gsquared

童話(Fairy Tale)

2009-04-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hey all, for those of you who have lost a loved one or is deeply in love with someone, this MV is for you. Sung by 光良 (Michael Wong), who is from Malaysia, about a man's love for his girlfriend. Its important to note that the girl suffers from Leukemia, as it plays an important part. The MV is VERY sad, however, the strong emotions that it evokes will endear itself to you. The message is quite clear: cherish every moment with those you love and tell them that you love them whenever you can, because you may never, ever get that chance again. Quite frankly, its one of the best Taiwanese song I have ever heard, the MV just makes it that much better.

Of course, if you just want to enjoy a damn good soft and melodic song about love, this is THE song. For those of you who are not familiar with Mandarin songs, here is an excellent example of the style that the majority of songs are like, mostly about love.

Here are the lyrics to those who are interested:
王光良-童話
Michael Wong-Fairy Tale

忘了有多久　
wang le you duo jiu
再沒聽到你
zai mei ting dao ni
對我說你最愛的故事
dui wo shuo ni zui ai de gu shi
我想了很久　
wo xiang le hen jiu
我開始慌了
wo kai shi huang le
是不是我又做錯了甚麼
shi bu shi wo you zuo cuo le shen me
你哭著對我說　
ni ku zhe dui wo shuo
童話裡都是騙人的
tong hua li du shi pian ren de
我不可能是你的王子
wo bu ke neng shi ni de wang zi
也許你不會懂　
ye xu ni bu hui dong
從你說愛我以後
chong ni shuo ai wo yi hou
我的天空星星都亮了
wo de tian kong xing xing dou liang le
我願〔要〕〔會〕變成童話裡
wo yuan (yao) (hui) bian cheng tong hua li
你愛的那個天使張開雙手　
ni ai de na ge tian shi zhang kai shuang shou
變成翅膀守護你
bian cheng chi bang shou hu ni
你要相信　
ni yao xiang xin
相信我們會像童話故事裡
xiang xin wo men hui xiang tong hua gu shi li
幸福和快樂是結局
xin fu he kuai le shi jie ju
一起寫我們的結局
yi qi xie wo men de jie ju
—------------------------------
I've forgotten how long it's been
Since I last heard you
Tell me your favourite fairytale
I've thought for a very long time
I'm starting to get worried
Have I done something wrong again?

You told me with tears in your eyes
That fairytales are all lies
There's no way I can be your prince charming
Perhaps you don't understand
Since you said you loved me
The stars in my sky started to twinkle

I'm willing to be
The angel you love in the fairytale
I'll open my arms wide
And turn them into wings to protect you
You must believe
Believe that we will be like the fairytale
With happy ever after as the ending

Together we'll write our own ending

K-ON!

2009-04-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

So, I'm gonna be honest. I haven't been keeping up with watching anime lately, at least not as much as I would like. However, having gone around the net everyday and going to various forums and sites, I noticed this new series (ep 2 just aired) based on a manga that has received raves and hype from just about every source. Now, usually, I am skeptical about what the word around the net says, however, after watching it, I have to say, ITS DAMN GOOD!!!

The 4 main girls are cute and each has a uniqueness to her and will immediately endear themselves to you. The animation is top notch, the story ineresting, and the music is fun as well. I highly recommend this if your looking for an enjoyabe and light-hearted series, or just an excellent series, period.

I can just see the endless amounts of merchandise, figures, and DVD's that this series will generate, and I can say right now that I will be spending a good amount of my future income on such things.

The above video is the most excellent ED to K-ON! sung by Yoko Hikasa and her friends. Pause my blog music and watch/listen to "Don't Say Lazy"!

Believe the hype, people. This is a fantastic series.

Been a while...

2009-04-07T22:17:00.001-07:00

So, its been a couple months since my last update, not much to say except schoolwork and lazyness are running my life right now. Im currently on my spring break and catching up on some (actually, a lot) of backlogged anime. 2 more months until the 4 year journey that is my high school career comes to an end. Man, has it really been
4 years?

Well, thats it for now, i guess. However, I will definitely be on a posting rampage about my hobbies, anime, music, the otaku subculture, figure/gunpla stuff, and lots and lots of pics of the aforementioned items soon and also a photodiary of the summer i'll spend in my hometown (er, country), Taiwan...so look forward to that! It will be THE BEST summer of my life (so far).

