BLOG -- Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy @ Sony Centre (March 31st, 2012)

This blog will be about my thoughts and experience at Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy concert. It's a concert featuring Final Fantasy music, performed by an orchestra and choir (when needed). Final Fantasy is a video game series. I have to say right now, I enjoyed it very much!! XD

Me and Final Fantasy

I've been a fan of Final Fantasy ever since I was... maybe 7 or 8? One day I was watching my brother try out a bunch of video games (NES games) that he borrowed from his friend. Some of them were interesting and some were not. Then he tried out a game that really got my attention.

He was moving a character around a huge map and got into random battles with monsters. At that time, that kind of game was very different for me. During one battle, one of the characters lost a lot of HP. The character suddenly fell to his knees. The moment I saw that, I had an intense yearning to help the character. This was pretty much my thought process: You're on your knees... let me help you back up... I want to help you... (even back then I was so geeky, lol)

When I found out that the game was called Final Fantasy, I made sure to remember it so I could play it one day (my brother only borrowed that game for one day). Years later, I got exposed to Final Fantasy III (really Final Fantasy VI), and completely fell in love... It drove me to play Final Fantasy II (really Final Fantasy IV), then Final Fantasy V. I eventually tried Final Fantasy I, but stopped after cursing it and its horrendous need for level/money-grinding.

Something I've always enjoyed about Final Fantasy was the music. Heavy, fast-beat battle tracks... slow, lingering ballads... goofy, light-hearted tracks... intense, energetic tracks... and of course, the beautiful harp solo... Nobuo Uematsu (composer for Final Fantasy I - XI and XIV) did a great job in creating music that would capture and convey those tense, happy, cheerful, sorrowful, anything-ful moments. I still sing the opera song from Final Fantasy VI in the shower sometimes...

The Little Details

Date of Concert: Saturday March 31st, 2012
Venue: Sony Centre (Toronto, Ontario)
Time: 8:00 PM
Ticket Price Total: $55.00
Seating: Balcony Aisle 2, Row K, Seat 21
Went with: Sister and her fiance

7:30-ish PM -- @ Sony Centre

There were a lot of people already there. Inside, there was a big crowd around the souvenir stand. My sister's fiance and I checked it out. I was set on buying the programme (if the price was reasonable). The souvenir shop was selling these items:

T-shirt -- $20
Programme -- $15
CD (2008 concert) -- $15
CD (2010 concert) -- $15
DVD (some concert) -- $25
CD (Final Fantasy XIV Battle tracks) -- $20
CD (Final Fantasy XIV Field tracks) -- $20
CD (Reunion tracks) -- $20 (no idea what this was, it sold out before we got there)
CD (Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack) -- $50

I think if the T-shirt was in a different colour (not grey), I may have bought one. If the Battle tracks CD was a compilation of battle tracks from all the Final Fantasy games, I would have bought that in an instant. Instead, I settled with the programme.

After that, we headed up to the auditorium doors, which was still closed. As we walked around, we passed by somebody dressed as a white mage. He was at the bar, getting drinks. Immediately, I thought, he's trying to build up his fire skills (by becoming more flammable). Then the auditorium doors opened and everybody went in. From where I sat, it looked like a full house.

Programme

FF Series: Prelude
FF VIII: Liberi Fatali
FF Series: Victory Theme
FF VIII: Don't Be Afraid
FF IX: You're Not Alone
FF IV: Theme of Love
FF VIII: Fisherman's Horizon
FF X: To Zanarkand
FF XI: Ronafure
FF XIII: Blinded By Light
FF Series: Swing de Chocobo

-- INTERMISSION --

FF VII: Opening - Bombing Mission
FF VI: Dark World
FF V: Clash on the Big Bridge
FF VII: Aerith's Theme
FF VIII: The Man With The Machine Gun
FF VI: Opera "Maria and Draco"
FF VI: Terra's Theme

Encore
Hehe, you'll find out later.

8:15 PM-ish -- Music Start!

Arnie Roth (the conductor) was a bit late. Once he showed up, everybody clapped. As he raised his baton, the crowd went silent. Then... this beautiful, serene harp piece slowly filled the room. Eventually, it was accompanied by the choir... then by other instruments. It was a fantastic beginning. I just sat there, soaking in the lovely harmonies -- and the nostalgia.

Once that piece was over (Prelude -- Final Fantasy series), everybody clapped and cheered. Then the choir started chanting slowly... then quickly... then the orchestra went into full force with a fast-paced piece (Liberi Fatali -- Final Fantasy VIII).

So... even though you're not allowed to record performances, I did with my cell phone. No video -- only the audio (and in pretty bad quality). You know, as a personal souvenir. And because I know that doing this won't stop me from continuing to spend money on the series. If you'd like to listen, here it is (no video, so just hit play and continue doing whatever else):

Prelude and Liberi Fatali

Every piece was a musical delight -- even the pieces from Final Fantasy games I have never played (have not played any Final Fantasy game after IX so far -- still need to beat Final Fantasy VII). There was a huge screen above the stage and footage from Final Fantasy would sometimes play (corresponding to whichever piece was being performed). It was really neat! I really enjoyed You're Not Alone (Final Fantasy IX), Theme of Love (Final Fantasy IV), and To Zanarkand (Final Fantasy X). Theme of Love brought so many memories... I almost cried, lol.

