It's That Waterfront Again!

Hahaha, finally getting around to finishing up that old Fukatsu Eri/Tsumabuki Satoshi drama "Slow Dance", and had to laugh when this scene came up where Eri's character Isaki visits Tsumabuki's Ricchi at work, and the place they sit down to talk is a waterfront that is ALL TOO familiar to me:

Yes, it's that famous park that we've all seen in NUMEROUS japanese dramas including PRETTY GUARDIAN SAILOR MOON with Usagi and the girls...

Kimura Takuya and Lin Chi Ling  in Tsuki Wa Koibito...

...And Brother Beat with Tamayama Tetsuji and Mokomichi Hayami!

Haha, this waterfront, identified by blogger runpup as the famous Yokohama Business Park (thanks for the detective work, runpup!) is a backdrop coordinator's dream come true, and one can only wonder: where will it turn up next?! LOL

The Latest in Fun Crime Dramatics: Lucky Seven

Now that I've finished watching Himitsu Choihoiun Erika (which I began watching when Nazotoki No Dinner Wa Ato De ended) I needed another fun and entertaining Crime series to  occupy my time, and as if right on schedule, the quirky drama Lucky Seven started!

Up to episode two so far (those fansubbers are ON this one!) and I'm really enjoying it! Sporting a virtual ALL-STAR CAST, Lucky Seven is a show about a highly spirited Detective Agency named Lucky comprised of (what else?) seven agents, all with their own special talents and foibles,making for a Choo Omoshiroii drama!

Nicely paced show, and I have to mention about how frickin' great the action sequences are, particularly the martial arts fight scenes, where it looks like practically Theatrical Release Quality kickboxing and brawling scenes. Watching this, it makes me wonder how much the actors had to train for this drama, it's REALLY impressive stuff!

And if that weren't enough, the show is upped ANOTHER notch by having a totally KAKKOI opening sequence! The screen opens to the strains of Arashi's awesome new song "Wild At Heart" as we the see the silhouettes of the formidable super-team, and as the song gets into full swing, we're introduced to the primary cast members:

Matsumoto Jun. Funny, though this drama was billed more or less as a Matsujun drama, it really seems more like an ensemble cast kind of show, at least so far.

Eita's kickboxing detective Nitta is by far my FAVORITE character on this show, such an odd and intense guy! For some reason, the way he walks around with his hands tucked into his baggy pasts (and that Fred Schneider mustache), he looks like a weird Super-Mario character come to life! And Damn, those fight scenes...does this guy box in real life?

Naka Riisa is so girlishly cutesy in this show as the high-maintenace yet totally insecure Asuka, whenever her undercover job calls for her to don her "alluring vixen" disguise, I am THERE!

I've always thought she was really pretty, and it's nice to see a character which allows her to dazzle me each episode!

Oizumi Yo laying another patently Oizumi Yo character, nerdy and hyperactive! He'll always be "Curly-Curly Perm" guy to me, and I have to say his character of Asahi isn't that far removed from his previous performances!

And then there's the lovely Boss-Lady, and while Nanako Matushima doesn't quite command the "Yuki Amami" authoritative brashness about her, we all know (from witnessing Kaistfu No Mita) that the chick is quick with a knife and has no problem laying someone out, LOL!

Sadly, Iriki Mari and Kadono Takuzo got the short end of the sticks in the opening; though they're part of the Lucky Seven Team, there's no name credits for them! They were lucky to even be in the group shot here, seeing as how the official web page picture only features the five stars! It's like those old Gilligan's Island where the opening song didn't mention the Professor and Mary Ann! AHAHAHA! Additionally, poor Iriki Mari's hardly even in the drama's group shots...

...As she's tucked way off to the side by the front door of the agency! LOL

Looking forward to more of this fun show!

Aoi Yu Enters David Lynchian Territory

Aoi Yu in Shozukai

As regular readers of this blog know well, I am a huge, huge fan of pretty actress Aoi Yu, but I just don't know about this new drama of hers "Shozukai"... it is WEIRD, WEIRD, WEIRD! I mean like Twin Peaks "Fire Walk With Me" weird, Ya know. At first I thought it was going to be a serious, heavy drama like Eguchi Yosuke's "Triangle" or dark like Ayase Haruka's "Byakuyakou", but it just got less and less like a solid murder-mystery and more and more like an "existential" art-house project , if you will.

