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Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts

Monday, 27 August 2012

Bringing blogging to a close - August 2012

I am sorry to announce that I will be ending the updates to this blog and effectively closing it down.

This blog has been running since 2008 and has been lucky to have had four successful years of posting Maaya Sakamoto news and translations. I originally started the blog because it was often difficult for English-speaking fans to find Maaya Sakamoto translations that weren't lyrics. Radio show transcripts, interview translations - I wanted to translate things which foreign fans found difficult to obtain and would offer new insight into Maaya's world. And around the time You Can't Catch Me came out I was also able to update it with news at a fairly good pace which increased the readership no end.

However, I don't have the time to post here anymore as my work and other activities keep me busy. I can only say that rather than let it continue in a half-hearted way, I would like to give this site the closure it deserves with this post and a thank you to everyone who has visited and commented until now.

By using the links to the right of this page, you can access Maaya news and translations from a variety of sources. The Maaya international community is the most warm-hearted and kind internet community I know, and the online forums where the fans gather provide more news and information than was ever posted here.You can keep updated and connected using these links. The fan community always welcomes new people and their posts so feel free to join the discussion elsewhere on the net and support Maaya Sakamoto's activities.

The translations which this site has up will be kept here as an archive, as I am sure new fans will stumble across them and find them interesting to read. However, there will be no new updates. I will also continue to moderate the site every once in a while to make sure it is not invaded by spambots.

Thank you for coming back each week, and apologies for the sudden announcement. Goodbye and good luck with everything wherever you are. I look forward to meeting you somewhere in the Maaya fan community someday.

And thank you to Maaya Sakamoto for making it all possible in the first place.

Cheers!

2012.08.27

Sunday, 19 August 2012

Single Collection + Mitsubachi

Well, since someone let the cat out of the bag online Maaya's official website has confirmed the rumours and updated with news of Maaya's 3rd single collection, due to be released on November 14th 2012. The title is: Single Collection + Mitsubachi. What you may have noticed is that instead of a CD/DVD edition, the first press is coming with a Blu-Ray of all Maaya's music videos from 'Universe' up to her newest single 'More Than Words'.

Once again, this means that her old videos for 'Feel Myself', 'Loop' and 'Honey Come' still aren't available for collectors to own (at least in high quality.) I wonder if this is because Maaya herself doesn't think they would be worth putting on a release?...Or perhaps the quality is so poor that they cannot be upgraded - especially if this format is Blu-Ray only.

CD + Blu-Ray is going to be a first press edition priced at 6,300 yen while the CD only version is a fraction of the price at 2,625yen.

01. Loop
02. Kazemachi JET (Mitsubachi edition)
03. Spica
04. action!
05. Saigo no Kajitsu
06. Triangler
07. Ame ga Furu
08. Praline
09. Magic Number
10. Private Sky
11. DOWN TOWN
12. Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta nara
13. Buddy
14. Okaerinasai
15. More Than Words
16. April Fool (Tomita Lab feat. Maaya Sakamoto)
17. Nekoze

The last song is a new track with music by Yoko Kanno and lyrics by Yuho Iwasato. So...out of 17 songs I need...five for my collection. Uggghhhh. And seven of them are already on albums. I should have just waited for this CD to come out rather than buying every single since Loop. My wallet is crying salty tears.

Also, predictably, the tour's title has been updated to reflect the single collection's title: 'Mitsubachi'. I imagine the setlist is going to be focused on the songs above, although they might tweak the order a bit.


Saturday, 18 August 2012

New single collection?...

A few sources on the internet are reporting a new Maaya Sakamoto single collection to be released in November to coincide with the first date of Maaya's new tour. On Maayas.net we had speculated that instead of a new album the tour might be a theme e.g. single collection tour, it is nice to know that it might be a possibility!

At the moment Maaya's official page has not announced anything but I hope it is true! At the moment it looks like the actual information was uploaded then deleted (a mistake by someone?...) but according to Japanese fansites the single collection is called 'Single Collection + Mitsubachi' and the singles run from Loop onwards.

