Atom no Ko episodes 2+3

I know I gave the first episode of Atom no Ko a promising review. Unfortunately, the series has come crashing down to TBS earth for me. Atom no Ko just feels a bit too much soap opera formula for me, like the writer could have easily replaced video games with any other industry and the show won't not have been any different. It doesn't feel like the story was tailored for video games and rather it feels like they just inserted videogames into an underdog going up against big corporation story.

It felt like things happen for the sake of things happening. I did not buy the Tominaga character who is the president of Atom, who is supposed to be mature one going around showing their video game either to the enemy. 

I feel like Atom no Ko should have explained a lot of stuff to the audience such as high digital distribution has allowed the indie games industry to survive, all the various costs involved with game development, which platforms do they want to release their game on and how important marketing is with hundreds of games released each day.

I know that I am not the main audience for this show and it bothered me that the game they are making is Chu Chu Rocket which came out a 20 years ago but I feel like the details about gaming and the industry are not there in the story and they should be.

I enjoyed the Street Fighter element of the story in episode 2 and marked out for the appearance of Mikado in Takadanobaba. It is one of the famous retro arcades in Tokyo besides Hey in Akihabara so please check it out if you are ever there. Last time I was Takadanobaba I tried to find my way to Mikado from memory but failed and could not be bothered looking on my phone and ended going somewhere else.

I will still check out the series by fast forwarding for any future video game fanservice and cameos but I jumped the gun with this show and shall endeavour never to do so for any TBS show again. Meh. 

Nobody to Watch over Me jmovie review

I am pretty sure I watched this long time ago but did not write about it and came across it recently and could not remember anything so decided to watch it again. Part of blogging is just to keep track of what I have and have not seen.

Juvenile crime is a commonly used in jdoramas and movies because watching someone escape punishment because of their age can easily arouse anger but the answer is always not so simple. Nobody to Watch over Me comes into the issue from another angle, that from the suspect's family.

Shida Mirai is the sister of a brother who is suspected of killing two girls. The outside of their house turns into a media circus and the most memorable scene in the movie is the police trying to protect the parents by getting them divorced and remarried so that the koseki or family register has the children using the mother's last name. In other words the parents divorced so that the husband can enter the wife's koseki thus changing everyone's last name. Koseki is one of the things that make Japan so unique whereas in most countries anyone can change their name easily.

Sato Koichi plays the rough cop with a daughter and estranged wife who is assigned to look after Shida Mirai. Sato Koichi's only concern is giving his daughter her present and trying to patch this up with his wife. Bad things happen to Shida Mirai's family and Sato Koichi finds out that he not only has to protect her from the press but also from the public at large.

I enjoyed the scenes with Ishida Yuriko and Yanagiba Toshihiro as the couple who run a bed and breakfast  that Sato Koichi brings Shida Mirai to. I can't complain about anything but I don't think it is good enough to have been represent Japan for best foreign film at the oscars.

Nobody to Watch over Me is a watchable movie about how the family of a criminal is also victim of a crime and how society's eagerness to fee righteous anger and lead to people doing wrong things in the name of justice. Watch it if you feel like a serious movie about people's response to crime from the perspective of the suspect's family.

Uzukawamura Jiken jdorama review

Uzukawamura Jiken is WOWOW's attempt at a suspense thriller set in a remote village in Nagano. Matsuda Ryuhei is a doctor who's wife has disappeared and he has come to her home village of Uzukawamura with his doctor in search of her.

This show reminds me of one jdorama series which is Trick. The staple story of the series is always some remote village with a funny religious ceremony and superstition and Abe Hiroshi and Nakama Yukie will uncover how the magic trick is performed.

Uzukawamura Jiken is very similar except its a pretty serious show and non of the humour. Its more the psychological suspense of murders happening in a village that is has no power and is cut of civilisation because of a landslide. There is also village politics with the powerful Yahagi family and the young people who do not like the Yahagis.