The sdtory begins engagingly enough...four friends are witness to one of their classmates  being taken away by a mysterious person and murdered, yet none of them can remember what the person looked like upon questioning later. The murdered child’s mother curses the four girls to lives of misery where they must “atone for their sins” for failing to bring the girl’s killer to justice.

The drama takes a turn when we jump ahead to the four girls, now all grown up and properly messed up because of the incident, dealing with personal issues in their own way. Seems like the curse the mother has set on them has been working! This portion of the show is shot in this colorless, grainy documentary style film, adding to the mix of a gloomy, morose plodding story, and I'm all like, 'Ehhhhh...It's like Su Ki Da, all over again!" Too Bad, Aoi Yu was looking so darn pretty and lithely feminine, GOD, I love this girl!

The next few chapters of this drama feature other actresses I love like Chizuru Ukewaki and Koike Eiko, but  I dunno if I'm going to be in this for the long haul. Blessedly, the drama's only a short 5 or 6 episodes long, so I guess if they translate them, I might give it a gander...Onto Episode 3!

Himitsu Chouhouin Erika 終わり

Well, DAMN that turned out to be a pretty Kick-Ass last episode!

More Miori

Aw Man, that Takimoto Miori is totally KILLING me with her cuteness in HUNGRY! I haven't had so much fun watching a zanily adorable character like her since falling in love with Juri Ueno as Nodame, she's THAT cute! Take this slice of life as Chie (Takimoto) works herself up thinking about the wonderful food she's obsessing about...

Now imagine that character acting like that in every scene she's in and you'll understand why Hungry is becoming one of my favoite shows on right now! Watching episode Two, I actually groaned when I realized the chapter was almost over! I didn't want it to stop!

Kanno Miho Does Krazee Very Well

"I'll Get You, My Pretty!" thinks an evil Miho Kanno

Judging by past roles in Guilty~Akuma to Keiyakushita Onna and now as Harada Aya in Mitsu No Aji, it seems like actress Miho Kanno is really making her mark and establishing herself as an over-the-top manic-delusional psychotic-type, a career development that's really surprising when you consider how cute, genki and GOOFY she is in real life! 

Standoff between Psycho and Sweetie

When you see her in various variety shows, you can always count on her to bring the funny, and I've always loved how "bokke" she is when they're playing games or doing things like baking cakes or building crafts... Well, you sure don't see any of THAT when she's having a "mad-on" and trying her very best to make poor sweet Eikura Nana's life a LIVING HELL! LOL!

"Gulp!" thinks Nana Eikura

Adventures in Cuteness: Kuroki Meisa

Finally finished watching One Pound Fukuin, that Kazuya Kamenashi drama that I've been dallying on for months, but now that I got to see it all, I have to say what a fun and hilarious show that one was! A wacky show along the lines of Renai Kekkon No Rule or Tiger and Dragon, One Pound Fukuin tells the tale of a kooky but good-hearted boxer named Hatenaka who falls in love with a soft spoken Nun named Sister Angela.

Kamenashi Kazuya and Kuroki Meisa

Such great chemistry between the two, you can really feel they both care for each other, though most of the time Hatenaka's obsessive cloying for Sister Angela is driving her crazy! No matter, when they're together, they always find a way to get into the most nutty situations! Really a fun, fun drama!

Meisa with Satomi Kobayashi

Everyone in the show was great, especially a scene-stealing performance by Kobayashi Satomi, (one of THE funniest actresses out there) as Hatenaka's Gym Coach, but the one who really made it for me was Meisa Kuroki! Man, her portrayal of Sister Angela just warmed my heart! Admittedly, when I first saw her in that habit, I was pretty skeptical that I'd believe Meisa as a Nun, but you know what? She played it so well that I totally fell into step by the second show!

Stunned Nuns: Kuroki Meisa et al.

So cute to watch her frazzled expressions when something crazy happens, wonderful to follow her as she's shyly spying on Hatenaka (as her interest in him and his silly ways begin to grow on her), and hilarious to watch her befuddled behavior when she's confused or embarrassed!

