Mozu season 1 eps 3-10

Miharu-Rush's subs are up to episode 8 so spoilers for episode 9+10 will be white-outed. I went into Mozu with high hopes and its been mixed for me but one thing's for certain, Mozu season 1 has been sponsored by all cigarette companies since we don't see any brands. They smoke so much that I don't even feel like having a cigarette after wacthing.

WHAT I LIKED

+ The effort. They really wanted to do hard boiled cop action drama that doesn't end up in an abandoned warehouse. Can't fault them for that.

+ Chase sequence in ep 5. Not superb but not bad. Its something you see a lot in Hong Kong movies but its something you don't see in Japanese doramas/movies. I'm guessing shooting in public in Japan is a lot more expensive than in HK. I really like Yoshida Kotaro as the overacting bad guy. The only thing I didn't like was the punch by Kagawa Teruyuki that sent the baddie spinning onto the car boot as if Kagawa were a sentai ranger.

+ Shingai turned out to be the most interesting character in the show.

+ Kagawa Teruyuki daughter episode. A character episode that did more show than tell.

+ Moody and nicely framed camera shots.

+ The previews never failed to excite me.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

- Too much posturing, brooding and repeating the same thing over and over again by our main character Kuraki and not enough detective work. Kuraki is a character haunted by his past but the script is just not good enough.

- Too much telling and not showing. For example, Maki Yoko's dad's storyline. Every once in a while, some character will mention it as if to say, "Please keep this in the back of your mind for season 2" when they haven't exactly given me a reason to care. Let's not forget Kagawa Teruyuki reminding the audience how much he hates Public Security.

- Hiromi got shot multiple times, got stabbed through his heart by a gigantic spear and somehow managed to extricate his body from the spear and walk all the way through the sewer? They never explained Kazuhiko's black eye super power but that's tough to buy. So is Kazuhiko going to be as good a killer as Hiromi in season 2? Are they going to pull a Hiromi was actually Kazuhiko thinking he was Hiromi?

- We have to wait for season 2 for the daruma and glarke alpha, two things I have a hard time imagining a satisfying explanation.

SUMMARY

Good try but Mozu season 1 didn't reach must watch status. The action is there, the directing is there but the script is not polished enough. I'm still looking forward to season 2 though and am keeping my expectation lower this time. Its just unfortunate WOWOW doesn't have Japanese subs.

I've been told that Nishijima Hitedoshi is pretty popular with the ladies in Japan and I saw lots of advertisements of him selling refrigerators which explains the topless scene with Maki Yoko even though all the blood was coming from his head.

Jmovie review: Like father, Like Son / Soshite chichi ni naru

I have been waiting for this movie for a long time after Koreeda Hirokazu's overly long Going My Home. Like Father, Like Son is a movie about two families whose children were switched at birth featuring a great cast of Machiko Ono, Yoko Maki and Lily Franky. Even Fukuyama Masaharu is perfectly cast as the successful father with his stiff acting.

If you're familiar with Koreeda movies, you know what to expect; the movie never gets too high or low but every single scene draws you in and sometimes one single sentence speaks volumes but Koreeda never milks any moment more than necessary.

Koreeda frames his shots so beautifully, its like watching someone painting on canvas and they way he captures that slight twitch, slight look of understanding and makes the viewer fell the emotion without the slighest overdramatisation is incredible.

Like Father, Like Son is a movie that explores not just themes of nurture vs nature but also uses the unique premise to talk about things like how to raise a child, whether empathy is a weakness and what makes a family. Absolutely brilliant family and character dorama.

My only complaint would be the English title which has a completely different meaning from the Japanese title which is a better description of the movie as the story is seen from the viewpoint of Fukuyama Masaharu's character.. Must watch movie and if Koreeda goes back to doramas, it better be 5 episodes at most.

Leftover pictures and remaining Japan 2014 loot Part 1

Went to Hakata Ramen Barikote south of Nakano Station. Barikote means very thick soup in Hakataben and its got 3.64 stars on tabelog which is very high. It takes about 15 minutes walk from the South exit of Nakano Eki.

Ordered the zenbuiri and... it was ok. Tonkotsu Ogi, my favourite scores 3.53 on Tabelog. Speaking of Ogi, my last meal there on Friday night, the chasiu was super duper juicy and the ramen dude was beaming when I told him. Too bad it was closed on Sunday.

Ramen Ichizu at Kinshichou after watching Bokutachi no Kazoku. Rated 3.52 on tabelog.

It is exactly the same as Ichiryu in Kumamoto which is ok but I won't go out of my way to eat here.

Some vote buying national kyabakura ceremony going on Saturday night but I didn't have time to watch....

..because I had to hang out with these two at Ikebukuro. I looked up this place called Sanbariki but we ended up at the wrong place but we were too hungry to care.

Huge bunch of girls queueing up for handshake event.

AKB zombie shooting game.

Tanaka Shoten at Odaiba and it tasted nothing like it did last time. Maybe the fact that it was weekend and Odaiba was full of people had something to do with it.

Loot Part 1

Gyakuten saiban collection. If only it were fully voiced.

Not touching X-2

Ryu rubber mascot that now serves as my keychain.

Chun Li Capcom 30th anniversary towel.

Sega Saturn. My favourite console ever.

The great SRPG that no one plays and is still too difficult for me to read.

Now I can finally understand the story.

And continue to Scenario 2 which I never did.

Question is WTF am I going to find the time?

