May Imported CD: Country Girls

I was on my way out of my company establishment when suddenly a security officer shouted, “Anton- san, chotto matte kudasai!” (it was said in Bahasa Indonesia, I just want to j-dramatize a bit [◞･౪･]). Then, she handed me a suspicious brown package. “Ah, I guess it arrived!”. She actually did me a favor, since my company has forbidden any private package to be sent to the office.

I ordered it from a fellow member of a Morning Musume Fan Facebook Group. That person somehow managed to get some pieces below the market price and I thought “let’s get one from him”. It took around two months from the day I messaged him until this package showed up. Want to take a peek?

It is “Boogie Woogie LOVE / Koi wa Magnet / Ranrarun ~Anata ni Muchuu~ (Boogie Woogie LOVE / Love is a Magnet / Ranrarun ~Crazy for You~)” single by Country Girls, the successor of Country Musume, supervised by Satoda Mai (the original Country Musume) and controlled managed by Tsugunaga Momoko, the H!P veteran.

I love “Ranrarun ~Anata ni Muchuu~”, especially the “ran ra run” part, but the other songs are pretty so-so. I guess next time I will just opt for an album rather than a single.

Anyway, as expected of a single of a major idol company, it came out with some bonuses. I got Inaba Manaka photo and an invitation to an event (if I translate it correctly) which I surely could not attend to.

Great! Another addition to Anton’s hall of cultural products! (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ

P.S. When I ordered it, it was intended for a celebration present for my self for graduating my MT program, which turned out that I did not. Talking about overoptimistic. But then it arrived near my birthday. So, it is a birthday present for the present Anton from the past Anton.

A: Otanjoubi omedetou!

A: Doumo arigatou!

Idol 101 Q&A (21-05-2016)

Q: Do idols really enjoy showing their skin?

 

A: Not always.

Q: Do idols sing?

A: Generally: yes. But the amount of “singing part” is not always long, especially when the idol is in a group.

Negicco’s Plastic Star Subbed

This year will be the 13th year of Negicco, so let’s take a stroll down memory lane and look at another Negicco’s old MV.

Tomomi, the translator, has given me the translation long time ago, but I just got the time recently to sub it, plus Tomomi was traveling so I could not asked questions regarding some parts of the translation. But I finished it. Yeay!

Plastic Star probably came out earlier than Gatter Gatter Gatter, since Plastic Star was published in 2010 mini album while Gatter Gatter Gatter was published in 2011 mini album. So this one is really old. Check it out!

 

 

 

Unwilling to Let Go Just Yet

I dislike the notion that human will always prefer to get something for free, even if illegal mean is required, than to pay the price. I think a lot of factors are involved in our decision to make a purchase and far more complicated than just “human nature”; a lazy answer. One example is about music. The government and parties with vested interest on copyright of such cultural product incessantly accuse consumers with piracy allegation. That without strict law on copyright, harsh punishment for piracy, and protection mechanism (remember that hellish DRM?) consumers will naturally download for free. I will not support such notion because I believe that people will pay for what they value more than or equal as their money.

Fast fact: I have just purchased another set of CDs. What make it different is this is probably the first instance I make my purchase on a brick and mortar music store.

It is Harika Music at Ciputra Mall

I browsed a while and guess what I found!

Two CDs of Ten2Five. I listened to their songs over and over again when I was in Senior High. Nostalgic!

It is an interesting experience. The store was small with some seemingly cheap shelves and only guarded by a person; a far cry from music stores on their heyday. Most of the collections are Indonesian and Western CD songs, concert and movie DVDs, and cassettes (yes, cassettes!). They also had collection of songs you expect to find at the wet-market (or antique shops?) e.g. songs of Nicky Astria, Gombloh, etc.

I know. The availability of online music stores which are capable to sell digital copy or ship physical copy as ordered are ensuring the unfortunate fate of brick and mortar music stores. But denouement is not here yet and the play is still ongoing. Society should control their ignorance over those who are vanquished by progress; considering death of a type of establishment is perfectly normal. There is a risk that they might be too late to realize that once it is gone, it will probably will never come back; extinct together with its possibly hidden benefits (how many species of creatures have we left to extinction? how much damage such extinction has caused?). This type of music outlet gives satisfaction to those who prefer going out of their room and travel to a certain building. Furthermore, physical music outlets offer their costumers a certain degree of privacy. So until the fat lady sings, until the last breath of this sickly old type of establishment, I suppose I will stay by its side and prevent the doctor from pulling the plug.

Maybe we can not change the tide but let’s enjoy our time together until the very last!

 

There is something in physical medium that makes it different from digital copy. A sentimental sensation or evocation of memories coming from a concrete object of affection that you can actually touch and, in the most uncomplicated, easily understood way, possess. Plus, you can get bonuses like the artists’ letter of gratitude and the art of the case itself.

Update 05-05-2016: Wake Up, El Presidente!

Your dear president (I am referring to myself.. this is Anton World, so I am the president…I know..it is hard to understand) is alive and kicking. No assassination plot can kill me so far. A hiatus, even a short one, make resuming harder. I experienced it and thus I have not posted for a while. What happened? I know it is just and excuse but I want to share this with you (I’d like to imagine that someone out there really want to know). I was quite busy with document preparation for MEXT scholarship in my endeavor to pursue higher education. That process involved making a lot of phone calls and multiple adventures to my old campus. Plus, my job at a certain FMCG company suddenly got a lot more demanding. A big portion of my energy and my time at home got confiscated with all these businesses to the level that a translation sent by Tomomi got neglected in weeks (that is a great sin!).

This post is meant to break the hiatus. I hope I will write routinely again soon. Wait for it!

I went back and forth to this place at Universitas Indonesia to obtain some documents. What an onerous process!

 

P.S. well, the next post is probably a translation of an old Negicco song. Excited?! I am!