frankie23.com | viva la rudo » japanese

PON PON PON

frankie23 — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:18:57 +0000

I’m just baffled. Part of me wants to know what the hell she’s singing about, part of me thinks it would ruin things. This is amazing though; the CG monsters, the set, the faceless fat dancers, and the creppy-cute lead singer who farts static out of her ass. If I met an alien, and wanted him to understand what Japan was, I’d show him this video.

And then we’d all be boned.

Morning music videos: “Ponponpon” [I ♥ Chaos]

Pink Armadillo Attack!

frankie23 — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:23:27 +0000

Thank you, that will be all.

Pink Armadillo Attack! [Camp Movie Camp]

Samurai Stoner Rock – Tool’s Lateralus On Koto

frankie23 — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 04:26:55 +0000

Man, even my jaded soul fucking loves this. YouTube user radialaxis went and arranged Lateralus by Tool for an eight-piece koto group; this video is from their first performance. He also shares with us something I did not know; the song is actually partially based on the Fibonacci sequence, which means it’s related to the Golden Mean, which means that it is mathematically beautiful. See, now even if you don’t like Tool, you can blame liking this song on nature! Here’s a chunk of his very verbose write-up for the song, from the YouTube page:

The first 6 steps and the 15th step (6=1+5) of the Fibonacci sequence for the numbers 0 and 1 feature prominently in the structure of this piece:

(0-1) -1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55-89-144-233-377-610-987

This is reflected, for example, in the rhythm of the second section, 9/8-8/8-7/8, 987 being the 15th step of the sequence, as well as in the structure of the 3rd section. While the underlying rhythm of this section is 5/8 (the 6th step of the sequence is 5+8=13), the lead melody progresses back and forth through a series of phrases of length 0 to 13, again the first 6 steps of the sequence plus the root numbers, separated by pauses of length 1 to 5, the 1st 4 steps of the sequence. Together the melody phrases and rests form the image of 2 interlocking spirals. The lyrics of the song at this point also reflect the mathematical structure, the first words being ‘black then white,’ i.e. 0 and 1. The lyrics later in the song make use of extensive spiral imagery.

In my arrangement I tried to incorporate this element of the original composition as much as possible. There are 8 instruments in the group, 6 koto and 2 bass koto. The 6th step in the sequence is 13, which is the number of strings on a koto. The 2 bass kotos together have 34 strings, 34 being the 8th step of the sequence. In the first 9/8-8/8-7/8 section the 8 players are subdivided into 2 groups, one of 5 and one of 3. The groups play the 9/8/7 figure 3 times, with a variation in the 3rd iteration subdividing it into 3=2+1. The 2nd time through the 9-8-7 figure the groups themselves subdivide into smaller groups of 3+2 and 2+1 for 2 iterations before subdividing again in the 3rd iteration (3=2+1 again).

I just must say, thank you sir; this really made my god-damn week. Cheers!

Tool – Lateralus – Japanese Version – ラテララス [YouTube]

Zombie Training For Children

frankie23 — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 23:47:08 +0000

How do you scar your young children for life? Run them through a simulated zombie attack! Actually, it’s not such a bad idea… train the little buggers to be worth their weight when the big one comes. Good call Japan! You’ve proven your international value once again.

Playdate Of The Dead [The Stranger]

The New Sushi

frankie23 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:22:02 +0000

No, seriously, what the hell, Japan?

I never knew this was how sushi was made. Hmm. [I <3 Chaos]

Star Wars via 1970s Japanese Marketing

frankie23 — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:02:28 +0000

Man, I know I say it a lot, but I just fucking love the Japanese. Especially back in the day when they didn’t give a flying fuck about American copyright. Ghetto Vader control panel, the bowing before the (interrupted) light saber battle, great jumpin’ wookiees? They’re a special people man. Damn special.

Star Wars + ’70s Japan + Sea Chicken – All Semblance of Sanity = This [Topless Robot via CNNgo]

Go Speedracer Go!

frankie23 — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:56:30 +0000

This is really far more awesome than it has any right to be.

