Maru, Yamapi, and Kura <3
1. Maru Maru Maru Maru Maru Maru. ♥
Saitou Mamoru
(Maruyama Ryuuhei)
[Kanjani8]
He passed the same audition as Kenta and is a 'newcomer' Uta no Oniisan.
He is a graduate of the vocal department at a music university and his dream is to be a musical star like Himuro.
He wants to gain exposure through the show and is prepared to do anything to accomplish it.
So I guess that's why the character might end up being a rival of Kenta. He's prepared to do anything. I'm really looking forward to this. It looks good from the CMs. I'm trying to compare the atmosphere of it to something I've seen before, and the closest I can come up with is the episode of 'Zoe Busiek: Wild Card' where they investigated a claim on the set of a children's show (the bitchiness behind the scenes). Well, that mixed with a coming of age story? Anyway, I think I'll love it. Oono and Maru ftw. ♥
2. Yamapi on 'Waratte Ii Tomo'. ♥
He looked like he was having fun this time. I mean, on some appearances, he looks a little nervous. Like he can't really relax? But he looked more at ease this time, and seemed to have fun with the games. And he helped with Tackey's promo. XD ♥
♥
3. I finally started watching some of the 'Hissatsu Shigotonin' Kura promo appearances I DL'ed. 'Sekai no Mura de Hakken: Kono Tokoro ni Nihonjin' is pretty good. (Well, the first fifty minutes. I still need to watch the second half.) It's the first time I've seen it, and now I kind of want to watch more. I ended up being interested in the VTR more than Kura. Well, not that there was much Kura in the show.
At the start they asked him how he felt about going overseas. Kura: 'I'm scared, to be honest. I was born in a peaceful country, and I don't want to take one step outside of it.' XD Chihara Junior agreed with him.
Anyway, the main part of the first hour was a VTR. Natsumi and Mari went to Iceland to meet this Japanese woman who lives on her own in Hofn, a town in the eastern part of Iceland with a population of 2,000. It was a real pain for them to get there. They had to stay overnight in one town to wait for the bus to Hofn. They went out to eat there and ordered a traditional Icelandic dish, soup made with sheep meat and vegetables. Mari liked it but Natsumi couldn't really adjust. In the morning, Natsumi and Mari left on the bus to Hofn.
During this part, they cut back to the panel, and when Natsumi elaborated on how she couldn't stand the food -- how she's from Hokkaido and they eat sheep there too, but the Icelandic sheep meat was different from Japanese meat -- Kura seemed like he was sympathising. Or was disgusted. It was an awesome face, anyway.
lulz. What would Kura do if he couldn't stand the food?
Anyway, they went back to the VTR, and after a lot of traveling, Natsumi and Mari finally met the Japanese living in Hofn: Kawai Chiharu. None of the people in Hofn can pronounce her name right. They call her 'Shiharu'.
Chiharu first came to the town when she was in school. She wasn't happy at school and had dropped out, so her family suggested that she study abroad. She ended up falling love with the people and scenery of Hofn. She came back to Japan for a while, but went back to Iceland at 18 and finished high school and university. She works as a sightseeing guide now.
She has one child, and isn't married. The father is from Sweden. She met him while he was in Iceland on work. She said it's pretty common for people around there to be in the same situation. Unmarried with children in a 'I'll see you when I see you' situation. Natsumi and Mari gave her a bunch of Japanese food items as a gift. She was really happy and it was so cute.
Also, it's something that was only mentioned briefly, but apparently it's so common to believe in ghosts and other supernatural beings ('hidden people') in Iceland that they're marked on maps. (I didn't know that, and I looked around some more and read up on it. Wow. I want to get a book on this now to learn more.) Mari and Natsumi were freaked when they noticed the ghost symbols and had them explained to them by this lady at the bus station. XD
Natsumi and Mari brought back smoked shark for the panel to try. Apparently, it smells really bad (YOU was mean and said she thought the smell was coming from Mari at first XD). When you put it in your mouth, it tastes OK at first, and then it kind of has a gasoline sort of flavour? The panel couldn't explain it well. Anyway, they were all praising Kura for his willingness to try it. XD He picked it up with the fork very gingerly, though.
'I'm fine.'
But then ...
Mari was especially amused. :3
Hisamoto: 'He's gone rigid!'
'Tea, please.'