9:00 PM -- Intermission

As soon as the Intermission started, I got out my DS and went into PictoChat. I waited for a few minutes... then five... and nobody joined. I was so sad... people don't PictoChat anymore? I was really looking forward to it.

Then I went down to the lobby to meet with an old friend who also attended the concert. I have to say this about the Sony Centre auditorium: those stairs are soooooo steep!! Many times, I had that vertigo sensation, thinking that I would tumble down on the next step (I grabbed whatever ledges I could). On the way to the lobby, I saw somebody dressed as a black mage and had to take a pic.

Black mage

After meeting up and chatting with my friend, a bell rang to tell us to get back to our seats. When I went back (walking up those steps was sooo tiring), I saw my sister and her fiance PictoChatting with each other.

PictoChat!

9:15-ish PM -- Second Half

The first piece after the intermission started off slowly... then strong, fast-paced drums followed (Opening - Bombing Mission -- Final Fantasy VII). It was great.

Afterwards, Arnie Roth introduced the next piece and told us that Nobuo Uematsu would also be performing (on the condition that he performed as well). Everybody cheered and clapped. Nobuo Uematsu appeared and took his place by a double-keyboard. Arnie Roth took a violin. The orchestra began, and Nobuo Uematsu came in, expertly playing the grim tones to Dark World (Final Fantasy VI). Arnie Roth later joined in, adding to the sorrow. It was very nicely done.

Before Aerith's Theme

After Clash on the Big Bridge (Final Fantasy V), Arnie Roth introduced the next piece (Aerith's Theme -- Final Fantasy VII). Then he said, "Before I do that [play Aerith's Theme], pay very special attention -- a message from Cloud. He has a very important message for us." 

Everybody's eyes went to the screen. A scene with Cloud and Aerith on a grassy area appeared. Then a huge speech bubble appeared. At the top, some letters slowly appeared and formed the name "Cheryl Murray,". No response from the audience (probably confusion -- who's Cheryl Murray?). Then the rest of the speech bubble was slowly filled with this: "Would you please do me the honour of marrying me?" Some people said, "Ah...", then everybody started cheering and screaming once we realized it was a marriage proposal! Then the spotlight suddenly fell on a couple on the balcony level. The guy gave a huge thumbs up and everybody cheered and clapped. It was so exciting, sweet, and romantic!

Rest of the Concert

I deeply enjoyed the last pieces. I have such an immense love for Final Fantasy VI music. Opera "Maria and Draco" (Final Fantasy VI) was performed by three soloists, and they were singing in English which was cool (though not following the SNES translation, but not sure how faithful that was to the Japanese text anyway). Personally, I think that Terra's Theme (Final Fantasy VI) was the best performed piece of the night. There was such... sincerity in it. I can't really describe it.

After Terra's Theme, everybody clapped and cheered. Once Nobuo Uematsu appeared, almost everybody stood up and continued clapping. Then Nobuo Uematsu and Arnie Roth left. A few minutes later, they appeared again.

10:10-ish PM -- Encore

I'm not saying anything about the encore. You can just listen to it below. I'm sorry if you can't hear all the conversations. I generally don't like this piece (I think the beginning is way overused in fanstuff), but I really enjoyed this. If you couldn't catch the name of the piece, I'll mention it at the end of this blog. The show ended around 10:30 PM.

Encore!

Overall Experience

This was a concert that really did take me to a distant world... I greatly enjoyed the pieces played. I was glad that they played many of the older Final Fantasy music -- the music I grew up listening to. After the concert, the souvenir shop was totally packed -- much more than before the concert.

The tiny souvenir stand and all those people.

I took a pic of another group of cosplayers:

From Final Fantasy XIII

All and all, this was a truly fantastical experience. The next time it comes back to Toronto, I'll be there. Going to a distant world isn't that far after all. :)

Thanks for reading! :)

Encore:
Final Fantasy VII: One-Winged Angel

BLOG -- Recap of March

So, here is my recap blog for March. Again, I will only mention here what I haven't mentioned in my past blogs. If anybody is curious on my thoughts on anything, please go ahead and ask. :)

Outings/Events in March: 

- Went to Snakes & Lattes with a friend and played boardgames for 4-5 hours.

- Went to J-Town for the first time by myself (I've been there with others before).

- Played Pictionary with some co-workers during the March Break week.

- Had a drink with my team mates after work one day (the boss paid for us -- he's so awesome).

- Learned how to tie a tie from a co-worker.

- Met up with my old friends (x2). Awesomeness!!

- Tried tequila for the first time (I think -- it burns!!).

