Geezer wrote:

Ga!! Rotten Japanese! After years of being sucked in, I'd finally kicked the Asadora habit. So what do they do? They start a new one featuring Kimura Yoshino, so I'll have to watch. 151, 15 minute episodes. They hate me. The Japanese just hate me.

So you're a Kimura Yoshino fan? I am too. Even though she's usually relegated to a supporting role, there's no question she's one of the better actresses working in dorama. I thought she was superb in the lead role in Yome wa Mitsuboshi (Perfect Bride). And she's good in Kaze no Haruka as the ryokan okami-san. Given her fluency in English, I'd love to see what she could do in an English-speaking role.

shin2

Abso-freakin'-lutley.

Kimura Yoshino has been on my "automatic" list since I saw "Perfect Bride". Now, any time I see her name connected with a project, I grab it.

Her great show to clunker ratio is outstanding.
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Was it weird that a new show (about the Japan Coast Guard) was announced at the same time a news story about the Japan Coast Guard was aired?
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It looks like we're getting the film "Sorekara (And Then)," based on the novel by Natsume Soseki. I haven't read it yet... They always do the mini-series-type things when I have other things planned, and indeed, I think I'll be out on the night of the 26th.

I wonder what'll start after it.

EDIT: NYTimes review, assuming this is the same version-- http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=121099
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wintersweet wrote:

It looks like we're getting the film "Sorekara (And Then)," based on the novel by Natsume Soseki. I haven't read it yet... They always do the mini-series-type things when I have other things planned, and indeed, I think I'll be out on the night of the 26th. I wonder what'll start after it.

My Comcast listing thought it started this week....whoops they were off by one week.

Here's the IMDB listing for Sorekara:
http://imdb.com/title/tt0091989/
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Here's something unexpected: I'm starting to get interested in Kaze no Haruka!

They created someone to hisss at right off the bat with the mom. And then this week little sis becomes an ungrateful wretch.

Cool! That gives the writers something to work with over the course of the series. (Without conflict there is no drama.)

Hey, there might be something more here than just a chance to stare at Kimura Yoshino.

Quick question: Does anyone know how you'd translate the title? I'm coming up with things like: Haruka in the Wind ...or...Windy Haruka... Breezy Haruka? ... Hurricane Haruka?

Boy, I'd never make a living as a translator.
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Geezer wrote:

Boy, I'd never make a living as a translator.

You're very close, Geezer. I would translate Kaze no Haruka as "Haruka of the wind" like you would say "summer wind". It has a more poetic ring in Japanese than in English.

I'm glad you starting to like the show. I understand it's hard for an American audience to like NHK asadoras especially if they are showed on Saturday evening. In Japan they are showed on mornings and the audience is mostly women. I loved the show from the beginning with the wonderful cast of children. Now I miss them. I agree Kimura Yoshino is a very good actress. Many other good actors in the show too.

Geezer wrote:

I'm starting to get interested in Kaze no Haruka!

Sachiko-chan wrote:

I loved the show from the beginning

Ah! And I thought I'd be the voice in the wilderness if I said I love this show. "Kaze no Haruka" has a fresh and upbeat feel to it and, yes, a great cast of children (I miss them too, but I think we're going to see them again in flashbacks). Unlike Wakaba who found herself surrounded with a whiny brother and an irrational mother, and moved with the pace of an omnibus, this year-and-a half show is starting like the Shinkansen.

I am glad to read that there are other fans of Asadora drama who visit this site. It seems those who like this type of drama and also Taiga dramas are in the distinct minority around here. Perhaps age has something to do with it. I'm about 90 episodes in to Kaze no Haruka and am enjoying it; some really good veteran actors/actresses in this series. Yoshino Kimura of course, and Ikkei Watanabe, Tatsuya Fuji, and Buchin Katsura also stand out in my mind. Oh, and Miki Maya, who plays Haruka's mother. I recently read where she is a former Takarazuka performer, just like Yuki Amami and Chieko Baisho (guess I'm dating myself here), two of my favorite actresses.
BTW, I'm wondering how Asadora series are broadcast up in the Bay area. Is it one episode every day or are multiple episodes shown at one time?

Hi there, shin2. They show only two eps back to back each week, so at this rate we'll be still watching it to the end of next year. So far I love the show too. Hope it's holding well through episode 90--and beyond. Are you calling from Nihon or are you catching NHK from a dish?

By the way, my dad's a big fan of Chieko Baisho. If you say Tora-San in front of him, he's likely to roll on the floor. Personally....but I'm getting off topic here.

shin2

I think there are a lot of people who enjoy the Asadora dramas. It's just that there are a lot of people (like me) who simply lack the stamina.

These "small" stories are stretched out for just over a year and a half up here and it becomes maddening.

With each one I've seen, starting with "Suzuran", then "Chura san", then "Sakura", I've started out great guns getting completely wrapped up in the stories and the characters.

Then, somewhere around episode 100 (the running length of a Taiga) I start getting very bored. And long about episode 125 I start creating scenarios where the characters are all killed in a tragic explosion at the local kabuki make-up factory.

Having been through it 3 times in a row I decided to give "Wakaba" a pass, and I'm very glad I did.

Now, with my batteries recharged, and the lure of Yoshino before me, I can give "Haruka" a chance. And after a month... I'm starting to enjoy it.