While Uzukawamura Jiken has a stellar cast with Renbutsu Misako and Masato Ibu, the series was not suspenseful for me because I kept thinking about Trick and how this seems like a higher budget Trick episode but I think the directing needed to be more raw and movielike. I think it wasn't real enough to sell the scariness of the story and just seemed weird. Its like someone made a serious version of one of my favourite comedy jdoramas but doesn't do it different enough that it seems like a unfunny version of the original show. 

I applaud WOWOW for trying something besides their usual corruption jdoramas and it would have cost a lot to bring so many people to some remote village to shoot this show but all that effort ended up creating a forgettable jdorama. I think people who have not watch Trick might enjoy Uzukawamura Jiken and though I watched the whole thing, at no point was I excited about what was going to happen next. Meh from me. 

Atom no Ko Episodes 1 jdorama review

I love videogames and its been a long while since the last good video game jdorama No Con Kid. I was hesitant to jump into this because I was afraid Atom no Ko would be about some stupid mobile game like that Nino kidnap dorama My Family.

Atom no Ko starts off with a short recap of the history of video games and daring to omit Sega although they did have Megadrive, Saturn and Dreamcast on their list of consoles. The main thing I want is to feel the love for gaming from the writer and creators just like No Con Kid.

Atom no Ko is about two characters, Nayuta played by Yamazaki Kento aka Mr Alice in Borderland who created this game called Downwell which is an actual game. Usually when videogames are shown in jdoramas they are some fake game that doesn't exist. Hopefully they will show more real games in Atom no Ko. And speaking of Alice in Borderland, part 2 comes out in December I believe and I am keeping my expectations low because Yamapi is in it but I would love it if he dies in the end.

The second character is Tominaga Umi played by Kishii Yukino. Umi is the daughter of this toy company Atom which is losing money and not popular but is known by fans for their high quality figures. Nayuta who has since quit gaming since the release of Downwell is a fan of Atom and Umi who grew up watching her father make toys in Atom is a fan of Downwell and she wants Atom to make games in order to survive.

Rounding up our characters is Odagiri Joe as the bad guy who caused Nayuta to quit the business, wants to buy Atom for its patents and uses gaming to make money from selling player information.  I want to see him lose so badly.

I am cautiously optimistic that this could be a decent TBS show. I also need to finish Old Rookie which is another TBS show. I was watching episode 1 of Atom no Ko noticing all the video game references in the backgrounds. I hope to see more video game easter eggs in upcoming episodes and have noticed they are showing a lot of Capcom game.

I like the theme music which is uplifting. The ending of episode 2 is very interesting. Please don't screw this up TBS! If you like videogames and an underdog story about small business fighting against big companies Atom no Ko is for you. Watchable first episode. Hardsubs are available from blitzfansubs.

Elpis: Kibou, Aruiwa Wazawai Episodes 1+2

I think its been a long time since I've seen such a promising Nagasawa Masami show. I am usually singing the praises of WOWOW and NHK but Fuji TV is doing not bad this year with the decent Mahou no Rinobe and now Elpis.

Elpis is the story about an innocent person who is on death row and a bunch of people who have to find out the truth about the murder of little girls. The fun part about Elpis is that our main characters are not journalists but rather belong to the variety tv world. In this case, the show is the lowest rated show on the station Friday Bonbon.  

Nagasawa Masami is Ena, a former newscaster who lost her job due to a scandal and has been banished to Friday Bonbon with her own small 'news' section. Everyone on the show are unwanted people and Maeda Gordan is a young director of the variety program who comes from a rich family and is blackmailed into investigating the guy on death row.

Rounding up our trio of heroes is Suzuki Ryohei as a political reporter with a connection to Nagasawa Masami and who once reported on the killing of the little girl. All 3 characters have their own past traumas and issues they have to overcome.

The first thing I noticed about Elpis was the directing. Its not the WOWOW signature style but its better than the usual generic directing. Turns out it is Hitoshi One, director of River's Edge, Moteki and Akihabara@Deep. 

