Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

（色彩を持たない多崎つくると、彼の巡礼の年）

 

Yes, you seem to have a mental problem.

（そう。あなたは何かしらの問題を心に抱えている）

It may be more serious than you think.

（それは自分で考えているより、もっと根の深いものかもしれない）
However, I believe you can fix that problem if you try.

（でもあなたがその気になりさえすれば、

きっと解決できる問題だと思うの）
It will be like fixing a problem you found in a station.

（不具合が見つかった駅を修理するのと同じように）
In order to do so, you will need to collect the necessary data,

（ただそのためには必要なデータを集め、）
prepare the accurate drawing and the detailed time schedule of work.

（正確な図面を引き、詳しい工程表を作らなくてはならない）
Further more, you must clarify your order of priorities...

（なによりものごとの優先順位を明らかにしなくてはならない…） 

Isn't that right? Trains cannot stop by if there is no station.

(そうでしょ？駅がなければ、電車はそこに停まれないんだから）
You cannot even welcome someone important to you.

（そして大事な人を迎えることもできないんだから）
Fix problems later as needed if you find any.

（もしそこに何か不具合が見つかれば

必要に応じてあとで手直ししていけばいいのよ）
Build your own station first.

（まずは駅をこしらえなさい）
Build a special station for her.

（彼女のための特別な駅を）
Station which trains are tempted to stop by even if they don't need to.

（用事がなくても電車が思わず停まりたくなるような駅を）
Imagine such station and give a specific color and shape to it.

（そういう駅を頭に思い浮かべ、そこに具体的な色と形を与えるのよ）
Have it come to life after you carve your name on the base by a nail.

（そして君の名前を釘で土台に刻み、命を吹き込むの）
I know you are capable of such work

（君にはそれだけの力が具わっている）
Because you've already succeeded in swimming across the cold sea at that night...

（だって夜の冷たい海を一人で泳ぎ切れたんだから…）

 

< Story >

   Tsukuru Tazaki and Sara Kimoto’s relationship is not progressing easily. Sara thinks the reason behind that is the ill feelings Tsukuru has after severing his relations with his high school friends, so she suggests he goes and talk to them in person to diffuse the situation. Tsukuru visits his friends in Nagoya and Finland one by one, trying to uncover the real reason as to why their relations were broken off. Moreover, he becomes determined to try to develop a new relationship with Sara... 

 

I'm a big fan of Haruki Murakami. I've read all of his novels and this is the latest one released April this year.

 

Actually I didn't much like his previous novel "1Q84" although I still enjoyed reading it and I know it created a sensation in Japan after published. Personally I like this one the best compared with his recent novels not only "1Q84" but also "After Dark". (I am rather a fan of his earlier creations such as Sheep man series, Norwegian Wood and Sputnik Sweetheart.)
 

 

I felt this one is more easy to read than "1Q84" or "After Dark" but still contains a lot of Haruki Murakami's attractive essence(his humor, intelligent conversation by characters etc.) and he succeeded to show his repeated concept in rather a positive way through realistic story at the same time. 

 

If you are not yet familiar with Haruki Murakami and thinking to try his recent novels, definitely I would like to recommend this one rather than "1Q84". Please try this and become also his fan!

 

3-gatsu no Lion (March comes in like a lion)

（３月のライオン）

Life is so unpredictable

（不思議だ　ひとは）

 

Salvation comes to us suddenly like a storm

 （こんなにも時が　過ぎた後で）

 

by unexpected way
（全く　違う方向から）

 

after such a long time has passed...
（嵐のように　救われる事がある…）

< Story >

The protagonist Rei (lit. "Zero") is a 17-year old professional shōgi(Japanese chess) player, who lives by himself, not having a real family, and has scarcely any friends. Among his acquaintances is a family, which consists of a young woman, Akari, and two young girls, Hinata and Momo, and who also keep a numerous number of cats...

  I liked "Honey and Clover"(comic version only, not a movie one if I may say), which was also created by Umino Chika. I guess "Honey and Clover" can easily attract a lot of people who weren't even born and brought up in Japan as it's theme was rather universal such as one-way love, friendship, adlescence and struggle of university students etc. before becoming adults.

