Keizoku (pt4) 2 SPEC heaven / incarnation [movies]

By this point Ninomae has become my favourite thing in the multifreakfailing universe. 

Ok so this is a continuation of the Keizoku part2&3 SPEC series and specials, This part starts with the first movie Heaven. I think this might be my favourite part but everything is now merging into one. 

I think the first special Shou and the first movie Heaven were really seriously great, though I can barely even distinguish them all from each other now. 

Heaven and Incarnation have really bled into one movie for me so I think the garbled paragraphs to come maybe flit back and forth from these two movies a little.

Before Heaven we were left with the back story of Toru and Ninomae, flash backing to the beginning of all the mess. 

Now we jump forward to the most recent place we had seen at the end of the first special Shou, with a still completely unclear view of what side anyone is one and who is really running the show. 

After dying for the 50th time Ninomae is back again, I just cry with joys everytime. 

And Kikkawa is still a frozen mummy from, if you can remember the end of Shou, the finding of his body all frozen with a gormless face like freeze dried gangster cop fruit to put on your sci fi cereal. ...That was a really weird sentence. 

So they are obviously on the hunt for a new SPEC enemy but when Ninomae pops up again telling Toru he was never dead.... alarm bells start ringing. 

Now she cant trust anyone at all, Sebumi cant trust Toru either because refuses to believe it is anything to do with Ninomae, 

and now she starts to fall into the darkness of her own SPEC when it comes back with full force after being sealed. 

Do you remember all this from Shou?

Well, its waking up again and she is fighting at every step sometimes unsuccessfully especially now Ninomae has supposedly shown up again. 

Well, yes, it is not what it seems as usual, there are much greater powers that be at play and this time in the shape of two white clothed ominous people upside down in a field talking about the world as if they were gods playing with puppets... 

We are left completely uninformed as to who these people are, we are still following who we thought was Ninomae an his new band of SPEC holders Ito Atsushi - playing himself which is hilarious, and Madame Yo played by Asano Yuko. Kuriyama Chiaki and Miura Takahiro turn up with a new back story, this time for Sebumi, with a little girl who is ambiguously linked to everything that is going on. 

Chiaki has the most hilarious lines and Miura speaks f*cking Chinese I nearly choked on my excitement to hear that full on awesomeness. 

Okada Kohki, Matsuzawa Kazuyuki and Sainei Ryuji (I forget their character's names) are still here, they have feature since the beginning, working hard to help Toru and Sebumi carry on fighting. 

We see them continue to help alongside Kikkawa's idiot minions to fight off Kashii Yu of all people in the second movie Incarnation. I cant remember her character's name either but she was bad ass. For about 5 minutes, yeah, but bad ass.

Also in incarnation Kenchi from Exile pops in for a weird cameo and we uncover the virus behind Simple Plan. Mukai Osamu and Oshima Yuko play the upside down field sitting white dressed people, and by the end of Incarnation we still dont really know what their deal is. 

We understand that Ninomae wasnt Ninomae but we are still confused as to what the hell is going on. Kashii Yu was so gorgeous and funny in her brief appearance, I wish she would do more odd characters like that. So cute. 

Things have really become strained now and its like they are back at the beginning again with no SPEC allies and just countless unknown enemies throwing endless battles in their path. 

But all we really know there is that there is a council of supposedly all powerful people, who promptly get all stabbed up as soon as we hear about them, and we also know that operation Simple Plan is coming into effect now and all SPEC holders, good or bad, will be targeted. 

But that really is all they have given us so far. 

This sucks for me because I cant find a subtitled version of the finale anywhere and that is when they are going to explain everything. 

Oh joy. So I have to try and understand all that science and everything all by myself..? Great. 

Well... I guess this leads me to the finale.... 

 ~ 

I will split this post a little due to the spoiler issue. As we know a big fat nothing still by the end of Incarnation that means that everything gets revealed in the finale so in order to not totally ruin that I will continue the rest of the review for reincarnation in the next post.

~

Tiger & Dragon タイガー＆ドラゴン [series]

Tiger Tiger Gilletiger!

I thought I'd take time out from my recent barrage of awful reviews, and try to write a good one. I'm not going to take any meds until a little bit later so before I settle down with Kamen Rider W and painkillers Im going to see if I can remember enough about this drama to review it properly.

