Abarenbo Shogun Back in Action!

 Kind of interesting to hear that Matsudaira Ken and "Abarenbo Shogun" will be returning after 17 years~ As some of you know, it was Abarenbo Shogun (V, as I recall) that was the very first non-superhero Japanese show I ever watched, and is largely responsible for ingiting what would be a lifelong passion for J-dramas that continues to this day!

As I've recounted in other posts, it was actually my love of Tokusatsu that got me interested in it in the first place. I'd been showing my then-girlfriend episodes of "Kamen Rider V3", and, noticing the formulaic structure of the show, (i.e., introduce baddies, confront the problem, get to the source of the corruption, then with an action music blaring, take down said villains) and said to me, "You know, I REALLY think you'd enjoy Abarenbo Shogun...its pacing is SO similar to Kamen Rider!"

Try it I did, and soon tuned in religiously each week, enjoying the dashing exploits of the "Rambunctious Shogun" as he lived his dual life of Shogun of the land and his mild mannered alter ego living among the people. I also really loved the songs, especially Saburo Kitajima's wonderful "Otoko Michi" which closed each week.

Along the way, I'd see commercials for the current shows that Japanese program Channel KIKU  were running, and I remember seeing previews for shows like "Night Embrace", "The King's Restaurant", as well as a show that would go on to become one of my all time favorites, Aishiteirutte to Ittekure, "Say You Love Me"!

It was seeing those commercials for it  that prompted me to ask my friend Dan  if I could borrow his VHS tapes of the show once I decided to start watching J-dramas proper! And my obsession just grew and GREW til it practically took over my life!

"Shin Abarenbo Shogun" airs this coming January!

True Detective: Keibuho Daimajin

 Absolutely KNOCKED OUT by the first episode of the crime thriller “Keibuho Daimajin”, following the exploits of a detective nick-named Daimajin and his venture into the underbelly of crime. From the GET GO this show pulled no punches and hit the ground running, taking me on a journey I had no IDEA where it would lead!

Ikuta Toma stas as Daiba Jin, an all-star ‘ace” within the Police Department for his record of arrest rates and his singular passion to punish the evildoers. But his dedication to the cause goes deeper than anyone might suspect.

When we are introduced to Daiba, he has caught up to a powerful leader in the force named Amo Dai, who has been leading a child abduction serial case for years, without success. The reason becomes clear to Daiba when he discovers that AMO HIMSELF has been the child murderer, and, knowing full well that because of his power and authority, will get off scot free, Daiba metes out the ultimate punishment- by KILLING HIM with his own hands, and setting it up to look like a suicide.

Later Daiba returns to the scene as the lead investigator, and persuades the investigative team to rule it as a suicide, while also trying to steer the team to the proof of Amo’s evil deeds.

There is a kink in Daiba’s plans, however, a keen investigator named Saimon Hirayasu (Osamu Mukai), who isn’t easily swayed by the obvious clues Daiba has left behind indicting Amo as the child killer. He examines the scene and has his OWN ideas of what's happened....

Hoping to show Hirayasu proof of Amo’s crimes, Daiba says they should check Amo’s second home. Daiba has recently rescued a child from Amo’s depraved basement, and wants Hirayasu to discover it on his own.

 They go to the house, where Daiba feigns innocence as they break into the place and make their way down the stairs to the torture room.  Daiba exclaims to Hirayasu, “Amo must have been the killer!” but is met with shock...when Hirayasu not only says that he knows FULL WELL that Amo was the serial killer- but that DAIBA was the one that executed him!

Daiba is in disbelief, but Hirayasu calms him down, stating that he fully APPLAUDS Daiba’s methods. Like Daiba, he knew that Amo was basically untouchable and would never answer for any crimes, so he completely understood when Daiba resorted to murder.

Hirayasu even goes as far as saying he knows of at least three other “murders” of corrupt individuals that he believes Daiba was responsible for, but instead of turning him over to the authorities, he orders him to JOIN his covert investigative team! Seems Daiba is going to be under this guy's thumb for awhile....

When Daiba arrives the next day, he is met with the most rinky dink of a team, with just two investigators there (Kavka Shishido and Kenta Hamano) in a cramped space. But when Hiroyasu arrives, he lets Daiba know that this task force has a secret agenda: to investigate all the corrupt goings on  within the governing landscape by an old cult-like organization known only as the “44”, of which Amo was a part of.