Exposures:

- (deli place) La Salumeria -- this place is really cool. You choose your bread, choose your meat, and dressings/toppings, and they make your sandwich for you right there. I may blog about this one day.

- (restaurant) Guu Sakabar -- this is the first time I've been at this location (I've been to the one around Church many times). This place has AWESOME food.

- (restaurant) Imonay Korean Restaurant -- good food, but their mild dishes are still a bit spicy...

- (food) Melon bread -- for the longest time, I have always wanted to try melon bread. Finally got my chance!

Finished...

Watching:

- (Anime): Neon Genesis Evangelion + Death & Rebirth + End of Evangelion -- There was so much potential for this series, but it just fell flat. Way too flat. During the last two episodes, all I wanted to do was get off my seat and do something else. The two movies didn't help either.

- (Anime): J2: The Counterattack of Siberia Yagyu -- I was quite surprised at how enjoyable this series was. I was so bent on selling the first season, but now I'm not so sure. It's really cool!

- (Anime): Black Lagoon -- This series is awesome. I wish it was still in print... I'd love to get my hands on the DVDs or Blu-Ray. So full of action, but still thought-provoking at times. I want to cosplay as Roberta or Revy, haha...

- (Movie): The Neverending Story (for the 5th+ time)

- (Movie): Coyote Ugly (for the 2nd time)
- (Movie): The Locker -- A cheesy Japanese horror. I was able to sleep easy that same night.
- (Movie): The Face -- This is a Korean horror movie. I thought it was going to be one of those shock-scary movies, but it actually had a nice plot and a nice amount of character development.

Playing:

- (PSP): Hatsune Miku (first game) -- Great! I'll probably blog about this one day.

Reading:

- (Manga): Yakitate!! Japan by Takashi Hashiguchi -- Will blog about this one day. Good and weird at the same time.

Currently... 

Playing (not all at once):

- (PS3): Record of Agarest War Zero
- (DS): Luminous Arc 2 
- (DS): Professor Layton and the Last Spector
- (GBA): B-Daman
- (PSP): Persona  
- (Wii): Fortune Street 
- (PS2): Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (yeah, yeah. Laugh if you like) 
 

Watching:

- (Anime): Mushi-Shi
- (Anime): iDOLM@STER: The Animation
 

Reading:

- (Novel): Spare Parts by Rick Hanson
- (Manga): No Longer Human by Usamaru Furuya
- (Manga): Strawberry Panic by Sakurako Kimino + Takuminamuchi


That's it for March! If I'm not too lazy on Sunday, then I'll be blogging about something that will happen today (soooooo excited!). Here are some random photos from this month:

Guu Sakabar -- probably decorated this way to reflect the season.

Teriyaki Pizza at Guu (it was a daily special). Yum!!

Fireball Island board game (at Snakes & Lattes).

Worst Case Scenario board game. Remember this if you're stranded without any food.

Carebears board game. The instructions were vague...

Drink I had with my co-workers. I finished it, but was quite tipsy afterwards. ><

Pictionary Pic 1 -- Can you guess what this is? :)

Pictionary Pic 2 -  Can you guess what this is? :)

Melon bread! Sugary, crunchy, soft...

 Me with a tie, hehe.

REVIEW/THOUGHTS [Movie] -- The Hunger Games

Format Watched: In theatres (Saturday March 24, 2012)

Approx. Runtime: 142 minutes (2 hours, 22 minutes)

Language Watched: English

Type of Movie: Drama, Action, Game-like

Overall Impression: Very enjoyable! Worth watching at least once.

SPOILER ALERT WARNING!!

This review will contain some spoilers -- or rather, there will be a "Spoilers" section at the end of the review to go into further detail about certain things. There may still be slight spoilers throughout the review, but I've tried my best to keep them at a minimum.

PERSONAL STANDING (Pre-exposures, thoughts, etc.)

All I've heard about The Hunger Games was that it was similar to the Japanese movie, Battle Royale. At that moment, I knew that I had to watch it. I deeply enjoyed watching Battle Royale and was curious just how similar The Hunger Games would be. I did not watch any trailers. I did not read anything about The Hunger Games. This is my way of building excitement and my way of keeping an open mind when I do experience it (the less I know, the less biased I will be).

STORY

In the movie, The Hunger Games is a tournament/game where one girl and one boy from each District (there are 12 Districts) between 12-18 years of age are randomly selected. Then, in a range of two weeks, they must kill each other off until there is only one survivor -- and it is televised. Stuff happens between the selection and the actual game, and during the game, but I won't go into any more detail.

PACING

For a movie that's over two hours long, the pacing is very good. A lot of information is presented which is nice for viewers who haven't read the books. I personally didn't feel any dull moments or the sense that some scenes were dragging. But... it does feel like a movie that's over two hours long. Once the movie is over, you'll know that you've been sitting there for a good chunk of time.

THE HUNGER GAMES VS. BATTLE ROYALE (PART 1)

For those who don't know, I must say this: Battle Royale came before The Hunger Games! It is not the other way around. Okay, now to continue.

