Revisting "The Magic Hour"

 I initially downloaded the Japan movie “The Magic Hour” back in 2009 when I was high on love for Haruka Ayase and was desperately grabbing everything I could find of hers. including Oppai Volleyball, Happy Flight, Amemasu no Kawa and the excellent Cyborg SHE, enjoying them all!

When it came to Magic Hour, however, I was to find that the subtitles that came with it were either corrupted or incompatible with my files, and though I tried gamely to watch the show without subtitles for about 30 minutes, in the end I had to give up!

I DID notice , however, that Ayase Haruka’s role was only a very small part, perhaps due to her being still new to the scene, and thus I didn’t place a really high priority on seeking out subtitles that would work, and instead just put it on a backburner. It wasn’t until recently when I was going through and re-watching some of my old Ayase Haruka movies for a Drama Otaku ranking list I was making,  that I realized I STILL had not yet fully watched the Magic Hour and still needed to find subtitles for them!

Luckily we live in the wonder age of technology not only was I able to find the Magic Hour subbed, but these were terrific DVD rips, just fantastic HQ files compared to the old avi files I had tried to watch before! I was now set! Well I just finished watching it in its entirety, and as the saying goes, “It’s better late than never” because my GOSH was this movie GOOD! Oh, so much FUN with winsome humor and slapstick shticks, I haven’t  laughed so hard in such a long time!

The MAGIC HOUR telss the tale of a Bingo (Satoshi Tsumabuki) who gets caught with Mari (Eri Fukatsu), the mistress of the town’s underworld boss Tessio (Toshiyuki Nishida), and is all set to sleep with the fishes until he promises that he can hook the gang up with DELLA TOGASHI, a legendary hit-man that Boss Tessio has been dying to meet!

Only problem is, Bingo actually has no IDEA how to contact this assassin and was only lying to get his feet out the door. He tries in vain to find the man, but with time running out, it seems like he's out of luck!  But when he happens to spy a film crew shooting down the street, he has a revelation: NO ONE knows what this guy Della Togashi dude looks like, and figures he can just HIRE someone to PRETEND to be the man! 

They set their sights on a down-and-out stand-in actor named Murata Taiki  (Koichi Sato) to play the role of the assassin Della Togashi. Naturally an actor wouldn’t accept such a dangerous role, and the only way Bingo can get him to cooperate is to trick him into thinking he’s working on an ACTUAL movie! 

By pretending to be a hotshot director, Bingo convinces him that the fantastic new movie will be him playing a hitman for Don Tessio, with no script and completely on the fly ad-libbing! At first Murata balks at such a plan, but eventually comes around as it's the only gig he's got!

Seems sure to fail, and everyone is skeptical that they can pull this off, especially Mari, who is incensed to have to play along with this farce! But so passionate is Murata with his ‘role” that he convinces the Don, the Gang, and even those around him, that he might actually be the real deal!

Even as things are running smoothly things are SURE to come crashing down sooner or later, and when it does, it will take all their talents, savvy, and movie-making skills to get themselves out of it! 

A fun, entertaining show set in that magical wonderland of movie-making, and as they run around movie sets and filming, we see nice little homages to Hollywood featuring fun cameos from such stars as Nakai Kiichi, Amami Yuki, Suzuki Kyoka, Tanihara Shosuke and even Karasawa Toshiaki!

And BTW, I downloaded this movie primarily for my love of Ayase Haruka, but what I wasn't prepared for was how doggone ADORABLE Eri Fukatsu was as the sassy and selfish Mari, my GOSH, she stole very scene she was in!! SUCH a CUTIE!!!

What a wonderful movie to watch over the weekend! So glad that I was finally able to give this fine film the proper attention it deserves!!!!

BT,  looking at the imdb page for The Magic Hour, the poster reminded me so much of the cover art for the fantastic Keigo Higashino story "Miracles of the Namiya General Store"(which I wrote about here), and it occurred to me how smilar in "feel" these two books had. Sweet, Winsome, and full of heart, these both were stories that made you feel good and feel like a kid again!

