A Tale of Two "Games"

 In my post about the Keigo Higashino novel "The Name Of The Game Is A Kidnapping" and its 2003 and 2024 adaptations, I had remarked that with the 2003 version with Naohito Fujiki, Yukie Nakama and Ryo Ishibashi, while mostly true to the source material (with a few alterations and additions), they tacked on an extended "happy ending" for everyone involved, a move I felt didn't sit right but did leave the audiences satisfied!

 

The 2024 version started off well by avoiding a lot of changes the 2003 version made, seeming to adhere to the novel as best as they could,  and I stated in my last post that I felt we were going to get the "true" adaptation at last! Kazuya Kamenashi was excellent as Sakuma, Ai Mikami great as Juri and Atsuro Watabe properlyintimidating as  Katsuragi. Things looked good!

Well, I just finished watching the new series, and not only did they ALSO tack on a new ending, my GOSH, it had to be the most over-the-top, overly dramatic conclusions ever! Seriously, I had the surprised Pikachu face as I watched this new ending, thinking, "Everyone agrees that the Keigo Higashino novel is perfect...so WHY do they always feel they need to ADD to the ending???"

Is it because in Japan, the novel is so well known that they feel the need to surprise the fans who have already read the book? Is the original "twist" not enough? Surely fans of the source material must have been as disappointed as I was with this newfangled wrap up...

Too bad, as I was REALLY digging the 2024 version up to that point!

“The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping” 2024!

Not even three months ago I was raving about reading author Keigo Higashino’s awesome book “The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping” (Game no Na Wa Yuukai) and the 2003 movie adaptation of it, "g@me",  (of which I've gushed about here)...

...and here we are with a brand new 2024 mini-series adaptation for the next generation to jump into!! The Higashino novel originally came out in 2002, thus this new mini series has been updated, taking us from the Heisei to the Reiwa era. But outside of that, the story and characters remain the same, and I must say that after watching episode 1 of the mini series tonight, think it is a fantastic adaptation!!

The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping tells the story of a successful if arrogant advertising designer named Sakuma (here played by Kazuya Kamenashi) who, at the crux of a huge business venture, is told that the company has inexplicably cancelled the project.

This termination is due to the seemingly whim of the business account’s president, Katsuragi (Atsuro Watabe), who has decided he doesn't like Sakuma's vision and style. 
Despite conversing with the company president face to face, they get nowhere, and though they are able to convince the car company president to give them one more chance, it is with the explicit instructions that Sakuma must be taken off the project.

That night a frustrated Sakuma makes his way to Katsuragi’s mansion. He doesn’t know if he’s going there to plead his case or duke it out with the man, but instead, he comes across a young girl leaping over the walls and running away.

Her name is Juri (Ai Mikami), and, deducing that she is Katsuragi's daughter, Sakuma quickly makes moves to confront her, thinking that perhaps he can win points with Katsuragi by helping her...

Though he picks her up with plans of using her to his advantage with Katsuragi, Sakuma will find this girl is running away from home because she is fed up with her family, in point her father, whom she feels alienated from. Sakuma gets Juri a hotel to hide out in for the time being, and they get to talking. They realize they have a mutual interest in Katsuragi: Juri needs money from him to run away from the family, and Sakuma wants to ‘get back” at Katsuragi for his humiliation.  

Together the two team up to create the most elaborate hoax on Katsuragi: To fake Juri’s KIDNAPPING and bilk the Company president for MILLIONS! But plans like this must be meticulously thought out and executed, but Sakuma is calm and collected. After all, it’s a game to him. And he just LOVES a challenge!

Episode One just aired and like I said, was really great, and for many reasons! Making the decision to air it as a mini series rather than a movie gives them more time to fully cover the source material and scenes and scenarios that were changed or cut can be fully realized...
In the original book Katsuragi was president of a Car Manufacturing Company but in the 2003 film it was changed to Beer business. Here it is restored to Car Manufacturer, and I must say, the advertising campaign of  having a “virtual test drive” of the car via computers, a fancy idea back in 2002, is so “of the time” right now!!

Additionally, I mentioned in my earlier post that one thing that always bugged me about the 2003 film was that Yukie Nakama seemed waaaaay to old to be playing the young teenage runaway Juri, but Ai Mikami portrays her just fine!

As well, Kamenashi as Sakuma is great. Naohito Fujiki played Sakuma in the film and while he was okay, you didn’t see the bitterness and the stakes he was playing for as much as you do in the miniseries. Kamenashi really conveys the EGO that Sakuma has and the burning desire to get the upper hand on Katsuragi!!

The Miniseries is going to be a lean 4 episodes long and I fully expect the next three episodes to be as great as this first one was! Should be a wild ride!

PS: OOOOH, and just LOOK at where Sakuma resides! As a highly succesful businessman, of COURSE it makes sense that he lives at THE AFFLUENT APARTMENT, that hoity-toity abode I JUST  talked about a few days ago! 

When you gotta show that the person is a success, ya GOTTA have them reside at the AFFLUENT apartment, it's just a given!!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Haru ni Nattara~ When Spring Comes

Nao and Noritake Kinashi in Haru ni Nattara

 Over breakfast one morning, a single father and his daughter announce that they have huge, shocking news for the other. On the count of three they both say what it is, and both are indeed shocked by the news they hear: Daughter has announced that she has been seeing a guy for a year and intends to MARRY in three months…while father has news of a more startling sort: the news that he has stage4 pancreatic cancer and has three months to LIVE!

Father Masahiko Shiina (Noritake Kinashi), a peppy salesman by day, has only learned of his cancer by chance- a sore hip led to the discovery of the slow-moving cancer, sadly by the time the Docs have found it, it has metastasized to other parts of his body  and is a long shot for survival. Having seen what the cancer can do to other friends and with little chance of success, Masahiko opts out of treatment and hopes to spend his last few months peacefully. 

Daughter Hitomi (Nao) is a young midwife working at a maternity clinic in town, under the watchful eye of Sugimura (Satomi Kobayashi)  she has moved on to treating patients of her own and is secure and happy in her job and life. 

Her fiance is a schleppy man named Kawakami (Gaku Hamada) , an older and if, truth be told, not that funny guy working as a comedian. The two have secretly been gearing up for their wedding, but not only does her father’s illness throw a huge wrench in their plans…. he’s ENTIRELY AGAINST Hitomi marrying the Kawakami!!!

Even Hitomi's friends Minako (Ai Mikami) and Keigo (Tatsuya Fukazawa), whom she delightedly tells one afternoon, aren't too sure about this union, especially Keigo, who's long harbored secret feelings for Hitomi...

  The situation causes terrific arguments at home: Hitomi wants Father to begin treatments and accept her fiance, while Dad only wants to live out his life in peace…and WITHOUT his daughter marrying tht good-for-nothing comedian shlub!

While the two try and work out the differences between them and come to some kind of arrangement, there is a matter of bucket lists. Daughter Hitomi has a list of all the things she wants to do before getting married. And father has crafted a similar list of things he wants to do before he passes. And in the coming episodes we will see the Father and Daughter try to come to terms while at the same time fulfilling their list wishes!

I will say that on paper, the premise of this drama sounds like a depressing melodrama, but far from it, this show is full of life, great characters, wonderful dialog and, as you would expect from someone like Nao, completely believable and lovable characters!

Ready to see where this one goes~!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com