Saturday, March 29, 2008

*** PLS TURN OUT THE LIGHTS from 8-9pm in yr timezone 2 support EARTH HOUR!

EVERY1,
IF POSSIBLE,
PLS TURN OUT THE LIGHTS
from 8-9pm in yr timezone 2 support EARTH HOUR!

4 more info, go 2 GOOGLE!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!
=D

-kate`*

DEAR TOMA... / what i like about Honey & Clover



last week, i seriously thought of sending toma a letter 2 thank him 4 brightening up my life with his dramas/performances/music/blog posts/his sweet voice & laughter/his smiling face, etc....

but i did an online search and i found this:

-------
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/answers2/frontend.php/question?qid=20080218063317AAp2iVB

-hitomi k-

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Ikuta Toma does not have an official website. He's still with Johnny's Entertainment and they have LOTS of rules. You can always send him a fanmail through JE for Toma but JE restricts or sometimes doesn't give their artists their fanmail. Toma also has a writing section in the magazine Wink-Up. I sent my fan letter through their address a couple days ago ^^;
He does have a J-web that he updates almost daily, so that's better than nothing ^^

If you want his address Wing_Goddess (me ^^;) posted all the Toma address' i collected at the Tomalicious forums :3 Just do a google search~!

* 3 weeks ago [well, now it's a month ago]


---------

i think it's a shame that toma's got no official website or blog online where his fans can leave messages 4 him. even if he's probably mostly too busy 2 read stuff like that, at least there'd still be a small chance of him seeing your message!! it's a lot more convenient than writing him a letter that might just end up in a pile somewhere, that might not even reach toma! even if he gets it, what are the chances he'll have time 2 open up all the fan mail he gets (which is probably a lot!!)

so i made a seperate blog just 4 ppl 2 have a place 2 post messages 2 toma, called "Dear Toma...". =) from there, u can post a short message 2 him or also post your comments about toma-related stuff (***like what u think of his dramas, performances in other shows, whatever, so toma can also get some feedback from fans about his performances!***).

or u can post a longer message (up to a paragraph, don't make it too long) at the guestbook linked in the first post! SOME1 ELSE PLS POST SOMETHING, I'M THE ONLY 1 THAT'S POSTED THERE SO FAR!!

PLEASE NOT ONLY POST MESSAGES THERE, BUT ALSO
LINK TO THE BLOG AND TELL OTHER TOMA FANS,
THE MORE TRAFFIC THE BLOG GETS, THE BETTER THE GOOGLE RANKING, THE MORE TOMA FANS WILL POST THERE, AND THE MORE POPULAR THE SITE GETS, THE MORE CHANCES TOMA WILL FIND OUT ABOUT IT AND COME AND READ THE MESSAGES!!! *____*

GO THERE NOW AND POST A MESSAGE!!
THOUGH WE DON'T KNOW IF TOMA WILL EVER COME THERE,
BUT PLEASE STILL POST A MESSAGE,
HE MIGHT READ IT SOMEDAY! =D

ALSO, U CAN POST A MESSAGE IN ANY LANGUAGE, but of course, toma will most likely only be able 2 read the ones in japanese and maybe very basic english.

...............................

[***NO SPOILERS IF U COMMENT,PLEASE, I ONLY FINISHED EP.7 SO FAR! thx! ***]

though there's lots of things i don't like about honey & clover, but there's still some things that make it worth watching. =)

1. TOMA!!! toma cannot NOT be cute.

2. ending of each episode: them having fun, messing around---TOMA cuteness!!
i wish they had done this for hana kimi!! i like hagu here more than in the series!

3. my fav supporting character is 1 of the teachers, the most funny/sad guy. i forgot his name. but his wife didn't come home 1 time and his son wants a new dad!!! poor guy. but he's so funny!! he's so random, too, takemoto even said he's so random 1 time.

4. though they tease/bully takemoto a lot, it's nice 2 see the cast when they're happy & help each other/have fun together.

5. all the actresses & actors R great, talented, professional...the background music is ok...the director has great ways of framing a scene, interesting angles...it's a great production in general. =)

6. there's some really touching/sweet/cute/funny moments...& though i don't like the life lessons, there ARE some memorable dialogue/narration about life that u can relate 2/think about/learn from!!

