Where are the real singers?

Big slap, that's probably the feeling of seeing nonsingers enjoying popularity and garnering awards left and right. I agree that everyone has the right to sing. Anyway, that's a creative form of expression. But people pushing someone to get a record deal even his/ her talent is acting is really annoying.  And the most annoying part is some stars act as if they are superior than the others. Being humble is a key, that perhaps Ann Curtis' asset why she attracts followers. She knows she's not a singer but a performer.

There are also long-time recording artists who got  best-selling albums but remain humble. I remember an episode of Sharon (ABSCBN) where Sharon Cuneta admit to Regine Velasquez, that  if she gonna rate her singing  talent out of 100 %, it's only 60%. It's like she's lucky to have beautiful songs and works with superb composers. The irony was Regine professed beforehand that  Sharon is one of her musical influences. What a remarkable interview indeed.

Real singers neglected

Mass appeal is one big factor for stardom and that's applied for singers too. But there are singers who put their fame and fortune in their heads and eventually lose everything. For quite sometime, I was into singing contest winners. You know drawing inspiration that in this world, poor can be rich out of talent. In fairness, some achieve that level like Regine, Yeng Constantino, and Sarah Geronimo.  But more often than not being a winner is not a sure way to have a prosperous career. I don't what happened to them but I'm curious where are Mau Marcelo, Jerome Sala (Search for a Star in a Million), Laarni Losala (Pinoy Dream Academy 2), Raki Vega (Born Diva hosted by Zsa Zsa Padilla) and Gretchen Espina Pinoy Idol, etc.

Why talented singers like them and other veteran singers gone in the limelight? Well the answers are actually obvious. The unbelievable is these answers are unfair. 

I found this video very interesting! Singing contest winners in the Philippines

Nodame Cantabile live action series...addicting

Since I watched it a week ago, I can't stop myself wanting to re-watch episodes of Nodame Cantabile topbilled by Juri Ueno as Megumi Noda and Hiroshi Tamaki as Chiaki Shinichi. 

a door for Japanese Drama

Compare to Korean and Taiwanese series, it's very rare that local stations here  broadcast Japanese Drama and I wasn't interested to watch them. Why? Because if not Japanese version of series that I already watched  (remember Meteor Garden of Taiwan and Boys Over Flowers of South Korea?), they are adaptation of anime. You know, I'm so anime fanatic. I don't know if Gokusen is adapted to anime.

In anime it is understandable to be exaggerated, but actually it is crucial thing once filmmakers do it in live action. That's why I also don't like watching series based in anime or manga. 

But anime is Japan animation, so I think better to give them extra exemption when a Japanese drama is based on it. Actually if you bother to remember and if not maybe because of credit issue, how can you say Tokyo Juliet when the setting of the story is in Taiwan and the lead character is Taiwanese. Good thing they got Ariel Lin- she save that idol drama.

Anyway, I already watched Nodame Cantabile the anime version before. I'd like it so much that's why it took time before I decided to try watching the live action drama. I wasn't enthusiastic first but when I enjoy the acting, the effects, the music and production design - It inspired me to watch other  Japanese dramas as well.  It's like a door for me that open me to their world.

What I like in Nodame Cantabile?

Juri Ueno is kawaii when she has make up. I like her in the last scene of the TV series where she was watching Hiroshi conducting for the last time in Japan. I learned that she earned acting award because of this series and she deserved it.  She really exude weirdness, cuddly and talented character of Nodame. I  could feel her frustration, her  passion and her love for Chiaki.

Hiroshi Tamaki  also had good performance But compare to Ueno it is obvious that he's not professional in playing piano. Is it true? I'm also bothered in differences of his looks in 11-episode show  and  Nodame in Europe. He was really  skinny and pale there. I almost thought the actor was different. What happened?

Other characters that  live to my expectation were Eita as Mine, Keisuke Oide as Masumi, Seiji Fukushi as Kuroki. Every time they appeared, I could not ignore their presence. I also admired the beauty and  acting of Azami Mizukawa as Kiyora and Becky as Tanya Vishnyova. If these two ladies were really not musicians or Becky has no Russian blood, wow!

I also like the ensemble of their orchestras, the cinematography, and their visual effects. 

I commend Naota Takenaka for his fun acting of Franz but sorry he was not believable as foreigner musician even with that wig.