Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 3125 Location: S.F. Bay Area Country:
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:31 pm Post subject:
I just finished Gokusen and Orange Days, and I guess the perfect pictures, and the clear and understandable subs disconcerted me, so I jumped back to some oldies.
I tried "Age 35", but by the middle of the second episode it was clear that there was no way this one was gonna turn out well, regardless of its excellent cast.
So I shelved that one and started "Hito no fukou wa hachimitsu no aji" aka "The Misery of Others is as Sweet as Honey" aka "Sweet Misfortunes"
Now this is more my speed. It was done in '94, and there was little or no money spent on sets, or locations. It's a sitcom with a little romance, a good deal of comedy, and just enough farce to keep me interested.
This one looks more like a filmed stage play than some of the mini movies J-TV has been turning out lately.
I have no complaints about how beautiful a lot of Japanese TV is these days. But sometimes it's nice to go back to the simpler stuff. _________________
Joined: 26 Oct 2003 Posts: 577 Location: Singapore Country:
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:04 pm Post subject:
Geezer wrote:
I just finished Gokusen and Orange Days, and I guess the perfect pictures, and the clear and understandable subs disconcerted me, so I jumped back to some oldies.
I have no complaints about how beautiful a lot of Japanese TV is these days. But sometimes it's nice to go back to the simpler stuff.
Oh yes, Geezer, my sentiments too. Watching those in the mid '90s too after exhausting the recent fare of dramas.
Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 1895 Location: Pudding~~~
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 12:20 am Post subject:
Oh I remember watched All About Eve... It was quite good.. Although I'm not much of a K drama fan....haha.. too long.... I like it short and sweet...haha but not too short
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 3125 Location: S.F. Bay Area Country:
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 2:14 pm Post subject:
Drat. I finished "Sweet Misfortunes". My one episode per day rule went right out the window with this one.
Now that it's over, I'm a little worried about what to start next, because I know that what ever I watch will suffer by comparison.
Eve
Stick with Shotgun Marriage for a while. The first couple of episodes focus on the "leads" as everything is getting set up. But as the show goes on, the supporting cast takes over and for my money, the show just flies.
I thought Hiroshi Abe really broke out in this show. And to see Sonny Chiba doing comedy, and doing it well, was a revelation. _________________
And to see Sonny Chiba doing comedy, and doing it well, was a revelation.
It shouldn't be a revelation, Geez. He's done funny little bits in his Shadow Warriors (Kage No Gundan) series, but I guess they're overshadowed (no pun intended) by the action...
It shouldn't be a revelation, Geez. He's done funny little bits in his Shadow Warriors (Kage No Gundan) series, but I guess they're overshadowed (no pun intended) by the action...
As part of each episode in the second season of the Yagyu Conspiracy series, Chiba disguises himself as a lecherous old man who travels around with a theatrical troupe; those scenes show off his comedic talent. Plus, if you view some of his more recent movies, there are some funny scenes he does as well. I think that as he has gotten older and can no longer do the incredible martial arts action that he was known for in the past, he has come to rely more on his considerable acting experience and has been able to show that he is a good actor, both dramatically and comedically. In Dekichatta Kekkon, he steals every scene he's in, and he does the same thing in English in Kill Bill, Vol. 1.
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 3125 Location: S.F. Bay Area Country:
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 2:32 pm Post subject:
bmwracer wrote:
It shouldn't be a revelation, Geez. He's done funny little bits in his Shadow Warriors (Kage No Gundan) series, but I guess they're overshadowed (no pun intended) by the action...
By the action? I'd say they were overshadowed by the fact that the guy established a reputation for himself as the Lounge Lizard of Martial Arts films.
I never saw his early TV series. So I can't comment on them.
But I saw far more of his films than I like to admit... and by the end, I had about as negative an opinion of him as you could get.
"Shotgun Marriage" and "Kill Bill Vol. 1" completely changed my opinion of Chiba. For me, and I think for many who knows him from his movies... those performances were a revelation. _________________
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