Yes, Avex Trax has done it YET AGAIN!!!! As they have done this with the previous 2 solo singles, it is probably hopeful stupid of me to even think to HOPE that maybe, just maybe, they won't do it again with this 3rd solo single.

Well, this is freakin' AVEX we're talking about. So, you guessed it.



EVIL!!!

Bawls.

I may not have been updating but I have been watching Orthros no inu, and I was just thinking to myself yesterday of how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE ヒカリひとつ (Hikari Hitotsu), which is the OP theme song for Orthros.

I've been so out of touch with Takki, I was wondering if Hikari Hitotsu was actually in the 4th version of the Ai Kakumei CD that was only available during the event? Because I know there's two 4th version CDs with bonus tracks and it sure as hell wasn't the Sha La La one (coz I have that XD) and then I got my answer today with CDJapan's Newsmail came knocking in my inbox!



I heard that a full version of the song was played on Takki's Denpajou radio show last week but I don't have it. But so far I've been sustaining myself with a 2-minute edit from the Orthros no inu OP scene. If you need something to sustain you til then too, you can grab it here :)

More on Orthros no inu when I got the time. All I can say of it is that Ryuzaki Shinji is TOTALLY AWESOME!

There seems to be no such thing as "taking a time off" for Takizawa Hideaki, huh? Fresh off his Enbujou '09 staging, he immediately scheduled a June solo concert. And suddenly there's a new dorama starting in July 2009! Nice work, Takki!

How long has it been since he's been in a serial TV dorama? I think his last one was really Yoshitsune in 2005, wasn't it? It's about time!!!!!

So here's some info on Takki's upcoming dorama:



Anyway, I did a little digging up on "Orthrus", and I found a short reading on wiki here that maybe you'd like to read.

"Orthrus" is a two-headed dog in the Greek mythology. Somehow this relates to the plot of the dorama story. From reading the description, I already know this is gonna bw ANGSTY. Angsty Takizawa me likey hohoho!

Takki will play a character named 滝崎臣司 (Ryuzaki Shinji). His character is a man who has the power to heal all kinds of wounds and sickness (physical and emotional, I suppose) by just the touch of his hands. Therefore, he kinda has the "Hand of God" power. But despite having such a benevolent power, he is actually a dark character with malevolent tendencies.

Starring opposite him will be Nishikido Ryo from NEWS. Ryo will play a character named 碧井涼介 (Fukui Ryousuke?), and this character will be the complete opposite of Takki's. Meaning he is dubbed to have the "Hand of Demon" power, where he has the power to kill people just by a touch of his hands. But Ryo's character is actually a kind-hearted and delicate character.

The story will start with these two contrasting characters meeting each other. And from there, their characters will conflict each other and the story will ensue on these two characters' fight against each other.

OMG HOW INTERESTING!

I'm still not sure about Takki's character though, is he good or is he evil? I read some articles mention that Takki will play a "dark hero", which translates to me as a main character who is evil, doesn't it sound like that? Plus, all of the news articles' headlines has the words 悪役 which literally means "evil character"! Evil Takki, that's something I've always wanted to see

Anyway, it's great that he's taking up SUCH AN INTERESTING DORAMA. This sounds very promising than just yet another random sappy love romance dorama story. This sounds like, Greek tragedy/fantasy genre or something. All I know is that I absolutely CAN'T WAIT until July 2009 comes!

Source:
> Nikkansports
> Sponichi
> Sanspo

I apologize for the lack of updates, but THESE BABIES sure do their job awakening a sleeping monster! (Um, that would be me, yes XD)

So have you pre-ordered your copies, Takki fans? (Of course you have. And so have I! Yes, I still click!) If you haven't, then feast your eyes on these babies and let your hands autopilot themselves to them links:





But wait, that's NOT ALL!!!

Yes, we thought avex had reached its limit by releasing 3 versions but nooOooOoOooo... they actually managed to cook up a 4th VERSION that comes in the form of THIS BABY they call THE TACKEY SHOP LIMITED VERSION (!!!):



...and this one is only released in the "TACKEY SHOP" (Wow, whoever came up with this is... is... is..... !#$%^&*bloody genius!) One drawback to it is that, TACKEY SHOP only ships to a Japanese address. So if you can find someone in Japan who can receive this CD for you, you can pretty much place an order with your credit card through the URL above, and just enter the Japanese address (Hopefully your recipient won't Tackey-nap your TACKEY SHOP VERSION CD XD)



Damn, they sure are cunning!!! I probably wouldn't have bothered with the 4th version if it weren't for a BONUS TRACK AND A POSTCARD SET. Oh avex... you're good (and evil). Bawls.

