42 posts tagged “arashi”

i am pulling yet another all nighter to finish yet another thing i procrastinated on.
and sketch just came up on my playlist.

arashi, thank you for everything you represent to me.
i've neglected you a bit lately because i almost can't even face you, but the truth is, i've been going through some rough personal times, and when i start listening to your songs, they really take me somewhere happier. :)  somewhere simpler and more peaceful and more fun.
thank you for all you represent.  thank you for all the hard work you've put into that.  thank you for so much.  i don't care what other people say about idols being meaningless and how idols are just 'tools.'  if you are tools you are surely the most wonderful tools ever.  you work so hard and put up with a lot and it really matters.  it matters a lot to me right now.

gah, that song always makes me emotional. reminds me of every time i've ever listened to an arashi song, and what it means to me to be young and to live my life to the fullest, of hopes and dreams and thrills.  arashi has inspired me a lot.

long live. ♥

This isn't really about the Five.  This is about you.
It's a little off-topic maybe so forgive me for posting it to a group.
I've been sort of lurking about the internet again lately since school ended, and the Arashi Fandom has really reminded me of something:  my fandom is so full of hearts and sparkles and rainbows and crack and stars and love it almost kind of hurts.♥♥♥

And really aren't we all that way because of Arashi's lead?  Even the way Captain leads is by following, sort of, by not being selfish or self-centered and thinking of the rest of the group and allowing them to do what they need to.  And so most of the fandom really seems to be thinking about Arashi and each other.  I've been a little out-of-touch the past few months, so if there has been some fandom wank it's pretty much escaped my eyes, but even so most of what I find, wherever I look, is a ton of really wonderful, caring, cooperative fans.

Honestly, bless all the fandom projects and fandom love and fandom buddies and fanart. :3  And yes, even the fanfics, because even though they exaggerate, don't you love how they're generally built on that member-ai OT5 Arashi Unity vibe that everyone loves in the first place? (and yes, we know they're fiction. xD)

No fandom is perfect.  But as I watch this one I think there's generally a tremendous amount of care and respect within this fandom.  A lot of people have devoted a lot of hard work to maintaining the fandom, too, and I think we're all truly grateful to all of them... the uploaders and mods and subbers and translators.  Thank you guys so, so much. :)  May we all continue to peacefully coexist, and respect, and care, and fangirl together. :)

Here's to ten wonderful years of Arashi and ten or infinity more. :)

Uwah. x) that's all the waxing poetic I can do about fandom right now.  But seriously.  You all rock. :3 I feel like I've said this a THOUSAND times (probably because I have) but I wouldn't say it (again... and again...) if I didn't think it needed saying.  This is an AWESOME fandom and it just makes me SO HAPPY I have to tell people. :)

finals start tomorrow OMG.

over break i WILL learn the dance to A.Ra.Shi.  D:<  i feel like i'm close.  i must have watched Time con 10 times this month and i think i'm starting to get it.  Over the month of break i should be able to finally, FINALLY figure it out.  It's not the footwork that confuses me though... ;'_; it's their tricky arm-flaily stuff!! D:<  i can figure out the footwork easily enough but they do so many weird flaily secret-handshake type things, it doesn't make sense~!  but when i'm watching other songs on Time con i can mimick a lot of them! >:"D  again, particularly the footwork and simple hand motions.  I WILL GET THIS!! >:I

ashita is my nihongo no oral interview. D:  chotto fuan desu.  chotto kinchou shite imasu.  D:  demo kitto nantoka naru to omoimasu.  nantoka, kitto daijobu da to omoimasu.  >:D  demo, sou ka to itte mo, kinchou shite imasu. D:

it's my music theory exam tomorrow too but i'm past caring for that one.  XD  i think i get it.  we'll find out.  i've given up on my gpa this semester but i have BOMB classes lined up for next and i'm very excited!!

