Random Japanese News discoveries

[tranquil_shades]

(1)
A live action of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is coming in 2008.

Reference:
[source]

(2)
Shikata Akiko sings a song for a Japanese horror movie, which the trailer is on youtube if you'd like to see. Shikata Akiko's song is played for a short bit in the trailer. =P The movie's name is:

Kowai Douyou ~Omote no Shou~
こわい童謡 ～表の章～
Dreadful nursery rhyme: Front chapter
(released 2007 July 7th)

which also has a sequel called:

Kowai Douyou ~Ura no shou~
こわい童謡 ～裏の章～
Dreadful nursery rhyme: Reverse chapter
(released 2007 July 28th)

Shikata Akiko composes, arranges, writes the lyrics for and sings the opening for the first movie (Kowai Douyou ~Omote no Shou~) called 'Amnesia'.

References:
[official site]
[Kowai Douyou ~Omote no Shou~ cast]
[Kowai Douyou ~Ura no shou~ cast]
[YouTube trailer for both movies]
[Kowai Douyou ~Omote no Shou~ promo poster]
[a promo poster for both movies]

(3)
Shikata Akiko will have another album release coming up.
「Istoria ~Musa~」will be released on Dec 29th, 2007
and 「Istoria ~Kalliope~」 scheduled to be released in 2008.

What is surprising is that one of the composers is Kenji Ito, who is also a composer for some Seiken Densetsu music. XD <3 Did I mention that Shikata Akiko also sung, composed, and arranged the opening for the series 「うみねこのなく頃に」/ [Umineko no Naku Koro ni] / [When Seagulls Cry]? (Mitose Noriko wrote the lyrics!) (YouTube video for reference)? Which is the release after Higurashi? And COINCIDENTALLY, Shimotsuki Haruka sang an image song for higurashi as well? (wooow, I can see all the connections between my interests *_*)

Reference:
[Official Site for the two albums]
[Wikipedia entry for Shikata Akiko]
[Japanese Wikipedia entry for Shikata Akiko]

(4)
Finally got distracted enough and pulled out some new music to hear. That's when I pulled out Shikata Akiko's 'Petite Fours' album that I had a while ago. It's so cuuuuuuuute. <3 It's all music box like and I love it. If you stare at the album cover with a cat on it, you'll feel the music matches the art lol. I'll be looking for her other instrumental albums, especially her piano concert one.

Reference:
[Shikata Akiko's page for this album with the cover art <3]

(5)
There is another AT2 book coming out on Dec 13th, 2007. It is supposed to be the Perfect Guide.

Reference:
[Amazon(Jpn)'s entry for this item]

(6)
Okay... I just went to look up the latter part of point (3) and found this. Not sure if it's true though >_<

Ryukishi07, the pen name of the original creator of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is the representative of the group: 07th Expansion... the name came from Reina of Final Fantasy V. Quoted from wiki: "07" in Japanese can be pronounced as "reinana", and "Ryukishi" means "dragon knight", referring to Reina's wyvern. That is why also why Ryugu Rena (竜宮 レナ) is also named that from higurashi.

(7)
Okay, not a news item but so amazed someone can actually play the opening music to Higurashi no Naku Koro ni on piano!!!!

Reference:
[For comparison purposes, opening of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni by Shimamiya Eiko]
[YouTube video of piano version of a short rendition of the full CD version of the OP theme]

(8)
I keep hearing about this and reading about this. But I finally see what people mean now that I seen the videos. The Higurashi no Naku Koro ni first season's opening theme, when played backwards, could be noted to include the words Nigerarenai (逃げられない, [You] can't escape) in the chanting part. The second season Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai has the chant at the end when it is played the right way (forwards). So as someone I read put it, the chanting sounds good whether it is played forwards or backwards which I find it VERY cool!

Reference:
[opening of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni PLAYED BACKWARDS]
[opening of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai PLAYED BACKWARDS]

=======================

Okay... end of my obsession mode as I ponder how screwed I am for tomorrow's exam. And I can't help but make this entry to jot down all my discoveries even before I finished editing the last entry. -_- Anyways, more to be updated... still haven't finished the AT2 music entry and I'll have to compile some for AT books entry. ~_~