How freaking' HOT are the covers btw? I think they should make it a rule that Takki should be hadaka in all the covers of every Takki solo items to be released. They already did it twice, might as well continue the run eh? :D

So two things we do know about Takki:

One, he works his ass off and doesn't really take any holidays for himself, not even for NEW YEAR'S DAY or HIS OWN BIRTHDAY.

Two, he is undoubtedly, absolutely OBSESSED with butais XD

Yes kids, it is indeed that time of the year again where Takki climbs onto the stage of Shinbashi Enbujou and performs his 滝沢演舞城 (Takizawa Enbujou) yet again. Except that this time, he'll not only be the lead principal performer of the show, he'll also don the shoes of the director, scriptwriter, photography, and supervisor of every other creative aspect involved in the show.

WOW.

I wouldn't be surprised if sometime, someday, there'll be an actually full-fledged Takizawa Enbujou where he writes, directs, choreographs, sings, dances and performs ALL THE ROLES in the show... alone. XD

Takizawa Enbujou '09 starts staging on 29 Mar 2009 (Yep, that's Takki's 27th birthday) and will have a run of 42 shows all the way to 25 Apr 2009, until further notice of additional shows (which they ALWAYS seem to have). Same spot, same Takki channel, at the Shinbashi Enbujou :)

Source:
> Chuunichi Sports

Has this been out for awhile or just? I don't know why but calendars totally escape my mind until TODAY... I suddenly thought, hey don't I have to preorder calendars at this time during the year, usually? So I browsed and yes, they're listed! *slaps head*


More shopping... @_@ Oh dear...

Dear Takki Fans,

After scanning and literally draining my piggy bank almost to the point of death for 5 long years, I regret to inform you that I have decided to stop ALL of my magazine subscriptions starting January 2009 (except for Tokyo Walker) as the price-hike at my local Kinokuniya branch got WAY TOO RIDICULOUS to tolerate :(((((

An illustration as to HOW RIDICULOUS their prices are:
Tokyo Walker, which is a bi-weekly magazine, costs 15 USD per issue in Indonesia, whereas it only costs about 5.50 USD per issue in Singapore (and it arrives faster too WTF?)

I'm maintaining my Tokyo Walker subscription through a friend in Singapore, because I feel it's a darn shame to stop the current essay collection right now. But as for the other magazines such as Wink Up, Duet, Potato, Popolo... I sadly must let them go.

I will, however, still try to get magazines that portray T&T or Takki on the cover.

I'm very sad that I have to stop all the subscriptions after all these long years, but I really have to say that I really can no longer maintain this hobby at such a high price.

As for the remaining magazines of 2008, yes I do have them all and I promise I will eventually scan everything and put them up in the gallery. I've just been very busy with work and life, and this hobby has been forced to take a backseat :(

This website and gallery will remain open, and I'll always try update from time to time as well. Sorry for the inconvenience, and I promise I'll get to scanning as soon as I can...

My friend sakura went to the Ai Kakumei release event yesterday. She said it was a very similar event to the KoiUta event last time, but this time she got to shake Takki's hands!

She said Takki's voice kinda sounded a little hoarse though? I wouldn't be surprised... actually I was shocked when I heard from her that there was gonna be an event in Odaiba for the Ai Kakumei CD, in the middle of his tight Takizawa Kakumei schedule! Poor boy has to work so hard

Anyway, she scanned me some souvenirs from the event.



If I read correctly on the Official Website", they said that the CD cover and bonus contents of the CD available during the event is actually different from the one that goes on public sales tomorrow? なんかズルイなぁ～ The CD cover sakura scanned from me does look entirely different from the three covers listed on the Official Website" though. And the one on the right is a postcard she got from the event.

I can't wait for my CDs! :D

Eeks another release!!! Thank God there ain't funky triple versions this time! *Phew*


I guess we'll also get a Shinshun Takizawa Kakumei DVD next year? :)

JANUARY 7! That's... so soon!!! I actually expected it to be a little later, like say maybe after the butai is finished? But I guess no point in wasting time... in a way, it helps promote the butai too? I'm just wondering how Takki is going to be able to handle all the promotions that usually comes with releasing a single while he's working full time in a butai lead? And it's not like this is just some random single, this is his first solo single!!!

Anyways... preorders:


Btw, Takki composed the music and wrote the lyrics for this song himself

Since the dorama SP Kokuchisezu is just around the corner, I decided to roam around the auction sites to check out the newspaper clippings for it, and I saw the pamphlets and postcards with the official poster of the dorama. Then, I thought, hey maybe I'll go check out the official website too, and yes, apparently they've updated the site with the official poster for the dorama too!


