Jinbe

It's painful to watch your favourite actor play second fiddle to a 50-something-year-old man and be rejected hurtingly by Matsu Takako who somehow sees more oomph in liking her -oh god- own father, albeit not one related by blood. I admit that Tamura Masakazu does exude a certain degree of charm, truth be said. But the nostalgic reflections on love, life, death and touching depiction of touching souls between an elder man and a younger girl cannot save the slowness and dryness of the drama. I fell asleep thrice through the series. Kusanagi's still a little raw and it comes across quite starkly in juxtaposition to Tamura who, after all, has Kimura Takuya (it has been said) looking to him for tips on acting. Unless one is really hard-up for a kinship-mixed-love story, cliches on the strength of love prevails over everything else, discussions of whales or simply for Takako, who, beautiful as usual, acts marvellously, my advice -stick away. Buy some other vcd if you can help it.