Salamander Guru 도롱뇽도사와 그림자 조작단 [series]

Cameos cameos where for art thou cameos? All in this series. All of them.

I couldnt even begin to list all the cameos and skits in this show. 

I'm not going to bother trying but I say that the notable ones for me were from members of BEAST/B2ST, SNSD, and SHINee, G.NA, and well there were so many I forget now. 

The most obvious skit was the Coffee Prince, but the whole thing was pretty much a weird farce, so most of it was based around some bonkers idea from similar shows. 

I watched this purely because I'm having a fan girl flail about SHINee at the moment, and I wanted to check out some of Minho's stuff. 

To my squealy surprise both Taemin and Key make cameos in one episode and Taemin even comes back for the finale. Stupid happy about that. 

I recognised Taemin the instant he was on screen - even in his stupid disguise. It was like playing spot the idol at times.

It started off so weird, I thought it was maybe my painkillers tripping me out at first, but everyone else was also laughing too. I wasnt imagining the huge size of Dalsoo's head either - they mentioned it in the show many times. 

So its basically a case of wanna be robbers turn con men making good through their relations with a guru suffering from dementia and a police woman and her adorable son. 

The odd capers they encounter while involved with these people are tangled up with Min Hyeok (Minho) and his quest to find the man who killed his father when he was a child.

The robbers are useless, and get themselves deeper into trouble the more they try to use a situation to their advantage - but Min Hyeok seems to always be around to help them cover it up with his hacker genius nerd super powers. 

The guru had choked on food and it gave him dementia - yes that seems to be the case - and now just dances around watching SNSD on the TV all the time, and the police woman seems to be oblivious to the scams of the robbers now posing as the salamander guru's disciples. 

I was kind of amazed at how she let her son just go about on his own all the time when he is so young. Is that ok in Korea? Because its way too young if we were to do that here... 

I was wondering if I should do a proper cast list but I dont have the energy. 

Most of the main actors and notable cameos are in the labels at the bottom so I'm just going to leave it at that. 

Go check out drama wiki if you care. 

Im way too tired to make sure I get that right, and the formatting is messing up on here tonight. I dont want to fight with it anymore.

It was an unexpectedly good drama, the cameos made it geniusly funny - Taeyeon was fantastic and I should give a little flail for Taemin and Minho's awful punching grapple scuffle fight thing they had - oh the wobbly Star Trek camera action could not cover up the fact that these boys cant fight for sh*t. 

And Kyusun has such an annoying voice! Speaking of voices, the guru's voice suddenly changes when he has a moment of clarity through his dementia and man is Lee Byungjoon's voice deep!

They must have all had so much fun working on this show and I think you could really feel that. 

Ive got to stop starting new ones and finish all my unfinished shows now, I have so many Ive left hanging. 

But so many I want to watch... 

I cant help myself. 

~

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.

~

Bitter blood ビター・ブラッド [series]

Nansensu! 

ok so i have 4 things on my task list at work... 4 things damn it. I cannot just sit here while there are so many things left unwatched and unreviewed. I cannot watch any thing here though - thats a bit too conspic. But i can try and rant a little. 

Ive got some loopy meds which make me crazy for the neck rippage pain, so when i got home and edit this w*nkered off my tree trolley I'm not likely to make any more sense than my bored at work self. 

So whether its bored work self or tripping on ripped muscle pain relief meds self talking here, youre in for a garbled mess of nonsense. Ah nonsense. That certainly gave me an idea of what to review... 

Right, well here we go. First ever post to have its own blurb? I think not. But I'm liking this self introduction business, as if you guys dont already know how stupid my writing usually is. I decided to do it purple and green like my hair is at the moment. I cant make the post knotty and dry though.

My favourite Kamen Rider munchkin Sato Takeru (Kamen rider Den-o, Rookies, Q10, Bloody Monday, Princess Princess D), and Watanabe Atsuro (Godhand Teru, 3 extremes, Rookies, Zebraman) team up as the unlikely father and son crime fighting duo in this series. 

It is stumbling bumbling clumsy stupids with a running threat weaved in and out of the separate stories of each episode. 

The threat sewn into each episode that builds to the almighty crescendo is Oikawa Mitsuhiro! (Hanzawa Naoki, Nodame, Lucky 7 sp, 20th century boys) 

well, not him, but his character who is a nasty sh*t bag with a gimpy leg after some hard earned revenge of the gimpy leg man type of vengefulness. Grammatical writing genius win. 

There are some other people in it... 

But Im at work so I feel less bothered right now to do a cast list. 

I liked Tanaka Tetsushi (Akumuchan, ataru, yokai nengen bem, hanawake, quiz show, lost time life, sunao ni narenakute, last friends, bloody monday, Pacchigi), who plays Koga (the screen shot below). His character was funny and over the top as usual. He is bound to crop up in this sort of drama eve if it was only a cameo. But this time its part of the main gang. 

I think he is hanging his head in shame at my writing. dont you think?

It all centers around the main two guys and their accidental comradery when they are thrown together as a father and sun team even though they had been estranged for years. They do become kind of close in a way but mostly through their mutual dislike of the other. 

I love Sato Takeru. I think he is one of the best people ever in anything ever amen and will never get over his awesome multiple Kamen Riders, and well, everything else he's ever been in was great. Just great. Rurouni Kenshin anyone? yes well. So shut up. 

His comedy these days is a far cry from Princess Princess D, but whatever style he goes for its worth a quick fan girl flail squeal. So there was mine. 

Anywho. *gah it really annoys me when people give advice before asking any questions. I posted something just now as a statement on another site and got a load of advice i didnt ask for when no-one asked for context first. People, you are stupid. Tangent much.

Im not doing to well sticking to the point here. I feel so bad for writing this while at work. 

I don't feel comfortable shirking this way, but Ive seriously got nothing to do. To be honest I am far from the only one I think. 

So, the review! God damn you sir. I will get back to the point. Ive completely lost the thread.    

Stupid rage in my head about internet explorer because at work that is all im able to use - what generation do these people belong to?? Blog spot is not supported *insert rant at Ruku-chan here* ...actually i will insert it. have it. 

...its not fast enough, my old browser isnt supported by blogspot or blogspot isnt supported by my browser or which ever way round it is - basically there is no support, no love, no faith in this heartless marriage between blog spot and my browser... 

my rant went on like this for over 70 paragraphical message box alertified notifications. There was a lot more but i wont included it because as ive said before on here, i dont want to get sectioned. 

This review is looooong and so far ive only told you that they are father and son. believe it or not most of the rambling in this review is the bored at work me rather than the tw*tted on painkillers editing at home me. so yeah. thats a great thing to know about myself. 

oh i really cant be arsed to explain anything. its funny and you can go all boo hisssss at the bad guy (im starting to love Oikawa Mitsuhiro) and hit your head on the desk in frustration at the will they wont they thing with Maeda. Oh i havent said anything about her yet. oh for f*ck sake. this review. seriously. 

the other rookie working along side these idiots is played by Kutsuna Shiori (apparantly she was in Beck and Mei-chan no shitsuji but i dont really remember). 

She reminds me of Ishihara Satomi's character in voice a little bit. I didnt really feel anything either way for either of those characters. so yeah, this has been an awful review. I can think straight, i should never do this again. but probably will.

Now that Im editing this starting to feel spackered on pain killers this is reading as complete nonsense which i guess is appropriate for the program. sorry for the lack of grammar and punctuation and real words in this post. i will try harder next time to not be drugged up or distracted by pain. 

I feel woozy. 

~