#trouble during an 11 minute intermission. which was like…….. how

[fingertipsmp3]

Should I go to my graduation or not. Seriously

[putschki1969]

Kalafina 10th Anniversary Film Interviews ~ Highlights/Summary/Translation

Source 1: https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1520904726 Source 2: https://spice.eplus.jp/articles/178230 Source 3: https://news.walkerplus.com/article/139920/

Note: These interviews contain quite a lot of interesting info so I thought I’d provide a summary/translation of all the juicy bits (details regarding the movie’s content, some background info on their 10th Anniversary Live, a glimpse at ‘their future’!)

~ Regarding their 10th Anniversary Film ~

The film will have a runtime of 1h 40 minutes

According to Keiko it apparently contains a lot more live footage than anyone expected

Wakana says the film is packed with live performances from their 10th Anniversary Live (which has me quite worried because maybe all these cameras were only there to film footage for the movie after all o.O I definitely didn’t expect them to show THAT much of the live in their documentary. I am assuming this will be similar to their 5th Anniversary WOWOW release which showed a total of 11 songs...)

One of the songs is most likely “sprinter”

This film will include solo interviews. Aside from that there will also be an interview with the director 河東茂 (I have no idea how to read his name, my best guess would be Kato/Kawahigashi Shige.) Seems like the girls have become pretty close to the director, they were a bit intimidated by the prospect of having a director around them all the time but he immediately let them know that formalities were not necessary. They are even on a first name basis! The girls have only good things to say about him, apparently he always made sure they were comfortable.

Big sections of the movie will be dedicated to following each member to important places of their past. Hikaru considers those parts the most interesting aspects of the film. Seems like they learned a lot about each other while watching these solo scenes. This also applies to the footage we get of their solo rehearsal sessions.

On the day of their Fukuoka Acoustic Tour performance they filmed Wakana’s section. Wakana is taking us along to visit Tenjin, a popular downtown area in Fukuoka. Apparently we will get a glimpse at a place where she used to work part-time and a club where she used to perform on a regular basis.

Keiko is taking us along to Shibuya. However, it seems like it wasn’t a particularly nostalgic experience for her. She says everything in Tokyo changes so rapidly, none of the places she used to frequent exist anymore. She actually felt quite lost when she walked around the area. However it did feel nice to walk down the streets where she used to go home from vocal training school back in the day.

Hikaru says that contrary to Tokyo, nothing ever really changes in her hometown in Toyama. She takes us along to a YAMAHA place where she used to take vocal lessons. She says everything still looks the same. Keiko comments that after watching the movie, everyone will want to go there and take lessons. Alas, the music classes are no longer offered but you can still check out the place. As we have already seen in the trailer, Hikaru’s section also includes footage from their acoustic live. It’s very special because we get to see Hikaru cry which is a rare thing to happen. Both Keiko and Wakana think it’s great that this special moment will forever be captured on film. Even staff and band members were surprised to see her cry this much. Hikaru suspects it’s because she was visiting all these nostalgic locations earlier in the day. There’s also mention of a funny moment during one of the MCs when Hikaru was talking. Keiko is seen turning away and seemingly ignoring Hikaru. Keiko was quite shocked to find out that scene had made it into the final cut. She was like, “why are you showing this moment where you can only see my back? Why couldn’t I just stand there and support Hikaru the same way as Wakana? Why was I talking to the freaking wall???” (LOL at Keiko worrying about such things) At the end of the day Keiko is happy though because they managed to include so much lovely footage from Hikaru’s “triumphal return performance”.

Hikaru’s favourite scene in the movie is the opening scene when we get to see them walk up the stairs onto the stage of Budokan. She thinks it’s so perfect because it somehow symbolises the progress they have made. Just looking at the backs of the other two members conveys their will to move forward. She doesn’t even have to see their faces to be motivated, she will pretty much follow them everywhere. It’s so funny because the interviewer gets all cheeky and says, "but it’s not really your backs we are seeing, it’s your legs!” Keiko thinks that’s hilarious and explains that Hikaru is just too innocent to talk about legs so she would rather use the word ‘back’. Anyways, Keiko agrees that it’s very fitting that a movie about all the progress they have made would start with a ‘leg scene’.