The cast list is really long, so I didnt put in all the guests but most of the main characters are listed below:

Cast list: 

Nagase Tomoya - Tora 

Okada Junichi - Ryuji 

Ito Misaki - Megumi 

Nishida Toshiyuki - Hayashiatei Donbei 

Shoufukutei Tsurube - Nakatani Ken 

Tsukamoto Takashi - Nakatani Ginjiro 

Takuma Takayuki - Hyuga Jun 

Gin Pun Chou - Yanaka Sayuri 

Abe Sadao - Hayashiyatei Donta 

Nekoze Tsubaki - Yanaka Tsuruko 

Shunputei Shota - Hayashiyatei Donkichi 

Hoshino Gen - Hayashiyatei Dontsuku 

Fukami Motoki - Hayashiyatei Donburi 

Asari Yosuke - Hayashiyatei Udon 

Aoi Yu - Risa 

Kiritani Kenta - Takeshi-kun 

Arakawa Yoshiyoshi - Jumptei Jump 

Omi Toshinori - Ta-chan 

Hankai Kazuaki - Hanzo 

Takaoka Sousuke - Kaneko

Kitamura Kazuki - Tanabe Yasuo 

Omori Nao - Boss Kataoka 

Furuta Arata - Maruo 

This is one of those dramas I looked forward to watching but did not expect it to be so enjoyable. I think it may have irreparably formed my love for Rakugo and I'm so glad I watched it. 

Nagase is the man who got me hooked on Japanese comical dramas with My Boss My Hero, and I was interested in this one because he again plays a yakuza with another side to his personality. 

This time he gets himself involved with a Rakugo family troop and learns the ways of traditional story telling. But of course, eventually, Tora's yakuza life catches up with him...

Tora (Nagase) wants to become a great story teller, and the head of the Hayashiyatei family's most gifted son, Ryuji (Okada) wants nothing to do with it. 

The head of the house hold is a wonderful performer, able to convey all the subtle emotions and perfect sense of humour needed for truly enjoyable Rakugo. 

He begins to train Tora to tell traditional Rakugo stories that parallel his own bizarre life, and we see him come to understand the tales in real life contexts and bring an entirely new spin on each story as we eventually see his version of it.

I love the way we see two stories run parallel in each episode, the same tale but told as the traditional story (while its being taught to Tora) and also watching it unfurl in his own life. 

The way he sees it happening in real life is the way he chooses to convey it on stage, and his odd take on traditional stories becomes popular and intriguing to the public. 

His aggression and general yakuza manor is something never really found on the Rakugo stage, and traditional performers become a little threatened and put out by his popularity. 

Tora and Ryuji become odd comrades and through their polar opposing personalities find lessons and truths in each other they could not see in themselves. 

It is a brilliant pairing. Okada and Nagase are really perfect together. The real gem for me is the head of the family played by Nishida Toshiyuki, he was just so warm and stupid, wise and flustered, so many conflicting but lovely personality traits. I just loved the chemistry between him and Nagase.

Their odd bickering, never really knowing who was in charge, the long journey they took together that was really very emotional and personal for them; it was a very sweet drama. 

I learned a lot about Rakugo. Some of the stories were so funny, and I understood more of the punchlines than I would have done a few years ago. 

It must be hard to really get Rakugo humour and meaning if you dont know much about Japanese culture. You almost need to have it explained and then it sort of loses its touch. But even just understanding the themes in general helps a lot. 

There were a few I really got into and the odd one or two I didnt understand at all. Cultural contexts are often really needed for things like this. But I think you can enjoy this show regardless of understanding the stories. 

And after one or two stories, you start to get the into rhythm and style of the stories and they become easier to understand.

I think its worth getting into because once you get used to this style of story telling it becomes like a little treasure you can enjoy. 

I think the direction and writing on this drama was so good. I cant fault the show at all. Really different, interesting and happy, sometime very moving, and mostly warm and sweet for random bizarre reasons. 

I highly recommend this one. I could definitely watch this again, even if it feels a little dated. Its almost 10 years old at the time Im writing this review. But I really loved it. All the jokes, all the banter, all the troubles, and especially the unexpected Enka performance. 

Nishida Toshiyuki was a joy to watch, and there were so many guests in each episode that are really well established actors. Im glad it was so well thought out and delicately put together. 

Nagase will always be a yakuza with a split personality to me.

That and a goat, but thats a whole other story caused by crack fic. I wonder if its possible to write crack fic in the style of Rakugo..? I really shouldnt give myself ideas like that.

