March 07, 2014

Shibuya 109 Sale, Yakiniku Feast + Shinobi: Heart Under Blade WAKUWAKUJAPAN Movie Review


A not-so-throwback outfit from my Japan trip last January! I went to Shibuya 109 that day with Jess and mom to join the craziness of the '7 Days Bargain' event which was being held there. Shibuya 109 is one of the most famous shopping venues in Japan and they hold this sale event once a year and it is usually in the beginning of the year. :)

Watch how the Japanese willingly spent the night outside of Shibuya 109 building in 8°C waiting for the door to open in the next morning:



Our Japanese friend (Shintaro-nii, who was introduced by Stella) told us that queueing was very common in Japan. Some of them even queued for the latest iPhone ONE WEEK before it hits the shelves. /smh

It's true though! Quite often we saw Japanese people lined up for something and always, always in neat formations. Even when we queued for like 3 hours for one of the attractions in DisneySea, there was not a single Japanese kid or teenager who whined or acted out. *standing applause

#OOTD: GOWIGASA Maroon Polka Dot Sweater,  Maroon Pencil Skirt, and Vintage Purse | Boots from Japan

***
Here's a short video to see the atmosphere of Shibuya 109 '7 Days Bargain' event:

Our next stop after shopping was this mouth-watering yakiniku restaurant that we accidentally spotted when we were looking for a cat cafe:

Yakiniku Jutei, Shibuya


I really, really recommend it especially if you are a yakiniku lover! The meat is very tender and the price is also cheaper compared to, let's say, Sumibian in Jakarta. If you want to go there, check out the map here. :)

 My most favorite: TONGUE!!! Words can't describe how tasty and fresh it was.
NOMMMMMMMMM
Writing about this trip makes me miss Japan even more!!! The polite people, beautiful scenery, bizarre fashion, rich history, drooling food, advanced technology, unique places, ahhh basically every thing about Japan.

LUCKILY, I can still catch them on WakuWaku Japan TV Channel that plays various Japanese TV shows and movies!! I was so relieved when I saw some of my favorite films were actually listed in the schedule! One of them is ‘Shinobi: Heart Under Blade.’



I’ve seen this movie a LONG time ago in DVD and I really liked it! Even though I’ve forgotten many details of the story, the impression it left on me remains. And when I saw the title on the WakuWaku Japan’s movie schedule, it immediately rang a bell, “AH! This is the movie I’ve been trying to find! The Japanese version of X-Men!!” And after I watched it for the second time, I'm still mesmerized.

The story is about the clash between two Shinobi clans, Iga and Kouga, and the fated love between Gennosuke (Kouga) and Oboro (Iga). It's an action-drama movie but it lays more emphasis on the drama than the action part. But if you are an action junkie, you can still enjoy the film because each of the Shinobis (ninjas) possessed interesting supernatural powers or special abilities, such as the power to move at very high speeds, 6th sense, the power to manipulate thin wires, poison specialist, and the eyes of destruction. And I've got to say, the ending was unexpected! 8D

Rate: 7.0/10


I can't wait to watch more Japanese movies on WakuWaku Japan!! The one I'm eyeing the most is "JokerGame" heheh.. Do you have any Japanese movie recommendations? If you do, please share on the comments below! :)



Elissa Yamada

February 25, 2014

Exciting WAKUWAKU JAPAN!

Had lots of fun at WAKUWAKU JAPAN MUSIC FESTIVAL that was held about a week ago at JCC Senayan, Jakarta.
WAKUWAKU JAPAN is an entertainment channel that broadcasts Japanese TV programs in Indonesia. *say whaaat??* Yup, whether you're a J-culture fan like us, or if you're curious about Japan in general, you can now watch this channel because it broadcast the best selection of popular Japanese programs (Anime, Drama, Cultures, Entertainments, Sports, Music, Film, Documenters), ALL made-in-Japan contents, 24 hours a day in local languages (children's programs are dubbed and other programs are subtitled)!! *cries happy tears* (˘̩̩ᴗ˘̩̩ƪ)
*WAKUWAKU (ワクワク-わくわく) itself means 'excited' or 'thrilled'; which best describes our feeling about it, too!

♡ Launched on 22 February 2014, WAKUWAKU JAPAN is now available for Okevision and Indovision subscribers ♡

To celebrate the launching of the channel, WAKUWAKU held this live music event that we attended. ^_^

On Jess: GOWIGASA's Bolts Sleeveless Crop Top, Ikat Tribal Backpack
On Elle: GOWIGASA's Asymmetric Semi Sheer Blouse 

WAKUWAKU JAPAN MUSIC FESTIVAL featured both Japanese and Indonesian artist performances like Flumpool, JKT48, Afgan and Bunga Citra Lestari. Attended by many fans and J-culture enthusiasts, the event was a success!
Pretty BCL a.k.a. Bunga Citra Lestari
We were most excited watching Flumpool and JKT48 performances. Flumpool's vocalist Ryuta Yamamura (山村隆太) was SO HANDSOME!!! When the show was almost over, we went all fangirling with Stella Lee over him. It was like, "Okay, one... two...... three! RYUTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!" lol!
Now JKT48 was entertaining in a whole different level. In case you don't know about them (which is doubtful, but well, just in case..), JKT48 is an Indonesian idol group which has the same concept with it's super popular sister group AKB48 in Japan. Their concept is "idols you can meet" and unlike regular idol groups which would occasionally perform on concerts or TV shows, JKT48 performs daily at fX Sudirman, Jakarta; just like AKB48 who performs daily at their own theatre in Akihabara, Japan.