A Little De-Motivation

2009-01-03T20:50:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone had an awesome 2008 and I wish you all have an even better year in 09.

Okay, rant time....again. But this time, its about myself and im sure a lot other people as well. I don't know if laziness is a condition that only certain people get or if everyone has it, just varying degrees. Whatever the case (I'm too lazy to research), i can certainly diagnose myself with a pretty bad case of laziness.

I've had 2 weeks off for Christmas break and I start school this comming Monday. I have 2 big papers due on that day and I havn't started at all. Each day, I keep on telling myself that I will definitely start tommorow, and each day, i manage not to. Well, I definitely have to start now since its my last day tommorow. I am really regretting not doing the papers over the span of the 2 weeks, but its what i get for being lazy and procrastinating.

One of my biggest vices is procrastination. Combined with apathy, short attention span, and sheer laziness this is very harmful. Particularly in the school aspect of life. I've always been able to put things off till the last minute and manage to pull it off decently, but lately, its been getting worse, especially when I'm on an extended break. I work really well under pressure, but when im not, it would take a miracle for me to start something. Now, lets make it clear before you make the wrong assumption, I'm only like this towards things I don't like. However, many of these things are important, such as school-related stuff, obviously.

I guess I just have a hard time finding the motivation and inspiration to start something that i dont particularly like.

How do you all get over the procrastination and laziness?

"Half the battle is knowing when to start"
I dont know who said it, but he/she hit the bulls-eye.

This is probably not something I should start out the new year with, and it may seem that all I do is rant, but its something that I intend to conquer. Like I said in a previous post, I will start to do things differently and see what another side of life has to offer this year, but that has to start with myself.

Anyways, just food for thought for those who share my pain.

Btw, Gene, does the music play properly, if at all, when you read my articles?

Byōsoku 5 Senchimētoru

2008-12-30T21:26:00.000-08:00

Went to Best Buy today to pick up a new hard drive and guess what i found, a copy of one of my favorite anime movie ever, 5 Centimeters Per Second. Directed by Makoto Shinkai, its about 2 friends who struggle to remain in contact as they gradually move farther and farther apart. Saw this movie online a few months ago, but never managed to find a copy of the dvd. I heard that ADV Films, the company that liscensed the title, discontinued the production of the movie, so that was the reason why i couldnt locate one.

Anyways, I recommend anyone who hasnt seen this movie to watch it ASAP. You will not be disappointed. The ending is sad though, but thats part of what makes the film so great. Its rather short, but i guarantee it will change the way you look at your friends and the ones you care about.

A Slice of...TWO Slices of Life and New Years

2008-12-29T16:29:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone (or just Gene), I have been meaning to update this blog for quite some time now, but I have been unhealthily lazy. Anyways, with 2009 just around the corner, I thought it was time to get off my ass and talk about something.

So, recently, I watched Cape No. 7, a hit Taiwanese film, and the damn movie really made me miss Taiwan. I've been here (in the US) for about 8 years now and its not so much that i dont like it here, but the fact that i prefer living in Taiwan a lot more. However, for the time being, I am here for my education. That aside, the movie made me really think about my future and what i plan on doing. Im almost done with high school and I still dont really know what I would like to do with my life. I have pretty good grades and Im pretty sure I will get into a pretty good school as well, but thats all i really know. My parents want me to be a doctor (surprise?), which i doubt that I will pursue. Maybe that should be my New Years resolution, find something that I am passionate for. I don't really care about the economic aspect of my future, as long as I find something i love and get paid relatively well, im good. I think that my trip home next summer will really help me, both physically and mentally. I will enjoy my time and maybe do a little soul searching. Plus, im pretty sure I will travel to Japan for a week alone, so thats something else to look forward to in 09. Like Danny Choo said in his article, "doing something will lead to something" and in 09, I will start to experience different things and participate in various activities. 6 months left of school may seem like a long time now, especially in the IB program, but im sure all this hard work will seem like nothing when im on the plane back to Taiwan.

2009 already seems like it will be a good year for me. What about you? Any plans for next year or any resolutions? And why do people only make resolutions every year? I think its something that people should strive for everyday to progress.

