The Seventh Night

On The Sixth Day, the god of music reflected on his work. He saw that it was still good, and re-released them. On The Seventh Night, the god of music rested from all his rock, and revamped his songs as acoustics. He saw that it was good.

If The Sixth Day is the remake album, The Seventh Night is the revamp album. All 11 tracks are overhauls of his popular songs. For most of them, you could hardly recognize the song from all the changes that were made. This is the solid proof that Gackt is a cut above the rest. This is also great proof that even if the band is for all intents just to back up its lead singer, Gackt will be half as cool without them.

(Please forgive a relative Gackt newbie for not having heard all the songs in the set in the original. The songs I have not heard are noted in the comments.)

1. Kimi ga Matteiru Kara
The drastic change from the original will give you a happy surprise as a starter song, and gives you a clear idea of what changes to expect in the others. Bow before You-san's great guitar strumming, and also the awesome bass guitar.

2. Kimi ga Oikakete Yume
The slower version of this happy nice song is a welcome treat. The first version is the song when you take your date out to the amusement park. This guitar version is for when you and your date are together watching the sunset in the park. The guitar work in this version is incredible.

3. Mirror
I have a feeling that Gackt called up his close friends and relatives and made them do the stomping, clapping, and the "yeah, yeah, yeah" part of the chorus. Maybe this is his way for showing his appreciation to them. This is done in a lower key than the original. The original version has more power and sounds less messy, but this version is generally cuter.

4. Kimi no Tameni Dekiru Koto
This one is so different from its original version, I only recognized it when they got to the chorus. It more or less composed in the same style as the acoustic "Kimi ga Oikakete Yume". It is also done in a lower key. I liked the harmonica insert toward the end.

5. U+K
This is the only purely instrumental track, used in the concert for introducing GacktJOB after the intermission. It sounds like the introduction music to a circus or fair, and keeps the upbeat feel of the original. In this set it serves the role of intermission.

6. Mind Forest
I usually give this analogy to Den. The original Mind Forest reminds you of a vampire walking in a dark forest. The acoustic Mind Forest makes you see a confused mortal getting hopelessly lost in a dark forest, having just lost his love. With the drastic changes and additional lyrics, it makes for a more emotional song, which has much more impact than the original.

7. Hoshi no Suna
I haven't heard the original of this song, but since it's the song that came with Tsuki no Uta, I figure it's slow and orchestral. It still is, but this time it uses just a string quartet, and is therefore more haunting than the original. But You-san's violin doesn't stand out here, even if it is a string quartet. It's a nice combined effort by GacktJOB.

8. Last Song
A good tenor and a good piano. Together. What more can you ask? There are three versions of this song, but this unplugged piano version is the one I like best. It just leaves me spellbound and listening to him. As I have said elsewhere, it is not a fault that he croaks at the end. It just shows that his singing is not artificial and really heartfelt. The best part for me is the humming part at the end, ending in a minor key. Den best likes the instrumental part in the middle, and I like that part a lot as well.The best rendition I heard of it is Gackt playing it live in the concert.

9. Kono dare mo Inai Heya de
This is the first time I heard this song. The piano playing blew me away. Then combined with the great orchestration, it reminds the listener of a windy day at the beach. Add to it Gackt's spirited and haunting voice, and you have a package that will pull you back in awe.

10. Uncertain Memory
This is the other string quartet piece in the set, and one of the songs I have not heard in the original. It's slow and haunting, but not dragging, and definitely very emotional, especially with all the minor notes all around.

11. Papa lapped a pap lopped
When I first read that this was part of this album, I found it hard to believe, considering this is Gackt's contribution to the parappa craze. Take away all your doubts; the remake is unbelievable. The famous parappa song is now rendered with guitars, castanets, and shakers. The Mexican style suits it really well. It's a welcome change to the sometimes ear-piercing original, and a great end to the set.


In general, I like how Gackt sounds mellower, a bit sadder, and calmer, than he did in the original versions of all the songs. It is also a good display of the current GacktJOB's talents in classical instruments.

