J-pop (often stylized as J-POP; "jeipoppu"; an abbreviation for Japanese pop), natively also known simply as pops, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in traditional Japanese music, but significantly in 1960s pop and rock music, such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys, which led to Japanese rock bands such as Happy End fusing rock with Japanese music in the early 1970s. J-pop was further defined by new wave groups in the late 1970s, particularly electronic synth-pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra and pop rock band Southern All Stars.

Eventually, J-pop replaced "kayokyoku" ("Lyric Singing Music", a term for Japanese pop music from the 1920s to the 1980s) in the Japanese music scene. The term was coined by the Japanese media to distinguish Japanese music from foreign music, and now refers to most Japanese popular music.

The origin of modern J-pop is said to be Japanese-language rock music inspired by the likes of The Beatles. Unlike the Japanese music genre called "kayokyoku", J-pop uses a special kind of pronunciation, which is similar to that of English. One notable singer to do so is Keisuke Kuwata, who pronounced the Japanese word "karada" ("body") as "kyerada". Additionally, unlike Western music, the major second ("sol" and "la") was usually not used in Japanese music, except art music, before rock music became popular in Japan. When the Group Sounds genre, which was inspired by Western rock, became popular, Japanese pop music adopted the major second, which was used in the final sounds of The Beatles' song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and The Rolling Stones' song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". Although Japanese pop music changed from music based on Japanese pentatonic scale and distortional tetrachord to the more occidental music over time, music that drew from the traditional Japanese singing style remained popular (such as that of Ringo Shiina). What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What is the topic today?
2. What is it abbreviating?
3. What did it replacing?
4. What 's another name for that type of music?
5. What is the subject's place of origin?
6. Yes, but what type of music?
7. What band was an inspiration?
8. Who mispronounced "body" in her native tongue?
9. What is unlike Western music?
10. Name one song which adopted the major second?
11. By what group?
Answer: 1. J-pop
2. "jeipoppu"
3. "Lyric Singing Music"
4. "kayokyoku"
5. Japan
6. in 1960s pop and rock music
7. The Beatles
8. Keisuke Kuwata
9. the major second was usually not used
10. "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
11. The Beatles

(CNN) -- NBC's "Constantine" joined the growing party of comic book-based TV series with its Friday night premiere on NBC. But critics couldn't quite agree on whether it was worth staying home (or even DVRing) to catch it.

Matt Ryan stars as John Constantine, a rebellious and not very likable exorcist with an affinity for trench coats and cigarettes -- at least, that's how he appears in "Hellblazer," the DC comic book upon which the show is based. To adhere to network standards, Constantine ditches his bad habit for TV, a source of contention for Hitfix.com critic Alan Sepinwall and others.

"The absence of John's most physically self-destructive habit is symbolic of a larger issue," he said. "And as John will tell anyone who listens... symbols have meaning, and when you take them away, you can take away the power they represent."

'Constantine' adds to TV's comic-book trend

That's not all that worries critics about Constantine, who introduces the real world of demons and ghouls in the premiere. Fans and critics believe Ryan's performance will make this show sink or swim, similar to Hugh Laurie on "House" or Benedict Cumberbatch on "Sherlock." For some of them, it's not looking good.

"Ryan is a particular problem, I'm sorry to say," Vulture's Matt Zoller Seitz said. "I don't know if he was miscast or poorly directed, but something about his grooming, makeup, and line delivery make him sound like (and sometimes resemble) Jim Carrey in comic high-dudgeon mode."

Others, however, took a more positive view of his performance. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What show premiered?
2. on what network?
3. Do critics like it?
4. Who plays the main character?
5. and who does he play?
6. What is the show based on?
7. which is?
8. What does he have an affinity for?
9. and?
10. Who sounds like Jim Carey?
11. who said this?
12. What does Hugh Laurie play on?
13. what does Cumberbatch play in?
14. Is John's habit missing in the show?
15. why was it ditched?
Answer: 1. Constantine
2. NBC
3. no
4. Matt Ryan
5. ohn Constantine
6. Hellblazer
7. DC comic book
8. trench coats
9. cigarettes
10. Ryan
11. Matt Zoller Seitz
12. House
13. Sherlock
14. yes
15. symbolic of a larger issue

Andrew Engel was puzzled. He was sitting in class, but had no idea what the other students were talking about. He had done his homework, paid attention to lectures, and taken notes, but nothing was familiar. "Everyone is so much cleverer than I am," he thought. It was a strange feeling, as he was always a good student in high school. He felt even more puzzled a few days later. He got lost on his way to his favorite cinema. What's worse, he began having trouble finding the right words when speaking. He asked, "What's for dinner, Mom?" after he had just eaten. Poor Andrew, he was only 15! His parents were worried and took Andrew to see a doctor. A brain scan made it clear: Andrew had a malignant brain tumor . It was pressing on the part of the brain that makes new memory. He should be operated on as soon as possible. Andrew was _ ! Doctors removed the tumor, but Andrew's memory was still poor. He was told he would probably never go back to school. Andrew was eager to enter a university, but it seemed that his dream wouldn't come true. "Even though they told me this, I knew I wanted to go back to school," Andrew said. "I wanted to get my memory back." Andrew began by auditing an English class at a nearby school. In class, he took notes carefully and read his notes several times a day, then typed them again and again. He studied twelve hours a day, seven days a week. He worked ten times harder than other students. In 2007, at age 29, he graduated from a local university. Six months later, Andrew found a job. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. How old was Andrew?
2. Was there something wrong with him?
3. Physical or emotional?
4. What was wrong?
5. How did it affect him?
6. Why not?
7. What was one of his first inclinations that there was a problem?
8. Was he typically a good student?
9. What else did he have difficulties doing?
10. Did he get lost or confused?
11. Did he need surgery to remove the tumore
12. Was his memory immediately better?
13. Did he go right back to school?
14. What was he told about being able to return?
15. How did he feel about that?
16. What did he do to make that a reality?
17. How many days a week?
18. Did he attend a University?
19. Did he graduate?
20. When?
Answer:
1. 15
2. yes
3. physical
4. a malignant brain tumor
5. he couldn't make memories
6. the tumor was pressing on his brain
7. trouble in school
8. yes
9. finding the right wordds
10. yes
11. yes
12. no
13. no
14. he would probably never go back
15. he knew hewanted to go back
16. he studied 12 hours a day
17. seven
18. yes
19. yes
20. 2007