Kpop: Stephanie - Blackout

The blond haired comeback for korean Stephanie last month with "Prisoner" didn't come close musically for to what she did with "Game" or her earlier group The Grace. The new "Black out" i smusically quite a different thing with amuch more interesting edge to it, but I'm quite sure that it is the video that will be the thing kpop fans will be talking about. That outfit and dancing makes stuff like Stellar's Marionette look mild in comparison. I can't remember when I saw any music artist present something with as much hip focus as this? ;-P

• Stephanie - Black out
• Stephanie - Prisoner

Mandopop: Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰)

Jam Hsiao from Taiwan (that acted in the likeable movie My Geeky Nerdy Buddies) has had a couple of run-of-the-mill hits (see Marry Me below) that in my world isn't worth mentioning. Then he releases "Zombie All-Stars", and we have a completely new deal. This odd video is a song about Plants vs Zombies, the hugely popular computer game that has zombies trying to invade the players lawn, who of course fights back with plants (sic)! This is faithfully reproduced with live actors, and with a music track that is both strangely at odds with the (cute but) dark theme and at the same time somehow suitable.

• Jam Hsiao - Zombie All-Stars (殭屍全明星)
• Jam Hsiao - Marry Me

Kpop: GP Basic (지피베이직)

I wrote about GP Basic (ins swedish) back in 2012 (in regards to them having quite young members what with all the sexualisation in kpop). Now they have returned slightly older (15-17 ...) and with a concept that reflects it in the video Pika-Burnjuck(Sleek/Shiny), with the slight uniform fetish being kind of fresh also. As the average age of kop grirls isnt much more than this, I am guessing this version of GP Basic will attract more "normal" attention.

• GP Basic - Pika-Burnjuck (삐까뻔쩍)
• GP Basic - Game
• GP Basic - Jelly Pop

Trip to Korea and Japan: Day 20 - Temple Run and Otaku Style

(Click here for first day, yesterday and all trips)
Today we went to the super fun kitchen utensil street Kappabashi dori, Temple quarter Asakusa, and otaku (nerd) paradise Akibahara. A really long day that was very satisfying, even though Tokyo is really hot and humid.

OK, this is rather uninteresting but...this is me *not* using my brain when wanting to have a foto on my telephone of the kitchen utensil shopping street Kappabashi dori.

And this is when I use it (a little more).

Tokyo Skytower in the distance

Even Japan has rundown houses.

Nice restaurant in Ueno Park

The National Museum

National museum again

Just hanging out...

A store solely dealing in restaurant/shop signs

Plastic food

and more plastic food. But it IS really nice to know what you are ordering in a land where you sometimes cant read the menus.

I mean, really! Just 390 yen (26 SEK/5 USD) for a delicious menu that I would have no problem paying twice, even thrice, in Sweden.

Eh? Big toe night stretcher?

Big apartment buildings next to midget houses. I just love that about Tokyo.

Here we come, Asakusa! Tokyo's oldest temple and a really nice kind of tourist trap (actually said without any irony, which is unusual for me).

Nice prices, was our thought, even if we didn't buy any of these.

Plastic versions. Malin was like, nah no one wants these, but I am quite sure those striped heel ones would go just right at certain parties? Sci-Fi meets Japanese culture. ^_^

Lucky charm lottery.

Shake and get your stick with a number.

Open the corresponding drawer and get your divination

Kawaii ne!

Koukeshi wooden dolls, really nice, for 1500 - 4000 yen (100-270 SEK/25-70 USD)

My sister mustered up the courage (she already had it, from the start to be honest...) and photographed these pretty girls in yukata.

And then, we went to Akibahara, and down the street we strolled into a release party for some kind computer game. Lots of free extras, like water bottle, light sticks, and some kind of veteran rock singer singing for all his worth (no photos allowed, so he may actually have been someone semi famous...)

Well, not *every* Japanese can love his work 24-7, hehe. But that's OK. 大丈夫!

Mer bilder från releasepartyt.

So cute. And short! The people inside must be sweating as hell, though.

I had decided beforehand, after watching several japanese tv-series about otakus and Tokyo, that I wanted one of these classic anime/manga miniatures. And they weren't actually that expensive as one could believe. So now I am one of those grown men with dolls, haha! But I don't care they were really nice (and still rather restrained, not ones with giant b**bs) and will look very nice on my desk.

And then a short visit at Super Potato, the retro video game store. A must for us who played video games in the 80s and 90s.

The entrance isn't super easy to find even if you have Google Maps.

And what better way to end the evening than with a (I believe) jpop singing girl at the subway station, probably dreaming to be the new Kyary or a member of AKB48 or similar. She did pretty good, listen here:

(CLick here for the next day)