I'm guessing I passed on it when it first came out because I'm not a huge fan of any of the actors, but just found out Kitagawa wrote it, so giving it a shot. Up to episode 2, too early to tell yet, but Kame's character hates cell phones so that's a plus right there!!
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 3125 Location: S.F. Bay Area Country:
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:55 am Post subject:
Mark,
I watched "Tatta hitotsu no Koi" for the same reason. The writer.
That one stands out for me as the only show she's ever written that left absolutely no impression on me. I had to look it up just now to remember what show you were talking about. And I did see it. There was a boat in it somewhere... wasn't there?
I finished the first 12 episodes of "Gou" yesterday and happily moved on to the At Home Dad Special that the folks as SARS just put out.
I don't know about Gou yet. I really liked Toyokawa Etsushi" Nobunaga. And Suzuki Honami's Ichi looked fierce enough. But they have Kishitani Goro playing Hideyoshi as something of a comic relief clown/villain. Goro is doing what he was asked to do, and he's doing it well. I just have a problem with the idea of playing Hideyoshi as a clown.
The hard part for me has been wading through the treacle that are the scenes that feature the three little princesses. Three grown women (one of them well into middle age) playing an anime inspired version of three sweet little princesses. It's ... jarring.
My hope is that once we get them into adulthood, we can leave the anime style behind. (To be honest, I don't like anime... so I wouldn't be surprised if those who do have no problem with these scenes at all.) _________________
I don't know about Gou yet. I really liked Toyokawa Etsushi" Nobunaga. And Suzuki Honami's Ichi looked fierce enough. But they have Kishitani Goro playing Hideyoshi as something of a comic relief clown/villain. Goro is doing what he was asked to do, and he's doing it well. I just have a problem with the idea of playing Hideyoshi as a clown.
Yeah, his playing the fool seems over the top.
Quote:
The hard part for me has been wading through the treacle that are the scenes that feature the three little princesses. Three grown women (one of them well into middle age) playing an anime inspired version of three sweet little princesses. It's ... jarring.
I think that because you know the actual history and the fact they are supposed to be little kids makes it hard to believe.
There's no mention of their youth (unless you do the calendar calculations) and I'm ignorant of that part of history so I accept the premise (Suspension of Disbelief)... Makes the drama considerably more enjoyable.
Also, no one seems to be questioning a 68-year old Kitaoji Kinya playing a 30/40-year old Tokugawa Ieyasu...
Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 12121 Location: It was fun while it lasted. Country:
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 5:06 am Post subject:
Geezer wrote:
Mark,
I watched "Tatta hitotsu no Koi" for the same reason. The writer.
That one stands out for me as the only show she's ever written that left absolutely no impression on me. I had to look it up just now to remember what show you were talking about. And I did see it. There was a boat in it somewhere... wasn't there?
Yup. Kame's character runs a small place that repairs boats that he took over when his Dad died. And we've got Kimiko Yo as his alcoholic mother. She's always good so that's at least one more reason to keep watching.
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 3125 Location: S.F. Bay Area Country:
Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:19 am Post subject:
BMW
Quote:
Also, no one seems to be questioning a 68-year old Kitaoji Kinya playing a 30/40-year old Tokugawa Ieyasu...
I would suggest that's because he's the one who is not playing an extreme or overly stylized character. He's playing the person. The girls are playing the age. Goro is playing a sly, wicked, clownish character, rather than Hideyoshi (And for what it is... he's doing it very well.)
It's all about styles and choices. For centuries, in both Noh theater in Japan, and the "Comedia Dell'arte" in Europe, characters were informed by their costumes, and masks. And those stock characters always behaved in a stock, predetermined manner. Young actors learned how to play their characters from their masters, and regardless of the story they were telling, or the century they were telling it in, Harlequin was always Harlequin. Columbine was always Columbine. Pantalone and Pierrot, were always... and on and on. It was a matter of what the audience got used to, and what they would accept. Ditto Noh Theater.