We wonder if this concept is the main cause of so many JKT48's fanatic fans out there or if there's any other reason. All we know is that JKT48 has so many enthusiastic loyal fans; especially fanboys! Now this event made us witness it (JKT48's crazy popularity) with our own eyes AND it was also our very first time watching their show; live and as VIP guests, too! So lucky~~~ That night, JKT48 performed their fifth single "Flying Get" for the first time. It was AWESOME and made us dance in our seats! Watch the fancam here:
*watch the 'whooo' part that made all them fanboys go crazy lolol*

Jess: I love goodie bags! Oh, as you can see, I was wearing this top from GOWIGASA, but it was freaking cold right there, so I changed into the free shirt inside this goodie bag (hence the first pic in this post). ^^v

In addition to the Japan Music Event, on 22 February 2014 at Balai Sarbini Jakarta, 
WAKUWAKU also presented ULTRAMAN COSMOS LIVE STAGE with live action show from Ultraman and the Kaijus (monsters) themselves!! It was unexpectedly very cool!


Jess went there and guess who the MC was? It's none other than… the famous STELLA LEE! Loll. In fact, we both wanted to come there to record her MC-ing because she's ultra silly on stage hahaha. But alas, Elle didn't make it because she was stuck with the 30-minutes-later flood. T_T

Behold Ultraman fans out there, here's our EXCLUSIVE PHOTO WITH THE ULTRAMEN!!!
Lol, seriously, all the other peeps were not allowed to take pics with these tough guys, handshake only! But thanks to our cute MC up there, we managed to take this pic~~~ XD


Camwhored on my way there:


Also camwhored with the tix inside the venue:
Anyway, you see the dad beside me? The whole show his daughters fell asleep and he was the one enjoying the show whole-heartedly. Even shouted, laughed and clapped enthusiastically during the show lol. Must be an avid Ultraman's fan since he was a kid. XD Thanks WAKUWAKU for holding such delightful events for all of us!

All in all, we're so glad with the events and we cannot wait to share with you the amazing TV programs that WAKUWAKU brings to us. Especially the doramas (J-Drama)!

Okay then, thanks for reading, please leave some comments and see you guys on our next post~ (ˆヮˆ)づ♡

XOXO

February 22, 2014

3 Ways to Style a Red Button-Up Shirt


If anyone asks me what my favorite color is, my answer will be ALL THE COLORS! Seriously, there is no color I won't wear.
But I've got to say RED is one of the top three! I mean, if I'm about to go out and I have to be ready in a blink of an eye, and there are only shirts available in all the rainbow colors, I will most likely grab the red one.

So, today I will share some ideas on how to style a Red Button-Up Shirt in 3 different occasions! :D

1. It's a Date


When you are dating someone you are attracted to, especially in the early stages, you want everything goes smoothly and romantic. So why don't you start from the girl in the mirror by dressing up in the most romantic colors - red, pink and white? :)

Here I'm wearing a flirty flare skirt to add some cutesy points (hehe), and white heels to tone down the in-your-face shining red! As for the accessories, I went with a very simple necklace to keep it classy.

Ah, the red lips are optional! Some might find it too much, but it is flattering to my pale skin tone. :)

#OOTD: GOWIGASA Red Dual Pocket Sleeveless Button-Up Shirt and Soft Pink Plaid Skirt | Samantha Thavasa Bag | Sachlirene White Sky High Heels

2. Casual Encounters


The second style is for those times where you just want to dress comfortably while still looking good. It can be for having casual meet-ups with your friends or when you are running errands.

Key points: Breathable Pants + Snuggly Outerwear + Comfortable Shoes + Some eye-catching items like Red Shirt and Studded Bag + Soft Colored Lips

Tips: Don't forget to unbutton the top 1 or 2 buttons of your shirt to casual it up! :D

#OOTDGOWIGASA Red Dual Pocket Sleeveless Button-Up Shirt, Studded Tote Bag, and Denim Woven Shoes | ZARA Ripped Boyfriend Jeans | Debenhams Grey Outerwear | Sunglasses from Shibuya 109

3. Work It


I personally don't like formal working outfits, I think they look too "adult" and serious, lol. I prefer to dress up as a girl, not a woman! So, every time I'm going to a client meeting or anywhere work-related, I usually add some colors or prints to my outfits, without going overboard of course. Just like the one I posted here, I wore a red shirt but also (lots of) brown to neutralize the red tones.

Tips: Blazer will always smarten up your look, and you can also add some accessories to finish off the overall look.

#OOTDGOWIGASA Red Dual Pocket Sleeveless Button-Up Shirt, Brown High Waisted Shorts, and Brown Blazer | Charles & Keith Bag | Bruno Premi Brown Boots | Topshop Necklace

Well, I guess that's it! It's currently two in the morning as I'm typing this, so I better go to sleep now.
Btw, which one is your favorite outfit? ;)

Elissa Yamada