Chainsaw Man: Holy CRAP, This is AWESOME!!!

 Just a quick note to mention that at episode 8, the MAPPA anime CHAINSAW MAN is completely blowing me AWAY with all its twists and turns, giving me scene after SCENE of stuff I would NEVER have predicted!

SO overwhelming has the series been, that I've officially gone to the next step and have begun READING the original MANGA because I cannot bear to be kept from "what comes next" if I can help it!

Another reason I'm venturing into the actual manga is because, of all series, Chainsaw Man manga readers have had a particular dedication for filling all the forums, youtube comment sections and reddit subreddits with major SPOILERS, delighting in "ruining" it for the anime only fans....just another reason it's best to stay ahead of the game!

An Ode to Utada: "First Love"

 About halfway through FIRST LOVE, the latest drama that’s been the talk among twitter threads, which just got release  a few days ago on NETFLIX.

Hikari Mitsushima plays Yae Noguchi and Takeru Sato plays Harumichi Namiki, two childhood friends who were each other's first loves, who by happenstance meet up again at the crossroads of their middle aged lives.

In the current time, Yae is a taxicab driver as well as a divorced mother with a teenage son named Tsuzuru (Towa Araki) whom she dotes on but rarely gets to see.

Harumichi is a Harmichi is a former Air-Defense Pilot who is currently eking out his days as a night watchman. He also is currently in a relationship with Tsunemi (Kaho) but there has always been a part missing in his life....

As the drama jumps back and forth between their golden days of youth as high school students experiencing their first romantic relationship and the sombre present day, we see their hopes, their dreams, and the tragedy that separated them all those years ago, to the point where they are virtual strangers in each others lives.

First Love is a story “inspired by the Utada Hikaru songs First Love and Hatsukoi”, and Utada does feature quite prominently in the show, as a musical backdrop as well as the favorite music of the main characters.

Of course for me First Love is already indelibly coupled with the 1999 Nanako Matsushima/Hideaki Takizawa drama “Majo No Jouken”, the drama of an illicit Teacher/Student relationship in which First Love was the theme song!

So far a VERY good drama that I’m really invested in! Hikari Mitsushima is awesome as well as actress Rikako Yagi who does an excellent job alongside Taisei Kido as the younger versions of the main characters!

Let's see where this one goes!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

What I'm Watching Right Now!

 It's a new season and we've got a whole slew of new dramas to dive into! Here's what I've been checking out, and as usual, listed here in ranking by how much I've been enjoying them!

First Penguin!

You all know how much I love actress Nao and the always spunky and sassy roles she takes, and the part of novice fishmonger in first Penguin might be the BEST character she's played yet! We're at the halfway point of this drama and its been soooo soooo good- can't believe how much i love this show- every episode has me in tears with emotions, and the developments are still coming!

Doronjo

I will be the first to admit that so far, this drama hasn't been going in the direction I'd thought- FAR from seeing the birth of the conniving and charismatic Yatterman villainess , we seem to be stuck portraying the Doronjo character as this sad sack loser who has to deal with all the bad luck and grief the writers can dream up. Still, I'm strongly involved in seeing where this is going and it's still one of the dramas I'm watching with fierce dedication!

Reibai Tantei Jozuka Hisui

Invert: Jozuka Hisui Toujoshu

Well. This show has certainly taken me for a loop! Starting off as the story of a psychic medium who is involved with helping solve a serial killer case, at the halfway point, it completely pulled the RUG out from under us and morphed into an entirely different kind of show!!!

A good thing, too, because I was beginning to feel the drama a tad too much into the dark melodrama of things- the second arc of the show has a DECIDEDLY brighter outlook, one I'm game for!

Atom No Ko

I wasn't planning on watching this drama at first because the premise didn't really grab me, but after watching the first episode, it's seeming like one of the stronger shows this season, telling the tale of a gaming programmer who comes out of retirement to help a young woman who has just inherited her family toy company. We'll see where this one goes.

Miss Jokochi

An older drama from 2019 that subber EdwardWong decided to pick up, this drama, featuring Yasuko Matsuyuki as Amano, a genius engineer who finds, predicts and, hopefully, prevents dangerous mechanical failures in Job Hazards a la OSHA. This drama feels like a reliable KIKU show like Yasuko Sawaguchi's "Investigator Mariko" and watching Jokochi, I'm surprised it wasn't more succesful! A very good and entertaining show.

Tsukanoma no Ichika

Ah, the staple of classic J-dramas of times past and even now, the "doomed romance with Boyfriend/Girlfriend dying of a disease"  trope, more commonly known as the "Manic Pixie" cliche with the "Hyperactively Positive Girl who lives life in the moment because she doesn't have long to live, who finds true love before passing on". Yes, it's a predictable set-up, but always reliable, and, when done right, completely heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time!

 Wanted to watch this  purely for Sakura Fujiwara and haven't been disappointed yet!

Silent

An OK drama so far...? Iamn, I do like this drama of a girl who reunited with her childhood love only to find he has become deaf, but I'm amazed at how popular this show is getting! The raves and accolades are overwhelming, and I'm still trying to see what all these fans are gushing about!