Ali Dee and The Deekompressors – “Go Speed Racer Go” [BeucoupKevin(dot)com]

Kaiju Anatomy Lessons

frankie23 — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:10:16 +0000

imply fascinating, as the good Mr. Spock might say. Vintage images from a Kaiju art book showing anatomical cutaways of some of our favourite giant monsters. Apparently Godzilla’s flame breath comes from “a “uranium sack” and “nuclear reaction sack” that produce radioactive fire-breath and energize the body.” That’s pretty swift, if you ask me. Mothra and Anguirus are tucked below the cut. Follow the link to the originator for more, including Gamera!

Kaiju Anatomy: Internal Organs that Allow Giant Monsters to Breathe Fire [io9.com, via Pink Tentacle, via modern_fred]

Mothra’s big weapon is its’ “elongated silk-producing organ.” Heh heh. Elongated organ…

Look, Anguiras has extra brains, just for his legs! Amazing. I mean, he’s still stupid as all hell, but he has extra brains for those stubby little legs of his!

Panda-Z… OMGWTFBBQ?

frankie23 — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:57:03 +0000

Just… wow. I have not seen anything this cracky in quite some time. A giant robot bunnygirl shoots a giant robot panda in the face with her rocket boobs. If you need more impretus than that to watch this clip, you probably are reading the wrong blog.

Panda-Z, Episode 01 [YouTube]

Oneechanbara Movie Trailer

frankie23 — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:54:22 +0000

Okay, lessee. Cute asian girls in cowboy hats, schoolgirl outfits, and skintight leather? Check. Said girls wielding big glowy swords or dual-fisted handguns? Check? Massive zombie massacreing? Check. Okay ladies and gents, I think we have a winner!

Oneechanbara is a movie based on a series of low-budget Japanese games which concentrate on too-hot-to-be-real women wearing strategically unsound outfits, who slaughter horde upon horde of zombies. Looks like there’ll finally be a video game movie which stays close to it’s source.

Small, light, take a little break

frankie23 — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 20:07:55 +0000

Merry Christmas, my little chillalies! I hope everyone’s gotten all their nasty consumerist shopping out of the way! Santa Frankie has been sick in bed with the plague for the last little while, but he’s not forgotten you all, no indeed. For your holiday treat, I present to you something that cannot be beat; a Flickr gallery filled with pictures of whacky Japanese Kit Kat bars! With flavours from stripey Banana to Cherry Blossom, and at least half a dozen variations on the theme of Mango, your sweet tooth is sure to be tempted by these import snackables. Enjoy!

KitKats of the World [Flickr, via Japanator]

The Machine Girl

frankie23 — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:38:01 +0000

Sit down, my friends, I’m going to tell you a story about The Future. 2008 is just around the corner, and there’s a lot of movies that will be coming out, not just in North America, but all across the world. I’m very excited about some of these films. But today, this morning, I found a movie that I’m more excited about than any other film. This movie is truly the definition of that overused marketing term. “instant cult classic”.

I give you the trailer for Japan’s latest affront to taste, Machine Girl. I haven’t seen this much blood and gore in a movie trailer. Ever. Arms lopped off, heads severed, faces peeled away to reveal sinew and bone. Saucy stuff, indeed. I’m not thinking anyone is going to say this is the most original movie; the machine gun/chainsaw arm is an explicit call to Evil Dead/Planet Terror. But, hot schoolgirl amputee with a gatling gun arm! Finger food, throwing stars, flying guillotines, drill bras and stumps! Just watch the damn trailer, and remember, when you hear about this whacked out noise from your friends, Frankie already showed ya.

Machine Girl Movie Trailer: “The Cult Film of Next Year” [Slashfilm]

Robo-Crane!

frankie23 — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 02:08:08 +0000

Why do the Japanese get all the cool toys? I love crane games; I’m pretty damn good at them too, when they’re not gimmicked to lose. This however, is much cooler. Instead of the traditional claw that drops from the sky to abduct stuffed animals, we have a little robot buddy who you move through a series of button presses. He then lifts his arms up (hopefully) snagging the plushie of your dreams, and whisking it to a drop slot to be delivered to your waiting arms. How cool is that?

Japanese Robo Crane Game Takes It Up a Notch [Gizmodo]

Nihon Zangoku Monogatari

frankie23 — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 21:59:26 +0000

The poster for Nihon Zangoku Monogatari (Cruel Tale Of Japan), a Japanese Mondo movie from 1963. Striking, isn’t it?

Found in the DVDManiacs forums