 

If looked from such point of view, most of you (including me actually) must have wondered "why did she choose shogi(Japanese chess) for her theme in the next comic?". Frankly speaking, shogi is not such popular at all (especially for young adults, who must have loved her previous work), difficult to understand and it seems to be the "opposite" direction from the "Honey and Clover".

All of such questions can be answered once you read this. Although I don't play shogi at all and cannot understand details of the shogi rules, surprisingly I found myself still enjoying this just like I did for "Honey and Clover".
 

The fact this won the Kodansha Manga Award(general category) in 2011(shared with Chuya Koyama's Uchyu Kyodai(Space Brothers))must be strongly telling many people are feeling in the same way as I do. Although shogi itself is very deep, complicated and difficult to understand even for Japanese, please try not only if you liked her previous work "Honey and Clover", but also even if you didn't really like "Honey and Clover" as she is trying to create her another best story from different angle!
 

 

 

 

Uchu Kyodai (Space Brothers)

（宇宙兄弟）

 

When you wander, don't try to decide by "which is right".

（迷った時はね

「どっちが正しいか」

なんて考えちゃダメよ）

 

You will never get to the best answer by that way.

（日が暮れちゃうわ）

 

You don't need to think with your head.
（頭で考えなきゃいいのよ）

 

The answer you can find exists at lower part of your body.

（答えはもっと下）

 

Your heart knows best about you.

（あなたのことなら

あなたの胸が知ってるもんよ）

So try to rather decide by "which provides you more fun"...

（「どっちが楽しいか」

で決めなさい）

(Story)
In the summer of 2006, two brothers, Mutta and Hibito Nanba, discovered a UFO which flew to the moon. In 2025, as Hibito has managed to become an astronaut set to go to the moon, Mutta has not been so successful in achieving his dream of going to Mars. That is, until he is accepted to join an astronaut training program...

Japanese manga series by Chūya Koyama which has been serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Morning since January 2008. It has been nominated twice for the Manga Taishō, in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, it won the award for best general manga at the 56th Shogakukan Manga Awards and at the Kodansha Manga Award (shared with Chica Umino's March Comes in Like a Lion).


I personally don't have any brothers or sisters but this manga makes me think having brothers(especially good one like Mutta) would have provided much fun in my life. Not only Mutta and Hibito, almost all of characters illustrated in this manga are lively and attractive like real human beings living in their lives.

 

The reason why these characters are so lively and attractive is because I think each one of them has their own belief and policy. That's why their words can have power and appeal to many people including even adults.

 

 

The manga has been already animated in TV series and movie version was created. I think movie version is still not bad although it needed to be simplified compared with the original manga series due to the limited time etc.. The movie version may be good to start but I would like to recommend you try the original manga series at least once even if you don't like the movie version much. You will find much more depth and probably can't stop reading!

 

Motohiro Hata - Hatsukoi (First Love)

（秦　基博－初恋）

Goodbye, see you again

(じゃあね　またね)  

 

The string of our promises has tangled and we can't  untie it any more
（約束の糸が絡まって　僕らにはもう二度と解けない） 

 

The eternity we found on that day has already disappeared

（あの日見た永遠はとうに消え去って）　  

The blue sky above us is too bright so it even makes me sad...
（悲しい程　鮮やかな青空…）

I really like Hata's voice. I like also his other songs such as "Asa ga Kuru Mae Ni(朝が来る前に/Before the morning comes)" but this one has become my favorite even among all of his songs so far.

I don't know how his voice sounds like to foreigners but I think his voice possesses something nostalgic which can appeal somehow deep inside of Japanese minds.

Most of his music is not so light or fast but still quietly and strongly gets to our hearts like continuously falling raindrops. Please try it and find how you feel!
 

SPEC -heaven-

(SPEC～天～)

The true happiness can be only gained...
after you try really, really hard,

（本当の幸福ってのは…がんばって､すんげぇがんばって､）
 

fail, bump against the wall, sometimes are even betrayed by people,

（それでも失敗して､壁にぶつかって､時に人に裏切られて､）
 

 but still find your truely important friends someday
and fill your life with love and bond...

（でもいつか本当に大事な仲間に出会い､
本当の愛や絆に包まれていくことだよ｡）

(Story)

Saya Toma (Erika Toda) is a female detective with an IQ of 201. Takeru Sebumi (Ryo Kase) is a career detective with a distinguished background. They work on cases by postulating the "SPEC" of the unknown criminals and then deduce the criminal's unknown "SPEC" to make arrests.