But check back with me next August. We'll still be a few months from the end, and I'll probably be wondering why someone hasn't run Haruka over with a bus yet.
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shari wrote:

Hi there, shin2. They show only two eps back to back each week, so at this rate we'll be still watching it to the end of next year. So far I love the show too. Hope it's holding well through episode 90--and beyond. Are you calling from Nihon or are you catching NHK from a dish? By the way, my dad's a big fan of Chieko Baisho. If you say Tora-San in front of him, he's likely to roll on the floor. Personally....but I'm getting off topic here.

Wow, that's a long long time to be staying with one series. The Asadora dramas I watch are DVD copies, so I'm usually able to finish one within a month.

Your dad and I have the same tastes. I also enjoy the Tora-san series. Yeah, there's definitely an age-gap difference when it comes to those movies.

Geezer wrote:

shin2 I think there are a lot of people who enjoy the Asadora dramas. It's just that there are a lot of people (like me) who simply lack the stamina. These "small" stories are stretched out for just over a year and a half up here and it becomes maddening. With each one I've seen, starting with "Suzuran", then "Chura san", then "Sakura", I've started out great guns getting completely wrapped up in the stories and the characters. Then, somewhere around episode 100 (the running length of a Taiga) I start getting very bored. And long about episode 125 I start creating scenarios where the characters are all killed in a tragic explosion at the local kabuki make-up factory. Having been through it 3 times in a row I decided to give "Wakaba" a pass, and I'm very glad I did. Now, with my batteries recharged, and the lure of Yoshino before me, I can give "Haruka" a chance. And after a month... I'm starting to enjoy it. But check back with me next August. We'll still be a few months from the end, and I'll probably be wondering why someone hasn't run Haruka over with a bus yet.

Having a series stretched over a year and a half is not a marathon, it's an ultra-marathon. I can see why you'd gradually lose interest. Fortunately, I don't have to get my Asadora fix in such small doses over such a long period of time. I probably wouldn't have the patience to stick with it for that that long.
BTW, I don't know how far along you are in Kaze No Haruka, but the episodes I've seen (I'm up around 90 right now) where Yoshino Kimura makes more than just a token appearance are very good. Some of them are quite funny.

shin2

We're up to episode 12 (6 weeks into the airing of the drama). Haruka just made the transition from little girl to high school student.

Re: Kimura getting some more air time, and being funny... thanks. That gives me hope.

You mentioned that she's getting more supporting roles lately... actually I see her as sort of a Japanese, Michael Caine. She just likes to work. Lead role, supporting role, guest shots, cameos, indy movies... it doesn't seem to matter to her. She just wants to work.

She's doing the supporting role in this morning drama, she's in Rondo, and she's the lead in the detective drama, "P.S. Rashoumon" that's running now in Japan.

That sort of attitude might not make you a big name star, but it does tend to make you a better actor.
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Geezer wrote:

shin2 We're up to episode 12 (6 weeks into the airing of the drama). Haruka just made the transition from little girl to high school student. Re: Kimura getting some more air time, and being funny... thanks. That gives me hope. You mentioned that she's getting more supporting roles lately... actually I see her as sort of a Japanese, Michael Caine. She just likes to work. Lead role, supporting role, guest shots, cameos, indy movies... it doesn't seem to matter to her. She just wants to work. She's doing the supporting role in this morning drama, she's in Rondo, and she's the lead in the detective drama, "P.S. Rashoumon" that's running now in Japan. That sort of attitude might not make you a big name star, but it does tend to make you a better actor.

As long as she's able to continue to get interesting roles in interesting works (and those works get subtitled), that'll be a great thing. And I do hope someone in the West will offer her good role in an English-language movie.

Speaking of long-running shows, what was the name of that slightly dreary one that took place in Hokkado? I think it was a Fuji TV production. When it finished they showed how the lead character's sons had actually grown up during the show's run.
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Itazura ichiban wrote:

Speaking of long-running shows, what was the name of that slightly dreary one that took place in Hokkado? I think it was a Fuji TV production. When it finished they showed how the lead character's sons had actually grown up during the show's run.

Although I have not personally seen the series, it sounds like Kita no Kuni Kara (From the North), which first aired in 1981. Over the next 20 years or so, there was a series of feature specials updating the lives of the series' family. Audiences did indeed see the children growing up in real time before their eyes.

I noticed there will be some change in next Sunday's programming on KTSF. I wasn't watching during the commercial break but glanced at the screen just in time to catch the tail end of the announcement. Did anyone else see this and figure out what it was about?

Also, in the Saturday TV listings for KTSF, instead of Sorekara at 8pm, there is something called The Seven Chefs. I figured they jumped the gun by one week like they did with the first part of Sorekara, so it will actually be shown starting 9/16, after the third and final part of Sorekara airs on 9/9.

Another copy of the Japanese info can be found http://www.ttvusa.com/program_henkou.php]here.

But what it says is that everything is moved back to a time period between 10:00 PM Sunday night and 1:00 AM on Sunday morning. But it's pretty much the same exact lineup starting with that annoying infomercial for Supli Juice (doesn't it look like it?), and then going on to NHK news. Afterwards are Rondo and Umizaru. I couldn't quite figure out whether this is a one-time change or permanent, but I suspect it's a one-time thing.

As usual, the Fuji TV web site is no help. It still has Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho on the site. (Which is actually good since the last time I saw it a couple of months ago, it still had Atarashii Kaze -- the dorama about politics -- listed.)[/url]