~

Youkai Ningen Bem 妖怪人間べム [series]

best monster boy love but not really but definitely genius awesomeness

I cant believe I never reviewed this when I watched it! It was the gayest monster in the village. I honestly thought I had already reviewed this. Im not sure why its not here. 

well I loved it. All ways round I loved it. I may have to watch a fair bit of it again to write this review properly but Im sure I can remember enough of the plot to get a point across. 

well, maybe. ok, maybe i just remember how gorgeous Anne is and how boy love Kamenashi and Kitamura are. oh and the cute little boy! oh he was great. ok i'll do a cast list seen as i havent done one for the last few reviews due to being spackered at work. yes spackered. 

cast: 

Bemu - Kamenashi Kazuya 

Bela - Watanabe Anne 

Belo - Suzuki Fuku 

Natsume Akinori - Kitamura Kazuki 

Woo that took ages didnt it. Well I know there were more people in it who were important but I cant really remember. 

 I loved this show. so much. It was literally gayer than any boy love movie Ive seen - even more full of longing looks and squealy moments than uselss takumi kun. I just loved it. 

It was not meant to be so ridiculous but Kamenashi and Kitamura adore each other so much in real life that you could not escape the love on screen. so funny. 

Anne made it a joy to watch also. Her arms! gorgeous gorgeous arms! Seriously beautiful woman. 

I always think that but christ I really think this was one of her best characters. 

She had such a different voice and manner - i loved her being so aggressive and ungirlie. I really thought she was poised and perfect. 

So Suzuki Fuku - well what can I say. god that boy can act. I mean really. seriously amazing acting. I think he is the strawberry on this cake. lovely sweet little boy who makes the whole thing complete. perfect casting through and through. 

Kitamura is cast so well against kamenashi, but always great anyway. It is so boy love moody - with all that wanting to confess (his monster self) but not wanting to be disowned. 

It works well as a metaphor, but I like to just joke about it on a surface level. 

I died almost every episode from laughing at the gay. it was such joy. SUCH joy. 

The family of monster people (kamenashi, anne and suzuki) are searching to find out about their past - how they were made and why. most importantly how they can become human. 

Its a desperate hunt to find their secrets and always against time - the time when they will be found out by the village and have to run away again. 

It is a struggle to be accepted, to be loved, to be themselves. yeah ok, its definitely a metaphor. But aside from the gay pride parade costume ideas Im now having, this drama is seriously good! I swear please believe me. 

The cheese is just the best, the super serial faces are so brilliant, and the poncing around in a trench coat being all awesome saving the day and being thoroughly TORTURED by the whole thing is just... 

well thats just Kamenashi for a start. but its just great. really so much fun. 

I like the weird flashes of dog like senses they use to sense where people are - and Kamenashi gets to use is poser cane. I like all his poser moves in this. Its a squeal fest from start to finish.

The imagery is gorgeous. the sets and stuff I mean. you know the kind of fantasy we dont see much of in Japanese dramas, I wish for more. 

The monster costumes were basically out of the rubber suity bad guy wardrobe of Sailor moon or something but Kamenashi's silver hair makes up for absolutely any flaw it may have.

Im really wanting to go watch this again right now. its one you could definitely sit through more than once.

its so stupid that its easy to watch but emotional enough to make you actually care what happens. 

Ive just read a super serial review of this show also comparing it to the LGBT issues and such - but put very much more diplomatically. 

I really dont care im gonna use the word gay in any which way I want, but yes it seems im not the only one who saw the relation.

Mostly mine just came from squealing about the joys between Kamenashi and Kitamura but the whole story really does parallel.

The ending does offer them closure - or a choice thereof. and (not to spoil) I was happy that it panned out more true to themselves. It'll make sense if you watch it. 

The struggles are more important while you are watching, the journey is present and real. 

but after the fact all I can really remember is Anne's fantastic arms and the shiny love between kameMura. 

I really thought I had done this rant before. I feel like Ive said all this. I know I had a massive twitter rant about it with Kali but I thought Id reviewed it! This feels weird to write because of that. 

And it was so long ago when I saw it (as it was airing). 

I was waiting for this one to come out and i know I wasnt disappointed. its hard to review so long after the fact though. 

I hope my screen shots can bring back those memories and keep them imortalised in shiny gay joys of joyfulness forever.

I love this drama.

~

ATARU [series]

review request accepted.

yeah ok that was a lame ass tagline for my review but whatever. its a cheesy drama. i like it though.

Chiaki *swoon* gorgeous face amazing eyes from every movie ever (battle royal, kagen no tsuki, ju-on, azumi 2, spec) is playing a detective with an agenda. 

