Mano Erina 2017 Calender

Its time for the annual Hamsapsukebe tradition of another Mano Erina calender!

Mano-chan during her baby fat days but they should have blown up the bottom left picture since the other two are not worth looking at.

I like the colour composition for this one except the bottom left picture is boring.

The lighting just looks very fake compared with the background.

Mano-chan at the height of her kawaii powers. OMFG, so cute. More kawaii than Michishige Sayumi!

Not so cute with short hair. In the picture on the bottom right, she looks like this retired JAV actress called Arimoto Sayo.

The bottom right picture is a leftover picture from an old calendar. I guess all the pictures are leftovers.

Zzzzzzzzz.....

Waking up with Mano-chan theme.

Ugh, anorexic Mano. I don't get turned on by skin and bones.

Not too bad except for the anorexia.

From her new photobook coming out next month which I will not get.

Pretty much a fail calender filled with many unwanted leftovers. Do not get. Her calenders have historically been good (and I used to buy heaps of calenders) but this is so disappointing.

Mano Erina 2016 calender

Got this from the Hello Project shop in Akihabara.

No special gifts with the calender unlike last year.

The most interesting was that young girls outnumbered ojisans like me at the Hello Project shop which was interesting.

Cost of the calender is 2200 yen + tax.

Hello legs.

Shinjuku Swan review

After the mess that was Tokyo Tribe, I wasn't that excited about Sono Sion's Shinjuku Swan. Plus, I never understood why Ayano Go kept getting those roles.

Shinjuku Swan is a movie about scouts in Shinjuku. They approach girls to work in kyabakuras or health centres and get a cut of the money. Basically, they are yakuza without the tattoos.

A penniless and jobless Ayano Go, gets becomes Iseya Yusuke's underling when he gets into a fight in Shinjuku and finds out he has a knack for scouting girls.

Ayano Go's character can take a lot of punishment and is also kind of straightforward stupid. Iseya Yusuke tells him that a lot of women in the water business are happy because they get to eat good food and buy they expensive handbags and Ayano Go believes him and makes it his mission to make all the girls he scout happy.

This is my favourite part of the movie; the guy who doesn't think too hard and sees the world in his own black and white way while working in a murky grey world.

 This is the first time I've already thought that Ayano Go was pulling his weight in the acting department.

The other takeaway I have from Shinjuku Swan is that Sono Sion should have directed the Ryu ga Gotoku movie.

He knows how to shoot guys in suits a lot better than Miike Takashi.

Shinjuku Swan also feels like Sono Sion's most commercial work in a long time, which is a good thing.

When Sono Sion is allowed to do as he pleases, we end up with movies that have no pace and a narrative that is all over the place like Tokyo Tribe.

Unfortunately, Shinjuku Swan has two problems. First of which is that the main story about the two scout companies doesn't lead anywhere interesting and is more like a set up to what comes next.

The other problem is that Yamada Takayuki's character kinda sucks when he turns out to be a 'how can you understand my feelings' villain.

Despite the let down from the main story, I rather enjoyed Shinjuku Swan. Not to mention, it looks pretty good as well.

I like the character and wouldn't mind seeing a sequel.

Watchable movie as long as you don't expect much but if you want something really good about the Japanese water business, watch the first season of Ushijima-kun.

More Mano Erina wouldn't have hurt though since it was shot before she turned completely anorexic.

 Huge sigh of relief from me that Shinjuku Swan did not suck. I'm looking forward to Sono Sion's 3 other movies that came out this year: Real Onigokko, Love & Peace and the Minna! Esper Dayo! movie.

Better Half starring Mano Erina, Kazama Shunsuke, Nakamura Ataru and Katagiri Jin

Edit: Didn't realise Nakamura Ataru was actually a newhalf. lol. Her singing voice had no hint she was born a dude.

A bit sick of sakura pictures so I'll post about Himeji later. Unfortunately no Mano Erina concert this trip but for the first time I get to watch Mano-chan and Kazama Shunsuke who did a great job in Soredemo Ikite Yuku on stage!

Went to Shimokitazawa where Shimokita Glory Days was set.

Any jdrama about struggling theatre actors is also set here.

The premise of Better Half is that Kaazama Shunsuke's senpai played by Katagiri Jin used Kazama's face for a dating site and has been mailing with a girl.

Senpai sends Kazama in is stead for the date with Mano Erina. However, Mano Erina like Kazama is also the body double of her friend played by Nakamura Ataru who is a pianist and a newhalf.

Add to that you have Mano-chan playing a character who wants to get into the entertainment business and works at a derihealth and you have a recipe for a lot of comedy.

If you don't know about Japanese health business, go watch Ushijimakun.

Mano-chan gets a lot of dirty comedy from shouting fellatio many times to being Nakamura's sex master eg teaching her the difference between sumata and honban.

I was really surprised to get the tickets this easily cause today's performance included a Mano Erina talk.

It was really funny. Nakamura's newhalf pianist was the most developed and she gave most great musical performances.

The other three just weren't developed that well but its more of a comedy play and it had me in stitches throughout.

Acting-wise everyone was good but Nakamura Ataru stole the show.

The after show talk with Mano Erina was baaically the director making fun of her.

The director Kokami Shoji said that she was too thin and Erina said that she was told she needed to be thinner to get into acting. The director said that guys' idea of thin and girls' idea of thin were different. Totally agree and Erina is cuter with more meat.

Mano-chan thanked her fans for coming cause 90% of the audience stayed for the talk and braving the rain cause it always runs everytime she was an event which is true caused its rained the 3 times I've gone o her live. Kokami Shoji accussed Erina for being ame onna (rain woman) and she blames the rain is caused by her fans gathering.

Mano Erina also said she's been doing a lot of roles where she has to use unusual (dirty) words. Komaki Shoji asked her what role she wants to play and Erina said something to do with sports cause she likes swimming and basketball. The director said I want to see you in a swimsuit, let's to a play call Swimming Monogatari.

OMFG. Among the flyers I got is this for a Legend of Galactic Heroes play in June! By the crest of Kaiser Reinhart! I'm completely out of annual leave.

Really fun. First professional play I've seen and it was great.