kate's Toma news/etc. ~ (almost)WEEKEND UPDATE~ !!

[credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13615053n00/2481029844/in/photostream/]
a cool rainy day in tokyo pic!! this is my current desktop bg~

hi everyone~
maybe u're wondering why i'm not only posting on friday this week. it's cuz a lot of toma/random info/news that i wanna share with u has been building up FAST this week. so i wanna just post it all up and so i can be free to talk about majo tomorrow. haih~

so, here goes!! douzo.
please enjoy, ne. ^^

no wonder it's been raining a lot, japan's rainy season (tsuyu) has started! kita! read more about it at the link below. "In most of Japan, the rainy season lasts from the beginning of June to mid July" (credit: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2277.html) toma said recently, on rainy days, he wishes he could stay in bed, drink hot chocolate, and watch DVDs. :P


[credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayveeinc/3291206434/]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayveeinc/sets/72157611979699643/
found these while looking for a new desktop bg. usually i think pictures of (and the ppl that take them) manga characters' figures appearing in various places is a little silly/creepy, but yotsuba is so cute and the pics are are so cute/prettyyyy!! kawaii na~ info about yotsuba, a 5 yr old girl f/the manga Yotsuba To, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yotsuba&!


[credit: http://www.pinktentacle.com/2009/06/gundam-night-pics/]

http://asianfanatics.net/forum/index.php?s=e307b2cab220f3de5260d79b0d7eaf4e&showtopic=660327
[18-Meter Life-Size Gundam's Videos, Night Shots Posted,
Saturday June 13, 2009 Japan]

THIS IS JUST TOO AWESOME!!!!!! O_O
read the news!! watch the video clip!


http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_388337.html
(thanks to Elmer who linked to it @ http://hongkong-life.blogspot.com/2009/06/even-with-pollution-woes-hong-kong.html)

osaka & tokyo are #1 and #2 most liveable cities in asia!! omedetou!! ^_^ as expected: life is good in tokyo ne. ah~ i really envy the ppl that live there. they rank #13 and 19, respectively on the list. sugoi! USA's New York City is #56!! i'm guessing cuz of the EXPENSIVE housing there. i like both tokyo and NYC, but i like NYC's weather better than tokyo's weather. haha. anyway, u can read the article at the link above and see how other countries' cities ranked.

[credit: unleashthegeek]

http://unleashthegeek.blogspot.com/2009/06/buzzer-beat-crank-in.html (more caps here)
yamashita's hair now. blah! why don't they let him cut and straighten his hair?? the only good thing about it is it's not as super long as before, and he and toma have similar permed hair now. haha...


http://asianfanatics.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=660757
[Popolo July 2009: Advice from Arashi, Monday June 14. 2009 Japan
which Arashi member would make the best couple with you?
You get advice from all 5 of them on how to become a particular member's bride.]

[THOUGH IT'S SO LONG, BUT I JUST READ ABOUT OHNO, NINO, AND JUN. HAHA. I LOVE HOW THE BOYS COMMENT ABOUT EACH OTHER'S FUTURE WIFE SHOULD BE...AND THEIR OWN REQUIREMENTS OF HER. NINO'S IS FUNNY!! #1: HAS TO BE FEMALE!! LOL. I GUESS HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE TO POINT THAT OUT, CUZ OF FANS PAIRING HIM UP WITH OHNO OR OTHER GUYS. LOL. I WANT TO READ SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BUT FOR TOMA!! WE KNOW WHAT KINDA GIRL HE LIKES FOR HIS GIRLF, BUT NOT HIS WIFE. THOUGH I KNOW HE WANTS TO HAVE KIDS, BUT DUNNO HOW MANY.]


AND FROM TOMA WORLD~ all this...