Come to think of it, Toshiyuki Nishida was in the movie version of Namiya General Store, too!

Ayase Haruka returns in “Hitori De Shinitai”

As a child, Narumi Yamaguchi always looked up to her Aunt Mitsuko (Sayaka Yamaguchi) for her stylish lifestyle which focused on career more than creating a family, and as she grew up Narumi (Haruka Ayase) followed in pretty much the same way- dedication to her job (as a museum curator), a carefree homelife with a cat, and her personal hobby obsessing over 

No thought had even been given for things like starting a family or even looking for a romantic partner, but when her Aunt Mitsuko passes away one day and Narumi learns that she died isolated, alone and unnoticed by relatives or neighbors for DAYS before discovery, this puts into her mind a fear of getting old and suffering the same lonely fate!

 She knows she has to change her mindset, and begins her new resolve with the slogan "I DON'T WANT TO DIE ALONE!" posted upon her wall! She must re-enter the dating pool, and to that end, has created a profile on a marriage app and announces to her amused co-workers that she is currently seeking a marriage partner! 

 her new mantra: "I Don't Want To Die Alone!"

The pickings, however, are slim, and the ones who DO choose her seem to be all of a much older set. She realizes she herself may not be much of a catch as a 30-something cat lady, and bemoans  her luck!

 A studious and stoic co-worker of hers overhears her lofty boasts of entering the dating field as well as her complaints of inability to meet ‘the one”, and confronts her, asking her just WHAT she expects out of marriage. His name is Yuya Nasuda (Hayato Sano), and unlike Narumi, seems to have no delusions about the realities of marriage. 

He points out that most are only looking for someone to take care of elder parents and do housework, and even if they DO find the right partner, how does that future extend to happiness? True, you won’t be alone, but your partner may pass before you and leave you alone anyway. And Kids? Unless they’re raised right, even THEY may not be around for you at the end.

This is a blow to Narumi, who is discovering there may not be a happy ending for her even if she DOES find someone. And just what is so wrong about the way she has been living, anyway? “I was happy, I was content!” she thinks. 

She has a moment of enlightenment when her cat sits on her motivation banner and covers up the "Don't" part in "I Don't Want To Die Alone". 

Reading it again, she then she realizes that this sudden rush to get married is rooted in the fears of dying in an abandoned way like her aunt, and NOT in pursuit of happiness-  that it isn’t about HAVING someone- it’s about planning things right and taking care to NOT end up the same way. 

 The saying “I Don’t want to Die Alone” is then taken back by her and repurposed with a NEW motto: I want to life my life to the fullest by myself…and I WANT to Die Alone!!!” With this new mindset, Narumi starts her new step for a meaningful life living alone while taking care to ensure she is doing things to have a good passing as well! 

New mantra: "I WANT to Die Alone!"

She will have to convince those around her, (especially her old parents, who are VERY concerned for her future’s well being), but she plans to make a go at it- and who knows? With the like-minded Nasuda around, romance may be closer and more inevitable than she thinks! 

In any case, should be a FUN journey!

 As you all know, I LOVE Haruka Ayase- with her 2007 drama “Hotaru no Hikari” she almost singlehandedly brought me back to the J-drama world, and I’ve always tried to see everything she’s done, and I was excited when they announced this drama weeks back!  When I clicked on the drama site and saw episode one up, I wasted NO TIME grabbing it and watching it!!!

Not quite sure where this drama is going (it gives me the vibes of her 2014 drama “Kyo wa Kaisha Yasumimasu”, but as this drama breaks out into song (which Ayase herself seems to be singing), I guess it’s more like a wacky, loose comedy? 

In any case, it’s only 6 episodes long, so definitely worth sticking around for! 

 BTW, Ya gotta hand it to Sayaka Yamaguchi- in this drama she's playing a stylish and svelte Aunty, why just the other week I was watching her as the over-the-top crazy Mother in “Dear My Baby” with murderous intentions on Kota Nomura!

Sayaka Yamaguchi: From Stylish:

...to Stalkerish!!!

Kota Nomura: "Yikes!"

LOL

Postedby zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogpsot.om