Galileo ガリレオ [series] [movie] [series]

The infamous Galileo - just as cheesy as it's spoofs...

super pout award.

Cast list

Fukuyama Masaharu - Yukawa Manabu

Shibasaki Kou - Utsumi Kaoru
Kitamura Kazuki - Kusanagi Shunpei
Shinagawa Hiroshi - Yuge Shiro
Watanabe Ikkei - Kuribayashi Hiromi
Maya Miki - Jonouchi Sakurako
Hayashi Tsuyoshi - Murase Kensuke
Aoi - Taniguchi Saeko
Fukui Hiroaki - Kobuchizawa Takashi
Takayama Miyako - Watanabe Miyuki
Ito Takahiro - Mori Eita

Writing this as I'm getting the screen shots from the film, which I might add is quite savage to begin with - I was a little shocked. 

But for the time being I'll just concentrate on one bit at a time. First off, series one. 

I've seen this show's adverts and spoofs for years now, caught bits of episodes, seen tv spots related to it and finally got around to watching it fully this week. It was funnier and less grown up than I was expecting but enjoyable due to that reason. 

I have loved Shibasaki Kou since first watching Battle Royale all those years ago, and when I saw the adverts for Galileo2 coming last season and a new spin off this season I decided it was time to dig it out. 

Broken hard drive still, so I'm streaming. Un-f*cking-happy.

But I still managed to get some half decent screen shots at least. Its not easy when you don't have the files. I really don't like using streaming sites to capture my screen shots from. But these will do ok.  

Galileo is everything you would expect from a crime thriller twisty turny mystery drama; 

the science and baffling dialogue (I could barely understand), 

the argumentative friendship between the main characters, 

and all the problem solving myth busters style - 

complete with stupid over the top re-enactments, experiments, and ridiculous conclusions drawn from the smallest of sparks of inspiration - always connected to something random that Galileo just happens to already be thinking about at the beginning of the episode! 

It's ok to suspend logic and reasoning for tv but it feels weird to do that for a scientist who continually belittles the lack of logic and reasoning. 

Its pretty fun and lighthearted considering these are murder cases being solved. I can't really say the same for the movie. Its quite sad, violent and makes my sympathise with the perpetrators. 

So on to the plot of series one.

University scientist and general logical genius Yukawa sensei is contacted by rookie detective Utsumi with requests of assistance on complicated, seemingly impossible, murders. 

It causes a disturbance in the lab on many occasion and it appears to me that they never got any work done - just like the students in school dramas never actually go to class.

There are the flashes of mad inspiration then the frantic writing of equations on any surface with any thing - many times using things I'm pretty sure wouldn't make a clear chalk like mark on a random surface, like a blunt stone on bit of plastic or something, but whatever.

It reminded me of Godhand Teru and I realised how many things must have taken inspiration from the Galileo manga. That Galileo moment of enthused scribbling of equations in a mind whirring chaos of thoughts, questions and discoveries is the life and soul of a mystery drama. 

I like all the little moments where Utsumi sees Galileo doing something cool and goes a bit weak at the knees - I can't blame her I guess, but the cutest moments are her frustrated pouts and complaints as he does what he pleases in spite of her protestations. There is a great chemistry between them.



With guest stars of the likes of Katori Shingo (kasukana kanojo), Yumiko Shaku (sky high) Fukada kyouko (Tenshi) and Muga Tsukaji (The Handsome Suit) it is a good class of actors and typical prime time drama.

I think it is an easy watch considering it is essentially a thriller crime drama. 

Galileo: yougisha x no kenshin 容疑者Xの献身 [movie]

With the movie it took me half an hour to get into it - basically the moment I realised Galileo sensei was pitted against a mathematician it became truly interesting. 

I really felt bad for the people they were trying to catch though. 

Yes, they shouldv'e reported what happened straight away - it could have been self defense, but I can't help sympathise with them.

As far as situations go, if   your violent ex husband shows up and starts kicking the living sh*t out of you and your daughter then yeah, I'd say strangle him with a power cord too. But to cover it all up is the worst plan. Especially in a world where Galileo exists to foil your every move. 

It looks like a proper movie, but of course without a need to explain any back story with regards to the main characters, so it kinda jumps right in there. 

It has a much more dark and serious feel, hardly any lighter moments at all. 

It centers mainly around Galileo rather than Utsumi so it really doesn't let up much. Relenting and much more unfriendly. 

Not so easy to watch, but after the opening incident it isn't exactly the darkest thing I've seen by a long shot.

Definitely interesting enough to hold your attention, (jitsu ni omoshiroi as it were) with enough twists and turns to throw your solid opinions up into the air and make you start all over again. Exactly what happens to Galileo i guess. It is a pretty sad story with a somber ending. Bittersweet and tragic from start to finish. But beautiful in its own way.

Galileo 2 ガリレオ２

series 2 sees us back to usual form with antics much more comfortable to the general viewing public. This time with the little miss Tokyo Dogs cute face memory loss girl Yoshitaka Yuriko being generally infuriated with Galileo and his disregard for anything else other than the details he is interested in.

And she is super cute still.


Takao Osawa (A Cheerful Gang Turns the Earth, Ichi, All about Lily Chou Chou, Sky High, Halfway) is our first guest star crazy person as we are thrown straight in to awesome super villainy ingenious tricks this time set in a kind of commune and some dubious mind control.

Yep, truly back to form. Much more lighthearted and stupid. Personally I prefer it this way. Its just a shame that Utsumi goes overseas and we don't see her much. 