[i was just looking thru my VOICE scaps and this one just made me go "ahhh!♥" it was just such a touching moment. though he stood up to his dad, but right after, u see he's so shaken by what he did, he just sinks to the floor like that. so vulnerable, fragile, delicate right then!! and it's just his profile, yet his expression is just so...ah, i just wanna hug him right then!!! he's so cute, even his profile is kawaiiiiii. anyway...just random spazzing. i love ryosuke~]


saw this quote in otai's signature at tomalicious. SO TRUE!!
"Ikuta Toma doesn't belong to any of us. It's because we all belong to him"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikuta_Toma
i haven't checked this page in a long while. still no toma pic up. haha. except if a fan that saw toma in the street and took a pic, i guess. or else they won't allow any copyrighted official pic. -__- but it's good to know the page is still being kept up to date by toma fans!! i also tried to edit it, but that was back in 2008. haha... tried to add a pic and added some references.

thanks to Theorangegirl for updating his career info!! wow...in 2 yrs, toma has sure accomplished a lot, right?? it's a little surreal to see these 2 busy and life-changing years of toma's life all summed up in a few short paragraphs like that...but kudos to her for summing it all up so well. ^_^


http://community.livejournal.com/tomalicious_frm/27867.html
[#73 and #74 5LDK and MechaIke]
TFS has subbed 2 toma tv appearances!! u gotta watch 5LDK subbed. toma teased by his sempais, and he's there with manami!

[credit: hpswf1]

MORE TOMA SCANS, THANKS TO hpswf1 AND pamujung!!
http://community.livejournal.com/ikuta_toma/416847.html
http://community.livejournal.com/ikuta_toma/416212.html


http://xdustbunnys.livejournal.com/39113.html
[news about toma's movie]
yey, 4 the movie, might change endingggg!! i was hoping/expecting them to tone down the dark plot 4 the movie version. yeyyy!!! and filming for the movie will be only 2 months!! so fast! yey again!!

http://xdustbunnys.livejournal.com/39956.html
[toma read the book again...his thoughts on filming a movie soon about such a dark character!! ]


http://community.livejournal.com/ikuta_toma/419190.html
[strawberry_gemm: Oricon 06/22/2009]
[Oricon Style Spring Drama Awards 09: toma got 3rd place for best actor and something like- actor that gets a lot better in his roles? congrats, toma!! majo also won some awards. :D]


http://janinamedina.livejournal.com/2337.html
[janinamedina: Video plus photo from the 'Majo Saiban Festival']
(**HURRY, F-LOCKED SOON!)

[credit: strawberry-gemm]

http://strawberry-gemm.livejournal.com/54830.html#cutid1
[strawberry_gemm: Ningen Shikkaku PRESS CONFERENCE & Hana Kimi SP Behind the Scene, **F-locked after 3 days.**]

★☀♪ kyaa!! thank u thank u thank u, strawberrygemm!!! ♥
i got so hyper when i saw this post!! (both about the presscon and about the hk SP extras!!)
& i knew they had to do something about his hair. haha. can't have him looking all messy/freeter-like 4 this important press conference!! though it was necessary, but i still love toma's hair all pinned up like this. :D

fi and toma, not meant to be...

konbanwa~

just a quick post right now,
but i'm probably gonna post tomorrow too!! ^_~

for those of u who are new here, i'll explain, real quick. fi is fiona sit's nickname. she's a hk singer/actress that i really like a lot. ^^ i have written about how i think she (or some other girls) would be a good match for toma. haha.

here are posts where i talked about fi/posted cute pics of fi:
http://ikutatomalove.blogspot.com/2008/01/send-toma-fanmail-right-person-4-him.html
http://ikutatomalove.blogspot.com/2007/12/now-i-get-itpretty-boys-boys-like-u.html
http://ikutatomalove.blogspot.com/2008/09/toma-really-does-have-fans-all-over.html

i just suddenly remembered today, that both fi and toma have posed in a similar, cute, hiding-while-lying-in-bed kinda way!! heehee~ (though fi's pose is a little more seductive. u can see the whole fiona pic here: http://news.stareastasia.com/2007/06/fiona-sit-releasing-best-compilation-album/)


isn't it cool how the pics are so similar?? white sheets and comforter, both in white tank tops, both wearing necklaces!! if u squint a little, it's almost as if they're really lying next to each other!

BUT recently, i found out that fi's a vegetarian!! she said at her blog that she hasn't eaten a hamburger in 4 yrs, so she finally decided to eat a big mac after so long. but it's just that one time, she won't be eating a hamburger again anytime soon.

