A blog mainly about Veronica Mars, JDoramas, Japanese Drama Series, Asian Dramas, Drama DVDs, mangas, animes, as well as life in general, by a dilettante, music junkie, workaholic, Otaku.
It was the night to pick the top 10, and Kristy Lee Cook managed to sneakily charm her way out of being eliminated by acting all cutesy-tootsy again the night before, even after butchering two Beatles Songs (one into a drunken country techno song, the other into a mediocre, off-key performance).
Eliminations aside, I think my favorite part of the show tonight was the Idol Gives Back clip. There is no doubt in my mind that Elliott Yamin is THE nicest Idol ever. Despite his rise in fame, and his successful first album, he remains to be the humble nice, sensitive guy we saw him as before. It was a truly touching sight when I heard the baby boy was being named after him. His reaction was priceless, humbly saying "You didn't have to do that", taking off his hat, and rubbing his teary eyes.
I am truly blessed to have watched him perform live. He was amazing, really down to earth, and his amazing voice and soul captured me all over again, just like that memorable night back in AI when he sang "Moody's Mood for Love". I wish him all the best in the many years to come.
I would also like to wish that Kristy Lee Cook finally gets kicked off the show next month. We don't need "musical wallpaper". We don't need another Kelly Pickler singing these mediocre country tunes, and banking on charm and blonde hair.
It's time for me to make a lame attempt at showing this season's celebrity lookalikes. ;)
Luke Menard - Orlando Bloom
David Hernandez - Elliott Yamin (before he got his curls)
Jason Castro - Sonny Sandoval (from POD) And they're both donning dreads!
Alaina Whitaker - Carrie Underwood No wonder Simon loves her so much enough to call her the "dark horse" in the competition. You know how Simon loves these blonde country-style types.
Colton Berry - Ellen (he said it himself)
Joanne Borgella - Queen Latifah
Garrett Haley - Jacob Kraemer (just a little) Lest you don't know who Jacob Kraemer is, he played Ben Harrison in Naturally Sadie. If you don't know what show Naturally Sadie is, there's always wikipedia ;)
And finally.....
Amanda Overmyer - Ursula Wahahahahahahaha ;) Sorry couldn't help it, there's a similarity, no?
This week the males were HOT! They wowed the judges, including the ever critical Simon. And they certainly wowed me!
The night started out okay with Luke Menard. I have nothing against him, but the problem is I have nothing to praise him about either, aside from his similarity with Orlando Bloom. He is, as Simon said, forgettable. Which is why I think he is in grave danger of being cut this week. David Archuleta followed, with a very goose-bumpy performance of an Eric Clapton classic. The judges didn't like it as much. I'd have to disagree with them. I believe that this was one of my favorite David Archuleta moments. I liked the whole piano thing he did at the beginning, until he just focused on his singing. A few pitch problems here and there but he really made the song different. Danny Noriega followed and I was rendered speechless! He must have outperformed and outsassed all the ladies. Vocals weren't quite good, Simon wasn't feeling it again. The arrangement was actually pretty funky.
Then the night was really set on fire! There was David Hernandez singing a female-popularized song and owning it (although it pales in comparison to his hot interpretation of "Papa was a Rolling Stone"). Then there was Michael Johns' deep rough voice and unique stage antics. I'm very glad he's back in the game - last week was a disappointing night for him. David Cook's rendition of the Lionel song was extremely unpredictable and he did a great job! I'm glad Simon is starting to warm up to him. He is one cool guy. And his voice is perfect for that rock scene!
Then there was Jason Castro! He was the absolute highlight of this night, in my opinion. Just as Paula said, he showed his vulnerability, and his phrasing is really what sets him apart. I also love his voice! It has this accent that really makes me want to listen to him sing over and over again. Personality wise, he is a cinch to be my favorite. He is this shy, funny guy type with a bit of a flirtatious side to him. He is ADORABLE!!! I find myself smiling whenever I listen to his interviews and his singing.
Chikezie was the last to perform and I must say that I am starting to get annoyed by his cockiness. Simon asked him a painfully simple question if Whitney sang the song, and he had to show off his musical memory by telling him who remade the song, yadda yadda. His vocals this week wasn't all that good either. Very pitchy. I couldn't relax as I was always trying to adapt to the tone.
All in all, I like 5 out of the current 8 so here's to hoping that the 5 I like get through! Way to go, guys! Go beat the females, who I believe are sorely lacking in diversity this season.
My Top 3/4 picks! 1. Jason Castro - I LOVE his tone and voice, his funny, shy guy personality, his eyes 2. David Archuleta - The judges are right, he sings like a seasoned performer, and his personality shines through each of the songs - ADORABLE, ADORABLE, ADORABLE!!!! 3. David Cook or Michael Johns - These two are fighting this spot. Michael Johns didn't choose the right song - Still waiting for David Cook to really rock it
Ramblings: 1. Is it just me or is Simon Cowell extremely critical this season? I mean there are performances that are actually pretty good but he's not impressed! 2. What does Simon have against Crossword?? Sheesh, do all American Idol contestants have to follow the same mold?! 3. A guy should win this season because the guys are more unique and diverse.
