Videos

Korea’s K-Pop “Treasure” is Coming to Japan March 31st

Korea’s hottest boy band is preparing for a Japanese language debut! They will release the album “The First Step: Treasure Effect,” March 31st!

Treasure

Release date: March 31, 2021

Korea’s hottest boy band is preparing for a Japanese language debut!

In 2020 they dominated the rookie category at many awards ceremonies, including the Mnet Asian Music Awards, and in order to grow, they must blow up other markets. Feb 14th saw the release of their song “Beautiful” in another language, and it’s a hit! As a follow-up, they will release the album “The First Step: Treasure Effect,” March 31st!

This release will be the fourth consecutive work in their THE FIRST STEP series of releases that has already achieved over 1 million sales since the release of “Chapter One” in Korea in August 2020. The album will include the Japanese version of “Beautiful” and hits such as “Boy,” “I Love You,” “MMM” and “My Treasure,” with all 13 tracks on the album sung in Japanese. A Blu-ray/DVD is also planned, featuring music videos for the Japanese versions for the very first time.

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From Art to Music with Millennium Parade’s Debut Album!

This work draws from Japanese folklore, and this supernatural world has modern tonality embedded in the lyrics. The songs take ideas from Hyakki Yagyo – The Night of One Hundred Demons and transform the images, stories and lore from this Asiatic world into evocative melodies that’s both a meditative and a clubbing experience.

Image result for Millennium parade

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Not everyone will know of Millennium Parade, an arts collective from Japan whose music can’t be easily pigeon-holed. They are led by Daiki Tsuneta, frontman of J-Pop band King Gnu, and can be categorized as New Wave or Trip Hop. The debut self-titled album is a fresh exhilarating experience for me, and their sound is similar to but not quite like the sound from the virtual band’s Gorillaz. But anime fans will know them because they’re the composers of the opening song, “Fly with Me” for Netflix’s Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045.

This work draws from Japanese folklore, and this supernatural world has modern tonality embedded in the lyrics. The songs take ideas from Hyakki Yagyo – The Night of One Hundred Demons and transform the images, stories and lore from this Asiatic world into evocative melodies that’s both a meditative and a clubbing experience. On the cover, a “Tezutsu Hanabi” (the oldest form of Japanese fireworks, encased in bamboo and held by hand) which was traditionally used to protect from evil spirits, and was also used to pray for a good harvest, is held by Ebisu (one of the 7 Gods of Fortune).

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When YOSHIKI Partners up with Disney+, we get…

Disney – My Music Story Yoshiki © 2021 Disney
Disney – My Music Story Yoshiki © 2021 Disney

On Feb 5th, 2021 on Disney+

Yoshiki is nearly everywhere these days, either as part of a new collaboration in a project or doing something to further a cause. This now philanthropist than always musician will be offering something reimagined on this streaming service as a special titled My Music Story: Yoshiki!

This rock-star is “one of the most influential composers in Japanese history.” In the Disney+ original, which is subtitled in English, YOSHIKI performs reimagined versions of two Disney classics: “Let It Go” from Frozen and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King, along with his own compositions. YOSHIKI also gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at his recording process and how he shaped the arrangements in his Hollywood studio.​ Since the pandemic, he’s chosen to stay State-side, and continue to work from his adopted home.

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On Dec 25th, FEMM’s Holiday Gift to Fans Worldwide is…

FEMM — JpopRocksLooking for a Japanese way to take on Christmas Day? Electronic dance duo FEMM has a suggestion! These two gals performance art approach is unique. They pretend to be mannequins coming to life, and their costumes spotlight the latest in fashion. Nothing going to stop them from touring as they have fans worldwide. In the meantime, they have something to offer in the digital realm.

Fresh off the release of their new hyper-pop EP ‘404 Not Found’ last month, this group announced ‘Tic Toc’ will chime in the holiday December 25! (JST). This new track was teased at on their social media accounts. A short clip can be seen on YouTube (see below), and more details are to come.

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We Want to Believe’s The Doll House and Where No Man Has Gone Before

In this episode of We Want to Believe, the team investigates The Doll House and esplores where no man has gone before.

We Want to Believe Title CardPART TWO DUE EARLY DECEMBER

From Annabelle to Chucky to Robert the doll, the producers in the horror film industry loves them! Add a patina to an old figure, and somehow, they just become creepier. I’m ready to walk the other way. As for answering the question if they are truly haunted, I imagine Joblo.com‘s latest instalment of We Want to Believe will get to a solution in part two of the Doll House Investigation, due out in early December.

The episode gets to show Peter Renn talking about his years of investigating one particular manor, Baillie House. The heritage society owns this property and allows groups to come in to document the strange goings on.

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Weathering With You Gets Two Collector’s Edition Sets!

There are two versions of this release, a limited blu-ray steel book edition and a limited 4K collector’s edition with a rain bucket full of extras like the soundtrack for Weathering With You and mini art book.

Weathering With You Blu-Ray + DVD CaseOriginal review can be found here.

It’s practically raining cats and dogs here in the Pacific Northwest, and the best way to cure the winter blues is to see Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering with You. This anime is about climate change and how how two unlikely teens find romance. Their togetherness shows that life does not have to be tough. Whether that’s with escaping their past or trying to forge an appropriate future for themselves in a quickly changing world of Tokyo, this movie certainly made waves when it premiered back in 2019.

Shout! Factory also recognizes the niche this anime has carved. If you missed out in picking up the earlier editions or were holding out for a better, comprehensive collector’s edition–it’s now here! There are two versions, a limited blu-ray steel bookTreasure edition and a limited 4K collector’s edition with a rain bucket full of extras like a CD and mini art book. The following featurettes online are a tease of what’s available in this new set, along with the details of what else to expect.

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