Another scene that’s precious to all of them contains footage of one of their Janken sessions for the recording of their regular radio show Kalafina Club. Apparently something super funny happened, something that has NEVER happened before, Everyone should be looking forward to that scene because it's absolutely hilarious. And Keiko wants us all to know that it definitely wasn’t staged or anything. (I wonder which episode it was and if that incident made it into the final cut of the episode. In the trailer when you see them playing Janken, it says it’s the 25th on that ‘face training’ calendar but I am not sure which month.)

Something else to look forward to: A detailed scene of them changing outfits during their 10th Anniversary Live (including all the mistakes that can happen in such situations). Wakana explains that everything always seems so peaceful to the audience while the band is playing but their outfit changes are actually crazy stressful (I guess we already got a glimpse of that during the Best Documentary but this time we’ll get to see even more). Apparently Wakana had quite some trouble with her outfit, first she forgot something (I am assuming it was her big tulle skirt attached to the corsage thingy) and then the zipper wouldn’t work. *poor Wa-chan*

~ Regarding their 10th Anniversary LIVE ~

I am guessing these are things that will be mentioned in the film in some way, shape or form but for all of us who won’t be seeing the movie any time soon, here are some background infos regarding their anniversary concert.

Hikaru was the one who chose the BGM for the intermission. (I wonder if that means that she always gets to pick it)

Wakana says that even though they sang 27 songs (without really getting any proper breaks) she never felt tired or exhausted. Her throat and singing voice may have gotten a little tired throughout the live (she is only human after all) but her body seemed to have endless energy. She says it’s thanks to the past year where they kept creating amazing lives together with their audiences.

The setlist was changed quite extensively shortly before the live. There’s a scene in the movie where they talk about their setlist and apparently that is quite different from what they actually ended up performing (I think that mostly refers to the order of the songs).

Originally they had planned to start their live with “oblivious” but in the end they thought “ring your bell” would be more fitting because it pretty much represents the theme of putting their flag in a new place. The whole “flag” theme first came up when Yuki Kajiura mentioned it a few years ago while they prepared for their first Budokan Live. Yuki Kajiura told them that they should be proud that they finally get to plant their flag in such a special venue. Seems like this talk also inspired the PV for “ring your bell” (and possibly even the lyrics for “Koibito no Mukashigatari no Yuugure no”??). Following their first Budokan Live, the flag theme became a pretty big deal for them. From then onwards the act of putting their flag in new places became a manifestion of their intentions. That’s how they came up for the theme of their “far on the water” tour. So yes, it seemed very appropriate to them to continue with this flag theme for their 10th Anniversary. And that’s the story of how “ring your bell” ended up being the opening song (because it’s their trademark “flag” song :P). [I was right all along about the whole flag theme]. They decided to pick “Mirai” as their second song because they thought it was perfect to go out and greet the audience with smiles on their faces. It was also a nice way to reflect upon their past.

~ Regarding Kalafina’s future ~

There’s one section in the SPICE interview where they talk about their future. In light of recent events there are many ways to interpret this part. I am not sure what to make of it but I thought I’d provide a translation so you can all decide for yourself what their answers could possibly mean. As always, please be aware that my Japanese is not perfect (this was a pretty quick translation and I might go back later to edit it).

―― Now that you have celebrated your 10th Anniversary, how will Kalafina spend the rest of 2018, how would the three of you like to spend 2018?

Wakana: The ten years we have exprienced together are precious to us, right now we are living a future we couldn’t have ever imagined when we first debuted. I never thought we would celebrate our 10th Anniversary together with everyone at Nippon Budokan. Originally we didn’t even expect to ever perform live with band members. To think that we have come this far and that we got the chance to introduce Kalafina’s music to so many people makes me incredibly happy. It feels like what the three of us have always dreamed about, our shared dream, has come true. We wanted to do lives, we wanted to do tours, these were aspirations born out of our burning passion, that was our wish so that’s why we were able to get this far and why we were willing to continue onwards through all the hardships.