does anyone else think that Sho's Yatterman costume and Ohno's Uta no Oniichan costume both look ABSURDLY RIDICULOUS?!?! ahaha.  i mean i guess Sho's kind of makes sense since it's a really old anime.  it's dorky in a kind of... nantoka...old-fashioned dorky way.  i can accept and appreciate its cute dorkiness. :D  i lol'd a lot when i saw Ohno's though. D:  i hope he doesn't have to wear that the whole show... XD  it's still great that he gets to be in another drama though. :3  Ah, my boys... they're accomplishing so much...

i got back from the gym tonight (LOL I WAS THERE TWO HOURS.  i brought a textbook with me to look at while i was working out but you can tell someone has really been trying to delay things!! i'm such a bad student. orz but actually sort of not thinking about school for a while helped me to organize my thoughts... somehow... even though i'm on vox typing a ramble right now...) and was kind of hungry and so i made something really weird.

i have really wierd taste.  apart from the fact that in my opinion the five hottest boys in the world have been seen in concert wearing sequined blue pants and shiny hot pink shirts and sequined red jackets with huge asymettrical plumes, all at the same time, and i even think it looks cute in a wierd way.  because i just had this for like... second dinner... and i thought it was delicious!!  i took romaine lettuce, all chopped up salad-like, and then made my own dressing, using... soy sauce (tamari actually), balsamic vinegar, a bit of olive oil, and chili paste.  i thought it was amazing!! my taste buds might be as broken as Riida's though. xD  anyway i had that and a red pepper and rice cake with red pepper hummus.  i'm addicted to red peppers.  i eat at least one every day, i swear.

my mom would be horrified at my 'salad dressing.'  xD  "no, mom, i really don't want your hand-made raspberry vinagrette on top of a bed of spinach with pomegranite seeds, walnuts, and feta cheese.  just put some romaine in a bowl and pour chili paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and a dash of oil.  seriously.  it's better that way, i promise"  my mom is a little bit of a Jun in the kitchen.  apparently i am a little bit more like Ohno.

ANYHOO.  i should probably go study moar. 

i was really determined to go to korea next semester on an internship... i don't think i'll go at all anymore..  i need to stay here i think... but i was thinking if i went to korea then i would be able to save up and fly to tokyo (since it's much less to fly to tokyo from korea than from the midwest XD ) and go to a 10th anniversary live in tokyo next summer... don't think that's happening either... ;-; even though i really want to... SO THEY DAMN WELL BETTER HAVE CONCERTS OVERSEAS NEXT YEAR.  Europe and the Americas need their turn.  c'mon guys, c'monnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

so the Time con dvd is on my tv right now.

and may I just say.

I'm DYING to go to a con.  and see them in person.  and bask in the ULTIMATE FESTIVAL OF GAY that is an Arashi live.

SPARKLY COSTUMES AND FEATHERS AND GAUDY CLASHING COLORS.  HUGE NEON-LIGHTED PLATFORMS, RIDICULOUS STAGE PROPS, LOVELY GAY MUSIC AND INCREDIBLY RIDICULOUS DANCING. I LOVE IT SO. SO. MUCH.  IT HURTS I LOVE IT SO.  WANT TO GO~

gah I love the cult of Arashi. (don't we all?)

RAKKI RAKKI BABY SHIGOTO WA RASUTO NO OH MAI GURUUBU~ SHAKA SHAKA BABY KYOU MO TANOSHII~~

can I just climb up to the roof of my building right now and SCREAM that at the top of my lungs?

(haahaa apparently my voice is not dead enough from yesterday's karaoke yet. x3 )

gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. love. &hearts;

yeah A-RA-SHI! A-RA-SHI! MOTTO A-RA-SHI!

it's nearly absurd just how HAPPY and EXCITED watching the Time con makes me.  But then if you're reading this you probably know how it feels. so it's okay. &hearts;

I want to the DVDs for Dream-A-Live to come out (and no complaining that it won't be as good as Time con! D: Arashi Gay is Arashi Gay!).  I can't wait.  I need more con gay. ;o;

and school will be done.  After this week ends, there's six.

~i haven't really been able to keep up with Arashi much since school started.  NINE WEEKS AGO. ;-; i hate school.