Hmmm. Notice anything odd there? (MORE...)

I've been wondering why Takki seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth lately in terms of his own activities. Aside the dorama we haven't heard much of plans but the bomb kinda dropped in my face today.

Takki will be the principal actor in the New Year stageplay 「新春滝沢革命」 (Shinshuu Takizawa Kakumei), which will start staging at the Teikoku (Tokyo Imperial Theater) starting 02 Jan 2009. Apparently this will be the first time ever in the theatrical industry that a stageplay will open its shows so close to New Year's Day. So in a way, it's "revolutionary" or some sort. Pun intended, because the word "kakumei" itself means revolution :)

The stageplay is planned to be 2.5 hours long (approximately) and consists of 2 acts. Act 1 will be like its predecessors of Takki's stageplays, the traditional part of the play. The story will be a combination of two Ancient Japanese lores, "Urashima Taro" and "Princess Kaguya". In the story, Urashima Taro ends up opening a box that he was told not to open, and end up transforming into an old man. So we'll get yet another dose of Old Jiji Takizawa in this musical (LOL). The second act will take the theater audience into the futuristic world of year 2060 (WTF), this is where the "showtime" comes in. All the dancing, singing, flying, etc.

The stageplay will run its course for a total of 38 shows all the way through 27 Jan 2009. Apparently all the songs that will be featured in this production will also be released in a SOLO CD sometime next year too. Release date is still unknown currently. The news articles keep mentioning that it's solo CD though, but I'm just wondering if it's going to be more of a SOUNDTRACK of the stageplay (kinda like Shock you know?) or really a Takizawa Hideaki solo CD?

Comments? Thoughts?

To read up a bit on the two legends, check it out here:
> Urashima Taro
> Princess Kaguya

Source:
> Yomiuri
> Sponichi
> Chuunichi Sports

The date for Takki's new TV dorama special, Kokuchisezu, airing on TV Asahi had been set for 15 November 2008 at 9 PM Japan time. So set your reminders, Takki fans! He's coming back to grace the TV screens! (Well... our computer screens, I guess, for all of us living overseas XD)

Check out the official website here

Look at those EARS! Any Takki fan can spot those elf ears from a thousand miles away! Too funny!


New Nissin CM titled "Nicchin tanjou" (Nicchin is born, I guess?) aired on Japanese television starting 09/27/2008.

Click here to see the streaming CM

an an magazine has yet again published their popular and highly anticipated 「好きな男」 (suki na otoko) rank this year. The magazine issue number is #1628 and its official publish date is tomorrow on 09/24/2008 but seems like it's already on newsstands across Japan today.

Not sure if Takki is in the magazine, but he definitely made the list.


So sad... his rank dropped quite a bit from last year's #12 But at least he's still on the list! I am, however, shocked that Akanishi Jin managed to kick Nakai and Okada below him! XD

Is this information new or was it just announced? I've been living under a rock for quite sometime but seriously, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that that Takki's current TV show, 大御所ジャパン!, isn't going to last very long. I watched one episode and sorry dude, I know I'm a Takki fan and all, but I just can't watch that show. Ratings were so low and changing formats of the show didn't really help so the network has decided to axe it. I guess ratings still speak louder than words in TV business everywhere.

Last episode is next week, folks. 19 Aug 2008.

[hopeful]So this frees Takki up to do that unit show we've been signing petitions for earlier this year?[/hopeful]

I'm truly sorry for the lack of updates, but there really hasn't been much going on with Takki (that are visible to non-stalkers I guess), but it has just came to light that Takki had been shooting for yet another special dorama, this time for TV Asahi, titled 「告知せず」 (Kokuchisezu).

Takki will be reunited once again with his Yoshitsune co-star, Watari Tetsuya, a senior actor who played Taira Kiyomori in the 2005 NHK Taiga dorama. Watari-san will be the lead in this upcoming TV Asahi Special Dorama, though. Not Takki.

If I'm not wrong, I think the title means something like... "without notice". The dorama is yet another family drama (most probably also a tearjerker) that was suddenly shaken by an unexpected cancer diagnosis. Watari-san plays a renowned surgeon, and Takki plays his only son Ryou, who is also a doctor in training (Ooh, Doctor Takizawa---how INTERESTING!) And it was the mother who was suddenly diagnosed with cancer.

Shooting had already begun end of July, and will continue until end of August. Apparently there will be some overseas location shoots too but it hasn't been disclosed where. The airdate for this dorama is still undetermined at this time. But it's set to air sometime this year :)

Doctor Takizawa... I like the sound of that XD