Hachi-One Diver ep 3

OMAE NI TOTE OPPAI TO WA NANDA?


OMG, this is probably the most hilarious episode I've seen this year. Even if you have no interest in this series, I recommend just watching ep 3 for laughs. Akiba no ukeshi/Soyo brings Hachi-One to fight niko-gami in an old, rundown shack. Hachi-one then asks Niko-gami to bet something which is as important as life itself.


After some consideration, Niko-gami decides if he wins he would grobe Soyo's oppai! Hachi-one luckily does not pull a Shinji and quickly agrees to bet on Soyo's oppai! If you're still reading this and looking at the screencaps with a smile on your face, stop reading and get the damn episode! I watched this with zero expectations and was laughing all the way to the end!


The humour is not really in the fact that two men are playing Shogi to see who could grope Soyo's oppai. The humour is in Niko-gami throwing away what little is left of his pride to sate his inner most desire. The humour is in Hachi-one quickly agreeing whereas he would normally pull a Shinji and start whining. The humour is in their total disregard for Soyo's presence knowing that she would not stop their Shogi game.


And the ending is all about Niko-gami punchline with totally left me ROFL. What this episode has shown is that the best comedy is when serious characters are placed in absurd situations. Not slapstick, wink at the audience style. Sigh, if only Yama Onna Kabe Onna were half as funny as this episode. And I will forever remember Niko-gami's line which will go down in jdorama history as one of the most memorable lines in Jdorama history along with 101 Proposal's 'Boku wa shinimasen!'.


OMAE NI TOTE OPPAI TO WA NANDA?

Osen eps 1-3

Shows about nice people are hard to do. Most of the time they come out as too nice, overstepping the boundary into the realm of stupidity. Either that or they end up being real bland, generic characters. Thus, they are usually not the heart of the show. Take for example, your typical shounen harem story. Its all about the chicks cause the main generic nice guy can never be interesting. Or your typical shoujo story where its the nice girl who has to face unsurmountable odds, ie having difficulty plus the kitchen sink thrown at her. Of course shoujo stories rely on love or an irritating villain to keep things interesting. In order words, nice characters are usually faceless boring characters so that it is easier for the viewer to imagine themselves in the character's place. Anti heroes are so much easier to write and cool villains are always in danger or turning the audience against the protagonist.


So what happens when a show like Osen comes along where there's no villains, no romance and no harem? Where the show basically relies on food and a nice protagonist to keep the audience glued to the screen. First step is to give your nice character a few idiosyncrasies to help define the character. In Osen's case, its her penchant for drinking and buying expensive antiques. Mostly, it relies on the actress' ability to actually make a nice character compelling. And Aoi Yu is such as actress.

I love a woman who loves to drink. :)

The only show I've seen Aoi Yu in is Tiger and Dragon. She didn't impress but neither did she stink up her role. I saw her in Hana and Alice long time ago but can't remember anything about the movie. I have the applaud her performance in Osen as the main character, who is the okami of an old fashioned restaurant. Everything about Osen screams furui yori jidai no onna. (woman from last century)

If she said that to me, I would die of happiness.

The way she nods, the way she speaks and moves are traits which are no longer present in Japanese girls today, or so I have surmised from Japanese tv. It fits in very well with the theme of the show, which is mainly that people living in the fast world today have left behind the old traditions of cooking. Like in ep 1 where she does a cooking battle against a cook who only uses microwaves.

Aoi Yu reminds me of Suzuki Anne, not really idol looks but absolutely shines onscreen.

It is such a funny yet symbolic scene. It really spoke to me how we don't have time for cooking anymore. Although most of us would choose speed and convenience over effort and taste, deep down inside we wish we were able to spare a couple of hours in the kitchen. While I'd rather spend any extra time on gaming and doramas, Osen allows us to dream or a simpler life.


And probably the second most important trait Osen has is that while she is too nice, she is far from stupid, thereby saving her from the usual downfall of the audience getting sick of too much idiotic niceness. She is so innocent yet, not without guile, though always in consideration of others. The best compliement I can give this show so far is that it makes me happy. Not in the Hachi-one Diver sukebe happy but rather happy to see Osen happy.

