Kami no Shizuku 神の雫 [series]

I wanted to do this review like, wine red, but it doesn’t really work on black does it.

Cast:

Kamenashi Kazuya – Kanzaki

Naka Riisa – Shinohara

Tanabe Seiichi – Tomine

Toda Naho – Kiryu

Masu Takeshi _ Kawarage

Uchida Yuki – Saionji Maki

Taguchi Hiromasa – Honma

This series is a bit of a weird one. I was fully prepared to find myself bored and uninterested, when I read the synopsis I really didn’t think it would be my cup of tea. But as did most of Japan with the manga, I really got into it straight away and ended up really respecting the program.

Basically, Kamenashi looks beautiful in this drama, and he is paired up with Naka Riisa who is gorgeous and hysterically funny, there are a bunch of over the top melodramatic characters and plot progressions (including Tomine going kind of …blind through the stress …of drinking wine…?) and lots of good old fashioned will they wont they – oh for god sake they’d better – awkward slow build friend turn to love type stuff.

The plot starts with Kanzaki’s father dying and leaving a huge wine collection up for grabs to his two benefactors. The first being Kanzaki, the second being a wine critic called Tomine whom Kanzaki’s father adopted right before he died. These two have to fight it out for the immense collection through a series of tasks to find the so-called ‘drops of god’ all orchestrated by the dead father.

Reluctant at first, Kanzaki takes up the challenge in order to learn the truth about his estranged father, finding even more secrets and new friends along the way.

Now, I assumed quite a lot from the beginning about who Tomine was, and it is kind of obvious. But really it doesn’t matter how and when you cotton on to all the secrets, it is more fun to get carried along with Kamenashi and Naka and their character’s quirky friendship.

The best, or the worst, thing about this drama is the cheesy phrases and excruciatingly painful description of wine with all the relevant pretentious words and devotion to a f*cking drink. It really does make me want to drink wine though – even though I can’t stand the way people talk about it.

It is only a short drama really, running at 9 full length episodes, responsible for Kamenashi’s constant prattling on about wine throughout Cartoon KAT-TUN when he was filming Kami no Shizuku. I can see why, it did have a lot of nice appreciation for sentimental attachments – not just stuff wine buff lingo.

If Naka Riisa had not been in this drama there would have been no light relief from all the melodrama and epic theatrical performance made of the simple act of sipping a bit of wine. It was laughable in places, but would have been more so if there hadn’t been the real humour coming from Naka Riisa and her dorky character Shinohara. She absolutely made this series for me. I literally couldn’t have bared it – born it – uh, wouldn’t have been able to bare it without her.

It is worth watching if you’re a Kame fan on the fact that he is so pretty – though 1 pound gospel is still my favourite type of role for him (as brilliant as his boy love pouty moody monster style is in Youkai Ningen Bem at the moment) I just prefer him when he has comical characters.

But he does slut around in a suit *ahem* sorry – strut around in a suit for the whole show, and doesn’t crack a smile for a good long while, so many fans of Kame’s slut face – I mean strut face – will be happy.

Hmmm, I think it is actually way better than I’ve made it sound, I’ve kinda not done my job with this one have I? Well, I liked it; I don’t care if you do. And I watched it not that long after it aired which was too bloody long ago now to remember enough of the story to give an accurate review. Pointless much?

promo poster:

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young black jack ヤング ブラック・ジャック[movie]

all I was waiting for was his hair to go white. Through the whole film. I think I deafened my neighbours when it finally did.

 

Right, so I’ve come to like this guy Okada Masaki was in Half Way, among many many other things, and saw on some random thing he was only in the movie version of Blackjack [insert wide eyes and exclamation marks here] that anime fecking rocked.

At some point I will finish the manga but lack of space and money has meant reading it online and reading manga onscreen is a little bit of a chore for me and my light sensitivity – when the brightness on my laptop screen is turned right down as it usually is I can’t really see f*ck all.