~i have been listening to tvxq lately as well. ♥ they may be a new second or third favorite boyband. :3

~today in my korean class one of the girls brought in an old issue of Wink Up to sell to one of the other girls.  I WAS PROBABLY JUST MINUTES TOO LATE TO BUY IT. ;-; it had Sho-chan ♥ and Okada Junichi on it.  Sho's Bambino hair. xD ♥  It was such a surprise!!  I wasn't expecting anything of the sort, but out of nowhere... out of nowhere was Sho's face~!!!  In the middle of my korean class! :3 ♥♥♥ also today, A.RA.SHI came up on my playlist... and I thought hard about the lyrics again... it really is a great song. a great theme song if you will. xD ♥ for my life.

I really appreciate those of you who've stopped by here now and then lately and said hello and whatnot. :)  I haven't been posting much... but thank you!!! ♥♥♥  it really cheers me up la.

This semester has been so much rougher than I was predicting. ;A; i just have six weeks to go and i'll be through it!!  every week is rough.  since midterms started.  and they really haven't ended yet.  and when they do it will be time to prepare for finals. ;-;

I hate having to put my life on hold for 15 weeks until the semester ends. ;-; i don't want that. at ALL.  i want my weeks and my schedule to balance more.

I was perusing the arashi files comm on lj... and thinking about how much i have to watch!!!  (and i haven't started RnK yet... ;-; and so many other dramas i want to see!! k-dramas too).  I'm sooooo far behind on weekly bangumi's. ;-; and i love them so!! it takes so long to d/l usually though, and i don't have time lately... and when i do it's only because i SHOULD be doing other things and i'm not... that or i sleep, because i never get enough of that anymore.  my list of things to do really, literally NEVER is finished, and it really wears on me. ;-;

I was thinking while looking at all of this...

arashi really is strange... they really are odd and cracky...

and i love it so ♥♥♥

every so often one of my friends will mention that arashi is really strange and they don't understand why i like them so much.  but i looooove how strange they are. because they're also wonderful and sweet and funny. ♥

it's going to be a while before i can catch up but i am REALLY looking forward to it. ;-; 

Hello again my lovelies….

NEW SINGLE YEY. :3  Beautiful Days, deshou?  Ryuusei no Kizuna’s theme, right?  I’m really excited they get another single. :3

BUT  I cannot afford this one. OTZ  I wish I could… but though it’s been a fun carefree summer of spending money on Johnny-san’s lovely five, school has hit me like a ton of books, literally. D:  No afford.  In fact I’m starting to wonder if maybe I ought to part with some of my goods… orz  I don’t know if I can bring myself to do that though.  At any rate, I couldn’t afford a LE this time anyhoo, so maybe once I have more cashola I will just buy the RE, since I’m sure it will still be available for a while. :3

In other news, I don’t know about everyone else but my emotions have been all over the place lately.  I feel like my plans are falling down before my eyes and I’m not sure how to pull them back up together again… I am a person who loves plans, and I’m usually pretty good at forcing my plans to work against all odds, even when they’re difficult and unreasonable, because I’m stubborn… but this time things are not falling into place.  This kind of bitter disappointment is a new flavor for me.

But you know what?  I’m ready to pull myself together.  To Do My Best.  To progress!  I have NO clue where I’m ultimately headed from here out, and that is SO frustrating to me, but you know what….?  Anywhere is better than where I am.  So I just have to push forward.  I feel like the panda in that one episode of Shimura Doubutsuen, lollll…. Men the yellow sad panda.  Go! Go!  Ike ike~ koko ga kuyashii deshou?

So I’m working on pulling it together, getting a handle on things again, getting my bearings, toughening up a little bit, accepting that this is just how it is and I have to try and figure things out from here.  I don’t have any other options really.  BUT I CAN DO IT.  Somehow, even if it’s going to be long and slow and painful.

