Sunday, March 17, 2024

Ryomaden Eps 16~30

I am more than half way through this 49 episode taiga dorama and I have learned that Sakamoto Ryoma's greatness is that he could have had Hirosue Ryoko or Kanjiya Shihori but gave them up for Maki Yoko as Oryo. It hasn't happened as of episode 30 yet, I only know because they were together in RGG Ishin! and Sakuraba Nanami played Oryo.

If I can be series for a minute, I am glad that all the Takechi Hanpeita is over because the Nagasaki part of this story is where Sakamoto Ryoma is most interesting. This is the Ryoma that I know from Shinsengumi! and I appreciate that Ryomaden has given me a lot of info on the Choshu and Satsuma rivalry and how the Shogunate uses clan rivalries to consolidate their power.

I think episodes 31-49 will be the best parts because this will show Sakamoto Ryoma's contribution to the Meiji Restoration and also how Yataro will finally create Mitsubushi. I enjoyed Kinpachi sensei as the boss of the naval training center. It is a shame that they did all the ground training and did not get much particle sea experience.

Nagasaki is interesting because Japan was a country where samurai lived for their lord and clan and Nagasaki was a port city where there was a clash of cultures and it was about making money instead undying fealty to one's lord like Takechi Hanpeita who would be happy just being acknowledged by his lord.

Japanese at that time placed more importance on clan and did not really identify with being Japanese and Sakamoto thought that nationalism was important to protecting Japan from foreigners. I feel an urge to watch the new Kenshin anime series and to replay RGG Ishin again with Takahashi Katsunori and Takechi Hanpeita.

Edit: Did not realise that John Manjiro was played by Tortoise Matsumoto, the singer of Ulfuls!

Friday, March 15, 2024

Hatsukoi Zarari jdorama review

WHAT IS HATSUKOI ZARARI ABOUT?

Hatsukoi Zarari is a feel good boy meets girl jdorama except in this case the girl Arisa played by Ono Karin has mild intellectual disability and autism. In the beginning of the first episode, we see she works as a hostess and is easy manipulated by men for sex. It is also a workplace dorama since they are colleagues. 

WHAT IS GOOD?

+ Ono Karin and Kazama Shunsuke are good actors and forever in my good books because of Suzuki sensei and Soredemo Ikite Yuku. They have decent chemistry.

+ Ono Karin is positively adorable and you will want to cheer her on.

+ Wayamura Mayumi as Arisa's mom.

+ It is an absolutely sweet romance dorama.

+ I like the workplace side of teaching people with autism how to work. I saw a news report recently about autistic people being trained to work and I think helping autistic people being able to work is an interest topic. I would like to think you can teach anyone how to do a job as long as they have work hard.

+ Shows the struggle people with autism have in their day to day life and that autism exists on a spectrum.

WHAT IS NOT SO GOOD?

- The main characters have an age gap and with Arisa's low IQ and autism, there is this feeling of is he manipulating Arisa behind the sweet romantic facade that this show has? It doesn't help Ono Karin plays her Arisa like a child. There is a bit too much of a power/mental imbalance that it made me slightly uncomfortable. On the other hand, autism exists on a spectrum and Arisa exists at the top of it and who am I as the audience able to deny a character's feelings just because she has low IQ?

SUMMARY

Really love the casting. Not so sure about the power imbalance in the relationship. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more as a workplace dorama with a bit of romance. If you like the two main actors might be worth checking out. Thanks to kayatoast subs for subbing.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Ryomaden Episodes 12~15

Maybe I just want to post screencaps of Hirosue Ryoko because she is so damn good! Episode 12 finally gets to the meat of the problem when Ryoma finally goes to Choshu to Kusaka Genzui and ask the obvious question, why do they want to joi or expel the foreigners? The answer is that the Shogunate signed a deal that was very unfair for Japan.

