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Reviews
Yoshitsune (2005)
Truly beautiful series - possible spoilers
The costumes are sumptuous, the production is highly artistic and extremely beautiful. Visually stunning, pretty much in the same way that 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' is gorgeous, but with a lot more storyboard. The story of Yoshitsune is very famous in Japan, this series shows interesting incidents of his life such as the fight on the bridge with Benkei, the tengu teaching him sword-work, the encounter at the barrier while fleeing for his life, etc. The story is contrasted with interspersed shots of modern-day landmarks showing where actual battles took place, etc. Loved this series, it's loaded with tons of Heike fashionable eye-candy, and full of action. The Heike era was one of great beauty, and these period settings are faithfully reproduced like the woodcuts you see in art books. There are over 40 episodes, so if you like long series with lots of character exposition this is great. It's a treat, I highly recommend it.
Kuitan (2006)
Cute detective series
Kuitan, the Eating Detective, is a specialist with a huge appetite and appreciation for food. He has the nose of a perfumier, and tastebuds that Sherlock Holmes would envy. The series opens with a down and out detective agency (Holmes Detective Agency), scrounging desperately for cases in order to pay the bills. They receive a mysterious message, the owner of the detective agency is sending them a reinforcement. Enter Kuitan, cheerful and hungry. They soon find themselves on their first case butting heads with the local police. As the detective agency folks view from afar a sprawling dead body which the police are evaluating, Kuitan spots a half-eaten tray of sushi right next to the dead man. His co-workers look on in horror as he stealthily makes his way to the sushi, whips out his gold chopsticks 'Castor' and 'Pollux' with a flourish, and blissfully downs two pieces of sushi with ecstatic cries of 'OISHI-I-I!!' before the screaming police nab him. Of course, this action is soon revealed as his specialization, gourmet forensics. Narrowing down the suspects from the ingredients and so forth, he manages to point the police in the right direction. This is the start of a heartwarming relationship between the Holmes detectives and the police, who solve mystery after mystery, together with the help of a junior 'Kindaichi' wannabee and his cat Miyuki, who are soon inducted into Holmes. Fans of Jinnkama in Densha Otoko will enjoy Momo-chan in Kuitan, with her shouts of 'IGURASHI!!!!' Family-friendly series, nothing too graphic or awful - in fact kids may learn a new appreciation for eating their vegetables.
Doragon-zakura (2005)
Possible spoilers - great series!
I loved this JDorama, there was so much wisdom in it. Ryuzan school is the worst, the students have the lowest grades and most awful reputation as dummies, few ever go on to college and none of the students EVER get admitted to prestigious Todai University. Even such a thought is laughable. Ryuzan is such a failure that it's in danger of bankruptcy, no one wants to enroll their kid in that school or admit that their kid goes there. The kids themselves know there's only one reason they're there, they are considered to be hopeless dummies with no future. The Chairwoman informs the faculty that bankruptcy is imminent, a lawyer is on his way to sort out the details of closing the school. He turns out to be an ex-punk, a streetwise guy who wasn't born with a silver spoon, a guy with a spotty past who worked his way up in the world to become a lawyer. He's also a sort of Sir Richard Branson type of guy, he sees an opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons (the situation of Ryuzan is sour indeed), and in the process possibly make himself famous and sought after. He sees no glory in closing the school, only failure, so he pitches a deal with the Chairwoman to get the school a higher ranking by creating a special class, which he 'bets' he can get 5 students admitted to Todai University by the end of a year's training. The faculty oppose him and his unconventional methods, he has a sort of zen-like understanding of how people learn, memorize, store information, and it's all a mind-body connection martial training system which is way too innovative for them. The reluctant guinea-pig students are subjected to strange teachers that he accumulates, who possess certain teaching properties calculated to bring about his goal of 100% success. Even if you just paid attention to the methods these teachers use, you can learn a lot about how to learn and memorize, and if you pay attention to the themes of the series you would learn a lot about persevering to overcome your own walls and pursue his advise, "If you fall, pick yourself up and do your best. In life there are many correct answers. Go find the correct answers for you, go and have a magnificent life!"
Yamada Tarô monogatari (2007)
Sweet comedy - warning! possible spoilers!!
Reminds me of the 5 Little Peppers, many unforgettable characters (the girls parents are simply hilarious), and some very funny scenes, such as acquiring and chasing the croquette bento, and shopping with the 'master'. The bit with the part-time maid job was strange but eventually did fit in with the whole. Fans of Gokusen will recognize the principal (he's the actor who played the Oedo family grandfather) in a funny turn as the 'Red Vegetable'. Who knew he was so athletic? Everyone should be so blessed as to have a big brother like An-chan, the world would be a better place. Mimura-san was also great, he was a sensitive guy who respected his friend's dignity (with the exception of that maid episode). Lots of family feeling in this series, and the viewer is left with an uplifted feeling of Gambatte!
