You know... I've watched and really enjoyed all of "Furin Kazan" so far. Meaning the 23 episodes they've shown to date on my local station.

But there is one thing that bothers me.

Who is Gact playing?

Honestly, I just haven't noticed him in any of the episodes.
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Geezer wrote:

Who is Gact playing? Honestly, I just haven't noticed him in any of the episodes.

That's a good thing.

Be careful what you wish for.

bmwracer wrote:

That's a good thing. Be careful what you wish for.

LOL...precisely...according to the episode guide, he should make his appearance in ep. 24 next Saturday

I don't think his character has shown up yet. At least I have yet to notice any "gender challenged" samurai!

gaijinmark wrote:

I don't think his character has shown up yet. At least I have yet to notice any "gender challenged" samurai!

Furin Kazan Gackt doll (in costume)....hyper realistic.

Tu_triky wrote:

Furin Kazan Gackt doll (in costume)....hyper realistic.

Are handing those out at the Takano Yuri Beauty Clinic as a promotion for the Taiga?

bmwracer wrote:

Are handing those out at the Takano Yuri Beauty Clinic as a promotion for the Taiga?

The lastest cellphone strap for the fashion crazed.

Tu_triky wrote:

The lastest cellphone strap for the fashion crazed.

LOL, that's a clunker.

bmwracer wrote:

LOL, that's a clunker.

you should see some of these ppl's cell straps...they often outweigh the fones they are attached to. no joke.

Sigh,
Just waiting to see how Gackt shows up myself. Of course during most of this taiga he was a very young boy. Too young even for battle..and they surely went into battle before they were ten years old at times. Oda Nobunaga successful in first battle when he was seven... Worse than going into English boarding school don't you think???

Anyway most samurai had a younger boy to serve them in their travels so they were all bisexual for many years. Even after marriage they kept their little helper on journeys.

Gackt character will not be out of the norm if he is gender slaphappy. BUT he will be beautiful to look at I am sure.

In real life I always thought he was very sexy male oriented but what do I know.... He is definitely a great performance entertainer.

Peggy

Epi 25 wrapped up last night. This is getting good. It took me awhile because they made Kansuke so, , , , I don't want to say repulsive, but I can't think of another word. Anyway, we're starting to see a more human side to him now. Wish they had more of Jun Fubuki, though.

I don't know my Japanese history well enough to know how accurate this is, but it looks like Harunobu is turning into a real son-of-a-bitch!!

Geezer wrote:

You know... I've watched and really enjoyed all of "Furin Kazan" so far. Meaning the 23 episodes they've shown to date on my local station. But there is one thing that bothers me. Who is Gact playing? Honestly, I just haven't noticed him in any of the episodes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uesugi_Kenshin

We should be seeing more of him, as the first Battle of Kawanakajima is looms near

Gackt appeared in episode 24. i think they are already in episode 32 where he also appeared.

There has been a short "Gackt sighting" in each of the last two episodes. I guess they want to break us in slowly.

gaijinmark wrote:

There has been a short "Gackt sighting" in each of the last two episodes. I guess they want to break us in slowly.

Like a size 8 shoe for a size 12 foot?

So I've seen Gackt. Luckily he does look worst in the posters and just looks sort of pale in the show. Now my problem is that the scenes with him get a bit melodramatic and makes me think of a video game cutscene.

Also I don't like it when shows glorify the main characters but are they making Takeda into a bad guy or is he just in a phase?
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theanonymousafro wrote:

So I've seen Gackt. Luckily he does look worst in the posters and just looks sort of pale in the show. Now my problem is that the scenes with him get a bit melodramatic and makes me think of a video game cutscene. Also I don't like it when shows glorify the main characters but are they making Takeda into a bad guy or is he just in a phase?

I'm willing to give Gackt the benefit of the doubt. I don't know if he's going to be good or bad, but he's definitely going to be different!

Re: Takeda, in the final scene of last weeks episode, he said to Princess Yuu, "I used to be afraid of winning battles, now I'm afraid of losing them." It looks like the pressure is starting to get to him.

gaijinmark wrote:

I'm willing to give Gackt the benefit of the doubt. I don't know if he's going to be good or bad, but he's definitely going to be different! Re: Takeda, in the final scene of last weeks episode, he said to Princess Yuu, "I used to be afraid of winning battles, now I'm afraid of losing them." It looks like the pressure is starting to get to him.

When I first heard a singer was going to be in this I thought it would be the singer's first time acting and they would get a minor role. But I found out Gackt has acted before so I'm not worried.

Thanks, I saw the scene but it didn't click.

oh did you know Gackt was in the front of a parade for his character recently. There is a clip on Dailymotion.
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Gackt Schmackt. Who gives a rat's rear end about some pop singer who might or might not show up in the final episodes.

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 thought I could see something of an homage to Mifune's last scene in Throne of Blood.

Man... he's coming up on 70, and he can still get it done.
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gaijinmark wrote:

There has been a short "Gackt sighting" in each of the last two episodes. I guess they want to break us in slowly.

Well, since the battles of Kawanakajima are coming up, my bet is we'll be getting a much bigger dose of him in the upcoming episodes. I've watched up to ep. 33, and although I don't find him annoying, I don't sense much acting skills from him either (may be his character doesn't demand too much emotional range).

Geezer wrote:

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.

Although it's better than other action scenes, Chiba-san still showed his age as his speed and agility is just not what they used to be. Having brought up watching Hong Kong martial arts movies and being somewhat a practitioner myself, I just can't get excited about any action scenes in Japanese dramas/movies. Lau Kar-Leung, who is more or less of the same age, displayed much better speed and agility in 'Seven Swords'.