[credit: Tomalicious]

well, YOU KNOW toma loves hamburgers and beef! and he just loves eating meat a lot, in general, right?? lol. though it's not like they had a lot of chance of becoming a couple before anyway...but now that i know that she's a vegetarian, i've given up hope that she and toma could ever be a couple!

ah~ i'm sure toma will be able to find someone perfect for him one day!! someone who's even prettier, sweeter, more talented, and more fun than all the girls i thought of. but i hope that day won't come so soon ne~

toma (and lots of ppl in japan): you need more sleep!!

(some of my fav sleepy/sleeping toma moments!! ^_^ sooooo cute~!)

♥ toma-ism #104:
toma-kun...
ahhhh! i love him so much!
(queen_desu's comment on the toma fan map)


hi hi~
kate here.
minna genki?

UWAA!! 233 hits yesterday!! a new record for TOMA LOVE!! (except if clustrmaps made a mistake.) i'm not sure why, is it cuz a lot of ppl just started summer vacation?? whatever the reason, i'm really happy!! URESHIII!!! ^o^/ REALLY~ THANKS FOR COMING, EVERYONE~ ♥

umm...today is only a toma/japan-related post about japanese ppl and SLEEP (or lack there of!), i hope u don't mind!! i've wanted to talk about this since last month, but it never seemed like the right time to post. so i thought i should finally post it. i love learning more about life in japan. i hope you do too. =)

[ryosuke and his friends sleeping in VOICE. ~_~
notice that toma's the only one who took off his lab coat and is using it as a kinda blanket. heehee.]

in case u were wondering how much sleep our dear toma-kun gets... i think about mid-way through filming for VOICE, toma jokingly complained that he's only getting 8 hrs of sleep a night. =P i guess it depends on the filming schedule from week to week...for sure when a drama nears the end, filming often goes on till really late at night/early morning! in an interview from Myojo, may 2008, toma says his average sleeping time is 4~5 hrs. this must be while he's working. (on his days off, i read somewhere that he often eats or sleep. :P) he says: "this much is enough. i suppose my body has gotten used to it. my fatigue will be gone even if i sleep in the car, and i can work quite hard with just 2 hrs of sleep. i get good sleep i guess. the type who can take power naps." (translation credit: Tomalicious)

and i remember him saying he can sleep anywhere, anytime. haha. so hopefully that means maybe he gets around 6 hrs usually, if it's 5hrs plus a couple naps here and there during the day. ma, for actors, 4-5 hrs a night is pretty normal, right? and it's not like he's in dramas all the time, so that's alright. (and i would think the work schedule for stage plays is not as bad as the drama filming schedules.)

so, i got the idea to write about how japanese ppl don't get enough sleep when i read this news article that says that Japanese and Korean people sleep the least in 18 countries surveyed. the link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090504/lf_nm_life/us_france_sleep) the link has expired, so you'll have to trust me on this. basically, French people sleep and eat the most. 2nd place in ppl who sleep the most is ppl in the USA and then 3rd is ppl in Spain. and they said that it's worse for japanese people cuz many of them work long hours and have long commutes.

this got me curious, so i looked up some stuff about japanese ppl and sleep. and i remembered reading about how they allowed ppl to take naps at work!! it's called "inemuri", and they talked about it in this article that talked about it's very important for your health to get enough sleep:

"Napping at work isn't acceptable in the UK, but in Japan dozing anywhere from Parliament to business meetings is allowed. It's called inemuri, which literally means "to be asleep while present".

The custom is partly a result of how commitment to a job is judged in Japan, says Dr Brigitte Steger. Inemuri is viewed as exhaustion from working hard and sacrificing sleep at night. Many people fake it to look committed to their job.

It's a concept that seems bizarre in the UK but the Japanese are the ones who've got it right, says Dr Stanley.

"The Japanese are right in their assessment that you work better after a nap than before it. There's a degree of machismo about it, you're saying look how hard I've worked. But that's better than the macho rituals we have over here, like how late you can send a work email to prove how long you've been working."

Strict rules apply to inemuri. These include who is allowed to do it - only those high up or low down in a company - and how you do it - remain upright to show you are still socially engaged in some way.