And with that message, I want to tell everyone who’s reading this:  If that’s how you’re feeling lately, you can do it too!  I know you can because I’m somehow going to make the effort and I have far more faith in all of you than I normally would in myself. xD  So, I’m with you, me hearties~ I know how you feel and I know how difficult and frustrating it is.  It’s difficult for sure.  But I think we can all do it together!  That’s why I’m saying, Everbody Zenshin!  Everybody progress!  Arashi is cheering you on!  The rest of the fans are cheering you on because we’re your friends and family!  Think about all the hearts and stars and rainbows and sparkles and ghei and be happy, and be determined to keep trying just like the Stormy Five. :3

Yey.  Cheesy motivational talk is cheesy, but I mean it. <3  I've been sort of "out of the fandom" for a while, too, and looking around the groups and stuff now, trying to catch up on the shows I've missed, I'm remembering how much I love the happy, sparkly world of Arashi and how much it makes me smile. :)

Everyone have a great day! <3

Well, I surivived my Ippunkan Speech today.  About Idols.

It went okay, I guess. :3 could have been better but it wasn't bad! YEY.  I even dressed cute today to make things go smoothly.

I talked about how Idols are different from American celebrities because they don't just do one thing and music alone isn't their focus... rather they do a lot of interesting things and make people laugh & be happy. :3

Then I talked about how they have a lot of goods too, and collecting Idol goods is an expensive hobby.

I brought in:

• Sho Uchiwa
• Time Album
• Truth Single
• Arashi Cookbook
• Arashi Is Alive photobook
• Dream~A~Live chopsticks

x3 

So anyway, I passed around my Arashi goods and said they were my favorite idol group, because they're dumb, funny, kind, and cute.  And to be cautious becuase most Idols' concert costumes are so ugly it will make your eyes hurt.  I'm not sure if people were really paying attention...maybe I'm the only who thinks that's funny...  

I'm afraid now most of my class with think I'm a total Johnny's Otaku... maybe I am... but really the only group I'm really crazy about is Arashi.  I guess I'm an Arashi Otaku.  That's true enough. XD  All the guys will think I'm crazy now.  Good thing none of the guys in my class are that cute. XD

Sensei pointed at my uchiwa and asked if people thought he was Kakko Ii, or a little womanish.  Onna mitai~  People were sort of like, "unnnnn~" when she said "Onna mitai" but then she said, "Demo ano hito, atama sugoku ii desu yo!"  I was so happy. :3  Like, OMG SHE KNOWS WHO SHOSHAN IS~  of course she knows.  Every Japanese person knows by now, practically. OMG SO PROUD OF YOU SHO-KUN~~~

Sensei asked the class if there were other people who liked Japanese Idols. I think about 3-4 other people raised their hands (but I already knew that from chatting with them in class x3).  Sensei said she likes SMAP.

So I think it went okay.  I think I get my score tomorrow.  It wasn't perfect and I HATE being nervous, BUT!  All things considered I said pretty much everything I meant to say and said it right, more or less.  I guess nothing can be perfect.

DE WA~

IJOU DESU~

I am not perfectly on time since OMG MONDAY JUST ENDED in Japan.  Oh well.

Dear lovely, sexy, funny, human, charming, charismatic, talented boys of Arashi:

thanks for existing the way you do.

thanks for the tireless enthusiasm you bring to your exhausting work.

thanks for always working your best for the fans.

thanks for always making me smile.

I have gained so much as a person from knowing your fans.  Knowing about you and what kind of people you are has inspired me and made me laugh.  I laugh because of you at least once a day.  On the days when I laugh one or two times in an entire day, and I laugh thanks to you, I have to wonder how dull and colorless my day would be without you.

You encourage me to appreciate everyone for who they are; to be kind and loving like you five are to each other; to relax and just be a dork sometimes; to have fun; to laugh; to always work my hardest, and not give up even when it's so hard to keep trying!!  I'm so thankful for the example you five have set.

You've worked so hard for the past nine years, setting new goals and reaching new milestones, being on display 24/7 and barely getting any time off.  Happy anniversary.  You absolutely deserve to be reaching the top.  I'm so happy and excited for you, to see your dreams come true!  I'm happy and proud that I'm able to support you in this, in any way. 