Jmovie review: The Machine Girl

Probably my most anticipated movie this year. Japan makes horrible action movies/jdoramas with some yakuza and samurai movies being the exception. I'm not asking for Bourne but something simple, coherent and doesn't look like a sentai show. However, they make excellent B movie gore cum action movies. If you've never seen Ichi the Killer or Versus, look them up now! While these movies lack in decent script and adrenaline factor, they make up for it by being so bad, they're actually good.

Don't be fooled her cleavage! She's a ninja yakuza mom of a high schooler!

If you've never seen these types of movies, I'd be hesitant to recommend Machine Girl. Watching movies like these is like watching a midnight dorama. You know its going to be bad so you have to turn off your brain and have fun watching it. You could say they're more akin to exploitation movies. Films that rely on content that you don't see in mainstream films.

Yashiro Minase looking cool and sexy. :)

Here she's looking kawaii, Hhhmm, doesn't she look like Matsu Takako?

So what's Machine Girl about? Its about a schoolgirl with a machine gun attached to her left arm. If the idea of schoolgirl + machine gun doesn't excite you, how about yakuza ninjas and lots and lots of blood? Did I mention the gore? Don't watch this movie when you are eating. Alcohol will probably improve your enjoyment though.

Somehow, I don't think those men holding her hands are teachers. :)

The main actress is Yashiro Minase, a gravure idol who I will definitely fill my HD with pictures of. I think I fell in love while taking all the screencaps. She plays Ami Hyuga, the title character who's brother is killed by the heir of a ninja yakuza clan. She tries to seek revenge but her left arms gets chopped off and later is fitted with a machine gun. IMO she's pretty good in the role. She's got screen presence and plays her role seriously (unlike Horitaki Maki in Teppan Shoujo). The important thing is no matter how stupid the scene or line was, she said it with conviction.

I wouldn't want to mess with these two...

The action scenes are pretty decent. Usually when you have chicks in action movies *cough* Azumi *cough*, the action usually gets pretty lame cause its hard for girls to look convincing punching, kicking or slashing a sword. Directors will try to overcome that by trying to get the actress to do a lot of cool poses and use a lot of stunt doubles, ie lots of cutting which in my book is a no-no.


Ouch, that's an expensive price to pay to be in a room with two hot chicks.

On a side note, I can't believe how much editing there are in Jet Li's American movies. The longer the shot, the more impact an action scene is. After all, action scenes are a story onto themselves and the audience's ability to follow the 'story' of a fight or car chase in integral to the enjoyment of the scene. End rant.

Ami + Miki = hot!

Basically what I am saying is that Minase Yashiro looks good. It helps that Asami, who plays Miki, Ami's partner in vengeance actually looks tough. I can't believe that she that she is actually a JAV actress!!!! Take a look at her picture here. She looks so sweet and innocent and yet in the movie she's so kick-ass. Their fight scenes are so hilarious yet cool though Ami fighting bare handed with one arm can look a bit weird. She's punching without a left hand to defend. It would probably make more sense (and more upskirt shots) if she used more kicks. Hhhmm. Idea for sequel? :)

Pantsu mita!!!!!!

Another barely seen pantsu shot!

There's no need for me to pull this movie apart and attempt to deconstruct it. Bottom line is, I had a hell of a time watching it. Its an exploitation movie. Its a movie for people with acquired taste. And if my screencaps don't make you salivate, nothing will.

I wish she were waiting for me like that at home, minus the kodachi of course.

Last Friends 1-5

When I first heard about this show and that there would be girl on girl action between Nagasawa Masami and Ueno Juri, I was excited. Less because of yuri action but more because this might be the show that establishes Nagasawa Masami as a top actress in my book. I think she's good but my gripe is that she's not been in a really good dorama/movie or showed that she can carry one. The best thing I've seen her in is Nada Sou Sou and that movie was carried by Satoshi Tsumabuki who should have been in Proposal Daisakusen. My point is, she hasn't shown that she can elevate mediocre shows into good shows like Hirosue Ryoko or Matsushima Nanako.

Just do it you &^%$@&*!!!!

