47th NHK Taiga Drama: Atsu-hime

[ralphm1999]

Tonight's episode finally aroused some interest. This may yet turn out to be a good watch. I think in the first 2 episodes the producers were trying to lay the groundwork.... but the groundwork was obstructed with too many look alikes saying meaningless things to each other.
At least tonight it became somewhat personal and displayed the makings of a story line. I love the way they have Aoi chan walking with that doll like mincing kabuki step....
I will continue to watch.

[bmwracer]

ralphm1999 wrote:

Tonight's episode finally aroused some interest.

Did she appear in a bikini?

[shari]

I think she was attempting to perform the Indian rope trick. Something must have gone wrong.
_________________

Esumi Makiko

[gaijinmark]

ralphm1999 wrote:

Tonight's episode finally aroused some interest. This may yet turn out to be a good watch. I think in the first 2 episodes the producers were trying to lay the groundwork.... but the groundwork was obstructed with too many look alikes saying meaningless things to each other. I will continue to watch.

Same here. THey are finally connecting some of the dots, doing a little better job of explaining whats going on. I still have a tough time with Eita carrying a sword. He just doesn't look like the "samurai" type.

[ralphm1999]

gaijinmark wrote:

Same here. THey are finally connecting some of the dots, doing a little better job of explaining whats going on. I still have a tough time with Eita carrying a sword. He just doesn't look like the "samurai" type.

For sure he doesn't.

Notice Yukiyoshi Ozawa who played Katsuragii in Sakura is playing the role of Saigo Takamori. He seems to play a lot of Taigas these days. He was in Hidden Blade also. this appears to be his niche.

[Itazura ichiban]

bmwracer wrote:

Did she appear in a bikini?

I must have dozed off before they got to that part...
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- Douglas

[ralphm1999]

bmwracer wrote:

Did she appear in a bikini?

I think she's more the girl next door type.

[Kijinnmaru]

ralphm1999 wrote:

I think she's more the girl next door type.

If you lived in a beach house, the girl next door would wear a bikini.

Quote:

Tonight's episode finally aroused some interest. This may yet turn out to be a good watch. I think in the first 2 episodes the producers were trying to lay the groundwork.... but the groundwork was obstructed with too many look alikes saying meaningless things to each other.

Dude, the "meaningless things" is the plot!

[bmwracer]

Kijinnmaru wrote:

If you lived in a beach house, the girl next door would wear a bikini.

Good point.

[ralphm1999]

OK. Atsu hime has got my full attention now. It is becoming very interesting. Funny how one good (and cute) actress can bring an entire normally dry boring drama to life. It's obvious without Aoi in this this would sink like a rock in a calm pond. Instead it may reign in the super drama category.

[ralphm1999]

Fine, Atsu hime has gotten better and better with each week. Tonight it was superb. This has certainly fallen away from the usual Taiga boredom that makes them so unberarable. Other Taiga producers should pay attention to the excellent use and portrayal of/by Aoi chan which really brings this Taiga into the must see category. It's nice to see scenes with several characters intereacting instead of the usual endless closeups on dirty faced scraggly bearded not woth watching faces in the normal Taiga genre.

[gaijinmark]

Have to agree 100% ralph. After episode 3 I was having my doubts, but the last two episodes there has been a huge improvement. This may not be so much a "Taiga Drama" as a "Taiga Romance" which would be completely different from what most taiga's are about. I'm still struggling a little with Eita, but his character is getting more interesting as well.

[bmwracer]

gaijinmark wrote:

I'm still struggling a little with Eita, but his character is getting more interesting as well.

Same here.

When the backlight hits his ears, I can't help but notice.

After seeing those two in so many modern dramas, it's hard to reconcile them in a period piece....

I'll probably feel the same for the 2009 Taiga with Tsumabuki Satoshi...