His voice was small and strained. XD It was awesome. ♥
Saitou Mamoru
(Maruyama Ryuuhei)
[Kanjani8]
He passed the same audition as Kenta and is a 'newcomer' Uta no Oniisan.
He is a graduate of the vocal department at a music university and his dream is to be a musical star like Himuro.
He wants to gain exposure through the show and is prepared to do anything to accomplish it.
So I guess that's why the character might end up being a rival of Kenta. He's prepared to do anything. I'm really looking forward to this. It looks good from the CMs. I'm trying to compare the atmosphere of it to something I've seen before, and the closest I can come up with is the episode of 'Zoe Busiek: Wild Card' where they investigated a claim on the set of a children's show (the bitchiness behind the scenes). Well, that mixed with a coming of age story? Anyway, I think I'll love it. Oono and Maru ftw. ♥
2. Yamapi on 'Waratte Ii Tomo'. ♥
He looked like he was having fun this time. I mean, on some appearances, he looks a little nervous. Like he can't really relax? But he looked more at ease this time, and seemed to have fun with the games. And he helped with Tackey's promo. XD ♥
♥
3. I finally started watching some of the 'Hissatsu Shigotonin' Kura promo appearances I DL'ed. 'Sekai no Mura de Hakken: Kono Tokoro ni Nihonjin' is pretty good. (Well, the first fifty minutes. I still need to watch the second half.) It's the first time I've seen it, and now I kind of want to watch more. I ended up being interested in the VTR more than Kura. Well, not that there was much Kura in the show.
At the start they asked him how he felt about going overseas. Kura: 'I'm scared, to be honest. I was born in a peaceful country, and I don't want to take one step outside of it.' XD Chihara Junior agreed with him.
Anyway, the main part of the first hour was a VTR. Natsumi and Mari went to Iceland to meet this Japanese woman who lives on her own in Hofn, a town in the eastern part of Iceland with a population of 2,000. It was a real pain for them to get there. They had to stay overnight in one town to wait for the bus to Hofn. They went out to eat there and ordered a traditional Icelandic dish, soup made with sheep meat and vegetables. Mari liked it but Natsumi couldn't really adjust. In the morning, Natsumi and Mari left on the bus to Hofn.
During this part, they cut back to the panel, and when Natsumi elaborated on how she couldn't stand the food -- how she's from Hokkaido and they eat sheep there too, but the Icelandic sheep meat was different from Japanese meat -- Kura seemed like he was sympathising. Or was disgusted. It was an awesome face, anyway.
lulz. What would Kura do if he couldn't stand the food?
Anyway, they went back to the VTR, and after a lot of traveling, Natsumi and Mari finally met the Japanese living in Hofn: Kawai Chiharu. None of the people in Hofn can pronounce her name right. They call her 'Shiharu'.
Chiharu first came to the town when she was in school. She wasn't happy at school and had dropped out, so her family suggested that she study abroad. She ended up falling love with the people and scenery of Hofn. She came back to Japan for a while, but went back to Iceland at 18 and finished high school and university. She works as a sightseeing guide now.
She has one child, and isn't married. The father is from Sweden. She met him while he was in Iceland on work. She said it's pretty common for people around there to be in the same situation. Unmarried with children in a 'I'll see you when I see you' situation. Natsumi and Mari gave her a bunch of Japanese food items as a gift. She was really happy and it was so cute.
Also, it's something that was only mentioned briefly, but apparently it's so common to believe in ghosts and other supernatural beings ('hidden people') in Iceland that they're marked on maps. (I didn't know that, and I looked around some more and read up on it. Wow. I want to get a book on this now to learn more.) Mari and Natsumi were freaked when they noticed the ghost symbols and had them explained to them by this lady at the bus station. XD
Natsumi and Mari brought back smoked shark for the panel to try. Apparently, it smells really bad (YOU was mean and said she thought the smell was coming from Mari at first XD). When you put it in your mouth, it tastes OK at first, and then it kind of has a gasoline sort of flavour? The panel couldn't explain it well. Anyway, they were all praising Kura for his willingness to try it. XD He picked it up with the fork very gingerly, though.
'I'm fine.'
But then ...
Mari was especially amused. :3
Hisamoto: 'He's gone rigid!'
'Tea, please.'
His voice was small and strained. XD It was awesome. ♥