I just wanna wish you all a Happy New Year and I hope you are doing something that makes you happy (keep on cooking, Gene!) because life is too damn short!

Las Vegas Day 2

2008-11-28T00:00:00.001-08:00

Well, got up around 11 AM today and we decided to go to the Chinatown and eat lunch. After that, we went to the Fashion Show Mall and walked around for a bit. There were a lot of shops there, but i think i was mostly following my family around because nothing really interested me. After that, we decided to go eat at the Buffet at the Wynn hotel, but thanks to Thanksgiving, we had to wait in line for literally 3 hours to get in. Waiting in line for 3 hours for about an hour meal doesnt seem like a good tradeoff to me, i'd be content with a burger and some fries...Anyways thats about all we did today. Will definitely hit the strip tommorow and check out some of the shops there. Bai bai!

Lunch

Getting ready for the Buffet...

Three hours later....

Viva Las Vegas! Day 1

2008-11-26T22:32:00.000-08:00

Forgot what caught my attention here, lol. Maybe a pretty girl?

Greetings from Las Vegas everyone! I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. For those who didnt do anything, I hope you at least enjoyed a day or two off. Anyways, my family decided to come to Vegas because we got 3 complementary nights to stay at the Palazzo hotel. I arrived around 7 PM so didnt really do much. Checked into the hotel and grabbed some food. Honestly, i really dont know what to do here as I'm not 21, and we all know if your not 21, there's really not much to do besides shop and eat in LV. But i will definitely enjoy just relaxing and not doin anything. Thats it for now, au revoir!

Gundam 00

2008-11-23T16:46:00.000-08:00

Been quite busy this past week, but honestly, i was just a bit too lazy to update the blog. But after watching the latest episode of Gundam 00 s2 (ep 7) just now, i have decided to get off my lazy ass and post something new... and lo and behold, it's about Gundam 00...or more specifically, how AWESOME and EPIC this series really is. So without further ado...

Let me just start off by sayin that the music from Gundam 00, both seasons, just blows EVERY other anime out off the water. Now, if you read my previous post, you probably know how big i am with music and trust me when i say, the music selection of Gundam 00 is as good as it gets. Anyone who has watched ep 7 of s2 has probably heard "Unlimited Sky" by tommyheavenly6 (member of thebrilliant green) when the flashback of Sergei/Soma occured. (BTW, if anyone can tell me where i might be able to dl that song, let me know, PLEASE) That song almost made me cry, literally. Add that with other greats like "Ash Like Snow", "Friends", " Daybreak's Bell", "Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi", and "Prototype" and your ears are in a state of umparalleled, orgasmic (yea, i said it) bliss.

Music aside, cuz we know the music alone doesnt make an anime series great (although it does to me), Gundam 00 is simply amazing. What struck me first is just how great and believable (in the context of the genre) the story is. Now, i am no professional critic or anything of that sort, but I know a good anime when i see one. The art and animation is topnotch all the way through. Beautiful to say the least. The characters are all memorable and provide an unique aspect to the overall show (Neil, Ali, Graha...Mister Bushido, Soma, Sergei, Louise... just to name a few), and the developement and background of each character is just awesome.

Yes, this is Gundam, so lets talk about the mech designs. The very first time i saw the promo for 00 a year or so ago, I facepalmed myself and was just utterly disgusted by the mech designs. But the designs grew on me faster than the ebola virus. Both the Gundams and other suits are just superbly designed (GN-X's, Tierans, and the Gundams). Yes, the designs are a radical departure of what we come to see Gundam as, but as Ralph Waldo Emerson says “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” This kinda reminded of the Chris Bangles BMW designs. Everyone thought they were ugly when they first came out, but look at all the bimmers on the streets now.