I think anime is a lot like that. There are a lot of stock characters in anime, and they are drawn, and "behave" in a stock manner. It's a 2 dimensional form with its own set of rules, and short-cuts. And it's been "THE" most influential art form on the Japanese audience for 3(?) generations now.
It appears to me that anime has had an enormous influence on the directors that are working on "Gou", And it's the director who rules in Japanese TV. Not the actors, and not the writers.
And like I said... I'm not an anime fan. _________________
A sad, weepy, heart-wrenching, tragic love story. Normally the sort of story I run away from.
But the star is Imai Miki, and she just doesn't do enough dramas, or movies, for me to be picky.
A guy once told me that people who use the word "Class" usually have none. So I hesitate to use it, lest I be exposed as the low class yabo I really am... but in this case...
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 6884 Location: Syracuse, NY Country:
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 4:19 am Post subject:
Remote, episode 7, this is turning out to be an okay watch, also episode of Boss 2. Been filling up my library with a batch of dramas, not sure which one to start with...Aikurushii, Akimahende, Guilty, Namida wo Fuite or Osen. _________________
Remote, episode 7, this is turning out to be an okay watch, also episode of Boss 2. Been filling up my library with a batch of dramas, not sure which one to start with...Aikurushii, Akimahende, Guilty, Namida wo Fuite or Osen.
Horrible. It's simply the only word that comes to mind. Horrible.
The saddest part for me was when I came to the last episode and found out that it went on for an hour and forty minutes.
To be fair, I didn't think I'd like this one. I really dislike hokey, tragic, melodrama and this one didn't even try to disguise what it was.
Kusahagi played the part he always plays. The quiet little man with hidden depths.
Takashima Masanobu was so far over the top, as the evil husband who was making poor, long suffering Imai Miki's life miserable, that he provided the only laughs in the series.
And Imai Miki was lovely, playing the role of a complete idiot.
If you enjoy this sort of doomed, tragic, weepy, love story... ignore my snarkiness and look for yourself. My problem was with the genre itself, not this particular series. _________________
Tokyo Love Story
Awful. I simply disliked all the characters and the early 90's fashion sense didn't help them. I just kept watching because lots of people didn't like the ending and I was hoping for some tragedy.
Galileo
Loved the casting and the production but most of the cases left me wondering about the police carelessness.
Tsutsumi Shinichi stole the movie.
Joined: 11 May 2009 Posts: 479 Location: up hill and down dale Country:
Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 11:55 pm Post subject:
Geezer wrote:
I watched "Tatta hitotsu no Koi" for the same reason. The writer.
That one stands out for me as the only show she's ever written that left absolutely no impression on me. I had to look it up just now to remember what show you were talking about. And I did see it. There was a boat in it somewhere... wasn't there?
LOL So all you remember is the darn boat, huh? Forget all about Little Orenji, did you? *sob*
hahahaha
gaijinmark wrote:
Yup. Kame's character runs a small place that repairs boats that he took over when his Dad died. And we've got Kimiko Yo as his alcoholic mother. She's always good so that's at least one more reason to keep watching.
Love Yo Kimiko, but I wish she had toned down the FML attitude in the first few eppies of THnK.
***
OT
Speaking of Kitagawa Eriko...
ORANGE DAYS Ep. 1. I'm liking what I'm seeing so far and will get back to this one when things in Real Life get less crazy. But I'm dreading the *coughvintage KitagawaEriko* surfeit of orange tropes (orange sunsets!!! orange fruit!!! etc etc!!! what's next what's next!!!) that will no doubt hound me till the very last episode.
TIGER AND DRAGON Ep. 1. Am finding it snail-paced, formulaic and unfunny (despite Nagase Tomoya and 2/5 the main cast of KISARAZU CAT'S EYE being in it -- does.not.compute.). I admire the whole meta story-within-a-story concept, but do I really want to see the characters unwittingly act out rakugo tale after tale after tale? Guess I'll have to get my Okada Junichi fix somewhere else, then... hahahaha
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Log in