She is working under a once over-zealous to the point of yankii detective played by Kitamura Kazuki (yokai ningen bemu, galileo, iryu, tiger and dragon, akihabara@deep) who is generally great in everything but he seems to be getting better roles these days. I think my sentences are too long. I need some commas. 

The main character of course Ataru. Nakai kun seems to be a better actor and host than singer but im starting to think that of all of SMAP nowadays. 

Regardless, he is great in Ataru as the savant who has been trained to crack the toughest cases by a special police service in the US. 

He finds his way over to Japan and falls into the haphazard care of Ebina (Chiaki) and her senpai Sawa (Kitamura). 

Half running away from his old organisation, half supported by them and his family back in japan - its backwards and forwards between who is on his side and who is not for a while. 

He basically only wants to be with Ebina and her family. its the most comfortable place for him as she learns his ticks and tricks the quickest and adapts his surroundings to suit him. It all works well until he starts to break down and burn out. 

It is a little bit Galileo / voice - swirly epiphany style reveals at the end of each episode. 

but the nice difference is Ataru cant say any of these things, we can only guess from his clues. 

and flashes of swirly epiphanical woosh moments. 

real words might help but whatever. 

if youve seen either voice or galileo or Watashi no Kirai na Tantei you will know what i mean. Any genius in a Japanese drama must be followed around by flashes and swirls of realisations and eureka moments coloured by dramatic music and awful sound fx. 

Tamamori Yuta is still almost cute (he plays Ebina's brother) and Im waiting for him to grow up into a better Yamapi than Yamapi. someone has to take over because Yamapi certainly aint doing it. 

It is dectectivey runny jumpy shouty backstabby sort of thing but its not very tense and serious. Its quite a light drama and to be honest the best bit about it for me is Chiaki in suits. *passes out from flails* And those hair extensions are so good.

Its not the best drama i've ever seen, but then i have seen some utter budget 26:30AM weird old sh*t. 

Nakai kun is really easy to watch even when he is totally not like his usual self. And this is as far away as you get really. 

His cute voice and watery eyes staring off into god knows where make for a very likable character, the fact that he refers to himself as Chokozai and requires everyone else to call him that is just so silly. 

I dont think they ever explain the name any more than Ebina speculating that its because he is an infuriating little bugger and the family remembering that his friend called him that as a child. 

Nothing much else to say really. It was worth a watch but there wasnt a whole lot to it. 

It was enjoyable as one of those stupid detective dramas that want to keep you guessing but you dont try because you know they will be figuring it all out for you anyway.

Ive just had the best moment ever because ive just found both specials on a website.... and im going to watch the sh*t out of them and finish this post ranting about them!!! joys!

ATARU SP 1 & 2

Ok so part one is basically just a recap of the series. Damn I hate it when they do that. Like we didn't watch it or something. Gah. Well if it had been longer since i had watched maybe that wouldnt have been so annoying. But seriously 80% flash back and narration to explain the past... that we already saw. 

By part 2 it starts to be more the actual story of the special. Some internet stalking and game stuff that lost me completely, but its all about Tasuku who is Ataru's brother yay! 

He is played by lovely Black Jack, Kokuhaku, Halfway odd smile but completely likable for no reason at all Okada Masaki. It gets rather deep and family tears types of meaningful. He loves him awww.

Im not sure why I came to like Okada, Ive seen him in quite few things and never really thought he could do any more facial expressions than weird smile and weird frown, but somehow I came to like him. 

My boss my hero's Ichimura Masachika plays their dad - and always hams it up more than anyone. His super serial serious face and voice always makes me giggle in somber moments.

The terrible English skills of everyone were no less in the specials. Oh please just stop speaking English and getting awful Americans and whatever the hell the other guys were to say your cheesy ass lines so p*ss poorly. Christ.

Ebina fingering the bad guy at last was a great moment. Look forward to finally seeing her win a situation. Even if it was round the houses more than ever. 

There isnt much else to it really. Its like an extra long episode with a sh*t bag load of flash backs.

I really like how they all unify in their hatred of the d*ck head they catch in the end with their disapproving looks. Its a good story line but pretty much the whole of the first special could have been left out.

And what's with Horikita Maki suddenly there at the end? Her face is certainly blank enough to play a savant... 

She seems to be like a rogue savant from the police and I really wanted that to be a spin off series!!!! 

...And it is!!! Well, its a spin off movie that I will be watching sharpish. 

So I will post the movie review on a separate post because when I did the specials and movies and stuff for Galileo on one post last time it made it way too long. 

Unless it is sh*t and all I want is a quick rant. Then it can go under here.

So thats it. Im done.

~