So, after watching The Hunger Games, I came to this conclusion: The Hunger Games and Battle Royale are VERY different movies. I personally find the whole game aspect (participants killing each other until there's one survivor) to be the only real similarity. This is from my comparison of the movies (I will have further comment about this once I've read The Hunger Games novels).

***EDIT -- June 9, 2012 -- I have read the novel. Seeing that the novel follows closely with The Hunger Games movie, it is different from Battle Royale. ***

So... I'd advise you: if you decide to watch The Hunger Games, please do not have the mindset/expectations that The Hunger Games will be another Battle Royale. You may not be able to fully enjoy The Hunger Games if you do -- the differences will just stick out. I will go into more details of the similarities and differences in the "Spoilers" section (Battle Royale will also be spoiled so I'd suggest not reading that section if you haven't watched Battle Royale).

ACTING/CHARACTERS

The acting is very good. I'll just agree with everybody else and say that Jennifer Lawrence did a good job of portraying Katniss (main girl character). Though I think everybody was good.

CHARACTERS

There are many likeable characters in The Hunger Games. I think it all depends on who you want to root for -- there will be characters you'll like and characters you'll not like. You don't really get to see much character development except for Katniss and a bit of Peeta (main guy character). Personally, I really like Rue and Peeta (He's so cute!). Cinna and Haymitch were cool, too.

MUSIC

The music is great. It fits with the atmosphere very nicely. There were some tribal-like tracks, some flowy string pieces (for the emotional moments), some high energy beats, some celtic. There were scenes when nothing would be audible except for the music -- to let you soak in those moments. And it worked.

Just to note -- there are two soundtracks to The Hunger Games: 1) The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 and Beyond, and 2) The Hunger Games: Original Motion Picture Score. The first one features the songs played during the credits and then music inspired by the movie. The second one should be the actual music that's played during the movie. Just so you know in case you buy the wrong one (because I did, haha -- though I don't fully regret it).

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Go watch The Hunger Games. If you can stomach the premise, watch it. For those who don't know, there is going to be a sequel, so don't be surprised that everything is not tied up by the end. There is only one thing I dread, and I will talk about it in the "Spoilers" section.

Thanks for reading! If you want some more input about something I didn't cover, feel free to ask. :)

Now I'll do the scrolly thing so you don't see the "Spoilers" section right away. Then I'll add some more scrolly things after the "Spoilers" section in case anybody wants to comment, but not see the spoilers.

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

SPOILERS

"There is only one thing I dread..."

I'm dreading how the sequel will be like. I sense that there will be a love triangle: between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale -- or worse, an unrequited love where Peeta is the 3rd wheel. Personally, I don't want that! I want Katniss and Peeta to be together. Haha, I like Peeta's character so far, so I want him to be happy (I'm such a geek). Of course, such events have already been written in the books -- I'll just have to read it to find out (because I can't wait for the movie sequel to find out).

---------------------------------------------

The Hunger Games vs. Battle Royale (Part 2)

So here's a more detailed comparison between The Hunger Games and Battle Royale.

1. The Participants: The participants from The Hunger Games are a boy and a girl from each district (picked randomly). The participants from Battle Royale are students from one class (picked randomly). That difference alone changes the tone between the two movies -- the kind of issues that can be addressed -- the difference in character interactions.

The moral dilemma that both movies share is Can I kill another person?

Then, Battle Royale goes further, addressing Can I kill somebody I've been friends with (for possibly years or all my life)? Can I kill my classmate? A familiar face I've seen everyday since the beginning of the school year? Yes, The Hunger Games consist of a boy and a girl from each district, but that doesn't necessarily mean that boy and girl are familiar or will have any loyalties to each other. The participants in The Hunger Games can be all strangers -- which would make the killings less personal.

That said, The Hunger Games can address the issue of: Can I cross boundaries and show compassion for a complete stranger? The relationship between Katniss and Rue addressed that. When Rue died and Katniss showed so much sorrow and grief... to the point where Katniss showed her condolences and everybody from Rue's district returned the gesture... it was very moving and almost felt unifying. I don't think that can be addressed in Battle Royale at all.

2. Game Elements: There are more game elements in The Hunger Games than in Battle Royale.

In Battle Royale, there are next to no interferences from the higher-ups (Kitano), unless you try to break the rules. In Battle Royale, the "battleground" is divided into different zones. Every now and then, Kitano will announce zones that will become "danger zones" between certain time frames -- if somebody is in one of those zones during those times, their tracking collar (that's around their neck) will activate and explode. The "danger zones" are there to prevent students from squatting somewhere and letting everybody else kill each other.

Also, before the game begins, everybody has a chance to grab a knapsack (which contains a bit of food, water, and a random "weapon").

I should also mention that in Battle Royale, the students only have 3 days to kill each other. Once those 3 days is up, and there is more than one student still alive, then the collars will activate and everybody dies, leaving no winner.

