Expo '70: A Girl's Dream

 Also caught a cute little period drama special "Banpaku No Taiyo~ Sun Expo", starring Kanna Hashimoto as a young girl obsessed with being part of the upcoming 1970 World Expo in the months leading up to the event. A very lightweight drama with very thin plot, nonetheless very interesting for someone like me who actually had no idea about this event at all or its cultural significance at the time!

Kanna stars as Kyoko Asano, the daughter of a tatami mat maker in Tokyo who  seems to have no real desire for things that girls her age want- to become a wife and homemaker to a good man. The only thing she seems to be excited about is the upcoming World Expo. After the thrill of the Olympics a few years back, she has seen what such events can do for peace and harmony among nations and believes this will be another such thing!

When relatives who run a factory  in Osaka are in need of extra hands, Kyoko goes to live with them, where, among other things, she is able to view the construction of the upcoming World Expo firsthand!! Besides Hashimoto, we have a whole bevy of stars, including Karasawa Toshiaki and Ando Sakura as Kyoko's Uncle and Aunt, and Iitoyo Marie as her pretty cousin Chinatsu.

At first content to work in her Uncle's struggling factory, when the opportunity presents itself to work AT the event, she makes it her mission to attain her goals!

the show features other actors like Kudo Taisei as a possible love interest for the girls and even squeaky Yuno Ohara as a rival of sorts! (and my does the 1970's fashion style really match her!!!)

I really loved the "feel" of this special, the warm autumn colors really give off a nostalgic 1970's vibe, and a lot of the time I felt like I was watching a new NHK Asadora! 

If I had one complaint, I only wish they could have had more information about the actual 1970 World Expo, most of it was mostly glossed over and what I learned I had to discover myself reading up on it after watching the show!

A fun little show to watch over the weekend....

Brush Up Life おわり- Another Masterpiece from Bakarhythm!

Just wrapped up Brush Up life, the drama with the similar premise of Suteki Na Sen Taxi about a woman who, at death's door, is given the chance to be reborn and re-do her life all over again to "fix" her past missteps and choices, and, as expected, was simply and utterly AMAZING!

From the get go I was entertained by the way main character Asami Kondo (Sakura Ando) took on the task of reliving her life with the intention of getting good points for her inevitable afterlife, and af first the show was very wacky indeed! But as the show went on and the stakes got higher, what developed was an introspective and HEARTFELT drama, one that had me totally engaged and ENTHRALLED all the way to the end!!

Lots of opportunities for wackiness, but what really came through was the love of family and the power of friends and friendship, especially the kind you make when you are very young and carry with you throughout your entire lives. This show made a point of how precious these kinds of things are and are meant to be cherished and appreciated. 

As those who've seen Suteki Na sen Taxi's more sombre episodes, Bakarhythm has an impeccable talent for mixing the most outlandish ideas with some of the sweetest and touching moments, and Brush up life was yet another fine masterpiece!

With Brush up Life, I can safely say that he has become one of my all time favorite screenwriters, one whom I will gladly await upon each and any new projects he does! An A-PLUS from Me!!!!