Block B - Movie's Over

Konichiwa to you~~~ after a much super-long-break from posting the ‘review’ articles, I now return with a song that’s (ironically) about an end. In this article, a song from Block B’s latest album “Blockbuster” is in the spotlight & is still currently one of the top 10 songs of mine (^o^) as written in the title above, the song of the day is “Movie’s Over”. When the album first came out, I youtubed each song listed, anticipating a piece I would love. Some were ok, but few stood out like diamonds amongst gems. “Movie’s Over” is the top of the few I have to say, even over NiLLiLi MamBo. I have a soft spot for pop-rap-ballad-mix songs, hence “Movie’s Over” fits the bill.

 On to the song’s vocals & melody, I know several BBCs (Block B fans) hav complained of Zico singing a BIG majority of the song but to me, it was his voice that gave the whole feel an extra twist of addictiveness (in my case at least). Yes, Taeil does have the oh-so-dreamy voice & b-bomb as well u-kwon too have their own unique trait in singing, but Zico, being the rapper himself, sang it with the feel of Zico himself. Keep in mind, the boys have mentioned that they tried all the members singing the song and Zico's version came out the best so don't go accusing of the producer/composer bring biased! It’s a little hard to explain in words but whenever I hear Zico in this song, I just get the sort of reggae(?)+hip+youth feel. Zico may not have sung it with perfect pitch but that distinct voice is what differentiates this particular song from the others. Having Zico sing the main parts, it would be hard to balance out among the rest – especially the vocalist side. P.O & Kyung rapped as usual, being the rappers of the group and Teail provided a solid support to Zico’s vocals with his high notes and slight jazzy lines. B-Bomb was given the rhythm of the whole song “yeah ~ yeah~ .... oh oh oh ~” which to me is not a let-down since he has a high-pitched voice. The same goes for U-Kwon who only gets about 2 lines (i think) but the way he sang added in to the twist of Block B. Jaehyo, having the ONLY one line, does have my sympathy BUT because of only having one line which he sings at such a soft, gentle voice makes the listener anticipate him even more. Plus, Jaehyo’s part comes as the cliff hanger range of the song, making listeners pause and sort of float (figuratively) in mid-air before jumping into Taeil’s high note and flowing on back to Zico. The flow was cleverly maintained by balancing between the verses and chorus as well as the raps. As a listener, it would be hard (almost impossible) for me to stop the music halfway, instead hear it till the end fully without a doubt.

Onto the lyrics: personally, I am not particular on the lyrics since I don’t understand Korean and watching the MV with subtitles dampens the whole MV experience so 95% of the time, I really just enjoy my songs by ear and not by meaning. If it moves my heart, I credit the sound fully. The same goes for “Movie’s Over”. Judging by the title, I knew it was about a relationship breaking up and in this song, portrayed as a movie play. Plot wise, the love ‘movie’ is not a complicated one. It’s about a couple having issues on agreeing to even the simple, trivial matters. So, why continue on when it’s not going anywhere better, rather best just let curtains down nicely. One important factor about the relationship is that it is not a first-time break up. Rather, as mentioned in the lyrics, the relationship has actually gone through more-than-once split. At one point, it’s no longer bearable and the time to draw the curtains down for good has come. Why put ourselves in this never-changing cycle, knowing it will still end up in pain? One of the lines said that “a scar will be left even though the wound heals up”.  For a wound to heal and leave a scar would either mean it’s a deep cut OR a cut that’s repeatedly opened (ouch!). I’m putting a bet on it being the latter. Kyung’s rap lines also describe a not-so-desirable after-effect, symbolised by a “knockoff sticker”. To anyone confused, a “knockoff sticker” would leave spots of glue stains when removed, ruining the surface. Not only have they gone through in-and-outs, there is always a “messy trail” left behind after each outs. Conclusion: let’s end this movie for real and put a stop to this recurring pain.

Lyrics: 

[B-Bomb]
Yeah yeah oh oh oh
Yeah yeah oh oh oh
Yeah yeah oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

[ZICO]
It’s less painful than I thought
I go out to play, sleep at the right time, and hear from pretty girls.
It’s hardly possible that love doesn’t make me live.
It’s totally impossible, impossible. I blanked out you already.

[B-Bomb]
Woah woah woah woah (U-Kwon: yeah)
Woah woah woah woah (U-Kwon: woah baby)

[U-kwon]
I will get out of your mind.
Would you leave me out with flying colors?

[B-Bomb]
Woah woah woah woah
Woah woah woah woah yeah

[Taeil]
This is enough.
You and I are separated again.

[ZICO]
Movie’s over. The movie’s over.
The curtain rings down as soon as the movie starts.
Bye bye good bye bye
Don’t make it bad oh girl. Please just leave me.
The story was like a dream.
Our relationship is over this time. It’s over.
Uh uh it’s over uh A~!