―― I see. 

Wakana: So far the three of us have lived with the same dream in front of our eyes. But the three of us also have a lot of curiousity when it comes to our individual dreams. As Kalafina we have had so many dreams and together we have seen them all come true so now I would like to get a glimpse of different dreams, of all the dreams the other two have. Very reminiscent of the lyrics of “I have a dream”. I wonder what those dreams will be.

―― So even if you weren’t 100% on the same page all the time, you have always been active working in unison?

Wakana: Yes, we have always pretty much worked towards the same vision. That’s why I am interested in more personal perspectives.

Hikaru: That’s right. Even after ten years I still have a long way to go so I would like to use this year for self-improvement. What else...? Personally, I still want to learn and absorb so many things, my thirst is insatiable. I am able to say that doing this job has made my dream come true but it is only one dream that has come true, beyond that I think many more things are necessary so I can continue to make my other dreams come true.That’s why I want to improve myself so that one by one I will become able to do all the things I want to do. I’d also like to improve my personal live.

Keiko: You can definitely do that!

―― What about Keiko-san?

Keiko: I have changed so much during our 10-year activity as Kalafina so now I am asking myself whether I can change even further. I am my current self because of these past ten years but to make progress even beyond those ten years, I would like to encounter more genuine works, I would like to create music that I find real, that I am enchanted with. Our activities as Kalafina singing Yuki Kajiura’s music, it was a time spent delving into something genuine together with everyone. It’s amazing to lead a life where you can pursue something that feels worthy of being pursued.

[alainas-adventures]

Hey Seoul Sister!

We just got back from a long weekend in Seoul, South Korea, where we visited one of our very best friends – Taryn! Taryn and I did our first contract together at Hong Kong Disneyland, and we hadn’t seen each other in almost a year. She’s currently living in Seoul while on the Korean tour of Cats, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit a new place and an old friend.

Shoutout to my cousin Mallory, who shared with us a wealth of knowledge gleaned from her time living in Korea! Thanks for helping us choose the best of the best attractions for two short days in Seoul.

Thursday, August 23

I woke up to a Typhoon Signal 8 here in Hong Kong, which is the tropical cyclone level that causes Disneyland (and most if not all businesses) to close. There aren’t many taxis on the street in a T8, and public transportation shuts down as well. Basically, it’s like a Hong Kong snow day. (Except that, if the signal goes down to T3, everyone has to go back to work – so you can’t necessarily count on having the whole day off.) I was AM that day, so fortunately I didn’t have to come in to work before heading to the airport. We would see a Typhoon Signal 10 raised before the day was through though, the highest recorded typhoon level in Hong Kong since 2012.

When things died down a little, Homer was able to call a cab to come and get him, and then swing by to pick me up. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare before our flight, which, originally scheduled for 8:30 PM, was now pushed back to 11:00. Luckily though, the Hong Kong International Airport is basically a giant shopping mall with dozens of shops, restaurants, and even an IMAX movie theatre (though there was nothing playing when we got there). We had a chance to grab dinner at Spaghetti House with our friend Brittany, who was on her way to a wedding in Germany. It was so nice to enjoy some good food and great company before the trek ahead!

At around 10:00 PM, we headed to our gate for boarding, only to find that things were running quite slowly. Typhoons tend to complicate things. We ended up taking off around midnight and landing in Korea at 4:30 AM. By the time we got to our hotel in Hongdae (about an hour’s drive away from Incheon Airport), it was 6AM. We slept for a little over an hour before getting up to meet Taryn for breakfast. Other than the time we went to Boracay (Amy, Taryn, and I), this was inarguably the most exhausting travel night of my life.

BUT, it was all worth it when we got to see THIS smiling face!!!

This is the Cats cast bus. Taryn’s face is on it. (Although not pictured.)

I’m pretty sure neither of us could believe that we were actually reunited! We sat down for some pastries and coffee and caught up on each other’s lives for a bit before Taryn headed into a full day of rehearsals and performances. 

After that, Homer and I headed to the nearby Gyeongbokgung Palace. Entry tickets were relatively cheap, and bought us the chance to wander the grounds on our own or join a tour group. 