So, all of that said,

Dear Arashi,

Thank you.

ありがとう。

This Thursday in my Japanese class it's my turn to present an "ippunkan supiichi."  A one-minute speech.  So early in the semester, too.  Damn my last name being early in the alphabet.

One minute doesn't seem like much right now... but talking about something in Japanese, to a class, one minute becomes a very, very long time.

I couldn't figure out what to talk about.  I didn't want to immediately out myself as a fangirl becuase I think people can get the wrong impression there.... I brainstormed topics, including

• What's cool about natural foods!
• Japanese cooking
• One of my all-time favorite bands, Do As nfinity
• Pandas

Talking about Japanese cooking in front of Japanese teachers seemed intimidating... I didn't really want to talk about food anyway, and as much as I'm a big fan of natural & local foods, I really don't want to sound preachy or condemning, and again I think people might get the wrong impression.  Do As Infinity could be a fun one... I though about pandas but explaining stuff about habitat seemed difficult.

Other thoughts included personal experience, but I don't have many interesting stories besides the few times I've gone overseas, and I don't want to sound like, "oooh, I'm SO international, I've been overseas and you HAVEN'T~~~ I've been to EUROPE, ooh la la, aren't I SPECIAL~~~" because I wouldn't want to hear it if I were in the audience either.

I could talk about choir which I dearly love, but unless you've been in a choir I don't know how to make it interesting.

I want to talk about something I'm familiar with already to make things comfortable and simple...it's an intimidating task for me.

the obvious solution is to talk about idols.

I'm not JUST going to talk about Arashi though.  If somebody doesn't know what an Idol is (I think at least 50% of the class might not?) it would still just seem wierd and strange, like what do they actually DO?

Instead I'm going to talk about Idols and how they're different from most American celebrities, and why I like them, and use Arashi as my example.

This is also convenient because I'm required to bring in a visual aid.  "A" visual aid.  more like five. xD I think I will bring my cookbook, the Arashi Is Alive! photobook, the Time album, my chopsticks, my Sho uchiwa, and the Truth and One Love singles.  Other stuff stays at home. 

XD I really don't know how or when I accumulated so much merch... surely if I were to total up how much it's all cost I would cry. 

I think we the fans are going to need to find non-KeyHole, non-TVU programs.  I don't know if we've just overloaded the servers for the Japanese channels there or if there are peope trying to crack down on the use of these two but either way, they don't seem to work when we need them.  Today and last week both served as evidence to this point.  D: anyone have any better suggestions?  I'm working on doing a bit of investigation myself as well, so if I find an effective program I will make tons of announcements!!  So far nothing. D:

I used to use a program called SopCast but this happened with that program, too, like months ago.

I've found a lot of sites that claim to have streaming Japanese TV but none that actually have the main channels LIVE.  D:

If you find a good program, make sure to give a heads up! O:

~

In other news, *I* want an AiBadge. :D aiBadges, seriously.  AIBA ILU.

I think "deshou" is a really neat-sounding word.  Never mind that the meaning is commonplace and all.  When I hear Sho-kun say, "deshou," I think, 'wowwwww, he has such a lovely-sounding voice.  That sounded hot.'

School is intense for me this year.  It's going to be more work than ever before. D: on the one hand I don't really know what I want out of it or why I'm doing it, but on the other, I do really enjoy Japanese class.  This year it's gotten challenging and I have to work much harder; I actually get quite nervous when Sensei call on me to answer something.  Nonetheless I'm getting a lot of satisfaction from the feeling of working my hardest at something I love (Japanese) and seeing it pay off little by little... even if a larger plan isn't in place yet.

I'd like to take a second to thank everyone who comments and everyone who's given me words of encouragement!!  It really has been uplifting; I've depended on your kindness!

I want to take a few days to sort things out for myself and tell the world to just "go away" - but I can't, unfortunately.  Oh well.  I just have to keep going!  Ganman shimasu! Ganbarimasu!