NYU Talk Like Singing – Katori Shingo’s U.S performance, and fan experience.

This is going to be a pretty wordy report, with a slide show of images. So if you want to read this report, memory recap, check under this cut.

[SMAP] Transformer BumbleBee Skit..

If I can provide a video I will.. will enjoy the screen caps I prep, Kimura Takuya’s facial expression here is funny.. hahahaha..

The premises as what I get from the skit, is that there are meteorites flying to earth, and Kimu Taku who plays a teenager in this skit, goes outside to see a yellow car transform itself into this man. He is obviously parodying Transformer, and this guy turns out to be pretty vain, pops a Champagne bottle, and leaves Earth to fall.

Okay, I have never watched the Transformer movie before, but based on that excellent cosplayer at NYAF 2009.. I wonder. Also saw a photo that was provided by my cousin about a Bumble Bee look alike in Pittsburgh. Ahh this was good..

Also saw a new CM via Japanator that Kimura did.. man he is still milking his popularity after sooo many years.. ^_^

[SMAP] GATSBY CM vs SMATSBY spoof -9-28-09

Okay recently if you haven’t heard of Kimura Takuya’s recent commercial with Gatsby Facial Cleanser, be reminded by this Youtube clip.

Then check out a recent parody titled SMATSBY on SMAPxSMAP, in it Hiraizumi Sei, who Kimura does a really accurate imitation of, does a funny skit..

Am slightly behind on my impressions of SMAPxSMAP.

[SMAP] BISTRO SMAP – Ninkyo Helper’s Guests

I was thinking about it lately, much more than usual. I came to a standstill with Japanese, and yes while I am learning the basics- I do think that I may not be able to take the JLPE this year as I speculated, without some more serious classes.

Listening comprehension is pretty fun. Subs are a gem for shows like SMAPxSMAP, but because they take so much time to do, I got use to watching it without the subs.

On July 27’s SMAP Bistro, there was the guest appearance of Kato Seishiro and Matsudaira Ken, both who are actors on Kusanagi’s summer dorama Ninkyo Helper. As of this post, there are four episodes broadcast, and so far the dorama is moving on a steady pace.

Kato Seishiro is a child start who is right now on the rise. I really like his performances so far, and the show actually mentions that when Kato was 4 years old, he appeared alongside with Nakai as a backup dancer/singer in a segement that looked like Uta no Oniisan.

Matsudaira Ken was with Shingo on stage several years ago with his Samba song, so taking that in mind, as well as the dorama. So with that in mind Shingo did a character spoof, and it was pretty funny.

[SMAP] Drama Special – 06/22/2009

Okay hands down, I am a SMAP fan, and have got to once again say that watching their variety show makes me feel really happy.

So this is several weeks after Kusunagi comes back, and yep this episode made me lol several times. There were two short dorama skits, with Kusunagi and Shingo in one, and Goro and Kimura in the other. Both are shoujo relevent episodes. I guess it should be said that in the group, Kimura, and Kusunagi are viewed as romantic interest, based on the doramas that are out there. Katori and Goro are comic actors, which had me lol most of the time. Occasionally SMAP does this in their program, which I like.

Bistro SMAP was also funny, with the appearance of two sons and their mother. It would appear that every female I see, would always be a fan of SMAP, the mother gives omiyage to SMAP, and then asks them for autographs to her sister. So embarassing for the brothers, and funny. Later when the guests chose the winning team as Katori/Kimura, and the mother had to kiss the winners. It was funny when Nakai said for the mother, Just like in the doramas, when she got nervous in kissing Kimura. This segment reminds me of that one episde where Becca’s mother came on with her. LOL

Musical guests in this episode are Black Eyed Peas. It is always interesting for me to see SMAP sing with foreigners. As well as the foreigners try to sing SMAP song, which in this episde, was “Them of 019” whichc was the opening track for their concert last year. I didn’t understand what they were talking about, but what I can deduce is that Black Eye Peas had something to do with the music from last year’s SMAP concert? Oh also I was also hoping that SMAP would sing “Let’s Get It Started” But then I wonder – if it would be too much for them.. maybe “My Humps” would have been a little too much as well. So they sang, “I Gotta Feeling” where Shingo seems to be having a blast.. Oh the conversation at the end, wondering why there was no translater for the Black Eyed Peas, since there was obvious Lost in translation moments. Oh interesting point – Kimura with corn rows in his hair. >_<

[SMAP] Specials for May without Kusunagi Tsuyoshi

Well my timing is probably off, but I was waiting until Kusunagi Tsuyoshi gets to resume work, and with the delay that I get to see normal programming of SMAPxSMAP Bistro.  Figure that I’ll talk a bit about the specials that they are airing, in place of the regular programing with Kusunagi.

