concertmaster,

Possibly, but it balances out since the writing and acting in Hong Kong movies is always so bad.
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Geezer wrote:

I got what I was looking for from this series with Chiba's final scene on the battle field. Before and after Chiba's scene we see the other cast members supposedly in battle. The horses are either trotting or standing still. And obviously some of the older actors are on saw horses mounted on the backs of pick up trucks, with fake horse heads in front of them as they rock back and forth for their close ups. (Fair's fair, these guys are actors, not martial artists, or horsemen.) But when it came time for Chiba's scene, my bet is he directed it himself, and brought in part of his own stunt team, because the level of action, the speed and quality of that scene was so far above everything else in the show it stuck out like a Shinto Shrine in Bay Ridge.

I agree Geezer, I was sitting there thinking, "This is SO fake!!!"(shades of Yoshitsune!) and then everything took a sharp right turn and I was glued to the screen for the remainder of the episode.

Edit: They're having a Samurai film festival down here on Sept. 30th and the last film is Throne of Blood

Geezer wrote:

...since the writing and acting in Hong Kong movies is always so bad.

Based on my experience, I'll have to respectfully disagree with this generalization.

EDIT: Note that my previous post is not intended to disparage Japanese martial arts as I also practice Karate and Aikido myself. It's just that even my Karate sparring and Aikido training sessions are way more intense and have more actions than any so called 'action' scenes I've seen in Japanese movies/dramas, and the former in turn can't compare to those in HK martial arts movies.

I lived for a few years in Japan when I was a kid, so I began watching samurai dramas very early on, and I still have a great fondness for them. I'm really enjoying this one (subtitled on KSCI 18 in Los Angeles). Finally saw Gackt in last week's episode, which I've been highly anticipating! He looked fantastic as usual. Can't wait to see when he'll pop up again!

Ningyo wrote:

Finally saw Gackt in last week's episode, which I've been highly anticipating! He looked fantastic as usual. Can't wait to see when he'll pop up again!

I think next week you get your wish, and yes, aside from the somewhat fake battle scenes, this one isn't too bad so far.

Wish they didn't have that scene with dead Itagaki and Takeda. I don't really like scenes with the dead talking to the living people it just makes the living person look a bit crazy instead of being touching to me.
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theanonymousafro wrote:

Wish they didn't have that scene with dead Itagaki and Takeda. I don't really like scenes with the dead talking to the living people it just makes the living person look a bit crazy instead of being touching to me.

I dunno, I don't mind those so much, for always being criticized for being a materialistic society, the Japanese are in fact a very religious/spiritual people. Go into just about any Japanese home and you'll see a shrine setup for deceased relatives, and someone will pray for those relatives almost every day. I wonder how many "christian" homes can say the same thing?

gaijinmark wrote:

I dunno, I don't mind those so much, for always being criticized for being a materialistic society, the Japanese are in fact a very religious/spiritual people. Go into just about any Japanese home and you'll see a shrine setup for deceased relatives, and someone will pray for those relatives almost every day. I wonder how many "christian" homes can say the same thing?

Actually I don't mind a spiritual aspect to scenes or characters. Flashbacks to what people said and or a voice as people think of what someone would have said are fine. I just don't like shows having stuff like a dancing rambling ghost. It didn't even seem to fit his character. I think it cheapens the experience.
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gaijinmark wrote:

I dunno, I don't mind those so much, for always being criticized for being a materialistic society, the Japanese are in fact a very religious/spiritual people. Go into just about any Japanese home and you'll see a shrine setup for deceased relatives, and someone will pray for those relatives almost every day. I wonder how many "christian" homes can say the same thing?

.....erh.....Christians don't set up shrines because they believe when a Christian dies, he is taken to heaven and God takes care of him from then on, and he would be free from illness, disabilities, and whatever 'imperfections' for eternalty. But the living Christians do remember the dead, by clearing the weeds from the tombs or placing their photos among the many family photos on the table, depending on one's culture.

Talking about the samurai way of sword-fighting, I am still getting use to Taiga dramas and Korean period dramas and trying not to compare the choreography with Hong Kong martial pugilist films which I grew up watching. BUT ONE THING FOR CERTAIN : I will puke if it's a sissy looking guy, less than 5ft 8inches, fair like a swan plays a martial arts exponent Maybe that's the reason i enjoyed Musashi and I would look forward to a chance to watch a Kabuki play one day. (unfortunately, I started with the Noh theatre in my earlier days and

I dunno if this question is appropriate here......I am new to Taiga dramas. How is it that there isn't a Taiga drama on final years of the Tokugawa period or the Meiji Restoration or the imperial family during the Tokugawa or Heinan Period ? Is it because Taiga dramas is all about swordplays and in late 19 century swordplays have become obsolete or is banned ?

Eyeyore wrote:

I dunno if this question is appropriate here......I am new to Taiga dramas. How is it that there isn't a Taiga drama on final years of the Tokugawa period or the Meiji Restoration or the imperial family during the Tokugawa or Heinan Period ? Is it because Taiga dramas is all about swordplays and in late 19 century swordplays have become obsolete or is banned ?