A terrific example of this sweet naivety is this scene where Sister Angela has gone to the Gym to give Hatenaka some Valentine's Day Chocolate. When she arrives, however, she sees ANOTHER girl giving him a HUGE Candy Heart. Depressed, she backs out and leaves without saying a word. Feeling a twinge of jealousy, she angrily throw her package of chocolate off a bridge, but she's seen by the gym owner's son...LOL

Of course, one of the great scenes for me comes in the last episode, (I think I should warn any potential One Pound Fukuin viewers that there are spoilers ahead, though I'm pretty sure that at this stage of the game, everyone has already seen this one!) where Hatenaka is ready for the fight that will decide if he's to become a Japan Champion, and he's visited by Sister Angela who's decided to choose him as her path of life and has left the convent. Such a GREAT buildup to the reveal of her in civilian clothes, and I have to say, she looked SO sweet and beautiful (in that "ordinary girl" way) that even I felt like this was the first time seeing Meisa Kuroki not wearing a Nun Habit!

...Then the Announcer blares that it's time for Hatenaka's fight, and he goes off to to center ring to take care of business, from there the show segues into the couple moving on to their future married life together... 

And as the show wrapped up, I found myself thinking, BOY was that Meisa Kuroki just the Sweetest Little Thang! Yes, I believed.

Happy Momoe Day!

I’d just dug out my Momoe Yamaguchi Yoru No Hit Studio DVDs and had spent the entire evening being blown away once again by her total AWESOMENESS, and when I went online to look for live clips of some of the songs, it came to my attention that today is Momoe’s BIRTHDAY!!! What a happy coincidence!

Ah man, since discovering her late in my j-pop life, Momoe and her music has gone on to become one of my very, very favorite performers, and watching these discs again its like I'm seeing her anew all over!

Every performance on this set rocks, but special attention must be given to the fourth and fifth discs covering her 1980 period with tracks like “Aizenbashi” and “Rock n Roll Widow”, the bittersweet ballads “This Is My Trial” and “Sayonara No Muko Gawa”, and my personal favorites, performances of “Shanikusai~Carnival” , "Phoenix Densetsu", and the awesome “Ichie”, such INTENSE perfs!

 I wasn’t able to rip the discs to a format I could work with, however I DID discover clips some kind soul had uploaded on youtube, so I'm able to upload em here! Such an aweome performer, SUCH a talent! I LOVE, LOVE you, Momoe-san! Happy Birthday, and many more to come!

Nagasaku Hiromi's Back to Kick Some Butt

Was delighted when I heard that terrific actress Hiromi Nagasaku was FINALLY gonna be headlining a show of her own! You know, Ive been in love with the former Pony Canyon Idol since her glory days as part of the Pop-Trio RIBBON, and have been avidly following her career ever since!

This new Hiro-chan drama, entitled “Dirty Mama”, tells the story of a crackerjack detective named Maruoka (Nagasaku) whose unorthodox ways of doing things has made her one of the force’s most valuable players. Only drawback is her harsh personality and habit of taking her child along with her everywhere INCULDING the crime scenes, which has got everyone uptight!

Quite and interesting premise, and I have to say I'm impressed with the cast they've assembled for this show! Everyone’s GREAT in the show so far, especially co-star Karina, looking as lovely as ever, but the ONLY GRIPE I have is: Where on EARTH did they come up with this Wacky Hairdo for Hiro-chan? Ye gads!

Out of ALL the hairstyles in the whole wide world, why O WHY did they have to go with...THIS one?  I mean, I know this drama's based on a novel and maybe the story specified the look, but D’OH!!! It’s the Otomejuku Matsuri experience, all over again!!!!!!!! LOL

Karina with Nagasaku Hiromi

Ah well, What can I say? It’s a Hirochan drama, she’s awesome in it, and I’m gonna watch it no matter what!

J-Drama Femme Fatale: Kuriyama Chiaki

Death By Wine Glass: Kuriyama Chiaki in Himitsu Chouhouin Erika

As one may have deduced by the dramas I gush about here, I’m more into the unusual or lighthearted dramas than the romantic or heavy handed ones, so when the delightfully fun Nazotoki wa Dinner No Ato De came to a close, I needed an equally fun and spritely drama to fill its’ spot, and it looks like the spirited crime drama Himitsu Chouhouin Erika is the show of choice!