Last Friends' synopsis on the drama wiki describes it as a dorama that tackles issues of the current generation. To me, this show is basically a textbook example of battered woman syndrome where Michiru, played by Nagasawa Masami is seemingly stuck in a violent relationship but cannot get out. The main problem I have with this is that is a textbook example rather than exploration or in depth look at the battered woman syndrome.


First problem is that very limited time is used to set up Michiru and Sosuke's relationship. They throw in the obligatory Michuru comes from a single mom family who is always looking for love to explain her stupidity in continuing to stay with Sosuke. Yes, I know lots of women are in such relationships. My complaint with Last Friends is just the way its presented. Its too shallow, too simple, too impersonal, too.... detached.

Main reason I watch this show...

Its like watching some educational video on battered woman syndrome. Michuru is less a real character and more and example. Time needed to be taken to established between her and Sousuke. There is no chemistry, no personal attachment by the viewer into their relationship and when Sousuke quickly revealed his true colours, there is viewer apathy. Its just too easy to say to Michuru to quickly leave him.

I'll never look at Ueno Juri the same way again....

Now if they had taken say 1 and a half episodes to establish the Michuru & Sousuke relationship and slowly showed the audience that he violent SOB it could different. Maybe in the beginning it would be just simple flinging things across the room or breaking of plates. Basically, their relationship needed to descend into hell slowly and drag the viewer them. Instead we get a big burst of violence in the first episode which by episode 5 I am so fucking sick and tired of Michiru not being able to walk away. Don't they have intervention orders in Japan?

I wish she were talking about me...

Yes, I know they are unable to devote that much time to Michiru's story. Problem is I don't give a fuck about the rest of the characters. Not the hairdresser who may have been abused as a kid, not Ueno Juri who wants to be a guy and not the CA and the husband without balls. All the characters revolve around Michiru's story of abuse but because that breaks down, the dorama falls apart. I think the show would have benefited from a gritter more realistic look similar to the movie Daremo Shiranai instead of your generic bright colours jdorama look.


Is there anything that can be done to save Last Friends? Not that I can see. Michiru is going to continue being abused until the end of the series maybe resulting in Ueno Juri dying in trying to save her or something. I don't care. Just because Michiru gets beaten up every episode by Sousuke doesn't automatically make her an emphatic character.

Hachi-One Diver eps 1-2

I love midnight doramas cause there is no expectation of decent writing or good acting. Its all about enjoying shows that are so bad that they're good. And of course the extra fan service that these shows always have since they do not need to cater to families. Hachi-One diver intrigued me cause its about Shogi. One of my favourite mangas ever is Hikaru no Go which is also about a board game. HikaGo showed that any competitive event can captivating. It just requires excellent writing.

I'd certainly like to do a few things if I were Kentaro.....

In Hachi-One, Kentaro is a Shogi player who failed his pro exams and currently gambles on Shogi for a living. One day, he challenges Akiba no Ukeshi (Naka Riisa)and is completely defeated. Dejected he goes home and calls a maid cleaning service only to find that Akiba no Ukeshi works as a maid as well. Basically, we have a student-mistress show where the mistress is also the maid of the student.

Kawaiiiiiii~~~~~~

I kinda had high hopes for the show but quickly realised not every midnight dorama can be Liar Game. However, this show has one very good thing going for it: Naka Riisa as Akiba no Ukeshi/Miroko. OMFG, she is so fucking moe I cannot stand it. Everytime she is on screen my happiness index just goes through the roof. Technically, she's not super hot but OMFG, she can probably kill people with her moe-ness.

If there were maids like her in every country there would be no wars....

Its all about the eyes, the sort of blank look with slight nodding of head. Hachi-One has revealed to me the secret of heaven. Heaven is being able to call a bust and moe maid to clean your room.
Kentaro, (the main character) has no idea how lucky he is. My main problem with the show is how Ikari Shinji like Kentaro is: ie an emo and a wimp. Kinda lost count of how many times he's cried in two episodes.

Best view in the house....

On a side note, watched the new Eva movie last week and OMFG, I hate Shinji for what he's done to anime/manga main characters. What happened to the generic nice guy main characters?!!! Why must main characters be so pussified and sensitive? I'm not asking for Golgo 13 but Shinji has eliminated clear cut masculine/feminine roles. Sigh, if I can go back in time I'd try to at least force Gainax to let Shinji grow some balls and stop his whining in Eva.

