Andru wrote:

I finally watched the first two parts of "Tragedy of W" and turned out it was not the one of a similar title from 1984 that you found, CherKell. Actually, I knew it couldn't be from 1984, when I recognized a few familiar faces in the preview, primarily Kanno Miho, one of my favorite J-actresses, who would have only been a child in 1984. So I initially figured it must have been a remake. But the plot of this TV movie from 2010 is NOTHING like the one from 1984!

Is there an emoticon that represents "egg on face"? How about this one:

Gomen nasai, minasan. Andru-san is correct. I haven't been around to watch my taped first two parts until yesterday afternoon, but when I started through I noticed the clothing looked rather modern for 1984. And since I just watched Miho-chan in "Magerarenai Onna", I knew something was highly amiss. Wasn't able to get to a computer to post a mea culpa until today. Funny that part of my last job was as a researcher, so I fell down big time.

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And now that I've seen the first two parts, I kinda wish it WAS a remake of the one from 1984 instead, because so far it is not very good! I'm hoping when "Kinpachi Sensei" finally shows up to solve the "whodunnit" maybe he'll save the show!

I don't know if I'm going to stick with it for that long -- this is just AWFUL!! Bad enough it's at the end of a usually busy day for me, and by 10:00 PM my brain has more or less shut down and not able for cognitive thought at all (so that's why I tape the Saturday night offerings). But the acting leaves a lot to be desired, the sets are too garishly over-the-top... I could go on, but that would make my head hurt even more!!

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Meanwhile, I'm hoping that things will finally get more interesting on the "Quints" when it is revealed that "Papa" actually has been cheating with that young hussy teacher and he decides to run off with her, tired of dealing with perfect wife Momoko and all those bratty teenage kids of his... including whiny Miho, who apparently just wants to grow up to be a gold-digger! Miss Goody-two-shoes Norika sometimes gets on my nerves too! But most irritating to me is that punky son Tsuyoshi who'll probably end up in jail someday! OK, well I guess I'm missing seeing a really juicy Fuji Television dorama!

LOL!! Now that's something I *would* watch with great interest. But you know JDRs (Japanese Drama Rules) are endemic to these productions -- they may throw us a curveball every now and then, but these asadoras will eventually shuffle to a happy conclusion. Darn it -- I was looking forward to Tsuyoshi joining the local surfing yakuza to gain revenge on anyone who wrongly crosses his path!!

Anyway, apologies for the misinformation. Now back to your regularly-scheduled programming...

CK

Update on KTSF Saturday evenings:

"Tragedy of W" concluded last weekend and there were previews for the next chopped-up movie:

"Kura," a period piece based on a novel, with Yuko Asano (won the J-Academy Award for Best Actress in it) and Sae Isshiki, from 1995, and with a running time of 130 minutes, which means they might be able to get 5 installments out of it (when I have edited out all the CMs and "scenes from last week" for one of these movies, sometimes the new weekly segments are as short as 25 minutes long).

The only synopsis I was able to find on this film was this brief one:

"A blind woman challenges a long-standing tradition to save her family's sake business."

(from http://www.reelzchannel.com/movie/217898/kura/cast)

PS: And the "Quints" have reached episode 30; only 5 to go!!!!

Andru wrote:

PS: And the "Quints" have reached episode 30; only 5 to go!!!!

If I treated my mother like that, she would give me serious beating
Those brats wow!!

JackClark wrote:

If I treated my mother like that, she would give me serious beating Those brats wow!!

Yeah, I know what you mean! They've been soooo insulting to their mother lately! And if the quint brats and her philandering husband don't get their act together soon, Mama's gonna run off with her friends and not come back!

But Momoko is not just "worried" about Norika, she KNOWS if her pure-as-the-driven-snow daughter goes to LA, she'll come back a "woman" (if ya knows what I mean).

Andru wrote:

Yeah, I know what you mean! They've been soooo insulting to their mother lately! And if the quint brats and her philandering husband don't get their act together soon, Mama's gonna run off with her friends and not come back! But Momoko is not just "worried" about Norika, she KNOWS if her pure-as-the-driven-snow daughter goes to LA, she'll come back a "woman" (if ya knows what I mean).

yeah I know what you mean

Andru wrote:

"Kura," a period piece based on a novel, with Yuko Asano (won the J-Academy Award for Best Actress in it) and Sae Isshiki, from 1995, and with a running time of 130 minutes, which means they might be able to get 5 installments out of it (when I have edited out all the CMs and "scenes from last week" for one of these movies, sometimes the new weekly segments are as short as 25 minutes long).

"Kura" was based on a novel by one of my favorite Japanese authors: Miyao Tomiko. She was also responsible for the novel adapted for the recently-on-KTSF movie "Kai" ("Oar"). Funny thing is that this movie followed the 6-episode NHK serialization aired just four months earlier!

But Miyao-san's biggest claim-to-fame was her novel "Tenshoin Atsuhime," which NHK borrowed heavily from for the taiga dramas "Yoshitsune" and "Atsuhime." I sure miss those Saturday nights when I could settle in with a biiru and a bag of chips, and get myself lost within the Samurai world... Sigh.