"The rules are written nowhere but everyone knows them, they learn them culturally," says Dr Steger.

(credit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7114661.stm)

(pic credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_apol/262369360/)

and here's a comment one person wrote there:
"Over here in Japan I was shocked by how many people just sleep anywhere. Starbucks and McDonalds at lunchtimes seem to be favourites, but pretty much anywhere - standing up next to a vending machine was the funniest I've seen. But now I've been here a while, I've developed the habit myself - although I do have to set my mobile phone alarm to wake up at the right time so I don't miss my train stop (the Japanese have this built in it seems).
Allan Connell, Kitakyushu, Japan"


and part of the reason they work such long hours:

"Japanese workers are renowned for working excessive hours, partly due to the cultural tradition of not leaving work before colleagues, regardless of the actual amount of work.

Seeing shattered workers asleep on crowded commuter trains is a common sight, but as Mr Uchiyama added, you can see a similar picture around the world."

(credit: Tired staff costing Japan $30bn, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5063670.stm)


and here are some comments in response to the above article about sleep deprivation costing japan's economy a lot of money:

HirusanHirusan
on 10/12/2007
Some of these people work from 6am to 12am, sleep for 4 hours then do it again. 7 days a week. 365 days a year. How do I know? I live in Japan.

yukevsteryukevster
on 10/12/2007
In the BBC version of this story it mentions this is a 'global' issue not only in Japan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5063670.stm

I've lived in Japan for six years and got used to strangers sleeping on my shoulder on the train. Some people can actually sleep standing, though they tend to buckle at the knees every 10 seconds or so - a sad sight.

Here it is said; the real work doesn't really start until after 5pm. The whole society is geared towards work and very little play. I'm just glad I'm a foreigner and don't have to 'fit in'.

PtyxPtyx
on 10/12/2007
I live in Japan and work in a japanese company. In general japanese are not productive. They put up late hours because here everybody does. It's not that they have that much more work but rather that they delay the work they have to get out around 9pm minimum.
It gave their boss the impression they're dedicated. That's the important part in a japanese group, whether it's a company, a sports team or a band you have to show dedication before being competent. It's better to suck and work late hours rather to be efficient and get out early. It's all about about group cohesion.
Self-sacrifice for the group being the highest virtue.
One guy at my office studied at an english college, he finishes what he has to do around 6pm then surf the web until 9pm. I always told him to get out when he's done but he's just paralyzed by the very idea of leaving before his boss does.
Being a foreigner they don't expect me to follow the same "rules" so i leave the office whenever i'm done. I think they apreciate it, it probably makes them feel more japanese.

good lord!! how do they do it?! i'm sure not everyone has such tough working hours and is sleep-deprived, but really...there's a lot of japanese ppl that need more sleep!! it's a good thing they can take naps at work, then!! they really really need it. and that last comment...wow!! i would not do well there, too much conformity required...

i wish a lot of ppl in japan could just slow down and enjoy life more (and sleep more!!) instead of driving themselves crazy, working non-stop all the time. and everyone's always telling you to gambatte, gambatte. do your best, work hard! you probably never hear ppl saying things like "take it easy" or "relax" to each other like here in the usa. this is one of the reasons why i would love to visit japan, but i'd have to THINK TWICE (thinking of u, toru! haha.) about living and working there.

and because they don't get enough sleep, this guy on this tv show demonstrated how men can get ready for work in just 5 minutes!! lol. check out the video here:
http://stephendavidsmith.net/tokyostory/how-to-get-ready-for-work-in-just-5-minutes/


(left: takemoto sleeping cuteness!!!!♥)

well, toma and many other japanese people are too busy working to be sleeping properly, but what about you? sleep is really important to your health, and what with an INFLUENZA PANDEMIC going on, u want to be as healthy as possible, just in case... it's one thing if you have no choice, cuz of work or whatever, but if you CAN get more sleep but you don't, then-- why would u make yourself suffer like that?

in general, u should get at least 7 hrs of sleep. not getting enough sleep can make it hard for you to concentrate at school/work, make u eat more, and it's bad for your heart, etc. but sleep at NIGHT is important. staying up late at night and then waking up really late the next day is no good. staying up late is bad for your liver and if u oversleep the next day, you won't be able to eat breakfast, which is the most important meal of the day!!