Granted, the only other Gundam series i have seen are SEED/SEED DESTINY(please, no rants) and WING. I admit that, unlike most people, i thoroughly enjoyed both seasons of SEED and i think that the mech designs (my favorite by a large margin being Infinite Justice) of SEEED are superb and, along with its music ("Invoke", "Vestige", "Akatsuki no Kuruma", "Shinkai no Kodoku", "Anna ni issho Datta no ni", "Hoshi no Tobira"..etc), can hold its own very well. However, 00 just blows these two previous series out of the water in almost all aspects. Many pro-UC old schoolers believe that the newer suits and characters are too overpowered and too "unrealistic", and i just think that SEED has given them all a bitter taste for 00. While i agree the more recent series of Gundam may have overdone the ability of the protagonists a bit, the fact remains that if you take Gundam 00 for what it is, it is pretty damn awesome. 00 doesnt quite blow the "overpoweredness" of the main characters too out of porportion. After all, though the Gundams are years ahead of its time, they still do rely on tactics a la Sumeragi and they do get damaged a lot.

Compared with other anime, Gundam 00 should be near the top of the chain. Now, i may be biased for saying this, as I am indeed partial to Gundam, i dont think anyone who has seen this series can honestly disagree with me (if you do, i dont really care) when i say 00 is plain old awesome. I am not intelligent enough to explain in painstaking detail why or how as i have just tried to do that, but avid anime watchers or newcomers alike can judge themselves when they see it.

The bottom line for me is: This series is amazing. period. watch it.

While we're on the subject of 00, here's my Exia taken a few weeks ago, supposed to be Trans-Am:

Harmonious Discord

2008-11-12T18:37:00.000-08:00

Nakashima Mika ^^

Ok, for those of you wondering what the hell i meant in my title, all i meant was Music. For me, music is a huge part of my life everday. Im almost always listening to music when im not in class and definitely listening whenever i drive anywhere.

So, for my first "real" post, i will shed a little light on the types of music i listen to and why. A few years ago, if you asked me what type of music i like and listen to, I would say rap and hip-hop. Since then, I rarely, if ever, listen to any mainstream hip-hop music anymore. Why? i'm not too sure, maybe getting a little older changed my taste for music or maybe i've gone back to my asian "roots." Regardless, I think that a lot of hip-pop music has strayed too far from what it once was and has become very redundant, all the beats and tune is the same. Some songs rely entirely on a few good chorus lines that follow the formula of girls, money, and cars...

Now, I find myself listening to Taiwanese music with some Japanese and Korean as well. I enjoy music by artists such as Jay Chou (周杰倫), Wilber Pan (潘瑋柏), Mayday (五月天), Landy Wen (溫嵐), Cyndi Wang ( 王心凌), and even some old school Wu Bai (伍佰). I also like japanese and korean artists such as UVERworld (ウーバーワールド), L'arc En Ciel(ラルクアンシエル), T.M. Revolution, Nakashima Mika (中島美嘉), Utada Hikaru (宇多田ヒカル,), Nami Tamaki (玉置成実), Stephanie(ステファ),BoA, Se7en (세븐), Rain (정지훈) and such. I think these artist (s) seemingly put so much passion and emotion into both the lyrics and the music and part of the reason that im partial to Taiwanese songs, aside from being pretty damn good, is that its my way of retaining the culture, that I personally love far more than American culture, i have been raised in. Songs by these artists endear to me, even after I've listened to them thousands of times, i dont get tired of them. I dont think I can say the same for a lot of mainstream American music.

How about you all? What types of music do you like and find endearing? Why?

BTW, i tried loading a song onto my blog, does it work? I think only those with Firefox and the necessary plug-ins can play it, don't know why. Regardless, the song is "Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi" by UVERworld. I love it and recommend anyone who is into J-rock to check it out. For those who watch Gundam 00, you will recognize it as the opening for season 2.
ciao

Curtains Up

2008-11-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

Hows it going everyone? Thanks for visiting my newly created blog. I guess i should start off introducing myself eh?

Well, I'm gsquared, aka Allen, and im 18 years old. Im an ABC (technically ABT cause im from Taiwan...) and im currently in my senior year in high school. Anyways, i made this blog to share with people my hobbies and to blog about my what goes on in my mind. Not much need be said about me personally and what i'm like, I think as I post more and more stuff, it will become evident. Wtih each post, i will try and reveal a little bit more about my background and who I really am. Thats really what i want anyways, for people to see me through my actions, or in this case, my thoughts rather than me directly telling them. More often than not though, I will just be talking about my hobbies and the things I do or think about from day to day.

Feel free to drop any comments, flames, or questions and I will get back to you.