CK

Having transmission difficulties here. I'm going to attempt my post again...

CK

Ohayou minasan!

Sorry for the missing post -- there seems to have been a glitch in my post from last week which prevented it from being seen. Arigatou to Andru for bringing it to my attention!

It's been a really crazy week, what with Cinequest and SFIAFF screenings and trying to contact friends and family after the horrible earthquake, so let's catch up with the programming! Last Saturday was a "night of endings," so to speak. The Quintuplets are finally out of our lives, and the Toei Chopped-Up Movie ended as well. This is what we get to look forward to in the upcoming weeks...

Maifeaboi! ("My Fair Boy!") premieres on 12 March 2011 (tonight) for 30 episodes. Starring dorama stalwart Yamamoto Yusuke, and the lovely Kumagai Mami (in her last dorama role), this renzoku is loosely based on the "Pygmalion"/"My Fair Lady" stories of yesteryear. Funny thing is that "MFB" was the renzoku that aired before the next in that series... Daisuki! Itsutsugo Go!3"!! KTSF is lapping itself!

Then right thereafter, the movie Baruto no gakuen ("The Ode To Joy") will be sliced-and-diced for our viewing pleasure (not!). At 130 minutes' running time, I'm sure KTSF will stretch this out over the next five weeks at least. From 2006, this stars Matsudaira Ken, Bruno Ganz (for real!), and dreamy-boat heartthrob (at least in *my* eyes) Abe Hiroshi. Directed by Deme Masanobu, who also gave us Shiroi yabô, which also aired a few months ago on KTSF. The story revolves around the transfer of German POWs to Japan after World War I ended. Most of the film was shot in and around Aizu in Fukushima-ken. IMDB into here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0484095.

The new stuff should keep us happy for a few weeks, at least. See you on the other side -- mata ne!

CK

Just received the latest TTV Newsletter, which states that KTSF 26.1 will start airing (wait for it...) RYOMADEN from 20 March at 9:30 PM. Since this is standard Sunday night programming, it will probably be unsubbed. But who cares, just as long as I can stare and drool over Fukuyama Masaharu...

True Fact: It took NHK six months and three offers before Masha accepted this role. From the few episodes I've already watched on Keyhole TV, it was definitely well worth their efforts.

Mata ne, minasan!

CK

CherKell wrote:

Just received the latest TTV Newsletter, which states that KTSF 26.1 will start airing (wait for it...) RYOMADEN from 20 March at 9:30 PM. Since this is standard Sunday night programming, it will probably be unsubbed. But who cares, just as long as I can stare and drool over Fukuyama Masaharu...

Interesting. Taiga dramas back on KTSF? Granted it's last year's offering, but it's something.

CherKell wrote:

But who cares, just as long as I can stare and drool over Fukuyama Masaharu...

And the guys can drool over Yoko Maki

Although she doesn't show up until around episode 22.

I'm ready to put my fist through a wall here... what was listed on TTV's schedule was not at all what I was hoping to see. The site listed "Shizarezaru Ryomaden (1)," so that translates out to "Secret Legend of Ryomaden 1," ne? Didn't care if it was last year's or the year before's taiga, I was on pins and needles!

I was out last night and DVRd "Ryomaden" for watching over breakfast this morning. What KTSF ended up showing was the first half of an NHK Documentary Special that aired a few weeks before the actual taiga began showing, explaining the history behind the "Ryoma Code" and its use in bringing about the Meiji Restoration. This is apparently being used as filler this week and next until they tee up their next show. It was entertaining, but NO MASHA-KUN!!

Then right in the middle was the preview for their next unsubbed Sunday night offering: "Perfect Report" (http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Perfect_Report). Another renzoku that begins on 3 April for 10 episodes, and yet another one of those doramas with a parade of guest stars to pad out the plot. Sigh.

Granted, there's way more suffering going on these days, so I shouldn't be such a bitch about this... but I'm through trying to figure out the programmers' thought processes (or lack thereof). If you're going to air a documentary, then say that! KTSF, you have broken my heart yet again!!

CK


P.S. Dochira-san, great to see you again! Minasan o genkii desu ka?

CherKell wrote:

P.S. Dochira-san, great to see you again! Minasan o genkii desu ka?

Hisashiburi! Genki desu yo. Arigatou!

I forgot to DVR the last few episodes of Itsutsu Go! Whatever happened to the teacher hitting on papa?

They showed a movie last night, but I came in too late to watch it. I've been completely ignoring KTSF lately. The movie sounded interesting, now I am kicking myself for getting out of touch.

Like to see quality Taigas come back!
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Are there any updates to their programming?
I've been waiting for them to show Kinpachi Sensei 8.

I just dumped satellite and I am having Comcast installed on Monday.
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Itazura ichiban wrote:

I just dumped satellite and I am having Comcast installed on Monday.

make sure they wear booties over their shoes so they won't track dirt in your house. That what the guy said in the comcast commercial

He had booties on! I don't know why they don't just kick off their shoes.
And bow.


Now I have Catherine Kobayashi nonstop.
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yeah they should do that.

Comcast On Demand has the movie Still Walking starring Hiroshi Abe and Yui Natsukawa. Go to free movies under M-Z.