I can only dream......

Back to Hachi-One. While still better than crap like First Kiss and Last Friends, Hachi-One would be unwatchable for me without Naka Riisa. Avoid unless you dream of maids.

Luckiest man in the world...

Hataraki Man eps 1-5

When I first heard about Hataraki man, I was kinda turned off. Another dorama about a working woman? I've seen too many of them, from Brand to numerous Shinohara Ryoko shows. The problem is all of them are very pedestrian. By the numbers. Uninspiring. Its as if the writer has a list of issues working women face and just ticks them off. That is, until I saw Hataraki man.

So, this is what OLs talk about.

I like Kanno Miho. I enjoyed Iguana no Musume, Koi ga Shitai and Itoshi Kimi E. To me, she was a decent actress but not great. There are only two, maybe three jdorama actresses I consider great. Watashitachi no Kyokasho was the first time I thought Kanno Miho was pretty good. Perhaps she just needed a juicy role instead of her usual chick in distress roles. Sort of similar to Hataraki man, her role was a lawyer who had to choose between a bright future and the right thing. The depth she brough to that character was amazing.

The best thing about the Hataraki transformation is the reaction of the others.

Now in Hatarakiman, she plays Matsutaka Hiroko aka Hatarakiman an editor of a weekly magazine. When she gets into her work, she becomes a sort of OL superhero who gives 110% to work. I just love the way she runs during the intro song. The run is so rigid like yet looks cool. Its like a superhero who instead of going to vanquish evil is going to .... work. Yes, the concept of a superhero salarywoman sounds weird but for some reason it just freaking works. Whether it due to Kanno Miho, the great writing or Hatarakiman song, I don't know.



The writing for the show is very similar to Beauty or Beast, a very excellent Matsushima Nanako show. Have a huge supporting cast around the main actress and make every episode about one supporting character while slowly building up the main story. The key is to give every character a positive and negative trait and present them with a challenge which is not too cheesy or easy. Sounds simple but so many shows can't even get this right. It is the delicate balance of manipulating the audience's emotions into supporting the characters yet not making it too obvious. In other words, turning characters into underdogs we love to support without resorting to cliches which are too obvious.

My heart and other part throbs for Hirayama Aya.

If there is one flaw with Hatarakiman, it is a flaw that most salarywoman shows have, a very weak main (supporting) actor in Yoshizawa Hisashi, the dude Ace wo Nerae. He just doesn't look mature enough to be alongside Kanno Miho. I mean, he was just in a high school tennis dorama 4 years ago. I don't know whether its lack of chemistry or the fact that Kanno Miho looks so much better with the photographer or Sawamura Ikki. I feel absolute zero empathy for Yoshizawa Hisashi's character, Shinji. After watching Sawamura Ikki in Konshu tsuma and this show, I think its time he got a chance to play leading man. He's paid his dues doing boring nice guys. Who knows, he might be the next Abe Hiroshi.

IMO the Hataraki song pawns Haruhi's.

Chick factor is good. Its great to see Hirayama Aya still acting. I thought her acting career was over after Haruka 17. And of course Kichise Michiko, the dressed in black chick from Liar Game. I really, really want to see what she can do. Gotta love the air of mystery around her character. There better be an episode about her of I'm gonna be sorely disappointed.

OMG, its Sailor Venus!!!!!! (she has a small cameo in ep 3)

I'm racking my brain trying to 'sell' this dorama. Its kinda hard to describe why the show is so good in a concise manner because all I can think about is the Hatarakiman song that plays at the end of every episode. I think the producers look at Haruhi and realised that since an average anime can be so famous due a dance, then why not try it with a dorama? Still, the catchy song is just dressing on the cake.

Everytime I see his face, I just think about how not cool he is compared to the coach in Ace wo Nerae!