Kirishitani is pretty pushy and rude, gaining less than appealing nicknames for herself but finds herself falling down the same road as Utsumi did when she was first getting to know hen-jin Galileo and becoming more and more involved with strange cases which require his assistance.





She rubs everyone up the wrong way for a while before settling into her role just as Utsumi did, and takes her time understanding Galileo while being led around by him in the ways he does so gracefully. 

She has more arrogance than Utsumi, maybe not so likable at first, but it brings a slightly different dynamic in to the show which is probably a good thing as it would be a mistake to just carbon copy Utsumi into the second season. 

I prefer Utsumi, but I guess its the starry eyed view of a first love striking again as it does with all my beloved drama characters.

That's about it. Only I wish they wouldn't drink so much coffee and make it seem so delicious. It makes me drink too much.

I will be watching episode zero and all the other bits before the new spin off with Shibasaki Kou in the summer.

Looking forward to having Utsumi back again for a while.

~

*update*

*possible akumu-chan spoilers if you can read into this crazy sh*t i babble.*

convo on FB with Mikey as i try to panic learn kanji for my exam in 4 days:


Kanji is like that annoying person you get lumped with that you hate and have the most loud argumentative friendship with built on mutual distaste for each other, you know the one that in dramas they bicker constantly and moan about being in each other's presence until they finally get together.

can we skip to the bit where we get married please????

And are doing the living in Japan part

let's not let it be like Galileo. He winds her up so much but has little flashes of awe when she sees him do cool stuff. You think there might be something there but SHE STILL FUCKS OFF TO AMERICA.

when im living in japan i need to be at least at the stage where me and Kanji dont argue ALL the time.

i dont want to give up and be replaced by memory loss girl.

If you are still arguing with it I'll come give you two counselling

Which in turn will probably counsel me too as I hate it also, the little liney bastards

Utsumi got her own spin off show.... does that mean i will start learning Korean properly? ive taken this analogy too far.

Just don't develop a brain tumor, I don't really want to find out if Kanji will be there for you or not

really intelligent. compare your learning to one of the most confusing shows on earth. yeah, probably better than using 1 litre. good job i didnt use the last one i saw, akumu chan. arrhghghgggg the ending! if it is that one,,,,,my kanji boyfriend is the father! but only from the chin downwards.

what the fuck am i saying...

I'm just lost in the endless sea of analogies now

im posting this convo under my galileo review. ^^

FAMOUS. Snap

Liar Game ライアーゲーム [series] [movie]

Warning: full if my Toda Erika ureshii squees

Somehow I now have to start the massive undertaking that is reviewing Liar Game. This is a two series and one movie drama starring Matsuda Shota and Toda Erika full of twists and turns, psychological nasties and larger than life characters.

This is not a difficult drama to watch considering the mathematics and underhand schemes are a little challenging to keep up with at times, I remember was so upset to find I only had the two series and there was a whole other part I didn’t have – I spent ages trying to find the movie in a panic to gain some closure to the whole thing.

I will definitely watch this again – maybe soon – it has been a long long time since I saw this and I could watch Toda Erika be little miss cute worried face all day long.

In fact, I think she and Massu should get together and make adorable worried faced babies. Man, they would have some seriously cute children.

How can I make this happen…

Kanzai Nao is scouted by the Liar Game due to her unshakable honesty and pure personality. A game to force people into debt and make them swindle each other out of everything, limits are tested and a fortune is set to be made from naïve victims.

A swindler newly released from jail also joins the game after Nao asks him for help. Akiyama has the quick mind of a genius gambler and through their polar opposing actions attempt to save the whole group of players from this evil game.

I love Toda Erika. I just love her. This was the series that really solidified it, but I had already fallen for her way before. This was actually a really long time ago, thinking about it, I watched it all from the beginning of season 1 as the movie was coming out in early 2010. It was one big epic chunk of Liar Game.

Some characters feature in both series and even on to the movie – the awesome Fukanaga (Suzuki kosuke) and Tanimura & Eri from the Liar Game team (Watanabe Ikkei and Kichise Michiko)

My favourite character doesn’t come in until season two, Katsuragi Ryo played by Kikuchi Rinko (Norwegian wood) turns up as a nemesis to Akiyama and god I loved her and her cool theme tune that played every time she came on screen.

At this point, seen as I have brought it up, I should mention that capsule カプセル do the soundtracks to both series’ and the film, and my god they are awesome. So I would suggest getting them even if you don’t plan on watching Liar game, or you don’t listen to capsule. Maybe do though. It’s worth it.

I always find it hard doing reviews on longer series as I don’t want to give anything away from later down the line and I end up not explaining anything.

The sets are really cool, the tricks are very clever, the characters are off the wall at best, the plot is up and down more than premenstrual mood swings, and Toda Erika is just plain adorable, I love her I love her I love her.

Normally, sickly sweet characters don’t resonate with me, and I can usually never find their substance, but I just can’t help but like Kanzaki Nao. Matsuda Shota taught me the ~te form of the verb oshiemasu as he repeates it god knows how many times as his character Akiyama struts around like some psycho-genius wanting to show off his great big brain at any opportunity. I now cannot hear anyone oshieteiruyo without thinking of him. Well, never mind.

I actually should not be doing these reviews; I have been doing this all day instead of getting on with uni work so I’m going to stop here. I can’t even be bothered to end this properly so I’m just going to chuck in a load of promo stuff from the show.

 

~