I get your point on christianity, and to answer your question, they did have a taiga drama Shinsengumi about 3 years ago. Unfortunately, it stuck as close to historical facts as your typical John Wayne movie, which is to say, they kept the real names of real people, but the rest they pretty much made up as they went along.

Thanks for mentioning Shinsengumi and telling me first that it's "very fictional".....will give a shot to watch a chapter.

I was wondering why everyone is "gacking' at a minor character until.....i found this:

PORTRAYING THIS !

If someone like Nobunaga cheered at his demise, Uesugi Kenshin must have been a formidable somebody then.

This is TV Asahi's version of Uesugi Kenshin in a Taiga drama of the same name, Fuurin Kazan (now i am a bit confused. i thought only NHK produces period dramas ???)

NHK makes all sorts of dramas. Everything from the Taiga to the morning Asadora dramas, to little OL comedy/dramas like "Good Job".

And the Taigas aren't just about sword play. They are extended historical dramas. The thing is, like most countries, Japan marks different moments in their history by what wars were fought at the time, which major leaders emerged, and which major changes occured in history.

Though sword play is featured, because it makes for good theater, the Taigas are about the lives of the people who had a major effect on the country.
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Eyeyore wrote:

If someone like Nobunaga cheered at his demise, Uesugi Kenshin must have been a formidable somebody then. This is TV Asahi's version of Uesugi Kenshin in a Taiga drama of the same name, Fuurin Kazan (now i am a bit confused. i thought only NHK produces period dramas ???)

Technically Taiga is the name NHK gives their annual historical drama. Other stations can have their own historical shows but sometimes since people are more familiar with the NHK term they call all samurai shows taiga.
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Eyeyore wrote:

BUT ONE THING FOR CERTAIN : I will puke if it's a sissy looking guy, less than 5ft 8inches, fair like a swan plays a martial arts exponent

In real life, looks can be VERY deceiving. In my Karate and Aikido classes, I've only met 1 (out of 50+) black belt that looks like a thug and talks tough. My 6th degree black belt Karate sensei is only around 5'6" and extremely mild mannered. My 3rd degree black belt Aikido sensei looks just like an ordinary college professor/executive w/ a beer belly. You'll never be able to tell they're martial arts experts if they're in their street clothes.

concertmaster wrote:

In real life, looks can be VERY deceiving. In my Karate and Aikido classes, I've only met 1 (out of 50+) black belt that looks like a thug and talks tough. My 6th degree black belt Karate sensei is only around 5'6" and extremely mild mannered. My 3rd degree black belt Aikido sensei looks just like an ordinary college professor/executive w/ a beer belly. You'll never be able to tell they're martial arts experts if they're in their street clothes.

That's why we need a silverscreen to escape from reality and indulge in fantasy. So unless Napolean can act like Jack Nicholson, he would never pass a screen test on a horse

Just wondering, what is it that makes a "sissy-looking" guy? The shape of his nose? That's genetics, and has nothing to do with whether he's a "sissy" or not.

That said, I've known plenty of mild-mannered special forces soldiers, with a nice little collection of ears, if you know what I mean.
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Itazura ichiban wrote:

Just wondering, what is it that makes a "sissy-looking" guy?

See this thread: http://jdorama.com/viewtopic.67.htm

bmwracer wrote:

See this thread: http://jdorama.com/viewtopic.67.htm

Did my comments just open a political debate ???

I can't fully defined "sissiness". In totality - mannerism and physical attributes, i guess.

In any case, I grew up among the typical class of Asians where martial arts trained Jet Li as Wong Fei Hong will appeal more to me than non-exponent Chow Yun Fatt's new age sensitive guy in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. So, at anytime, i am Kurosawa, Tsui Hark fan

Nay, nay. quite unlikely that i wouldn't equate Itazura's mild-mannered soldiers or Concertmaster's karate exponents as sissy......

I read the thread by bmwracer. I think it's the media's obsession to create the ideal new age sensitive guy. Most of the Korean and Japanese male leads in kdrama or jdorama seem to possess the so-called desirable attributes craved by working women. Why are they popular ? Just my guess. I really have not come across such attributes in my circle of japanese or koreans business counterparts(no offence). It's the fantasy of Korean and Japanese girls, I think, or even those in other patriarchial/chauvinistic societies.

In history, I know of one Japanese "new age guy" - General Yamashita who invaded Southeast Asia in the Second World War

Eyeyore wrote:

It's the fantasy of Korean and Japanese girls

I think you hit the nail on the head.

But you left out the word "deluded" preceding the word "fantasy."

Eyeyore wrote:

Nay, nay. quite unlikely that i wouldn't equate Itazura's mild-mannered soldiers or Concertmaster's karate exponents as sissy......

hee hee..., i just realised i double negate myself......
I meant to say, "Nay, nay. quite unlikely that i would equate Itazura's mild-mannered soldiers or Concertmaster's karate exponents as sissy......