This movie is the back story [yay] that explains what happens to that rogue doctor and why he became a secret genius with a two tone hair do. I was like *he shouldve had white hair in this movie damn it, he would’ve looked so good* then KYAA mother f*cking KYAA it is white later on in the film. Woo. I had to fan girl at my friend who didn’t really get why I was so exited [being a boy and all] but he was the only one I knew who had seen blackjack so methinks I should’ve made some more people watch that with me in order to rejoice in this cheesy ass awesome movie. Jeez girl put in some commas.

Naka Riisa is also in this, and we all know how much I adore that girl. So I was happy all round. I like this as a standalone movie, but as a back story it works well – they could soooo do a series with this cast. Aish seriously the white hair works. It really does.

Anyway, for those of you who haven’t a clue what the f*ck I’m talking about as you haven’t seen the anime or read the manga or heard anything about this badger-esque bouffant before, oshieteiruyo.

 

Basically this guy Hazama Tokio had some big ass accident in the past when he was a little chibi chiro, and he and his mum got a little bit blown up all to pieces. The wacking great scar he has is from the skin graft he needed when half his face decided it wanted to go separate ways. His mother lay comatose as a doctor saved the young boy with said grafty skinnage and through his desire to save his mother he vows to become Mr genius badger doctor man.

 

Flash forward to the main time in our story and we find Naka Riisa’s character Yuna, who is training to be a nurse, and this soon to be badger-esque apparent doctor saving some collapsed dude in the street. It soon becomes clear that he is a medical genius but not actually a licensed doctor. He has a secret surgery complete with makeshift operating theatre in some back alley somewhere and all the unsavoury customers that would bring. The two become entangled when Yuna realises a doctor she knows is actually the one who saved Hazama as a boy, and when Yuna’s sister falls desperately ill it is clear that Hazama may be the only one who can help her.

Helping him out is his friend from the medical school played by Kaku Kento (Q10, Tumbling, Samurai High School, Gokusen, Paradise Kiss) I cant help but give a little ureshii squee for him now too.

There is a brilliant homage to the manga which I wont spoil as it is right at the end so I would be totally spilling all the details to explain – but it is a lovely little wink at the original story mentioning Hazama’s little girl – who I love in the anime. Such a cute little munchkin.

 

It is a gravy little film that I thought was pretty damn cheesy – and rightly so. I think if they did make a series they could afford to pile in the weirdo comedy like in the anime, but for this movie it is pretty serious due to covering all the story of his growing up and then the later sad situations ending in his badger hair and his determination to remain a dodgy underground unlicensed doctor. There wasn’t really much room for silliness. But worth it all the same. More blackjack please. We like it.

half way ハルフウェイ [movie]

I want her calligraphy teacher. He is the best.

This is a quiet little film, full of people I like and shot with the feel of watching real life. The dialogue and pace is all very natural and calm, and the subtle humour keeps it flowing along so much so that it is over before you realise.

 

The discussion of whether ‘half’ is pronounced haafu or harufu made me really laugh, it was really nice to see that and think that is how I sound when I’m trying to get my head round some Japanese words. Such incidentals throughout made this a really warm sweet film, even though it obviously isn’t one for an epic fluffy happy ending.



cast:
Kitano Kie (14 Sai no Haha, bandage)
Okada Masaki (Blackjack, Hana Kimi)

Mizobata Junpei (Buzzer Beat, Akai Ito)

Naka Riisa (Yankii-kun to megane-chan)
Narimiya Hiroki (Yankii-kun to megane-chan
Shiraishi Miho (suppli, orange days)
Osawa Takao (ichi, a cheerful gang turns the earth)

The end of the final year of high school is a difficult time to be in a relationship. We watch these two characters awkwardly (adorably) become an item only to realise they may have to part ways soon due to the end of school and moving to attend their separate universities. How can you choose between your high school love and your education, dreams and aspirations?

 

It is a sad film really, in a way. But I think it’s because it is so realistic. There is no Tatta Hitotsu No Koi style flash forward to later down the line so we can see how things pan out, this movie is just one snippet of their lives shown to us as if it were a treasured memory conjured by an old photo.