In The Hunger Games, the game, while horrific to the participants and the districts, is seen more as a form of entertainment. There are more external interferences (sponsors sending gifts to certain participants to help them survive) as well as land manipulation to give a "better show" (directing participants to each other). I don't remember if the game in Battle Royale was televised.

Because it's more of a form of entertainment in The Hunger Games, the participants have two weeks of physical training, as well as a chance to "promote" themselves, in the hopes of getting more sponsors and increasing their odds (because some viewers make bets on who would win).

Also, before the game begins, the participants start with nothing. Weapons and backpacks are placed in the center of the battlefield. If they want it, they'll have to run and get it, and risk getting killed in the process (by others doing the same thing). They also have two weeks to kill each other off, and there has to be a winner at the end.

3. Character Development: There is a lot more character development in Battle Royale. Even Kitano has some character development. As a result, there are more characters in Battle Royale that you can relate to, and lament over.

I also think that it is probably easier to show character development in Battle Royale because the participants are all classmates. One character's flashback can involve other classmates at the same time. Even the words "always" or "never" carry deeper meaning because you get a sense of how long "always" or "never" would be (at least since the beginning of the school year).

4. Blood Level: Well, I don't need to really say, but Battle Royale is more brutal in terms of blood and gore.

I'll mention more if I can think of more, but I hope this shows that The Hunger Games and Battle Royale can't really be compared against each other -- at least in determining which is the "better" movie.

If you read my spoilers, thank for reading! Now to finish with more scrolly things. If you disagree with anything or just want to say something, feel free to comment :D

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

BLOG -- The Black Keys Concert @ ACC (March 14, 2012)

Note: This entry may not be interesting to you. It'll just be about my thoughts and experience at The Black Keys concert -- my first English concert experience (AKA my second concert ever). When I say "concert" here, I'm talking about a concert that features a professional music group or artist. I've been to other concerts (high school music concerts, symphonies, etc.) many, many times before.

Me and The Black Keys

I got exposed to The Black Keys through a co-worker. It pretty much went like this:

One day in January 2012:
Me: What are you listening to?
Co-worker: The Black Keys.
Me: I've never heard of them. Can I listen to a bit of it?
Co-worker: Sure.

Not sure what to expect, I kept an open mind (and ears). Guitar chords and drum beats slowly flowed in -- then flooded -- my eardrums. Rockish... slightly heavy... but light at the same time. I smiled. I liked it.

A week later, I borrowed my co-worker's iPod (yeah, we can listen to music while working) and listened to The Black Keys' latest album (El Camino). Very short album (about 36 minutes long), but very enjoyable. (For those curious, the first song I was exposed to that day in January was 'Hell of a Season', one of my favourite songs on that album).

The Little Details

Date of Concert: Wednesday March 14, 2012
Venue: Air Canada Centre (Toronto, Ontario)
Time: 7:30 PM
Ticket Price Total: $80.50
Seating: Section 116, Row 25, Seat 20

Before 7:00 PM -- First English Concert Jitters

Before getting to the Air Canada Centre (ACC), I was really nervous. One reason was that this was my first English concert -- another was that I was going by myself. Some thoughts that ran through my mind: How long do concerts usually last? What usually happens at a concert (besides the artist performing their songs)? Where do I show my ticket? Will things get really rowdy? Will somebody spill beer on me (the seat I got allowed alcohol consumption)? Etc., etc., etc. I had a lot of "worries" and nobody to share those "worries" with, haha.

7:00 PM-ish -- @ ACC

This was my first time at the ACC. Once inside, it was pretty easy to figure out who to show my ticket to, and where to get to my seat. I ignored all the places selling food and booze. I just wanted to get to my seat and wait.

The crowd at 7:00 PM

7:30 PM came around, and people were still trickling in. And the show didn't start. It kinda made me think, So concerts usually start late... It didn't bother me much. I was quite glad that nobody was sitting beside me (so I didn't have to worry about beer being spilled on me).

The crowd at 7:30 PM

8:00 PM -- Pre-show (Arctic Monkeys)

The Arctic Monkeys

This is a little embarrassing to say, but since this was my first English concert, and because I was sitting so far away from the stage, I couldn't tell if those guys were The Black Keys or another band. All I thought as they performed were, I don't recognize these songs at all... but they're playing for a long time. A pre-show wouldn't last this long, would it? An hour later, my questions were answered when the vocalist shouted, "ARE YOU READY FOR THE BLACK KEYS?!"

The Arctic Monkeys were okay. From where I was sitting, I couldn't make out much of what they were singing. They changed guitars a lot.

9:00 PM -- Intermission

My one comment about the ACC is that it needs more washroom stalls! By this time, the place was getting more and more packed. It was like they knew exactly when the pre-show would end. A rowdy group of audience members carrying beer were also seated in the row above me (*cringe*).

The crowd at 9:28 PM

9:30-ish PM -- The Black Keys

The Black Keys (yeah, my cell phone camera really sucks)

As soon as The Black Keys walked on stage, almost everybody who was sitting immediately stood up and cheered. I didn't stand up, but I was amazed. Wow, they must love The Black Keys to show this much respect. They can sit down, but they choose to stand... (remember, this is my first English concert. I don't know what kind of etiquette/ritual that goes on). The change in energy/excitement between the pre-show and the main show was very... strong. The audience continued standing as The Black Keys played their first number (don't remember what it was).