Starring Kuriyama Chiaki as the titular heroine Erika, the drama tells the tale of a former government secret agent who has moved on and become a part of a father and his young son’s family. Her former bosses, however, still have need of her services, so when she isn’t cleaning house, cooking dinner or picking up the kids from school, she’s out canvassing crime scenes and duking it out with the bad guys, righting the wrongs for the people of Tokyo!

Secret Agent Erika

Each episode begins with Erika going about her motherly duties looking as dorky as all-get-out, worrying about the various things that plague housewives like wrinkles and PTA meetings while taking her son to school, a slightly mousey and insecure looking woman…

as mild-mannered Mother and Wife

Soon enough, however, she gets a call from the agency, and we are introduced to the nature of this week’s crime. She learns the basic schematics of the case, and then we are treated to Erika in her latest elaborate disguise for the day as she prepares to infiltrate the criminal’s base of operations, whether it be posing as a hot young socialite, a working OL, or (my personal favorites here) a cute and bubbly nurse or a sexy Hostess:

Above and below: Undercover as a Nurse

Posing as a Hot Hostess

After some top-notch spywork by Erika and her fellow agents, the crime is exposed and the perpertrators revealed, and we move on to the final stage of the show: Erika goes to confront the villain of the piece, and this time she’s shed costumes of any kind, and what we see is the cool and lethal agent she really is! And of course, no bad guy worth his salt would give up without a fight, so we get to see her secret agent skillz in action!

Fightin' Tactics with Agent Erika

Epilogue: Peace is restored once more, and we leave the show with Erika happily enjoying life with her innocent family, never once  suspecting that those nights when she’s out having coffee with fellow housewives is actually spent kicking the butt of the underworld!

Alls Well That Ends Well: Home Sweet Home

I’ve been trying to nail down just what it is about this drama that I love so much, and I think it ultimately comes down to the basic formula of the show where we get to see Kuriyama go through three different outfit and personality “changes” for each respective act. So cool to see her go from shy housewife to smart investigator, and ultimately the deadly and icy agent, Chiaki Kuriyama rocks the house!

Innocent Mom

Hard Edged Agent

BTW: One thing I've noticed about the fight/action sequences in Himistu Chouhouin Erika is that while the choreography is slow-moving and haphazardly edited, they've VERY inventive and imaginative, what with Erika's almost MacGuyver-ish talent of using whatever objects are around (wine glass, swiffer duster or even a telephone) and turning them into deadly weapons! CHO OMOSHIROII!

Adventures in Cuteness: Takimoto Miori

Takimoto Miori in Hungry!

Oh My GOSH but Who’s this “Takimoto Miori” that’s playing the sassy and wide-eyed Chie in the new Osamu Mukai drama “Hungry”? She is cute, cute, CUTE!

Genki Girl! Takimoto Miori as Chie

with Osamu Mukai checking out the restaurant

So spastically innocent about all the stuff happening around her, (like a hyper chipmunk!) her exaggeratedly adorable reactions remind me of the first time I saw Ueno Juri in Nodame Cantabile or Shida Mirai in Seigi No Mikata! Soooo Sooo CUTE!

Seeing the restaurant for the first time open...

And then joking about how much the rice looks like boobs...

Take this wonderful example of her genki disposition as she sits down to dine on her first dish...ya gotta love those expressions!

Okay, let's try some of this "Tomato Farci"...

Mmmmm...

OISHIIIII!

A very satisfied customer, LOL!

Don't know jsut WHERE this girl came from, but I'll definitely be tuning in for more episodes of Hungry! This show already has a lot going for it with beautiful actresses like Kuninaka Ryoko gracing its screens, but the addition of Miori is like a cherry on the top of an already exquisite dessert!

PS: Going onto the Dramawiki site,it reveals that Miori appeared in that nutty Shibasaki Kou movie Shokudo Katatsumuri, but I’ll be darned if I remember who she was. Probably one of the school kids coming in to eat.