The second thing I enjoyed was the depictions of sekuhara in the variety industry. I like that they did not hesitate to show the cutthroat world of variety world and how awful women get treated in and out of the workplace. Enjoy is not the right word but I like to see jdoramas reflect what actually happens in the real world. Sometimes I watch tv shows and everything is too politically correct.

The pacing of Elpis is stead. Acting has been good and directing awesome. Still too early to judge but so far so good. Big thanks to edwardwong for subbing. Watchable and promising show and the tag of the title which means hope or disaster is very ominous.

Kuuhaku wo Mitashinasai Episodes 1+2

I have always said I will accept any premise as long as it leads to a good story and Kuuhaku wo Mitashinasai has one hell of a premise. In Japan, people who died have started to resurrect and a salaryman played by Emoto Tasuku comes back after 3 years. The thing is Emoto Tasuku doesn't remember how he died and his death was rules a suicide.

If the whole resurrection thing sounds familiar, that's because they did it in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the snap but did a horrible job making a story out of it in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Kuuhaku wo Mitashinasai does not make the same mistake. It does what Marvel did not do which as actually explore people randomly turning up after death.

Will their own family still accept them or have they lost a place to belong. What about job discrimination with no work history for 3 years or people viewing the resurrected or fukuseisha as lesser people? Kuuhaku wo Mitashinasai explores all these questions with the main story being did Emoto Tasuku actually commit suicide and why doesn't he remember his death?

The acting is really with Suzuki Anne as the wife and Abe Sadawo as the creepy security guard at Emoto Tasuku's old workplace. What is it with comedians being good at playing creepy roles? Watching Kuuhaku wo Mitashinasai made me realise Marvel really wasted a chance to tell good stories about regular people coming back after a few year.

Very, very promising first two episodes. I am intrigued and trying to temper my expectations for the next 3. I wish it had a bigger budget because it certainly has the star power. Thanks to LuWuang for subbing. You might have to get the subs from discord. Very watchable.

Mahou no Rinobe Episodes 1~5

I usually enjoy occupational jdoramas because they let me see the challenges and hardships that people in other jobs have to put up with and Mahou no Rinobe which means magic of renovation if about the renovation industry.

Haru and Mamiya Shotaro are perfect as the two leads of the show. Haru previously worked for a big company but quit her job for personal reasons and joins Marufuku, a small construction company. Mamiya Shotaro plays Gennosuke, the second son of Marufuku who is also experience a personal low in his life. Gennosuke has no sales abilities and Haru has to train him from the ground up.

First off chemistry between the two leads is excellent. They fact that both are at the bottom of the personal lives at the beginning of the show helps as they help each other professionally and privately.

Like all customer service jdoramas, Mahou no Rinobe is pretty much about figuring what the clients actually want because no one actually says what they are really thinking. If everyone did, 90% of jdoramas would not have any stories.

I really like the writing for Haru's character Shingyoji Koume. She's is entertaining and the only character I don't like is the Johnny who plays the youngest Marufuku son. There are two bad guys in this show who are very very hateable. Haru's former boss and Marufuku eldest son. I would bloody pay money to beat up the eldest son.

If you are after a fun workplace dorama with a bit of romance, I find Mahou no Rinobe watchable and funny. The subs from edwardwong are available at subscene according the fansub wiki.

Shin Ultraman jmovie review

Anno Hideaki, creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion set off remaking nostalgic Japanese properties into movies first with Cutie Honey and then Shin Godzilla which I remember more for Ishihara Satomi's horrible English. Now he has brought us Shin Ultraman, based on the long running series about a dude who can transform into a giant alien to fight giant aliens in rubber suits.

Ultraman is probably the first Japanese property I became a fan of, especially Kaettekita Ultraman or Return of Ultraman. The show brings up a lot of nostalgic feelings for me and yes I have even sung the theme song in Japan. I know there are many different Ultraman shows so I have no idea which one Shin Ultraman is based on.