The grounds were splendid, and we must have seen two dozen girls in traditional hanbok attire, using the palace walls as a backdrop for their photoshoots. (My Target attire is equally exquisite, don’t you agree?)

No sooner had we entered the palace than it began to downpour. We decided to abandon ship and locate the nearest coffee shop. Even though Google Maps is unable to provide walking or driving directions in Seoul, this wasn’t a hard task to accomplish – this city seems to be a coffee-lover’s haven. There is a cafe every few yards, and we just picked one and hid from the rain.

When things cleared up, we hailed a cab to the Hongik University area for some shopping and street snacks. This area was full of big retailers like Forever21, SPAO, and H&M. 

By mid-afternoon, one hour of sleep was beginning to catch up with us, so we walked back to our hotel and took a nap. (Read: Homer took a nap; I couldn’t sleep because I had had two regular lattes, and the caffeine at odds with my exhaustion made it impossible to relax. Still, the break was much-needed.)

Around dinnertime, we walked back into Hongdae for some Korean barbecue. The walk to the restaurant we chose was darling – Hongdae began to come alive at night with outdoor shops, high-end retailers and plenty of bars and clubs. One of the most interesting places was a bar called Vinyl that sold drinks inside little Capri Sun-esque pouches. Korea is inventive like that.

After dinner, I was pretty sure I had heat exhaustion... or maybe just regular exhaustion. We turned in pretty early in an effort to catch up on sleep before our busiest day.

Friday, August 25

We woke up well-rested and ready for round two! Taryn took us to a lovely brunch place called Bill’s inside a building called D-Tower. Inside were several nice-looking places to eat, including an On the Border! I was shocked to see so many Western chains in Seoul, mostly because we don’t have them in Hong Kong. (We would also encounter Taco Bell, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and Jamba Juice.)

No fun at all was had.

Next, we followed in Taryn’s footsteps to a nearby temple. It was beautifully painted and ornately decorated. Inside, people meditated – the whole area was a quiet and peaceful solace in the middle of a busy financial district.

Just steps away was the market area of Insadong. The streets were lined with stalls selling touristy Korean souvenirs – keychains, magnets, t-shirts, etc. But there were also some really cool independent sellers, offering handmade jewelry and Korean-style clothing.

There was also a really beautiful floral display down a side-street, so we seized the chance to take some photos... (Thanks, Homer, for being our personal photographer all weekend!)

Homer found his buddy outside a cafe. 

Our next destination was supposed to be Samcheong-dong, but I got a little distracted while navigating our way there. (Sorry guys, I didn’t realize how dependent I was on voice navigation until I no longer had it!) Maybe it was serendipity though, because we ended up in a really beautiful historic village. There were signs everywhere reminding people to keep silent, and everyone really did observe that rule. There’s something you’ll never see in Hong Kong!

We did eventually find the Samcheong-dong area, which was filled with really cute shops and restaurants. We spotted a Lush, a handful of churro cafes (which seem to be almost as popular as coffee shops in Seoul), and dozens of adorable boutiques. If we’d had more time, I could have easily spent hours there.

By late afternoon, it was time for Taryn to head to work and get ready for her show! Homer and I headed back to our hotel to clean up before dinner. I knew my cousin Mal would have been deeply ashamed if I didn’t experience a sandwich at Casablanca in Haebangchon, so off we went! This area, colloquially known as HBC or HBC Art Village, was another place I would have loved to explore more. It echoed the feeling of Hong Kong’s SoHo area. The hilly streets are an expat haven, and it’s no wonder – Western bars and restaurants are everywhere to be found.

Casablanca is a Moroccan sandwich spot, and we both opted for the chicken. We were not disappointed. Personally, I think the best part of this sandwich is the soft potato at the bottom – that mixed with the mayo (? sour cream? unsure) was unreal.

By the way, we found the Korean subway to be pretty straightforward. It wasn’t unlike Tokyo’s – but it also wasn’t nearly as complex as that. We had no trouble at all getting around. Next stop: The National Theatre of Korea, where Taryn’s show was playing.