Together the team hopes to work in the shadows tracking down the ne’er do wells, and with Hirayasu, Daiba agrees on a shaky truce as they go into the deep workings of the organization...

Hirayasu meeting with his own  “Deep Throat” informant Taizo Kumota (Ken Matsudaira) for information....

The group may have a perpetual “fly in the ointment” on hand,  with a sharp and compassionate young detective named Yuka Tanabata (Tao Tsuchiya). Like the rest, she is concerned about the child abduction cases, and when the child who Daiba had rescued describes him to her, Tanabata suspects Daiba may have had something to do with the kidnappings!

And with a chance sighting of Daiba at Amo’s house and Daiba’s sudden departure from the department into Hirayasu’s mysterious team, she makes it her mission to pry into their goings on and movements!

MAN, I cannot tell you how jazzed I am for this show, and was CRYING OUT the fact that this first episode wasn’t at least an hour-long, it ended FAR too FAST! I’ve mentioned before how disappointed I am when crime dramas like JOKER: Yurusarezaru Sousakan and ALICE no TOGE portray the leads as cold-blooder anti-hero killers, anly to revela at the end that they didn’t REALLY hurt anybody and it was all for show. 

That’s why I was so BLOWN AWAY by the Oguri Shun crime drama BORDER, where the judgement and punishment extracted onto the villains were so cold, cruel and ABSOLUTE, and with Keibuho Daimajin’s INTENSE opening scene of Daiba STRANGLING the criminal to DEATH…I was GOBSMACKED!

PS: About the post title: This drama’s macabre and surreal vibe REALLY reminded me of the excellent “True Detective” series, especially the first one with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson… and until some station eventually actually makes a Japan version (like they did with Cold Case, Bones, Suits, etc), this one will do nicely!

REALLY excited to follow this one!!!

Catching up On Some Older Classics

After so many people have recommended it to me, I FINALLY was motivated enough to find and download the old Tsuyoshi Kusanagi drama NINKYO HELPER, and MAN, what TOOK me so long? This drama is freakin’ great!

Ninkyo Helper tells the tale of a group of Yakuza Bosses who get an odd directive from their new BIG Yakuza Boss (Matsudaira “Abarenbo Shogun” Ken) Takayama- to hide their Yakuza roots and go undercover…as CARETAKERS in an Elderly Care Center!

 Takayama explaining to the Care Facility Owner that he will be taking in six new volunteer. Caretaker playing by Ren Osugi, no stranger to dramas where Yakuza go undercover as he appeared in “My Boss My Hero” as well!

The six Yakuza bosses have no idea just what is on the elder Boss’ mind, but cannot refuse his orders. And so their life of struggling with the pains and problems of elder care begin! 

Though rough at first, over time some of them actually find worth in both the old people they care for and the job they provide. Enough to wonder, “Just WHAT is the endgame plan for this charade?”

I’m halfway through the series already and really liking it- Meisa Kuroki is indeed as COOL as Hamanosilence said- as the only female of the team, she is easily the most kick-ass out of all of them!

Also VERY happy to see Yui Natsukawa in this, here as Akira Hatori, a woman running a chain of high class care centers with an eye to take over the one the gang is working at-

There’s a nice side-story of Hatori’s bullied young son who takes a liking to Kusanagi’s Tsubasa, begging him to accept him as his senior and teach him how to be strong.

Also nice to see Riisa Naka as a naive caretaker working a t the facility who seems to be taking a shine to the gruff Tsubasa…

Osamu Mukai as Tsubasa’s junior in the clan…

and , OH MY GOSH, Aoi Nakabeppu in a minor role as Hatori’s assistant (along with Misako Yasuda), boy, I was JUST wondering what EVER happened to her!

Also began watching the Shinjo Katori/Yuko Takeuchi drama “ Bara No Nai Hanaya”, the story of a widowed man raising a young daughter who meets a sweet blind woman outside of his flower shoppe one rainy night.

 There is immediate chemistry between the two, and circumstances seem to bring them closer and closer together. But we find that this is all an elaborate con put together by a mysterious man out to punish the father for yet unknown reasons….

 Also about halfway through this one- Yuko Takeuchi reminds me why I fell so head-over heels in love with her in “Lunch No Joou”!!

Just about to wrap these up and THEN...on to tackling Code Blue finally!

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