[ZICO]
We have fought because of such trivial matters easily.
We just tried to diminish each other overlooking our faults.

[P.O]
I don’t want this happens again since it’s obvious that it will be repeated.
We don’t need to meet because we know we will bicker over again.
Only dust comes out after brushing dirty clothes.A scar will be left even though the wound heals up.

[Kyung]
Something is left like a knockoff sticker.
You fall me off after, leaving a messy trail.
Although the more frictions we get, the hotter we can be.
Why do you act tired at trivial efforts, why?

[B-Bomb]
Woah woah woah woah
Woah woah woah woah yeah

[Taeil]
This is enough.
You and I are separated again.

[ZICO]
Movie’s over. The movie’s over.
The curtain rings down as soon as the movie starts.
Bye bye good bye bye
Don’t make it bad oh girl. Please just leave me.
The story was like a dream.
Our relationship is over this time. It’s over.
Uh uh it’s over uh A~!

[Jaehyo]
It’s not that I got scared to meet you again.

[Taeil]
I just hate it because I cannot tell if this is love.
I don’t want my heart get broken.

[ZICO]
Movie’s over. The movie’s over.
The curtain rings down as soon as the movie starts.
Bye bye good bye bye
Don’t make it bad oh girl. Please just leave me.
The story was like a dream.
Our relationship is over this time. It’s over.
Uh uh it’s over uh A~!

[B-Bomb]
Yeah yeah oh oh oh
Yeah yeah oh oh oh, oh oh oh eumeum
Yeah yeah oh oh oh
Yeah yeah oh oh oh huwoeo

It’s over 

MV:  

That’s all I have for “Movie’s Over”. MV wise, this song does have an MV but it just shows the making of the song in the studio so I can’t really comment on anything there. Funnily enough, the MV was released on the official youtube channel but was quickly made private (i think) for some reason. In the MV, I was surprised to see tattoo’s on Taeil’s arms!! Wow, since when did he get tattoos?? It cant be from the MV because the ink would’ve washed away. Hmmmm . . . . . . . . . .also you can spot several blurs on the boys’ clothes, indicating swear words on it :P Also, I didn’t make any screencaps this time round for “Movie’s Over” since the whole MV is made to enjoy the boys in action (!) during the recording process :)  I have also included a radio-live version (my best version to be enjoyed for a CLEAR performance) and a live stage performed during their showcase. To all BBC or just any normal music fan, I hope you enjoy this artwork from Blockbuster~!

Radio Live: 

Showcase Performance:  

[ScreenCap] Block B - NiLLiLi Mambo

Wah~~~ Finally I have return to Mr SNR's blog-arena. Gomenasai to anyone who were waiting for an update from me *90 degree bow* just 2 months ago, I officially enrolled as a university student and life just rolled on be it awake or asleep. Phew~ winter break is coming up & I have SOOOOOO many things to post for you ^^

For today, I'm officially re-starting off with a collection of shots from Block B's latest comeback, NiLLiLi Mambo~~ The reason why I am only posting photos and not a whole review is because, to me, NiLLiLi Mambo is just an MV of art. From the colors, to the props, to the spontaneous funny poses/expressions, I love it! Please enjoy not only the photos, but the MV as well because you will definitely miss the whole feel without one or the other. Hope these photos bring joy & entertainment and even spark an inspiration of creativity in editing it your heart's content~~ Let's Begin!!

This is both CUTE + CREEPY = ARTSY

Anyone notice Teail & Park Kyung's poster on the wall??

And....END! Hope you enjoyed it~ Below is the official MV so make sure you have go at it (if you haven't but repeats are never a bad thing *wink2*)

PS: some of you may have notice a sort of playlist at the right-hand side of the page. This is my personal playlist that is currently playing on my ipod classic which changes at times according to my mood. If you are ever open to new artist or songs, why not check out what I've listed ^^ also, the 'Catch of Day' are usually album covers I find interesting or a current bias so check them out too~

Saiyuki - SALTY DOG 3

Ohaiyo to yooouuuu~~~ After previously posting about a favourite OST of mine, I've decided to follow up with a post on several artworks by Kazuya Minekura featured in her illustration book named "Salty Dog 3" (this is the 3rd volume of the series. for now, there's a total of 6). I will show you some of my favourite ones & explain why it is so. Bear in mind that I'm not entirely sure if Kazuya-san did both the drawings & colourings on her own or by her assistances (she's a VERY private person) so I cannot state on whom the credit goes to specifically but I will put it in general by Kazuya-san. This article will just be an easy read in comparison to my reviews/introductions on songs/MVs. Hope you enjoy the artworks & maybe learn something new~~

The eye-catching feature for this piece was the ability of the background in making the character stand out so much despite the minimal use of colour. Even his outfit - coloured in black - had a glossy effect in contra to the water-paint sky. What I find cool about the whole artwork is that the rain drops not only create an atmosphere defeat or possible loss (notice the wounds & blood smears on him) but also gives a sort of vintage feel to the picture. According to the story, this guy was a friend of Sanzo back in his old temple but things got bad & this guy was consumed by the red beaded necklace he's wearing. See the veins popping out on his arm & chest? And that talisman paper stuck on his chest? In the end, he died. Knowing the character makes this image even more meaningful as you know what he had gone through.