sorry for the nagging, i just know a lot of ppl who often sleep late and wake up late, and i hope you're not one of them! =) and if u are, i hope you'll try to sleep early and wake up early more. "You'll thank me later." (adrian monk says this a lot. ^_~)

read these for more info:
http://nutrition.about.com/od/nutrition101/a/breakfast.htm
http://articles.webraydian.com/article13381-Reasons_Why_Sleep_Is_Important.html
http://www.healthmad.com/Health/Five-Reasons-You-Must-Know-Why-You-Must-Sleep-Early.236171


that's it for this week! whew, that was long. but i didn't have to write a lot. don't worry, the next post won't be so long!

well, it's still early here, but i'll just say it now.

oyasumi!
sweet dreams~!

kate ♥

(fi sleeping in the makeup room. haha. kawaii ne~~)

but really~ it's all worth it!! (being toma's fan)

i'm scared...

was just browsing some toma-related sites i bookmarked, and i found out yamapink might be (has already??) left the toma fandom!!! shocking!! cuz she's like 1 of the 1st ppl i remember seeing a lot at the forum and the LJ...a real die hard fan!!!

ano...this made me really worried that if a longtime fan like that (6 yrs?) could leave, what about me (almost 2 yrs)... o_o


but no time now,
so, i'll continue this tomorrow, ok~

kate

(ok, i'm back. tadaima!)

i especially think it's a shame that she is leaving at the peak of toma's career! not that it's all downhill f/here, but u know what i mean, it's the most popular toma's ever been, the most busy, the most shows and magazines he's been on!! I MEAN... THIS IS IT!! WHAT TOMA'S BEEN DREAMING OF HIS WHOLE LIFE, HE'S REALLY BECOMING A BIG STAR NOW...and he needs the support of his fans more than ever right now.

but i understand...it can be exhausting and overwhelming sometimes, to keep up with all of toma's stuff. watching his dramas (and screencapping!), watching his tv show appearances, listening to his radio guestings, reading his news/interviews, checking out his latest magazine pics/other pics, talking to other toma fans, reading tomagoto, and making/watching/reading fanmade things. that's just fans like me. never mind the fans that do things like scan his magazine pics, upload his video clips, share his news, translate his interviews/sub his dramas for us!!

all this can take up a lot of time and energy. it can be a major distraction or even takes over your life. but it's never been that bad for me. it depends on how big a fan u are and how busy toma is...for me, yappari, i am an EXTREME fan and sometimes i wish there was a 2nd kate to help me keep up with all this toma stuff. lol. BUT! i can cut back on toma stuff if necessary and i organize my time carefully, so that really helps. but i know some ppl just don't have time to be a fan anymore and end up leaving after a while. i totally understand. but for me, i think even if i was super busy, i would make time to be a fan and support toma and keep in touch with toma fans. cuz it is definitely impossible for me to live a life completely devoid of toma, it would be....just too hard to leave him completely like that. i can't. i won't!

but really~ it's all worth it!! i have no regrets. i'm proud of being a toma fan, and everything i've done for him. and for toma fans/myself...all the time and effort i put into this, i'm glad i did it. sometimes when fans leave, they say they're over this "obsession" or they're quitting this "addiction". but i beg to differ. there's more to being a fan than that. there's a lot of good things that come out of being a fan. u're part of this huge community who all support and love this person...it's like a huge family in a way. u can make new friends, create things (fanfic/fanart), share things with others. u can support each other at the same time u are supporting him and his work (and in a way, all the ppl involved making his work, such as his dramas, movies, music, etc...all the cast, the staff, too!). and u can also be so touched by his dramas/movies and learn from them too. i know i certainly learned a lot of useful info f/watching Voice~! and some of his dramas and characters are just simply unforgettable.

