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.
~