[Itazura ichiban]

gaijinmark wrote:

Have to agree 100% ralph. After episode 3 I was having my doubts, but the last two episodes there has been a huge improvement. This may not be so much a "Taiga Drama" as a "Taiga Romance" which would be completely different from what most taiga's are about. I'm still struggling a little with Eita, but his character is getting more interesting as well.

The music is not nearly as bloodthirsty as the Furin Kazan soundtrack.
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- Douglas

[Kijinnmaru]

gaijinmark wrote:

Have to agree 100% ralph. After episode 3 I was having my doubts, but the last two episodes there has been a huge improvement. This may not be so much a "Taiga Drama" as a "Taiga Romance" which would be completely different from what most taiga's are about. I'm still struggling a little with Eita, but his character is getting more interesting as well.

Taiga Romance, huh? Nail in the coffin for me. Japanese historical dramas are unique because of the feudalism; period romance I can get everywhere. I also seem to be the opposite of everyone here with regards to Miyazaki Aoi's acting. Although good, it's too "modern". Her acting and mannerisms seem to be "contemporary teenager" rather than "Edo teenager"; like an actor in a costume, rather than a young lady in the Bakumatsu. So she has the opposite effect to me from ralphm1999; she's another reason I'm passing on this. I need more than a pretty face to watch.

bmwracer wrote:

When the backlight hits his ears, I can't help but notice.

I bet elephants make fun of how large his ears are.

[bmwracer]

Kijinnmaru wrote:

Taiga Romance, huh? Nail in the coffin for me. Japanese historical dramas are unique because of the feudalism; period romance I can get everywhere. I also seem to be the opposite of everyone here with regards to Miyazaki Aoi's acting. Although good, it's too "modern". Her acting and mannerisms seem to be "contemporary teenager" rather than "Edo teenager"; like an actor in a costume, rather than a young lady in the Bakumatsu.

From what I've seen, I'd have to agree.... But as I mentioned previously, it might be because these actors have done so much modern era work (particularly Eita) and it's tough getting past that.

It's still early in the game... I'd give it/them more time.

Quote:

So she has the opposite effect to me from ralphm1999; she's another reason I'm passing on this. I need more than a pretty face to watch.

Again, I agree... A pretty face can only go so far, particularly for a Taiga... There has to be something more substantive than that...

At least for me.

Taigas, I believe, should be rich in history and the drama that surrounds them, not the players and the ratings they could bring in...

[ralphm1999]

As for me, if she reverts back to standard Taiga boredom I'll pass and destroy the episodes I already recorded.... I'm afraid I'm just stuck in today's world.

[gaijinmark]

Kijinnmaru wrote:

Taiga Romance, huh? Nail in the coffin for me. Japanese historical dramas are unique because of the feudalism

Well, I'll give them credit for trying something different. If by "unique" you mean the obligatory scene every episode of 10 guys sitting cross-legged in a dimly lit room muttering to each other, I'll pass. I've already seen that scene. (A couple thousand times )

[concertmaster]

Wow, what do you guys expect? A bunch of samurai sitting in a brightly lit conference room and speaking in super fast modern Tokyo dialect? They've already taken the liberty of not speaking in the local dialect (well, most of them). It's one thing to say you're not interested in a Taiga drama, but to criticize it by ignoring the aspect of historical accuracy is just totally unfair IMO.

I'm with Kijinnmaru on this one, plus Horikita Maki and Matsuda Shota have yet to make their appearance. Miyazaki Aoi is a good actress, not pretty by any means in my book and certainly not enough for me to watch a drama just for her. Coupled with rumors that she's taking sole credit for the good ratings and behavored like a prima donna on the sets just totally turned me off to this drama.

BTW, this will be my last or next to last post on this site. If I have time, I'll upload the OST to megaupload by the end of the week and that will definitely be my last.

EDIT: Leaving this site has very little to do with the posts in this thread. As people've said, it's just a drama, and it's not even one that I care about.

[bmwracer]

concertmaster wrote:

BTW, this will be my last or next to last post on this site.

This site or this thread?

I don't think you should be off-put too much by others' opinions, superficial as they might seem to be...