So the joi people are blaming the Shogunate not thinking maybe having more advanced weaponry pointed at you has something with signing a one sided deal. It is easy to say that from a modern perspective because Japan in those days was so rigid. The whole country was divided into clans and everyone lived and died for their lord and the Shogunate guaranteed loyalty by getting their families to live in Kyoto. Everyone was rigid in their thinking.

For a second I thought this was Imada Mio but obviously it was not.

2 second cameo from Usuda Asami when she had her natural face. Guessing she might be an important supporting character going forward?

Have to mention Sato Takeru playing a Kenshin like assassin for Takechi Hanpeita right before he played the Kenshin role. Almost as if it were a deliberate audition for Kenshin.

My favourite line is when Ryoma says it is natural that everyone has different opinions but no one wants the foreigners to take over Japan. Takechi Hanpeitai and the joi people are just killing everyone who disagrees with them using the cause to gain power.

Hirosue Ryoko at the height of her powers is amazing and Ryomaden is finally moving to 5th gear! On a related note since I am watching Ryomaden for Rise of the Ronin, finally preordered the Cero Z version of Rise of the Ronin. The game is coming out in Japan with 2 versions, Cero D which is for for 17 year olds and above and Cero Z which is for 18+. The problem with Cero Z is that you can't buy from the PSN store with PSN money and you need a Japanese credit card which of course I don't have and I just but PSN money for the Jp store online.


I tried googling for information about differences and I am pretty sure there would be minimal differences but I can't stand censorship. Same with this game called Genei Ibunroku #FE which I liked on the WiiU but goddamn Nintendo had to censor the game on the Switch. It is so much cheaper to buy the Cero D game digitally compared to getting a hardcopy and shipping it but I can't enjoy a game when I know I am playing a censored version. 

Saturday, March 09, 2024

RIP Toriyama Akira

 

Toriyama Akira is probably the most important mangaka when you think about how manga and anime has become sort of mainstream especially with Dragonball. I am continually surprised when meeting people who are not anime people but know and love Dragonball Z. So many people all over the world grew up with Dragonball that it is normal.


He also created Chrono Trigger, one of the greatest JRPGs ever as well as art for the DragonQuest games. One day I will do a replay of Chrono Trigger and I can't wait for DQ12 as long as they have not changed it to an action game like Final Fantasy. Rest in peace Toriyama Akira sensei. Japan and the world has just lost a giant of a man.

Tuesday, March 05, 2024

EVOL jdorama review

Superhero jdoramas are not common in Japanese entertainment. It is more of an American thing and Japan has tokusatsu shows like Kamen Rider and Rangers shows with 5 people each representing a different colour. A lot of times superpowers are an allegory for going through puberty and the closest jdorama we got was Sono Sion's Minna Esper Da yo! which was more a sex comedy.

EVOL is a dark superhero movie about 3 teenagers who find themselves in a hospital after attempting suicide and finding out they have powers. The only superheroes in this small town are Lightning Bolt and Thunder Girl who protect the town but are actually thugs for hire for the evil mayor played by Yasuda Ken. Our three protagonists find out that having superpowers does not make your life better.

The first noticeable thing is that EVOL is that it is not a kids show. Besides dealing with heavy issues like suicide and abuse, people get killed and there is a lot of violence. The second thing is that the VFX are pretty good. The first DMM dorama I saw was Kenshirou ni Yoroshiku which had no buget so I was expecting the same but the early collapsing bridge seen and hospital escape was better than anything that I had seen in any tokusatsu show!

I thought episode 1 was alright but as I kept watching, it became very noticeable how much better Evol was visually. Evol does not have the budget of a TBS dorama but by the jdorama gods, the director knows how to use shadows very well and dynamic cameras and it looks better than any TBS dorama could. The second half of the show has some very haunting, scary yet beautiful visuals.