Side note: I don’t know if it was just our luck or if this is how cabs tend to be in Korea, but I’ll give you the good news and the bad news for foreigners: the good news is, cabs are relatively cheap. Seoul is huge and widespread, and we never paid more than $25 USD for a trip that took upwards of 40 minutes. The bad news: you will experience being lost in translation. Cab drivers almost certainly don’t speak English, and even when we handed them an address written in Korean, the drivers (especially the older ones) seemed to get really confused. We once ended up in the completely wrong place trying to get back to our hotel at 1am. Sometimes you have no choice but to take a taxi, but in that case, come prepared with your intended address clearly written in Korean – probably even in big print.

After a somewhat confusing cab ride involving the driver shouting things at us and using hand signals that weren’t particularly helpful, we finally found the theatre. Magnificent, right?!

In the lobby was a life-size picture of Taryn as Cassandra! I was definitely starstruck.

I think it’s worth noting that I came into the theatre a Cats hater, and I left with a deep appreciation and understanding of this show. Previously, the only interaction I’d had with Cats was watching the filmed stage version as a teenager. I remember having a stark realization that I needed to work harder in dance classes, but mostly I was confused and unimpressed with the storyline (or lack thereof). But now having seen the show professionally done on a large scale; having physically been in the space; having watched Old Deuteronomy hug person after person who approached him during intermission; having had a “cat” sneak up to me at intermission and nuzzle her head in my lap; having been lulled into a trance by some of those haunting melodies; having observed the intricate ensemble building, character idiosyncrasies, and relationships going on in the background; having seen how hard each and every one of those performers is working; having dropped my jaw at the spectacle of it all – I get it. I get why it’s the fourth-longest-running show in Broadway history (thanks Wikipedia). I get why “Memory” is one of the most iconic songs in the Broadway canon. I get why people are still reviving this show, 36 years after its West End premiere. And I get to say all that while one of my best friends was a part of it all. I don’t know if you know what that feels like – to watch someone you love so much absolutely SHINE, living their dreams in a professional production, but it was pretty surreal for Homer and me.

After the show, we met up with (read: tackled) Taryn and followed her as she received her fans. She signed autographs and took pictures and Homer and I were even more starstruck and proud than before.

Then the three of us hopped in a cab to Itaewon, another bar/club area. It seems like Seoul has a lot of areas like this, whereas Hong Kong basically has Lan Kwai Fong and that’s all she wrote. We walked around until we found a place that sparked our interest: a bar called The Hangout, that served brick-oven pizza.

"just hanging out”: verb phrase; informal. 1. how kids today describe the nature of their romantic relationship, especially when they are hesitant to do so. “We’re not together-together, we’re just hanging out.” (This lackadaisical definition does not apply to Homer and me. Think of us as stock models in the above photo.)

2. to spend time with a friend that you love. “Taryn and I are just hanging out, drinking soda at a bar in Seoul.” (I can see how this generation’s verbiage can get confusing and ridiculous so I provided a guide for all you Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers out there.)

None of us wanted to get up from that table, but as the clock drew nearer and nearer to one in the morning, we eventually had to force ourselves to go. There were hugs. There were tears.

Saturday, August 26

Running on about 6 hours of sleep, Homer and I got up, checked out, and headed to a nearby brunch place in Hongdae. The Famous Lamb offered a breakfast buffet from 8:30am, and we were pleased with the selection of pastries, fruits, and flavored coffees. After a few minutes, I noticed that every song that played was a jazz piano version of a Christmas carol, and wondered aloud if that was part of the cafe’s theme. Homer had the epiphany quicker than I did: “The Famous LAMB!”

Before long, it was time to head back to the airport. Two days was too short, but it was also a much-needed refresher in the midst of our busy lives. I’m just so thankful to have a friend like Taryn, because it’s so easy to pick up where we left off. And I’m equally thankful to have such a great boyfriend to travel the world with! Who knows where we’ll meet next?

P.S. Typhoons were definitely following us on this trip. If you can believe it, we arrived in Hong Kong to the tune of ANOTHER typhoon, and I had the following day off work as well. Crazy!