Maybe I'm comparing it too much to the classic 1995 "Aishiteiru To Ittekure" for it to blow me away like it does others. Maybe this is this generation's Say You Love me.

Shinai Naru Boku E Satsui wo Komete

Story of a guy with a supposed split personality whom he is afraid is a serial killer. A the series progresses not only is it clear that he is not the one responsible for the crimes, but I'm even beginning to wonder if he has a split personality at all! From the beginning I've been more suspicious of those around him whom he calls friends, and I'm totally intrigued by the Yuki Sakurai character, who is turning into the best part about this drama!

Shotengai no Pianist

A wholesome drama about a former piano prodigy named Ren (Kita Komagine) who has long since sworn off playing but is reintroduced to the love of music through the enthusiastic efforts of a girl named Midori (Yuki Mio) and the family store's street piano.

Another gentle show to watch at the end of a day before sleep.

Koi No Dangan

Sheer curiosity drew me to this drama starring Fumika Baba as a college student named Yuri who falls in love with a yakuza leader named Oya (Yuta Furukawa), and though it's a lightweight High school rom-commy sort, I gotta admit  it's been entertaining  Let's see how long I last with this one LOL!

Kaidenshita No Gogh

Watching this drama more for the sake of seeing actress Sumire in her first leading role than any real investment in the story! Telling the tale of an overworked office woman who finds a renewed passion in painting when she joins an night class full of oddball eccentrics.

Sister

Argghhhhh, a "persecution' drama of the highest degree! Despite Miori takimoto and maika Yamamoto being two of my favorite actresses, this is exactly the kind of torment plot dramas that I really can't get into. An absolute chore to sit through and watch, even at triple speed ploughing ahead, just to get it over with!

Hokuo Kojirase Nikki

A lightweight drama about a young girl who is into all things Finland and dreams of someday moving there. Actress Hitomi Honda is cute as the obsessed Shimako, but at a mere 4 episodes at 22 minutes each, it felt more like a secondary spinoff show than a "real" drama proper...

Also thought I'd add the ANIME shows I'm currently watching as well!

Chainsaw Man

Wasn't sure what to expect initially from his show about a down on his luck guy who, through fate or by curse, becomes a half-human, half-demon hybrid with chainsaws emanating from his head and arms, but from the GET-Go it's been overwhelming me with its killer action scenes, naughty and bawdy humor and wonderfully flawed and fully developed characters!

There isn't a single character you don't immediately want to know more about, and you are thrilled to learn what you can as you tag along with the Demon hunting Team as they take down the demonic bad guys!

SPYxFAMILY 2

 

The continuing story of the Forger Family comprised of Husband Loid, a world renowned secret agent, Yor, the dutiful wife who is secretly a vicious assassin, and adorable Anya, the psychic daughter, who knows it all! 

An anime beloved by so many, half the fun is going online and going onto the reaction channels to rewatch and relive each chapter! 

My Dress-Up Darling

 (Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi o Suru)

A story of a shy and sheltered boy who is obsessed with Hina Dolls and making outfits for them gets drafted by the most popular and pretty girl in school in making costumes for her cosplay ventures sounds like a fairly mundane subject to watch but MAN, the FANSERVICE in this drama is OFF the CHARTS and I can't help but tune in week after week! Also some very cute theme songs!

Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie

(Kawaii Dake Janai Shikimori-san)

Also still watching this drama as well, though I admit it's been slow going as it hasn't grabbed me as much as the other shows have. The story of a quiet and reserved guy how is befriended by a tuff as nails beauty who becomes his romantic guardian angel, I still intend to see this one out!

OK, I think that's about it for now...further updates as warranted!!!!

Yuming BANZAI! - Yumi Matsutoya 50th Anniversary Best Album

After the excitement of the Chisato Moritaka Box Set, I almost forgot to mention that along with it, I also ordered the 50th Anniversary Collection BANZAI by Yumi Matsutoya in the shipment!

I'll be honest, when I first ordered this, I misheard what Saburo was saying when he told me about the release and thought it was going to be her entire PV collection on disc.  I then realized it wasn't going to be videos, but a three-CD anthology selection of her best songs, plus a Bluray of her newest single "Call Me Back".

The collection starts off with a BANG with "Manatsu No Yo Yoru no Yume", the song that got me INTO Yuming in the first place! From there we go into a aural painting of all the Yuming classics, Hello my Friend, Haru Yo Koi, Rondo, Rouge no Dengon, Mamotte Agetai, and the wonderful "Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara", better known as "that Kiki Delivery Service song" by many!

These are all newly remastered versions of the songs by Go Hotoda, with additional songs remixed and edited by Masataka Matsutoya, But I gotta say, some these songs sound like brand new recordings, almost like Yumi went back in and re-recorded some of her vocals to a more quieter sound. Btu maybe that's my imagination!

Of course, there are a lot of songs and singles I would have chosen over some of the others in this collection, but that's why we own the CDs in the first place, so we can listen to them whenever we want!