There is  the Hayabusa Shobodan 'Japanese countryside is so beautiful to look at' visual beauty but for Evol it is about the visual composition that is a feast for the eyes. Evol is right up there with Kenja no Ai where I am watching and thinking they must have storyboarded the hell out of the story and spent so much time on colour and shadows and light. Evol maximises every single yen of its budget and I am very impressed.

The writing is very good, especially with regards to the 3 main characters and about being teenagers and forming one's identity. The skateboard episode is really good, especially the visual representation of being an outcast. I effing love that two characters get killed at the end. Too many jdoramas are about understanding and forgiveness blah blah blah but people who deserve to get killed should get killed. The only negative thing about the story is that it ends abruptly but I want season 2.

The only question is, is Evol a must watch? I was going to award a must watch but the abrupt ending kind of put me off. The VFX and visual composition is enough to give it a very watchable rating. I think I will leave it at very watchable for now and see what happens in season 2. Great job by the director Yamagishi Santa who did Video Girl Mai. Is he the new Sato Shinsuke? Huge thanks to HPriest for subbing and providing the raws. You won't regret watching Evol!

Sunday, March 03, 2024

Ichiban Sukina Hana 6~11

Finally finished Ichiban Sukina Hana and I did not enjoy the 2nd half of the series as much as the first half of this show about 4 people who who meet up at Tsubaki's house. One thing that bugged me was the lack of detail in regards to Tsubaki's home loan. 

Everyone in the show is super nice and considerate and they love hanging out at Tsubaki's house but no one asked how he was paying for this gigantic house with his single income when he bought it together with his ex-fiance. I have to give points to the writer for giving a reason why the previous owner of the house was able the afford it which was a divorce settlement because I was thinking how does a teacher afford such a big house? On a side note, Tabe Mikako's face looks like she is closed to being mummified.

The other thing about Ichiban Sukina Hana is that it is about four very nice people being friends and there is basically no climax to the series. There are feel good funny moments and probably the most exciting thing was the revelation of this person who had ties to everyone in the group and I liked who they cast as the person but ultimately the ending left me with a meh feeling. The show made me laugh out loud a few times and I really liked the grumpy version of the 5th member but it did not feel worth watching in the end.

Ichiban Sukina Hana is not Quartet and I enjoyed the first half but the lack of anything happening in the second half just makes me want to delete it despite having Tabe Mikako and Imada Mio. Meh from me. Go watch Quartet for a second time if you want a fun show about 4 people living together unless you really want a show about whether guys and girls can be just friends. 7 episodes have been subbed so far and I watched the rest with Jp subs from jptv.

Monday, February 26, 2024

Fixer Season 3 jdorama review

The first season of Fixer was about the car crash mystery of the Prime Minister, the second season was about how Karasawa Toshiaki would free Watanabe Tatsuya from being framed for a crime he did not commit and the third season is about a kidnapping set during a Tokyo governor election.

The first thing that caught my attention has this line by Kobayashi Kaoru saying only 50% of eligible voters vote for the governor of Tokyo. Half the people don't vote and even if they did, they do not remember the names or the policies of the candidates. The most important thing is to have people remember your name. Hhmm, this is true for mayor voting as well.

Season 3 started off well with the election and kidnapping of the daughter of a construction company, then there is this hostage exchange thing which I don't really buy. Fixer has a lot of great ideas but execution is lacking in details.

I do enjoy having Furuta Arata and Takashima Reiko for season 3. WOWOW casting is usually very good and Fixer is no exception. If you accept Fixer's flaws and turn off your brain, it is a fun whodunnit series set in the political world.

The best part of Fixer season 3 is the ending which made everything click in place because I did not understand why Karasawa Toshiaki did a bunch of things. Is there going to be Fixer season 4~6? Fixer is a 3 season series as far as I know. I really want to see what happens next and how Karasawa Toshiaki will get to his objective. Flawed but watchable for me with an exciting ending. Bring on the next season! Only the first season of Fixer has been subbed but Jp subs are available at avistaz.