The Sixth Day and The Seventh Night ideally have to be heard one after the other, but not separately. They compliment each other and make for a complete idea of what Gackt has become as an artist after 5 years.

And the evening and the morning were The Sixth Day and The Seventh Night. We saw it was not just good. It was great.

The local syndicate goes against the local poorhouse, only to find itself fighting against some of the best kung-fu masters. But one by one the masters fall, and everything finally rests in the hands of a bungling loafer who WANTS to be a kung-fu master. He suddenly discovers that he is indeed a kung-fu master but just didn't know it.

Let's get rid of the things I didn't like about it first, then we can go on and praise the rest.

It's only a few things, actually. The plot was weak, very much. Now, I do realize that kung-fu movie plots and plot progresions have to be taken with lots of grains of salt, but still I was expecting somewhat better plot progression than the one this movie provided. It was too little and too fast. The change of the Stephen Chow's character from loafer to master was too drastic and not explained too well. The love interest did play a life-changing role, but her part was too downplayed in favor of the action, such that her influence on him was not fleshed out properly. Such a shame, because the girl was really pretty. And the big boss of the Axe Gang was rather pathetic!

Second, this movie has some of the most inconceivable fighting techniques I have seen! Can you actually scream an opponent to submission? Can a magic Chinese zither be so deadly? Can you really be catapulted to the clouds and survive the landing?

Those are the bad points. Here are the great parts about the new kung-fu movie to come out from the man who gave us Shaolin Soccer, and the many reasons why, despite weak plot and absurd techniques, this is definitely worth watching.

-- Absurd or not, all the fights in this movie are a wonder to see. They are choreographed very well, and will get your blood pumping, rooting for the good guys, like a good kung-fu movie should. The fight I most liked was the one with the three kung-fu masters doing friendly sparring. It's the simplest fight, unassisted by digitizing, but the choreography was splendid. This movie is a fine example of how kick-fighting SHOULD be done and presented. Western copycats still don't get it.

-- Great CGI, which makes the weirder fights and techniques really neat-looking. Much time and effort was put into the digital effects, and it was well worth it. The most incredible execution is during the casino fight. Wood splinters flying everywhere, sound waves reverberating through the building, people flying off from the blast. All were made well, every aspect was in synch, and none were tacky.

-- Perfect comedic timing. The movie is full of great slapstick comedy, and plenty of impossible kicks and tricks that will just leave you laughing. The funniest part for me is the scene frequently shown in preview commercials, the one with the knives stuck into Stephen Chow's character. There are also plenty of allusions to movies like The Matrix series, with funny results. Stephen Chow might not exactly make the best stories, but he knows very well how to make an audience laugh.

-- Set and costume design. Kung-fu Hustle is set in pre-Communism China, and everything about it sets that mood and tone. All the syndicate's members are dressed in rich suits and ties, and their casino has all the opulence you would expect in a 1930's casino. The streets are filled with bright lights, brick buildings, and fancy chiongsams. The tenement area was also presented well, showing all the sights and sounds of the poor side of life in China of the time. The colors are scattered generously, but are not too flashy. It's beautiful to look at, all the time.

-- Lovable characters. In the short time that the major characters are shown, you get to relate to them, see their problems, and cheer them on. Many of them are powerful fighters but do not want to use their strengths and want to just be normal people, then they are suddenly pressured to use their powers. People with secrets usually make for great characters, and that is proven here.

All told, Kung-Fu Hustle is a great watch, and worth your time and money. Don't expect too much out of it story-wise. But if you are after a good time with a good kung-fu movie, then this will not disappoint.

Most of you probably know the plot of this landmark computer-animated movie, but let us give a very short rundown. Mr. Incredible used to be the most well-known superhero in his day, until superheroes fell out of favor with the public and the government. 15 years later, he tries his best to live as normal a life as possible, with his extraordinary family. That is, until a chance to be a superhero comes again. But it is not the kind that he wants.