u can even learn life lessons from your idol, how they handle work or certain obstacles in their life. what they are doing to make a difference in the world...it's really cool to have someone to look up to and look after in this way. i really think i've become a more optimistic and happier person because of toma. he has, in a way, saved me! i was feeling really down when i found out about him. then suddenly, i had his dramas to look forward to, and his messages, and everything else. i could live vicariously through him, in a way. and when he's happy, i'm happy. and when he's successful, i'll feel proud of him and proud of myself for supporting him. and his optimism and the tough times he's been through...it really inspired me!! his career has been rough, yet he doesn't give up. i knew i had to try to keep trying, keep going, like toma. =) and really...it's just so FUN to be toma's fan, right? he's just the cutest, sweetest, funniest, most talented guy i've ever seen. (and his fans are so awesome, too!!^^) watching/listening/looking at him or reading his messages...he always makes me smile~

ellen degeneres has compared the relationship between her and her talk show's fans as being a marriage. maybe the first few months they'll watch everyday (that's the honeymoon), but soon they might get tired of her. and she might get tired of them too. lol. but that's why she says she needs them to stay committed, cuz both of them have to put time and effort into this marriage in order for it to work. as long as they put in the time to watch, she'll in turn try her best to entertain them. she said something like this. and it made me think...that really makes sense. both of you, your idol and you, can benefit from the relationship, as long as u make sure you are not too possessive or clingy (not putting too much time into it and thinking your idol belongs to only you). and as long as you're sure that u really like this person enough to continue putting time and energy into this relationship. and it's a lot like a marriage in toma's case, of course, cuz u love him, u support him, u get worried about him when he's working too hard, u're jealous of his female co-stars and his guy friends, when u don't see him, you'll miss him, and sometimes you'll be mad at him for whatever reason (not updating his blog?) but seeing him smile or make those silly faces always makes u remember why u love him so much!!♥

with this in mind...i am definitely committed to supporting toma! i will try my best to stay "married" to toma for my whole life!! haha. really, i don't ever want to break up with him. the only way he's getting rid of me is if he divorces me. lol. but why would he, i'm such a sweet and supportive wife!! xD seriously though...i hope toma-kun hasn't gotten married by the time i go on my trip to tokyo in 2014.

what was the point of this post... eh...i guess i'm just trying to prove to everyone (and to myself as well), again, why continuing to be toma's fan is the right choice!! i did waver and have my doubts for a little while after seeing yamapink's blog. if you're reading this, i'm sure you agree with me that what us fans do, does have meaning! but i somehow felt this need to defend myself and toma fans (and all fans in general, i guess) against the naysayers, the ppl who don't understand and look down on us. wouldn't it be cool if being a fangirl or otaku (fanboy/geek) was "cool" or "in" everywhere and not just in japan (not the otaku antisocial aspect of it so much, but i think u know what i mean!)! but getting back to the point: even when other fans leave toma for their own reasons, i am no longer afraid that i also might be like that someday, cuz i believe in toma, and i believe in our "marriage"!

for toma always,
kate

p.s. now look what i've done. i've spent too much time writing this. =T oh well, if it's only once in a while, writing a super long post is alright ne. arigatou gozaimashta, to YOU who read this whole thing. ^^

majoSai EPISODEs 3 and 4 notes

i did it!
i caught up with majo, but not all the way.
well, it's getting better!! yappari. it's getting more exciting and toma is really cool when he's in fighting mode. ^_^
(makes me think of naoto again!)

oh, REMEMBER to check this out!! thanks to strawberry_gemm!! kawaii~ they made it like a yearbook, with little hearts and doodles on some of the pics!
http://community.livejournal.com/ikuta_toma/412276.html
(Hana Kimi SP ~Ikemen Special Notebook~)

so here R my comments for ep.s 3 and 4.
there are no spoilers, really.
it's nothing much, but i hope you'll still read it ne~

kate's -EPISODE 3- notes:

[a witchy sketch by toru. haha.]

-i think haruka seems guilty ever since the 2nd ep., and now she looks more and more like she's manipulating/deceiving everyone. but it can't be that easy to guess?? there must be more to this case than that? mm....she's an OKAY actress, and pretty, i guess. but there's something about her that i just don't like...i guess her acting is a little stiff/forced.

-kaori looks mannequin-ish sometimes!! seriously! too much makeup and the perfectly straight hair, the big staring eyes. and her hair is so long!! what is it w/all the girls leaving their hair so long?? hagumi, shiori, aki. i like hagumi's hair the best, though. at least it's kinda wavy and not just super straight. such a boring look! hmm, i wonder if toma likes girls with long or short hair?? heehee. i hope he's not 1 of those guys that only like girls w/long hair.