They played a lot of numbers from their previous albums (almost expected since El Camino is only about 36 minutes long), and each one was greeted with cheers and joy. It was really cool. The lighting was also very spectacular and engaging.

One number that I really enjoyed was 'Little Black Submarine'. When they started, the whole place went dark, except for two spotlights that shone on the vocalist (Dan Auerbach). The most coolest thing was that many audience members then held up their glowsticks, glowing cell phones, glowing iPods, whatever that would glow. It looked like the whole place was bathed in starlight -- so awesome.

'Little Black Submarine'

Sea of starlight -- so cool!

When The Black Keys said they only had a few more songs to sing, that's when I finally stood up (and took off my jacket). I tried dancing a bit to their last numbers, but found it difficult since I was wearing a purse. The last number, 'Lonely Boy', had the largest response and energy from the audience.

Once that song ended, the stage went completely dark. The Black Keys said their thanks and walked off the stage. Still completely dark, everybody cheered and clapped (me included). This went on for maybe 5-10 minutes. For a moment, I was wondering if they might not do an encore at all. Then I noticed a huge disco ball slowly coming down from the ceiling. Eventually, audience members around me noticed the same thing and were getting more excited.

10:45-ish PM -- Encore

Encore!

The encore lasted for about 15 minutes. And they were an awesome 15 minutes! They were old songs, but high energy. The show ended around 11 PM.

Overall Experience

I really enjoyed The Black Keys concert. I was sad that they didn't perform 'Hell of a Season' (since it was that song that got me interested in them). If I can, I'll definitely check them out the next time they're back -- and I'll finally buy their El Camino album (so far I've been borrowing my co-worker's iPod and listening to Youtube videos whenever the "urge" hit me).

The only non-enjoyable thing that night was finding out that beer was spilled on my hair (by the crowd sitting one row above me). I didn't even know it happened until I randomly touched my hair at one point and felt... wetness. Thank goodness I was still wearing my jacket at that time. Fortunately later in the night, the security guards kicked them out (for doing what? I don't know).

***************************

Even though you're not really allowed to record performances, some people did anyway. Here are a few Youtube videos from that night:

'Little Black Submarine'

'Lonely Boy'

'Everlasting Light'

Thanks for reading! :)

EXPOSURES (FOOD PLACES) -- Fuzen, Niwatei

Note: Things may start getting busier for me for the rest of the year as I take some classes to get more knowledge about my field of work, as well as attending Toastmaster meetings to improve my verbal communication (semi-boo to the last thing -- I think my shy, quiet nature is a part of who I am). Hopefully this won't affect my blogging schedule, but just getting it out in case it ever does.

FUZEN

Location: 132 Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario (close to Front & Lower Sherbourne) Google Map

Contact #: 416-363-0202
Website: Click!

Type(s) of Cuisine: Japanese

Specialty (if any): Unsure

Price Range (for a main dish): Mid -- ($11-$17 for lunch sets; California Rolls: $4.50; Dynamite Rolls: $7.95; Salmon Sashimi [5 pieces]: $8.95)

Restaurant Size: Small

Recommend? Yes!!

Brief Impression

The inside looks quite nice and clean. The menu has some really interesting items (at least, I've never heard of some of them before). Even though the price was a little up there, the food was really good (what we tried of it)!! We ordered dynamite rolls, lasagna rolls, takoyaki, and bulgogi rolls. Before our orders came, we got a complimentary cup-sized noodle dish (which tasted nice).

The bulgolgi rolls tasted like bulgolgi, though I personally don't think it works very well as sushi. The takoyaki were good, but a little small for its price. The dynamite rolls, though large in width, were short in height -- so I was able to fit one whole piece in my mouth (instead of thinking, darn! I can't eat this in one bite -- everything will crumble all over the place). They were delicious (and I got 9 pieces for my order)! The best thing, though, was the lasagna roll. Lasagna roll is essentially California rolls with this creamy crab sauce with shredded crab meat on top, baked. That creamy crab taste... Mmmmmmmmm!!! I would go back to this place just to have the lasagna rolls again. Afterwards, we also got a complimentary mango ice cream (yum!).

NIWATEI

Location: 3160 Steeles Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario (In J-Town, close to Steeles & Victoria Park) J-Town Map

Contact #: 905-513-6492
Website: Click!

Type(s) of Cuisine: Japanese

Specialty (if any): Ramen

Price Range (for a main dish): Mid -- $8-$12

Restaurant Size: Small

Recommend? Yes

Brief Impression

The place is cute, warm, and homey. Once you enter, there's a huge blue velvet-like curtain to go through -- then you're inside. There are framed drawings of their mascot on the wall, which is pretty cool. The employees are polite and nice. I like that you get a plastic pitcher full of water so you don't have to keep calling for a water refill. I ordered the miso ramen and it was good!... I can't seem to describe it in any other way than that, haha. I drank all the soup from the bowl.