.........
this is just a list i made 4 fun:

best dressed: yamada / mayama
worst dressed: hagu / morita

most annoying: hagu

most stupid: it's a tie between several ppl!!

best crying scene: toma's in ep.6!!
[but yamada's got a lot of crying scenes,& she is an awesome cryer!!]

best running scene: toma's in ep.5!

best hug: morita & toma's be4 he left 4 NYC

CUTEST: (of course) takemoto!

unluckiest: takemoto

most talented: ....i pick yamada cuz i don't get hagu nor morita's abstract art!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

hana kimi dvd box set PART II




HELLO, toma fans! =)
apologies 4 not updating in a long time! =(
Easter and other stuff got in the way...
so,
i'll start with this post.

i got the hana kimi dvd partII that i ordered from yesasia last week!
awesomeness!!! i got the school uniform crest!! i wrote in the order comment that if they could pls send me the first press version that comes with the school crest, that'd be great, but if not, i would still want the regular version. and they wrote back saying they'll try 2 get it 4 me. i didn't think they would still have any first press versions, but when i opened the box and saw the crest inside!!! *___* SO HAPPY!!! and not that's not all, it also comes with a deck of cards!!! wah... so cool. ~_~ ...i luv how the text/crest on the dvd boxes, the pink and blue and how
it reflects light. really beautiful. now i have the complete set. =)

umm...i haven't gotten screencaps of the special DVDs yet (each dvd box comes with 1 bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes stuff, interviews, etc.)...i'll get some later and upload 2 the same folder. go here now 2 see some pics from the partII dvd set and also some screencaps of toma & maki talking a little during the filming of the hana kimi special (that aired be4 the end of the series). also, the quality of the scans of some of the cards f/the deck of cards is not so good, sorry! my scanner messes up the scans sometimes. but really, every1 in the deck of cards' pics looks a little pale. i guess they messed up when printing them...haha...and every1's got a pic in there, even some characters i don't recognize!! haha....sano's dad, sano's brother, even, they're all in there. some of them, the pics R not so nice and look like they're just screencaps. haha.

http://s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd87/ilovetoma/Hanazakari%20No%20Kimitachi%20E%20dvd/?start=32

forgot 2 talk about this last time, but the partI dvd's bonus DVD had these stuff on it:

-end theme of episodes 1-6
-photoshoot of the hana kimi poster (weird, i don't think i saw toma! but i was fast-forwarding a lot, so maybe i missed him.)
-the ikeman fashion show + interviews w/some of them
-behind the scenes of the filming of the marathon scene


i think that was it.

=) part II's bonus DVD had a lot more goodies (**I'VE NEVER WANTED 2 BE ABLE 2 UNDERSTAND JAPANESE MORE THAN WHEN WATCHING THIS!!**):

-end theme of episodes 7-11

-a short Q&A with the cast (i think this was filmed right be4 the special that aired be4 the series ended, cuz they were wearing their uniforms, and sitting in that same room), where yuma ishigaki (Tennoji) asked them some questions.

-the cast rehearsing 4 the cheerleading dance scene (exhausting!!)

-4 different angles of the cheerleading dance scene
(this was really really cool!! but they didn't used avril's "girlfriend" song, they used "princess perfect". i spent some time looking & managed 2 find it using the lyrics i heard. u can't find it on esnips, imeem, or youtube, cuz turns out it's production music. but u can listen 2 it here:
http://www1.playkpmmusic.com/pages/viewcd/viewcd.cfm?view=1927
A pretty catchy song, too!)

-interviews with toma, maki, sano on-location and the last days of filming, when they present each other with flowers and thank the cast, etc. etc.

-the hana kimi special that aired be4 the end of the series
(but the end, where toma and maki plugged the photobook and manga was mostly cut out!! i don't understand why they did that!! u only see them playfully pushing each other real quick, and that's it.)


2 me, 1 of the best moments in the DVD is when, i think during a break in filming the hana kimi special, toma and maki talked a little. they R so close, so comfortable talking 2 each other!! ;) then i think toma asked maki 2 say something 2 ppl that bought the DVD? and maki was seriously saying something, when toma suddenly playfully hit her head! haha! and he made a funny face and then after staring at him a short while like "i'm trying 2 be serious, you jerk!", maki (a little sadly) hit him softly on his arm and turned back 2 the camera.

i got some screencaps that i also uploaded 2 the folder that i linked 2 above. it was such a cute tomaki moment, i recorded the audio and uploaded it here. if some1 could pls translate 2 eng. what they said 4 me, i would be very grateful!!!!!
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0OPS86OT

P.S. did u notice that the way mizuki's tie is tied is different from the way all the guys' ties R tied? i only noticed since i was looking at the ties closely in the photobooks after i got my own tie. seems like all the guys tied it the windsor knot way, but mizuki's is tied the pratt way, and that makes the knot symmetrical and more centered, but it makes the knot bigger and the tie not as cool looking. haha...they must have done it on purpose 2 differentiate her f/the guys. "the girl's gotta tie her tie differently!" well, i tie mine the windsor knot way! my personality makes me seem more like a guy anyhow. haha. really...sometimes my family say i'm more like a guy than a girl. well, that's just cuz i'm very strong-willed, straight-forward and practical. who says only guys R strong-willed, straight-forward, and practical?! (if u can't tell by now, yes, i'm a feminist. haha.)