I'm feeling a little torn about this piece. The character drawn is not a favourite if mine (he's the villain) but I LOVE the effect Kazuya did in making this illustration deceiving. On first look, I honestly thought he was under water with those petals(yes those are petals) looking like air bubbles floating up. That certain glow emitted on the character & rocks creates the illusion of being underwater, sun shining down. There's also a SLIIIIIIGHT blur around the edges of the character, making the underwater effect even more believable. Feeling wise, the falling petals & cool choice of colours gives a peaceful, serene feel but the skull he holds onto puts a glitch in the serenity, instead giving a feel of suspense & chill. This guy is in fact a zombie who should have been dead but lived with the help of a mahjong tile piece embedded into his abdomen. Creepy huh?~~

I just simply LIKE (with a capital L) this picture of Sanzo dressed in casual clothes. Sanzo was presented as a character of serious & no-nonsense, grumpy half the time but has his soft-hearted moments. The props used in this picture - basically a mask - fits in with him. The details nicely drawn on the mask makes it just cool to wear (hehehe). I do have some doubt on the proportion of Sanzo's head in comparison to his body but maybe that's just the angle played with. Overall, I find this one of the GOOD pictures of Sanzo as a normal guy & not a priest.

This artwork is just awesome (O___O). The small details on Sanzo's hair creates a soft texture, almost as if moving. This in fact is a trademark in Kazuya's style where the character's hair are usually done in much detail, especially the thin strands. The gold shades were placed nicely to create a glowing-blurry effect, making the whole picture soft. The angle of Sanzo's face, although maybe a bit cramped, comes out quite well. There's a balance of hair, face & neckline showing; a close-up shot if I may call it.

Here we have the leader of the good guys & the leader of the bad guys. Well, bad up to a certain point. There's nothing extravagant about the artworks but I was just amazed at the colouring texture done on both of them. Its like a sort of paint brush scratched effect(?). The point of glow comes from their chest, as if the inner part of them are glowing. The colour matches both characters but I do think purple suits Sanzo even more ATHOUGH blue is my favourite colour ^^ Just a simple piece of inspiration.

And lastly, a collection of all 4 main characters (from left; Sanzo, Goku Gojyo, Hakkai). Again, another simple yet eye-catching piece. The whole thing just feels cool & happy, bright & pure from all the stains in the world. The highlight of each picture is the colour of their hair, standing out brightly against the bright white back ground. The expressions draw matches each of their personalities, from Hakkai's serene smile to Goku's childish grin. A simple form of pleasure~~

That's all from the 3rd series. There are many more from the book but these are specifically my favourite :D if you're interested in looking at the rest of the photos, just google "Kazuya Minekura Salty Dog 3" and a few gallery-themed websites should pop out. If you are interested in buying it, you can find it in Kinokuniya and will cost around RM120. If they don't have it in stock, you can just have them ordered & shipped it in (that's how I got mine). Have fun exploring~~~~ ^^  byebye!

Saiyuki Reload OST - Fukisusabu Kaze No Naka De

This time round, I'll be taking a detour from the usual K-pop/J-pop road and take a step into anime OSTs :D  The song I'm about to introduce was used in Saiyuki's Reload anime series as its second ending OST. This song may be of age but nothing has yet replaced the coolness I find in this song. There's actually nothing much I can say about the song. It was hard to find the accurate translations; although the ones I did find was hard to make sense of :P sorry for the short introduction this time round buuuuuuuut I thought it'd be best to just share a old song I love. There are a couple of others from Saiyuki as well but I'll introduce them in a separate post. Below is the MV played at the end of every episode (more specifically, the later ones in Saiyuki Reload).

MV:  

Just to say a bit, the start of the song (that sudden climb & bam!) held my ears to wait for the rest of the song. I love how unique the melody sounded; mixture of rock with a bit of pop & sliiiiiiiiight ballad-ish in the vocals. Despite not understanding the words, I can just sing it out with pleasure ^^ the song also fits Saiyuki's image just right!!!! Making this song an even better choice of playlist~ The band featured in the song is called WAG. I haven't done much research on the band but I will soon :) So just sit back and enjoy one of the several best compliments to Kazuya Minekura's Artwork~~~!!!! I may post articles on my favourite manga artist & their artworks ^^ stay tune.

PS: Here's a glimpse of Minekura's art pieces from her illustration books.