The start if Shin Ultraman is pretty decent. We have a recap about the sudden appearance of kaiju in Japan and the formation of an organisation led by Nishijima Hidetoshi to deal with the kaiju, the SSSP. The SSSP is more like a bunch of people on laptops observer kaiju and ordering the armies around with a camera which is way too close and claustrophobic.

Ultraman appears and we get decent action and I was feeling good about the movie. The effects looked retro including the sets that Ultraman fought in. While the SSSP no longer flew planes and had guns as long as there were kaiju for Ultraman to kick ass, it was all good.

The Shin Ultraman starts getting weird. It turns into a crappy Japanese government trying to deal with alien life forms other than Ultraman story. It gets even weirder when something happens to Nagasawa Masami and I did not get the tone of the story at all. The CG for the last two actions scenes sucked after the nostalgia of the first action scene. There are PS2 games with much better CG that this movie.

In the end while I get what Anno Hideaki is trying to do which is an moving alien contact movie about an alien who wants to be human I don't think he did a good job and he shouldn't have wasted the Ultraman license on it. I would have been happy with a modern Ultraman with nostalgic paint instead of someone trying to be too clever. Disappointing. Do not watch. I am scared for Shin Kamen Rider which is Anno Hideaki's next release.

Miki Clinic de Kanpai wo Episodes 1+2

The following conversation may or may not have happened in the offices of TV Tokyo between two producers. I do not claim to have any insider knowledge of TV Tokyo or jdoramas in general. 

Producer A: I have come up with a great jdorama idea that I guarantee no one has ever done in the history of jdorama!

Producer B: Sounds exciting, what is it?

Producer A: You know every season there is always a medical dorama because they are easy to produce. No need for outdoor scenes, just need a couple of pretty plastic surgery faces and medical lingo and the average watcher can't tell if the story is plausible or not.

Producer B: Yes the fact that the action scene of a medical drama can be shot in one room and you just need observer characters to tell the audience what is happening makes them so cost effective.

Producer A: Wait until you hear my idea. What if this dorama is about a secret clinic for the rich and powerful?  For famous people to get medical treatment without the outside world and media knowing about it.

Producer B: Ok, you have my attention.

Producer A: What until you hear the whole idea! Your mind will be blown. What if the clinic is underneath a bar so the doctors and nurses just hang out at a bar when there are no cases and go down when there is an operation.

Producer B: I don't see the point of a bar. People can randomly walk in off the streets? I thought this was supposed to be a secret clinic?

Producer A: It is a secret clinic! Don't think so hard. The actors will get to pose with drinks and look cool and this will attract viewers!

Producer B: (thinking to himself) So whoever Producer A slept with must have given him this stupid idea.

Producer A: It gets even better. This group of doctors and nurses have special abilities like fighting ability, ability to impersonate any voice, hacking and reading people's thoughts.

Producer B: Is this a medical dorama or a sentai show?

Producer A: No you idiot. Can't you see that that I am going to create a new genre! Medical dorama plus political suspense and detective work! These super powered doctors will not only perform incredible operations in a world of political intrigue but also solve mysteries and find criminals! This will change the face of jdoramas.

Producer B: Are you sure your wife didn't make you special cookies today?

Producer A: I spent the night at a love hotel. Anyways, I have written the script for the first two episodes and it is about a minister who is stabbed by evil forces who want to stop her plans for a casino because she wants to create a wonderful place where families can have fun.

Producer B: Wait, I thought casinos were about generating tax money for government, money laundering and taking advantage of problem gamblers?

Producer A: No stupid. Casinos are about the best place for families to enjoy themselves. Anyway I have a great scene where they interrogate a suspect at the bar. The bad guy will escape but its actually part of the plan.

Producer B: Wait I thought this clinic was supposed to be a secret? There's a reason why no jdorama has ever done this idea before....