The only thing is, a lot of Maaya's singles from Loop are already on an album CD somewhere. Maybe a b-side collection would have been better in my opinion.

When the CD is officially announced (or if it turns out to be false) I will update again.

Sunday, 12 August 2012

Toho uploads new audio from 'Daddy Long Legs' musical

We're only a few weeks away from Maaya's new stage show 'Daddy Long Legs' and to wet your appetites the production company has uploaded a duet from the musical to Youtube on their official channel here. The track is a duet with Yoshio Inoue called 'Graduation Day'.



It sounds like a lovely musical! Enjoy the song!

EDIT: speaking of which, today Oricon posted up an article which photos from the musical's press conference. Maaya looks pretty! Take a look here.

Wednesday, 1 August 2012

'More Than Words' clocks in at no.16 on Oricon Weekly

Unsurprising for a single featuring a title song which even its creators have labelled an 'unusual choice for a single', Maaya's latest CD 'More The Words' wasn't able to enter the Japanese top ten but sat at no.15 on its first day before dropping to come in at no.16 on the weekly chart. In total it sold 10,722 copies in the seven days following its release. Click here to go to the chart. However, some good news is that Maaya has announced a concert tour for the winter! Hurrah!

Monday, 2 July 2012

B-side preview and new monthly message

Check out Maaya's official website for a preview of the coupling track to her new single as well as a new hand-written message from Maaya.

Go listen to the track!

Monday, 25 June 2012

Victor updates Maaya's profile with a new photo and updates mini-site

In the same promotional set as the 'More Than Words' CD jackets here. There's also new material up on the official single promo website, or rather they have the CD information and PV clip up. But what they have revealed is that there will be an interview, comment on the release and campaign to follow soon.

The pictures of the covers are also larger there.

Sunday, 24 June 2012

Cover for 'More than Words' revealed!

The cover for Maaya's single 'More Than Words' has been revealed and it is pretty cool! The photo on the left is the limited edition and the right hand image is the normal edition cover.

I think I prefer the regular one as you can see more of Maaya's face.

Tuesday, 19 June 2012

'Shiawase no Himitsu' (Happy Secret) from Daddy Long Legs uploaded to Youtube

Maaya's official Youtube has uploaded an audio file from Maaya's new musical 'Daddy Long Legs' which starts in September. Enjoy!

Tuesday, 12 June 2012

New charity wallpaper for download June 2012

You may remember that last year for the YCCM tour and for Maaya's birthday this year, her official IDS fanclub shop offered PC desktop wallpaper for 500yen which was then donated to the Great East Japan Earthquake Red Cross fund. A lot of money was raised thanks to all the fans who bought the wallpaper.

They are offering the scheme again from today with brand new wallpaper designs and, let me just say, the photographs are beautiful. A set of two wallpapers cost 500yen and you don't have to be a member of the fanclub to buy, just have a credit card. They also have iPhone wallpapers available of the same images.

Lovely photographs and a lovely effort, once again, from IDS and Maaya. Money raised will once again be donated to the earthquake fund at Red Cross Japan.

Monday, 11 June 2012

'More Than Words' PV - preview - released on Youtube



What do you think? The full version will be included on the first press edition DVD of the single next month, by the way. I think it might be the best Maaya PV since...argghh Sayonara Santa, and then since Secret...which were all in the past twelve months or so.

Basically, I think it is awesome with the special effects. The screen scenes are wonderful and something really different to Maaya's other music videos. But I wish there was more stuff going on than just walking around a room with sheets for the rest of the video...

They could have had a video with extras and dramatic things happen and explosions and a battle scene! Like an espionage story or...or...something with explosions.

But that screen is very impressive. I wonder how they did it?

Wednesday, 6 June 2012

In the Silence clocks in at no.7 on Oricon

For its first week ranking on Oricon, Maaya's latest concert 'In the Silence' sold just under 3,000 copies and ranking in at seven in total.