Looking at the Mano Erina at Zepp Diver City 2014 songlist

Songlist taken from upfront life and and pictures stolen from barks.jp. No matter how much I think back to the concert, I can't hear the great performances until they release the dvd. :(

1. Seishun no seranade - Staple song from all her concerts. I don't hate it but I don't love it.

2. 10 Carat no kirameki - Didn't recognise this song. She's never sung it at a concert before and its not in my regular Mano Erina playlist.

3. Aozora ga waratteru - Another b-side single I do not know.

4. Zenbu Daisuki - At this point I'm thinking is she singing other Hello Project songs? I'm pretty sure she hasn't released any new songs.

5. Gomen hanashitakattakedo  - I knew this was a Mano Erina song but I was thinking is this going to be a concert full of Mano Erina songs I don't know?

6. Ambitious! - Already heard watching chapter 2 of the Patlabor movie.

7. Mano Piano - So sad that there was only one piano song. The piano part seemed more complicated than usual. I was holding my breath thinking, don't fuck up lol. bframe wanted to hear lalalasososo.

Then we got the very long KFC commercial and yes, Taisei tasted all four flavours. Reading the recaps made me remember Mano Erina also did the yurushite nyan! Then it was band member introduction time with each member saying what their favourite food was.

8. Oyasumi nasai - The first acoustic song. I was blown away.

9. Iki wo kasanemashou - Sounded better than Nacchi's cd version. I was surprised she did the high parts well. Everyone was swaying with the song.

10. Hana kotoba - Mano Erina's acoustic performance completely destroys the cd version which sounds so boring in comparison.

11. Dare ni mo iwanaide - Love this song. Right amount of sexy and cute. I wasn't happy with the huge amount of talking *cough* Scandal *cough* but I think it was before this song when she says we were at the halfway point and I thought, "Yes that means we've got a lot of songs to go!" The second half was basically non-stop singing which is what I want in my concerts.

12. Onegai dakara

13. Medley - Doki doki baby, Junjou keisatsu KISS, 21 Seikiteki renai jijou, Lucky Aura, Hajime no Keiken, Song for the date. She should have taken out Junju keisatsu and Song for the date or even the B sides from the beginning.

14. Ambitious girls.

15. Glory Days - Meh

16. Sekai wa Summer Party! - Yes, I love this song!

17. Banzai! - I hated this song when it first came out. I thought it was trying to hard to be another chant along song like Genki mono de ikou but now I think doing the banzai, banzai, rakky, rakky is so fun and of course, towel waving. Taisei was dancing along during the two songs imitating the girls and doing a funny job at it.

18. Genki mono de ikou - The chant and dance along salaryman song. Icchyaina, icchyaina, itaikoto icchyaina! Too bad she didn't do the extra long version she did at previous concerts.

19. Seishun no seranade.

20. My Days for You - My favourite Mano Erina song and her singing the first half accompanied by only a keyboard was amazing. This was the goosebumps and something in my eye song. Need concert dvd so I can rip this performance.

21. Next Myself - Her final HP! single. Fans singing the refrain just makes it perfect.

Mano Erina concert 2014 Again~ Live House de moetsukiyou! at Zepp Diver City

OMFG. Mano Erina concert with live band and on top of that 3 acoustic performances. I am still on a freaking high.

Let's start from the beginning. Went to her 2nd last show last year, thought I would never hear Mano Erina sing live again ever.

My original plan was to go Japan in March. I had alreay booked time off even before my last trip. Through much internal debate, I moved the trip to April and then May. Two months before the trip, I find out Mano Erina was having a concert right after my trip. Without hesitation I changed my flight and bframe managed to get me tickets for me amd himself.

Yup, bframe came up from Mie for Mano Erina.

Yup, you read it right. The flowers are from Kentucky-san and it is Mano Erina's first CM job! She's been around for 5 years and this is her first CM job?

The concert started out with a few songs I was unfamilar but the live band makesa lot of difference. Mano Erina looks like a billion yen and her hair is much longer compared to in Patlabor.

View from our seats at Zepp Diver City. It was a pretty decent view.

The SharanQ keyboard dude Taisei was the director and keyboard person. The only bad thing about the concert was the 15 minute KFC Krushers skit between Taisei and Mano Erina. Small price to pay for Mano Erina's first CM.

The first memorable performance that comes to mind was Mano Erina's cover of Nacchi's Iki o Kasanemasho. I remember thinking is a live band so much better or is her singing much improved?

A lot of songs have different arrangementa and its like listening to new songs. Unfortunately no RararaSososo and Otome no Inori which should be compulsory at every live.

Everyone received a Mano pass. I'm happy that Sekai wa Summer Party and Dare ni mo iwanai weren't dumped into the medley section.

Basically until end of August this pass can be used to get 100円 off amy KFC Krusher. If I lived in Japan, I would be using it everyday to support Mano-chan. So the resposibility falls on bframe to visit Kentucky everyday.

The 3 acustic performances were sublime. The first song was Oyasumi. Can't remember the other two. You could tell she's nervous but she passed with flying colours.

The first half of My Days for You was just Mano Erina singing with the second keyboard dude playing. I had goosebumps all over. They better be taping the second show and releasing it as a DVD cauae all the livw performances sound a lot better than the CDs. Bases on what I've seen in this concert, Mano Erina would kill it with juat her and a piano singing all her songs.

So happy Mano Erina finally has a shirt that I can wear in public. Last song qas of course Next Myself and the beat part was of course singing the next myself bit.

Mano Erina has taken the next step to being a better singer which is surprising because of all the acting she has been doing. I really hope she will continue performing because she can only get better and I had such an awesome time.