I can't say right now that this is a must-go place for ramen (I only had one dish, and I haven't been to many ramen places to be able to compare), but if you are looking for a place with delicious ramen, Niwatei is such a place.

REVIEW / THOUGHTS [Play] -- The Neverending Story

Theatre: Young People's Theatre [Google Map]
Showtimes: February 27 - March 17, 2012 

Approx. Runtime: 85 minutes (1 hours, 45 minutes) ** no intermissions

Ticket Prices: $15 [Youth; Senior]; $20 [Adult]; Pay-What-You-Can [Mar. 11 only]
Day Watched: Saturday March 3, 2012 at 2:00 PM

Type of Play: Fantasy, Adventure

Overall Impression: Not exactly like the movie or the novel, but it's enjoyable and fun. And if you've experienced either the movie or novel, nostalgic.

PERSONAL STANDING (Pre-exposures, thoughts, etc.)

The Neverending Story is a movie I've watched many times through my life. While I tend to remember the pale colour palette and the slight cheesy-ness, I've always enjoyed the idea/moral behind the story: keep your imaginations alive -- don't forget about your dreams -- don't lose that child in you. I also appreciated that despite it being a kid's movie (I think it's a movie for kids), much of the movie was... "adult". The Neverending Story movie wasn't afraid to show sadness, death, a bit of blood, and despair.

I don't remember how I found out about it being turned into a play, but when I did, I knew I had to see it. I was so curious how it would turn out.

STORY

The Neverending Story starts with an old man ironing a shirt. He suddenly stops, hearing a woman's humming in the distance. Then appears Bastian (main character), asking his dad if he stopped ironing because he was thinking of Mom (Bastian's mom -- aka the old man's deceased wife).  After a bit of reminiscing, and the dad telling Bastian to stick with realistic notions (not fantastical ones like Mom), Bastian leaves to go to school. On the way, Bastian gets picked on and steals The Neverending Story book from a bookstore. At school, Bastian goes to the attic and starts reading The Neverending Story.

THE NEVERENDING STORY

While Atreyu (main character) is hunting purple buffalo with his trusted horse Artax, a messenger from the Childlike Empress appears and tells Atreyu that Fantastica (their world) is being threatened by this growing void called "The Nothing". The Childlike Empress has also fallen ill and has chosen Atreyu to be the hero in finding a cure for her. While Atreyu doesn't feel worthy to be considered a hero, he still takes on the task and rides off with Artax in search of a cure.

STORY STRUCTURE

Similar to the movie, the play switches back and forth between Fantastica and the Real World. In terms of character development, I think the play did a nicer job. In the play, after a scene in Fantastica, the spotlight would then turn to Bastian. He would then comment on what he just read, at times expressing sympathy and how he relates to Atreyu and such, talking about his own situations. It can get a little corny when Bastian keeps making excuses to continue reading, but it's forgivable.

PLAY VS. MOVIE VS. NOVEL

I had not realized this all these years, but The Neverending Story movie is based off a novel. I've never read the novel, but after looking it up on Wikipedia, I found out that some of the "differences" I noticed in the play (that were different from the movie) were actually present in the novel. Here are a few examples of "differences" that are not in the movie, but in the novel:

- Artax (Atreyu's horse) speaks
- Falkor gets trapped in a spider's web
- The Southern Oracle (Uyulala) has no body
- There are three gates to The Southern Oracle (Uyulala)

I think one "difference" that is different from the movie and novel is the idea that Fantastica is a story world, and that there are other worlds and other stories, and that "The Nothing" is making the different worlds collide together.

ACTING/CHARACTERS

The acting overall is really good and convincing. You can't really fault the actors for saying their few cheesy lines (cheesy however it's delivered). Bastian is played by a girl and did a really good job portraying her character. Falkor was really cool, too, and Atreyu. Even though this play is mainly geared towards kids, there was such conviction in the actors that I still cried at the sad parts... lol... (well... maybe that's more because I am an empathetic person...)

My one beef is that the last part wasn't climactic enough -- they needed a few more lines, maybe a bit of silence; something to build it. As is, it feels a little flat.

CHARACTERS

I think the play had more characterization than the movie and I really appreciate that (though not all characters that appeared in the movie were in the play). I've already mentioned that Bastian showed more character when he expresses how he relates to Atreyu and how he feels about the story. Atreyu also had more characterization as he expresses doubt in whether or not he could succeed in his task -- whether he is worthy of being called a "hero". Artax, being able to speak, definitely had more characterization. I am currently unsure if this characterization is closer to the novel.

MUSIC/SET/COSTUMES

The music was good. There were a few slow tracks, and then some high-energy drum beat tracks.