This Studio Ghibli piece isn't very new... Let me rephrase that: it's an old anime. It was released back in 1988. But it came highly recommended by a few so I decided to watch it last weekend.
The story is set in World War II, in the eyes of the Japanese. It focuses on a brother Seita and sister Setsuko. Already, at the very first scene, you see the bleak picture that war paints. You see people in rags, emotionally dead... physically dying from starvation. One of them is Seita, and at that very moment, I was certain that I was going to choke from emotion in several parts of this show, and I was going to be very disturbed at the end of the show.
When the show ended, I was filled with mixed emotions. The cards that Seita and Setsuko were dealt with were quite ugly. But they had hope: they had a chance to live with their aunt who provided for them. They had a roof over their head, which made them so much better than many.
Here is where the debate begins - Seita, old enough to help out in household chores, get a job to provide more for them, or help out during raids, opted to laze around and play with his little sister, Setsuko, too young to understand what was really happening. The auntie gets frustrated with him and he is too proud to carry his weight and instead, opts to live alone with Setsuko.
And that's when things got really bad. Malnutrition and Setsuko's diarrhea drove Seita to start stealing from others. And this inevitably leads to the first scene of the show.
Which leads me to this conundrum: Did Seita deserve the viewers' pity? Was it not his excessive pride and sloth that lead to his demise? Could the future have been brighter had Seita apologized to his aunt? Was it right for him to merely live a carefree life with Setsuko amidst all the bullets, air raids, and destruction?
Nevertheless, this story disturbed me tremendously. It's amazing how an old piece like this could graphically depict the bitter times so well. I find myself remembering some scenes from the show every now and then and shivering unconsciously. The people at Studio Ghibli are amazing.
And here are my top picks from the cream of the crop!
Michael Johns
Great voice, good looks, he's not tied down to just one genre, very cool persona, Michael Johns is an ultimate package and he can definitely light the crowd's fire.
His rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody is interesting, he didn't go crazy with it, and instead made it his own:
David Archuleta
He's 16 years old but very mature, is as charming as charming can ever get, has a very interesting past (he almost lost his voice!), has that huskiness to his vocal box and good looks to boot! He's certainly going to capture a lot of hearts.
That's pretty much my top picks for now!
Another one I really liked who didn't make it was the cool guy, Josiah Leming. The way he shouts in his songs is extremely interesting, it's high-pitched, almost on the brink of breaking, but it really works! I think he can really make it big in the commercial pop/alternative/punk industry because he is the type of voice and personality that people are looking for nowadays (maybe minus the excessive crying).
Everyone will agree that Mika's songs are hard to sing, what more to make it your own? Josiah proved he has mad skills to do that. And have you ever seen Simon smile like this before??
Sadly, he didn't quite make it. The pressure of delivering was too much for him, he wasn't able to practice enough for his last performance, and he did the risky move of singing without a band which Simon misinterpreted as arrogance (I personally think Josiah did that only because he was afraid he'd mess up more if he played with a band he wasn't able to practice with).
I guess it's better luck next time for him. He still lacks the maturity that 16-year old David possesses. He has to get his act straight a bit, be a little more confident, a little less rattled so we can hopefully see more of him in the near future.
On the female side, I personally do not have any favorites. The closest I have of a favorite on the female arena is the rocker nurse. She is a very very cool contestant but I agree with Simon that she has to change it up because she runs the risk of being overly predictable. The other girls don't seem to fit the genre I'm looking for. A lot of beautiful contestants, no doubt, but they seem to be all belters / country gals and I really really hate country music. The thought of having another Carrie Underwood winner makes me shudder.
I've actually grown tired of watching race-type sports-intensive reality TV shows, like Amazing Race and Survivor. I only watched Amazing race for the bickering couple that was Colin & Christie and watched Survivor only on its second season. Personality seemed to have dissipated from the shows, replaced by stereotypes, cheesy "I will survive" types, and overly serious competitors. The formula was personally driving me nuts.
The Mark and Rovilson duo is just what the reality TV routine needs - a fresh, witty personality with good looks to boot (may I note that Mark looked especially hot this Africa episode)! They are perhaps the wittiest duo ever to grace my boob tube, as they exchange banters, give funny retorts, and do zany things on screen. And they go one step further to entertain us with their special Amazing Race customized shirts! They are the sole reason why I follow this season of Amazing Race Asia. I think shows should endeavor to have contestants as vivacious as these two, otherwise people are really going to get tired of the same thing.
I'll be posting my fave Mark and Rovilson quotes soon ;)
Veronica Mars Fans, there is still hope! If you want a VERONICA MARS MOVIE (which I KNOW YOU DO!!!) Click here, post a comment, and for the love of Neptune, spread the word!
Eliminations aside, I think my favorite part of the show tonight was the Idol Gives Back clip. There is no doubt in my mind that Elliott Yamin is THE nicest Idol ever. Despite his rise in fame, and his successful first album, he remains to be the humble nice, sensitive guy we saw him as before. It was a truly touching sight when I heard the baby boy was being named after him. His reaction was priceless, humbly saying "You didn't have to do that", taking off his hat, and rubbing his teary eyes.