I'm not sure if that includes Blu-Ray and DVD sales together but I imagine that splitting sales between formats might make a difference to the overall amount sold.

Monday, 4 June 2012

Maaya's official page opens mini-site for new single

Maaya's official homepage has opened up a new mini-site to promote her new single 'More Than Words' which is to be released next month.

Click here to go check it out.

Unfortunately, there's nothing up there except for the words, "Don't you think 'freedom' is sad?" which is taken from the lyrics of the song. They'll be updated it from now until the release date.

Wednesday, 30 May 2012

'In the Silence' enters Oricon DVD charts at no.9

Not a bad ranking for the overall DVD chart (not just music DVD's) as you can see.

More costume exhibitions and 'In the Silence' on sale

Maaya's official homepage updated with a proper announcement about the costume exhibitions in Tokyo here. They have also helpfully put up photos with a note to say which outfit is displayed where. In addition to the two I noted in my post before, the 'Driving in the silence' outfit is located in Tower Records Shibuya and the encore outfit is located in Animate Shibuya.

If you're in the area, maybe you could try and collect a photo of all of them! I always wonder whether Maaya has a big wardrobe for all these costumes. Would you ever get a chance to wear them again after the concert?...The encore dress you could wear as a party outfit, I suppose!

Also, the DVD and Blu-Ray of 'In the Silence' is officially on sale!! I hope mine is waiting for me when I get back from work!!

Monday, 28 May 2012

Shinjuku Tower Records displays 'In the Silence' concert costume

This is pretty neat, Tower Records in Shinjuku is displaying the 30 Minutes Night Flight costume from Maaya's tour to celebrate the release day. Awesome! Picture here on Twitter.

EDIT: Another user on Twitter has posted up the Easy Listening costume from the concert which is on display in Animate to celebrate the release of the DVD and Blu-Ray today. Lovely costume. All the costumes were in the style of the original album artwork ^^V

One more day until the Blu-Ray and DVD of 'In the Silence' is released!

@miyaishiho one of Maaya's staff posted up a photo of the Blu-Ray and DVD 'In the Silence' concert on her twitter account here. Red is the Blu-Ray, white is the DVD edition. I am actually jealous of the Blu-Ray one, red looks so nice...

Really brings it home that the concert will be out tomorrow! Looking at the packaging, it looks so wintery! The weather here in Japan has really started to heat up in the past week so it will be nice to cool down with 'Driving in the silence' again!!

Can't wait till tomorrow!

Friday, 25 May 2012

'More Than Words' to be aired on Vitamin-M next week!

Last night's Vitamin-M broadcast was another great show and it ended with the news that Maaya would broadcast her new song 'More Than Words', theme of the new Code Geass anime, next week on Friday 1st June!

Firstly, is it already June next week? Secondly, hurray! The new song is almost upon us.

Monday, 7 May 2012

More Than Words to be released 25th July 2012

Well, after all the waiting since this collaboration was announced, Maaya's single for Code Geass, 'More Than Words', has finally been given a release date and tracklist. Maaya's official homepage released the info today and revealed that not only is the title track in collaboration with Yoko Kanno, but also the coupling song. The third track on the album will be a 'secret track'.

Except they just told us it was on the CD. Not so secret?...I sense a flaw in the plan!

The first press edition of the single will also contain a DVD with the music video for 'More Than Words' on it.

Sunday, 29 April 2012

New Code Geass Trailer - release scheduled for August

The official website for the new Code Geass film which Maaya will be both voice-acting for AND providing the theme song ('More than Words' - a collaboration with Yuho Iwasato and Yoko Kanno) has updated the official site with a promotional video for the show here.

No voice-overs or music apart from some pretty chaotic Jazz but it seems the OVA will air in August with the soundtrack CD scheduled for the autumn.

Although I would expect the song to be released as a single (hopefully!)