I''s jdorama Episode 2

I'm loving this show so much, I just want to post screencaps because it looks and feels so much like the manga.

I''s is a teenage wish fulfillment show but its a very well done teenage wish fulfillment show.

Not saying I''s is the same class as Champon Tabetaka.

For what its is, is very well done.

And you can feel the love for the source material throughout this show.

Never did I ever dare to dream that someone would someday make a good live action version of I''s.

Can't really comment on the story since I've loved this manga for so long and have reread it multiple times.

Here's hoping they can keep up until the end! You can get the raws of I''s at SkewedS translation and the subs at d-addicts here.

I''s jdorama Episode 1

I did not have any expectations for I''s after what happened with Video Girl Ai. I''s is my favourite shounen romance manga after Maison Ikkoku. (I know there's a dorama version of it but I never watched it cause I remember not liking the casting)

The Video Girl Ai dorama did everything wrong; it did its own story instead of adapting the manga, they cast the wrong girl and completely neutered the sexy elements from the manga. So its taken me a while to start watching I''s because I I did not want to see another beloved manga get screwed.

I''s is your basic romance manga for guys back in the day when a guy's harem would stop at 3 girls. Nowadays, a manga would not be able to sell with only 3 female characters.

I''s is famous for its incredible art by Masakazu Katsura and also a lot of fanservice which pales in comparison to stuff today like ToLoveRu. Probably the most important thing is that it tells the story about a bunch of people who grow up and become adults together.

From the first frame of I''s jdorama, there was something different. You could tell the director wanted the dorama to look like Masakazu Katsura's had come to life.

The screenshots look like they came from the manga. The uniform was there and emphasis on the thighs aka zettai ryouiki aka absolute zone.

I''s is so faithful to the manga, I could not stop grinning from ear to ear. I wasn't convinced about the casting of Iori from the preview but Shiraishi Sei does a decent job except for the wig. The casting of Teratani is absolutely perfect.

I was laughing and cringing at all the same places I did when reading the manga. I can't complain.

Absolutely loved the first episode.

I don't like the Itsuki casting but we'll see if she can channel Itsuki from the manga.

For fans of the manga like me, I''s is must watch.

I don't know how to judge the dorama objectively because as long as it is faithful to the source material, I am happy. My first must watch jdorama of the year!

Suits Episode 7-11

I am gonna take a break from writing about the Japan trip and get back to writing about Jdoramas which I have been slowly catching up on. I just finished Suits today.

Bframe has indicated that the Japanese show does not hold a candle to the original which I have not seen. I normally prefer to watch the original but in this case, Suits feels like a breath of fresh air because it doesn't have all the tropes of Japanese doramas.

One funny thing I want to mention is that they got that kabuki actor guy Ichikawa Ebizo to play a prosecutor in Suits and in the game Judge Eyes which I just finished, there is a prosecutor character who looks exactly like him called Izumida.

Araki Yuko's job in Suits is to pout and do the doe eye look. Everything I want to say about Suits I've already said in my first review.

Overall I enjoyed Suits and rate it watchable, unless of course you've seen the original then I would suggest you keep your expectations low. Thanks to blitzlilz for subbing. I doubt I will be watching Hajimete koi wo shita hi ni yomu hanashi becaue Fukakyon is in it.

Passed my JLPT N3!

Results came out today!!! Somehow I got perfect score for reading and listening although when I was studying for the exam, I usually got half my comprehension questions wrong and there were a few listening questions that I thought were surprisingly difficult.

These are the three books that I used. My favourite is the grammar speedmaster on the right. Very easy to understand. I like the complete mock exam on the left because it explains to why the answer was right AND why the other answers were wrong. Very important for self study. Last is the complete master grammar on top which I did but was confusing for me. I think less is more and that's why speedmaster was good for me.

I did a lot of the comprehension questions twice and it was only towards the end did I start to figure out how to handle the questions. A bit disappointed with my vocabulary/grammar score. 17 wrong questions is a lot and that means I got a lot of the 50/50 questions wrong. :( On to N2. I've read there's a bit of a jump from N3 to N2 and I want to see if my vocabulary from watching doramas and playing games can handle it.

Japan trip 2018/2019 Part 8 : Takayama Showa Museum

So we said goodbye to the teddy bear museum,

and hopped on the bus to downtown Takayama.

One thing you will notice in Takayama is lots of places selling Hida beef skewers and sushi and I have plenty of skewers and sushi despite having just eaten. One thing to note is that the skewers get cheaper the further away you get from the station.

We didn't really know what to do in Takayama but the one thing that caught my eye as we looked at the map was the Takayama Showa Museum.

Me love showa era stuff and nothing says Showa like Yamaguchi Momoe.

It really felt like a show era movie set.

I can hear the Kinpachi sensei theme song in my head.

Playing SF2 on the SFC. The controller was really bad.

Wall of Famicom cartridges.

When was the last time you used a public phone?

Showa magazines.

Showa wrestling posters. Lots of Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki.

This is so nostalgic for me even though I did not grow up in Japan.

The Showa Museum was nice but we were kind of burnt out on Takayama itself.

First, it felt like a town that existed just for the tourists. It did not feel like there were any locals.

Second was that everything seemed to shut early and combined with shops being closed, Takayama felt empty.

Third was that it felt like Takayama consisted of the same 5 touristy shops being randomly generated all over and over. You can explain the first two reasons with New Years but the third reason just gave me this feeling of this place being 'fake'.

Spent an hour aimlessly walking around because so many eating places were either closed by 4pm or would only open for dinner after 5pm.

Managed to stumble upon Maruaki Hida Takayama that had A5 Hida Beef.

I wanted to keep the cost around 10000 yen and in hindsight, I should have ordered more pork and regular Hida Beef. At least I can now say I've had the A5 Hidagyu although I can't the difference between regular and A5.

Back to Ryokan Murayama for a dip in the hot spring.

Thermae Romae poster. Next post, my first time having a personal hot spring!