Thursday, March 20, 2008

too late now, i'll explain later...

pls check out this new toma blog i made,
i hope lots of ppl will post messages 2 toma!!!

we'll see if this is a good idea...

stayed up late 2 make the banner.
tired and need sleep
now.

bye!

http://ikutatomafanmail.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e is returning for a one-episode special!!!!!!!

SUCH GOOD NEWS!!!
THIS NEWS TOTALLY MADE MY DAY !!!!
(which has been no good...)
I'M SOOOOO HAPPY 2 KNOW THERE'S A SPECIAL!! *__*
ANOTHER CHANCE 2 SEE NAKATSU AND THE REST OF THE HANA KIMI CHARACTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^__^

i just read the news at AF minutes ago and had 2 re-post the news here right away 2 let every1 know the AWESOME news!!! so excited about this special!!!! i'm sure toma is happy 2 be able 2 be nakatsu again albeit for a short while only. hehe.

(AF source)

Last summer's "Hanazakari no Kimitachi e" drama series is returning for a one-episode special. Starring Maki Horikita, Shun Oguri, and Toma Ikuta, the show was very popular, especially among female viewers. It averaged 17.3% ratings, with the final episode reaching 21.0%.

According to Fuji TV, the special will take place half a year after [i think they mean BEFORE] the series' end. With Osaka Gakuen getting ready for an upcoming Valentine's Day event, Sano (Oguri) and Nakatsu (Ikuta) reflect on the final week of their last summer vacation, which falls into the timeline of the original series between episodes 7 and 8. The special also includes a graduation scene and addresses the relationship between Mizuki (Horikita) and Sano.

Filming begins on Wednesday, but no broadcast date has been specified yet.

source: tokyograph


Friday, March 14, 2008

what i think about Honey and Clover...

i think the last time i wrote about what i thought about honey & clover was after watching only ep. 1. right now, i've finished the 6th episode (*I'VE FINALLY UPLOADED ALL the SCREENCAPS i've got so far here.*) , but i still don't like it much more. haha...sorry toma!! i am really trying 2 like it, but it's just so....don't get me wrong, the acting, directing is great, but it's just too melancholy and preachy 4 me. i will keep watching cuz of toma, but seriously, if toma was not in this drama, i would NOT be watching. no wonder the ratings R so low....but i thought lots of ppl would still watch 2 support toma...but i guess toma isn't popular enough 2 make that happen (yet!). =/

-> things i don't like about this drama:

-hagu!! she's the main female character, but she's so annoying and hard 2 like / understand!
i've noticed she doesn't swing her arms when she walks!! and her hands R always at her side, in the same position like that...ppl in the country don't walk normally?? i guess it's supposed 2 make her seem more childish or something? weird. (BTW, i guess a lot of my complaints R also about the manga, since the way the story/characters/dialogue is, it's based on the manga.) anyway, i still don't like her 4 all the reasons i listed be4, in my first post about this series. she's pretty, kind, and talented, but she's also very annoyingly naive/stupid and talks/reacts so slow. i am really getting tired of her confused stares! i'm just talking about the character, but i also don't like the actress....i think it's hard 4 any actress 2 pull off this role and make the character likeable, though.

-takemoto is too wimpy (even little kids beat him up!) and depressing! i guess his character's supposed to be a real loser and have the WORST luck, but i mean, ppl R always stepping all over him (sometimes literally!), and he can't do anything about it!!! it's really frustrating 2 watch, and half the time, u want 2 yell at him to "DO SOMETHING!!" instead of just complaining about his bad luck in love and life in his narration AFTER what happened. ...but still, i get so mad when i see his friends or other ppl being mean 2 him!! poor guy.

BUT, KUDOS 2 toma, 4 trying his best 2 make his character likeable...i think only toma's cuteness can make takemoto's character likeable or at least tolerable...that's a hard thing 2 do!!!