The set worked well. The curtain pieces were the most magical part in the set. Their role was often to show a change in location, and it was done by moving the bottom parts along the floor. You couldn't see any hands moving them though, so the curtains looked alive -- it was really cool! "The Nothing" was also really neat. It was simply a black sheet behind the white curtains that emerged and moved about every now and then, giving the effect that it was growing and spreading.

The costumes were good for kids -- a little cheesy for me. Falkor was pretty much a guy in coloured clothing. But it's fine. I don't mind using my imagination for a play that encourages one to keep imaginations alive. The spider costume was really cool, though (those of you who have only watched the movie are probably thinking: There's a spider in the story? I was thinking the same thing).

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Overall, The Neverending Story play is fun. It is definitely a nice, nostalgic trip. If you can, check it out. I personally think that the play is more... relatable... in some ways.  And it ties up one thing that the movie forgot to address: the passing of time in the Real World -- or rather, the consequence. The movie never addressed how the dad felt about Bastian being out so late without any kind of contact.

One thing for sure, watching the play made me want to watch the movie (and I did when I got home).

BONUS

After the play, my sister, her fiance, and I went to a restaurant close to the theatre. Inside, we saw many of the cast members (Bastian, Falkor, Atreyu, Bastian's dad). How cool is that!! XD

My favourite quote from the play: "Everybody has wings!" -- Falkor


Thanks for reading!

BLOG -- Recap of February

So, I wouldn't really consider this an actual blog. I'm just recapping what I've experienced this month (whatever I haven't blogged about yet), and what I'm currently experiencing with not much detail on anything. It's more for me to think, Oh yeah, that's what I did this month. If anybody is curious on my thoughts on anything that I mention, please go ahead and ask. Some things I know I will blog about -- others I just won't consider because of time and other priorities. Buuuut -- I do my best to make the time to respond to others.

Outings/Events in February: 

- Attended the 15th anniversary of an anime club I went to during my University years (I was also an executive at that club, but no need to get into that, lol)

- Met up with some of my old friends (x5) -- really nice and fun times!

- Pranked one of my team mates on his last day. It wasn't my best prank, but I'm glad I gave him some kind of send-off, so he can remember us, haha.

- Did Winterlicious with my sister and her fiance for one restaurant.

- Checked out the Icefest ice sculptures at Yorkville. It was really cool, and cold. My fingers were pretty frozen by the end.

Exposures:

- (cafe place) Snakes & Lattes -- a fun boardgame-centric place!
- (restaurant) Ouzeri (restaurant -- for Winterlicious) -- the food was really good and filling.
- (restaurant) Eggsmart -- don't really remember much -- too busy talking with my friend, lol
- (restaurant) Messini Authentic Gyros -- really crowded, but good food.
- (restaurant) The Keg Steakhouse & Bar -- fancy place with good food.
- (burger joint) K.O. Burgers -- decent poutine, but their specialty are their burgers.
- (restaurant) New Generation -- this is a sushi place.

Finished...

Watching:

- (Anime): Elemental Gelade (for the 2nd time) -- I still love it as much as when I first watched it.
- (TV series): Harsh Realm -- I think if this series was produced in this time, when gaming is more "deeply rooted" and "widely accepted", it would have lasted for much longer than three episodes. I think it had potential, somewhat.
- (Movie): Kung Fu Hustle (for the 4th time)
- (Movie): Nurse Betty (for the 2nd time)
- (Movie): Dangerous Minds (for the 2nd time)
- (Movie): Step Up (for the 5th+ time)

Playing:

- (PS2): Shining Tears -- If I could, I would spend tons of hours on this, leveling up all my characters. Pretty long game, but more or less enjoyable.

Reading:

- (Novel): No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai -- It's a light, complex, depressing read. I may blog about this one day.
- (Manga): Lychee Light Club by Usamaru Furuya -- Will definitely blog about this one day. It's good, but very disturbing and sad.

Currently... 

Playing (not all at once):

- (PS3): Record of Agarest War Zero
- (DS): Luminous Arc 2 
- (DS): Professor Layton and the Last Spector
- (GBA): B-Daman (I'm going through my GBA collection, to see what games I want to keep)
- (PSP): Hatsune Miku (first game)
- (PSP): Persona
- (Wii): Fortune Street

Watching:

- (Anime): Black Lagoon
- (Anime): Neon Genesis Evangelion (yes... I have never watched this series before. Surprised?) 
- (Anime): iDOLM@STER: The Animation (Don't fully understand it since I'm watching it without English subs, but whatever)

Reading:

- (Manga): Yakitate!! Japan by Takashi Hashiguchi
- (Manga): No Longer Human by Usamaru Furuya
- (Manga): Strawberry Panic by Sakurako Kimino + Takuminamuchi


That's it for February! I'll still try to keep with my blogging schedule and write an actual blog before the end of this week. Here are some random photos from this month:

 A game we played at Snakes & Lattes (K2).

 The prank I played on my co-worker's last day.

 The food I had at Messini Authentic Gyros.

A screenshot of Shining Tears (Ignore the "SONY" at the bottom of the pic).

 One of the ice sculptures at the Icefest.