A mystery occurs when bodies are found on a cruiser in the ocean. Saya Toma and Ryo Kase of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department are brought in to solve the case.

 

 

 I really liked KEIZOKU quite a long time ago but SPEC, created by the same director Yukihiko Tutsumi, became my favorite TV drama series again and this is the movie version after the TV drama(+ special drama) story. 

 

 

The combination of Toma and Sebumi has been always fun for me to watch like I enjoyed Shibata and Mayama in KEIZOKU. Unfortunately movie version of KEIZOKU was far from good compared with its TV drama series. However, I believe this was much better than KEIZOKU movie and can be recommended especially if liked its TV series.

 

I have to admit some portion of the movie looks a little tawdry due to the poor computor graphics but I also think Toma/Sebumi's character plus attracting story succeeded to cover it after all.

 

The ending of the movie was a bit mysterious but I've found the additional special drama("Zero") and movie("Close") will be shown this year(2013) later so I expect all the mistery will be cleared by those. It can be also a good reason I recommend you watch the existing TV series and this movie first to be ready for it!

 

 

SPEC 警視庁公安部公安第五課 未詳事件特別対策係事件... 価格：15,760円（税込、送料別）

【送料無料】劇場版 SPEC〜天〜 警視庁公安部公安第五課 未詳事件... 価格：6,766円（税込、送料込）

Naruto

（ナルト）

How can someone who can't even save his friends become Hokage...? Isn't it so, Sasuke?

（仲間ひとり救えねぇやつが、火影になんてなれるかよ　なぁサスケ・・・！）

<Story>
Twelve years before the start of the series, a powerful creature known as the Nine-tailed Demon Fox attacked the ninja village Konoha, killing many people. In response, the leader of Konoha– the Fourth Hokage– sacrificed his life to seal the demon inside the newborn Naruto Uzumaki. Konoha, however, regarded Naruto as if he were the demon fox itself and mistreated him throughout most of his childhood. A decree made by the current Kage, the Third Hokage, forbade anyone mention the attack of the demon fox to anyone else. This included Naruto, who was not aware of the demon inside of him. Years later, Naruto is tricked by the renegade ninja Mizuki into stealing a forbidden scroll that would teach him a secret ninja technique, but he is stopped by his teacher, Iruka Umino...

This is also one of the best known and popular Japanese comics over the world besides One Piece. The comic is created by Masashi Kishimoto and on-going at weekly Shonen Jump magazine.

Some people may say Naruto should be the true successor of Dragon Ball but for me Naruto depicts a lot more dark side of the human beings rather like Akira created by Katsuhiro Otomo, which attracts me in a bit different way from One Piece or Dragon Ball.

The most important characters in this comic are Naruto and Sasuke. Their characters are quite opposite and contrasted but they have their loneliness and own destiny in common. Therefore, they became friends and respect each other. However, their destiny doesn't allow them to be such friends but to conflict against....

Even aside from Naruto and Sasuke, there are a lot of characters having their own background and stories. It is quite fascinating Kishimoto can weave those and create such a grand stories by using Japanese Ninja as its background.

I have to admit this contains some brutal scenes for children but I also believe it's also a part of Ninja and wars Kishimoto couldn't avoid to depict.

If you haven't read or watched any of Naruto before, please try it. I bet you will get hooked!

AI - Happiness

(ハピネス）

 

When you smile, more and more happiness will be brought over the world

（君が笑えば この世界中に もっと もっと 幸せが広がる）

When you smile, everything will get better

（君が笑えば 全てが良くなる）

Let's get together by holding our hands and your hands...

（この手で その手で つながる…）

 

I heard this song over Coca-Cola's CF for the first time in 2011 and really liked since then. I think this really matches with Christmas atmosphere and they also created the different version for 2012.

 

One of the reasons this song has been widely accepted by many people is because of the Great East Japan Earthquake occured in that year I guess. Many people died and suffered by the earthquake and our world was completely changed in one day.

 

After the earthquake, we've reaffirmed the importance of connection and kindness among people. Although there has been a lot of sorrow, many tried to sing our joy of living as we should appreciate we've survived and keep going.

I think you can find that kind of mentality in this song. This song is very positive and beautiful but makes me almost cry at the same time for that reason. Check it out!