Northern California's KTSF web site

It's becoming clear to me that Haruka is the equivalent of a chick-flick. It's about relationships, while Furin Kazan is for the boys. It was great to see Kansuke suddenly unroll a map and say "let's talk about the battle!" :woot:

Yeah, I think asa-dora are usually aimed at women--middle-aged women, in fact. :P But anyway, I'm looking forward to the New Year's Day special. It's about Yosano Akiko, one of my favorite Japanese poets (and my only favorite "modern" Japanese poet). (Boy, the Wikipedia page has the most unflattering photo of her when she was elderly.)

In Sakai-shi, near Osaka, there's a museum dedicated to two of my favorite artistic geniuses: Yosano Akiko and Alphonse Mucha, whose artwork was frequently ... errr ... borrowed to illustrate her progressive magazine.

ANYWAY. I'm looking forward to it!

And here's this year's Kouhaku Uta Gassen lineup:

The girls: aiko, Amin, AKB48, Ayaka Kenko, Angela Aki, Ishikawa Sayuri, Otsuka Ai, Kawanaka Miyuki, Kozai Kaori, Koda Kumi, Godai Natsuko, Kobayashi Sachiko, Sakamoto Fuyumi, Tendou Yoshimi, Nakagawa Shouko, Nakashima Mika, Nakamuranaka, Nakamura Mitsuko, Nagayama Youko, Hamasaki Ayumi, Morning Musume, Berryz, C-ute, Hitoto You, Hirahara Ayaka, BoA, Mizumori Kaori, mihimaru GT, Leah Dizon, Wada Akiko.

The boys: Akikawa Masashi, Itsuki Hiroshi, w-inds, EXILE, Gackt, Kitayama Takeshi, Kobukuro, Kome Kome Club, Sada Masashi, Sukima Switch, Sugimoto Masato, SMAP, Terao Akira, TOKIO, Tokunaga Hideaki, Toba Ichirou, Baba Toshihide, Hikawa Kiyoshi, Hirai Ken, Fuse Akira, PornoGraffitti, Maekawa Kiyoshi, Makihara Noriyuki, Mikawa Kenichi, Mori Shin'ichi and WaT.

Five hours of them. Then you can go party. Or celebrate the end of Dongame. Both should be just as merry.

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wintersweet wrote:Yeah, I think asa-dora are usually aimed at women--middle-aged women, in fact. :P

(Glancing over at Tosh-chan enrapt at this week's episode)
Yep, that seems to me true. ;)

When dongame asked the bad guy how was his mother, the guy said I tested and killed her for some reason I thought that was really funny :rofl:

edit: I say this because when he's about to arrest someone he ask hows there mom.

Looks like Kaze no Haruka will end this weekend. Any speculation as to what will follow? Junjo Kirari starring Miyasaki Aoi got pretty good ratings. Imo Tako Nankin got pretty bad ones (the heroine is middle-aged...). Dondo Bare opened with the worst ratings but ended very strongly. It has a stellar supporting cast, and the story, for a change, moved north to Tohoku. And then there's Chiritotechin but it's still being aired in Japan.

shari wrote: Junjo Kirari starring Miyasaki Aoi got pretty good ratings.

Please let it be Aoi, I don't want to see no middle age woman :fingerscrossed:

MikeNolan wrote:

Please let it be Aoi, I don't want to see no middle age woman :fingerscrossed:

I second that, lol.

You must be young guys. :hehe:

The new show is Homemaker, starring Nakazawa Yuko: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/index.php?title=Homemaker&redirect=no

(It also has Kawahara Masahiko, whom I was just watching in "Death Note" earlier this evening.)

What the heck was that Sunday Morning Neo-Kitchen? LOL. There's always a fat guy riding on a bike.

I've been loyally watching Kaze no Haruka since the beginning and my VCR didn't bother to record the last episode today. I can't think of a worse time for that to happen!

Can anyone summarize what went on? (maybe add a spoiler warning for the others)

And is the final episode available online anywhere? I'd really like to see it.

shari wrote:Looks like Kaze no Haruka will end this weekend.

It seems like Haruka is still hard at work in Yufuin:

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20071229p2a00m0na027000c.html

CMacDonald wrote:And is the final episode available online anywhere? I'd really like to see it.

Someone posted the final episode on YouTube (it's in 2 parts):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Rs2c4YCXY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoyj6ozzDwk

shari wrote:Someone posted the final episode on YouTube (it's in 2 parts):

Great find, thank you!

I was surprised to see a lot of other episodes were on YouTube too.

shari wrote:Five hours of them. Then you can go party. Or celebrate the end of Dongame. Both should be just as merry.[/img]

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu everyone!

Oh man. Kouhaku has really started off with a bang! I'm already suffering from Tweener Girl Pop Band Overdose! And can someone please send Angela Aki to a personal shopper or something? Same lame outfit, year after year...

Wintersweet, are you live blogging this? Or should I say live 'flogging' instead? ;)

CK

Are the girl bands all singing off-pitch or is it just me? Dazzlling as usual.

Is Itsuki Hiroshi on yet?

Can't keep a good show down; KTSF in its wisdom saw fit to stick in a Dongame tape in the middle of the show.

You Gackt fans probably enjoyed him reprising his role from "Furan no Kazan".

I'm watching the 9am show with Asami Mizukawa right now its a pretty funny show.

Itazura ichiban wrote:Are the girl bands all singing off-pitch or is it just me?

It's Hello Project's requirement that their girls, through rigorous training, be able to sing off-key and look like sexy underaged school girls.

Johnny Kitagawa has his own requirements for his boys: prettiness with an effeminate edge and a likelyhood to bend to his sexual advances.

Happy 2008, Johnny. You're turning 77 this year.
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shari wrote:
It's Hello Project's requirement that their girls, through rigorous training, be able to sing off-key and look like sexy underaged school girls.

Johnny Kitagawa has his own requirements for his boys: prettiness with an effeminate edge and a likelyhood to bend to his sexual advances.

Happy 2008, Johnny. You're turning 77 this year.
[image]

"likelihood to bend OVER to his sexual advances, to be more accurate"