-THREE main characters all with unrequited love is depressing and too much! ok, WE GET IT. unrequited luv sucks / life is unfair. why so much sadness and longing....(sigh!) this series is like....50% sad/depressing, 20% funny (and most of it R scenes with TOMA!), and 30% boring. so it's 80% no good. lol....well, i mean that the feeling it gives u.....even the end themesong is SO depressing.

and i've noticed how this series...the colors...the locations....it's mostly so...dark or cluttered....like their rooms and where they hang out....it's a little distracting cuz i'm a clean freak. haha...i especially don't like the room...1 of their teacher's office? i forgot his name....that's where they hang out mostly, and i just REALLY don't like this cluttered, small room, where most of the time, it's so YELLOW from the near evening sunlight, it seems....i just don't like how it looks in general, plus the lighting....it mostly seems that it's always around the same time that they film in there...around be4 sunset, so it's so bright and .... it's like time has stopped in that room.....did they do this on purpose??

-TOO MANY METAPHORS. every1 seems 2 have some kinda metaphor 2 teach them about life or love. but it starts 2 get old FAST, when every other grown-up seems 2 have a ready-made metaphor or analogy 2 tell them. sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn't (karaoke is like xmas?!).

-too many flashbacks sometimes.

-most of the episodes, the ending is sad/depressing. sometimes it ends in a cliffhanger, but mostly it's just SAD. who thought this was a good idea, 2 really get the audience depressed at the end of each episode?!?!

-i really don't like rika, the older woman that mayama loves. she looks so "motherly" and she's just so plain looking...it's weird 2 see a cute young guy be so in love with her. it doesn't help that she reminds me a little of my own mom!! she also has some weird slowness in reacting, hagu-like stares or other hagu-like traits that i hate!

(to be continued...
with things i like about this drama)


Monday, March 10, 2008

old video clip and pics / shirtless toma! / the right person 4 him (part 3) : LEILA TONG.



[pics credits: 1st pic to chochajin, 2nd to princess_rei (re-uploaded by meoinkie2)]

http://chochajin.livejournal.com/109829.html?view=5010949#t5010949
[lots of nice toma pics here, a lot from when he was younger...in his teens i think. =)
thanks 2 chochajin 4 so many tomarrific pics! ~_~]


http://asianfanatics.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=289753&st=240&start=240
[shirtless pics of toma!!!! thanks 2 meoinkie2 4 re-posting there! *__*
**keep calm, don't get a nosebleed now!** haha.]

i like the newer post of toma's shirtless pics that meoinkie2 posted cuz toma looks natural, healthier and less...high or out of it. haha...i prefer pics of toma looking cute/cool than the pics where he's trying 2 look sexy or a little mysterious/scary. and in the first set of pics, it's a little weird, i often don't like it when stars i like (whether female or male) are selling theirselves too much/showing a lot of skin/trying 2 be really sexy/R really objectified and become like a "product". technically 4 all celebrities, i suppose they all have 2 sell themself/an image of themself 2 the public in order 2 be liked/get popular/get famous...what am i trying 2 say...
but i guess all stars have 2 take these kinda pics sometimes.

ANYWAY, the newer pics have a little weird/voyeuristic feel 2 it, but regardless, toma looks cute + HOT, right? =P i'm glad he's not as skinny as be4 too, he looks healthier now than the super skinny getting-ready-2-shower toma i saw in hana kimi. =P eversince he was in the 2 Gentlemen of Verona play, i think he already looked healthier and he musta been working out too, u can tell from his arms!

..........................

the right person 4 him (part 3) : LEILA TONG.

remember how be4 i was talking about how i thought of some female artists that i thought really matched with toma?
http://ikutatomalove.blogspot.com/2007/12/now-i-get-itpretty-boys-boys-like-u.html
http://ikutatomalove.blogspot.com/2008/01/send-toma-fanmail-right-person-4-him.html


well, just thought of 1 more person! hehe.
this time, it's leila tong, also a HK actress/singer, since i only know a lot about HK entertainment/celebs. =)

leila also got her start in showbiz at a young age, even younger than toma! at 8 years old she was already cast in a movie! like toma, she also loves dogs and has 4! she is 26 years old and 162cm tall (5.25 feet). ((wow, me too, for both!! *__*)) so she's about 4 inches shorter than toma, who is 173cm (5.61 feet) tall. not a big gap! she speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, and Indonesian!! but no english, but i don't think toma does either...so...haha. no languages in common. not sure if leila's ever been 2 japan...
also, when she's not working, she also likes 2 spend time at home like toma does! (but i guess most celebs like 2 stay home, right? haha. so ppl/reporters don't bother them.)

leila is 1 of my fav hk actresses! she is TALENTED, pretty, and down-to-earth...she keeps a pretty low profile so i don't know much about her...she has said be4 that she wants to take things slow and really enjoy acting instead of just taking on all kinds of roles/work 2 make more money. =) she was in her first stage play last year and she really enjoyed it. she even got nominated for best supporting actress 4 her character in that play! she just released a CD last year also. though she's not a great singer, but she's a very good actress!!