My friends in Japan got me thinking of not referring to Tsuyoshi as Tsuyoshi – because it is his first name, and I don’t know him. Apparently American Wikipedia decided to westernize his last and first name. I am still thinking of him as Tsuyoshi though.

Still because of the scandal, SMAP has been airing specials that alternate members. For the first week of May (May 4) they a Carpenters Musical special. The special looks very much like the Music specials they had in the past, so if you’re a fan of the Carpenters – check this out.Kimu Taku and Shingo has the strongest English voices in the goup.

The second week (May 11) had Kimu Taku hosting a special of interviewing a gathering of Japanese celebrities. Many of which I see in dramas a lot, and even featured the appearance of Becca.  It pretty hard to understand what the episode was about. But staring at this picture definitely reminds me of Rai’s French -Nishi loving roomie.. ^_^

May 18 was a special hosted by Shingo and Nakai. It had the adventures of Oha Shingo-Mama, as he goes to rouse and make breakfast for this family. It was pretty funny, given the difficulty of how the family woke up, or didn’t wake up. During the course of the morning, Shingo jokes on Zatoichi, which he is slated to play the famous blind swordsman.  Especially funny, when the real mama starts to threaten Shingo with a sword. He also does mention in the end that the younger son of 6 years old not hearing of his Shingo-mama character before. Nakai for his part of the show is babysitting the Obama Japanese comedian’s baby, and ends up throwing the baby up down like a sack of potatoes.. >_<

The last episode on May 25 before Tsuyoshi gets back on air had Goro and Shingo hosting a surprised or not surprised situation. There is a panel of guest judges that include Shaku Yumiko and Horikita Maki who are in two doramas I am watching this season. Basically, the judges have to rule on being surprised or not surprised by the items that they are presented with. I think basically everyone was surprised by how  much a certain item cost. >_<

[SMAP] Pielot = If you get the answer wrong or someone else gets it right, you get pied…!

Okay, last time I wrote about SMAP’s show, I mentioned that I would write something up on Pielot, and as I was trying to find a video on Youtube, I realized I was looking for it under a wrong term. Basically this is a segment on the show where three SMAP’s are with a guest. They are sat in pilot seats and pretty much listen to quickly answer for a question. If they get chosen and they answer the question correctly – their opponents which is usually the guest quickly gets pied with a plate full of whip cream. Consequently if they get the question wrong, they themselves get pied. There is actually a change for the players to try and defend themselves with a fan in front of their face, but the machine is kinda tricky…so either way the person gets pied.

I don’t know enough Japanese to know what the questions are about, but usually by the end of the round, everyone gets pied in the face.

Here’s a screen cap I took a while back

Goro yelling in disbelief

Here’s a video clip, that high light three guests that they had on Pielot, actually the second guest was the one I found the funniest.

Sure that is old school humor, but getting pied in the face is slapstick humor… easy to laugh about and have fun.

[SMAP] Say You Say Me – 12-15-06

I still have to do a write up for a SMAP’s PIELOT, but I like this episode, almost as much as the last time I saw Tanihara Shosuke on this segement as well. The premises is this,guess who is the mysterious voice behind the screen, acting as a character from a classic anime.  Nakai-kun is the host of this segement, pretending to be Lionel Richie – after his song Say You Say Me… three of the SMAP memebers have to guess who is the voice is for three rounds… and one of the SMAP member gets to go and act as the mysterious voice partner in this guess who is the seiyuu situation.

Anyway for this episode, they used Dr-Slump, and guess who acts as Arale’s voice, man was I surprised. Shingo-kun got to act as Senbei, since he seem to know the most about Dr. Slump.. *_*

This leaves behind Goro-kun, Kimura, and Tsuyoshi-kun as the contestant. Tsuyoshi-kun’s reactions were so cute… and then it was so funny with Kimura’s reactions when he realizes who it was at the end of the segment.

And it’s Matsu Takako playing as Arale-chan! Shingo-kun was complaining as to how she couldn’t control her laughter during the rounds.. so it was funny.. I haven’t see her in a while, so I was happy to learn she’s in a new movie.