It reminded me somehow of Kimi Ni Todoke but I couldn’t tell you why. They aren’t alike in story but maybe just that quiet feel. Actually I quite want to watch that now I’m thinking about it.

Getting the screen shots for this I find myself just watching it again. It pulls me in somehow. And while I’m brought into a sudden reality of living in the city again as I spend my first Friday night at my new flat listening to my neighbour through the wall shouting his mouth off in some beer soaked inaudible ugly way, I long for the sort of peaceful feeling this movie instantly gives me. I know my friend is just down the road with vodka but I can’t be assed to move, I spent forever walking by the sea today and my legs hate me. So screen shotting this movie is kinda nice and chilled which is welcomed by me right now.

 

While getting these shots I realise I have forgotten half the movie, and each scene is funny or sad all over again. I love how Hiro freaks when Sho asks her out and she rides her bike down a hill in a panic and falls flat on the grass, splat anime style. She is kind of headstrong and wilful but really scatty and girlie as well, which makes him tease her constantly.

The two friends of this main pair are played by Mizobata Junpei (akai ito, buzzer beat) and Naka Riisa (yankii-kun to megane-chan, kami no shizuku) who offer their own subtle realistic humour; I could watch the both of them all day long so I was glad of their presence in this. Also Osawa Takao (ichi) was so great as their calligraphy teacher – lazing about on the floor counselling love woes over tea. I’ve never seen him look so cool.

 

As sad at it is, it isn’t all death and woes so it doesn’t become a huge tear jerker. The constant smiles it brings just mean you can’t help but feel a little sad when the unfortunate but unavoidable end comes. All in all, it is an uplifting sweet funny movie with great characters and a flawless cast. Even just looking at screen shots from this film make me smile.

I think maybe that is why It reminds me of Kimi Ni Todoke, that warm, slightly sad but beautiful feeling, that surrounds honest but apprehensive love.

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yankii-kun to megane-chan ヤンキー君とメガネちゃん [series]

how can someone so pretty gurn like a cornish pasty

naka riisa is on top form for this comedy drama series. i think she is one of the funniest actresses on tv. pairing up with narimiya hiroki to form a duo of bizzarely perfect chemistry. i laughed all the way through.

both naka and narimiya can pull the most stupid faces and do constantly. 

their friendship (forced on him by her) is great. 

narimiya plays yankii (deliquant) shinagawa, naka plays class president adachi.

she has a past that surprises everyone and is the reason she seems to understand shinigawa so well. 

and man did she look good as a yankii! so cool.

izumi (hongo kanata) is adachi's rival in schoo and rinka (kawaguchi haruna) is a friend from her past who turns up one day to put a spanner in the works.

along with chiba (koyanagi yu) who they save from his agoraphobic life, the group become a weird choice for the student council, constantly having to prove their worth to a student body that doesnt really have faith in any of them apart from izumi. (hongo looks great in this drama. doing his unimpressed prince of tennis face all the way through)

adachi's grandad is played by ito shiro and is a really cool character. i liked him a lot. they often talk while sat on their porch - a bit like hotaru and her manager from hotaru no hikari. i wouldnt be surprised if it was the same house. The porch looks the same.

i like those moments where adachi looks normal and quiet, then we suddenly jump back to her being mental super school girl, chasing shinigawa around like a completely neurotic screaming banshee.

narimiya spends most of his time up on the school roof smoking and naka spends most of hers running around like a tw*t.

mostly do these things together while bickering and squabbling like a pair of moody ducks. 

although they have this argumentative banter they do seem to always be trying to keep the other out of trouble. and failing. completely.

They have no idea that they like each other for ages. They are both so stupid and wrapped up in their own issues to notice things like that. The whole premise is very silly and to be honest, typical of a Japanese school comedy. I think this had me laughing more than most though.

it does have a very sweet story but i just loved how funny it was. i cant get enough of naka's slapstick humour, and throwing narimiya into that world of stupidity was genius.

it was full of gokusen-like fights, a bit of will-they-wont-they romance, some great facial expression from naka, hongo and narimiya, and a completely far fetched story line. yay!

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