compared 2 the other girls (niki chow, hiromi wada, fiona sit), she does not seem as fun or cute as them...she seems more mature and quiet...but she's a the best actress out of all of them, definitely! ....but i seriously don't know a lot about her, since she has not been promoted much, really...but i remember reading various interviews where she talks about life as a child actress and her life now...she's a very nice, straightforward person (like toma!) and she really enjoys her work (like toma!).

in this one interview from last year, leila talked about the disadvantages/advantages of being in showbiz so young, like being picked on by her classmates (like toma!) cuz she was an actress or being able 2 act with famous ppl. here's some things she said that is really interesting and i think it might apply 2 other child stars like toma!


--“Perhaps I entered the industry at a young age, my true personality is very introverted. I prefer to stay home to play video games. Preferably, no one recognizes me when I go out on the street.”
[hmm...just like how toma says he's actually a pretty "gloomy" guy? sometimes u see toma looking serious and quiet...and u realize there's another side 2 him than the happy, hyper toma u see on TV!]

--The reporter’s instinct was that Leila wanted to chase back her lost childhood. “A part of me never grew up, while the other half has already seen a lot. I have a split personality….”

[u can read the whole interview and see cute pics of leila as a child here:
http://www.jaynestars.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1081
wow, leila looks cuter as a child than toma does. =P amazing how her looks haven't really changed all these years, while toma looks so different after he grew up!]


watch this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FZKZYJ6vkfg
(Leila Tong's Sugar Free Holiday MV from a couple years ago)

4 more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leila_Tong

Friday, March 7, 2008

*** HAPPY INTL WOMEN'S DAY!! ***




(a girl who rocks: AVRIL Lavigne!)

~_~
gong yeh bei nei teng ah... (in cantonese: "tell u something")....

IT'S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!
(though it's not march 8 in my timezone yet, 4 many of u, it already is.)

shout-out 2 all girls/women out there,
ALWAYS ALWAYS REMEMBER

that
YOU
ROCK.


more info about this day here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women's_Day
http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp

here's an awesome song i've been listening 2 recently by Erika, 2 celebrate this day!! =D if u don't understand japanese, go here 4 the lyrics translation (here if u wanna sing along!)! wow, doesn't the song express how u feel about toma???!!!
everybody sing along now!!! :)
i wanna be free too, erika!! ...such a cool + meaningful song.

have a good weekend, everyone!!



HAPPY INTL WOMEN'S DAY!!
MAKE IT ROCK!!! =P


Wednesday, March 5, 2008

new banner!!

finally made a banner.
1st one i made 4 this blog,
cuz be4 i was using elitejean's banner.
hope u all like it. =)
such a short, simple scene, but so cute, sweet and memorable cuz of toma!!

i also uploaded it here.

ALSO, i made a small banner so ppl can link 2 this blog using that....pls tell me if u've linked 2 my blog, i'd like 2 know! thank YOU!

Sunday, March 2, 2008

finally got the compact toma Frappr fan map here!!

be4, the toma frappr fan map wouldn't show up at
http://www.frappr.com/ikutatomafans
and i also couldn't get the code 4 the compact version of the map.
until recently, finally it worked, and i just remembered 2 get the compact version up here. =)
(*** u can drag the map around 2 see different locations or zoom out or zoom in using the + or - buttons!)

though it now says the map's only been viewed twice,
it's actually been viewed 11,593 times!! =)

(sorry about the white/gray square "image unavailable" that covers parts of the map.
sometimes it shows up. it's weird like that, but sometimes it happens 2 frappr maps.)

edit: also changed the bg song 2 jordan's 0932.
my new fav song, and i love how the title is the start of
his girlf's phone number, what a sweet / neat idea for a title of a song!! =)

also, i noticed some more ppl coming here a lot.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! the more ppl that come here / the more that ppl come here,
the happier i am! THANK U 4 COMING, THANK U 4 SUPPORTING TOMA!! *__*

Saturday, March 1, 2008

uploaded more screencaps

"i'm gonna win!!"
"even i can't believe how cute i am!!"
hey!
blogger is acting up again...
it keeps freezing up. =/

just want 2 saw i uploaded some random, good-quality toma screencaps i got from my hana kimi DVDs. =) u can see them here.

also, i uploaded more akihabara@deep and hachikuro screencaps 2 share with every1!

also, u can download up to ep. 5 of hachikuro (hard-subbed) here!(i LOVE toma's shocked/hyper faces!)