So, why are the first 5 episodes of Hatarakiman must watch? Its well acted, written blah blah blah. It could seriously be almost as good as Beauty or Beast/Bijo ka Yaju which is in my top 10 best dorama list. If you have never heard of it, go get it now before you watch Hatarakiman. As every episode is basically stand alone, its hard to guarantee that the quality of later episodes will be as good. I feel so freaking tempted to go buy the crappy HK English subbed version but I'm so scared the subs might ruin the show for me. Now to listen to the Hataraki Man Ondo song while I upload the pics. :)

Shikaotoko Aoniyoshi

Are you talking to me?

Someone recommended this show in the comments and gave a really good review. I was intrigued by his/her reasons for liking the show. Anyone can say why they think a show is good or not but the why is important. While a persons interests/expectations can make it subjective, I believe there is an element of objectivity in rating/judging doramas. Things like pacing, loose ends and storyline/character arcs.

The best character in the show is actually the one on the right.

Shikaotoko means deer man. Yes, Tamaki Hiroshi (Chiaki from Nodame) plays Ogawa Takanobu, a teacher who has a negative attitude towards life and is always stressed out. Ogawa is given an important task by a talking deer to save Japan from earthquakes. What follows is a mystery dorama where the viewers try to piece together the puzzle of Ogawa's mission.

Madonna, played Shibamoto Yuki. She made Ayase Haruka look so ordinary in this show, not that I really found her attractive anyway.

Its hard to talk about the show without spoiling the show so I'll just copy and paste the review from my comments section without permission:

"IMO the best drama of last season is Shikaotoko Ayoniyoshi by miles. It has elements of fantasy, mystery, suspense, and comedy, but is essentially a very well written mystery with Japanese mythology as backbone. If you thought Ashita no Kita Yoshio is a well written mystery, then this one will blow it away. It has one of the most full-proof and watertight plots I've seen, but if you pay attention, you should be able to figure out most pieces of the puzzle by the end of ep. 6."

Hotta, probably the most intriguing character in the show.

"Still, even when the mystery is resolved at the end, every single major/minor detail is accounted for, and there's no loose ends I can tell (and I've read/watch thousands of mystery novels/movies/dramas). This drama ranked higher than Bara no nai Hanaya in the Oricon end of season satisfaction rankings, just behind Daisuke. The first ep. is a bit slow; if you still haven't gotten hooked by the end of ep. 3 then you're either not paying attention or this is probably not your cup of tea."

Another shot of the lovely Madonna.

I'm not sure about the best dorama bit. Saito-san while slightly inferior has more memorable characters and Hatarakiman is pretty good. Shikaotoko started out really slow for me. My brother was questioning my wisdom in continuing to watch the show. It really paid of in episodes 5 and 6 with one of the best sports episodes I've ever seen.


I just love how everything comes together in the end and makes complete sense. And the final episode is sorta like the epilogue after the climax but it was so fun to watch. I kinda hate it when doramas end too quickly as you spend 10 episodes watching the same characters. Its kinda nice to have time to say goodbye. It doesn't feel overly long and it gives all the characters the spotlight to wrap up their character arcs.

I can never get sick of taking caps of Shibamoto Yuki. :)


SPOILERS

There are some parts which are kinda stupid. Like Ogawa going back to school after finally getting the triangle. If I had something that important, I would not want to risk losing it. Nevertheless, it was necessary so that Richard could so some exposition and explain some things to the audience. Or like how Ogawa allows Richard to come along. But it just so fucking worth it for the my shika scene!

OMFG, the my shika scene was just too cool. I was kinda expecting them to be riding on the shikas when they finally found out where the triangle was but the earthquakes were causing traffic jams. Oh well, the budget for that would be too expensive. To me, the my shika scene is on par with the 'boku wa shinimasen' scene from 101 Proposals. That split second silhouette of Hotta and the chika just so perfectly sums up the show.

END SPOILERS


In short, get Shikaotoko! I am so happy took the risk of doing this weird show. Its the type of show that won't sell. How do you convince someone to watch a show about a talking deer trying to save Japan? The first episodes where slow in establishing the story and were very, very weird. But this show is so fucking worth it. Thanks to whoever posted the comment. I would not have watched this show otherwise I don't find Chiaki's acting interesting and I find Ayase Haruka overrated. This show entertained the hell out of me despite my prejudices.