokyo hive website that I'm on, you know like that's crazy. Looking at the news and it's like flu box, it's crazy. I just I had to throw that in there because I was like one thing what junichi okada left in limbo after masahiro nakai's sudden retirement.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, I'm like oh no.
Speaker 1Yeah, my husband, we didn't mention that last time did we the sudden retirement of Nakai. But you know I was like so Okada was working with him on.
Speaker 2So, according to Tokyo Hype, the abrupt retirement of Nakai, formerly of Snap, has had widespread repercussions affecting Fuji TV and many industry figures, including his juniors and seniors, in the entertainment world. Scrutiny after revising reports on the scandal and the controversy has led to the resignation of the top executives following a prolonged press conference. Among those affected is junichi okada, who was set to take over as the third mc of dareka to nakai. Oh so, apparently it was nakai's show, all right. So, following kazunari, ninomiya and nina was there too, and uh muro, tsuyoshi okada, known for his deep respect for Nakai, had expressed gratitude for the opportunity, believing he couldn't turn down a request from such an influential senior. You know, snap is the seniors of old, you know. However, the show was abruptly cancelled before his first appearance Could ever air following Nakai's sudden departure from the industry. Ah, my Okada left dry.
Speaker 2Oh man, oh man, exactly. So what's gonna happen? Boo, you gotta find another man. Exactly so what's going to happen? You got to find another job, Find more acting jobs. He's doing a lot of acting, you know he has been.
Speaker 1You know, well, you know, once the Leaving the company that his group was associated with, right, well he's. You know he's made for acting. Look at that, mm-hmm, good looks and rugged build, oh my God, he's so handsome, I love him.
Speaker 2Mm-hmm. Oh my God, that's a man. Look at that man. Yas, I love him. I do. Every time I see him, I melt, I just melt. He doesn't even have to sing. I just see him, I melt, I just melt. You know, they don't have to sing. I just see him and I'm like, oh, who are you? Oh, yes, yes, man, yes I think there's um.
Speaker 1He was in a movie with uh show a long time ago, kizurazu katsai. They were baseball players, or like they played baseball on the side. It's been a long time. I still remember the series, the drama.
Speaker 2That was the first acting I saw well, the last movie that I saw him, um yavi was in it. Yavi was a big yakuza and uh he was a cop that uh got retired and then they were wanting him to like get the big Yakuza. I think it was called Mad Dogs. It was on Netflix for a while, yeah.
Speaker 2And O-M-G-E. I'm like, yes, okada, yes, it was just Okay. Anyways, I'm only having fantasies with Okada. I just yeah. I love my man, I love him Moving on. What else do we got? Don't keep rambling about Okada.
Speaker 1Yeah, I'm not really sure what other news there is. I think we've sort of maxed out our news information. Well, j-hope's going to have a March comeback, so I guess maybe he's going to put out some new music ahead of his tour world tour.
Speaker 2That's good that we're not going.
Speaker 1I know that we couldn't get tickets to old boy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, looks like I guess the girls of black pink are gonna get together again and do a world tour. Oh, really, yeah, black pink announces 2025 world tour with exciting new teaser. Oh, this came out a couple of days ago, on february 6th okay, teaser announcing plans to embark on a new world tour in 2025. Let me see. More information about blackpink's long-awaited tour will be revealed at a later date, but in the meantime, you can check out the new teaser. They've got, I guess, something up on youtube, because they've all been off doing solo stuff, so I know, rose, you've been doing her thing.
Speaker 2Jenny just had some stuff. Lisa, yeah even jisoo.
Speaker 1She hasn't done anything recently, but she did have a solo ep last year there was yeah, they're doing something either. Fashion music well, they, they all did something solo, but apparently they're coming back together to do another tour.
Speaker 2That's cool, good for the girls looking forward to it. I can't get that that. Oh my god.
Speaker 1That's so catchy, it's ridiculous we know got7 did that one day show. Have you heard anything about them actually doing like a tour tour? They've got the new album out, so I'm just wondering if you know maybe no announcement yet there's nothing in there um got seven. No, just like something about the. Like a dance practice video and and stuff like that.
Speaker 1But I'm just wondering because you know they've they put out another one of the singles off the the album and they they did do just a one day performance and hopefully jackson's okay, he apparently had suffered from some chest pains, oh no had to be rushed to the hospital oh no, I didn't hear about that.
Speaker 2Oh no, no yeah, I was like oh, not jackson well, you know, I want to say they're putting our stuff out there, so I'm thinking they're still gearing up for it, because now they have a new pen light looks really cool version three. This is their third pen pen light. Oh wow, that's cool. So I'm thinking they're working on it okay I guess, we'll see, we'll find out.
Speaker 2Yep, any more news? I have went on somebody's website, but I couldn't find anything that we can chat about. Okay then, no, I have nothing else. Okay, I'm, I'm watching the timeless on netflix and, of course, there's two more episodes that needs to come out, and then I'll be up to date. I know already. People know who they are. I don't want to look at that, because I just want to look the whole show. And today I I was crying. I was crying for my cool, oh, my goodness, for my. I mean, you know, through the whole thing he's like oh, don't worry, it's all good it's like his eyes all right, everything but today's episode.
Speaker 2Oh my god. The waterworks was just like. I'm there with tissues wiping my face I'm all a mess. Like I said, family was looking at me like what are you watching?
Speaker 2I'm like see, I don't. This is why I don't watch things like this in front of you. Leave me alone anyways. So yeah, for those who have been watching the timeless project, you know what I'm talking about. If you have not, I'm not gonna say. If you're like me, that is, waiting and avoiding as much as you can of all the, you know, timeless project audition, because I want to be surprised of who is going to be picked. I hope there were two, but I think they're going to pick one. I think it's two, I don't know, we'll see. I think it is two, but there's so many kids in there that they can become units. You know they can have like. You know, I hope that they have something for them, even after going through all that. Who knows anyways? Okay, so that's it, my friend.
Speaker 2So thank you everybody for listening to this total, you know rants and rambling Shenanigans always.
Speaker 1Yeah, random stuff.
Speaker 2And now you know where the pee smell comes from New York, all the taxi drivers, all the taxi drivers that can't find bathrooms. That's why I'm telling you Boston, come over here. Alright, please rate, review and share, share, share.
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Speaker 2Much, much gratitude your way every. If you become a subscriber, definitely good luck will go your way all right until next time.
Speaker 1Bye-bye.
Speaker 2Bye-bye.
Speaker 1My dad likes to say I can talk like a sailor, so you know, I know I have been there.
Speaker 2No offense to sailors, I have been there.
Speaker 1Apparently he grew up with the Navy, so that's why he says it.
Speaker 2You want to be like Dad. I just wonder where you get that from.
Speaker 1Well, exactly Like, where did you think I learned it Dad?
Speaker 2That's where it came from. If they want to be in denial, that's probably from school. School kids who are you hanging with? It's like you, dad, 24-7. Don't be blaming it on my friends.