Kindaichi shônen no jikenbo - Kyuketsuki densetsu satsujin jiken (2005)
A fun whodunnit, part Young Sherlock, part Abominable Dr. Phibes
Hajime is the grandson of a famous detective, but he hasn't got the desire to bask in the light of his grandfather. He is a student with a typical guy profile, chases girls and plays a little hooky. The local cop calls him a 'brat', which is probably a bit of too much authoritarian adult oppression. Hajime is not a brat, he is trying to enjoy life in a free style. But after accepting a group invite from a fellow student, somehow Hajime ends up at a haunted hotel with a number of other people. It seems they are looking for a 'good scare', since there were rumors of vampires in the past, and now the rotting hotel 'Ruin' is a tourist attraction, although seemingly not a very popular one, quite off the beaten path. Some are ghost scoffers, they just want to show that there is no such thing as a spook. Before long, the vampire makes an appearance and they find themselves trapped in Ruin. Will Hajime overcome his disinclination to become involved in matters that he feels should be left to professionals? Or will he lend a hand and help solve the mystery? Kazuya Kamenashi is his usual lively self, and while this isn't a nightmare-inducing film like Ringu, the vampire really is nicely scary. It would make for a fun Halloween night for mystery buffs.
Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters (1999)
I love this series!
I agree that the acting is phenomenal, I too wish to see Sam West and Robert Lindsay in other productions, but it seems that there is very little available by way of backtracking their other works. I am tickled every time Lord Edrington gives one of his dry little commentaries, he would make an awesome verbal adversary. I can't remember where I heard this quote but it pops into my head when I watch Sam West's portrayal of the redoubtable Lord Edrington, "It's difficult to fight a battle of the wits with the unarmed." Not that HH is 'unarmed', but Lord Edrington seems to leave the Naval folk deliciously speechless rather frequently.
^_^
Tora no o wo fumu otoko-tachi (1945)
WARNING - SPOILER!! Of interest to those who study samurai or Japanese history
Kurosawa re-tells a famous incident which occurred in Japanese history around 1185 A.D. (I can't remember the exact date), Yoritomo and Yoshitsune were brothers who fought a common enemy, but after the enemy's defeat, Yoritomo turned on Yoshitsune and sought his death, creating a dragnet by setting up barriers and search parties all over Japan. Yoshitsune fled with a small band of loyal followers, including Benkei, a famous warrior monk. With much hardship, they made their way along hidden forest paths hoping to seek refuge with an ally, disguised as monks (Yoshitsune is eventually disguised as a porter). But they come upon a barrier guarded by Yoritomo's men, who have orders to execute suspect monks (three unlucky 'suspect monks' have already been executed at this barrier the day before), as the word is out that Yoshitsune is traveling in such disguise. Recounting a famous incident in samurai lore, when Yoshitsune (as a porter) comes under suspicion from an observant barrier attendee, Benkei immediately intervenes and tries to protect his lord from unmasking by beating Yoshitsune half to death with his famous rod and shouting "You always cause us trouble!", they are allowed to pass the barrier as it is inconceivable that any retainer would ever lay a hand on his lord, such an act would certainly be grounds for instant death. So of course, the porter couldn't be a lord, he must be just a regular porter. Over the objections of the barrier attendee, Togashi waves them through with safe passage. Apparently one of the ironic things about the entire story is that everyone in Japan knows that Yoshitsune passes this barrier only to be hunted down two years afterward and forced to commit suicide, while Benkei ends up much like El Cid, protecting his lord. It is said that in their dramatic last days, he rushed into the castle and shouted "All is lost!" and Yoshitsune asked Benkei to give him time to slay his wife and child and commit suicide. So Benkei agreed and went back outside to fight his losing battle and fend off the enemy as long as he could. His reputation was so fearsome that the enemy shot him full of arrows and he still stood ferociously, after a time the enemy approached him in trepidation and touched him, whereupon he toppled over and they discovered that he had been dead for awhile. So, like a scarecrow, he had guarded his lord and discharged his duties posthumously. I read somewhere that Togashi, the man who let him pass the barrier, knew exactly who he was, but was so much in sympathy after seeing what straits Benkei was driven to to protect his master, that Togashi let them pass anyway, possibly inferring that he would be required to commit suicide later, for letting them slip through his fingers. If so, this could explain why Togashi later sends sake to the group, it could be that when it is presented to the monks, Benkei also understands that Togashi knowingly let them pass and will be required to kill himself. He is in essence sharing a symbolic farewell drink, therefore he does drink to the dregs and appreciate the chance at life which was granted to them through Togashi's own self-sacrifice, so he sincerely drinks to Togashi. However, I must say that Susumu Fujita (as Togashi) looks so very sincere during all of this that I have a hard time believing that he indeed knew of the subterfuge, perhaps the sake was sent as a token of admiration and a kind gesture only. Like a lot of Kurosawa scenes, a great deal seems to be left to the viewer's interpretation. The story is famous culturally also because it is immortalized in a Kabuki play, The Subscription List, much of the treatment in this film appears to follow the Kabuki rendering of events (I have never seen the Kabuki play, but I read the synopsis, and it appears to have the same story-line. Costumes appear to be very similar, looks like mountain yamabushi, possibly Shugendo sect). The addition of the humorous comic is one difference, I don't know why Kurosawa put him in there, but one can get a sense of what appealed to Japanese people in 1945 as it is said that he was a well-known comedian. OK, end of spoiler.
p.s., don't watch a cheap Hong Kong knock-off of this video, get an original. The cheap Hong Kong version has awful sub-titles.
p.p.s. The real Benkei is said to be buried on the grounds of Chuson-ji temple.