The geniuses at Pixar have done it again. They have made a movie that shows the world how CGI is rightly done, setting a new standard that other animation and video game companies have to match. And they have done it, once again, while having a unique but believable story concept, excellent plot progression, and very down-to-earth characters.
As with almost all Pixar movies to date, there is a quality to The Incredibles that makes it more than just another kiddie movie. There is something anybody of any age can relate to. Least of these is the fact that the superhero images they use are the traditional types. The more mature audience have fond memories of them, the younger audience has seen them. Thus, everybody can relate to it at some level.

I am very glad that they understood one thing I have found missing with some other CGI features: fluidity of movement. It is not always necessary that the characters be as true to reality, with exactly human movement and features. But they have to move realistically. All characters in The Incredibles are cartoony, but their movements are smooth, not deliberate. This helps to make us forget to notice the computerization, and just focus on the story, which is a good thing. The Final Fantasy movie got this most of the time. It was awe-inspiring that the humans look human, but it was wonderful that they really MOVED like humans, and made us forget that they are computer generated. Evidently The Polar Express did not do as well with this, thus explaining why it did not stand a good chance against The Incredibles.

I am also so glad about one thing Pixar has stood for: quality stories and very human characters. All the fancy technology and effects don't count for one hoot with the audience if they cannot relate to the characters, and if they did not like the story for itself. This is the reason this movie will be watched and loved for years, even if the computerization in it begins to show its age. The story is not new, but it is executed with so much class that you pretty much forget that, and just go along for the wild ride. But the best part for me is the development of the Incredible family. They show the desire both to be special and to fit in, that is inherent in every human being. The interactions (even the arguments and fights) of the family are very down-to-earth.

Here are my favorite scenes in the movie, in no particular order:

-- The short precis on the hazards of using capes. I so, SO agree.
-- Dash, erm, dashing through miles and miles of jungle and water. Everything was so smooth and so real, you can feel the leaves and spraying water.
-- Violet finally wears a headband.
-- Mrs. Incredible's incredible hair. Always so nice and neat!

If you haven't seen it yet (and I'm actually one of those who are late already), do find a chance and watch it. You'll never look at superhero life the same way again.

This review will only be based on the first 3 episodes. This is just to show what I currently like about it, and why, for now, I'll be tracking this nice anime.

Very simple premise with a big twist. Asumi is a cute, petite little girl. When she was in Grade 1, her mother died. Everyone told her that she went up to heaven. This made her promise to someday go up to the sky in a rocket and meet her in the stars. In short, when she grows up, she wants to be an astronaut.

But in this story, this dream could actually be realized without having to study so many years. In the near future, the first high school for prospective astronauts open, and Asumi tries her luck. This is what Twin Spica is all about.

So far what I most like about the story is the great characterization of everybody. Asumi might be in an experimental project, but she has very ordinary teenage concerns, which are only compounded by the unique circumstances she is in, along with the friends she meets. I also liked how her first two school friends were introduced. All three showed their initial shyness of each other in three unique ways, but all fairly natural.

I'll also be tracking this story, mostly for Lion. That would be the guy who is constantly in a lion mask and astronaut boots and gloves. There is a real, and good looking, person under that mask, revealed in the first episode. Takato is one of the first astronauts in Japan's space program, but his launch became the Columbia accident of Japan, and it is said that he died in it. He becomes one of Asumi's inspirations to being an astronaut for real.

But I want to know exactly WHAT he is. He is surely not Asumi's conscience, nor a figment of her imagination. But for a guy who says he is a ghost, he does not appear just anywhere, but is there at just the right time he is needed. Also, I haven't seen him fly off yet. I have seen him disappear into thin air, but only once, and not to Asumi. That gives me suspicions that he is probably a different kind of spirit, or maybe, he is actually still alive.

The artwork is also very pretty, in a nice, simple way. There are no unnecessary lines, and everything looks so clean. Also, seeing the manga versions of the characters in the credits, the transition to anime was done very well, while keeping the spirit of the original. The music is just okay. Nothing too special, but it does the job.

If you are getting Twin Spica at Animax as well, I do recommend watching it. It's turning out into a nice, fuzzy-feelings story with great characters that you want to cheer on. Of course it's not as action-packed as the anime that preceded it (GetBackers), but it has the same impact on me. I want to find out more. And that's a good thing.