-THAT TWISTED/CRAZY BAD GUY...he kinda, just kinda looks like shun!! lol. i just realized...except his teeth is really super white. actually, that's the only good thing about this character. haha.

-kaori is SO overreacting about seeing them walking out of the hotel together!! she doesn't trust toru at all. =[ though i think toru should have told her the truth instead of not telling her what happened. AND manami often overacts. so annoying...she is pretty, but still...i really dislike the overacting/trying to look cute!

-i like toma's scarf. =) well, i love scarves in general, and toma always looks so cool in them. and he looks cute with his hair all pulled back w/the headband. ^^ i like his outfits more and more!! thank goodness, cuz the first few episodes, his clothes was really not that great.


-though i knew he'd say so, but it's so cool when toma announces his vote. completely!! *_* and i like the part that he stands up & glares at her in the courtroom, the light shining thru the window behind. like justice is on his side. a little overdoing it, but still cool!! and when he tells the lawyer he's not gonna listen to them no matter what. righteous toma is kakkoii!!! tough guy toma is sugoi!! don't-mess-with-me toma!♥ kyaa!

-so he owes 1 million yen (around US$8,333)!! how in the world will he pay them back...that scene where he was sitting in his apartment, i thought he was trying to figure out how to pay back this debt, but he was sketching the witch and trying to figure out what was going on. lol.

..... wow, a real cliffhanger!! IT CAN'T BE A BOMB?! and ppl in japan had to wait 2 weeks to find out what happened!! too bad the ratings went down for the 4th episode! maybe they got tired of waiting and stopped watching altogether... so, while trying to have a feeling of the anticipation building up after waiting 2 wks-- i watched ep. 4 right after i finished ep.3. =)



kate's -EPISODE 4- notes:

-i love seeing toma in red plaid shirts!! especially this red plaid + sparkling rhinestones on it!! heehee. very cool shirt!! who knew shirts with rhinestones could look this good?? and in that very dark night scene where he's talking to kaori in the street and his shirt is sparkling. SUGOI!! i love love that feeling of toma "shining" in the dark like that!!!! the effect of toma's sparkling shirt in the dark is just SUPER COOL ne.

-the murder was 1 wk after december 5, 2009?? i guess cuz the jury system didn't start in 2008, so they chose this date instead. but it's a little strange that this whole case is taking place 1 yr ahead of us.
and i still think that she is innocent, despite the fact that she agrees that her lawyer hire an unscrupulous creep to threaten and blackmail the jurors so that they'll say she's not guilty!!

-toru is starting to catch on and better at figuring out who's being used by the bad guys!! awesome!! well, though he is still at the same time being threatened and followed by them, but at least he's trying to investigate and fight back!

-that *flashing* effect, lighting up the screen. they are starting to use it too often and it's annoying. but sometimes, it helps me see toma more clearly, cuz often, they are in suct's surroundings!

-toru hugs/holds izumi!!♥ lucky!! ~_~ i know they are only friends now, but still...i think they have pretty good chemistry. ah~ i love seeing toma protect/worried about his female co-stars. so caring and sweet~

-A LOT OF SCENES R SO DARK OR NOT WELL LIT! SOMETIMES THEY'RE WALKING IN THE DARK STREET, THE SCREEN IS ALMOST ALL BLACK, AND U CAN ONLY HEAR THEM. LOL. BUT THERE'S SOMETHING COOL AND REFRESHING ABOUT SEEING THEM (or NOT really seeing them) IN NATURAL LIGHT, EVEN IF WE CANT SEE THEM VERY WELL. AT LEAST IT FEELS MORE REAL THIS WAY...i love the scene where 2 of them R standing under the full moon (w/ominous dark clouds floating across it!). it looked very real and cool, not fake at all. =)

-i really love toma's disappointed/frustrated look!! u know, the kinda expression where it's a combination of looking upset/sad/angry all at once!! the kind of look where u have to look away, u feel so ashamed that he feels this way about something u did...like that! amazing ne~